Wakanoho demands to be reinstated after being banned from sumo
September 11th, 2008 by James
Russian sumo wrestler Wakanoho may be sorry about smoking marijuana, but he is unwilling to accept the Japan Sumo Association’s decision to ban him for life. Here’s a video of him announcing his intention to sue his way back into the sumo world:
“I know I did something wrong, and for that I am truly sorry. I will be filing a lawsuit so I can return to sumo wrestling.”
Wakanoho believes he has a legitimate case. He was a minor at the time of the incident, he was not formally charged, and that the JSA has never banned a wrestler for something they did in their private life.
I wonder if Roho and his brother will also take the JSA to court?
Do you think Wakanoho will be un-banned?
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Oh-oh, this is going to get ugly I suspect. I read some stuff about the JSA being a member of the IOC, so they have to abide by proper procedures before banning, but is getting sacked by your stable a different matter? Would anyone else have him? Can you be a ronin rikishi?
I think there’s some privacy issues about him being a minor and doing it off-duty, but…
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Practically yes, I guess he will have a lot of troubles even if he wins the legal case. But I for one think he should be given a second chance.
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Minor or not, are the Japanese police and Immigration really going to let him off the hook on this one? He can’t make it to the Kokugikan if he’s in prison or deported.
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Oh, the poll is missed a crucial verb: Do I think he WILL be or do I think he SHOULD be un-banned?
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When hell freezes over!!!!! I can’t believe anyone even takes this seriously. Just LOOK at him!
Back to the outside world with you, gaijin!
Hope you saved some ¥en.
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They should have been banned for their stupidity alone.
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Wow! What a joke if he thinks he can sue and get his way! Even if he does win the lawsuit, an old boy society (i.e., where respect is sacred) like that will make his life a living hell.
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He will fail.
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God why is he sueing? That’s major disrespect in a country where respect is everything.
Plus, he’s gaijin. Gah.
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Wakanoho…more like “Bakanoho”.
Its too bad, I saw him once in asageiko.
He really had potential. As for Roho,
he’s an idiot and deserves to get booted,
that goes for his brother too. This lawsuit
serves nothing but their inflated egos.
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In a country that thrives on so many rules (and many of them pointless and annoying), you need people like this who are going to test the limits of the system.
I don’t have any opinion on whether he should be reinstated or not but I hope he gets a fair hearing. Maybe we can hear the reason why a drug that is not performance enhancing is justification for a lifetime ban.
Fight the system, yay!
Imagine: sumo fight club, for overeaters…
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i wuold really be suspicious as to how those samples were obtained. i am not agreeing with the russian wrestlers but there are procedures to getting samples and i have a feeling that those procedures were not followed.
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