Posted just a short time ago at the NSK web site, we have the banzuke for the upcoming May tournament in Tokyo.
All the details here: http://www.sumo.or.jp/EnHonbashoBanzuke/index/
Andy and I will be doing a video podcast tonight to discuss the topics, including how close the spreadsheet came to getting it right this time
I am amazed, like I’m amazed every time, that they’re able to make the banzuke – they weren’t dealt a great hand this time with the top folks going MK.
I’m a bit squee over Wakaichiro moving up as much as he did.
Yeah, at Jonidan 52 Wakaichiro is in a very nice spot. I am eager to see his bouts in person in a couple of weeks. I am sure the NSK had a devil of a time sorting all of this out. As mentioned earlier, it crapped out the spreadsheet I made to try and compute ranks.
I will also note that the spreadsheet got a few things right, but was also a wreck for quite a few others. I will Gamberize and it will improve!
Same – few correct and few wrong, good for working out how certain situations are resolved!
I am super envious that you’re getting to see it in person — I would think that the lower division is, in some cases, more fun to watch than the upper ones. I will wave my pennant for you from the sidelines of my living room for you to enjoy yourself!
Great to see it in person! Any way to bring some kind of banner representing the blog members that supports Wakaichiro?
Going to give it a try!
Good, take pictures!
Also Tamawashi S1E? Was surprised by that
I was super surprised by that, too — I could have sworn that Takayasu (Mr. Teddy Bear himself) would have had that sewn up.
Personally, I am going to guess that was a mistake. Not that anyone would admit it
Haru Results
Tamawashi 8 – 7
Takayasu 12 – 3
But it’s their banzuke, they can do what they want.
That one really makes. No. Sense. At. All.
I think they simply did not want to demote a wrestler (Tamawashi) with a winning record.
Which is a very odd turnaround by them, given that they’ve happily done it hundreds of times in sanyaku before.
I’m thinking the reason for this is that they’re trying to get Tamawashi and Takayasu up into Ozeki if Goeido loses rank.
Tamawashi has got kachi-koshi for a couple of basho now, which lays a decent foundation. By contrast, Takayasu had been at komisube at Hatsu Basho. Although Tamawashi had a lower score than Takayasu at Haru, Tamawashi’s multiple kachi-koshi at sekiwake lay a good foundation for his Ozeki run.
AKA, they are giving priority to Tamawashi as he had done well at sekiwake over multiple tournaments, and placing him at S1E shows they will take the longer-term performance into account, rather than just looking at 8-7 at Haru, which is not promotion material. Otherwise, if they moved Tamawashi down lower than S1W, his ozeki run would be lost and he would have to start over.
Meanwhile Takayasu’s strong performance lays good foundation for promotion either this tournament, or movement up to S1E and promotion with good performance at Nagoya.
Neither of Tamawashi’s results at sekiwake was promotion material… And even the longer view significiantly favours Takayasu, with four double-digit results in the last five basho. Nobody in the Japanese press is talking about Tamawashi as an ozeki candidate for the upcoming basho at all, while they’ve been full up with Takayasu coverage all month long.
I’m inclined to side with Asashosakari on this one. While they may be hoping Tamawashi continues to perform at sekiwake level, I can’t think of him seriously for Ozeki, yet. Even if he bulldozes everyone this month, and gets a zensho yusho, I would want to see another solid tournament before promotion. He had four great tournaments in a row while the last tournament was decidedly, “meh.” 7 solid wins, only getting kachi-koshi by benefit of fusen win over Goeido. Goeido, himself, was a solid sekiwake for a good two years before his ozeki run. And that one was a bit controversial because his two 12-win tournaments had that marginal 8-win tournament in the middle.
There is only one rikishi in a promotable position right now, Takayasu. It’s up to him to get 10 wins this basho. Given his performance over the last year, you could assume that he will be up to the task. But with Kisenosato sidelined, Takayasu is no longer training daily against a Yokozuna.
So as described in the podcast, there is this barrier towards anyone really rising in rank, most especially Mitakeumi – with 3 Sekiwake for the time being, there is little hope of much movement up. Though the risk of Goeido moving down is quite real. 4 Sekiwake for Nagoya? Dear lord I hope not.
What would happen then if Mitakeumi pulled out 12/13+ wins, Goeido has a make-koshi and all the sekiwake get around an 8-7 record – 5 sekiwake?!? haha
Congested areas like that rarely last long. I wouldn’t be too surprised if none of the three sekiwake is still at the rank for Nagoya (Takayasu up, the other two down).
As Josh described in his post, five sekiwake can indeed happen under such circumstances: https://tachiai.org/2017/04/12/mitakeumi-the-sekiwake-squad-face-down-1972/
Good recall!