Mongolia Honors Former Sumo Grand Champion

Former sumo grand champion Asashoryu met with Mongolian's deputy prime minister on Friday.

Asashoryu announced he was quitting sumo at a tear-filled news conference in early February following a probe into reports of a drunken scuffle in Tokyo in January.

The head of Asashoryu's sumo stable told Japanese media that the Mongolian grand champion had been too drunk to remember the reported incident outside a nightclub in the early hours of January 16th.

Despite the scandal, Asashoryu has been received as a big star back home.

The retired champion won his 25th Emperor's Cup in January, but sumo officials took a dim view of his latest apparent breach of discipline.

Asashoryu has denied accusations he broke a man's nose in a drunken fight and claimed he was forced to quit because of pressure from the sumo association.

Conspiracy theorists claim he was pushed out before he could break the record for the number of Emperor's Cup victories.

Asashoryu’s behavior such as pulling an opponent’s hair and starting a soapy bathroom brawl during a post-bout soak, has put him at odds with the sport’s hierarchy.

Often criticized by domestic media for not showing dignity, the grand champion says his style in the ring showed his real commitment.