Stablemaster Tanigawa, 19 wrestlers booted for match fixing

TOKYO (Kyodo) - Stablemaster Tanigawa and 19 wrestlers were forced into retirement by the Japan Sumo Association for match fixing on Friday evening, but closure seems far from certain with a potential legal battle looming on the horizon.
Six from the top-tier makuuchi division -- Hakuba, Kasugao, Tokusegawa, Koryu, Mokonami and Kotokasuga -- were among the 19 asked to quit by the JSA, which also demoted 17 coaches for their wrestlers' involvement in the worst scandal in the sport's history.
Eight wrestlers from the juryo division and five from the lower ranks were also effectively kicked out. Stablemaster Takenawa and wrestlers Chiyohakuho and Enatsukasa got off with two-year suspensions having earlier admitted to taking part.
Enatsukasa announced his retirement after the punishments were issued, and Takenawa is expected to follow. Chiyohakuho had already tendered his resignation on Feb. 3, which was accepted.
Voluntary resignation is the second harshest form of punishment, following outright dismissal. The JSA gave the 19 until April 5 to hand in their retirement papers.
''These are serious punishments. It's hugely disappointing to have to punish this many people,'' JSA Chairman Hanaregoma said. ''We have no choice but to admit (bout rigging) went on. This is an issue that puts the spotlight on the morals and judgment of the JSA.
''The bottom line is, those who took part were weak,'' he said.
Hanaregoma said he would take a 30 percent pay cut for two months, while oyakata Kitanoumi, Kokonoe and Michinoku all resigned for failing to administer their stables in the scandal that forced the cancellation of the Osaka March tourney.
The JSA made the decision at an extraordinary board meeting after its special investigation panel met at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan earlier on Friday.
The scandal surfaced in February when police investigating illegal gambling on professional baseball discovered a number of text messages that suggested bouts had been rigged.
Tanigawa and the nine wrestlers were livid following what was, according to them, a one-way meeting with the board in which they were sentenced with no time allotted for them to respond.
Tanigawa said he would take the JSA to court.
''This is absolutely ridiculous,'' Tanigawa said. ''I told the JSA board that the panel's investigation was full of holes. I will take legal action. Why wouldn't I?''
Wakatenro said, ''There's no way I can accept this because I'm being forced out simply because my name came up in some testimonies and text messages. I don't know what to say.''
''The chairman himself told me to sue them if I have a problem with any of this,'' he said.
''They basically told me not to bother with a lawsuit because they would win,'' Yamamotoyama added. ''It infuriates me. How can they drive us into retiring without hearing our side of the story?''
Enatsukasa was about the only one who accepted his punishment.
''I want to apologize to sumo fans around the country,'' Enatsukasa said. ''I've caused a lot of problems for the wrestlers who genuinely put in the work, and it hurts.''
''I accept the punishment and I've decided to retire,'' he said.
Panel members admitted they conducted the investigation without much hard evidence, relying on the confessions of the wrestlers through interrogation.
But the members, many of them with legal backgrounds, felt they had a strong enough case to prevail if the matter went from the ring to the courtroom.
''We've taken a hard stance based on some solid decisions that we believe will hold up in court,'' Yasushi Murakami said. ''We didn't have much proof, and had to build on the testimony of the wrestlers.''
''If you were to ask me who I trust -- their argument against the work of the panel -- there's no question it's the investigators,'' said Jun Hayano, a former chief of the National Police Agency. ''The JSA will fight, full on.''