Rikishi Status - 2023 Natsu

[Yubinhaad 11,977]

Apart from the abruptly-retired Ichinojo, one sekitori will be absent from the start of this basho as he recovers from reconstructive ACL surgery:

Komusubi Wakatakakage

 

And these are the absentees from the lower divisions:

Ms34w Higonoumi

Sd17e Chiyodaigo
Sd26w Kitanomine
Sd28w Shohoryu
Sd35e Mochizuki
Sd36w Oki
Sd39e Kaishin
Sd78w Kirinofuji (intai as reported here)
Sd84w Takataisho

Jd24w Suonada
Jd26e Wakakaneko
Jd28e Sadanokuni
Jd30e Kyokushori
Jd45w Suio
Jd47w Daikinryu
Jd49w Michihaya
Jd54w Tokazan
Jd60w Ishiura
Jd71w Yusui
Jd77w Okanojo
Jd80e Noguchi
Jd98w Sano
Jd104w Zuiko (intai, had his danpatsu-shiki after the Haru basho)
Jd106w Nakashima

Jk2e Nakaishi
Jk3w Sakurai
Jk4w Oyamazakura
Jk16w Sogo
Jk17w Chiyorozan
Jk23e Shiroma

Edited May 13, 2023 by Yubinhaad

[Yubinhaad 11,977]

Lower division absentees added above, sorry it's delayed but I couldn't stay up late enough to get it last night.

One other note, Futagoyama-oyakata (former Ozeki Miyabiyama) is not on shimpan duty (at least not at the start of the basho) after his recent health problems, Hatachiyama-oyakata (former Komusubi Tochinohana) is filling in for him.

[Yubinhaad 11,977]

An unexpectedly early update - M2e Takayasu is kyujo after injuring his right thigh (hamstring I think) in asageiko, say the press. He hopes to join the basho later.

Hoshoryu will pick up the fusensho.

Edited May 15, 2023 by Yubinhaad

[Kamitsuumi 408]

Takayasu hurt his right hip adductor muscles (inside of the thigh). His medical certificate prescribed three weeks' rest, so he is unlikely to rejoin the basho.

[Yubinhaad 11,977]

Ahead of Day 3, one rikishi withdraws after having to miss his first bout on the opening day of the basho:

Jd21w Fujinotani (fusenpai Day 1)

[Akinomaki 41,850]

On 13/05/2023 at 06:33, Yubinhaad said:

one sekitori will be absent from the start of this basho as he recovers from reconstructive ACL surgery:

Komusubi Wakatakakage 

The medical certificate was published yesterday: About 5 months of medical treatment expected necessary after ACL surgery on the right knee on April 4th http://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2023051600967&g=spo

I guess he'll be back for Kyushu, I don't think he'll try for Aki to avoid the drop to makushita, though that could be seen as inside the time frame.

[Yubinhaad 11,977]

Ahead of Day 5, one rikishi begins his basho but two others withdraw.

Entering:

Jd77w Okanojo

Withdrawing:

Sd49w Chiyotenfu (fusenpai day 4)

Jd97e Sonoshun

[Yubinhaad 11,977]

Bit late, but one lower division rikishi withdrew ahead of Day 7:

Sd68e Kototaiga.

 

Meanwhile Sponichi reports that M2w Endo is kyujo from Day 7, no reason given yet. Hoshoryu will pick up a free win for the second time this basho.

[Akinomaki 41,850]

1 hour ago, Yubinhaad said:

Sponichi reports that M2w Endo is kyujo from Day 7, no reason given yet. Hoshoryu will pick up a free win for the second time this basho.

The old injury from 2015 with both knees in chronic pain - Oitekaze: if was such that he could reenter, I wouldn't let him go kyujo https://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2023/05/20/kiji/20230520s00005000199000c.html

[Chartorenji 243]

Was doing some research on the new recruits at Jonokuchi. Shiroma is the one name that doesn't make too much sense, due to his college background and competing since High School. Any reason known or hinted at for his absence? 

[Yubinhaad 11,977]

A quintet of withdrawals in the lower divisions, ahead of Day 9:

Ms39w Ienoshima

Sd22e Hokutoryu

Sd79w Mitozakura

Sd89w Asakoga (fusenpai Day 8)

Jd23e Kaitoma

[Reonito 1,790]

Enho and Chiyonokuni both withdrawing ahead of Day 10 action.

[Yubinhaad 11,977]

Winless Juryo pair Enho and Chiyonokuni are kyujo from Day 10. Meniscus injury in both knees for Chiyonokuni, no reason seen for Enho yet.

Akua and Tomokaze will collect the free wins.

[Godango 1,092]

Stay tuned for intai announcement from Chiyonokuni*...

*Speculating only.

[Kaninoyama 1,882]

If anyone can weather yet another comeback from devastating injury, it's Chiyonokuni. But surely this setback must be too much even for him at this point in his career. 

[Rocks 1,810]

3 hours ago, Yubinhaad said:

Winless Juryo pair Enho and Chiyonokuni are kyujo from Day 10. Meniscus injury in both knees for Chiyonokuni, no reason seen for Enho yet.

Akua and Tomokaze will collect the free wins.

And now Kotoshoho is out too nd Takayasu coming back for Day 11.

[dingo 1,483]

Not surprised about Kotoshouhou, he's been looking quite bad this basho and it's really obvious something is bothering him. 

Takayasu on the other hand is a big surprise. I really wonder if it's wise to return at this point, at least from a health perspective. 

[Hankegami 598]

1 hour ago, dingo said:

Takayasu on the other hand is a big surprise. I really wonder if it's wise to return at this point, at least from a health perspective. 

I wonder. The san'yaku have already begun to face each other, but the upper maegashira are still there for him. He's slated against Abi tomorrow, surely not in his best tournament but by no means an easy foe. If Takayasu is planning to rack up five easy wins against weak opponents and post a 5-1-9, he might be sorely wrong.

Edited May 23, 2023 by Hankegami

[Muhomatsu 247]

At this rank -  Enhō should also drop to Makushita, I would think.

[Asashosakari 20,287]

4 hours ago, Hankegami said:

I wonder. The san'yaku have already begun to face each other, but the upper maegashira are still there for him. He's slated against Abi tomorrow, surely not in his best tournament but by no means an easy foe. If Takayasu is planning to rack up five easy wins against weak opponents and post a 5-1-9, he might be sorely wrong.

There are sanyaku facing sanyaku every day... In any case, being effectively 0-10 Takayasu is unlikely to be paired with the well-performing Y/O/S, but I wouldn't be surprised if he still sees Kotonowaka and/or Shodai at some point.

[Rocks 1,810]

4 hours ago, Hankegami said:

I wonder. The san'yaku have already begun to face each other, but the upper maegashira are still there for him. He's slated against Abi tomorrow, surely not in his best tournament but by no means an easy foe. If Takayasu is planning to rack up five easy wins against weak opponents and post a 5-1-9, he might be sorely wrong.

I doubt he cares if he gets 5 wins, just figures that's his best shot to get 1 or 2 wins and keep himself out of the demotion talk. With 2 sure retirements and 3 others besides Takayasu looking at 0-15 records that banzuke making meeting is going to be interesting. Certainly if Ochai and Atamifuji go north of 10 wins they will be in the mix for promotion with so many openings. If the guys on the lower East side get a couple more winds you might see Endo back for a few matches.

[Hankegami 598]

2 minutes ago, Rocks said:

I doubt he cares if he gets 5 wins, just figures that's his best shot to get 1 or 2 wins and keep himself out of the demotion talk. With 2 sure retirements and 3 others besides Takayasu looking at 0-15 records that banzuke making meeting is going to be interesting. Certainly if Ochai and Atamifuji go north of 10 wins they will be in the mix for promotion with so many openings. If the guys on the lower East side get a couple more winds you might see Endo back for a few matches.

Perhaps you are right. To be honest, there is very small precedent for a 0-0-15 M2 to be demoted. Actually, there is one only precedent since 1910 (when demotions start to be regularly recorded in the DB, before that queries present a lot of blank points, see here). That was M2w Tochitsukasa, who sat out for the Aki 1990 tournament due to injury (here, for him being injured back then see his Wikipedia page). His demotion can be explained in part because the Kyushu 1990 banzuke din't go lower than M14w (here), and in part because Juryo promotions after Aki 1990 included two 10-5 J1e and J2e, a 11-4Y J2w, and surprisingly also a 11-4D J6w (here). To be fair with your argument, the aforementioned J6e who got promoted with a 11-4D was Kotonowaka, the current head shimpan Sadogatake-oyakata. Perhaps he could be inclined to back strong promotion cases given his personal experience. Anyway, Tochitsukasa's demotion was the only one out of 33 cases of M2 sitting out a tournament since 1910 (here).

Now the current Juryo promotion queue is effectively very aggressive. J1e Gonoyama (9-1) is going to take Ichinojo's void spot, and J1w Shonannoumi (8-2) is also there by the numbers, and with M5w Kotoshoho going kyujo today and likely to finish 1-9-5, he now has an open spot to take over. Behind them, J3e Bushozan is 7-3 with five days to go but no Makuuchi rikishi with which to trade places yet. Going on, the 6-4 J4 couple Oshoma and Roga are not totally out of the picture entirely although unlikely to succeed at this point (need 10-5 for a strong J-1 case), and of course the J8 couple Atamifuji (8-2) and especially Ochiai (10-0) can still believe. By the numbers, they need a 12-3 final score to place a J-1 claim. Ochiai in particular appears perfectly capable to fare even better than that, with the ultimate danger to get four Juryo rikishi with very strong promotion cases. So perhaps you're right, if no one in lower Makuuchi goes MK, 0-0-15 M2 Takayasu and Endo could suddenly start to appear terrifyingly good cases for demotion.

[Yubinhaad 11,977]

12 hours ago, Yubinhaad said:

Meniscus injury in both knees for Chiyonokuni, no reason seen for Enho yet.

Add to that osteoarthritis of the left knee. No return this basho according to Kokonoe-oyakata (former Ozeki Chiyotaikai).

Enho has herniated disc in the neck, requiring up to three months of treatment. He had been dealing with it since the Haru jungyo.

Kotoshoho has recurrent patellar subluxation in the left knee, requiring five days of rest and treatment.

[Yubinhaad 11,977]

Almost forgot the lower division movements ahead of Day 11 - one rikishi makes a rapid return, but two more withdraw.

Returning:

Sd89w Asakoga (fusenpai Day 8, withdrew Day 9)

Withdrawing:

Sd83w Ginseizan

Jd20w Kogomaru (fusenpai Day 10)

[Yamanashi 4,087]

Ginseizan: not much longer now?  He did the up-and-down for seven years to reach Makushita for one basho; since then for five more years has been descending through Sandanme, now destined for Jonidan.