The assault scandal involving yokozuna Harumafuji continues to deepen as conflicting accounts emerge of his alleged attack on compatriot and fellow wrestler Takanoiwa during a drunken brawl late last month.
The controversy shows no signs of abating soon as investigative authorities try to shed more light on the incident, especially in regard to whether Harumafuji really struck the 27-year-old Mongolian on the head with a beer bottle at a bar sometime overnight on Oct. 25 in the city of Tottori during a regional tour.
Sources familiar with the matter said the 33-year-old yokozuna was questioned Sunday by the Japan Sumo Association's crisis management team, two days after being questioned by the police and admitting to injuring Takanoiwa.