Yusho
After seven rounds of competition, Ms8e Oshoma (7-0) took the title by beating wily veteran Ms30 Kitaharima. This was only Oshoma’s 4th tournament; he started at Ms15TD in November and went 19-9 in upper Makushita. His undefeated record in the Ms1-Ms15 extended promotion zone will see him make his Juryo debut in just his 5th basho.
Juryo Promotions
It looks like 4 promotion slots will be open in Juryo. Shohozan, Chiyoarashi, and Daishomaru are certain to drop to Makushita, while J14e Takakento (7-8) lost what sure looked like an exchange bout, though he did get to stay at that rank after a 7-8 record in March. Oshoma claims one slot. The others will go to rikishi in the Ms1-Ms5 promotion zone with winning records. The contenders in order of precedence are Ms2e Hokuseiho (5-2), Ms1w Nishikawa (4-3), Ms3e Chiyosakae (5-2), Ms4w Kinbozan (5-2), Ms4e Roga (4-3) and Ms5w Kamito (4-3). Chiyosakae won his likely exchange bout with Takakento, while Kinbozan lost his with Kitanowaka. The first 3 should go up, while the next 3 will get to try again in July. As usual, unlike the rest of the banzuke, the Juryo promotions will be announced in the next few days.
Oshoma’s success highlights Ichinojo’s blistering rise. Starting from the same rank, (edit:) in that fifth basho he picked up a kinboshi from Kakuryu on his way to a jun-yusho and a promotion to Sekiwake within a year of his debut.
There are a few Ms15TD starters who made it to sekitori in two basho. Among the active guys, Ichinojo is joined by Endo, Mitakeumi, and Yago, who I guess provides a cautionary tale.
I wonder how long it’ll be before someone manages to get to Juryo after only one basho.
There was a guy back in 2006 who went 7-0 at Ms15TD but wasn’t promoted. The cognoscenti don’t think that’s a hard precedent, so it is possible…
Can any of the Tachiai experts explain to me why Tsushimanada at the rank of Makushita 2W was called back for an extra (8th) match again Shohozan on day 15? He was already 2-5 after day 13 and so had no prospect of promotion – is it unusual to be asked to have an 8th match in Makushita when it’s not a playoff?
PS I’m wondering if Tsushimanada’s victory is the last we’ll see of Shohozan on the Dohyo as he could well decide to retire.
Sometimes the schedule works out in such a manner that the only way to accommodate everyone is to give someone an 8th bout. They give it to someone who is already MK, and a loss isn’t counted against them in banzuke terms, while a win helps a bit. I’m sure there are others who know how this works much better than I do, so hopefully someone will chime in.