Trivia bits

[Katooshu 3,088]

That seems like an Oho thing to do. Has nearly all the physical tools, can push, pull, or grapple, but his application of his abilities is so up and down. 

Edited August 19 by Katooshu

[Asashosakari 18,670]

6 hours ago, Katooshu said:

That seems like an Oho thing to do.

Yup, that was exactly my thought when I first noticed it (while making my game picks ahead of Nagoya). 

[hakutorizakura 582]

On 15/08/2024 at 12:49, Naganoyama said:

Honourable mention: Shotenro went 2-13 in September 2009. He beat only one sanyaku+ opponent but it was Hakuho.

Also maybe Arawashi in Haru 2017, 3-10-2 (win vs Harumafuji, fusenpai vs M7 Ichinojo).

[shimodahito 291]

Good day statistic gurus and query fans.
   Last basho down in Sandanme, Inami defeated Tokitenran in their last bout of the basho (day 13).  
   Their next bout was against each other.  Other than a kettei-sen bout... how often do two rikishi face each other in consecutive match?

-shimodahito

[Asashosakari 18,670]

Rikishi born on the same day who ended their careers with the same high rank:

Fukudome & Tamanami - 1945/06/11, Makushita 11
Igarashi & Imamoto - 1955/07/17, Jonokuchi 10
Fukunosato & Kiyomidake - 1961/06/04, Juryo 13
Araya & Sebira - 1967/05/19, Jonokuchi 30

Three rikishi born on the same day who all became sekitori:

1936/01/11 - Atagoyama (M3) & Oikawa (M10) & Wakamiyama (J15) [a fourth rikishi born that day only made it to sandanme]

Other trios/quartets born on the same day who all reached at least makushita (this list may well be incomplete; there are birthdates missing for makushita-high rikishi active as late as 1966):

1941/08/01 - Tamaarashi (M4) & Akihikari (J3) & Naminoshio (Ms58) & Inano (Ms89)
1947/04/25 - Asahikuni (Ozeki) & Naruwaka (Ms32) & Fujinoyama (Ms46)
2003/08/22 - Hakuoho (M9+) & Wakanosho (Ms7+) & Ienoshima (Ms39+)

(Posted in the hope that the active trio will make it to all-sekitori status...)

The DB includes 23 more pairs of rikishi born on the same day who both became sekitori, besides the three already mentioned from 1936, 1941 and 1961:

1890/02/11 - Kotogaura (M1) & Setoyama (J2)
1902/05/04 - Kagamiiwa (Ozeki) & Tochinohana (J2)
1911/01/07 - Kasagiyama (Sekiwake) & Arakoma (J7)
1911/12/08 - Tominishiki (M7) & Ayanishiki (M11)
1914/03/25 - Otogaiwa (M15) & Asake (J3)
1918/01/11 - Ichiwatari (M18) & Sobuyama (J2)
1919/01/10 - Terukuni (Yokozuna) & Tokachiiwa (M1)
1919/05/20 - Orochigata (M1) & Oiwazan (M9)
1927/01/07 - Horyu (J5) & Kurodayama (J14)
1929/07/01 - Yasome (M16) & Kamanishiki (J18)
1934/07/27 - Tokitsunami (J4) & Asanishiki (J12)
1940/01/01 - Wakatenryu (M1) & Arakawa (J8)
1941/03/01 - Wakanami (Komusubi) & Tochitada (J9)
1941/08/13 - Makimoto (M12) & Aonoumi (J6)
1951/05/13 - Dewanohana (Sekiwake) & Kurosegawa (Komusubi)
1955/08/14 - Shishiho (M2) & Konuma (M9)
1960/12/06 - Hananoumi (Komusubi) & Kototsubaki (M3)
1967/09/15 - Komafudo (M13) & Daikiko (M15) [a third rikishi born that day didn't go beyond jonokuchi]
1973/08/18 - Gojoro (M3) & Kobo (M9) [a third rikishi born that day didn't go beyond jonidan]
1974/09/13 - Kyokutenho (Sekiwake) & Dewataira (J4)
1984/11/05 - Baruto (Ozeki) & Higonojo (J9) [amusingly, Higonojo's juryo debut came on the heels of Baruto's intai]
1984/11/16 - Tamawashi (Sekiwake+) & Toyohibiki (M2)
1997/05/13 - Takagenji (M10) & Takanofuji (J5) [twins]

BTW, besides Hakuoho et al. there's another currently active trio, born on 2004/12/19 - Higonomaru & Tsuru & Mabuchi.

[Yubinhaad 11,506]

15 hours ago, shimodahito said:

Good day statistic gurus and query fans.
   Last basho down in Sandanme, Inami defeated Tokitenran in their last bout of the basho (day 13).  
   Their next bout was against each other.  Other than a kettei-sen bout... how often do two rikishi face each other in consecutive match?

-shimodahito

I knew I'd seen that question and an answer before, and after scrolling back 27 pages I found them. Updating Asashosakari's query shows that your find was one of three such cases in this basho, following Higonoryu-Koga and Shimanishiki-Hayashiryu earlier on Day 2.

[Asashosakari 18,670]

1 hour ago, Yubinhaad said:

I knew I'd seen that question and an answer before, and after scrolling back 27 pages I found them.

Interesting, I had no recollection of ever doing this before.  I'd already started writing a more comprehensive answer, so might as well...

13 hours ago, shimodahito said:

Good day statistic gurus and query fans.
   Last basho down in Sandanme, Inami defeated Tokitenran in their last bout of the basho (day 13).  
   Their next bout was against each other.  Other than a kettei-sen bout... how often do two rikishi face each other in consecutive match?

In makuuchi and juryo it's not particularly rare. I only checked back to 2012, but that alone turned up 74 matches, so about one per basho on average. The current tournament is actually the one with the most such pairings during those 13 years, with five repeats from the final day of Nagoya.

I can't really think of an elegant way to query that large-scale for the lower divisions*, so the best way without direct database access is probably to do it one basho at a time (which is indeed basically the same query I did two and a half years ago). Inami-Tokitenran was one of three repeats this basho, alongside Hayashiryu-Shimanishiki and Higonoryu-Koga. That was apparently high as well; I went back to the start of 2022 and the most common amount of lower-division repeat matches was one per basho, with occasional zeros or twos. [One thing I've consciously avoided is looking for matches that involved a mix of juryo and makushita ranks because that gets convoluted as hell, so there might be a few I've missed.]

I tried to see if there was any precedent for Inami-Tokitenran specifically, i.e. a 6-0 match being repeated at the start of the next basho, and at least back to 2012 I couldn't find another one. (I did randomly run into the opposite, an 0-6 match being repeated, but that has probably happened a few more times.) I have an idea for a different approach to re-check back to 1989, but I'm not sure how much time that's going to take.

* The sekitori check wasn't elegant either, but only involved a few thousand matches so that was easy to transfer to a spreadsheet.

[Asashosakari 18,670]

A random by-product of the research for the preceding post was the discovery of a unique pairing that I think has never been mentioned on the forum before.
 

Back on Day 13 of Kyushu 2012, sandanme stalwart and occasional makushita visitor Hitachigo and too-soon retired prospect Takageppo met in (appropriately enough) sandanme with a zensho score on the line:

2012.11

13

Sd17e

Takageppo

7-0

oshidashi

Sd41e

Hitachigo

6-1

Eight tournaments later, they faced off again on Day 13, this time in makushita, but...winless:

2014.03

13

Ms56e

Takageppo

1-6

oshidashi

Ms34w

Hitachigo

0-7

(query for their full head-to-head history)

At least back to 1989, the period for which we have full lower division match data, this matchup is the only one to have occurred both at 6-0 and at 0-6.

[shimodahito 291]

that is a deep find!!!!  super thanks to Yubinhaad & Asashosakari!!!

[Gurowake 3,886]

On 29/12/2019 at 11:06, Asashosakari said:

I'd say the upcoming basho is special already simply for having four ex-ozeki active anywhere, even if it's not makuuchi.

And 5 years later, there are now six former Ozeki active (for now): Kirishima, Takakeisho, Mitakeumi, Shodai, Takayasu, and Asanoyama.  Given the history in this thread, this certainly appears to be a new record.

On 18/05/2024 at 21:16, Gurowake said:

The count of rikishi with high rank Ozeki on the banzuke ranked below Ozeki will be back up to 5 next basho assuming no retirements - once again there's Takayasu, Mitakeumi, Shodai, and Asanoyama, and now we have Kirishima replacing the retired Tochinoshin.

 

Edited 17 hours ago by Gurowake