Bulgaria’s Kotooshu to Lose Premium Rank Due to Injury

Kotooshu has become one of the symbols of Bulgaria in Japan with his performance over the years. File photo

Bulgarian professional sumo wrestler Kaloyan Mahlyanov, aka Kotooshu, has pulled out of the November Kyushu tournament, which will result in the loss of his “ozeki” rank.

Kotooshu dislocated his left shoulder on Wednesday, which rules him out for the remainder of the tournament, reports the Kyodo agency. This means he will finish with a 1-14 record.

The Bulgarian also withdrew from the September tournament in Tokyo with a hamstring injury.

According to the regulations of Japan’s professional sumo, a wrestler gets demoted from his “ozeki” rank after 2 consecutive tournaments with 8 or more losses.

Kotooshu has occupied sumo’s second highest rank for 47 straight tournaments. In January’s tournament, if recovered, he will participate as a “sekiwake”.

The other Bulgarian wrestler, Daniel Ivanov – Aoiyama, continues his strong performance at the November tournament with 4 wins and 1 loss.