yaochō 八百長
A fixed bout.
Yaochō means a fixed bout. In 2002 economists Mark Duggan and Steven Levitt published statistical evidence that wrestlers needing one more win for a winning record won more often than chance would suggest. In early 2011, police investigating illegal betting found text messages arranging bouts, and the JSA cancelled the March 2011 tournament, its first cancellation since 1946.
Related words
- kachi-koshi 勝ち越し
- A winning record for the tournament: at least eight wins from 15, or four from seven.
- Nihon Sumō Kyōkai 日本相撲協会
- The Japan Sumo Association, which runs professional sumo.