Gospodin

Uff, millimeters away. That was the closest avoidance of kadoban status I have ever seen.

Anxiety over securing promotion, perhaps ?

Excluding injuries, what are the chances of three kadoban ozeki all maintaining their rank in the next basho ?

Like I said, I´m getting old :-). No more trivia from me - promised.

oh, I missed that one. Two rikishi left. I´m getting old

Tochinoshin. Muscled him out during his Ozeki run. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaM59YGNzRo

To ease off a bit, before things get going today - a little trivia (apologies if I´m boring/annoying you). Hakuho almost never lost when he had his left uwate grip. There is one riikishi left in Makuuchi who beat him when he had his favoured grip. it was also the last time. Guesses ? :

I don´t know, but his record indicates it is very probable that he will drop from Juryo.

It looks like the final sunset is imminent for Shohozan. I will miss him and his charisma.

I doubt you can bet on Sumo in Vegas.

A rare instance of hyper-yaocho. The entire division is in on the fix, save Shodai. They paid off a few to lose almost all, and rest is trading wins as they see fit.

Nephew is getting cocky, or tries to. Anybody elso who giggled watching that staredown ?

Endo slipped before contact.

What´s more puzzling is that nobody in Sanyaku has more than five wins after eight days. I am almost certain that´s a first.

Thanks, I should get up an hour before makuuchi starts

Daisho´s right foot touched clearly down first. No doubt about this one, imo.

IMHO it is impossible to overstate what Terunofuji achieved, coming back from those injuries to make the rank in the first place (there´s a poll on this very well informed forum about how far he´d make it back, and very few voted for Yokozuna). As for hopefuls I see none who will be able to, again, achieve the dominance we were "treated" to with Asa, Hakuho and Harumafuji, which is not the norm. But there are several who just need to make the next step. We are in a transitional period, which I enjoy to watch.

I respectfully disagree. Most Yokozuna have achieved that rank in the later half of their 20s or early 30s. Those referenced are all exceptions that come around in a generation, on average. We were treated with exceptionally strong Yokozuna over the last 20 years, but nobody can expect a dai-Yokozuna every five years.

Nodowa and arm bars seem to be all the vogue this year.

He is still quite early in his career, but I am beginning to wonder whether Roga will ever become sekitori. Any thoughts ?

I think he did quite well, that was a very valuable experience for the up and coming star. He just learned the hard way to never forget about Takakeisho´s left paw. I don´t think he will fall for it again.

Though he is clearly not as strong as once was, to me it looks he has lost most of the weight around his waist. My guess is he is trying to extend his career by reducing the pressure on what is left of his knee.

God bless his stubbornness seems to have mellowed. The memory of his 2-13 basho as ozeki, when he was badly in jured, still makes me cringe.

Looked like he was caught somewhat by surprise by Ichinojo´s big hug.

Nodowa seems to become more popular, but at least - it seems - in its original purpose of old, putting the opponent in an upright position, and not as a kind of throat punch. OTOH I´d really like to see a rikishi developing a technically sound K(ai)otenage. Or have we been spoiled here ?