Tachiai is reluctant to report that Shin-Ozeki Takakeisho has pulled out of the Natsu Basho after suffering a medial collateral ligament injury in his right knee during his Day 4 match with Mitakeumi. Immediately after winning his match, Takakeisho bent down into a squat before limping back to his side of the dohyo and down the hanamichi. Following his match, Takakeisho maintained that the knee didn’t cause him any pain, despite the obviously laboured walking, and that he would see a doctor before making a decision on competing further. After a visit to the doctor and consulting with his Oyakata, Takakeisho pulled out of competition. In regards to his deshi’s injury, Chiganoura Oyakata stated that he would not let Takakeisho force himself to compete and that the Shin-Ozeki should take the necessary time to heal.
In addition to spoiling his first basho as Ozeki, this injury also means that Takakeisho will enter the Nagoya basho as a kadoban Ozeki. That being said, we at Tachiai are glad that both Takakiehso and his Oyakata are committed to letting him get the rest and recovery he needs to return and defend his Ozeki rank come July, and we will be cheering him on every step of the way.
Update: Takakeisho has been prescribed three weeks of treatment for his injured knee.
that’s tough for him – but wise heads prevailed – thank you doctors and oyakata!! the right outcome, kyujo and let it heal fully. being kadoban ozeki next basho (through injury) is nothing to be ashamed of, and it will give him the impetus he needs to hang onto his newly gained ozeki rank. he’ll be hungry for it… – Rest well, heal well, rehab well, then blow them all away!!!
I had to look this one up. I found this on healthline DOT com
Medial Collateral Ligament Injury of the Knee (MCL Tear)
which explains what the injury is all about. MCL injuries are grade 1, grade 2, or grade 3, grade 3.
Here is the outlook from this article:
What’s the outlook for an MCL injury?
The outlook is usually good regardless of whether or not surgery is needed. Recovery times vary depending on the severity of your MCL injury. Since grade 1 MCL injuries are minor, they only take a few days to heal.
Grade 2 injuries, however, can take up to four weeks. Grade 3 injuries are the most severe and have the longest recovery time. It typically takes eight weeks or more for these types of injuries to heal.
Let’s hope his injury is not grade 3, or he may have to sit out the next basho!
Get well, Takakeisho!
Thanks for doing the medical legwork. I’m leaning towards it being a grade 2 based on a comment in the article that mentions sitting out will lead to success in Nagoya. Of course, this is an article ran through my translator app, and they don’t attribute this statement to anyone in particular, so it is hard to say.
Can we have an Oyakata of the Year award?
yes, a definite award required for Oyakata of the Year! agree wholeheartedly. He’s not afraid to make the tough decisions and i applaud him for that – Takakeisho’s welfare and full capacity to heal fully and resume at full strength is his top priority and the correct decision made. Respect!
Yes, Chiganoura is definitely winning that one. His impeccable handling of the Takanoiwa scandal. Finding a way not to force any of the Takas to become Takanofuji’s tsukebito. Setting up Naya as Takakeisho’s tsukebito. Making Takakeisho smile and relax. And of course, letting him go kyujo when he needs to go kyujo.
So disappointing. Obviously the right move, but makes this basho so much less exciting now with my favorite out. Now, I’m pulling for a Tochinoshin return to Ozeki, and maybe even the overall victory!
It’s a sound decision. Also, a bit easier to make, since there is no penalty of sliding in the ranking. If he is fit (or close to it), then winning 8 matches to remove the kadoban in Nagoya should not be a big problem.
I really like Taka, hope he comes back strong, soon.
Terrible news, but at his young age there is no reason to force anything and risk greater injury. Still the tournament will be a little less fun to watch now…
Oh my! Not what I wanted to hear. Dreadful luck, indeed! Yeah, pulling out of the tourney is for the BEST…and that he starts the healing process now. Agree with dentay1612 and Janet fully — very, very smart of the Chiganoura Oyakata to sit his young charge down for two months or so. Heck, I wouldn’t let Takakeisho doing any keiko until he was 100%!
I was really worried watching the bout yesterday, that Takakeisho might be done for the basho … sadly it became true (which of course is the smart decision).
Really dissapointing basho for me. While its probably wide open, none of the upcoming hopeful rikishi able to establish themselves. Ichinojo lost his sumo, Mitakeumi at 50% or something, Takayasu maybe even below 50%, Takakeisho out now. Of the older ones, Aoiyama doesn’t look like he cn continue from last basho, Goeido looks like he is going to somehow gumble this Yusho, even if it’s up for his taking, Kakuryo is 4-0 so far, but hasn’t looked dominating so far. Bright spots so far are Tochinoshin, who looks rejuvenated and Asanoyama, who looks like the promising guy from last year again.
I heard someone talk about the curse of the Shin-Ozeki – after what happened to Tochinoshin and now Takakeisho (One might also talk about the curse of the Shin-Yokozuna after what happened to Kisenosato) Let’s hope that this is just a one Basho speed bump for Takakeisho and that Tochinoshin maintains the form he now seems to have regained (fingers crossed). Otherwise, Rikishi may become afraid to be promoted!
That’s awfully quick to invoke a curse. The previous 15 Shin-Ozeki were all fine in their debut basho at the rank (most recently, Takayasu). You have to go back to Musoyama in 2000 to find another Shin-Ozeki going kyujo.