ryafuji

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!

The 12 times includes withdrawals during tournaments, this will be "only" the 7th time he's been absent from Day 1.

1. Hoshoryu 9-6 2. Kotozakura 10-5 3. Wakaikari MK 4. Onosato 14-1 5. Wakatakakage KK 6. Aonishiki KK 7. Kaisho MK 8. Obara MK 9. Kyokukaiyu KK 10. Gyokuozan MK TB 12 -----

Aoiyama staying with a 5-10 from J13 would certainly be a real "luck of the banzuke" scenario. Maybe they will be kind to the veteran.

I'd give a shout out to his 11-4 record in September 1988 which got him the Kantosho - that tournament was shown by Channel 4 in the UK and I remember he was 9-1 from M9 by Day 10 and they put him up against the ozeki for the last few days. He was also fond of a henka - his kinboshi was achieved that way.

Aoiyama must be makushita bound with his loss today. I wonder if we'll be hearing a retirement announcement soon

1. Hoshoryu 12-3 2. Kotozakura 10-5 3. Daiseizan KK 4. Wakaikari MK 5. Onosato 13-2 6. Hiradoumi 9-6 7. Kotoshoho MK 8. Wakatakakage KK 9. Onokatsu KK 10. Aonishiki KK 11. Higonoumi MK 12. Abi 8-7 13. Fujiseiun KK TB 15