2017 Kyushu Basho banzuke released.

[Swami]

2017 November Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke Topics
OzekiTakayasu

• For the first time since his promotion in July, Takayasu is Ozeki Kadoban. Following Goeido and Terunofuji who had been titled Ozeki Kadoban in the last tournament.

SekiwakeMitakeumi

• Mitakeumi stays Sekiwake for the 3rd tournament in a row, and in Sanyaku for the 5th time.

SekiwakeYoshikaze

• Yoshikaze also stays at the Sekiwake-rank and is in Sanyaku for the 4th consecutive time.

SekiwakeTerunofuji

• Terunofuji finds himself in the Sekiwake-rank again for the first time since May 2015, that means 15 tournaments.
• His demotion from the Ozeki-rank follows Kotoshogiku who lost his Ozeki-status in March of this year. Since the regulations for the demotion of an Ozeki changed in the July 1969 tournament, he is the 17th Rikishi, while the process of demotion happened even 20 times.

Komusubi ReturnKotoshogiku

• Kotoshogiku is back in the Komosubi-rank after 2 tournaments.

Komusubi DebutOnosho

• Onosho is the second Rikishi from Onomatsu Beya to make his Komusubi debut since the present Shisho founded it on the 1st of October 1994. The first being Wakakoyu in January 2012.
• He is the 24th Rikishi from Aomori Prefecture to achieve this post WWII, following Takarafuji, who had been promoted in July 2015.
• At 21 years and 3 months of age as well as joining Sumo in Heisei Era, he is the 6th youngest Rikishi to achieve this.

Makuuchi DebutDaiamami

• Daiamami is the 7th Rikishi from Oitekaze Beya to make his Makuuchi debut since the present Shisho founded it on the 1st of October 1998. The previous had been Daishomaru in the March tournament of 2016.
• He is the 23rd Rikishi post WWII from Kagoshima Prefecture, following Chiyoo (currently Chiyonoo) who had been promoted in January of this year.
• Additionally he is the 92nd Rikishi successful in amateur Sumo as a student to reach Makuuchi since Asanoyama in the last tournament. Moreover, he is the 36th graduate of Nihon University following Ishiura who had been promoted one year ago.

Makuuchi ReturnAminishiki

• Aminishiki returns to Makuuchi after 8 tournaments. He was demoted in July of last year.
• At exactly 39 years of age, he is the oldest ever rikishi to achieve this since Showa Era.

Makuuchi ReturnKotoyuki

• Kotoyuki returns to Makuuchi after 2 tournaments.

Makuuchi ReturnMyogiryu

• Myogiryu returns to Makuuchi, for the first time since May of this year, it took him 3 tournaments.

Juryo DebutTakanosho (Former Masunosho)

• Masunosho is the first Rikishi from Chiganoura Beya to make his Juryo debut since the present Shisho has inherited it on the 8th of April 2016. The previous one had been Masunoyama in November 2010.
• He is the 27th Rikiishi post WWII from Chiba Prefecture, following Asahisho who had been promoted in November 2011.

Juryo ReturnTakagenji

• Takagenji returns to Juryo after 3 tournaments. A rank he previously held in May of this year.

Swami

 

[Swami]

Harumafuji tops rankings for Kyushu, Onosho climbs to komusubi
Details
Written by Kyodo
Category: News
Published: 30 October 2017
Hits: 16

Yokozuna Harumafuji (Mainichi)

Yokozuna Harumafuji, who won the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament in September, will be the top-ranked wrestler at the Kyushu tourney getting under way on Nov. 12 in Fukuoka, according to rankings released Monday by the Japan Sumo Association.

Up-and-coming Onosho, who upset Harumafuji, the lone yokozuna competing at the previous meet, was promoted from No. 3 maegashira to komusubi after having collected 10 wins in three straight tourneys since making it to the top makuuchi division.

Harumafuji sits atop the prestigious east side for the first time in six meets and is looking to win back-to-back championships as three other yokozuna -- Hakuho, Kisenosato and Kakuryu -- are expected to return to competition after sitting out the entire September tourney with injuries.

In the Autumn competition, Harumafuji came from behind to force a playoff against Goeido after beating the ozeki in the last bout of regulation to put both grapplers at 11-4. The Mongolian then charged Goeido out to capture his ninth career title.

Hakuho, seeking an unprecedented 40th crown, is the top grand champion on the west side, while Kisenosato and Kakuryu take up the second yokozuna slots in east and west, respectively.

Goeido, who was denied his second title in September, is the ozeki on the east, swapping places with Takayasu on the west after the latter sat out most of the Autumn tourney with a right thigh injury sustained on the second day of the 15-day event in Tokyo.

Takayasu, who was promoted to ozeki two tourneys ago, will fight as a demotion-threatened "kadoban" in the November meet at Fukuoka Kokusai Center.

Terunofuji, who competed as an ozeki in 14 straight meets, was demoted to sekiwake following two straight losing records, having missed good parts of the last two tournaments with injury and could manage only one win each time. He will be able to rebound to ozeki with 10 wins in Kyushu.

Veteran Aminishiki makes a comeback to the top division for the first time since the Nagoya tourney in July 2016, which he missed entirely, becoming the oldest wrestler to return to makuuchi at age 39, based on official records kept by the JSA since the 1920s.

Former ozeki Kotoshogiku was elevated back to komusubi after wrestling as a top maegashira in September and posting a 10-5 record.

Daiamami, a 24-year-old from Kagoshima Prefecture, is making his debut in the makuuchi division as a No. 14 maegashira.

Swami

 

[Trick-or-Treat Stevens]

Good news for Onosho. I hope he does well in November. I hope too that all four yokozuna are healthy enough to compete.

 

[Swami]

Good news for Onosho. I hope he does well in November. I hope too that all four yokozuna are healthy enough to compete.

I still reckon one of them may retire before this year is out, probably Kakuryu. Eras of four yokozuna tend to be short-lived.

Swami

 

[Trick-or-Treat Stevens]

Any word on yokozuna Kisenosato's health? I hope to see him in action in a few weeks.

 

[Swami]

Any word on yokozuna Kisenosato's health? I hope to see him in action in a few weeks.

All four yokozuna have indicated they will compete, so here's hoping Kisenosato has got a clean bill of health.

Swami

 

[Swami]

Yokozuna Kakuryu pulls out of Kyushu tournament
Details
Written by Kyodo
Category: News
Published: 09 November 2017
Hits: 33

Kakuryu's career continues to hang by a thread as his stablemaster Izutsu said Wednesday the Monogolian yokozuna will withdraw from the upcoming Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.

According to Izutsu, the 32-year-old wrestler has been experiencing lower back pain for the last few days in addition to pain in his right ankle from an injury he sustained at the Nagoya tournament in July.

The Fukuoka meet gets under way Sunday at Fukuoka Kokusai Center.

Kakuryu missed the entire Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament in September along with two other yokozuna, Kisenosato and Hakuho, leaving Harumafuji as the only grand champion to compete in the 15-day meet at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.

It is the fourth time in a row that Kakuryu will miss part or all of a tournament, and the fifth time this year.

Kakuryu's career was put at stake when he announced his withdrawal from the last meet, and if he does not return to the raised ring in the next two weeks, a decision to retire from the sport will be delayed until the New Year tournament in January.

"He's still feeling pain, and gets better one day and worse the next. He didn't get enough training time so he rushed his preparations. It would be irresponsible (of him) to compete in his current condition. We're terribly sorry," Izutsu said.

"We'll work hard for the New Year meet in January. He'll get on the dohyo and depending on how he does he'll have to make the call (to retire)," he said.

Swami

 

[Swami]

Yokozuna Kisenosato to make comeback at Kyushu tourney
Details
Written by Kyodo
Category: News
Published: 09 November 2017
Hits: 29

Yokozuna Kisenosato confirmed Thursday he will compete at the upcoming Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament after missing all or part of the last three meets.

A day after fellow yokozuna Kakuryu announced his withdrawal from the 15-day event which gets under way Sunday at Fukuoka Kokusai Center, the injury-plagued Kisenosato said he will do his best and hopes his best is good enough.

"All I'll do is give my best effort. I've prepared well and feel in top shape. Now it comes down to the results. I'll do what I have to do," he said.

The 31-year-old Japan-born grand champion injured his left upper arm and chest muscles when he claimed the title at the Spring tourney in March, and pulled out of the Summer meet in May with four days remaining.

At the Nagoya meet in July, Kisenosato got off to a losing start and eventually withdrew citing left ankle injury. He opted out of the Autumn tournament in September, the first time he missed an entire tournament since his debut in 2002.

The Tagonoura stable wrestler returned to action in the autumn regional tour and has been back on his rigorous training routine since.

Swami

 

[Trick-or-Treat Stevens]

Good news about Yokozuna Kisenosato. Hopefully he's recovered from his injures.

Not so good news for Yokozuna Kakuryu. I guess he's the most likely Yokozuna to retire.

 

[Swami]

Good news about Yokozuna Kisenosato. Hopefully he's recovered from his injures.

Not so good news for Yokozuna Kakuryu. I guess he's the most likely Yokozuna to retire.

I think Kakuryu was putting off the inevitable this time, I'd say January he'll be gone.

Swami