2020 Hatsu Basho banzuke released.

[Swami]

Asanoyama, Daieisho promoted in rankings for New Year Basho
Details
Written by Kyodo
Published: 24 December 2019
Hits: 16

Summer Basho winner Asanoyama will fight as a sekiwake for the first time at next month’s New Year Grand Sumo Tournament, the latest rankings released by the Japan Sumo Association showed.

The 25-year-old rising star earned promotion to sumo’s third-highest rank after going 11-4 as a new komusubi at last month’s Kyushu Basho. While pursuing a second top-division trophy, he kept pace with yokozuna Hakuho until late in the meet.

Asanoyama is the third wrestler from Toyama Prefecture to reach sekiwake and first since Kotogaume in 1986. “I’m aiming to progress higher in the banzuke. I won’t feel confident unless I post double-digit wins as sekiwake,” Asanoyama told reporters at Takasago Stable in Tokyo. “I always compete like a challenger. I’m going to fight my own fight.”

Hakuho, who won his 43rd makuuchi title in an injury-thinned field in Fukuoka, remains on top of the rankings as east yokozuna for 2020’s first grand tournament, which begins on Jan. 12 at Ryogoku Kokugikan. “The arrival of the new year means the clock ticks closer to the Tokyo Olympics. I won two championships this year, so I want to make it three next year and climb the ladder one step at a time,” Hakuho said.

Kakuryu occupies the west yokozuna slot after sitting out the Kyushu meet with a back injury.

Takakeisho is the east ozeki with Goeido in the west as a demotion-threatened kadoban ozeki.

Takayasu was demoted after posting two straight losing records and takes the sekiwake slot opposite Asanoyama. After abruptly withdrawing in November with acute back pain, Takayasu can secure automatic promotion back to the sport’s second-highest rank with at least 10 wins in Tokyo.

Daieisho was bumped up to komusubi, landing in the three sanyaku ranks below yokozuna for the first time. Komusubi Abi retained his position for the fourth straight meet.

Mitakeumi, who won a second makuuchi title in September, went 6-9 last month and forfeited his sekiwake rank, falling three places to No. 2 maegashira. Tochinoshin missed out on a bid for an ozeki promotion after sustaining a rib injury and dropped to No. 6.

Endo and Hokutofuji both failed to secure a winning record at the last meet and lost their komusubi positions, dropping to No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.

Among the rank-and-file, Azumaryu, Ikioi, Tochiozan, Kaisei and Tokushoryu all return to the top tier, while Mongolian-born Kiribayama is set to make his makuuchi debut.

Injuries forced Tomokaze, Ichinojo and Wakatakakage back to the second division, where they will be joined by Nishikigi, Daishomaru and Daishoho following losing performances in Kyushu.

Swami

 

[Swami]

2020 January Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke Topics
Ozeki Goeido

• Goeido is Ozeki Kadoban again after the September tournament of last year. He has been titled Ozeki Kadoban for the 9th time.

Sekiwake Debut Asanoyama

• This is the first Sekiwake debut in a year. The previous one had been Takakeisho who was promoted in January of 2019.
• In September 2007 Asasekiryu had been the previously promoted Sekiwake debutant from Takasago Beya.
• Asanoyama the 3rd Rikishi from Toyama Prefecture to achieve this post WWII, following Kotogaume, who had been promoted in September of 1986.
• He is also the 3rd former student of Kindai University to reach this rank. The previous one had been Takarafuji in September 2016.
• This is the first time that a Sandanme-Tsukedashi has his Sekiwake debut.

Sekiwake Takayasu

• Takayasu has been demoted from Ozeki to Sekiwake, following Tochinoshin who had been demoted in the previous tournament. For the first time since Showa Era this kind of demotion happened in 3 consecutive tournaments.

Komusubi Abi

• Abi stays Komusubi for the 4th consecutive tournament. The previous Rikishi who achieved this had been Kisenosato who stayed Komusubi from July 2006 until January 2007.

Komusubi Debut Daieisho

• As a Sanyaku debutant, Daieisho follows Asanoyama who was promoted in the previous tournament.
• He is the first Rikishi from Oitekaze Beya to achieve this since Endo who had been promoted in May 2018.
• Furthermore he is the 5th Rikishi post WWII from Saitama Prefecture, following Abi who had been promoted in July of last year.

Makuuchi Debut Kiribayama

• Kiribayama is the first Makuuchi debutant from Michinoku Beya since Hakuba, promoted in May of 2008.
• He is the 26th Mongolian Rikishi to achieve this, following Daishoho promoted last March. Furthermore he is the 49th foreigner to reach Makuuchi Division.

Makuuchi Return Azumaryu

• Azumaryu returns to Makuuchi after 2 tournaments.

Makuuchi Return Ikioi

• Ikioi returns to Makuuchi after 5 tournaments. He previously held the rank in March last year.

Makuuchi Return Tochiozan

• Tochiozan returns to Makuuchi after 2 tournaments.

Makuuchi Return Kaisei

• Kaisei returns to Makuuchi after 3 tournaments. He previously held the rank in July last year.

Makuuchi Return Tokushoryu

• Tokushoryu returns to Makuuchi after 4 tournaments. He previously held the rank in May last year.

Juryo Return Asagyokusei

• Asagyokusei returns to Juryo after 2 tournaments.

Juryo Return Churanoumi

• Churanoumi returns to Juryo after 4 tournaments. He previously held the rank in May last year.

Juryo Return Chiyootori

• Chiyootori returns to Juryo after 13 tournaments. He previously held the rank in November 2017.

Juryo Return Terunofuji

• Terunofuji returns to Juryo after 10 tournaments. He previously held the rank in May 2018.

< Chiyootori & Terunofuji >

• The previous time a Rikishi with Sanyaku-experience being demoted to Sandanme rose back up to Juryo again had been in the September tournament of 2018. The Rikishi was Jokoryu.

Juryo Return Sakigake

• Sakigake returns to Juryo after 30 tournaments. He previously held the rank in January 2015. This is the 4th-slowest return in history.

Swami

 

[Trick-or-Treat Stevens]

Good to see Daieisho get a promotion. He's had a good run as of late. Good too to see Ikioi, Kaisei, and Tochiozan return to Makuuchi.

I do hope Takayasu does better this time around and is able to return to ozeki rank within a basho or two.

 

[Swami]

Good to see Daieisho get a promotion. He's had a good run as of late. Good too to see Ikioi, Kaisei, and Tochiozan return to Makuuchi.

I do hope Takayasu does better this time around and is able to return to ozeki rank within a basho or two.

Will also be interesting to see how Ichinojo fares in Juryo, also Terunofuji in the second division too, not sure how much further he can go in his comeback.

Swami

 

[Trick-or-Treat Stevens]

Will also be interesting to see how Ichinojo fares in Juryo, also Terunofuji in the second division too, not sure how much further he can go in his comeback.

Swami

True, I wouldn't expect Ichinojo to be in Juryo too long unless his injuries keep him sidelined.

At least Terunofuji is on an upward trajectory. It's still hard to believe he won the Emperor's Cup in 2015.

 

[Swami]

True, I wouldn't expect Ichinojo to be in Juryo too long unless his injuries keep him sidelined.

At least Terunofuji is on an upward trajectory. It's still hard to believe he won the Emperor's Cup in 2015.

Ichinojo has managed to lose around 20kgs, which may help him become a bit more mobile.

Terunofuji's knees are bad, plus he had a lot of internal ailments so it remains to be seen how far he progresses.

Swami

 

[Swami]

New sekiwake Asanoyama heads into New Year with hopes soaring
Details
Written by The Yomiuri Shimbun
Published: 26 December 2019
Hits: 16

Coming off a breakout year that included his first tournament title, newly promoted sekiwake Asanoyama heads into 2020 with high expectations as he aims for a higher rank.

“Next year is an important one,” Asanoyama said at the Takasago stable in Tokyo. “I’ll train hard to make it a good year.”

The 25-year-old Asanoyama had a productive and memorable 2019, to say the least, rising to sumo’s third-highest rank.

His victory at the Summer Grand Tournament included receiving the “President’s Cup” from visiting U.S President Donald Trump. At the Autumn Grand Tournament, he defeated yokozuna Kakuryu for his first career kinboshi. In his debut as a komusubi last month at the Kyushu Grand Tournament, he chalked up 11 wins. That not only earned him promotion to sekiwake, it gave him the most total wins for the year among all wrestlers in the upper-most makuuchi division.

Asked how he accounts for his rapid progression, Asanoyama replied: “I was able to maintain my style of sumo, and effectively use my right underhand grip on the belt. Even if I didn’t get it [at the initial charge], I was able to use a left overhand grip to stay on the offensive.”

At the last tournament, he was able to fend off opponents like Takakeisho and Hokutofuji, whose pushing style usually gives Asanoyama trouble.

At this time last year, he was still a relative unknown. Now, in the span of a year, he has emerged as a top candidate for ozeki, gaining the strength that draws attention. He’ll be looking to build up wins at the New Year tournament to solidify his chances for promotion.

“It doesn’t mean anything if I don’t win in double-digits,” Asanoyama said. “But I can’t be looking too far ahead.”

Stablemaster Takasago (former ozeki Asashio) said a future promotion to ozeki is certainly possible. “Since he’s able to get 11 wins in a tournament, I don’t see why not.”

Meanwhile, yokozuna Hakuho responded to criticism from the Yokozuna Deliberation Council regarding rough tactics he has used that are considered inappropriate for a holder of the highest rank, including a forearm shiver to the body. “I just do my style of sumo,” he said. “They are not banned techniques.”

Swami