Mitakeumi in 2020

[Jejima 1,427]

Mitakeumi started Ozumo in March 2015. He has already won two Makunouchi yushos (and a Juryo Yusho)!  

Will 2020 be the year that he pushes onto Ozeki - or more?

So far (January 2020), he has been ranked at M2W, when he got a 7-8 losing record. The lowest rikishi that he has lost to so far this year was M8W Ryuden. So those are the base lines for the questions. 

Previous polls:

2019
2018
2017
2016

[Oshirokita 192]

I hope I am wrong, but I see Mitakeumi struggling to stay in the joi-jin in 2020; up to Komusubi but down again.

[Morty 1,505]

He is clearly out of form, but is too good to slide for too long so back to Sekiwake I reckon, and hopefully an Ozeki run in 2021.

[Rocks 1,809]

He will stay in Joi. Bounce up and down from sanyaku. May even win another yusho. But he won't put those 3 good basho together.

[Katsunorifuji 65]

I agree with Rocks’ assessment. When he is good he is really good. But he has also been off and inconsistent too often. If anyone can make a “surprise” Ozeki run it’s Mitakeumi, but three solid basho in a row seems like a stretch for right now. 

Edited February 22, 2020 by Katsunorifuji

[Jejima 1,427]

Mitakeumi is going to start his successful Ozeki run this March basho!

[WAKATAKE 2,677]

Still recovering from that concussion. Will take some time to adjust. He'll get back to sekiwake but not have a serious ozeki campaign.

[Nantonoyama 252]

He will come back to be a sanyaku regular for the second half of 2020, but not even close to an ozeki run

[Jejima 1,427]

We seem to think that Mitakeumi will have a good year - with all of us seeing him being ranked in sanyaku at least once this year - the vast majority thinking that Sekiwake will be his top position.

[Jejima 1,427]

Question 1
Mitakeumi will not drop below M3W on the January 2021 banzuke - so his lowest rank for the year inclusive will be M3W , his rank back in March 2020. This was predicted by over one third of us, namely Benihana, Rocks, Joaoiyama, Shatsume, Pitinosato, Jejima and MumboJumbo.

Question 2
In July 2020, Mitakeumi lost to eventual Yusho winner Terunofuji on the last day of the basho. Terunofuji was ranked at M17E! Katsunorifuji came closest with his prediction of M13.

Question 3
Mitakeumi's highest rank in the time frame was Sekiwake - as predicted by just about everybody. However, Katsunorifuji, Jejima and Joaoiyama all got it wrong.

So, that means five people got both Question 1 and Question 3 exactly correct. So whoever predicted the lowest rank (out of those five) for Question 2 can claim the yusho....

Well, four out of the five all went with M8 - wrong!

MumboJumbo chose M9 - so marginally closer.

A bit of a squeaker, but the yusho goes to MumboJumbo! 

 

 

 

Edited November 27, 2020 by Jejima