After reading about Asashoryu’s disgraceful hair-pulling episode, I had to read up on him a bit. I found this article: Ozeki Asashoryu a Quick Study:
Formerly a sumo wrestler in Mongolia, Asashoryu reacts instinctively to each situation. Of the 10 wins in the Autumn basho at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kogukikan, Asashoryu won with eight different techniques — from uwatenage (upper-hand throw) to sotogake (a tripping of the opponent’s outer foot), a trick more often seen in judo.
The Japan Times naturally mentions judo, but footsweeps are a staple of traditional Mongolian wrestling.
Standing 185 cm and weighing 137 kg, Asashoryu is somewhat smaller than the average wrestler. He said he was advised by his family, famous in his native land as an elite Mongolian wrestling clan, to practice twice as much as his peers to grab the upper edge.‘My family always told me the more I practice, the stronger I will be,’ said Asashoryu, whose father reached the sekiwake rank in Mongolian sumo.
One of Asashoryu’s three brothers, Dolgorsuren Sumiyabazar, wrestled in two Olympics (2000 and 1996) for Mongolia.
Interestingly, Dolgorsuren Sumiyabazar fought Tsuyoshi Kohsaka in New Japan Pro Wrestling. He lost — by doctor stoppage. (Maybe it wasn’t a “worked” fight…)
He’s also scheduled to compete in K-1 and Pride:
Sumiyabazar is the second oldest of five brothers. The oldest brother is a police officer. Sumiyabazar’s younger brothers are “Blue Wolf”, a wrestler in the New Japan Pro-Wrestling organization, and Asashoryu, an Ozeki-ranked Sumo wrestler in Japan whose real name is Dagvadorj Dolgorsuren. He began training in Mongolian Sumo and amateur wrestling at the age of 12. He then went on to become the Mongolian Sumo champion in both 1998 and 1999 out of a field of 550 competitors.Sumiyabazar’s accomplishments also include being a 7-time Mongolian amateur wrestling champion and a silver medal in the Asian Games. Furthermore, he wrestled Kurt Angle, who is currently wrestling in WWE, to a tie at the Atlanta Olympic Games. Regrettably, he lost to Kurt by 1 point in overtime. His brother, the Ozeki-ranked Asashoryu, said that Sumiyabazar is 10 times stronger than himself. Sumiyabazar’s participation in both PRIDE and K-1 rings has finally been agreed upon. I’m really looking forward to seeing what Sumiyabazar, a man with a 560 lb. bench press, can do in the ring as a professional fighter.
By the way, Asashoryu’s Mongolian name is Dolgorsuren Dagvadorj.