2018 Natsu Basho banzuke released.

[Swami]

Kakuryu faces stiff challenge for title
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Written by Kyodo
Category: News
Published: 30 April 2018
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Fresh off his victory at March's Spring Grand Sumo Tournament, yokozuna Kakuryu, will head into May's Summer tourney atop the latest rankings, the Japan Sumo Association announced Monday. Tochinoshin mans the east sekiwake slot.

After an injury-plagued 2017, the 32-year-old Mongolian has put together two solid tournaments this year despite dealing with a right-hand injury. Kakuyru has never won more than nine bouts in each of the grand tournaments immediately following his previous three championships, and winning a fifth in the 15-day slugfest at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan starting on May 13 should be more difficult still.

Hakuho, whose 40 makuuchi division championships are the most in history, and fellow yokozuna Kisenosato are expected to rejoin the fray after they both sat out the March tourney with injuries. Hakuho was out in March with a toe injury, while Kisenosato has been hampered by damage he suffered to his left pectoral muscle and arm in winning the March 2017 tourney.

Kisenosato has not finished a tournament since then, and no grand tournament has ended with every yokozuna still competing on the final day since November 2016.

The ozeki ranks are manned by Takayasu and Goeido, with Takayasu in the more prestigious east slot after back-to-back 12-3 records in January and March.

Tochinoshin, the January champion, mans the east sekiwake slot. On the west, mountainous Mongolian Ichinojo is back at sekiwake for the first time since July 2015 after going 9-6 as a komusubi in March.

After a long run as sekikwake, Mitakeumi will wrestle as the east komusubi in May after a 7-8 March record. He will be joined on the west side by popular wrestler Endo, who makes his debut in the "sanyaku" ranks -- the three ranks below yokozuna.

One wrestler, Kyokutaisei, will make his first appearance in the elite makuuchi division after going 8-7 as a No. 1 juryo-division wrestler in March.

Three other wrestlers will be returning to the upper division, Sadanoumi, Takekaze and popular veteran Aminishiki. At 39 years, six months, Aminishiki rewrites his own record as the oldest wrestler to ever earn re-admission to the makuuchi division.

Swami

 

[Trick-or-Treat Stevens]

Well it's good to read that Kisenosato is expected to compete. It's certainly seems do or die for his sumo career in the forthcoming tourney. Hopefully all three yokozuna stay for the complete tourney.

I'm looking for good showings by Takayasu and Toshinoshin. Hopefully Onosho returns.

Good to hear that Takekaze and Aminishiki will return to the makuuchi division.

 

[Swami]

Well it's good to read that Kisenosato is expected to compete. It's certainly seems do or die for his sumo career in the forthcoming tourney. Hopefully all three yokozuna stay for the complete tourney.

I'm looking for good showings by Takayasu and Toshinoshin. Hopefully Onosho returns.

Good to hear that Takekaze and Aminishiki will return to the makuuchi division.

Tochinoshin has a chance of ozeki promotion if he can win 11 or 12 bouts, I reckon.

Swami

 

[Swami]

2018 May Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke Topics
Sekiwake Tochinoshin

• Tochinoshin remains at the Sekiwake-rank as well as in Sanyaku for the second consecutive tournament.

Sekiwake Return Ichinojo

• Ichinojo returns to the Sekiwake-rank he previously held in July 2015 after 17 tournaments. He remains in Sanyaku for the second tournament in a row.

Komusubi Mitakeumi

• Mitakeumi has been demoted to Komusubi, the rank he previously held in May 2017 after 6 tournaments. He remains in Sanyaku for 8 tournaments.

Komusubi Debut Endo

• Endo is the 3rd Rikishi from Oitekaze Beya to make his Komusubi debut since the present Shisho founded it on the 1st of October 1998. The previous had been Kokkai in the September tournament of 2006.
• He is the 5th Rikishi post WWII from Ishikawa Prefecture, following Tochinonada who had been promoted in November of 1997.
• Additionally he is the 45th Rikishi successful in amateur Sumo as a student to reach the Sanyaku-ranks, the previous one being Shodai in January 2017. Moreover, he is the 17th former student of Nihon University following Ishiura who had been promoted in September 2014.

Makuuchi Debut Kyokutaisei

• Kyokutaisei is the first Rikishi from Tomozuna Beya to reach Makuuchi since the current Shisho has inherited it on 11th of June 2017. He follows Asahisho who was promoted in September 2012 under the previous Shisho.
• He is the 51st Rikishi post WWII from Hokkaido, following Tatsuhikari who had been promoted in January of 1997. Moreover, he is the first Rikishi from Hokkaido to be in Makuuchi since the demotion of Kitakachidoki in May of 1998.

Makuuchi Return Sadanoumi

• Makuuchi Return Sadanoumi Sadanoumi returns to Makuuchi he was demoted from in September 2017 after 4 tournaments.

Makuuchi return Takekaze

• Takekaze returns to Makuuchi after 2 tournaments. At 38 years and 10 months of age, he is the second oldest Rikishi to achieve this since Showa Era.

Makuuchi return Aminishiki

• Aminishiki returns to Makuuchi after 2 tournaments. At exactly 39 years and 6 months of age, he is the oldest ever Rikishi to achieve this since Showa Era, tying his own, previously set record.

Juryo Debut Hakuyozan

• Hakuyozan is the first Rikishi from Takadagawa Beya to reach Juryo since the current Shisho has inherited it on 5th of August 2009. The previous one had been Ryuden in November 2014.
• He is the 18th Rikishi post WWII from Yamagata Prefecture, following Hokutokuni who had been promoted in March of 2008.

Juryo Debut Wakatakakage

• Wakatakakage is the 2nd Rikishi from Arashio Beya to make his Juryo debut since the present Shisho founded it on the 1st of June 2002. The previous had been Sokokurai in the January tournament of 2010.
• He is the 11th Rikishi post WWII from Fukushima Prefecture, following Sotairyu who had been promoted in September of 2009.
• Additionally he is the 126th Rikishi successful in amateur Sumo as a student to reach the Juryo, the previous one being Enho in the last tournament. Moreover, he is the 10th former student of Toyo University following Mitakeumi who had been promoted in July 2015.
• He is the 3rd Rikishi to reach Juryo after a debut as Sandanme Tsukedashi, the previous ones being Oyanagi (current Yutakayama) and Asanoyama, who had been promoted in March of 2017.

Juryo Return Asabenkei

• Asabenkei returns to Juryo he was demoted from in September 2016 after 10 tournaments.

Swami

 

[Trick-or-Treat Stevens]

I read that Onosho is back in juryo. Those injuries can set one back.

I noticed Yoshikaze is Maegashira #8 and Kotoshogiku is Maegashira #5 so I'm not as worried yet of them slipping to juryo too soon. Good see Endo's promotion. As always, I look forward to the newcomers to the Maegashira division. LOL, I guess like any sport I develop favourties.

 

[Swami]

I read that Onosho is back in juryo. Those injuries can set one back.

I noticed Yoshikaze is Maegashira #8 and Kotoshogiku is Maegashira #5 so I'm not as worried yet of them slipping to juryo too soon. Good see Endo's promotion. As always, I look forward to the newcomers to the Maegashira division. LOL, I guess like any sport I develop favourties.

I still cannot understand Terunofuji continuing after falling down to juryo, there is a kind of unspoken expectation that a former ozeki retires before he gets demoted to juryo.

He looked completely powerless in March.

Swami