Muhomatsu

I have been watching his channels on Rumble. No disruptions there.

Adding the "Kaneko" brothers from Nishiiwa-beya, who are no longer on the heya's homepage.

Adding Makio to the top. 武蔵川部屋のコメント 【牧尾引退のお知らせ】 - 大相撲速報 (osumo.net)

I have added the running list of known pre-basho retirements to the top. I have also included Kiryu - whose retirement had been mentioned on Miyagino's Instagram account a few weeks back.

And our sumo follower on X has identified that Byakuen is now gone from the Tatsunami-beya site. He is the third of the Urasaki brothers to retire (Kotourasaki and Gaia being the other two). https://twitter.com/SumoFollower/status/1692864672217649273?s=20

X (Twitter) has picked up another retirement, this time Half-Turkish Hokuozan from Naruto-beya. He was recruited for Naruto-beya out of Takushoku University and hails from Sapporo. He made it rapidly to Makushita before injury took him to banzuke-gai. It is closing in on two years since his last dohyo appearance (Kyushu 2021).

The basho has not even started yet. These are just announced before the tournament. Akiseyama, as he was a former top division wrestler. The other two are on the heya's Instagram site. If their paperwork is not submitted by their oyakata, they may still even appear on the Kyushu banzuke. The full (and official) list of retirees will appear the Wednesday following Senshuraku.

I would say that I was not a fan at first. He always just appeared as an excessively big, technically limited guy for many years. However, when he came up last through Juryo and had his kachi-koshi in the top division, I finally "saw" his sumo and his style. While he was not flashy, he definitely stuck with his particular brand of sumo. I found myself cheering for him to make a comeback and greatly enjoying his appearances in Makushita when he came back. So, he is someone who made me change my mind about a sumo wrestler - and I think gave me a keener eye for the sport and quite a bit more respect for some of the lower rankers that I had never considered "good enough". A few years ago, I would have wondered what took him so long to retire - and moved on. Now, I am sad to see that he will no longer be on the dohyo. I would say that I was not a fan at first. He always just appeared as an excessively big, technically limited guy for many years. However, when he came up last through Juryo and had his kachi-koshi in the top division, I finally "saw" his sumo and his style. While he was not flashy, he definitely stuck with his particular brand of sumo. I found myself cheering for him to make a comeback and greatly enjoying his appearances in Makushita when he came back. So, he is someone who made me change my mind about a sumo wrestler - and I think gave me a keener eye for the sport and quite a bit more respect for some of the lower rankers that I had never considered "good enough". A few years ago, I would have wondered what took him so long to retire - and moved on. Now, I am sad to see that he will no longer be on the dohyo.

Shibatayama only knows how to correct Sumo's problems by rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic, as it were. If only the rikishi wore blue all the time, hazing would suddenly stop, yaocho evaporate, and (like moths to the flame) a number of Japanese recruits will be lured into the sport with the various hues of blues.

My average for 10-11 wins should have been clarified - that is the average wins for tournaments they participate in, and complete. Note, that I did define this range as an average. Meaning for every time they get 12 wins, then a subsequent 8 win tournament puts the Ozeki at the 10 win average. So my definition is not a requirement for double digit wins all the time - merely that the "Great" Ozeki get double digit wins on average. And yes, I am a firm believer that higher quality Ozeki should be getting the 10 wins plus each time they compete and complete a tournament. High quality Ozeki should also generally be in contention for the Yusho. That is what sets them apart from even the rest of the san'yaku, and why they get benefits like kadoban. That is why they do not earn special prizes or kinboshi- they are expected to be able to defeat the Yokozuna from time to time. We already have ranks for those that average 8-9 wins: Sekiwake and Komusubi (who also are ineligible for kinboshi, but eligible for sansho). The question asked about a definition for "great" Ozeki, so most of of history's Ozeki should be excluded. This is not to say that some Ozeki weren't "great" - but maybe only were for a portion of their Ozeki tenure. 2004 Kaio was great, Baruto was great in 2011-early 2012, Konishiki was great from end-89 through mid-1992. On the other hand, Shodai, Mitakeumi, Tochinoshin, and the like are clearly not great Ozeki. Yet they have each won a cup - so they are still great wrestlers in my opinion.

Here is a good summary of him: https://sumowrestling.fandom.com/wiki/Chokairyu_Hidetoshi When I was first really learning about Sumo, I saw he was in Sandanme. It was the first time I saw that ex-sekitori could fall on hard times and not retire.

Answering this in my own view - and without reading the whole conversation, so apologize if this was already stated. Of course, a "great" Ozeki becomes a Yokozuna. But if we take the question to mean "what sort of performances make for a "great" Ozeki (one who does not get the rope)?" then I have the following ideas in my mind: 1) One who is not often injured. So kadoban is only about 3-5 times over the Ozeki career. 2) One who averages 10-11 wins a tournament. 3) One who stays in the Yusho race each tournament until the final third of the basho. 4) One who does manage to snag a Yusho every so-often - that is, the cup is always within reach and this is not a shock when the Ozeki wins it. So - accumulates 2-4 cups over his career. Any more, and should have gotten the rope already. 5) One who holds the position for at least 30 tournaments (five years). Yes. The above is difficult to obtain. But that is what would make a "great" Ozeki.

Let me know when you are on the East Coast of the USA. You have an open invite to　喰道楽　アメリカ支店.　　Ⅰ have some good 蜂酒 that we could share.

and me. At one point, I need to have a beer with Kintamayama (I'll buy, and it does not have to be beer!). Not only as a very, very, very small token of appreciation for all his hard work over the years, but also to share some time with a kindred spirit. Often the exact thoughts in my mind appear in the commentary post-match. I do not know how you do it, but they can be word-for-word. Call it preaching to the choir, call it what you will - I am sometimes shocked by it still.

Is that total? Just YT? Or the other site? I moved there to stop playing the YT game of find the latest Natto and Kintamayama site. Trust me, you are watched and your productions are well loved.

The East Coast Tour of Konishiki's Sumo and Sushi event has been scheduled and tickets are out for early access at https://www.sumoandsushi.com/. The tour will visit Miami (June 9-11), DC (June 16-18), and NY (June 23-25). You can get a ticket to get into the dohyo with one of the wrestlers. I got the tickets already for the DC event. If anyone else is going, we can meet in person there. Help me decide who to challenge!!! It will be 男と男の真剣勝負.... ok - maybe I am ahead of myself. Former Aononami? http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=6031 Chiyonoshin? http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=1270 Kirinowaka? http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=929 Daikiho? http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=11989 Tooyama? http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=879

Anyone know why Harunishiki (http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=12438&l=j) got to keep his Sandanme 38 East Rank after his 3-4 record in May? He appears to have fought in all seven bouts, per the DB. So no COVID-related absences excuse. Any ideas?

Sandanme wrestler Yasunishi has reported being beaten by an elder (former Makushita wrestler, 28 years old - likely Kirinofuji). The offender has since retired (hair cut ceremony in April). Both Michinoku and head of compliance department, Hanakago, admit the incident occurred. The incident was reported in January - when it was determined that the assailant would retire. There was an appeal filed by the victim in April, which was subsequently withdrawn. Michinoku says he did not hide anything and since the perpetrator has retired and the victim has withdrawn his appeal to the compliance committee, no further hearings will be held. https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202305090001511.html Trouble in Kiribayama's stable - hope it is not a distraction and we see him at 100 percent in a week. Edit- adding another story and some more details: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/0c67d7961da3357d7d48c0e18f5812ca2eb6d71c According to this - he was told to "Die" and "I'll kill you" by Kirinofuji as well as being shot with an air-gun, hit with a frying pan, and punched mercilessly after a New Year's party. The violence seems to have been long-standing and ignored by the Oyakata - until it could not be ignored any further. Seriously? A disciple of yours is shot with an air-gun! That should automatically be game over for the perpetrator and a handing over of a resignation from the Riji post and #2 in the Kyokai. Lots of his deshi were also implicated in the match-fixing scandals - and still Kirishima made it back to #2 in the NSK. I am thinking he has some serious deficiencies of character.

OK - so I had a chance to enter the ring. I went up against ex-Chiyonoshin (Sanctuary's Enya). As I am going up on the dohyo, I am looking at all those ex-rikishi and thinking that "only an idiot would climb into the ring with them". But that checked out. My lord - one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Everyone else just was bowing. I insisted to do a proper chiri-chozu. I did my best niramiai and caused him to matta. At the tachi-ai, I pulled a neko-damashi. I drove him back initially, I am sure he was just playing with me. I found I could no longer budge him when I got him close to the edge. I was so excited that my neko-damashi seemed to work, that i had not realized I had given him a morozashi grip. So I am standing there, cannot move him, and realize I am toast. I look him in the eye and said "ah!!! morzashi kirai!". His eyes went wide, he smiled, his body loosened, and I yanked hard with my right hand outside. We are now spinning across the dohyo. He yells out to the other wrestlers, laughing "morozashi kirai-te"!. And at the end of the spin, I have him close to the edge again on the other side of the dohyo. I look down and see the tawara - and I think - "crossing that is death, don't you dare go over that line" - and I refocus my body against his, re-center myself, lower my body and yoru-yoru-yoru - and he goes over! In my mind, it lasted a lot longer than it probably did in real life. It was just incredible. I am so grateful for the experience.

I heard that he will get a proper shikona for the next tournament (and likely promotion to the top division). This was stated at the senshuraku party. The reading was understood to be "Hakuōhō" The characters, I was told, are to be "伯桜鵬". - which would be an interesting reading for the first character. There could be some mix-ups around the crowd - just relaying what was texted to me as breaking news. I am certain more to come. Edited for corrections.

That is the one. He will be joining Miyagino. Announced at the senshuraku party.

also, Hakuhō has a new Mongolian recruit - introduced at the part as a kenkyūsei. So it will be a while before a proper appearance on the doyhō for him. He is Demidjamts Usukhbayar - the surname is one of another legendary Mongolian champion wrestler.

The share has been vacant since Toyonoshima's departure from the NSK. The site lists the owner of the kabu certificate as the inheritors/beneficiaries of former Izutsu's estate (his family). 所有者：福薗好昭（元・逆鉾）の遺族

Interesting - the wiki page listing Oyakata has the Otowayama share linked to Ōnoshō. https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/現役年寄一覧

At this rank - Enhō should also drop to Makushita, I would think.