Kashunowaka

And with 130 players very close to a new record number of participants! Just two off Natsu 2006.

You should update the GTB graph, considering how many entries there have been lately.

We are only joking about your predictions because we love you, Kinta-zeki...

Yes, and there are people - in this very thread! - who'll gladly put the next-ozeki stamp on rikishi who have just gone 8-7 in their makuuchi debut. Edit: although, he didn't say "quickly" this time.

Yes, of course it's one man's opinion, just like Kintamayama's next-ozeki prediction. It's not the only place on the old Sumoweb site where Tosanoumi is mentioned as a one-time ozeki candidate, but I'll leave that as an exercise for the curious reader.

Not everyone debuts in makuuchi as M7 and have to face an ozeki and a yokozuna day 1-2... Once upon a time there was a bi-monthly column called Rikishi Report. Excerpt from Natsu basho 1999: http://web.archive.org/web/20020808031642/http://www.sumoweb.com/rikishi_report/rr22.htm

And Tosanoumi, Tochinonada, Akinoshima... the guys who could beat anyone or lose to anyone on any given day. What would sumo be without them?

I'd be surprised to see *anyone* string together 3 successful basho for an ozeki return. It's only happened once before.

It's actually his 4th basho in makuuchi, day 2. So your memory is about right @RabidJohn.

Now is the time for you to do a Terunofuji. Gambatte!

Nah, as a former ozeki he doesn't qualify for the Next Ozeki moniker.

The next ozeki? Takanosho, obviously.

I am out of reactions so I'll just say welcome!

Could you then say - avoiding the double negative - that Miyabiyama's approval was animous?

Regarding 32 wins and ozeki promotion: out of 26 promotions in the last 30 years, 4 were after 32 wins and 3 of those in the 2010s. Shodai's case with 8-7 / 11-4 / 13-2Y is arguably stronger than 32-winners Kisenosato, Goeido and Asanoyama because of that yusho and going 13-2, which neither of the others did in their ozeki runs. It resembles Chiyotaikai's 9-6 / 10-5 / 13-2Y in 1999 a lot. If you get the chance to promote a sekiwake after a 13-2 yusho, you take it.