The 2007 sumo season has drawn to a close, and no sumo fan in his or her right right mind would want to see a repeat of it.
Allegations of bout-fixing surfaced early in the year, first in Japanese tabloids and later in Japanese courts as the Sumo Association sued the finger-pointing publishers. Things got worse when Tokitaizan, a young wrestler from the Tokitsukaze Beya, died during a period of abnormally strenuous morning practice. The case is still under police investigation and convictions will likely follow next year, further tarnishing the stable and the sport.
And then, of course, we have Asashoryu, the dominant force on the dohyo over the past three or four years. The 27-year-old yokozuna handed in a sick note to sit out a regional tour, only to fly home to Mongolia and get caught on camera playing soccer. Rural fans in Japan were left without the chance to see the sport's Numero Uno, who was subsequently banned for two tournaments. The champion fled again to Mongolia, this time with apparent depression, and his late November return to Japan was covered every inch of the way by the domestic media. But while the yokozuna's faux pas was arguably the least serious of the year's trio of major incidents, it has his name was in the headlines the most.