Natsu 2025 discussion (results)

[Octofuji 436]

Great perseverance from Meisei to beat Kinbozan, and with muscle too rather than his usual redirection moves 

[MrGrumpyGills 171]

On 11/05/2025 at 23:56, Benevolance said:

Who are folks cheering for this basho? 

I don't really have a favorite wrestler at the moment, so I'm mostly cheering for the Futagoyama boys. I'm quite invested in their YT channel and they're a likable bunch IMO (including the shisho).
That aside, I wouldn't mind at all if Onosato got the rope - no jinx! - and Ura is always very entertaining to watch, too.

[RabidJohn 2,085]

1 hour ago, MrGrumpyGills said:

 I wouldn't mind at all if Onosato got the rope

Standing room only on the hype train...

I've been wondering, and I'm sure someone hereabouts will know. What is the raising-a-yokuzuna-from-scratch-in-a-new-heya speedrun record, and could Nishonoseki beat it?

[Yubinhaad 12,001]

On 11/05/2025 at 12:30, RabidJohn said:

Raja said he's the first former maegashira to do it, so it was actually historic.

First new performer I guess he meant, Oiwazan and Otayama both performed it as Maegashira and continued after dropping to Juryo.

 

Akua is the second-oldest to start yumitori-shiki duty, at the age of 34 years, 6 months, 5 days. Only Satonofuji was older when he started, at 35 years, 8 months, 29 days.

Last basho, Hananoumi was the 8th-youngest at 21 years, 10 months, 22 days.

[Hankegami 598]

36 minutes ago, RabidJohn said:

What is the raising-a-yokuzuna-from-scratch-in-a-new-heya speedrun record, and could Nishonoseki beat it?

Still looking into it, but from preliminary analysis I'd say Azumazeki-oyakata (ex Takamiyama) with Akebono. Azumazeki stable was founded in February 1986, Akebono joined in 1988 and became Yokozuna in January 1993 (6 years 11 months). I will look further in the past, but I doubt anyone did it in any shorter time.  It looks very impressive, also by considering that Akebono started from the very bottom (Maezumo, Jonokuchi).

[BuBa 77]

Kusano, Hakuoho, Oho, Onosato, Kotozakura, Takerofuji, Aonishiki. I don’t recall to see this many young  Yokozuna level top talent in Makuchin at the same time. Is the “golden age” coming?

Edited May 13 by BuBa

[RabidJohn 2,085]

2 hours ago, BuBa said:

Kusano, Hakuoho, Oho, Onosato, Kotozakura, Takerofuji, Aonishiki. I don’t recall to see this many young  Yokozuna level top talent in Makuchin at the same time. Is the “golden age” coming?

That's a joyously optimistic outlook. Kusano needs another basho before you can include him in makuuchi, though.

Edited May 13 by RabidJohn

[Chiyozakura 163]

11 hours ago, Hankegami said:

Still looking into it, but from preliminary analysis I'd say Azumazeki-oyakata (ex Takamiyama) with Akebono. Azumazeki stable was founded in February 1986, Akebono joined in 1988 and became Yokozuna in January 1993 (6 years 11 months). I will look further in the past, but I doubt anyone did it in any shorter time.  It looks very impressive, also by considering that Akebono started from the very bottom (Maezumo, Jonokuchi).

It depends on how you see it. Kokonoe Beya had their first Yokozuna after two years but Kitanofuji was already an Ozeki when Chiyonoyama branched out. In their first basho of existance Kokonoe Beya won both the Makuuchi and Juryo Yusho. It was a very special case, though, as Chiyonoyama was originally thought to take over Dewanoumi Beya, but then active Yokozuna Sadanoyama married the existing Shisho's daughter and became the hier apparent. Chiyonoyama was then granted independent status under the condition to leave the ichimon completely and Dewanoumi Beya's top rikishi Ozeki Kitanofuji threatened to retire if he were not allowed to follow. Two years later he was promoted to Yokozuna and played a huge role in making Kokonoe the heya with the most Makuuchi Yusho, which I think they hold until this day.

[Akinomaki 41,892]

On 12/03/2025 at 22:01, Akinomaki said:

Endo has won 2 in a row by sashi-chigae decision 

Day 3 Takadagawa joined the confused head shimpan hall of fame: the gyoji had pointed to Shonannoumi, his explanation was: "The gyoji gumbai pointed to Endo, but (the mono-ii was that) he might have been out earlier ... sorry (laughs from the audience), the gyoji gumbai pointed to Shonannoumi, but his foot turned earlier and Endo's body was still in."

2nd time I quote this post in this thread: Endo has again won 2 in a row by sashi-chigae decision - is that a sign of his mysterious excellence?

[Jakusotsu 6,428]

8 minutes ago, Akinomaki said:

2nd time I quote this post in this thread: Endo has again won 2 in a row by sashi-chigae decision - is that a sign of his mysterious excellence?

Weird bout today when everybody ignored the shinpan-cho's early hand sign.

[Kaninoyama 1,882]

Down goes the Yokozuna again. A third loss in a row to Gonoyama tomorrow would not be a great look. 

[Bunbukuchagama 998]

4 minutes ago, Kaninoyama said:

Down goes the Yokozuna again. A third loss in a row to Gonoyama tomorrow would not be a great look. 

His ginboshi rate was 2.9 per basho. I don't know why so many people thought things would change once he gets the rope. 

[Hankegami 598]

1 hour ago, Bunbukuchagama said:

His ginboshi rate was 2.9 per basho. I don't know why so many people thought things would change once he gets the rope. 

Because we all hoped that Hakkaku & friends knew what they were doing when they pushed for his promotion. I still regard Hoshoryu as a solid Ozeki and I was defending him just yesterday, but I am becoming increasingly worried about his tenure as Yokozuna. Having a colleague might spare him some heat (if, let's say, Onosato wins everything no one is going to blame him for not winning much), but he must definitively improve his kinboshi ratio.

Anyway, I agree that a loss to Gonoyama tomorrow would be a red alarm. The guy is 0-4 and losing against him would be humiliating. He is supposed to win this though.

5 hours ago, Chiyozakura said:

It depends on how you see it. Kokonoe Beya had their first Yokozuna after two years but Kitanofuji was already an Ozeki when Chiyonoyama branched out. In their first basho of existance Kokonoe Beya won both the Makuuchi and Juryo Yusho. It was a very special case, though, as Chiyonoyama was originally thought to take over Dewanoumi Beya, but then active Yokozuna Sadanoyama married the existing Shisho's daughter and became the hier apparent. Chiyonoyama was then granted independent status under the condition to leave the ichimon completely and Dewanoumi Beya's top rikishi Ozeki Kitanofuji threatened to retire if he were not allowed to follow. Two years later he was promoted to Yokozuna and played a huge role in making Kokonoe the heya with the most Makuuchi Yusho, which I think they hold until this day.

Three years actually. Kokonoe-beya was founded in January 1967, and Kitanofuji made Yokozuna in January 1970. The years exactly. Anyway, I am positive that @RabidJohnwas looking for the same combination of "get a new stable, get a new deshi, make him Yokozuna from scratch". Nihonoseki-oyakata stuff.

Now, I can give an updated list. I found difficult searching for the earliest cases, so I have little to say about 1800s Yokozuna and their stables. For starting, sumotori in the 1700s and 1800s were very mobile, joining Kyoto-zumo, Osaka-zumo, and Tokyo-zumo at different times throughout their careers. Few could be seen as home-grown champions, trained by a single coach. In addition, there is little information about older stables in English sources. I should look more for Japanese sources, but I don't have this kind of time right now.

Anyway, those are the results I could get from mainstream sources. I list them in chronological succession of "record holders":

• 1873-1890 (ca. 17 years) Takasago stable with Nishinoumi I. This is a debatable record, since Nishinoumi didn't start as a Takasago pupil. However, the stable was founded in 1873, which is the same year Nishinoumi began wrestling in Kyoto-zumo. He joined Tokyo-zumo and Takasago stable in 1879, and was promoted to Yokozuna in March 1890. I decided to take this joint run of 17 years as a measuring stick for later records.
• 1941-1953 (ca. 12 years) Tokitsukaze stable with Kagamisato. The future 42nd Yokozuna Kagamisato was scouted by Ozeki Kagamiiwa and joined first the latter Kumegawa stable. However, he virtually began his career at Futabayama-dojo since Kagamiiwa followed Futabayama there as an assistant coach for the new stable. This happened broadly in coincidence with Kagamisato's debut in January 1941 (he reportedly joined Kumegawa stable in summer 1940 but didn't debut immediately). It might have happened in that same January 1941, since the Tokitsukaze kabu became vacant that month (possibly bought by Futabayama). The dojo officially became Tokitsukaze stable after Futabayama's retirement in 1945. Kagamisato much wrestled as Futabayama's pupil up until his Yokozuna promotion 12 years later, in January 1953. It can be argued that Kagamisato was actually Kagamiiwa's deshi, but in absence of better data I would take this record as good.
• May 1949 - Sep. 1961 (12 y 4 m) Isenomi stable with Kashiwado. Isenoumi stable branched out from Nishikiiwa stable in May 1949 under the former Maegashira Kashiwado. The future 47th Yokozuna Kashiwado (indeed) joined this stable in 1954 and made Yokozuna in 1961, with the other Kashiwado as his coach all along. This record is much cleaner than Futabayama's, because the latter could clearly get robust support from the beginning. Also, people often forget that Kashiwado would have broken records as the youngest - and one of the fastest - to get to Yokozuna at the time, were not that he was promoted alongside with, huh, 21-years-old Taiho. The guy was really unlucky.
• Mar 1959 - Jan 1970 (10 y 10 m) Kataonami stable with Tamanoumi. We're talking a lot about Kitanofuji, but the actual record belongs to his chief rival. The future 51st Yokozuna Tamanoumi was scouted by Sekiwake Tamanoumi (huh-huh) for Nihonoseki stable and debuted in March 1959. However, he followed his mentor to his new Kataonami stable in May 1961 when he was still a Makushita ranked wrestler. Once again, we do not have a "pure" situation, but the younger Tamanoumi grew to a sekitori with Kataonami stable, so we should regard this record as valid nonetheless.
• Jan 1980- July 1990 (10 y 6 m) Oshima stable with Asahifuji. The future 63rd Yokozuna Asahifuji joined the recently established Oshima stable in January 1981, after a relatively successful stint as a college sumo wrestler at Kinki University. Already 20 years old and experienced in sumo (like Onosato, huh), Asahifuji became a sekitori in 1982 and a Makuuchi wrestler in 1983. He could have made an even stronger record were he promoted with the "old rules" in 1989, but Ozumo entered its back-to-back era around that time and he had to wait until his 1990 breakthrough. This remains the fastest shin-heya / shin-deshi combo up to that point.
• Feb 1986 - Jan 1993 (6 y 11 m) Azumazeki stable with Akebono. The undebatable standing record in present time. Like Asahifuji and Onosato, Akebono joined Azumazeki stable as an adult (18 y.o.) in 1988, without roughing up in the lower divisions as a teenager. This caused him to cakewalk the nonsalaried ranks like Asahifuji before him. However, unlike the former, Akebono grew at a fast pace in Makuuchi and got the rope at 23 years old, shattering previous records.

As many know already, Onosato is on a quest of pulverizing all those other records. His much-wished for promotion after this tournament would stop the clock at Aug 2021 - May 2025 (3 y 9 m), much half time the current record. However, Onosato started as Ms 10TD and skipped the four previous steps from Maezumo to Sandanme. This makes Akebono still the record holder for those starting from scratch. A future contender might be Ukrainan wonder Aonishiki (currently 2 y 5 m from the foundation of Ajigawa stable), but that's a long shot. Roga and Futagoyama stable just busted 7 years without the former being anywhere near to san'yaku even. That's a difficult record to beat, after all.

 

EDIT: Put Onosato's record wrong in my original post, sorry.

Edited May 14 by Hankegami

[RabidJohn 2,085]

5 hours ago, Chiyozakura said:

It depends on how you see it. 

My query was about raising a yokozuna from scratch in a new heya, but Hankegami's in-depth analysis says it far better than me.

---

Two kinboshi on the trot is not a good look for the yokozuna, but going kyujo on your first two basho would look even worse. I think he's just got to push on and hope for a KK now.

Looking good for Onosato, though.

Edited May 14 by RabidJohn

[RabidJohn 2,085]

@Chiyozakura On further reflection, maybe the 'in a new heya' is unnecessary. The 'from scratch', meaning from recruitment to rope, is more significant.

On that basis, Kitanofuji (as Kokonoe from '77-'92) raised Hokutoumi from maezumo in March '79 to yokozuna in July '87 - 8yr, 4m.

[Octofuji 436]

I was at the kokugikan at around 6pm with nose pressed up against the glass (no tickets ) and saw Takayasu, Daieisho, Hiradoumi, Wakatakakage and Kirishima leaving. (Also a possible sighting of ex-Akiseyama cycling very slowly on one of those push-bikes with enormous tyres...)

Watching the video afterwards I tried to guess the result based on their various expressions, and got them all wrong. Takayasu looked so relaxed with the fans I was convinced he must have got his first win.

[lackmaker 458]

Asanoyama took awhile getting up and looked rather shaky on that left leg.

[Octofuji 436]

4 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

2nd time I quote this post in this thread: Endo has again won 2 in a row by sashi-chigae decision - is that a sign of his mysterious excellence?

Yes it's helped his numbers a bit (the Shonannoumi decision was mystifying if I remember right), but I still think there's been an improvement in the quality of his sumo (not on display today though, he looked like a poor man's Tobizaru)

[Hankegami 598]

4 hours ago, RabidJohn said:

@Chiyozakura On further reflection, maybe the 'in a new heya' is unnecessary. The 'from scratch', meaning from recruitment to rope, is more significant.

On that basis, Kitanofuji (as Kokonoe from '77-'92) raised Hokutoumi from maezumo in March '79 to yokozuna in July '87 - 8yr, 4m.

I believe that the new heya prerequisite remains important. A new heya has far fewer assets than a well-established heya on average. Of course, there are exceptions especially if the new heya is opened by a famous oyakata (see Tokitsukaze with Futabayama in my previous post). Anyway, Asashoryu is technically the current record holder (began in Maezumo) with 25 basho, or 4 y 2 m. Alternatively, do you mean a guy without previous sumo experience? We get back to Akebono, 30 basho, or 5 years flat. Or perhaps from after middle school? We finally get to Takanohana, who started at 15 y 7 m and got the rope at 22 y 3 m after 41 basho, or 6 y 8 m.

Talking about those records, most come from wrestlers with previous sumo experience. That's why they managed to breeze through the lower divisions. To this extent, Akebono stands out terribly. According to Wikipedia, he was a sumo fan but not a wrestler, and was planning to study hotel management at some college when he got the chance to meet ex-Takamiyama. It is possible he got some sumo experience at an amateur level, but I don't know how much he could get in 1980s Hawaii. I take that his best assets were a lot of talent, a 204 cm height, and a peak weight of 233 kg. Most amazing.

7 hours ago, Bunbukuchagama said:

His ginboshi rate was 2.9 per basho. I don't know why so many people thought things would change once he gets the rope. 

EDIT after a re-check of the data

Sorry for quoting you again, but I take this opportunity to frame Hoshoryu's current woes in a historical perspective. With a record of 5 kinboshi in 2 tournaments, Hoshoryu is the now reigning "greatest kinboshi machine in the history of Ozumo" by sheer kinboshi rate (currently 2,5).

Now, the absolute record of Kinboshi given away belongs to Kitanoumi (56), but he gave them away over 58 career basho as Yokozuna (0,96 rate). On the other hand, Tachiyama still stays at the top of the other end of the record with 0 career losses to a Maegashira. Anyway, absolute numbers show little about actual rate, and I wanted to share my personal inquiry in this post (below under spoiler). I only considered the basho in which each Yokozuna participated - no sitting outs. Records go back only to 1903 (Hitachiyama and Umegatani II) but are good enough to give us a good idea about the general situation.

A few notes: the list includes 53 Yokozuna, with the median of kinboshi given out per basho being 1,02 (26th spot, Takanohana). This actually reflects a swing of good and bad basho. In general, giving away kinboshi does not necessarily entail an unsuccessful career - up to a certain point. Hoshoryu currently sits among the bottom 5 sit above 2,00 rate (bottom 10%), all very unsuccessful Yokozuna in different ways. Looking at their names, a good cutaway would be a kinboshi rate above 1,50 - Terunofuji managed to get above there, and also Harumafuji despite him being known as the kinboshi machine. This means for Hoshoryu to stop giving kinboshi around until at least after his 4th career basho.

Spoiler

 

Kinboshi rate - from best to worst

• 0,00 (1st) Tachiyama (0 in 9 basho) - 0 kinboshi and 1 draw - query
• 0,13 (2nd) Umegatani II (3 in 22 basho) - 3 kinboshi and 23 draws or fusen - query
• 0,18 (3rd) Hitachiyama (3 in 16 basho) - 3 kinboshi and 7 draws - query
• 0,30 (4th) Tamanoumi (3 in 10 basho) - query
• 0,35 (5th ex aequo) Tochigiyama (5 in 14 basho) - 5 kinboshi and 7 draws - query
• 0,35 (5th ex aequo) Hakuho (26 in 74 basho) - 26 kinboshi and 5 fusen - query
• 0,36 (7th) Tamanishiki (4 in 11 basho) - 4 kinboshi and 1 fusen - query
• 0,52 (8th ex aequo) Tsunenohana (9 in 17 basho) - 9 kinboshi, 4 draws and 1 fusen - query
• 0,52 (8th ex aequo) Taiho (28 in 53 basho) - 28 kinboshi and 6 fusen - query
• 0,53 (10th) Chiyonofuji (29 in 54 basho) - 29 kinboshi and 4 fusen - query
• 0,55 (11th) Onishiki Uichiro (5 in 9 basho) - 5 kinboshi and 3 draws - query
• 0,65 (12th) Kitanofuji (17 in 26 basho) - 17 kinboshi and 5 fusen - query
• 0,66 (13th) Asashoryu (26 in 39 basho) - 26 kinboshi and 4 fusen - query
• 0,84 (14th) Takanosato (11 in 13 basho) - 11 kinboshi and 3 fusen - query
• 0,85 (15th) Kashiwado (35 in 41 basho) - 35 kinboshi and 5 fusen - query
• 0,86 (16th) Wajima (40 in 46 basho) - 40 kinboshi and 4 fusen - query
• 0,87 (17th) Futabayama (14 in 16 basho) - query
• 0,88 (18th) Haguroyama (22 in 25 basho) - 22 kinboshi and 6 fusen - query
• 0,89 (19th) Akebono (35 in 39 basho) - 35 kinboshi and 3 fusen - query
• 0,91 (20th ex aequo) Terukuni (21 in 23 basho) - 21 kinboshi and 4 fusen - query
• 0,91 (20th ex aequo) Wakanohana I (22 in 24 basho) - 22 kinboshi, 1 hikiwake and 3 fusen - query
• 0,91 (20th ex aequo) Hokutoumi (21 in 23 basho) 21 kinboshi and 1 fusen - query
• 0,96 (23rd) Kitanoumi (56 in 58 basho) - 56 kinboshi and 2 fusen - query
• 1,00 (24th ex aequo) Futahaguro (8 in 8 basho) - 8 kinboshi and 2 fusen - query
• 1,00 (24th ex aequo) Kakuryu (33 in 33 basho) - 33 kinboshi and 6 fusen - query
• 1,02 (26th) Takanohana II (39 in 38 basho) - 39 kinboshi and 4 fusen - query
• 1,05 (27th) Sadanoyama (19 in 18 basho) - 19 kinboshi and 1 fusen - query
• 1,08 (28th) Wakanohana II (27 in 25 basho) - 27 kinboshi and 2 fusen - query
• 1,11 (29th) Nishinoumi III (10 in 9 basho) - 10 kinboshi and 4 yasumi - query
• 1,14 (30th) Tochinishiki (31 in 27 basho) - 31 kinboshi and 2 fusen - query
• 1,17 (31st ex aequo) Azumafuji (20 in 17 basho) - 20 kinboshi and 5 fusen - query
• 1,17 (31st ex aequo) Onokuni (20 in 17 basho) - 20 kinboshi and 2 fusen - query
• 1,18 (33rd) Musashimaru (26 in 22 basho) - 26 kinboshi and 3 fusen - query
• 1,20 (34th) Akinoumi (6 in 5 basho) - query
• 1,22 (35th) Otori (11 in 9 basho) - 11 kinboshi and 4 draws or fusen - query
• 1,25 (36th) Yoshibayama (20 in 16 basho) - 20 kinboshi and 4 fusen - query
• 1,30 (37th) Chiyonoyama (34 in 26 basho) - 34 kinboshi and 4 fusen - query
• 1,33 (38th ex aequo) Nishinoumi II (4 in 3 basho) - 4 kinboshi and 1 draw or fusen - query
• 1,33 (38th ex aequo) Maedayama (8 in 6 basho) - 8 kinboshi and 2 fusen - query
• 1,37 (40th) Harumafuji (40 in 29 basho) - 40 kinboshi, 1 hansoku and 4 fusen - query
• 1,42 (41st) Mienoumi (10 in 7 basho) - 10 kinboshi and 3 fusen - query
• 1,46 (42nd) Terunofuji (22 in 15 basho) - 22 kinboshi and 5 fusen - query
• 1,50 (43rd ex aequo) Kotozakura I (12 in 8 basho) - query
• 1,50 (43rd ex aequo) Asahifuji (12 in 8 basho) - 12 kinboshi and 1 fusen - query
• 1,53 (45th) Asashio III (20 in 13 basho) - 20 kinboshi and 3 fusen - query
• 1,63 (46th) Kagamisato (31 in 19 basho) - 31 kinboshi and 1 fusen - query
• 1,70 (47th) Miyagiyama (29 in 17 basho) - 29 kinboshi and 3 fusen - query
• 1,83 (48th) Minanogawa (22 in 12 basho) - 22 kinboshi and 1 fusen - query
• 2,00 (49th) Musashiyama (6 in 3 basho) - 6 kinboshi and 1 fusen - query
• 2,25 (50th ex aequo) Wakanohana III (18 in 8 basho) - 18 kinboshi and 3 fusen - query
• 2,25 (50th ex aequo) Kisenosato (18 in 8 basho) - 18 kinboshi and 4 fusen - query
• 2,35 (52nd) Tochinoumi (33 in 14 basho) - 33 kinboshi and 2 fusen - query
• 2,50 (53rd) Hoshoryu (5 in 2 basho) - 5 kinboshi and 1 fusen - query

 

Edited May 14 by Hankegami

[Sumo Spiffy 672]

19 hours ago, BuBa said:

Kusano, Hakuoho, Oho, Onosato, Kotozakura, Takerofuji, Aonishiki. I don’t recall to see this many young  Yokozuna level top talent in Makuchin at the same time. Is the “golden age” coming?

Calling a group this size "yokozuna-level" talent is a little bit much, considering it's basically impossible for all of them to get there. "Ozeki-level" is more reasonable, since then they only have to rack up wins, not consistently beat each other for titles. 

As for the specific wrestlers listed: right now, Onosato is obviously yokozuna-level. Koto, of course, is an ozeki, but the idea of him becoming yokozuna is fading until and unless he finds a fix for his knee (assuming there aren't other problems in play). The rest are either as-yet unproven at the highest levels (Aonishiki and especially Kusano), have too many holes in their game to expect ozeki from them until they improve (Oho and Takerufuji), or need to show that they can overcome previous injuries (Hakuoho).

[hakutorizakura 697]

 @Hankegami

Nice analysis. How about Uncle? He's not on the list.

[Hankegami 598]

4 minutes ago, hakutorizakura said:

 @Hankegami

Nice analysis. How about Uncle? He's not on the list.

I am correcting it right now actually (checking for fusen). And you're right, I missed Asashoryu! Anyway, he stands at 30 losses, but 4 are fusen, so 26 kinboshi over 39 basho (0,66 rate - query). He stands 12th in the record right now, but he could slid down another bit if a few more older Yokozuna present draws listed as losses in the general query. Of course that's a good record.

I will give an update as soon as I finish my check - really, that damn RB and my lack of expertise in checking queries.

[MrGrumpyGills 171]

43 minutes ago, Hankegami said:

I am correcting it right now actually (checking for fusen). And you're right, I missed Asashoryu! Anyway, he stands at 30 losses, but 4 are fusen, so 26 kinboshi over 39 basho (0,66 rate - query). He stands 12th in the record right now, but he could slid down another bit if a few more older Yokozuna present draws listed as losses in the general query. Of course that's a good record.

I will give an update as soon as I finish my check - really, that damn RB and my lack of expertise in checking queries.

Thank you for putting so much effort and work into this. Super interesting!

[Hankegami 598]

Ok folks, I edited the list. After checking fusen and draws (? - apparently evidence for the Yokozuna sitting out a single bout - it happened up to the 1920s I think), the list changed a lot especially at the top. Most important, now Hoshoryu figures as the current reigning Kinboshi King (short may he stay that low!). You can see the list in my original post above here.

Edited May 14 by Hankegami

[Heather82Cs 20]

5 hours ago, Octofuji said:

I was at the kokugikan at around 6pm with nose pressed up against the glass (no tickets ) and saw Takayasu, Daieisho, Hiradoumi, Wakatakakage and Kirishima leaving. (Also a possible sighting of ex-Akiseyama cycling very slowly on one of those push-bikes with enormous tyres...)

Watching the video afterwards I tried to guess the result based on their various expressions, and got them all wrong. Takayasu looked so relaxed with the fans I was convinced he must have got his first win.

Takayasu did win once though (day 3).