Wakanohō Toshinori (born July 8, 1988 as Soslan Aleksandrovich Gagloev (russian: Сосла́н Алекса́ндрович Гагло́ев)) is a retired
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
n
sumo
is a form of competitive full-contact wrestling where a ''rikishi'' (wrestler) attempts to force his opponent out of a circular ring (''dohyō'') or into touching the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet (usually by thr ...
wrestler. His highest rank was ''
maegashira
, or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments.
This is the on ...
'' 1. He became the first active wrestler to be dismissed from sumo, after being arrested for possession of
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...
in August
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
. He has also played
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
at the
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF is ...
,
Webber International University
Webber International University (Webber or WIU) is a private university in Babson Park, Florida.
History
Webber International was founded as Webber College by Roger Babson, an entrepreneur and business theorist in the first half of the 20th cent ...
, and
Warner University
Warner University is a private Christian university in Lake Wales, Florida. It is affiliated with the Church of God.
History
Warner Southern College was founded in 1968 by the Southeastern Association of the Church of God in Anderson, Indi ...
. As of July 2014, he lives in
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
.
Career
He was a
freestyle wrestler
Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling i ...
in Russia, but as his weight continued to increase past the upper limit for competitions, he switched to sumo.
Having known fellow Russian sumo wrestler
Rohō for many years, when he first arrived in
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
he stayed at Rohō's
training stable,
Ōtake-beya, for about six months to learn the basics.
Due to the restrictions on foreigners, he could not join that stable, but its stablemaster
Taihō had connections to the former
Wakanohana Kanji II
was a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Ōwani, Aomori. He was the sport's 56th ''yokozuna''. He was popular with sumo fans and was well-known for his rivalry with Kitanoumi. After retirement, he became the head coach of Magaki stable. ...
, and he joined
Magaki stable was a stable of sumo wrestlers, formerly one of the Nishonoseki group of stables. Wakanohana Kanji II, the 56th ''yokozuna'' in sumo history, re-established the stable in 1983. Its first wrestler to reach the top ''makuuchi'' division was the Ha ...
instead.
His ''
shikona
A is a sumo wrestler's ring name. The tradition of ring names in sumo dates back to the Edo period, where they were used as a means to attract customers and hide the identities of the ''rikishi''.
Like standard Japanese names, a ''shikona'' co ...
'' of Wakanohō was formed as a combination of Wakanohana II and Taihō's names.
Wakanohō made his professional debut in March 2005. He moved through the lower divisions quickly, winning the championship in the ''
jonidan
Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. Fo ...
'' division in May 2005 with a perfect 7–0 record. It took him a year to climb up the third ''
makushita
Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. For ...
'' division and in November 2006 a 4–3 record at ''Makushita'' 1 East earned him promotion to the second ''
jūryō
Professional sumo as administered by the Japan Sumo Association is divided into six ranked divisions. Wrestlers are promoted and demoted within and between these divisions based on the merit of their win–loss records in official tournaments. For ...
'' division and elite ''
sekitori
A ''sekitori'' (関取) is a ''rikishi'' (力士, sumo wrestler) who is ranked in one of the top two professional divisions: ''makuuchi'' and ''jūryō''.
The name literally translates to having taken the barrier, as only a relatively small fract ...
'' status. At 18 years and five months, he was the youngest foreign-born wrestler to do so. In his ''jūryō'' debut he managed only five wins against ten losses, his first-ever ''
make-koshi
The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
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...
'', or losing score, and was demoted. However, he returned to the second division in May 2007 and three solid performances of 10–5, 8–7 and 10–5 earned him promotion to the top ''
makuuchi
, or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments.
This is the on ...
'' division in November 2007. He was the sixth-youngest wrestler to reach ''makuuchi'' in the modern era. He came through with nine wins against six losses in his top division debut, and a 10–5 mark in January 2008 saw him move into the upper ''
maegashira
, or , is the top division of the six divisions of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers (''rikishi''), ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments.
This is the on ...
'' ranks for the March 2008 tournament. Fighting all the top-ranked wrestlers for the first time, he defeated ''
ozeki Ozeki or Ōzeki may refer to:
* Ōzeki, a rank in ''Makuuchi'', the top division of professional sumo
** List of ōzeki
* Ōzeki station (disambiguation), the name of two railway stations in Japan
* Ōzeki Masutoshi (1849–1905), 16th daimyō o ...
''
Kaiō and secured his ''
kachi-koshi
The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
...
'', or winning record, on the final day.
During the May 2008 tournament he was reprimanded by the
Japan Sumo Association
The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling (called ''Ōzumō'', 大相撲) in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). ''Rikishi'' (active ...
after he smashed a door in the dressing room following a defeat to
Harumafuji (then known as Ama) by the
technique
Technique or techniques may refer to:
Music
* The Techniques, a Jamaican rocksteady vocal group of the 1960s
*Technique (band), a British female synth pop band in the 1990s
* ''Technique'' (album), by New Order, 1989
* ''Techniques'' (album), by M ...
of ''utchari.'' However, he once again secured his majority of wins on the final day, his fourth straight ''kachi-koshi'' in the top division. However, in the July 2008 tournament, fighting from what was to be his highest rank of ''maegashira'' 1 he lost his first eight bouts and finished on 4–11.
Wakanoho had winning records against
Kakuryu, Harumafuji,
Kisenosato
is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Ibaraki. He made his professional debut in 2002, and reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in 2004 at the age of just 18. After many years in the junior ''san'yaku'' ranks, he reached the sec ...
and
Goeido, and was considered to have potential to reach ozeki, but suffered from a lack of guidance at his stable, following the death of the stablemaster's wife and Magaki himself having a stroke.
Fighting style
Wakanohō favoured belt techniques and preferred a ''migi-yotsu'' (left hand outside, right hand inside) grip his opponent's ''
mawashi
In sumo, a is the loincloth that (sumo wrestlers) wear during training or in competition. Upper ranked professional wrestlers wear a as part of the ring entry ceremony or .
For top ranked professional , it is made of silk and comes in a var ...
''. He was known for occasionally jumping straight up into the air at the ''
tachi-ai
The is the initial charge between two sumo wrestlers at the beginning of a bout. It is a combination of two Japanese words that mean “stand” and “meet”.
There are several common techniques that wrestlers use at the tachi-ai, with the ai ...
'', or initial charge, a highly unorthodox move which some commentators put down to youthful bravado. He was also criticised for relying too much on
side-steps and slap-downs. Although his most common winning technique was ''yorikiri'' (force-out), the slap-down, or ''hatakikomi'', was second and he had a much higher percentage of wins with this technique than most of his contemporaries.
Arrest and dismissal
On 18 August 2008, Wakanohō was arrested for possession of
cannabis
''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: ''Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternatively ...
. A wallet belonging to Wakanohō was found on 24 June and handed in to police. It contained a Russian made cigarette mixed with what appeared to be cannabis, and the wrestler's identification. Wakanohō said he bought two bags of marijuana, a rolled joint, a pipe and two Russian cigarettes from a Russian and a black man for 20,000 yen in a club in
Roppongi
is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, famous for the affluent Roppongi Hills development area and popular night club scene. A few foreign embassies are located near Roppongi, and the night life is popular with locals and foreigners alike. It is ...
. Police had also searched his apartment and private quarters at
Magaki stable was a stable of sumo wrestlers, formerly one of the Nishonoseki group of stables. Wakanohana Kanji II, the 56th ''yokozuna'' in sumo history, re-established the stable in 1983. Its first wrestler to reach the top ''makuuchi'' division was the Ha ...
and recovered a small quantity of cannabis in a bag, and a pipe used to smoke the drug.
On 21 August, the
Japan Sumo Association
The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling (called ''Ōzumō'', 大相撲) in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT). ''Rikishi'' (active ...
held a meeting of the board of directors and decided on the immediate dismissal of Wakanohō. It was the first time an active ''rikishi'' has been dismissed. He could have faced up to five years in prison or deportation from Japan. However, on 8 September, after eight days in police detention, he was released without punishment, as he was a minor at the time of the incident and the amount of cannabis in his possession was very small. Speaking to the press Wakanoho apologised for his actions and asked for forgiveness, but denied ever smoking with
Rohō and
Hakurozan, both of whom were also dismissed after failing drug tests for cannabis. He visited the
Ryōgoku Kokugikan
, also known as Ryōgoku Sumo Hall or Kokugikan Arena, is the name bestowed to two different indoor sporting arenas located in Tokyo. The fist ''Ryōgoku Kokugikan'' opened its doors in 1909 and was located on the lands of the Ekōin temple in Ry ...
and asked to be readmitted to sumo, but the Sumo Association's directors refused his request. He responded by filing a lawsuit for
unfair dismissal In labour law, unfair dismissal is an act of employment termination made without good reason or contrary to the country's specific legislation.
Situation per country
Australia
(See: '' unfair dismissal in Australia'')
Australia has long-standing ...
against the Association.
In an odd twist, Wakanoho had his kesho-mawashi, ceremonial apron, sponsored by the Japanese Drug Abuse Prevention Center.
In the ''
banzuke
A , officially called is a document listing the rankings of professional sumo wrestlers published before each official tournament (''honbasho''). The term can also refer to the rankings themselves. The document is normally released about two w ...
'' of the ''aki
basho'' in September 2008, the East Maegashira #8 ranking that had been scheduled to be allocated for Wakanohō was left vacant. The last time this happened was when
Tokitsuumi
Tokitsuumi Masahiro (born November 8, 1973 as Masahiro Sakamoto) is a former professional sumo wrestler from Fukue, Nagasaki, Japan. A former amateur sumo champion, he turned professional in 1996. His highest rank was ''maegashira'' 3. He became ...
retired in October 2007 and was left off the November 2007 ''banzuke''.
In January
2009
File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...
Wakanoho dropped all legal action against the Sumo association and the two sides reached an amicable agreement regarding his severance pay, believed to be 5.8 million
yen
The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market, after the United States dollar (US$) and the euro. It is also widely used as a third reserve currency after the US dollar and the e ...
. He had an informal hair-cutting ceremony or ''
danpatsu-shiki
The following words are terms used in sumo wrestling in Japan.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
...
'', symbolically accepting that his sumo career was at an end. It was held in an hotel in Tokyo with no other ''rikishi'' or coaches attending. On 13 February, Wakanohō returned to Russia, as his working visa had expired.
Allegations of match-fixing
During a press conference on 29 September 2008 Wakanoho claimed he was forced to accept bribes to forfeit sumo matches. He said he would appear for the ''
Shukan Gendai
A week is a unit of time equal to seven days. It is the standard time period used for short cycles of days in most parts of the world. The days are often used to indicate common work days and rest days, as well as days of worship. Weeks are ofte ...
'' magazine's defence of the lawsuit brought by the Sumo Association over other match-fixing allegations. In an interview for the tabloid he claimed that ''
ozeki Ozeki or Ōzeki may refer to:
* Ōzeki, a rank in ''Makuuchi'', the top division of professional sumo
** List of ōzeki
* Ōzeki station (disambiguation), the name of two railway stations in Japan
* Ōzeki Masutoshi (1849–1905), 16th daimyō o ...
''
Kotoōshū and ''jūryō'' wrestler
Kasuganishiki
Kasuganishiki Takahiro (born August 22, 1975 as Takahiro Suzuki) is a former sumo wrestler from Misaki, Isumi District, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. He made his debut in 1991, reaching the top makuuchi division in 2002. His highest rank was ''maegas ...
had asked him to throw matches against them. Both wrestlers denied the allegations. Wakanoho also called sumo a "show" and a "circus."
In another instalment for the same magazine he made similar allegations against ''ozeki''
Kaio and
Chiyotaikai, who also denied the claims. In a third article he suggested that he smoked cannabis in Makagi stable with Georgian wrestler
Tochinoshin
; ) is a Georgian professional sumo wrestler from Mtskheta. He is a member of the Kasugano stable and made his professional debut in March 2006. He reached the top ''makuuchi'' division just two years later in May 2008. After a long hiatus due t ...
, contradicting his sworn police statement that he was alone.
On 28 November he retracted these claims and apologised to those he had implicated, saying he had been told by the magazine that he would be back in the Sumo Association "in one week" if he made the allegations.
He said the ''Shukan Gendai'' made up the story and cited the names of the four wrestlers, for which he received 2.5 million yen in cash.
The magazine responded by saying his retraction "(did) not make any sense and cannot be thought of as true."
In February 2011, following a match-fixing scandal involving
Kasuganishiki
Kasuganishiki Takahiro (born August 22, 1975 as Takahiro Suzuki) is a former sumo wrestler from Misaki, Isumi District, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. He made his debut in 1991, reaching the top makuuchi division in 2002. His highest rank was ''maegas ...
,
Chiyohakuho and a number of other ''juryo'' wrestlers, the former Wakanoho changed his position once again, and said he had been involved in ''
yaocho Match-fixing in professional sumo is an allegation that has plagued professional sumo for decades. Due to the amount of money changing hands depending on rank and prize money, there had been numerous reports of (corruption, bout-fixing) in professi ...
'' after all. He explained that the reason that he denied his original ''yaocho'' claims was because the Japan Sumo Association promised to pay him retirement money if he did, and that they later reneged on this agreement (the Sumo Association has denied any such agreement ever taking place). He also named 21 other wrestlers against whom he performed ''yaocho'' in the February 21, 2011 edition of ''Shukan Gendai'' magazine.
Post-sumo career
In 2010, Gagloev began playing
college football
College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States.
Unlike most ...
for
Webber International University
Webber International University (Webber or WIU) is a private university in Babson Park, Florida.
History
Webber International was founded as Webber College by Roger Babson, an entrepreneur and business theorist in the first half of the 20th cent ...
, a
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) established in 1940, is a college athletics association for colleges and universities in North America. Most colleges and universities in the NAIA offer athletic scholarships to its stu ...
(NAIA) school in
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. He later transferred to the top-level program at the
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF is ...
(USF) as a walk-on in 2012 and sat out a year due to NCAA transfer rules. However, after USF
suffered a three-win season, the entire coaching staff was replaced by a new staff who chose to cut Gagloev from the team.
[Ryan Collins, https://www.sbnation.com/longform/2014/8/28/6077961/sumo-wrestler-soslan-gagloev-nfl-profile Sumo on the Offense, SB Nation, August 28, 2014] After USF, he received a scholarship from
Warner University
Warner University is a private Christian university in Lake Wales, Florida. It is affiliated with the Church of God.
History
Warner Southern College was founded in 1968 by the Southeastern Association of the Church of God in Anderson, Indi ...
, another NAIA school in Florida where he switched to offensive line. The next year, he decided to forgo his final year of eligibility at Warner to pursue the
NFL.
[
During this time Gagloev's first marriage ended and former wife returned to her home in Russia with their daughter; he has since remarried an American.][
He took part in the 2014 US Sumo Open held in ]Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
, but lost out to the eventual winner Byambajav Ulambayar. He has appeared in exhibition sumo events with other ex professional sumo wrestlers across the US, and was due to take part in the "Ultimate Sumo League" in Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
in April 2018, although the event was postponed.
Career record
See also
*Match-fixing in professional sumo Match-fixing in professional sumo is an allegation that has plagued professional sumo for decades. Due to the amount of money changing hands depending on rank and prize money, there had been numerous reports of (corruption, bout-fixing) in professi ...
*
*List of non-Japanese sumo wrestlers
This is a list of foreign-born professional sumo wrestlers by country and/or ethnicity of origin, along with original name, years active in sumo wrestling, and highest rank attained. Names in bold indicate a still-active wrestler.
There are 186 w ...
*List of past sumo wrestlers
This is a list of prominent past wrestlers (either retired or deceased) in the sport of professional sumo. They are listed in order of the year and tournament month that they made their professional debuts. The information listed below was gleaned ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wakanoho Toshinori
1988 births
Living people
People from Alagirsky District
Ossetian people
Russian expatriates in Japan
Russian expatriates in the United States
North Ossetian sumo wrestlers
Webber International Warriors football players
South Florida Bulls football players
Warner Royals football players
Russian players of American football
Sportspeople from North Ossetia–Alania
Sportspeople banned for life