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TOKYO: A magazine on Monday accused Bulgarian sumo star Kotooshu of fixing bouts as a scandal tainting the image of Japan's ancient sport intensified.
Kotooshu, who in May became the first European to win a tournament but has since lost steam, flatly denied the allegations.
The Shukan Gendai weekly magazine published the new accusations just days after it was hauled to court in a libel case filed by the sumo establishment enraged by an earlier article on bout-fixing.
The magazine said the latest revelations came from Russian Soslan Gagloev, 20, who was expelled from the sumo world in August for marijuana possession and has since threatened to tell all about "evil" in the 2,000-year-old sport.
Kotooshu, whose real name is Kaloyan Mahlyanov, approached Gagloev three times this year, offering to pay money to win fights and threatening the Russian with a dangerous form of training if he refused, the story said.
Kotooshu, 25, considered to be a rapidly rising star, had been struggling with injuries and a sluggish showing during the March tournament this year.
"We are both Europeans. If you do this for me, I will never forget it. I will give you one million yen (9,700 dollars). I am okay with even 1.5 million. Please help," Kotooshu told Gagloev, according to the magazine.
"Everyone is doing it, so don't worry," the Bulgarian told the Russian, the magazine said.
"You have scruples, but you will get used to this. The sumo world may look good from the outside, but inside it's different. So don't worry."
Gagloev said he threw victories to Kotooshu in tournaments in May – when the Bulgarian won his historic trophy – and in July. Kotooshu pulled out of the March tournament due to injuries.
Kotooshu has been a popular figure in Japan, with some calling him sumo's David Beckham for his looks.
He rejected the story. "We are all training so hard. I am saddened by this. These are all lies," Kotooshu told reporters.
- AFP/so
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