ryafuji

"(Goeido) is also the only ozeki since Tochiazuma to retire at the rank without having been dismissed or demoted." I suppose that's true if you go by the order in which the ozeki were promoted, but of course Kaio, who was promoted before Tochiazuma, retired four years after him at the ozeki rank without facing demotion.

The rules are very clear - you have to have Japanese citizenship to become an elder. If Kakuryu retires before that happens, he's out and won't be able to come back.

I'm sure there'll be at least one more abortive comeback attempt before he succumbs to the inevitable.

I understand Giku wanting a full arena for a danpatsu-shiki, but he doesn't have to remain active for that. He could retire and just postpone it. Time was it was (almost) unthinkable for a former ozeki to compete in juryo, but that seems to have gone now. I don't think he has any chance of getting back in makuuchi even if this latest injury heals.

I think the point you're missing is that the third tournament in an ozeki run is supposed to the culmination of three very good performances. A 9-6 would be a collapse, a choke. It would negate the two previous performances. Whether someone would be promoted before with the 15-15 is a separate question - they may well do - but I think a 9-6 in any circumstances would be a back to square one situation.

If Shodai is denied after this tournament double digits in November is absolutely essential. It's inconceivable to win ozeki promotion with a 9-6.

There have been foreign born brothers too - Roho and Hakurozan from Russia both reached makuuchi. Kyokutenho had a younger brother, Fudoyama, who didn't reach the sekitori ranks.

I'm sure it was unintended. But I'm not sure how much sway Sadogakake oyakata has in this situation. It's a lot easier to tell a 24 year old in their fourth makuuchi basho what to do than a 36 year old ex-ozeki.

It's a great story but I always have a nagging feeling that his knees will deteriorate again and he'll start to fall back again. Hopefully I'm wrong and the surgery actually fixed the problem.

My initial impression was that the gyoji was correct, and it looks on the replay that Shodai did just stay in bounds, but it was marginal. I think a torinaoshi was a reasonable decision - nothing suspicious about it.

It was in late 1991 that it was introduced. I remember Musashimaru, who had just entered makuuchi at the time, saying he had to pay 100,000 yen.

It never applied to the lower divisions, I think it was just makuuchi but it might have been juryo too. They initially solved the problem of who was really to blame by fining BOTH rikishi, but after some complaints that it was unfair they changed it to only fine the rikishi who was called back. It's no longer in use.

I don't think Hakuho's ever started out 0-3. Asanoyama was probably releasing some built-up tension/frustration.

That's the trouble with these rookie gyoji. If he'd just shouted "Hakkeyoi!" like he was supposed to they would have put some spirit into it and finished the match.