The recently concluded Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament marked the end of an era for Dolphins Arena, also known as Aichi Prefectural Gym. The atmosphere in the arena was lively during the late afternoon matches, but eerily quiet in the morning with only a few spectators present. It was during this quiet time that one wrestler began his comeback journey.
Enho is a name familiar to sumo fans. Despite being relatively small at just under 1.70 meters and around 100 kilograms, Enho gained popularity in the makuuchi division for his unique style of sumo. He would get low on his opponents and utilize twisting techniques and other creative moves.
Unfortunately, Enho suffered a serious spinal cord injury due to his style of play, which involved dropping his head to gain position. This injury forced him to sit out all tournaments since last year’s Summer tournament when he was in the second-tier juryo division.
The severity of Enho’s injury led doctors to recommend retirement. “It caused problems in my daily life,” Enho recalled. After undergoing extensive rehabilitation, he made his return to the ring at the Nagoya tournament after more than a year away from competition. Due to missing so much action, he had dropped down in rank to the lowest jonokuchi division.
In sumo matches, it is common for heads to collide during initial charges, resulting in an impact similar to that between two small trucks. Even competing in the jonokuchi division meant facing wrestlers with high school or college experience for Enho, making it even more challenging as he battled against fear.
In his first match back on day two of the tournament, Enho suffered defeat. However, despite this setback, he expressed joy over being back on the ring and feeling excited about it.
The following day brought emotional redemption as Enho secured his first win since returning from injury. “Without a doubt, it’s great to win,” he said.
Enho finished the tournament with an impressive 6-1 record which will likely propel him up into higher rankings for September’s Autumn tournament where he will compete in jonidan division.
“Amid all my worries,” said Enho reflecting on his journey so far,”the biggest thing was that I was able wrestle all seven matches.” He added that despite everything he has been through; he still genuinely enjoys sumo wrestling.
While there is still a long road ahead before reaching salaried divisions again; witnessing Enho diligently overcome obstacles and take these initial steps towards restarting his career has been heartwarming.