Sumo stablemaster and former yokozuna Takanohana announced Tuesday that he has submitted his resignation to the Japan Sumo Association.
Takanohana said he decided to resign after the sport's governing body deemed his accusations of improper behavior over their handling of a scandal involving one of Takanohana's wrestlers and former yokozuna Harumafuji as "groundless."
"I cannot accept it as groundless. I cannot bend the truth," Takanohana said at a press conference later Tuesday.
Takanohana said he has asked his wrestlers to change their affiliation to the Chiganoura stable. His replacement is undecided.
The 46-year-old former grand champion, who won 22 tournaments in the top makuuchi division and helped sumo gain popularity during a career spent alongside elder brother Wakanohana, had endured a difficult period in recent months due to longstanding friction with the JSA.
He was dismissed earlier this year as a director on the JSA board over his failure to promptly report to sumo's governing body that Takanoiwa, a wrestler from his stable, had been beaten and injured by yokozuna Harumafuji, a scandal that led to the retirement of the grand champion.
(Takanohana at a JSA board meeting on Dec. 28, 2017)
Takanohana attempted to regain his spot on the board of directors by running in an election in February but failed after receiving just two votes among 101 sumo elders.
In March, he submitted a letter to the Cabinet Office's public certification committee that accused the JSA of improper behavior over its handling of the Takanoiwa assault scandal. The accusation, however, was ultimately regarded as groundless.
That same month, Takanohana was demoted two ranks within the JSA's hierarchy to the lowest of seven ranks due to his absence without permission from the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament and lack of supervision of a young wrestler from his stable who assaulted a junior wrestler.
Last month, he was hospitalized for a day after having a fit while coaching wrestlers during a regional sumo tour.
Takanohana and Wakanohana, who belonged to the Futagoyama stable, were active in the 1990s through the early 2000s. Takanohana, whose real name is Koji Hanada, retired in 2003 at the age of 30.
His 22 tournament victories rank him sixth on the all-time list.
This year, a string of recent scandals has tarnished the reputation of Japan's ancient sport in addition to those associated with Takanohana.
In January, sumo's chief referee resigned for sexually harassing a teenage referee, and in March, Egyptian wrestler Osunaarashi was asked to retire as punishment for being involved in a car accident while driving without a license.
Deep-seated problems have troubled the sport throughout the last decade, including a teenage trainee being beaten to death in 2007, and Mongolian yokozuna Asashoryu announcing his retirement three years later following reports he injured a man in a drunken rampage.
The sport's governing body has been criticized for failing to address problems outside the ring, though JSA chairman Hakkaku has pledged that eliminating violence is its top priority.
Sumo: JSA to remove stablemaster Takanohana as director over scandal
Sumo: JSA begins disciplinary measures over Harumafuji scandal
