Osunaarashi in 2014

[Jejima]

A new poll for the first ever sekitori from Africa.

Please put your predictions below in the comments, including what you think his precise rank will be on the Jan 2015 banzuke.

[Asojima]

He will struggle to 4 KK with one being a 10-5. He will spend at least one basho in Juryo, but will start 2015 at M9w.

[Tsubame]

M1-M5 on 2015 Hatsu Banzuke (but at least with one san'yaku visit in 2014)

four MK, with a best result of 11-4

[Oshirokita]

Alternating KK & MK, 3 each, best result 9-6, M9e in 2015 Hatsu

[Kintamayama]

M1-5, 4KKs, 10-5. Exact rank- M4W.

[kuroimori]

M6-10 (M7e will be his rank for Hatsu 2015)

3 Kachikoshi in 2015

9-6 will be his best result in 2015

[Ganzohnesushi]

M6-10

4 KK

10-5

M6w

Ganzohnesushi

[ScreechingOwl]

M1-M5

4 kk

10-5

M4E

It's obvious from Kyushu that he still needs to learn some more about sumo. But he works hard and is strong. I continue to be a firm believer.

ScreechingOwl

[krindel]

I see him getting a good result in low Maegashira, a few small KK peppered with the odd MK, reaching the borders of the jo'i and getting a MK there, landing in the M6-M10.

So answers are M6-M10, best result 10-5 and precise rank M7w

[chishafuwaku]

M11-M17

3 KK

best 9-6

banzuke Hatsu 15 M13w

chishafuwaku

[Kaioshoryu]

Komusubi

12-3

4 KK

[Vikanohara]

M6-10

4 KK

11-4

[Jejima]

M6-10 (M8E)

4 KKs

11-4 will be his best

[Jejima]

Osunaarashi ended his final basho with 4 wins at the rank of M5W. Using a query at the Sumo Database, he could end up in either the M6 - M10 bracket, or the M11 - M17 bracket for January 2015. (There have even been two cases since the 15 day basho began, when the demotion has gone all the way to Juryo! The last case being Hoo in 1985.) The lower rank is more common, so I will go with that for now, and will come back and change things here if need be when the new banzuke is published.

Three players chose the lower Makunouchi ranks, namely chishafuwaku, Morty, Bugman.

(The players choosing M6-M10 were Benevolance, kuroimori, Mark.Buckton, Senkoho, Ganzohnesushi, krindel,

Vikanohara, Leonishiki, Jejima, Ayagawa)

Osunaarashi had three bashos when he got at least 8 wins (Jan, Mar and May).

This was correctly guessed by Benevolance, kuroimori, Mark.Buckton, Johnofuji, chishafuwaku, Morty, Leonishiki

His best record was his 10-5 in May (at the rank of M10E).

This was guessed by Benevolance, Kintamayama, Ganzohnesushi, Terao, ScreechingOwl, krindel,

Morty, Leonishiki, Bugman, Mmikasazuma

Morty and Bugman both got all 3* correct. Omedetou! Neither poller gave a comment, so I can't split them. They can share the yusho. (Yusho winner...)

*provisional for poll 1

[Jejima]

Osunaarashi is ranked at M13E for Jan 2016 - so falls into the lower Makunouchi bracket, as predicted above.

Special mention to chishafuwaku, who came within a gnat's whisker of guessing the exact rank - he'd predicted M13W.....