19 Facts About Wakakirin Shinichi

Wakakirin Shinichi, born September 21,1983, as Shinichi Suzukawa, is a former sumo wrestler from Hyogo prefecture in Japan.

Wakakirin Shinichi was thrown out of the sport in February 2009 after being arrested for cannabis possession.

Wakakirin Shinichi was asked to join Oshiogawa stable while visiting the heya with a classmate of his father, and was contacted a number of times after that.

Wakakirin Shinichi is the fourth wrestler from that class to make the top division, following Kotomitsuki, Takamisakari and Hamanishiki, but the first to do so after making his debut at the lowest level of sumo entry, mae-zumo.

Wakakirin Shinichi began competing under his own surname, but upon reaching the second highest juryo division for the first time in July 2004 his stablemaster Oshiogawa Oyakata honoured him with the name of Wakakirin.

Wakakirin Shinichi is the third member of Oguruma stable to make his top division debut, following Takekaze and Yoshikaze.

Wakakirin Shinichi achieved ten wins in his top division debut, a feat that normally wins the Fighting Spirit Award, but he missed out, the prize going to Baruto instead.

Wakakirin Shinichi remained in the top half of juryo after that, but did not win promotion back to the top division.

On January 30,2009, Wakakirin Shinichi was arrested for possession of cannabis, at a CD shop in Roppongi that had been monitored by police for some time.

However, Wakakirin Shinichi subsequently apologized and said he would not accept the severance pay.

Wakakirin Shinichi was believed to be working for a time at his father's restaurant business.

Wakakirin Shinichi is the fourth wrestler to be dismissed because of cannabis use, following Wakanoho, Roho and Hakurozan, but the first Japanese.

Wakakirin Shinichi was a oshi-sumo wrestler whose favourite technique was tsuppari, or a series of rapid thrusts to the opponent's chest.

In 2010, Wakakirin Shinichi, still using his sumo name returned to the ring as a professional wrestler, training in Antonio Inoki's Inoki Genome Federation stable.

The match was controversial, and Coleman's colleague, Phil Baroni accused Wakakirin Shinichi of shooting on Coleman in what was supposed to be a worked match.

Wakakirin Shinichi made his comments on this on the Nightmare of Battle website.

Wakakirin Shinichi's next fight was scheduled for December 31,2010, against Bob Sapp, but the match never took place as Sapp refused to leave his dressing room.

Wakakirin Shinichi was scheduled to face Kimbo Slice on February 5,2011, in Fukuoka, but that fight never took place as Kimbo went down with an injury.

Wakakirin Shinichi left the IGF in 2017 and participated in a martial arts event run by the ISM, Inoki's new company.