It’s time for everyone’s favorite chart that just about makes it to print in time to become fully obsolete: the heya power rankings!
Before the Kyushu basho, we know that there would be one massive effect on the Power Rankings: Takanohana announced that he was dissolving his stable and all of the stable’s rikishi would be moving over to Chiganoura-beya.
Chiganoura had only recently even made an impact on the top two divisions since Takanosho’s promotion to Juryo, and subsequently Makuuchi, and so hadn’t really been a figure in this series before. However, with Takagenji, Takanoiwa (or so we thought), and budding tadpole superstar Takakeisho moving over to Chiganoura-beya, it was clear that the stable would start to put itself at least among Kokonoe, Sadogatake and other mid-level mainstays of our rankings list.
What we did not anticipate was that the stable would rocket up to the levels of powerhouse stables like Miyagino (3 sekitori including one dai-yokozuna), Kasugano (epic year with big ozeki promotion and yusho champ), and Tagonoura (perpetually injured yokozuna plus serial jun-yusho bridesmaid). How far did the stable rise? Let’s check out the big chart:
And now this list in the usual Top 20 format:
- (**) Chiganoura. 108 points (+98)
- (+1) Tagonoura. 95 points (+15)
- (+1) Kasugano. 60 points (+4)
- (-2) Sakaigawa. 53 points (-32)
- (+1) Oitekaze. 43 points (even)
- (-5) Miyagino. 39 points (-65)
- (+9) Oguruma. 35 points (+18)
- (-3) Izutsu. 30 points (-15)
- (-2) Kokonoe. 27 points (-14)
- (+7) Tokitsukaze. 27 points (+12)
- (+2) Takadagawa. 23 points (+1)
- (+2) Isenoumi. 23 points (+3)
- (+6) Sadogatake. 23 points (+8)
- (-4) Dewanoumi. 20 points (-5)
- (-4) Minato. 20 points (-5)
- (-4) Hakkaku. 20 points (-2)
- (**) Onomatsu. 20 points (+12)
- (+-) Kataonami. 15 points (even)
- (+1) Isegahama. 15 points (+1)
- (-5) Tomozuna. 13 points (-4)
(legend: ** = new entry, +- = no movement, tiebreaker 1: higher position in the previous chart, tiebreaker 2: highest ranked rikishi on the banzuke)
Analysis
We thought Chiganoura would become a big player in these rankings, but Takakeisho‘s (somewhat) unprecedented yusho and accompanying special prizes meant that the stable vaulted straight to the top in its inaugural posting. We’d expect this to cool down next time, as it looks like a repeat from the young starlet is a big ask. However, should be continue to push for Ozeki promotion, some special prizes would certainly be on offer. Takanoiwa‘s retirement will also take a small bite out of the stable’s points tally in our listing.
Tagonoura somewhat appropriately reclaims the #2 spot as its two sekitori have done on so many occasions, with Takayasu‘s jun-yusho more than offsetting the yokozuna’s partially kyujo and kachi-koshi-less tournament. It should be said that like the banzuke committee, this chart does also give Kisenosato more credit than his fellow yokozuna just for turning up.
Sakaigawa shifts down owing to the jun-yusho switch from Goeido to Takayasu, and the former’s partially kyujo tournament (in spite of his kachi-koshi) didn’t help matters, otherwise it would have been a closer run race for #3. Oguruma meanwhile vaults up the listings owing to Juryo-debutant Tomokaze‘s yusho – but unlike in previous occasions where a juryo yusho practically guaranteed a drop in the next rankings, there’s a good reason to believe Oguruma could hold serve with Tomokaze now the favorite for the Juryo-yusho race again, and Yago making his makuuchi debut at Hatsu to complement Yoshikaze‘s somewhat fortuitous placing just outside the likely joi-line.
Otherwise, further down the listings, it’s much of a muchness. Miyagino‘s big drop of 65 points is exactly what happens when a yusho-winning (+50) yokozuna doesn’t show up (-10), never mind get a winning record (+5). Dewanoumi and Minato lose points as both sekiwake came up short of a kachi-koshi.
Kokonoe was the most disappointing stable to end 2018, with its six sekitori posting a miserable 31-59 record in the final basho. Fans of the heya’s remaining sekitori will be hoping for better results from the former powerhouse. And speaking of former big time stables, on a final curious note, this marks the first positive points movement in well over a year for Isegahama-beya (owing to Terutsuyoshi‘s kachi-koshi). Hopefully in 2019 we’ll see Nishikifuji and Midorifuji complete their push from Makushita to replenish the heya’s depleted sekitori ranks.
Oguruma 🙏🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻♥️💪🏻
I think Kasugano is a bit of a sleeper here, and I think they are going to be quite the powerhouse for a while once they crest. The real surprise is Kokonoe continues to slide lower. Given their large number of rikishi, this is probably only a temporary state.
The Kokonoe Question (also incidentally the title of my next novel) for me comes down to whether we think any of those individual guys’ performances also can improve. I don’t know that Chiyoshoma has a lot of spark left in him at the top division (although he’s not that old) at this point, and I think Chiyonokuni is going to be one of these guys that constantly bounces around between M5 and M12, he may have topped out as well, given the wave of young talent coming up.
Chiyonoo meanwhile has been dumped out, so maybe if Chiyootori makes his way back as a force and Chiyomaru can recover his mojo, there’s a chance. But I think it may get worse before it gets better, and I think their score will be lower after this basho due to their lower banzuke standing, even if a couple guys eke out a KK.