ryafuji

Some prestigious heya have time-honoured shikona that they re-use for very promsing rikishi, such as Onishiki for Dewanoumi-beya, or Konishiki and Asashio for Takasago-beya.

Yes it is sickening. Such bad luck. What the hell is up with Gagamaru? 3-8 from Juryo 7?? He's better than that surely.

No idea but it's not just about statistics, you have to look at the narrative. Shunkun-shos are normally awarded to up-and-coming rikishi. An ageing ex-ozeki who is just going through the motions as a maegashira in the twilight of his career is not a viable Shunkun-sho candidate in my opinion. It might be more pertinent to ask, when was the last time an ex-ozeki was awarded a sansho?

His record over the last two years or so has actually been not too bad. It would seem odd for him to pull the plug after this particular basho. But yokozuna can and do retire suddenly so it's not out of the question.

Disagree, but we will see who is right soon enough...

I think it is extremely unlikely that the Shunkun-sho will be awarded with so many yokozuna and ozeki missing.

Has a neck injury IIRC.

Well Chiyonokuni did it again. Winning by hataki-komi and okuri dashi in the same bout. He just doesn't know when to stop fighting

No, it's not confirming anything of the sort. For one thing it confirms William Molina for Musashibo. Most of the others back up Asashosakari's research. One (probable) typo shouldn't invalidate everything else.

Oh yes I'm virtually certain that it's Kipapa. I was just confirming that Kitapa was the spelling in my book and not a typo on my part.

Unfortunately, yes.

That's a Wikipedia mirror site - both Asashosakari and I have been looking at the original, which is https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_non-Japanese_sumo_wrestlers. Unfortunately it is lacking in citations and cannot be in any way regarded as definitive.

For completeness, the rest of the non-American foreigners mentioned in Grand Sumo: Tochinohana - Liu Chuo-huei Kiyonohana - Zhang Li-hua Seiko - Koo Chun Bong (DB has Gu Zhen Bang) Hoshitango - Marcello Salomon Imach (DB has wrong surname?) Hoshiandesu - Jose Antonio Flores Ryuko - Luis ikemori

Here's the full list of Americans mentioned in Grand Sumo by Lora Sharnoff: Takamiyama (Jesse James Walani Kuhaulua) Takamikuni (source for the shikona!) - Taylor Wiley Akebono - Chadwick George Haheo Rowan (source for George) Takamio - John Feleunga Ozora - Troy Talaimatai Wakataisei - Percy Kitapa Konishiki - Salevaa Atisanoe Musashimaru - Fiamalu Penitani Musashinobo (Musashibo in the DB) - William Molina Shinnishiki - Vincent Divoux Sentoryu - Henry Armstrong Miller Sunahama - William Tyler Hopkins Koryu - Eric Cosier Gaspar Nampu - Kaleo Kekauoha Yamato - George Kalima Onami - Glen Kalima

I can help with these two. From Grand Sumo by Lora Sharnoff (yes I'm wheeling it out again)...... She also has "Pasquale Bosche" for Hakusan. For Nanyozakura, she gives his name as "Fofoga Faaleva", so maybe the DB is reversed. She mentions that he quit sumo after going to visit his ailing mother and never returning to Japan. She gives Nankairyu's name as Kiriful Saba.