The sumo world has had its share of scandals in recent years but the latest one — text messages indicating match-fixing — is rocking the "dohyo" ring hard.
Police investigating illegal gambling by sumo figures on baseball games turned up the e-mails implying match-fixing on the cell phones of several wrestlers, suggesting they routinely bought and sold wins for cash. The fix has long been claimed but routinely denied by the sport's governing body.
But while the traditional all-male sport has reeled in recent years over illegal gambling, drug use, beatings of young trainees, one fatal, and connections to the underworld, the "yaocho" (bout-fixing) scandal could, some experts say, have long-lasting consequences for the beloved sport.
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