Chiyozakura

Is there any info on the severity of Kotozakura's injury?

While I basically I agree everybody is a product of their times. While Aonishiki might have an advantage over the top guys of former eras because of better training knowledge, better technology, nutrition and so on, he would not have had that had he competed in their days. So in relation to their time these comparisons make sense. It is always easier to win when competition is low than when it is high.

In general I do not give too much about these kind of numbers as they always depend on the competition. If Aonishiki had come up in the mid 90's with Akebono, Takanohana, Wakanohana, Musashimaru and Takanonami on top of their games, even easily holding someone like Kaio back who after the top5 declined became one of the best Ozeki in history, he probably would have had some more losses. Right now he faces two new Yokozuna who are not established in their ranks, yet, and a struggling Ozeki in Kotozakura. And that is it of top level rikishi. That makes it easier. Still the way he is fighting shows he already is on Ozeki level and, barring injury, should make it in Kyushu. And unlike other recent Ozeki he definitely has the potential to take that next step towards Yokozuna-hood. He is simpy that good.

Really? Where do you have that info from? I have read of guys forgetting their mawashi or missing the bus, but forgetting they have a match scheduled? Winner of that siuation is Chiyotora who got his second straight fusensho. Three out of his last five wins have come by fusensho.

I remember reading about Moriurara in this thread and then following him for some time but somehow the existance of Hattorizakura has made him appear less spectacular. But it is still amazing to see him carrying on. He must truely love what he is doing!

Ok, so far I had always read his father was Russian, but if Ukrainian ethnicity makes his son Ukrainian nowadays so be it...

When Kotoshoho came up I had him at a higher potential than then-Kotonowaka but his Yusho is indeed surprising at this stage. But the reason I write in this thread is something I read further up: Since when is Taiho Ukrainian? That is something I have never heard before.

I remember Musashimaru finishing the basho with five kinboshi given up. Kinboshi alone do not tell the story of a basho. The reason Onosato is at a higher risk of giving up kinboshi this time is because there are so few Sanyaku rikishi to face. If you have the usual six guys at the top two ranks plus two Sekiwake plus two Komusubi you only have to face six Maegashira, for Onosato it will have to be at least ten, or mabye even more if they give him Kotoshoho instead of Wakatakakage or Kotozakura. There is no way he withdraws this time unless he gets a serious injury. He still is in the Yusho race and only one win away from getting the 10 wins which is the minimum required of a Yokozuna to make it an acceptable basho. Losing to someone like Hakuoho or Oho this basho is not good but these things happen. Plus it is his debut basho where Yokozuna usually do not fare very well due to the promotion activities beforehand.

It is possible that both were made by the same person as both were from Dewanoumi Beya. It used to not be uncommon (maybe is still is that way today?) that lower ranked rikishi were creating Tegata for the sekitori so maybe they have done autographs as well? I mean, in the end it is the same thing just without the handprints.

Sad to see the Wakaikari name go as I liked his father Oikari with his no-nonsense tsuppari style. But Fujinokawa is a historic shikona and it means we finally have a river again. In Oyakata names kawa/gawa is the second most used kanji but for Shikona it has died out for a while now. I think all other ones on the banzuke are related to real names.

That is sad to hear. He seems to have been a man of great character. When he decided to join Ozumo he could basicaly choose the heya as he was expected to have a great career. He chose Isenoumi because the Oyakata guaranteed him a kabu. After he joined he was not nearly as successful as expected and only rose the ranks slowly. He even got the Oyakata's shikona of Fujinokawa. After being injured he realized he would never make Sanyaku and decided to leave sumo altogether despite having a kabu ready for him because he did not want to just be a rank and file Oyakata.

The number of Yusho in the table above is not connected to Yokozuna promotion but to age 25. If you take the number of Yusho after Yokozuna promotion some 100% guys turn into 25% (Asahifuji) or 20% (Kotozakura). For Takanohana and Akebono on the other hand the percentages will rise quite a bit as they made Yokozuna early. So I would not completely agree to your thesis as for some Yokozuna promotion is the crowning achievement of their career with not much to come later on while for others it is just a step towards dominance of the sport. I would put Onosato into the second category. Hoshoryu probably is somewhere in the middle like a Musashimaru or Kitanofuji, strong but not "the guy".

I would not call Futabayama an exception. Many dai-Yokozuna became Rijicho. Tochinishiki led the Kyokai for 16 years after winning 10 yusho, most before the 6 basho per year were established and at that time te second most in history. Kitanoumi was also a long-term Rijicho. As mentioned above Taiho had serious health issues but still became Riji. Chiyonofuji was a very tough man who seems to not have been popular with other rikishi while Takanohana simply was too much of a reformer and everything but diplomatic. Hakuho is the only one I do not understand why he has such a bad reputation within the NSK. I hope he stays. It is way more interesting when the Shisho are former major rikishi than having a bunch of Maegashira running the show.

Actually Aminishiki once got one for an 8-7 at low Maegashira aftet having been down in Juryo for a year in his late 30`s so that is not impossible. With Shishi I probably just don`t get the joke but he is young and won the Juryo Yusho just one basho earlier.

I assume it has to do with what is expected from you. This is only Sadanoumi's third ever double digit record and he never made Sanyaku so it is a special achievement. Tamawashi on the other hand is a former Sekiwake with two yusho to his credit so a 10-5 at mid-Maegashira is not that special for him.