Seki-Toto (play): The run of unexpected yusho winners continued for a fourth tournament; this time the championship was earned by recently returned veteran player Chijanofuji - and with a nowadays rare 14-1 record, to boot, two wins clear of runner-up Fujisan and three+ of anybody else. One of the multitude of 11-4 scores was posted by Norizo to mark the yokozuna's first strong result in a year. Order did get restored as far as the divisional alignment of the results is concerned, with the top division averaging 7.9 wins, well ahead of juryo and makushita. The KK/MK split up there ended up as only 22/20 anyway, however, with the most popular records being, strangely enough, 11-4 (8 times) and 6-9 (9 times). In an unusual occurrence, all 70 players ranked in makuuchi and juryo were active for the basho. ScreechingOwl had another of those many 11-win records, but it's hard to consider that the start of a tsuna run, being three wins off the winner and not even jun-yusho. Gurowake went 8-7 again, while Susanoo takes a seat on the kadoban carousel for Hatsu basho. Three of the four sekiwake had respectable KK results, but unfortunately the best W-L was posted by the one who was furthest away from ozeki consideration (Kaiomitsuki with 18 wins from Nagoya and Aki), so no promotions here once again. The best-placed contender was Unkonoyama with 21 (albeit starting from M6), but he scored worst here with a 7-8 makekoshi. It's going to be very crowded at the third-highest rank for Hatsu after no less than three komusubi posted double-digit wins to force promotion, which has also caused DeRosa to be stuck at komusubi with a rank/record combo that would ordinarily mean direct promotion from maegashira to sekiwake, and Konosato to miss out on sanyaku altogether with an eminently promotable record. Sorry about that, but I really am trying to stick to a maximum of 12 sanyaku spots unless more is absolutely unavoidable. The top ozeki contenders for Hatsu by the numbers are now Fujisan and Flohru, both with 21 wins from their last two appearances. Overall this was a very typical Toto banzuke with small promotions / large demotions in upper makuuchi, and the inverse further down (starting from M8 this time). No pockets of really huge luck either way though, and it was still possible to demote 7-8's as far down as J12, so this thing is one of the more normal-looking banzuke we've had of late. Norizo (Ye 11-4)             Y    -
ScreechingOwl (O1w 11-4)     O1   Gurowake (O2w 8-7)
-                            O2   Susanoo (O1e 7-8)
Kaiomitsuki (S2e 11-4)       S1   Pandaazuma (S1e 9-6)
Fujisan (K2w 12-3)           S2   Flohru (K1e 11-4)
Ganzohnesushi (S2w 9-6)      S3   Andoreasu (K1w 10-4-1)
DeRosa (M2w 11-4)            K    Taka (M2e 10-5) Konosato (M3w 10-5)          M1   Unkonoyama (S1w 7-8)
Andonishiki (M6w 10-3-2)     M2   Kitakachiyama (M4e 8-7)
Asashosakari (M4w 8-7)       M3   Sebunshu (M1e 7-8)
Toonoryu (K2e 6-9)           M4   Tainosen (M5w 8-7)
Herritarooo (M12e 11-4)      M5   Damimonay (M3e 7-8)
Umigame (M13w 11-4)          M6   Terarno (M10w 9-6)
Jakusotsu (M15e 11-4)        M7   Kuroimori (M1w 5-10)
Bill (M5e 6-9)               M8   Kaiowaka (M6e 6-9)
Profomisakari (M12w 8-7)     M9   Fukurou (M7e 6-9)
Choshu-yuki (M7w 6-9)        M10  Chisaiyama (M14e 8-7)
Gaijingai (M8e 6-9)          M11  Kintamayama (M8w 6-9)
Chijanofuji (J11e 14-1 Y)    M12  Hakajusakari (M11e 7-7-1)
GONZABUROW (M11w 7-8)        M13  Gawasukotto (M10e 6-5-4)
Metzinowaka (M9e 5-10)       M14  Frinkanohana (J3w 9-6)
Anjoboshi (M9w 5-9-1)        M15  Ahokaina (J6w 9-5-1) Saruyama (J4w 8-4-3)         J1   Onakaderu (J5w 8-7)
Mmikasazuma (J1w 7-8)        J2   Chankoyama (M15w 6-9)
Gaanaa (J10e 10-5)           J3   Feginowaka (J8w 9-6)
Suwihuto (J8e 8-6-1)         J4   Andrasoyamawaka (J2e 6-9)
Ketsukai (J9e 8-7)           J5   Takanorappa (M13e 3-12)
Getayukata (J12w 9-5-1)      J6   Kotononami (M14w 3-12)
Hana-ichi (J3e 5-10)         J7   Holleshoryu (J11w 8-7)
Neko (J7w 7-7-1)             J8   Mariohana (Ms2e 10-5)
Benihana (J14w 9-5-1)        J9   Gernobono (J7e 6-9)
Kitsune (J9w 7-7-1)          J10  Sherlockiama (J4e 4-8-3)
Sakura (Ms2w 9-6)            J11  Sukubidubidu (J2w 3-5-7)
Chishafuwaku (J6e 4-11)      J12  Nantonoyama (J12e 7-8)
Haidouzo (J5e 3-12)          J13  Iepii (J1e 1-2-12)
Rowitoro (J10w 4-10-1)       J14  Ulishimaru (Ms1e 6-9) Achiyama (J14e 5-10)         Ms1  Kumojin (Ms3e 6-7-2)
Tenshinhan (J13w 4-10-1)     Ms2  Aderechelseamaru (NR 5-6-4)
Dan Koloff (Ms3w 3-11-1)     Ms3  Mukanibaru (Ms4e 3-0-12)
Takayumi (J13e 0-1-14)       Ms4  Konizan (Ms1w 1-10-4)
Hokuromitsu (Ms4w 2-2-11)    Ms5  Takashidodo (Ms5w kosho)
Jejima (Ms5e 2-13)           Ms6  Kitanoumi II (Ms6w 0-0-15)
Tsuchinoninjin (Ms7e 0-0-15) Ms7  -