The Sumo Kyokai released the banzuke ahead of the May tournament. No surprises in the top ranks. Terunofuji and Myogiryu get sekiwake slots and the easier first week schedule. Tochiozan and Ichinojo get the komusubi slots. Along with Takarafuji and Tochinoshin at Maegashira 1, and Toyonoshima and Aminishiki at M2, they are going to have a rough first week… Though with Ichinojo and Tochinoshin there are definitely some big upsets in the making that first week.
I hope Aminishiki will be back but we’ll see. If anyone has any news on his injury, please share in the comments. With Goeido’s shoulder, I’ll be surprised if he has 3 wins by the end of the week. Last tournament, Takarafuji fought well against the maegashira but was winless against the ozeki and Hakuho. He also lost to Ichinojo, Myogiryu, and Tochinoshin. He will not face Harumafuji or Terunofuji but with Kakuryu back he’ll still have a difficult schedule for the first half of the tournament.
Sadanoumi and Osunaarashi come in at M3 with Chiyootori and Tokushoryu at M4. These are still really difficult positions. They should feel the full force of sanyaku so I hope they’re all back healthy, particularly Chiyootori. I’m not optimistic about Chiyootori or Aminishiki’s chances at coming back this tournament. I hope they take it off to recuperate.
Going down further along the banzuke to Kitataiki and Tamawashi at M5 and Gagamaru and Aoiyama at M6, they should benefit from lighter schedules so hopefully they’ll put up winning records. Endo fell to M9 after missing the final 9 days. Homarefuji’s probably hoping he’ll pick up an easy no-show victory on Day 1, and same with Ikioi.
Fujiazuma bounds back into the top division on the back of his Juryo yusho. It’s his first time back after a year in the second division. He’s joined by Takanoiwa and Amuru surprises by staying in the makuuchi. Tokitenku’s 3-12 record and Shohozan’s woeful 1-14 performance were punished with demotion.
Tosayutaka is clinging to the salaried sekitori ranks by the skin of his teeth. At J14 West, he’ll fall into sandanme if he can’t get a winning record, which would be sad. He’d just gotten back to maegashira ranks in January when he went down with what seemed to be a bad knee injury. He did get 6 wins last tournament so he might have a bit more left in the tank.
As much as I like Tochinoshin, I don’t expect him to do well from M1. He has the potential to be a Sanyaku mainstay, but he just doesn’t seem to have the fire in his belly to make it a reality. He seems happier to just coast along, a bit like Kotooshu in his later career. He was happy just to maintain his Ozeki rank, I never saw any real desire to make Yokozuna.
I’ve been puzzled by him, too. He’s got the size and the fitness but his record does limp along when I’d think he and Ichinojo would be getting 10+ wins a tournament. But I dunno, it’s just really hard to tell with one yokozuna as dominant as Hakuho so no one else is really even in the running past day 8 or 9.
I’m keen to see how Gagamaru gets on – I’d written him off previously, but his performance last Basho was impressive. Can he repeat it from M6? I kinda doubt it but if he continues to improve…
Gagamaru is awesome. I went to a tournament and this guy in the crowd just shouts “Ga-ga-ga-ga, Gagamaru!!” The crowd loved him. I was sad to see him lose form and go into Juryo but really happy with the 12 wins last tournament. I hope he can stay close to kachi-koshi next month but it will be hard.