Why Konishiki did not become Yokozuna?

[Yagura 0]

Hi everybody.

This is a question for the elders, or for anybody who remembers this brave rikishi. I have been checking Konishiki's numbers and I wonder why he wasn't promoted to Yokozuna. If we have a look to the period May 1991 to March 1992, his figures were:

14-1

12-3

11-4

13-2 Yusho

12-3

13-2 Yusho

I am pretty sure that, today, anybody with these results would be promoted inmediately, so why wasn't Konishiki promoted?

Thanks.

[Naifuzan 1]

There are lots of people who can answer this better than I can, but I'll get this one started at least.

Ususally yokozuna promotion requires 2 yusho in a row.

The reason Kaio's tsuna run was continued after he failed to get that second yusho in a row in kyushu was the need for a japanese yokozuna, I think.

When konishiki had that record there wasnt really a need for another yokozuna. Especially not a gaijin one.

The gaijin thing is mostly speculation tho...

[Kashunowaka 300]

I am pretty sure that, today, anybody with these results would be promoted inmediately, so why wasn't Konishiki promoted?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I am pretty sure that you are wrong.

Yokozuna promotion is generally based on the result in two consecutive basho. Konishiki had several good two-basho runs when he was very close, but he was never quite good enough. One win more in the right basho could have done it. (But this is also true for Kaio.)

Rather than repeating myself, I offer you to study the subject a little closer in this old post. You can also search the forum for other posts, because this has been discussed quite a lot.

And I don't agree with Naifuzan about the gaijin thing. (Bleh!)

[Azumashida 1]

And I don't agree with Naifuzan about the gaijin thing.  (Bleh!)

You don't agree about its existence or that it's mostly speculation?

About Konishiki's case, I've often read that his middle-basho, which had no jun-yusho attached to it, was the main reason for not being promoted. Although it doesn't necessarily make such a lot of sense to compare, it can perhaps be argued that Kaio had his tsuna quest kept alive because he had that jun-yusho in Kyushu 2004...

[Doitsuyama 1,259]

When konishiki had that record there wasnt really a need for another yokozuna.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I have to disagree with this argument. I would even say, it is way off the mark. In Haru 1992 Hokutoumi was the sole Yokozuna, and he went 0-3-12 this basho, never coming back to the dohyo... Konishiki clearly was the best rikishi in that period which made it all the more difficult to understand why he wasn't promoted. Well, I'd say the Kyokai would do it again in a similar case, and I'd also argue the decision was the correct one as Konishiki wouldn't have been a good Yokozuna, taking the rest of his career into account.

[Zuikakuyama 1]

He also wasn't very pretty on the dohyo, and probably projected the wrong image of a lumbering tub of lard.

But then Onokuni was also very fat.

[Manekineko 200]

[...] as Konishiki wouldn't have been a good Yokozuna, taking the rest of his career into account.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But then, who knows how Konishiki career might have developed if he *did* become a yokozuna? Musashimaru rose to fill his new role, as did KaioU upon becoming an ozeki... Who knows how their careers might have turned out if the promotion was denied?

On the other hand you have Kotomitsuki, who missed ozeki promotion by a hair. When one looks at him one could say it was a justified decision, but the same "what ifs" apply.

Ah, you can't beat idle speculation. (You are going off-topic...)

[Ryukaze 0]

yup, good but not quite good enough to win 2 basho in a row = no Yokozuna promotion......As things turned out it was a good thing they didn't promote him either........

[Sasanishiki 57]

Just to echo what Doitsuyama has said, at the time the yokozuna had been retiring or putting in poor performances. In the previous year or so Chiyonofuji retired (May 91), followed by Onokuni (July 91) and Asahifuji (Jan 92). Hokutoumi was also kyujo and not to return. This represented the first time the yokozuna position had been vacant in something like 60 years IIRC. Earlier still there had been the controversy over the promotion of Futahaguro to yokozuna without a yusho (but with two jun-yusho) and his subsequent departure from sumo after striking the oyakata's wife during an argument.

So, at the time that Konishiki was being considered (or not) for yokozuna, ozumo had lost its senior yokozuna and had been bitten by the attempt to groom a successor in a young yokozuna. Was this really the time to consider making the next yokozuna a gaijin, and one who was perceived as too big, one-dimensional and too out-spoken? Whether he was or not is moot because the perception was that he was all of these things. So, the YDC and ozumo decided to apply the guidelines more strictly requiring two yusho (not junzuru [equivalent] records). They figured that they had to be absolutely certain after the recent problems with the rank. The irony is that by applying the guidelines strictly, and perhaps conveniently avoiding having a gaijin yokozuna in Konishiki, they paved the way for Akebono just a half year or so later to rise after his consecutive yusho.

[Kashunowaka 300]

Judging from the results at that time, Konishiki wasn't the first victim of harder interpretations of the guidelines - Asahifuji (Ajigawa-oyakata) was. His best result as ozeki without being promoted was 27-3 in two basho - the only thing missing was a yusho. I never hear anyone discuss why he wasn't promoted at the time, but it could be because he later earned his yokozuna promotion with two yusho ...

In conclusion: if Konishiki's best results had come in 1987, I think he could have been promoted. But after refusing Asahifuji promotion in 1989, they couldn't very well promote Konishiki with such a weak result as 12-3 (3rd place) followed by 13-2 yusho, could they?

Edited January 26, 2005 by Kashunowaka

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

... I never hear anyone discuss why he wasn't promoted at the time, but it could be because he later earned his yokozuna promotion with two yusho ...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The situation/possible reasons were analyzed by David Benjamin in The Joy Of Sumo: A Fan's Notes.

[Jakusotsu 6,389]

Congrats, Yagura-san, for successfully reanimating dead horses with just Your second overall post. (You are going off-topic...)

[Yagura 0]

It was an honor and a pleasure to read such interesting answers and discussions.

Arigato Sensei.