Let me start this off by what Chris Gould posted in his two videos today, the first covering highlights from day 8 and then a video about him proposing changes to the kadoban sytem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALOK7lW6j2Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-R9hLFXW7Q
Understandably Chris is very passionate about what is going on here with the predicaments that have affected not only Tochinoshin and Takakeisho, but even Goeido, Takayasu, and the best known case of Terunofuji.
As of right now the kadoban system is such that two consecutive makekoshi results in demotion from the rank of ozeki. For yokozuna there is no set system, but rather it is accepted that being unable to uphold the standards of that of a yokozuna (consistently in the yusho race, leadership, finishing tournaments, no losing records, etc.) will result in retirement to save the dignity and image of that yokozuna. In the case of ozeki, scrapping of the kosho system has resulted in many of these wrestlers trying to come back to save rank, which in most cases have backfired and resulted in more devastating injuries than what originally happened.
In the case of Chris' proposal, he suggests a "five lives" system which will result in demotion of the rank after five cumulative makekoshi at the rank. Once you have gone MK 5 times over the duration of however long, then you will lost the rank. I don't believe that this would solve the problem, but rather cause confusion. Say you went MK for 3 out of 6 basho, then went 10 basho at KK, then one basho at MK, another 8 basho at KK, and then MK, only to lose your rank.
I would be in favor of bringing back the kosho system that really should be applied to injuries that are sustained in the basho. Wrestlers need to be given a reasonable time off to be able to completely heal, and seeing wrestlers come back mid-basho, ozeki or not has not made things any easier. At the same time I believe that the NSK or the oyakata of these wrestlers need to enforce time off so that they can heal. The NSK especially if they were to enforce this, would have the power to also grant the kosho. Takakeisho, Mitakeumi, Takayasu, Endo types are going to be the ones to bring in viewership, fans, and the money that pays for the NSK to be able to function. It does nobody any good to force the wrestlers to continue, and the NSK has to step in more to help prevent further injuries. The NSK should have forced Kisenosato to stay out of the action when they had something, and now it's too late. They are playing the same dangerous game with a possible future yokozuna.
