In a move that surprised exactly no-one, perpetually injured Yokozuna Kisenosato has declared that he will not participate in the upcoming Nagoya tournament. This marks a record-setting eight consecutive tournaments that Kisenosato has failed to complete, snatching the inglorious title from prior record holder Takanohana who had seven. In addition, this will be the third consecutive tournament where he will not even compete on the first day of the basho.

Although the article cited refers to him wanting to enter Aki, given the nature of his injury, his physical situation is unlikely to be substantially different in September. In recent practice/test matches against a variety of opponents, including Yokozuna Hakuho, his sumo looked chaotic and sloppy. Kisenosato has clearly picked up a significant amount of mass during his 18 month kyujo marathon, and that is likely to further hamper any attempts to return to competition.

As always, we hope Kisenosato finds some path back from the mess he is currently mired within.