higginbotham

This game will likely end in a draw... (Sign of disapproval...) taikai takekaze

This Pre-Basho topic is really interesting giving us a sight on promising rikishi. Nonetheless, most names are well known by (almost) everyone here, being the youngest in "division 1" Kyokushuho, already 19. That is to say they (div. 1) have entered Ozumo at a rather higher age and very likely set for Makushita at worst, thus the matter here appears to be time till sekitori rank, since by and large division 1 lads are expected to show up in juryo in a near future unless something bad happens, oder ? To handle with the younger prospects like the ones of Wakaryoma and other absents of the list due to predicted mk got in early career stages another bias should be taken as they won't be here. EDIT: suggestions...

nakatsunishiki Jd27e

It is "Monster Bono"... Listen to it all. Once a female screams "monsutaa baby" in this japanese "OOOhh surprized"-mode HUSTLE gives モンスター・ボノ as his name. LINK. Wikipedia and google both show the same result. He is called baby because probably in the story he is son of this woman and someone else.

It is "Monster Bono"...

Yes, it has. Aki 1998, for example. EDIT: but then 2 top Maegashira finished 3-12

Kaio is a good guess... (On the banzuke...) They should have put Sakaizawa instead. His chances are better.

8.5 ranks on a 12-3? Looks very fair to me. My own guess had him half a rank lower, even... Kitazakura and Mokonami would have a stronger reason to complain. Tochinoshin's promotion was perhaps better than one could have predicted, but Kitazakura, Mokonami and Hakuba's weren't. Still, the balance between promotions and demotions looked fairly good by and large.

No, it was not that bout. Go Here to see the bout.

A piece of information. After his 7-8 which granted him his M12w spot for one more basho, Satoyama lost completely the pace, struggle and left Makuuchi with wins over Hokutoriki and Hakurozan to finish 2-13. Then, came a 6-9 at Juryo 5, followed straight by other two of the same kind - 6-9 at J9 and at J12. He will leave sekitori status after 2 years over there, but hopefully for a coming back. He is still young enough at 26 to do it if not hindered by physical issues.

He is certainly facing some rainy days. An injury could be the explanation. When a rikishi as Homasho is in such a losing path it is the first thing to be thought and steroids stuff are not to be ruled out either. There are seemingly, though, other issues to worry about. His sumo has become more predictable and to advance to another level or just keep the current something should be done - Toyohibiki is in the same spot regarding that too. On the contrary, he is tachiai is less powerful and the defence, as already stressed, is worsening, perhaps due to his decreasing quality as to positioning and movements... he is losing the balance more easily... is he ? Worrying anyway.

Thank you for the link.

You seem to be taking too seriously the temporary and slight increase in level in Juryo (?) as a factor setting some juryo rikishi back from getting their promotion. Maybe, or better saying, probably the ones you mentioned will be rushing into Juryo quite soon - Aran, Kyokushuho... but in a longer or shorter span of time Hakuba, Koryu, Mokonami or other may happen to get promoted if able to hang in there even without substantive improvements regarding skills, because ups and downs in level leaves holes and allow a way up.

It has been told about an increase in quality among Juryo and Makunouchi altogether, but maybe you are taking it too seriously. If this is really coming into being, there are some space ,however, for opportunistic rise up the ranks, since it anyway will keep happening. Chiyohakuho and Kitataiki aren't probably the best bets for promotion, though the chances are there and in a year or two or...

Well, as I said I only ranked those who were on the Haru Juryo Banzuke leaving out Tochinohana because he is intai by now, but I would've ranked him in Tier 4 along with Asofuji, Satoyama etc.. Tamanoshima is going down to juryo in large part due to his ongoing injury issues - I think he's going to make it back to makuuchi and not end up a Tier 2 guy like Otsukasa - at least not yet. Tier 2 guys in my rating system only include those rikishi who are not really makuuchi calibre, but good enough to make it to makuuchi every now and then. Tamanoshima is not yet one of them although Tosanoumi may soon be. But I can see your point. Another Tier would have to be invented for Tamanoshima and Iwakiyama who was a tremendous force whenever he dropped to juryo in 2007. As for Hakurozan, in Osaka he will be ranked juryo for the third time in 6 basho without showing Iwakiyama like domination. He was a solid makuuchi rikishi in 2006, but makuuchi has become tougher with newcomers such as Goeido, Toyohibiki, Tochiozan, Ichihara and he will have to step it up if he is to rise above Tier 2. ;-) Hakurozan may stay in Juryo for long, but still he has just got there and answered well with a good kk for his standards. He tends more to become, if he is not yet, an elevator rikishi from mid-high Juryo to bottom makunouchi depending on knee, opponents and ciscunstances, unless he falls suddenly as some here expect. Tamanoshima can be added to one of those groups despite the fact he fits better the "veterans falling apart" category whose participants are going down without good prospects of bouncing back.

Your considerations seem interesting, however those categories leave out some rikishi. Tamanoshima, for instance, will be nowhere as Tochinohana was. In regard to Hakurozan, he is more a Makuuchi rikishi than a Juryo one. Hoshihikari and Tamawashi are safe still, no label so free to go everywhere...

1147 BANZUKE ;-)

"...Sumo is the national Japanese sport but very correctly the association gave any nationality the right to participate, so for the last few years there have been sumo fighters from all around the world participating in the national tournaments, including Russians, Chinese, Bulgarians and even Finns to name some..." Who ?

I was rather thinking of a long, long term... For example, I picked the Natsu Nasho 1990 by accident and there were there 3 former Makuuchi dropping their Juryo ranks. If you look into some previous banzuke you will find it happening more or less often but it doesn't cease nonetheless. Though, if you already knew it is nothing new, OK. edit: Considering it as relatively new trend compared to past couple of years , as you did, has no objection as to me.

@Messi19: just one more comment. I don't know for how long you've been watching sumo but it is not a current trend those veterans dropping their ranks and being thus demoted to makushita. As an actual fact, it happens all the time. They once go there and unless a really high rank is achieved and sustained for long, the retirement only comes about after this demotion.

Had you asked this question earlier this month I would have pointed Asofuji as the man along with Tochinohana. The latter for his huge fall and the former because he was almost 32 (now 32), never double-digits, not a very sucessful nor long-term sekitori career ... Shunketsu is now the guy. Once a Juryo contender and winner as well but 4 MK in a row have put him as a strong candidate for demotion which should happen soon.

Don't mind asking (Sign of approval...)

Take a look here where you may find the tool to your search, but you don't need to use it yet as you now know it happened in March, 2000 when Wakanohana intai'ed. And yes, sometimes there are up to 4 yokozuna at the same time, but at others there is nobody. How do you explain that ? This rank is not mandatory, so it relies on rikishi's level to be occupied. Ozeki is almost like that as can you see up to 5 ozeki together on a single banzuke, but at least two are necessary as well as Sekiwake and Komusubi (summing 4 from the last two). In a not very distant past they tended to put more than two Sekiwake or Komusubi in each rank though nowadays those free slots are not "opened" so easily and only Komusubi who goes better or just 11-4 open an extra Sekiwake slot and a third Komusubi is usually a resort when and if the upper banzuke part -normally with no Yokozuna it becomes more crowded with lower Sanyuaku , but the last time it happened was in 1992 and the absence of Yokozuna is not actually a necessary condition to have more Komusubi - is hard to arrange. EDIT: Natsu 1993 was the very last time when no Yokozuna appeared on a banzuke. @mispelling

The winners were Gusoyama and Flohru. Both have scored 26 points and thus have achieved a 0.619 correct guesses average. EDIT: RESULTS this is draft, not a definite site though the results are there. EDIT #2 Torideyama was correct. Aminishiki's MK was correctly predited by Gusoyama but during the sum it was not counted. The results are given in percentage because if the game continues it will be easier to count the points: Gusoyama > 0.642 Flohru > 0.619 Torideyama > 0.595 Higginbotham > 0.545 Holleshoryu > 0.5 Vikanohara > 0.476 Besides Chiyotaikai, other three great upsets were Baruto, Goeido and Homasho . Everyone expect KK from them but the trio failed miserably, specially Homasho who ended 4-11. On the opposite side there was Kaiho, who got his 8 though nobody predicted such. Kaio surprised everyone but Vikanohara, who won the the point with the veteran's KK. And Tamakasuga was an easy guess just like Asashoryu and Hakuho but his own way. Mk'ed exactly like all guesses said.

Shunketsu.....