would never be allowed to compete again even if he did return. Nankairyū remained listed on the banzuke for the November 1988 tournament as retirement papers were not forwarded until October, after the new rankings were drawn up. This oversight prevented Hananofuji from taking Nankairyū's top division spot, as he was moved from jūryō 1 West to jūryō 1 East instead. (Hananofuji was never to reach makuuchi in his career.) His stablemaster died of a stroke just a few weeks after Nankairyū ran away, on October 23, 1988. Nankairyu told a Japanese weekly newspaper after he had returned to Western Samoa that "there are too many rules in sumo. After a match, you go back to the stable and all they do is order you around like a child." After sumo Nankairyū became a professional wrestler for New Japan in September 1990, joining Tatsumi Fujinami's "Dragon Bombers" unit with Takashi Iizuka and Taylor Wily, but soon returned to Western Samoa after no success in the business. Career record See also Glossary of sumo terms List of non-Japanese sumo wrestlers List of past sumo wrestlers References 1965 births Living people Samoan sumo wrestlers Sportspeople from Apia