Swami

Hearty congratulations from the Swami! Swami

Site down now at present. Swami

Great portrait of Taiho in the background. Swami

Happy birthday and hearty salutations from the Swami! Swami

Happy birthday and hearty salutations from the Swami! Swami

The finger issue was some sort of smokescreen or other. First they declared it's the one hand, then Hakuho forgot and threw Gagamaru around with said hand, then he turned up with the tapes on the other and so on. Well, I still think it might be a recurring elbow issue, not one with his fingers. There were periodic news of him having trouble with his elbow(s) between tournaments about two years ago, and he's certainly no longer the consistent yotsu machine he was in his first few years as yokozuna.Actually, it would be surprising if he didn't have some sort of chronic problem after 8 years at the top level... Things can go south quickly though. Kitanoumi averaged 13.1 wins for a 10-basho stretch from 1983.01 to 1984.07 (with 5 yusho) at age 27/28, then had only two more records above 11-4 in the next three and a half years and failed to complete the majority of the tournaments.I have to say I'd be surprised if Hakuho will still be just as good as now on his 30th birthday (and I'd be shocked if he is still an active rikishi on his 32nd), so his shot at the yusho record might depend less on him than on everybody else - if Harumafuji falls apart just as quickly and nobody else steps up, Hakuho could still hoover up yusho while fighting at lower quality and winning only 13 bouts or even just 12. If the level around him is high enough that it's going to take 14-1's and 15-0's, his job will be much harder. Are you sure about those figures for Kitanoumi between 1983.01 & 1984.07? He only won one yusho (1984 Natsu) and only completed 3 entire basho in that time. Swami

Other tongue-twisters one would include Tsurushinobu and Takachihonomine. Swami

Great photos! Swami

Since Asahifuji's promotion they are pretty much locked into the 2 consecutive yusho position so even a good quality jun-yusho like this one may only count if Kisenosato were to win the next two basho. Swami

Site seems to be down at present. Swami

I thought Kisenosato had a decent chance of winning today but alas no. He must hope that Harumafuji can do him a favour tomorrow. Swami

True, I don't see him risking a fall to juryo. Swami

He certainly has had a wretched time of it with injuries. I'd hate to see him struggling in the lower ranks, a shadow of his former self. Swami

In my opinion, most periods in history weren't any more competitive than the one during which Kaio had his decline phase. The early 2000s might have been a bit soft, but Kaio was still performing as a strong(ish) ozeki at that time.In any case, Kaio did compete during one of the few really competitive periods, the mid to late 1990s - and it quite possibly stopped him (and several others) from becoming ozeki much earlier and winning more yusho than he would have against more average competition. Holding the circumstances of his decline phase against him without acknowledging that facet makes any assessment more skewed than warranted. Absolutely, in many ways he deserved to be promoted and was unlucky in many ways he didn't get promoted earlier. But he hung on far too long. Longevity is one thing, but I don't think he would have survived at ozeki until 38 in the 80s or 90s. Swami

But surely had Kaio competed in an era where the competition was stronger, there's no way he would have lasted as long. Or at least he would probably have been demoted. Swami

Great photos! Swami

Kokonoe still looks in good shape, Swami

Surely he was heavier than that at some point? Swami

Happy birthday and hearty salutations from the Swami! Swami

Gagamaru must have lost a few kilos. Presumably that leaves Tokushinho as the heaviest sekitori? Swami

Hearty congratulations from the Swami! Swami

I have no PC at present, not my fault! Swami

Down again at present. Swami

His last dohyo-iri would have been September 1985, ahead of his danpatsu-shiki. Swami

Happy birthday and hearty salutations from the Swami! Swami