Seiyashi

So, as expected, the vast majority are at least sanyaku calibre, with only a handful of rikishi topping out at maegashira. Quite a good number of sekiwake there, too.

I'd put more money on an Okinoumi or Endo yusho, in all seriousness. Or, given the wackiness of the past year and that it's Wacki Aki, even Chiyonokuni!

Ouch, Araiso was watching when Takayasu lost to Takakeisho in a fairly unbalanced manner. Not sure about wide open considering all of the five chasers aren't traditional title threats - maybe Okinoumi and Endo, but that's as dangerous as they get. When you consider that other than Terunofuji, Mitakeumi and Shodai are the ones leading the sanyaku from two behind, Terunofuji still has to be the favourite for the yusho. Now if Shodai and Mitakeumi succeed in beating Terunofuji then that really blows the door off its hinges. Chiyonokuni M17 yusho (from a "could have been in juryo this basho" position too) anyone?

Hoshoryu's left arm, probably, considering Wakatakakage was technically also going on the offensive.

Sigh, and Akua fails to preserve the lead, resulting in the usual motley crew situation in the juryo arasoi. While in makuuchi it's probably easier to count the number of times there have been more than two co-leaders by day 9, in juryo it's probably easier to count the times where there haven't.

D11: Wakatakakage

Battle of the resurrected busted knees.

There goes his best shot at a makuuchi debut, tough luck.

Considering Abi was joi material and Akua only recently broke into makuuchi and is still elevator-calibre, Abi's demotion is probably the only reason they got a rematch this soon.

If you are referring to the Nagatanien set, then it's an eggplant: supposedly an auspicious omen in the first dream of the year.

Yeah, I think we all agree that if Isegahama had complete control over who he would choose, it would be his two yokozuna deshi. The only question is whether he feels unable to choose Harumafuji for any reasons of actual or perceived propriety because of the circumstances of Harumafuji's exit from sumo. I don't think it's so much that he's persona non grata than it's AFAIK unprecedented that someone who exited the sumo world entirely gets to put the white rope back on.

In fact, it appears more of them wind up overrated than underrated - there's probably enough material here for a discussion of which TDs lived up to their expectations and which.... didn't.

Day 10: Hoshoryu

It's a pity Tamawashi seems closer to an MK. Otherwise he and Kiribayama would be strong candidates for the shukunsho for being the only two rikishi to seriously trouble Terunofuji.

Yeah, he was the second on my list behind Kakuryu for most underrated yokozuna. The only reason he doesn't beat Kakuryu in my book is because he had a very long and steady career as ozeki before his promotion, and rocketed pretty quickly to the joi early on in his career. Kakuryu's trajectory to ozeki was a lot more gradual, and I get the feeling his promotion was even more of a surprise than Musashimaru's was.