Promotion/Demotion and Yusho discussion Nagoya 2014

[Akinomaki 39,798]

I hear talk of Endo getting to Komusubi,

To mention one slightly unrelated (to this thread) article about this: At the YDC Kitanoumi-rijicho commented that Endo with a sumo like this time will some day make it to komusubi, but it's not clear if further.

YDC chief Uchiyama: he shouldn't lose his head over all the hype and repeat and repeat keiko.

http://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2014/07/28/kiji/K20140728008647830.html

[Asashosakari 18,786]

A quick attempt at the next makushita-joi:

Tochihiryu (J14w 7-8) Ms1 Tenkaiho (J10w 5-10)

Iwasaki (Ms9e 6-1) Ms2 Dewahayate (Ms4w 4-3)

Kotoeko (Ms5e 4-3) Ms3 Tatsu (Ms7e 5-2)

Kawabata (Ms6e 4-3) Ms4 Horyuyama (Ms1w 3-4)

Higonojo (Ms2e 3-4) Ms5 Rikishin (Ms50e 7-0 Y)

Ishiura (Ms11e 5-2) Ms6 Wakanoshima (J13e 4-11)

Horikiri (Ms11w 5-2) Ms7 Kizenryu (J14e 4-11)

Onosho (Ms10e 4-3) Ms8 Masunoumi (Ms21e 6-1)

Takatoshi (Ms22w 6-1) Ms9 Yamatofuji (Ms16w 5-2)

Musashiumi (Ms5w 3-4) Ms10 Keitenkai (Ms13e 4-3)

Daishoiwa (Ms14e 4-3) Ms11 Sensho (Ms19e 5-2)

Kotomisen (Ms15e 4-3) Ms12 Sagatsukasa (Ms3w 2-6)

Kawanari (Ms7w 3-4) Ms13 Ryuonami (Ms32w 6-1)

Terutsuyoshi (Ms22e 5-2) Ms14 Chiyoshoma (Ms8e 3-4)

Kisenoyama (Ms8w 3-4) Ms15 Kotokobai (Ms18e 4-3)

Lots of rikishi with very similar claims, especially the Ms4-Ms7 area could end up completely different from that.

[botev1921 33]

Can a higher ranked maegashira with a make-koshi be promoted to sanyaku over a lower ranked maegashire with a kachi-koshi?

Specifically, I'm talking about Osunaarashi vs. Endo. I hear talk of Endo getting to Komusubi, but at M5, he had a pretty easy schedule, never going against any Sekiwake, Ozeki or Yokozuna. I would consider Osunaarashi's 7-8 performance (with 2 wins versus yokozuna, and bouts vs. higher sanyaku) more impressive than Endo's 8-7 performance (never facing any higher sanyaku).

May I ask where did you hear talk of Endo getting to Komusubi with 8-7 from M5 when there is a 9-6 rikishi from M4 and 11-4 rikishi from M6? This is sumo and not a popularity contest and Endo was patheric in his losses this last basho, surely not worthy of promotion and obviously not ready to handle all the hype. The guy is at least five basho away from being what some are so hastily proclaiming him to be in merely his 9th basho!

[shumitto 418]

May I ask where did you hear talk of Endo getting to Komusubi with 8-7 from M5 (...)

The talk was about Endo having the potential to become komusubi, not that that would happen now or at all. Kitanoumi said that based on the latest performances Endo can go as far as komusubi, but further than that he does not know.

[Gurowake 3,922]

A quick attempt at the next makushita-joi:

Tochihiryu (J14w 7-8) Ms1 Tenkaiho (J10w 5-10)

Iwasaki (Ms9e 6-1) Ms2 Dewahayate (Ms4w 4-3)

Kotoeko (Ms5e 4-3) Ms3 Tatsu (Ms7e 5-2)

Kawabata (Ms6e 4-3) Ms4 Horyuyama (Ms1w 3-4)

Higonojo (Ms2e 3-4) Ms5 Rikishin (Ms50e 7-0 Y)

Ishiura (Ms11e 5-2) Ms6 Wakanoshima (J13e 4-11)

Horikiri (Ms11w 5-2) Ms7 Kizenryu (J14e 4-11)

Onosho (Ms10e 4-3) Ms8 Masunoumi (Ms21e 6-1)

Takatoshi (Ms22w 6-1) Ms9 Yamatofuji (Ms16w 5-2)

Musashiumi (Ms5w 3-4) Ms10 Keitenkai (Ms13e 4-3)

Daishoiwa (Ms14e 4-3) Ms11 Sensho (Ms19e 5-2)

Kotomisen (Ms15e 4-3) Ms12 Sagatsukasa (Ms3w 2-6)

Kawanari (Ms7w 3-4) Ms13 Ryuonami (Ms32w 6-1)

Terutsuyoshi (Ms22e 5-2) Ms14 Chiyoshoma (Ms8e 3-4)

Kisenoyama (Ms8w 3-4) Ms15 Kotokobai (Ms18e 4-3)

Lots of rikishi with very similar claims, especially the Ms4-Ms7 area could end up completely different from that.

Now I know for sure that the data I gathered that had taken the entirety of the 6-basho era lower division movements into consideration is not relevant at all to contemporary policy. It took me a bit to realize who you had extra that I didn't as I had Gochozan at ms15w; I had dropped Sagatsukasa far more than you did and indeed out of the list covered. Taking only data points from 2001 forward, that movement makes far more sense; after trying out other nearby data points, I was off by 1-2 ranks in each sampled spot, and they all show lesser movement than the data for the larger time period. This is consistent with my previous observation about my samples regarding promotions into Juryo and means I basically need to throw it all out and start over. (Not that I particularly care; it gives me another thing to do interbasho)

[Kintamayama 44,354]

Can a higher ranked maegashira with a make-koshi be promoted to sanyaku over a lower ranked maegashire with a kachi-koshi?

Specifically, I'm talking about Osunaarashi vs. Endo. I hear talk of Endo getting to Komusubi, but at M5, he had a pretty easy schedule, never going against any Sekiwake, Ozeki or Yokozuna. I would consider Osunaarashi's 7-8 performance (with 2 wins versus yokozuna, and bouts vs. higher sanyaku) more impressive than Endo's 8-7 performance (never facing any higher sanyaku).

May I ask where did you hear talk of Endo getting to Komusubi with 8-7 from M5 when there is a 9-6 rikishi from M4 and 11-4 rikishi from M6? This is sumo and not a popularity contest and Endo was patheric in his losses this last basho, surely not worthy of promotion and obviously not ready to handle all the hype. The guy is at least five basho away from being what some are so hastily proclaiming him to be in merely his 9th basho!

First of all, the two you mentioned will be Sekiwake. You do know that all Sekiwake -Komusubi ranks are empty now, right? That being said, the other M6 Terunofuji (9-6) and M7 Joukouryuu (10-5) will probably be the Komusubi. Endou will endou up at M1.

Edited July 30, 2014 by Kintamayama

[Kintamayama 44,354]

Have there been cases where a makekoshi rikishi was "promoted" from west to east at his rank ?

Only found one example in the database (for makuuchi and juryo): Tochihikari got a 7-8 make-koshi as M1w in Nagoya 1960 and was promoted to M1e for the Aki basho. But I don't know the circumstances.

And of course, during the 2011 purge when Takamisakari got promoted from M15 to M14 with a 7-8 and Kimurayama (the" lucky one"..) also went from 17E to 15W with a 7-8. But that was during the purge.

[Asashosakari 18,786]

It took me a bit to realize who you had extra that I didn't as I had Gochozan at ms15w; I had dropped Sagatsukasa far more than you did and indeed out of the list covered.

Their treatment of high-ranked 2-5's was very iffy for a long time, until they seemed to see the light a few years ago. (It's just insane to do e.g. Ms3e 3-4 -> Ms7e, Ms3w 2-5 -> Ms18e.) On the other hand, in the last year or so they've started dropping 1-6's much harder than before, though who knows how long that's going to last - sometimes their "standards" appear to change back and forth from one banzuke to the next.

Anyway, don't take anything I write about makushita-and-under movements as gospel. :-) There's a lot of scope to get things wrong here, for anyone.

My biggest issue in the draft above was where to put Rikishin; my first instinct was to put him at Ms7w because things are so crowded, but that's clearly at odds with their normal policy. Actually I feel that all low-ranked makushita 7-0's (and also all sandanme 7-0's) are getting promoted far too much, but that's just one of those things one has to accept. IMHO Ms60 7-0 -> Ms15 would be good enough, and no sandanme 7-0 should go into the top 15 Ms ranks at all. (Instead, 7-0 from Sd25 and up nearly guarantees a top 15 rank.)

Edited July 30, 2014 by Asashosakari

[Lost ballet fan 29]

Maybe a bit of a side track, but just looking at those projected top Makushita ranks, these are all pretty decent guys, aren't they? Is it just me or has the overall quality of the Banzuke risen quite a bit recently? I'm also surprised how much former solid Makuuchi wrestlers like Daido or Fujiazuma or most recently, Single Masu struggle in Juryo, not to mention Takanoyama, Sagatsukasa and so on. On the other hand, the ease with which Tochinoshin comes back up or the performance of Sokokurai would contradict this to some extent. Most of you have been following this a lot longer than I have - what's your take on it?

[Asojima 2,870]

Maybe a bit of a side track, but just looking at those projected top Makushita ranks, these are all pretty decent guys, aren't they? Is it just me or has the overall quality of the Banzuke risen quite a bit recently? I'm also surprised how much former solid Makuuchi wrestlers like Daido or Fujiazuma or most recently, Single Masu struggle in Juryo, not to mention Takanoyama, Sagatsukasa and so on. On the other hand, the ease with which Tochinoshin comes back up or the performance of Sokokurai would contradict this to some extent. Most of you have been following this a lot longer than I have - what's your take on it?

With the exception of Tochinoshin and Sokokurai, most of these rikishi have a long record as makuuchi bottom feeders/mid Juryo hangouts. Tochinoshin was a longtime meatgrinder participant and is simply working his way back to normal following a long layoff for surgery. Sokokurai was a rising star until he was suspended for invalid yaocho allegations at M14. He has been regaining his former skills, but appears to be destined for a mid-maegashira plateau.

[shumitto 418]

Maybe a bit of a side track, but just looking at those projected top Makushita ranks, these are all pretty decent guys, aren't they? Is it just me or has the overall quality of the Banzuke risen quite a bit recently? I'm also surprised how much former solid Makuuchi wrestlers like Daido or Fujiazuma or most recently, Single Masu struggle in Juryo, not to mention Takanoyama, Sagatsukasa and so on. On the other hand, the ease with which Tochinoshin comes back up or the performance of Sokokurai would contradict this to some extent. Most of you have been following this a lot longer than I have - what's your take on it?

Daido got injured somehow and lost some pace, the same with Fujiazuma but in this case there is a chance he will come back for he is younger. Sokokurai is performing more or less as was expected when he was forced to quit. Takanoyama and Sagatsukasa aged and that for speed-based rikishi means almost certainly the end.

[Asashosakari 18,786]

Maybe a bit of a side track, but just looking at those projected top Makushita ranks, these are all pretty decent guys, aren't they? Is it just me or has the overall quality of the Banzuke risen quite a bit recently?

I'll start out by mentioning something that might not be immediately apparent to everyone - nearly every rikishi at the top of makushita is either a former or a future sekitori. For instance, take the makushita rankings from 5 years ago*: 22 of the top 24 rikishi have held a sekitori rank at some point in their careers (9 already before that basho and 13 at a later date). So in a way the top makushita ranks are always pretty full of decent rikishi, although often that only becomes obvious in hindsight.

With that out of the way: I think part of what we're seeing is also that the crowd that profited from the great yaocho purge three years ago is now reaching their sell-by date. Takanoyama, Daido, Tenkaiho, Yoshiazuma, Sagatsukasa, all guys who weren't especially young in 2011 and who received a second lease on their sumo life after those 15-ish sekitori spots were opened up suddenly. But by now a new wave of younger talents has arrived and it's slowly but surely pushing those rikishi out again.

* In that extended banzuke view, "High" is the rikishi's highest rank until that tournament (Nagoya 2009), and "Career" is his highest rank at any date (either before or after).

Edited July 30, 2014 by Asashosakari

[shumitto 418]

But by now a new wave of younger talents has arrived and it's slowly but surely pushing those rikishi out again.

I don't know if I agree totally with that. The ones without skills to survive in the paid ranks (Hishofuji, Hitenryu, Kaonishiki) got sorted out pretty quickly by those kept at bay by the yaocho-group; The struggling veterans you've mentioned have their own shortcomings to blame more than anything else.

[Asashosakari 18,786]

I don't know if I agree totally with that. The ones without skills to survive in the paid ranks (Hishofuji, Hitenryu, Kaonishiki) got sorted out pretty quickly by those kept at bay by the yaocho-group; The struggling veterans you've mentioned have their own shortcomings to blame more than anything else.

Sure, I'm just saying that now, three years on, is the time that those shortcomings have become relevant enough (through both personal decline and pressure from new guys) for many of them.

As for the three you mentioned - Hitenryu was obviously way out of his depth, Hishofuji was too green and then got injured to boot, and Kaonishiki was older than dirt anyway (and got injured, too). If anything, those guys were the outliers among those who profited from the purge, while the "mainstream" is even bigger than the five guys I mentioned: also Oiwato, Nionoumi and Sotairyu, arguably Satoyama as well. Sotairyu looks like the only one who'll be getting more than 2-3 years out of it, and even he wouldn't surprise me if he suddenly cratered in the next 12 months. Anyway, I don't think it's a coincidence that so many "mature" rikishi who only (re-)established themselves as sekitori in 2011 are also dropping again at very similar times.

[Gurowake 3,922]

Anyway, don't take anything I write about makushita-and-under movements as gospel. :-) There's a lot of scope to get things wrong here, for anyone.

I'm not, it's just that your proposed banzuke segment differed so bizarrely from mine that I needed to take a look at my fundamental assumptions and found that they were mistaken with regard to the last 15 years or so.

Overpromotion of 7-0s is possibly due to the need to do so for new rikishi who have yet to be settled on the banzuke along with a desire to not treat rikishi differently based on their long-term career path. While it feels a bit extreme from just how far down they're willing to throw people up into the top echelons of sub-sekitori, it makes sense to do so with those that were in the "top bracket" of 128, or notionally down to sd4 (it would get less straightforward if the basho started with an odd number of sekitori, but it's still about the same). I agree it makes little sense to provide that much of a movement for those that ended up at the top of the second bracket of 128 and were constantly fighting people ranked lower than them on the later days.

[shumitto 418]

As for the three you mentioned - Hitenryu was obviously way out of his depth, Hishofuji was too green and then got injured to boot, and Kaonishiki was older than dirt anyway (and got injured, too).(...)

I remember a discussion from some three years ago about that.

http://www.sumoforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=28044

Sotairyu and Arawashi clearly exceeded my expectations; as to the others, we were generally right.

Some time later I asked whether Takanoyama's presence as a sekitori owed to an overall decline in quality of the surroundings, but I can't find it now.

Nionoumi debuted before that purge and my opinion is that if it were not for that bad injury he would still be there - or at least have the quality to be a decent juryo rikishi.

Edited July 31, 2014 by shumitto

[HenryK 38]

Can a higher ranked maegashira with a make-koshi be promoted to sanyaku over a lower ranked maegashire with a kachi-koshi?

Specifically, I'm talking about Osunaarashi vs. Endo. I hear talk of Endo getting to Komusubi, but at M5, he had a pretty easy schedule, never going against any Sekiwake, Ozeki or Yokozuna. I would consider Osunaarashi's 7-8 performance (with 2 wins versus yokozuna, and bouts vs. higher sanyaku) more impressive than Endo's 8-7 performance (never facing any higher sanyaku).

No, a make-koshi maegashira will never get a promotion to higher than his current rank, much less to sanyaku. The best a make-koshi rikishi can hope for is to keep his current rank which happens very rarely and needs special luck.

Importantly, the banzuke-makers do not really aim for a "fair" ranking that would accurately reflect the rikishi's relative strenghts. If so, the chance of any rikishi for KK would be about 50 percent, independent of how he arrived at this current rank. But in the past 10 years a rikishi ranked M1-16 who madet KK had only about a 30 percent likelihood to repeate this feat in the next basho.

Meaning: banzuke setting tends to over-promote (and over-demote). This generates movement in the banzuke, ensures that the lower sanyaku and higher maegashira ranks get passed around - exposing Yokozuna and Ozeki to many different opponents - and generates interest. It also allows bright talents to rise through the ranks relatively rapidly.

[Asashosakari 18,786]

Meaning: banzuke setting tends to over-promote (and over-demote).

I agree in general, but that's not necessarily a function of the banzuke-making itself. It's just as possible that many rikishi over- or under-perform compared to their "true" strength, and the (over-)promotion/demotion that follows is fair based on the actual result, but excessive based on the expected result.

If so, the chance of any rikishi for KK would be about 50 percent, independent of how he arrived at this current rank.

Even with hypothetically "fair" rankings, this wouldn't be quite true since the bout scheduling itself works against it - at least the scheduling as practiced by the Kyokai. As e.g. a M11 and a M16 are receiving practically the same set of opponents, a fairly-ranked M11 would have a much greater likelihood of KK than a fairly-ranked M16.

In fact, breaking the banzuke into mostly-separate divisions is the single biggest cause of creating up and down movement among the rikishi - just compare the schedule of the lowest-ranked maegashira to that of the highest-ranked juryo.

[kuroimori 1,634]

A quick attempt at the next makushita-joi:

Tochihiryu (J14w 7-8) Ms1 Tenkaiho (J10w 5-10)

Iwasaki (Ms9e 6-1) Ms2 Dewahayate (Ms4w 4-3)

Kotoeko (Ms5e 4-3) Ms3 Tatsu (Ms7e 5-2)

Kawabata (Ms6e 4-3) Ms4 Horyuyama (Ms1w 3-4)

Higonojo (Ms2e 3-4) Ms5 Rikishin (Ms50e 7-0 Y)

Ishiura (Ms11e 5-2) Ms6 Wakanoshima (J13e 4-11)

Horikiri (Ms11w 5-2) Ms7 Kizenryu (J14e 4-11)

Onosho (Ms10e 4-3) Ms8 Masunoumi (Ms21e 6-1)

Takatoshi (Ms22w 6-1) Ms9 Yamatofuji (Ms16w 5-2)

Musashiumi (Ms5w 3-4) Ms10 Keitenkai (Ms13e 4-3)

Daishoiwa (Ms14e 4-3) Ms11 Sensho (Ms19e 5-2)

Kotomisen (Ms15e 4-3) Ms12 Sagatsukasa (Ms3w 2-6)

Kawanari (Ms7w 3-4) Ms13 Ryuonami (Ms32w 6-1)

Terutsuyoshi (Ms22e 5-2) Ms14 Chiyoshoma (Ms8e 3-4)

Kisenoyama (Ms8w 3-4) Ms15 Kotokobai (Ms18e 4-3)

Lots of rikishi with very similar claims, especially the Ms4-Ms7 area could end up completely different from that.

Seems like the infamous IBB* syndrom (*inter basho boredom) is getting stronger all the time.

So I thought why not join the fun and submit my own feeble attempt at the coming makushita jo'i banzuke.

(maybe this will become a sort of "Shadow-GTB...? or maybe for Juryo?)

Tenkaiho (J10w 5-10) Ms1 Tochihiryu (J14w 7-8)

Iwasaki (Ms9e 6-1) Ms2 Tatsu (Ms7e 5-2)

Dewahayate (Ms4w 4-3) Ms3 Kotoeko (Ms5e 4-3)

Kawabata (Ms6e 4-3) Ms4 Ishiura (Ms11e 5-2)

Horikiri (Ms11w 5-2) Ms5 Rikishin (Ms50e 7-0 Y)

Horyuyama (Ms1w 3-4) Ms6 Wakanoshima (J13e 4-11)

Higonojo (Ms2e 3-4) Ms7 Kizenryu (J14e 4-11)

Onosho (Ms10e 4-3) Ms8 Masunoumi (Ms21e 6-1)

Yamatofuji (Ms16w 5-2) Ms9 Takatoshi (Ms22w 6-1)

Keitenkai (Ms13e 4-3) Ms10 Musashiumi (Ms5w 3-4)

Daishoiwa (Ms14e 4-3) Ms11 Sensho (Ms19e 5-2)

Kotomisen (Ms15e 4-3) Ms12 Kawanari (Ms7w 3-4)

Chiyoshoma (Ms8e 3-4) Ms13 Kisenoyama (Ms8w 3-4)

Sagatsukasa (Ms3w 2-6) Ms14 Terutsuyoshi (Ms22e 5-2)

Kotokobai (Ms18e 4-3) Ms15 Ryuonami (Ms32w 6-1)

[kuroimori 1,634]

While fiddling around with the positioning on the next banzuke, I realized that while working out solutions for Makuuchi is working out rather smoothly with the typical half-rank shuffle riddles, Juryo and especially upper ranks there is a real nightmare.

I am really curious how the banzuke committes solved this congested area, either way some rikishi will be really happy while some others will be extremely pissed.

[Gurowake 3,922]

I've been giving some time during the IBB period to try to better understand the non-sekitori banzuke making myself. After analyzing places where they inserted people with different records between two people with the same record that were one step in rank apart previously, all I can say is that there appears to not be any simple procedure they follow.

2014.04 ms38e; 3-4 ms29e; 4-3 ms45e; 3-4 ms30w; 4-3 ms46e; 2-5 ms22w; 3-4 ms31w;

2013.12 ms39e; 3-4 ms29e; 4-3 ms45e; 4-3 ms46e; 4-3 ms47e; 3-4 ms30e;

Basho month is given as period between bashos, rank the first rank given, then the following records at positions directly after them. Here we see one basho that 4-3 from ms46e is better than 3-4 from ms30e, but another basho the same result is worse than 3-4 from ms30w. (There's more information there as I was tracking far more possibilties looking for patterns.) There's one of two general possibilities, which may both be true: (1) while they never promote people past those with identical records on a single banzuke, they may take into account strength of schedule when positioning similar rikishi of different records as well as overall placement and/or (2) the movement up is not rigidly correlated with the movement down for a given place on the banzuke; that is, one basho around the ms40 area you might see 4-3 from ms46 interspersed with 3-4 from ms30, but another time you might see 4-3 from ms45 interspersed with 3-4 from ms31 despite that not being consistent in relative placing of ranks between basho.

[Asashosakari 18,786]

Yeah, consistency from one basho to another is basically non-existent at the micro level down below juryo. My long-standing suspicion remains that not all 23 committee members are working on the lower division rankings, but only a subset of them, perhaps with separate sets of oyakata each handling one part of the banzuke. If so, that could mean it's not always the same guys who are doing e.g. the makushita division.

(Specifically, I wouldn't be surprised if it's: 1 shimpan chief + 6 or 7 regular oyakata for each of makushita, sandanme and jonidan/jonokuchi.)

In any case, even consistency within one division on one banzuke can't be expected. One complete head-scratcher from the Nagoya banzuke:

Ms23w 4-3 -> Ms20e

Ms30w 5-2 -> Ms19w

Ms27e 4-3 -> Ms23e

Ms34e 5-2 -> Ms23w

Ms31w 4-3 -> Ms24w

Ms33e 4-3 -> Ms25w

Ms38e 5-2 -> Ms26w (!)

Ms37w 4-3 -> Ms31e

Ms47e 5-2 -> Ms30w

There was a hole in the banzuke after Ms24e, so the subsequent promotions were all much larger than before - except the promotion for the Ms38e 5-2, for reasons unfathomable.

[Asashosakari 18,786]

For what it's worth, here's my juryo guess:

Tokushoryu (M10e 4-11) J1 Kagamio (M14e 6-9)

Amuru (J6e 10-5) J2 Homarefuji (J4w 9-6)

Tosayutaka (J8w 11-4) J3 Shotenro (J4e 8-7)

Sotairyu (J1e 7-8) J4 Gagamaru (M15e 5-10)

Kotoyuki (J5w 8-7) J5 Wakanosato (M16e 5-10)

Tamaasuka (J2w 6-9) J6 Fujiazuma (J9w 8-7)

Masunoyama (J2e 5-10) J7 Asasekiryu (J6w 7-8)

Tokushinho (J7e 7-8) J8 Chiyoo (J7w 7-8)

Daieisho (J12w 8-7) J9 Sakigake (Ms1e 6-1)

Satoyama (J9e 7-8) J10 Seiro (J5e 5-10)

Asahisho (J8e 6-9) J11 Yoshiazuma (Ms2w 5-2)

Kitaharima (Ms4e 5-2) J12 Daido (J10e 6-9)

Wakakoyu (Ms3e 4-3) J13 Akiseyama (J11e 6-9)

Kyokutaisei (J13w 7-8) J14 Chiyonokuni (J11w 6-9)

Tough luck for basically everyone in the top 5 ranks, though Sotairyu is arguably the worst off - the senshuraku loss might well have cost him 6+ ranks.

[CT3* 331]

In January 2013 my friends and I were taking pictures a few blocks away from the Kokugikan and Sotairyu and his tsukebito came walking toward us. I kept taking pictures and he gave us a look that we read as "get the hell out of my way". And we did!

Other than that, he didn't acknowledge our presence and never broke stride. I immediately became a fan. :-P

[Gurowake 3,922]

My juryo "guess" is practically the same, with only 5 one-step switches: Kotoyuki-Gagamaru, and e/w switch for J1, J9, J12, J14.

I don't have a clue what monospaced font you use nor would I have an idea how to easily get all the spaces correct other than fiddling, but I can make tables real easy-like now.

Tenkaiho	Ms1	Tochihiryu
Iwasaki	Ms2	Dewahayate
Kotoeko	Ms3	Tatsu
Kawabata	Ms4	Horyuyama
Rikishin	Ms5	Ishiura
Higonojo	Ms6	Wakanoshima
Horikiri	Ms7	Kizenryu
Onosho	Ms8	Masunoumi
Takatoshi	Ms9	Keitenkai
Yamatofuji	Ms10	Musashiumi
Daishoiwa	Ms11	Kotomisen
Sensho	Ms12	Kawanari
Sagatsukasa	Ms13	Terutsuyoshi
Ryuonami	Ms14	Chiyoshoma
Kotokobai	Ms15	Kisenoyama