Depending on how the remaining days play out, there may be zero, one or two open San’yaku slots. Today’s loss by Tochiozan drops him out of San’yaku, and today’s win by Mitakeumi keeps him in. Tamawashi won and needs to win his remaining bouts to defend his rank. So either one or two komusubi slots will be open. The complication here is that we already have two occupied sekiwake slots: Yoshikaze has successfully defended his, and one will belong to Terunofuji. One more win by Mitakeumi keeps him at sekiwake, but should he lose to Harumafuji and Yoshikaze, he would get demoted to one of the komusubi slots.

Right now, Kotoshogiku is the lead contender for promotion (and parenthetically, Kotoshogiku Day remains a mathematical possibility, however distant). Right behind him are Onosho and Chiyotairyu, with Takakeisho and Shohozan still in the hunt.

The demotion picture hasn’t changed much: Nishikigi and Okinoumi need a win apiece to assure Makuuchi stays, and Ishiura needs two to stave off demotion.