2008 in sumo
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The following are the events in professional
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 ...
during the year 2008.


Tournaments

*Hatsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan,
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, 13 January – 27 January *Haru basho, Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium,
Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
, 9 March – 23 March *Natsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 11 May – 25 May *Nagoya basho, Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium,
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, 13 July – 27 July *Aki basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 14 September – 28 September *Kyushu basho,
Fukuoka International Centre in Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, Japan is a collection of three separate buildings operated by the Fukuoka Convention Center Foundation. Fukuoka Kokusai Center The Fukuoka Kokusai Center opened in . A Sumo Tournament is held here every November. Many ...
,
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, 9 November – 23 November


News


January

*27th: Yokozuna Asashoryu, making his return from a two tournament suspension, enters the final day of the Hatsu basho in Tokyo in the joint lead for the championship, but is defeated by fellow yokozuna Hakuho, who wins his sixth top division yusho with a 14–1 record. Asashoryu finishes on 13–2 with runner-up honours. Another Mongolian, Kakuryu, wins 11 matches and receives the Technique Award. Rank-and-filer Takekaze scores 12–3 and wins the Fighting Spirit Award, and Kisenosato scores 10–5 and receives the Outstanding Performance Award for his victory over Asashoryu on the 2nd day.
Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
Tochinoshin, making his debut in the second highest juryo division, wins the yusho with a 12–3 record. Yamamotoyama takes the makushita division championship with a perfect 7–0 record. Announcing their retirements from active competition are former top division wrestlers
Tochinohana is a former Japanese sumo wrestler from Yamagata, Iwate. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1995, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in 2000. His highest rank was ''komusubi''. He retired in 2008 and is now a sumo coach. Ca ...
,
Tochisakae Tochisakae Atsushi (born June 27, 1974 as Atsushi Okamoto) is a former sumo wrestler from Saga Prefecture, Japan. He made his professional debut in 1993, reaching the top division for the first time in 2000. His highest rank was ''maegashira'' 1. ...
,
Kobo Kobo may refer to: Places * Kobo (woreda), a district in Ethiopia ** Kobo, Ethiopia, a town * Kōbo Dam, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan * Mount Kōbō, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan People First name * Kōbō Abe (1924–1993), pseudonym of Japanese w ...
and Chiyotenzan, as well as Kyokutenho's brother Fudoyama and
Tamanoshima Tamanoshima Arata (born September 15, 1977, as Arata Okabe) is a former sumo wrestler from Izumizaki, Fukushima, Japan. A former amateur champion, he made his professional debut in 1998, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division at the end of 2000. ...
's brother .


February

*2nd: The danpatsu-shiki or retirement ceremony of former ozeki Tochiazuma takes place at a packed Kokugikan. *7th: The former head of the
Tokitsukaze stable The is a stable of sumo wrestlers in Japan, one of the Tokitsukaze group of stables. It was founded in 1769 and was dominant during the Taishō period. In its modern form it dates from 1941 when it was established by Futabayama, who was still an ...
, Junichi Yamamoto, and three non sekitori wrestlers from the stable are arrested on charges of assault leading to the death of trainee Tokitaizan. The
Aichi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectur ...
Police Department allege that on 25 June 2007, the night before his death, Tokitaizan was struck on the head with a beer bottle and then tied to a pole and beaten with a wooden stick, on the orders of Yamamoto. The following day Tokitaizan was forced into an intense 30 minute training session and repeatedly hit in the face, kicked and beaten with an aluminium bat, resulting in his collapse and death. *10th: Asashoryu wins a one-day tournament held at the Ryogoku Kokugikan, defeating Miyabiyama, Asasekiryu and Tokitenku.


March

*23rd: In a reversal of fortunes from the January tournament in Tokyo, Asashoryu defeats Hakuho on the final day in Osaka to win his 22nd yusho, and his first since July 2007, with a 13–2 score. Hakuho finishes runner-up on 12–3, level with the maegashira Kokkai and Baruto, who each receive a share of the Fighting Spirit Award. Tochiozan wins 11 bouts and the Technique Award, while sekiwake Kotoshogiku is awarded the Outstanding Performance prize for being the first wrestler to beat Asashoryu on Day 12.
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 withdraws through injury with only two wins, meaning he will be kadoban (in danger of demotion) in May.
Kimurayama Kimurayama Mamoru (born 13 July 1981 as Mamoru Kimura) is a former professional sumo wrestler from Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was ''maegashira'' 7. He is now a coach at Kasugano stable. He was the only wrestler in the elite ran ...
wins his first juryo division championship. Announcing their retirements are former maegashira Shunketsu, and makushita wrestler , an extremely successful amateur champion who missed the whole of 2003 through injury and was never able to make the sekitori ranks.


May

*26:
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n Kotooshu bounces back from his disappointing performance in March to win his first top division championship with a 14–1 record, becoming the first European to do so. His only defeat was to Aminishiki on Day 13, who wins his third Outstanding Performance Award. Asashoryu and Hakuho finish behind the pace on 11–4 and attract controversy after bad-temperedly pushing and glaring at each other after their match on the final day.
Toyonoshima Toyonoshima Daiki (born June 26, 1983 as Daiki Kajiwara) is a former professional sumo wrestler from Sukumo, Kōchi, Japan. He made his professional debut in January 2002, reaching the top ''makuuchi'' division in September 2004. He was a runner-u ...
also wins 11 bouts and receives the Fighting Spirit Award. Kisenosato is also awarded the Fighting Spirit prize for his 10–5 mark at the rank of komusubi, while sekiwake
Ama Ama or AMA may refer to: Ama Languages * Ama language (New Guinea) * Ama language (Sudan) People * Ama (Ama Kōhei), former ring name for sumo wrestler Harumafuji Kōhei * Mary Ama, a New Zealand artist * Shola Ama, a British singer * Ām ...
earns his third Technique Award. In the juryo division Chiyohakuho wins his first yusho, and former maegashira
Tamaasuka Tamaasuka Daisuke (born January 26, 1983 as Daisuke Takahashi) is a former sumo wrestler from Atsuta-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. He made his professional debut in March 1998. His highest rank was ''maegashira'' 9. He was well known for m ...
wins the makushita championship. *27: The head of the Sumo Association sees both Asashoryu and Hakuho separately and gives each a strict warning over their conduct in the previous day's bout.


June

*7–8: An exhibition tournament is held in
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for the first time in 27 years, at the Memorial Arena.


July

*2nd: Asashoryu uses his position as head of the wrestlers union to call for all salaried ''rikishi'' to be given a pay raise of ten percent (which would be their first pay raise since 2001) to compensate for the rising cost of food and
fuel A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chemical energy but ...
. The Sumo Association are reportedly unimpressed with his remarks. *27th: Hakuho wins the tournament held in Nagoya with a perfect 15–0 record. His yokozuna rival Asashoryu withdraws after a defeat to
Tochinonada Tochinonada Taiichi (栃乃洋 泰一 born February 26, 1974 as Taiichi Gotō) is a former sumo wrestler from Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. An amateur sumo champion, he turned professional in 1996 and reached the top ''makuuchi'' division in 1997. ...
on day 5, citing an injury to his elbow. Talk of Kotooshu's possible promotion to yokozuna is silenced after he turns in a mediocre 9–6 score. Ozeki Kotomitsuki finishes as runner-up to Hakuho, but four wins behind. Ama wins another Technique award and scores 10–5, while Toyonoshima also finishes on 10–5 and receives the Outstanding Performance prize. The Fighting Spirit award goes to maegashira Toyohibiki for his ten wins. Veteran Bushuyama wins the juryo division championship. Former maegashira
Satoyama is a Japanese term applied to the border zone or area between mountain foothills and arable flat land. Literally, ''sato'' () means village, and ''yama'' () means hill or mountain. Satoyama have been developed through centuries of small-scale ...
wins the makushita yusho, defeating Yamamotoyama, amongst others, in a playoff. Yamamotoyama is nonetheless promoted to the juryo division after the tournament.


August

*18th: Russian maegashira Wakanoho is arrested for
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 ...
possession after his wallet, lost in June, is turned in to police and found to contain a cigarette mixed with the illegal drug. Police search his home and discover more evidence of cannabis use. *21st: The elders of the Sumo Association meet and decide on the immediate dismissal of Wakanoho. His name is removed from 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 ...
ranking sheets for the September tournament, with the Maegashira 8 East position left blank. His stablemaster Magaki (the former yokozuna Wakanohana II) steps down from the Association's board of directors. *28th: Asashoryu defeats Hakuho in a playoff to win an exhibition tournament held in Mongolia and receives a trophy from Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar. The tournament attracts live television and front-page newspaper coverage in Mongolia.


September

*2nd: Drug tests are carried out on all sekitori ranked wrestlers in the wake of Wakanoho's dismissal, and two other Russian wrestlers, brothers Roho and Hakurozan, test positive for cannabis. *8th: The Sumo Association announce the immediate dismissals of Roho and Hakurozan, who both deny ever taking banned substances. The head of the Sumo Association Kitanoumi, who is also Hakurozan's stablemaster, announces his resignation, although he remains on the board of directors. He is replaced as chairman by Musashigawa (former yokozuna
Mienoumi is a Japanese former professional sumo wrestler from Matsusaka, Mie. He was the 57th ''yokozuna'' of the sport. After retiring he founded the Musashigawa stable and was a chairman of the Japan Sumo Association. He was the first rikishi in histo ...
). On the same day, police charges against Wakanoho are dropped due to his age and the small quantity of the drug found in his possession, and he is released from jail. *10th: Wakanoho visits the Sumo Association and asks to be readmitted to sumo, but his request is turned down. *11th: Wakanoho files a lawsuit against the Sumo Association claiming unfair dismissal. *14th: The Aki basho opens, without Wakanoho, Roho or Hakurozan. New chairman Musashigawa announces that
judges A judge is an official who presides over a court. Judge or Judges may also refer to: Roles *Judge, an alternative name for an adjudicator in a competition in theatre, music, sport, etc. *Judge, an alternative name/aviator call sign for a membe ...
have been instructed to call back any wrestlers who do not perform the tachi-ai properly and make them start the bout again. This leads to a large number of false starts and criticism from commentators over the new rules. *28th: Hakuho wins the tournament with a 14–1 record. Once again he does not have to face Asashoryu, who withdraws on Day 10, prompting speculation about his possible retirement. Ama finishes as runner-up with twelve wins and wins the Outstanding Performance Award, and is seen as a candidate for promotion to ozeki next time. Goeido takes the Fighting Spirit prize. The one remaining Russian sekitori, Aran, wins the juryo championship. Veteran former sekiwake Tamakasuga announces his retirement. *28th: The small Araiso stable closes, as its stablemaster is approaching the mandatory retirement age. *29th: At a press conference, the former Wakanoho alleges he was involved in match-fixing or yaocho, which he details in a series of interviews with the tabloid ''
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 ...
''. The opponents he names all deny the allegations. *30th: Three external directors are added to the Sumo Association's board, as demanded by the Ministry of Education after the recent scandals.


October

*3rd: In the first ever court appearance by a yokozuna, Asashoryu takes the stand on behalf of the Sumo Association in a lawsuit brought against the ''Shukan Gendai'' over separate match-fixing allegations made by the magazine in January 2007. He denies ever taking part in rigged bouts, calling the allegations "complete lies." (In March 2009 a judge rules in favour of the Sumo Association.) *6th: Asashoryu travels to his homeland of Mongolia to receive treatment for his injured elbow. He sits out this month's regional tour and also misses the Kyushu honbasho. *7th: The trial begins in the Nagoya District Court of the three wrestlers from the Tokitsukaze stable alleged to have caused bodily injury resulting in the death of trainee Tokitaizan, real name Takashi Saito. The three admit wrongdoing but say they were only following the orders of their former stablemaster Junichi Yamamoto, who denies the charges and is being tried at a later date. *28th: Roho and Hakurozan launch a lawsuit against the Sumo Association seeking their re-admission to sumo. *29th: The Tokyo District Court turns down Wakanoho's lawsuit seeking to nullify his dismissal by the Sumo Association.


November

*23rd: In the Kyushu basho in
Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...
Hakuho wins his third straight championship, defeating Ama in a playoff after both men finish with 13–2 records. Ama seals his promotion to ozeki and receives the Technique Prize. Asashoryu misses the tournament, and ozeki Kaio pulls out after three days. Aminishiki wins the Outstanding Performance Award, and maegashira Yoshikaze gets the Fighting Spirit Prize for his fine 11–4 score. Mongolian Shotenro wins the juryo yusho at his first attempt. *26th: Ama's promotion to ozeki is officially confirmed. To mark the occasion his
ring name A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...
is changed to Harumafuji. *28th: Wakanoho retracts all his match-fixing allegations and issues an apology.


December

*10th: The
Tokyo High Court is a high court in Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The is a special branch of Tokyo High Court. Japan has eight high courts: Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Sendai, Sapporo, and Takamatsu. Each court has jurisdiction over one of ...
rejects an appeal brought by Wakanoho over a lower court ruling that his dismissal from sumo was fair. *18th: The three Tokitsukaze stable wrestlers are found guilty and given
suspended sentence A suspended sentence is a sentence on conviction for a criminal offence, the serving of which the court orders to be deferred in order to allow the defendant to perform a period of probation. If the defendant does not break the law during that ...
s of between two and a half and three years. All are also dismissed from the Sumo Association. *19th: The Sumo Association announces the cancellation of the scheduled overseas exhibition tournament in London that was due to take place in 2009, because of uncertainties caused by the financial crisis. it is the first time a foreign ''jungyo'' has been cancelled.


Deaths

*11 August: Former sekiwake Arase, aged 59. *15 December: Former makushita Wakamiume, aged 25, of
leukemia Leukemia ( also spelled leukaemia and pronounced ) is a group of blood cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high numbers of abnormal blood cells. These blood cells are not fully developed and are called ''blasts'' or ' ...
.


See also

* Glossary of sumo terms * List of active sumo wrestlers *
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 ...
*
List of years in sumo The following is a list of year in sumo articles listed in chronological order from the most recent. Each gives an overview of the happenings in sumo for each year listed. The highlights below refer only to top division championships. 2020s * 202 ...
* List of yokozuna


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2008 In Sumo Sumo by year
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 ...