Ahogeyama

Hokutofuji officially kyujo'd. Believe it is listed as a cervical disc hernia and a right quadriceps injury.

I'm also on the "Ura not going KK" bus, but I'd love to see him try to pull off something big like the tasukizori last basho. A 6-9 record with a surprising kimarite would be my guess. I'm also hoping to see what Midorifuji and Nishikifuji can do in the sandanme ranks. Those two are joined at the hip!

Looking at that Makushita lineup, I'd argue that I'm more excited about this list of wrestlers than I am about the upcoming Juryo lineup.

Can we give Ura the Gino-sho this tournament? C'mon. Do it.

I don't think I recall a day when such damage was done to the upper echelon and to those who were expected to win. It's like Hakuho was the keystone keeping the arch from falling. Heck, even Juryo seems bass-ackwards with Ura and Osunaarashi struggling. At least Makushita looks like it will be entertaining with an inevitable matchup between the ex-Daikiho, now-Yamaguchi, and the youngster Tamaki. Would a win by Tamaki get him anywhere near Juryo? (Doubtful, but curious.)

Okinoumi's 3-0 start is an eyebrow-raiser. He once started 3-0 as M5 back in 2012, only to hit a loss on Day 4, but he still finished a respectable 10-5. If he can tiptoe around the sanyaku and not lose to a lower maegashira, perhaps he can achieve 12 wins for the first time in his career. Not banking on it, but it's a nice start. The numbers are on Goeido's side if he wants to finish with a KK, but out of ten 3-0 starts as a makuuchi wrestler, he has gotten an MK once--he blitzed through Kotooshu, Kotomitsuki, and Kaio back in Natsu 2009 as a sekiwake, only to get wiped out by Asashoryu and the three current yokozuna rikishi. Time will tell, but I like his chances to avoid MK.

Ura vs. Osunaarashi right off the bat? Yikes. I suppose this would be a good bookend if they got into a tie on Day 15, though...

If he can go down swinging with a 3-4-8 record instead of a 0-0-15 record, it would show he won't simply quit when the likelihood of surviving intai is slim. It feels more like an attempt to garner PR more than anything. Wishing Ami the best, but he's played all his cards.

Takayasu will need to shine twice for Ozeki promotion. A 15-0 mark seems very unlikely, but something close to that could set up a very strong possibility in the November basho. I just don't see Yasu pulling it off. He's fortunate to be in the same heya as Kisenosato (thus avoiding any direct matches). He'd have to beat three Ozeki and two Yokozuna wrestlers on the way there, and I'm not sure he can do that consistently if he's going to drop matches vs. M5 wrestlers. He's also never had three straight KK marks in makuuchi. Maybe he gets his head on straight with Hakuho resting, but I doubt we see Yasu as an Ozeki.

Perhaps he's crazy, or perhaps he's just realizing that he'd rather dive headfirst into makushita swinging than sitting out the tournament. Either way, I don't see Ami getting more than a lucky henka before the inability to bear things overtakes him.

Not totally unexpected, but I think this puts new energy in the upcoming tournament. The king's throne is empty! Quick, sit in it before he comes back!

It's amazing. 33 total missed matches and only two fusen losses in 1202 total matches. TWO.

I'm okay with Ichi sitting this out. He's never really going to make that return move to the san'yaku and be taken seriously. That being said, he's likely one of the more recognizable wrestlers out there, both in name and overall form, so his absence will be noticed.

Re: Ura's juryo yusho chances: I give him a fighter's chance to win. He stumbled a little last basho and wasn't 100%, but he should be healthier this time around. I'm not confident that Osunaarashi will be in the same sort of shape that he was in the last time he had to spend a tournament in juryo, but considering the competition, I think a KK should be a safe bet for both wrestlers. Money's on Ura and Osu, but the darkhorse should be Daiki. I think he gets 11 wins and gets a makuuchi promotion.

Something's got to give with Kise. I'm being selective, yes, but he's gone 38-7 with zero fusen wins over the last three basho tournaments. I believe the last wrestler not named Hakuhou to have that sort of record was Harumafuji back during his stretch from September 2012 to January 2013 (39-6), and two of those were 15-0 sweeps. He has the momentum, but he needs a vital sweep of the top flight of wrestlers--five of those 7 losses have been to yokozuna opponents. If Hakuhou does sit out, this might be his one shot.