Only three days after Takanoiwa assaulted his stablemate, the sumo wrestler in the uppermost makuuchi division retired from the professional sumo world to take responsibility for the latest incident.
"I still want to do sumo, but I feel more strongly that I must retire to take responsibility. I have no doubt about it," Takanoiwa said Friday at a press conference held at the Chiganoura stable.
The 28-year-old Mongolian wrestler looked pensive as he spoke next to his stablemaster Chiganoura.
The incident happened on Tuesday night in Fukuoka Prefecture, where Takanoiwa was staying for the regional winter tour. He reportedly lost his temper and hit his attendant, as the junior wrestler had forgotten to bring some cold medicine for him and was making excuses. Takanoiwa had had a glass of beer at dinner earlier in the evening.
Following an investigation into the incident by the Japan Sumo Association, Takanoiwa on Thursday told his stablemaster that he had decided to retire.
The tearful stablemaster expressed his disappointment, saying: "It is really regrettable that he retired as a result of the assault case. I thought he had another four or five years of sumo ahead of him."
Takanoiwa had been the victim of a separate violent assault by then yokozuna Harumafuji, but this time he himself became the assailant.
When asked about it, he said: "It was all because of the weakness in my mind. I lacked self-awareness."
After studying at Tottori Johoku High School, known as a powerhouse in the sumo world, the wrestler entered the Takanohana stable.
In the 2017 Spring Grand Sumo Tournament, he was promoted to his best rank of No. 2 maegashira.
When asked about former yokozuna Takanohana, who used to be his stablemaster, he said, "As I am only truly grateful, I really am ashamed of myself."
Takanoiwa said he has not decided what he will do after retirement.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
