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Fuji TV pulls the plug on airing upcoming Sumo tournament
By Zach Arnold | February 3, 2011
If you didn’t read my article about the latest Sumo scandal from yesterday, start reading.
Mainichi Daily News has the latest update about a crisis meeting for Sumo’s authoritarian regulatory body yesterday. Take note of the fact that Shukan Gendai, which got sued in court last year and had to pay out big bucks because they wrote stories about allegations of match-fixing in the past, is mentioned in the Mainichi article. Gendai is produced by big publishing house Kodansha, so they have plenty of money and power backing their efforts. I remember when Nobuyuki Sakakibara was talking big about pressing criminal charges against Gendai for their negative campaign against PRIDE and nothing ever came of it. Marijuana usage, match fixing allegations, yakuza showing up at events, and gambling is about as bad of a combination as you could have if you are trying to run a sport that’s slumping at the box office.
On Thursday, the Sumo wrestlers in question of having text messages supposedly incriminating themselves for match fixing admitted their activities. Just how explicit were the text messages in question? Reportedly, names and money figures were discussed without caution and the activity was supposedly done… last year, with bank account numbers? A former Sumo wrestler, on background, claims in a Mainichi report that he was offered money three years ago that he had a conversation about fight-fixing in Sumo.
Daggers from both Fuji TV and NHK have come down on the Sumo association. NHK, which was supposed to air a charity Sumo event, has canceled that TV airing. Fuji TV, which was supposed to air a broadcast of the upcoming March Grand Sumo tournament, canceled that broadcast airing and is scrambling to find replacement programming. As you might recall, it was Fuji TV that canceled PRIDE from the network after Gendai’s negative campaign against PRIDE and pressure from many different parties (stockholders, media, police, etc.)
If you haven’t already detected an underlying tone here of just how many powerful people are involved in what’s happening with the Sumo scandals right now, take note of this Wall Street Journal article talking about the current Prime Minister regarding comments of investigating into the matter (along with the Tokyo Metropolitan PD). Sumo has long been a powerful institution with strong Government ties and backing. Things are starting to disintegrate.
Topics: Japan, Media, Zach Arnold | 4 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
This is crazy! Is judo next in Japan? Soccer in South America and Spain? Football in the United States? Well, actually, that one could happen in 2011…
At least NBC will be playing rugby matches pretty soon.
The big problem is in trying to understand a nation, history and culture we don’t really know so much about. There are entrenched ways in Japan, when we talk about sumo, but also organized crime. It’s not surprising this all goes together.
Japanese law does not have the strong anti-racketeering laws we have in the US, meaning RICO and the like. It is highly unlikely the Diet will pass new laws to enable the police to take out the gangs.
The Yakuza, if I remember correctly evolved from the Black Dragons; they followed the samurai code to one another but also used coercion, bribery and force in order to achieve their aims.
Despite what the average Japanese (and sumo fans) might have to say about match-fixing and other such activities, I doubt these things will change. It will always exist.
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