ryafuji

I think you are conflating two different incidents. Hakuho called for a monoii while sitting ringside at a bout between Kakuryu and Goeido in May 2014. In the Yoshikaze situation, he wasn't calling for a monoii so much as saying that it was a matta and the bout never actually started.

No, it was Lord Melchett. That is my very important contribution to this megathread.

1. Onosato 13-2 2. Aonishiki KK 3. Inami MK 4. Daieisho 10-5 5. Kusano KK 6. Mishima KK 7. Hakuoho KK 8. Tochimusashi MK 9. Enho KK 10. Daiyusho MK 11. Tenei MK 12. Takayasu 8-7 13. Takerufuji KK 14. Tochitaikai MK 15. Kazekeno MK 16. Mita KK TB 14

Don't think we do. He must be the leader among active rikishi (Tamawashi's streak is only from Nagoya 2013 due to him dropping to juryo a few times) but he has some way to go to surpass Kaio (106), Hakuho (103) and Takimiyama (97).

1. Hoshoryu 11-4 2. Onosato 12-3 3. Aonishiki KK 4. Tochimaru MK 5. Inami MK 6. Daieisho 9-6 7. Kusano KK 8. Takakento KK 9. Okaryu MK 10. Noda KK 11. Mishima MK 12. Yurikisho KK 13. Hakuoho KK TB 15

Mods, now that we do have a separate thread on the Nishonoseki drinking party scandal, perhaps these off-topic posts could be merged there?

I remember reading that Futagahuro in 1986 had to be taught by someone outside the Tatsunami-Isegahana ichimon as they had been without a yokozuna for so long they had no-one familiar with it.

He is still posting his daily videos but giving them cryptic titles and taking them down quickly to avoid detection! You can find the links in a thread in Honbasho Talk.

No yokozuna on the banzuke in March, then.

1. Hoshoryu 13-2 2. Kotozakura 12-3 3. Onosato 11-4 4. Wakatakakage MK 5. Aonishiki KK 6. Gyokuozan MK 7. Kaiseijo MK 8. Tochimaru KK 9. Matsui KK 10. Inami KK 11. Dewataikai MK 12. Ienoshima MK 13. Daieisho 9-6 14. Hatsuyama KK TB 14

I wasn't there in person but I too have the off-air Channel 4 recordings which I have watched multiple times, although not for a few years. I remember Hokutoumi using harite in the match rather than his usual nodowa. I don't recall the bleeding that you describe, maybe that's my memory playing tricks on me. But I still think "smashed his head into the dohho" is pure hyperbole. For me the most memorable match of that tournament was Daishoyama v Mainoumi, which went on for six minutes with two breaks to retie the mawahi, and then after all that had to go to a monoii. Kirishima also had a couple of classic tsuridashi wins.

"The other really strong memory I have is Akinoshima versus Hokutoumi. Hokutoumi beat him and smashed his head into the dohyō and when he came up his face was a mask of blood." Er, yeah that didn't happen. But the matches were genuinely contested (or at least, if it wasn't it was so convincing that it was impossible to tell the difference).

That's correct, except that the final day of the London basho was an hour long, and broadcast live - unfortunately it overran slightly and Channel 4 cut away before we got to see Hokutoumi lift the trophy. One of the presenters that day was Jeff Stelling, who went on to greater fame with Sky Sports Soccer Saturday.

With bonus Kintamayama commentary! Brilliant!

Tamawashi is still on course for that record-breaking streak of 7-8 records. Just three wins and four losses to go!