Ichinojo 2019 - will this be his year?

[Jejima 1,314]

In Nov/Dec 2014, two-thirds of the people doing this poll thought that Ichinojo would be an Ozeki by January 2016....

Will he do it in 2019?

Please include your predictions in the comments below, and state what you think the actual rank of Ichinojo will be on the January 2020 banzuke.

Previous polls....

2018
2017
2016
2015

[MumboJumbo 34]

S1W. Stays near the top. Best record 9-6.

[WAKATAKE 2,631]

K1E, he'll have a surprise 12-3 in one of his four KK where then everybody will assume he's back on a run.

[chishafuwaku 469]

If it gets skinny below 200Kg my answers turn out to be Ozeki / 6 / 13-2 

[Shinrei 47]

West M2

[orandashoho 720]

Sekiwake. He'll be sent tumbling but come back up again. This year we've seen him progress from a lethargic mountain ("come and move me if you dare") to an attacking mountain. The glimpses of his potential are scary. He'll become more confident tapping that potential, but he may still have a bad basho or two stopping an Ozeki run.

[Rocks 1,807]

I still think he will make it one of these days so I picked Ozeki. I don't think he will have more than 1 MK this year. He seems to have gotten more consistent. I picked his best record as 13-2 as I still think he will win a yusho.

[Morty 1,480]

I suspect high M (1-3) but I wouldn't be surprised if he went the Terunofuji route either because carrying all that weight is bad for you

[Churaumi 728]

He’s going to mill about the top of the joi until his back finally gives out on him, but not higher than S. 

[just_some_guy 256]

K1W

[Shatsume 116]

M1e

[Jejima 1,314]

M2W

[Oortael 151]

M2e

[Jejima 1,314]

Bump!  Last chance to enter.

[Pitinosato 117]

I know this is ridiculous,

but I think he maybe will find some aggressivity and become Ozeki.

(also because of the weak competition)

[Jejima 1,314]

The biggest vote goes for Ichinojo to be ranked at Sekiwake in a year's time, with the joi-jin coming a close second. The median falls at that mystery rank between komusubi and sekiwake.

Three or four KKs are the popular choice - median this time is four 8-7 or better records.

Exactly half of us predict that his best result will be 10-5 this year - this is also the median.

More in November / December.....

[Jejima 1,314]

Ichinojo's 2019 went like this...

Jan - M1W (6-9)
Mar - M4W (14-1 - Jun-yusho)
May - S1E (5-7-3)
Jul - M4W (9-6)
Sep - M2E (1-4-10)
Nov - M12E (0-0-15)

His rank on the January 2020 banzuke was J7E - which counts as Upper Juryo. Nobody guessed this. Closest was Sue and Aled ap Tomos with mid-Makunouchi - but that is a whole division away!

Ichinojo had two kachi-koshis, as predicted by... nobody. Sue, Shinrei, Churaumi, Aled ap Tomos, RabidJohn, Tenshinhan, Shatsume and James Jett came closest with three KKs.

His best record was 14-1 - again nobody predicted this (so a complete washout!). Closest was RPedro44 with 15 and Rocks, Oshirokita and Pitinosato with 13.

Okay, for being closest for two of the questions, the yusho play-off is between Sue and Aled ap Tomos. Whichever of these two cam closest with the guess for Ichinojo's best record will win.... Oh. They both went for 10-5. So still tied. Let's check the comments....

Neither commented. 

Well, they can't be split - but to be honest, I don't think either really deserves the yusho, as they didn't really get close with any of the questions. 

Insteas @Sue and @Aled ap Tomos can share the Jun-Yusho