Godango

Oh for context I meant staying on as a coach in the same way that Kakuryu stayed on at Michinoku until branching out after a year or so. I completely agree that Takakeisho being interim shisho awaiting a Takanosho handover would make no sense. So what I'm wondering is would he stay on in Tokiwayama as a coach, not the shisho (apologies if I'm conflating terms). In this time he could start recruiting uchi-deshi in earnest, learn from the current Tokiwayama-oyakata and then potentially there's something of a heya split on Tokiwaya's retirement, though this assumes Takanosho would be retired by then. Or, do we believe Takakeisho would just branch out at the earliest opportunity and build his heya from the bottom up? Is anyone aware of recruitment on his part, or any existing uchi-deshi? Apologies if I'm not being clear.

This is an interesting point. Presumably at his young age Takakeisho hasn't actively scouted or otherwise gained any uchi-deshi yet? Is the likely scenario that (assuming intai) he stays on at Tokiwayama-beya as a coach until the oyakata retires in a year or two, then branches out if/when Takanosho takes the mantle with likely a few uchi-deshi and one or two others gained in that time?

I deleted my conspiracy comment cos it was tongue-in-cheek; but no matter how you look at it the lack of a mono-ii was insane. Had they gone to the mono-ii and still given it to Kotozakura, maybe we'd all disagree with the explanation but at least there would be one. Anyway in reality I'm not too bothered; the wife adores Tobizaru and I like him too; but I also like me some Kotozakura and it ain't his fault.

Ha, Touché!

Admittedly using ChatGPT to summarise it. The article really did refer to Takakeisho as 'reigning champion' though: A major sumo wrestling tournament in Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan stadium will feature salt from Shark Bay in Western Australia. This salt, known for its purity, will be used in the ceremonial cleansing of the sumo ring before matches. Reigning sumo champion Takakeisho Takanobu, sponsored by the Mitsui company that extracts Shark Bay Salt, wears an apron displaying the Shark Bay Salt and Ako's Aamashio brands. The partnership has been successful, coinciding with a $35.8 million profit for Mitsui. Salt is becoming a trendy investment, with major deals and projects in Australia reflecting its rising demand. Takakeisho, who has faced injuries this year, will compete again in September.

About 10 months too early for me (albeit Nagoya). Enjoy! I'm sure the content that follows will more than make up for the lost days :).

...well then.

I just realised, barring something wholly unexpected; no kinboshi given away by Terunofuji this tournament. Good for him.

I agree with you both; I think the deciding factor will be the shape of the ozeki corps and Terunofuji's potential intai. This, couple with Onosato's potential and popularity, could definitely lead to them being happy with a by the numbers 33 rather than any additional factors. Anything less than 10 wins here though and I think he MUST get the 33 total, or 32 with another Y/D/J.

Me overcoming my denial, anger, bargaining and depression to finally reach acceptance. My journey over the past five years: Denial: Sure, he got demoted from ozeki, but that's just because he got hurt. He'll rocket straight back up when he's recovered. Anger: Tamawashi, you ruined him! And it's frustrating that the nature of sumo doesn't afford him more time to recover. Bargaining: I know he'll never be yokozuna or probably even ozeki again, but if he can at least just win that one yusho, I'll be happy. Depression: Ugh, withdrawing again. Of course. This sport can be so disheartening. Acceptance: Well, at 34 years old and unable to get through a tournament, it's clear his time has passed. I love you, man, but it's time to move on. ~ fin ~

I hate to say it, but I think Takayasu should start thinking about retiring. He's 34 and has been dealing with injuries regularly. It's uncertain where his career can go from here.

Hokaho was probably due, good riddance to Otani; I didn't see too much of Senho so can't comment to his potential. Not massive losses though, it seems.

In fairness, he did still beat 1 Y, 2 O and 2 S. Fought 6 out of 8 available sanyaku and only lost to one. But also in fairness my thoughts are that he needs 13-2 D to earn promotion next time out.

I've felt like Hiradoumi has been a dark horse for a while now. Quietly achieving, slowly rising, he's still only 24 after all. It's good to see him making some small waves here. I'm not necessarily saying he's going to be O/Y one day, but he's got a good body and he's capable of sticking around the joi/sanyaki for many years at the very least.

NSK Instagram Post confirming the promotion officially. Translation via Deepl: "Today, 31 January, a banzuke organisation meeting and a special board meeting for the March tournament was held, at which the promotion of Kotonowaka to ozeki was decided. The ozeki promotion ceremony will take place later."

News articles and our own Kyujo thread reporting that Takayasu is out, but nothing on NSK's site at time of writing this comment. Literally my internal monologue last night. "Wow this might actually be the stars aligning... no, shut up Godango, you know what happens when you get your hopes up". For real. I should disembark the Takayasu train but I simply can not.

Communication breakdown, I think we're saying the same thing. Seihakuho will be fine, the Isegahama Mongolian-in-waiting may be impacted.

I believe @Bunbukuchagama was stating that in order to have a new foreign rikishi join, a stable would need to have zero foreign rikishi, regardless of whether existing foreign rikishi were inherited or started with the stable. For example, after Tochinoshin's retirement, Aoiyama is now the only foreign rikishi in Kasugano-beya. Kasugano-beya can not add a new foreign rikishi, despite the fact that Aoiyama joined via merger (hence why he and Tochinoshin could be there at the same time). This is what is relevant to Isegahama-beya's Mongolian prospect. But yes, theoretically there is no limit to how many foreign rikishi a heya could inherit via merger.

While we await Natsu, I thought it might be fun for us forum members to embark on a journey to create our very own individual Mount Rushmore of Ozumo. Now, for those unfamiliar with the concept, Mount Rushmore is a monumental sculpture in the United States featuring the heads of four U.S. presidents, symbolising the nation's growth and development. Similarly, our Mount Rushmores of Ozumo will honour four figures who have left an indelible mark on the world of sumo wrestling. Before we delve into our selections, let's establish some ground rules. This isn't a competition to determine the greatest sumo wrestler of all time. Instead, it's an opportunity for each of us to share the names of four individuals whom we hold in special reverence, whether it's for their remarkable performances on the dohyo, their contributions off the dohyo, or even their impact as gyoji, administrators etc. Remember, this is entirely subjective. Your choices are yours alone, and there's no right or wrong answer. This thread is a space for shared appreciation and celebration of sumo's legends. So, who would you choose to carve onto your Mount Rushmore of Ozumo, and why? Take a moment to reflect on the individuals who have left an enduring legacy in the world of sumo, and let's honour their contributions together.

Part of why I left it out

Agreed, and I'm loving it. My intention when starting this thread was to see how different people interpret the question, and what different people value and I'm getting that in abundance. I think it's brilliant that people have brought in influential sumo commentators (including those on this forum), historians, etc. I was close to including the Kokugikan in my original Mt Rushmore.

I'm only limiting your quote to its final sentence to save padding this comment, but I want to sincerely thank you for the entirety of your post. That was exactly the kind of thing I was hoping to see, and it's brilliant getting an insight into another fans perspective and appreciation on the sport. Fantastic stuff.

Ha, not gonna lie, this is making me feel a lot less self-conscious about my selections!

Any particular reasons why they hold special significance to you?

Ha! But also, re-reading my post I absolutely made it sound like we would be creating a collective Mount Rushmore, but the intention was we would each post our own.