maglor

Having a harder or easier schedule is absolute; I don't see why you should take it relative to someone's rank. Relative to their rank, the lowest rikishi in Jonokuchi(who only fights those higher ranked than him), had a harder schedule than the M3E who fought everyone ahead of him but also a couple M4s.

I"d suggest that Meisei making K with a 9-6 from M6 isn't that strange at all, a few years ago it was unremarkable for a M6 or lower to get promoted into the sanyaku after the joi got cleaned out by the monsters at the top. http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Query.aspx?show_form=0&form1_rank=M6-M20&form2_rank=K-S&offset=150 We've just gotten used to the sanyaku being in shambles which allowed the joi to put up big scores leading to M1/M2s taking the promotions.

There were 7 guys who were by-the-numbers worse than Takanoiwa who got demoted, which resulted in a 4-3 Ms6 and a 5-2 Ms7 getting promoted. It worked out very nicely because they didn't have to give Takanoiwa a soft demotion anyway, he was safe by the math.

I have most of the same team, given I had just enough intelligence to realize that Terunofuji-Takakeisho-Kiribayama-Kotonowaka-Abi-Kinbozan-Hokuseiho-Asanoyama-Gonoyama-Ochiai are the obvious picks, then proceeded to blow the whole operation by picking Tomokaze.

They're going to promote him with 2 fusens, it's all a conspiracy by the xenophobic JSA

Asanoyama is easily the favorite for the yusho imo and it's a disappointment if he doesn't get it. The gap in opponents that he faces vs Kiribayama/Hoshoryu/Daieisho/Teru is huge.

The JSA might have suspended Asanoyama for a year dropping him into Sandamne, not promoted him back to Maku after his first yusho, and only moved him to M13 after a 13-2 from J1, but they absolutely draw the line at having him lose to Kotoeko.

Is this not how everyone does GTB? Obviously how many ranks you go up or down depends on the rank/records of those around you

I got a 57(I think) while having Asa/Ichi at M9 and scoring like 2 points between M9 and M14E. The top and bottom are easy enough that I think someone probably will get into the low 70s at least with correct Ichi/Asa placements.

I remember that was the basho where some of us thought WTK might make it in with his 7-0 from Ms17. Guess the Ms5 line is more of a strong suggestion while the Ms15 line is absolute.

Assuming you are referring to only sekiwake and komusubi, then yes it is a record for total wins. http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Query_bout.aspx?show_form=0&group_by=basho&rank1=S-K&onlyw1=on Not having any Yokozuna or Ozeki present makes it a lot easier of course.

Ah I thought there were more changes between the two

Well, as long as he thought that he had to win the match to stay up mission accomplished. Definitely possible the torikumi committee thought it was a do or die match for him but the banzuke committee disagreed.

Yeah denying a borderline case in Kawazoe to break decades of precedent to keep up Shimanoumi and Tsushimanada seems rough.

On the topic of Sandamne yusho winners and the Makushita joi, are we to believe...