2,000 tickets were cancelled…Former Yokozuna Hakuho’s “Miyagino-Yakata” faces a “harsh reality

June, the month when the main tournament and regional tournaments are not held, was the season for “haircut ceremonies” in which retired sumo wrestlers cut off their topknots.

Starting with former Makuuchi Ishiura’s “Ishiura Retirement Mageki Assumption Grand Sumo” on June 1, followed by former Makuuchi Akiseyama (now Izutsu Oyakata) on June 2, former Makuuchi Chiyonokuni (now Sanoyama Oyakata) on June 8, and Teruyoshi (former Makuuchi) on June 23. Akeseyama, Chiyonokuni, and Terukiyo used the Kokugikan ring as the main venue for the haircutting ceremony.

Motoishiura made his debut in the first tournament of ’13 as an uchideshi of Miyagino Oyakata (former yokozuna Hakuho). He became familiar with sumo as a child because his father was the coach of the sumo club at Tottori Johoku High School, a prestigious sumo school.’ In 2004, he made his first tournament appearance, but due to a cervical spine injury, he announced his retirement in June ’23. Since then, he had been preparing for his retirement as the stablemaster of the Miyagino stable, while coaching younger wrestlers.

The incident occurred at the end of February, when he was in the final stages of his preparations.

Kita-Aoboho, his younger brother and a makuuchi rikishi at the time, was found to have committed a violent incident. Kitaseiho was advised to retire, and his master, Miyagino Oyakata, was demoted two ranks and had his salary reduced. But that was not all. In April, the Isegahama stable (led by former yokozuna Asahifuji) took charge of the Miyagino stable.

The movements of the Miyagino-ya wrestlers who had arrived in Osaka for the spring tournament became the focus of much attention, and several of them, including Hohokaho, the makushita, decided to retire from the stable while they were unable to get medical treatment for their injuries. After the tournament, the decision was made to close the Miyagino stable, and the two stablemasters and their rikishi were transferred to the Isegahama stable.

Naturally, this mess had an impact on the former Ishiura’s retirement tournament.