Wakakirin Shinichi
Encyclopedia
Wakakirin Shinichi is a former sumo
wrestler from Hyogo prefecture in Japan
. His highest rank was maegashira 9. He was thrown out of the sport in February 2009
after being arrested for cannabis
possession. In 2010 he became a professional wrestler.
, he made his professional debut in March 1999. He is the fourth wrestler from that class to make the top division, following Kotomitsuki
, Takamisakari
and Hamanishiki
, but the first to do so after making his debut at the lowest level of sumo entry, mae-zumo. He joined Oshiogawa stable. He began competing under his own surname, but upon reaching the second highest jūryō division for the first time in July 2004 his stablemaster Oshiogawa Oyakata honoured him with the name of Wakakirin. The "Kirin" part of his name, meaning giraffe or qilin
, had only been given to three previous wrestlers: his own stablemaster (former ōzeki Daikirin), former sekiwake Kirinji
, and Tamakirin
, who quit sumo to become a professional wrestler.
Wakakirin scored an impressive ten wins in his jūryō debut, but in January 2005 he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament
injury that forced him to sit out two tournaments, resulting in demotion back to the unsalaried makushita division. The injury reduced the effectiveness of his favoured tsuppari, or thrusting techniques
, and although he returned to the second division in January 2006 he could manage only four wins and was immediately demoted once again.
He slowly returned to full fitness and after a series of solid performances he took his second makushita championship in May 2007 with a perfect 7-0 record from the rank of makushita 3, to earn promotion back to jūryō. After scores of 10-5 in July and 9-6 in September, he was promoted to the top makuuchi
division for the November 2007 tournament. In April 2005 Oshiogawa stable was absorbed into Oguruma stable
, in anticipation of Oshiogawa Oyakata's retirement the following year. Wakakirin is the third member of Oguruma stable to make his top division debut, following Takekaze and Yoshikaze.
Wakakirin achieved ten wins in his top division debut, a feat that normally wins the Fighting Spirit Award
, but he missed out, the prize going to Baruto
instead. He was promoted to what was to be his highest rank of maegashira 9 for the January 2008
tournament, but disappointing scores of 4-11 there and 6-9 in March meant he was demoted back to the jūryō division. He missed out on a kachi-koshi winning score on the final day in May 2008, falling to 7-8. He scored 7-8 once again in July. He remained in the top half of jūryō after that, but did not win promotion back to the top division. He produced a good 9-6 score at jūryō 3 in January 2009 but lost to Tamawashi on the final day when a win would have virtually guaranteed a return to makuuchi.
, at a CD shop in Roppongi
that had been monitored by police for some time. The following day, Oguruma
, his stable master
, declared his intention to dismiss him as a professional sumo wrestler in the wake of the scandal, and submitted his letter of resignation to Japan Sumo Association
by proxy. The Sumo Association fired him on February 2, deciding on dismissal rather than the heavier penalty of expulsion that would have deprived him of a 5.3million yen retirement bonus. This decision split the Association, and was criticised by some as being too lenient. However, Wakakirin subsequently said he would not accept the severance pay. An editorial in the Asahi Shimbun
said the newspaper was "appalled by his utter folly" in taking the drug After being in jail for a month, Wakakirin was released on bail on February 27. He appeared at the Yokohama
District Court on April 13 and pleaded guilty to cannabis possession. On April 22 he was given a ten-month prison sentence, but suspended
for three years. He is now believed to be working at his father's restaurant business.
Wakakirin is the fourth wrestler to be dismissed because of cannabis use, following Wakanoho, Roho
and Hakurozan, but the first Japanese. In the same tests in September 2008 that led to Roho and Hakurozan being dismissed, it was reported that Wakakirin's result was borderline, which put the wrestler under suspicion.
The March 2009 banzuke
or ranking list had a blank space where Wakakirin's name should have been (jūryō 1 West). This previously occurred with Wakanoho, and Tokitsuumi, who retired between tournaments after the expulsion of his stablemaster.
's Inoki Genome Federation
(IGF) stable. His first match was on the IGF-13 card in December, when he defeated Mark Coleman
by referee stop. The match was controversial, and Coleman's colleague, Phil Baroni
accused Wakakirin of shooting
on Coleman in what was supposed to be a worked match. He made his comments on this on the Nightmare of Battle website.
Wakakirin's next fight was scheduled for December 31 against Bob Sapp
, but the match never took place as Sapp refused to leave his dressing room. He was also scheduled to face Kimbo Slice
on February 5 in Fukuoka
, but that fight never took place as Kimbo went down with an injury.
Sumo
is a competitive full-contact sport where a wrestler attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally...
wrestler from Hyogo prefecture in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. His highest rank was maegashira 9. He was thrown out of the sport in February 2009
2009 in sumo
-Tournaments:*Hatsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 11 January - 25 January*Haru basho, Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, 15 March - 29 March*Natsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 10 May - 24 May...
after being arrested for cannabis
Cannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
possession. In 2010 he became a professional wrestler.
Sumo career
Born in KawanishiKawanishi, Hyogo
is a city located in Hyōgo Prefecture in the northwestern part of the Kansai Region of Japan, about 5 km north of Osaka Itami Airport. It is bordered on the west by Inagawa River.-History:...
, he made his professional debut in March 1999. He is the fourth wrestler from that class to make the top division, following Kotomitsuki
Kotomitsuki Keiji
Kotomitsuki Keiji is a former sumo wrestler from Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1999. He reached the top makuuchi division in November 2000 and won one yusho or tournament championship, in September 2001...
, Takamisakari
Takamisakari Seiken
Takamisakari Seiken is a sumo wrestler from Aomori Prefecture, Japan. A former amateur champion, he turned professional in 1999 and established himself in the top division in 2002 after a brief appearance in 2000. He has received five special prizes for his achievements in tournaments and earned...
and Hamanishiki
Takahama Tatsuro
Hamanishiki Tatsurō is a sumo wrestler from Kumamoto, Japan. A former amateur champion, he made his professional debut in 1999. His highest rank has been maegashira 11, which he reached in 2002...
, but the first to do so after making his debut at the lowest level of sumo entry, mae-zumo. He joined Oshiogawa stable. He began competing under his own surname, but upon reaching the second highest jūryō division for the first time in July 2004 his stablemaster Oshiogawa Oyakata honoured him with the name of Wakakirin. The "Kirin" part of his name, meaning giraffe or qilin
Qilin
The Qilin is a mythical hooved Chinese chimerical creature known throughout various East Asian cultures, and is said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a wise sage or an illustrious ruler. It is a good omen that brings rui . It is often depicted with what looks like fire all over...
, had only been given to three previous wrestlers: his own stablemaster (former ōzeki Daikirin), former sekiwake Kirinji
Kirinji Kazuharu
Kirinji Kazuharu is a former sumo wrestler from Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. His highest rank was sekiwake. During his long career he won several awards and set a number of longevity records. He is now a sumo coach.-Career:He made his professional debut in May 1967 at the age of just 14,...
, and Tamakirin
Akira Taue
is a Japanese professional wrestler, and the current President of Pro Wrestling Noah. He is also a former AJPW Triple Crown champion, a former GHC Heavyweight Champion and has had 14 5 Star Matches as awarded by the Wrestling Observer Newsletter....
, who quit sumo to become a professional wrestler.
Wakakirin scored an impressive ten wins in his jūryō debut, but in January 2005 he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
injury that forced him to sit out two tournaments, resulting in demotion back to the unsalaried makushita division. The injury reduced the effectiveness of his favoured tsuppari, or thrusting techniques
Kimarite
Kimarite are winning techniques in a sumo bout. For each bout in a Grand Sumo tournament , a sumo referee, or gyoji, will decide and announce the type of kimarite used by the winner...
, and although he returned to the second division in January 2006 he could manage only four wins and was immediately demoted once again.
He slowly returned to full fitness and after a series of solid performances he took his second makushita championship in May 2007 with a perfect 7-0 record from the rank of makushita 3, to earn promotion back to jūryō. After scores of 10-5 in July and 9-6 in September, he was promoted to the top makuuchi
Makuuchi
or is the top division of professional sumo. Its size is fixed at 42 wrestlers , ordered into five ranks according to their ability as defined by their performance in previous tournaments....
division for the November 2007 tournament. In April 2005 Oshiogawa stable was absorbed into Oguruma stable
Oguruma Stable
is a stable of sumo wrestlers, one of the Nishonoseki group of stables. In its modern form it dates from 1987 when it was founded by Kotokaze, a former Sadogatake stable wrestler. He gives all his new recruits shikona with the suffix "kaze" , taken from his own fighting name. The first wrestler...
, in anticipation of Oshiogawa Oyakata's retirement the following year. Wakakirin is the third member of Oguruma stable to make his top division debut, following Takekaze and Yoshikaze.
Wakakirin achieved ten wins in his top division debut, a feat that normally wins the Fighting Spirit Award
Sansho (Sumo)
Sanshō are the three special prizes awarded to top division sumo wrestlers for exceptional performance during a sumo honbasho or tournament. The prizes were first awarded in November 1947.-Criteria:...
, but he missed out, the prize going to Baruto
Baruto Kaito
Baruto Kaito is a professional sumo wrestler from Estonia. Making his debut in May 2004, he is one of only two Estonians ever to join the sport in Japan, and the first to reach the top division, in May 2006...
instead. He was promoted to what was to be his highest rank of maegashira 9 for the January 2008
2008 in sumo
-Tournaments:*Hatsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 13 January - 27 January*Haru basho, Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, 9 March - 23 March*Natsu basho, Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 11 May - 25 May...
tournament, but disappointing scores of 4-11 there and 6-9 in March meant he was demoted back to the jūryō division. He missed out on a kachi-koshi winning score on the final day in May 2008, falling to 7-8. He scored 7-8 once again in July. He remained in the top half of jūryō after that, but did not win promotion back to the top division. He produced a good 9-6 score at jūryō 3 in January 2009 but lost to Tamawashi on the final day when a win would have virtually guaranteed a return to makuuchi.
Dismissal
On January 30, 2009 Wakakirin was arrested for possession of cannabisCannabis (drug)
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
, at a CD shop in Roppongi
Roppongi
is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, famous as home to the rich Roppongi Hills area and an active night club scene. Many foreign embassies are located in Roppongi, and the night life is popular with locals and foreigners alike...
that had been monitored by police for some time. The following day, Oguruma
Kotokaze Koki
Kotokaze Kōki is a former sumo wrestler from Tsu, Mie, Japan. His highest rank was ozeki.-Career:Scouted by the 53rd Yokozuna Kotozakura, he joined Sadogatake stable in July 1971...
, his stable master
Toshiyori
A toshiyori is a sumo elder of the Japan Sumo Association. Also known as oyakata, former wrestlers who reached a sufficiently high rank are the only people eligible...
, declared his intention to dismiss him as a professional sumo wrestler in the wake of the scandal, and submitted his letter of resignation to Japan Sumo Association
Japan Sumo Association
The is the body that operates and controls professional sumo wrestling in Japan under the jurisdiction of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Rikishi , gyōji , tokoyama , and yobidashi , are all on the Association's payroll, but the organisation is run...
by proxy. The Sumo Association fired him on February 2, deciding on dismissal rather than the heavier penalty of expulsion that would have deprived him of a 5.3million yen retirement bonus. This decision split the Association, and was criticised by some as being too lenient. However, Wakakirin subsequently said he would not accept the severance pay. An editorial in the Asahi Shimbun
Asahi Shimbun
The is the second most circulated out of the five national newspapers in Japan. Its circulation, which was 7.96 million for its morning edition and 3.1 million for its evening edition as of June 2010, was second behind that of Yomiuri Shimbun...
said the newspaper was "appalled by his utter folly" in taking the drug After being in jail for a month, Wakakirin was released on bail on February 27. He appeared at the Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
District Court on April 13 and pleaded guilty to cannabis possession. On April 22 he was given a ten-month prison sentence, but suspended
Suspended sentence
A suspended sentence is a legal term for a judge's delaying of a defendant's serving of a sentence after they have been found guilty, in order to allow the defendant to perform a period of probation...
for three years. He is now believed to be working at his father's restaurant business.
Wakakirin is the fourth wrestler to be dismissed because of cannabis use, following Wakanoho, Roho
Roho
Rohō Yukio is a former sumo wrestler. The highest rank he achieved was komusubi. His younger brother is also a former sumo wrestler, under the name of Hakurozan...
and Hakurozan, but the first Japanese. In the same tests in September 2008 that led to Roho and Hakurozan being dismissed, it was reported that Wakakirin's result was borderline, which put the wrestler under suspicion.
The March 2009 banzuke
Banzuke
This article is about the banzuke document, for a list of wrestlers as ranked on an actual banzuke see List of active sumo wrestlersA , officially called is a document listing the rankings of professional sumo wrestlers published before each official tournament or honbasho. The term can also...
or ranking list had a blank space where Wakakirin's name should have been (jūryō 1 West). This previously occurred with Wakanoho, and Tokitsuumi, who retired between tournaments after the expulsion of his stablemaster.
Professional wrestling career
In 2010, Wakakirin, still using his sumo name returned to the ring as a professional wrestler, training in Antonio InokiAntonio Inoki
is a Japanese professional wrestling promoter and retired professional wrestler and mixed martial artist who now resides between New York City and Tokyo. He was also the founder and former owner of New Japan Pro Wrestling before selling his controlling share in the promotion to Yukes...
's Inoki Genome Federation
Inoki Genome Federation
Inoki Genome Federation is a professional wrestling promotion in Japan founded by Antonio Inoki in 2007.The IGF is now also the official National Wrestling Alliance territory of Japan, since Antonio Inoki is the person who holds those rights and transferred them to IGF from New Japan Pro...
(IGF) stable. His first match was on the IGF-13 card in December, when he defeated Mark Coleman
Mark Coleman
Mark Coleman is an American mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, former NCAA collegiate wrestler and former Olympic amateur wrestler. In MMA, he was the UFC 10 and UFC 11 tournament champion, the first Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight champion, and the Pride Fighting...
by referee stop. The match was controversial, and Coleman's colleague, Phil Baroni
Phil Baroni
Philip George Baroni is an American mixed martial artist. He has a professional MMA record of 14–14–0. Baroni has fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship where he holds a record of 3–7–0. Also he has fought in the PRIDE FC where he holds a record of 4–2–0...
accused Wakakirin of shooting
Shoot (professional wrestling)
A shoot in professional wrestling is a term that refers to any unplanned, unscripted or real-life occurrence within a wrestling event. Contrary to popular belief, the name does not originate from "shooting in" for a takedown, as in amateur wrestling - rather it is a carny term shortened from...
on Coleman in what was supposed to be a worked match. He made his comments on this on the Nightmare of Battle website.
Wakakirin's next fight was scheduled for December 31 against Bob Sapp
Bob Sapp
Robert Malcolm "Bob" Sapp is an American kickboxer, mixed martial artist, professional wrestler, actor, comedian and former professional American football player. Sapp currently has a combined fight record of 21–21–0, mostly fighting in Japan...
, but the match never took place as Sapp refused to leave his dressing room. He was also scheduled to face Kimbo Slice
Kimbo Slice
Kevin Ferguson , better known as Kimbo Slice, is a Bahamian-American boxer, mixed martial artist and occasional actor...
on February 5 in Fukuoka
Fukuoka
Fukuoka most often refers to the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture.It can also refer to:-Locations:* Fukuoka, Gifu, a town in Gifu Prefecture, Japan* Fukuoka, Toyama, a town in Toyama Prefecture, Japan...
, but that fight never took place as Kimbo went down with an injury.