Congratulations to Ozeki Hoshoryu (12-3) on his second career yusho. After a shaky start, with 3 losses in the first 9 days, he won his final 6 bouts, plus two more in the playoff. This run included victories over his two fellow Ozeki and Sekiwake Daieisho (11-4). Hoshoryu also lived up to his rank’s role as “the great barrier” by defeating all the lower-ranked yusho hopefuls: Kirishima, Oho (twice), Chiyoshoma, Kinbozan (twice), and Takerufuji. JSA Chairman Hakkaku has asked the Yokozuna Deliberation Council to consider the promotion of Hoshoryu to sumo’s highest rank, and they will be meeting later today (Japan time). I was all set to write how Haru would be the first basho without a Yokozuna in over 30 years, but barring any unexpected hiccups, we should have a Yokozuna on the March banzuke after all!

Onosato earned a respectable if somewhat disappointing 10-5 record and should be the top-ranked Ozeki in March. He’ll be joined at the rank by Kotozakura (5-10), who will need to recover from whatever ailed him this basho in order to post the 8 wins he needs at Haru to retain his rank.

S1w Daiesho (11-4) ably defended his rank and should be moving over to East side. He’ll be joined at Sekiwake by either M1w Kirishima (11-4) or M3w Oho (12-3), who’ll be filling the space vacated by S1e Wakamotoharu (6-9). Whichever of the two isn’t Sekiwake will take the East Komusubi slot. K1w Wakatakakage (7-8) will join his brother in the rank-and-file. Who’ll be West Komusubi is unclear. The best-placed promotion candidate is M3e Gonoyama (8-7), which may lead the banzuke committee to consider sliding K1e Abi (7-8) over to the West side.

Abi/Gonoyama and the Waka brothers should occupy the first 3 maegashira ranks. They’re likely to be joined in the joi by Chiyoshoma, Tobizaru, Takanosho, Takayasu, Ichiyamamoto, Ura, and Kinbozan.

Who’s on the Juryo barge, and who’s coming up to Makuuchi? The 3 certain demotions are all absentees: Hokutofuji, Roga, and Kitanowaka. Together with Terunofuji’s retirement, this opens up 4 spots in the top division. The 4 obvious candidates to fill these are 3 returnees—Juryo champion Shishi and veterans Ryuden and Sadanoumi—and one rookie, Shishi’s fellow Ukrainian Aonishiki, who is set to earn the fastest top-division promotion by a foreign-born wrestler, and tied for the fastest by someone who started at the bottom. Asakoryu will also make a top-division return. He should take the place of Kagayaki, though this is a little less clear-cut. The other demotion candidates are Tamashoho, Tokihayate, Kotoshoho, and Mitakeumi (who looked completely helpless after a 2-1 start). The most likely 6th exchange, if there is one, is Shirokuma for Tamashoho. J1w Kayo (7-8) missed out on what would have been a near-certain promotion when he lost to Hakuyozan in a rematch of a bout which he pretty clearly should have won.

One last matter—who’ll be crossing the “heaven/hell” boundary between Juryo and Makushita? One spot in the sekitori ranks is opened by Terunofuji’s retirement. Set to lose their salaries are Daishoho, absent Bushozan, Shimazuumi, and Daiamami. This means we need to bring up five guys, and the lucky winners are Ms1e Wakanosho, making his sekitori debut after 19 tournaments, returnees Hitoshi and Kazekeno, who have two Juryo basho between them, and debutants Kusano (who started at Ms60TD last May) and Otsuji (who debuted at the bottom in 2019 as a 15-year-old after a second-place finish at the Hakuho Cup). Hatsuyama should be a bit lucky to survive, while Miyagi is likely to just miss out on promotion. This is one set of banzuke decisions (in addition to Yokozuna promotion) that we’ll learn about in the next couple of days. The rest will be revealed on February 25. In the meantime, let me know what you think in the comments.