A 23-year-old Japanese sumo wrestler has announced his retirement from the sport after a record 104-match losing streak.

Shonanzakura ended his sumo wrestling career with three wins, one draw, and 238 losses.

According to local media, the young man’s retirement follows his 104th straight defeat, a record in the sport’s history.

However, despite Shonanzakura’s apparent lack of skill in the sport, many wrestlers will be sorry to see him hang up his ‘mawashi’, the loincloth sumo wrestlers wear, including his former trainer.

Kitazakura, the boss of Shonanzakura’s training school, told local media: “No matter how many times he lost, he was always willing to take on the challenge.”

“He had an amazing spirit… In the morning, he was always the first out of bed and ready to get in the practice ring.”

Sumo wrestling fans also praised the retired fighter’s persistence and pluck in the sport with many netizens wishing him well for the next chapter in his life.

Shonanzakura, who last won a bout in January 2019, has already taken part in the hair-cutting tradition when a wrestler retires from the sport.

According to Nikkan Sports, the young man has returned to his parent’s house in the Japanese prefecture of Kanagawa to prepare for life outside of sumo wrestling.