Onibushou

How many coaches have there been without a single division title or sansho? I doubt he's the first, but with how becoming an oyakata works there can't have been too many.

I've never seen 元 read as 'tsukasa' before, is that just really rare or something?

We already saw (sort of, at least) that scenario with the Kisenosato/Terunofuji playoff. I suppose it could always be worse/more obvious going into the match, but it sure wasn't pretty in the aftermath.

For the purposes of this, are we including Asanoyama as a potential next Ozeki or not since it would a be a former making a return?

But what if he has a rebellion? Can he train Tom Cruise?

Geeze, what kimarite does that get?

At least they didn't make him sign it with blood?

Its crazy to think back to the far off time of Nov. 2010, when I first started watching sumo real-time. Asa had recently left, and Hakuho was already a Yokozuna with several titles. More than a decade after that point in his already great career, its finally come to pass. Even though it has been expected for a while now, its an odd feeling. Curious to see what a couple billion Yen and a goat for a coach can get you though. By my count, this leaves just 6 sekitori from that banzuke (Takayasu, Tochinoshin, Kaisei, Sadanoumi, Takafuji and with impressive levels of doing just enough, the 36 year old Okinoumi).

<-- Don't forget Kimura Sanrio to lead the proceedings.

I think this Twitter post has the commercial referenced-

^ Same, really. If nothing else, I'll always remember this match of his that occurred not too long after I started watching https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wdBMyZUWgM

I'm not sure if "to be shin-juryo you have to beat an Ozeki" necessarily follows from that line of thinking. The exchange bouts work because to be juryo, you have to beat a struggling guy the bottom of juryo, not somebody well above your current level.

Does this weird commercial count? https://twitter.com/stooloots/status/1395826041172729860

Interesting career Onishiki had. Following his first and only appearance in the sanyaku, he managed both 7 kinboshi and 3 Juryo+1 Makushita yusho. A bit all over the place.

I'd argue an obvious Yokozuna candidate not making it due to injuries is just as, if not more, sour. We'll never get to see what could have been with a healthy Yokozuna Terunofuji, but somehow we may get to see him wear the rope anyways. Regardless of how that potential tenure ends, I think he'd always be remembered as the guy that made Ozeki, dropped to nowhere and managed to not only fight back but even surpass his old self.

Reminds me a little bit of the Bill Masterton death. He got checked hard (but legally) during an NHL game and crumpled while hitting his head on the ice (in the days before mandatory helmets). Made it to a hospital, but eventually died of the brain injuries. The guy who had the hit would later meet with Masterton's family, who said it was fluke accident and they didn't blame him. Despite that, he would say the incident was always in the back of his mind and "It bothers you the rest of your life."

Now I'm just imagining him trying to wrestle in a suit of armor.

I seem to recall the person getting the first bye in a 9-way playoff can't also get the second one, but can't remember where that came from to confirm...

You never know, he could get an 8th match again

Happy to see Bushozan not completely collapse after that 3-0 start. Hopefully its enough to sneak in, if he's going to use 2/3 of my name he might as well be good

Not that it changes much, but the chart lists Naya at 5-1.

I seem to recall Tokitenku being asked post-match about that jikan mae, and stating something along the lines of 'I didn't feel I was any more likely to lose an early start than a normal one.' Just getting the loss out of the way, I suppose. If nothing else its a neat bit of trivia for him.

Alternatively, you could use 巨 somehow. 巨大 (kyodai) gigantic, 巨人 (kyojin) a giant (or titan, if you're attacking). Just don't get it confused for kyoudai, or else he'd be your brother.

Aside from the potential novelty of it, I'd rather see Kakuryu whiff on a kick attempt than his usual bad pull attempt.