Day 6: Retired Tsurugisho, About 50 Kilograms Lighter, Surprises Fans in the ABEMA Booth
Former maegashira Tsurugisho, who retired in April and said in July he had lost about 50 kg, did commentary for ABEMA on Day 6, and fans were struck by his slimmer face and short hair: 'Isn't he too thin?', 'Totally different from when he was wrestling' and 'The short hair suits him.' He joined Oitekaze stable, debuted in January 2014, reached a high of East Maegashira 6 and stood 185 cm and 200 kg in his career; troubled by an old left knee injury, he retired in April 2026 and now owns the yakiniku restaurant Toshoen in Koto, Tokyo. Asked by announcer Shigeki Kiyono whether it is fun to talk about sumo while watching, he said, 'It is. Now that I don't wrestle, watching without the nerves is enjoyable' (ABEMA TIMES).
ENCOUNT and THE DIGEST also ran the story, quoting the same viewer reactions.
Sources: Yahoo! Japan Sports (ABEMA TIMES) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (ENCOUNT) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (THE DIGEST)