Here is how our last tournament debutants did:

Kobayashi followed up his Sandanme Yūshō with an injury related absence.  It was a disappointing 0-0-7 debut, but I imagine he will be back, provided he can recover.  He already fell to Jonokuchi once after injury. I hope repeated injuries do not take a collective toll.

Ryūji, Harunishiki, and Kōki finished with not unexpected 3-4 records and will have to try for a kachi-koshi on their second go-around (should the opportunity arise).

Tenrōsei appears to have “hit the wall” in lower Makushita.  I doubt that this is, indeed, his ceiling and expect him to bounce back at some point as he continues to develop his sumo skills. This time I only expect two new Makushita debuts: Kazeeidai and Kyokumizuno.  This is actually a small number of debutants!  Unfortunately, I have been very busy professionally and thus will not be able to leverage this opportunity to catch up on a few prospects whose debuts I have missed.  I will try and get to Seihakuhō, Ōkaryū, and Suyama at some point soon.

Kazeeidai (風栄大)

Stable: Oshiogawa
Age: 21
Height (cm/feet-inches): 183 / 5’11”
Weight (kg/lbs): 108 / 238
Home prefecture: Saitama
High School: Saitama Sakae
University: —
Career Record and notes: 70-49 (.588)
Debut: Kyushu 2022
Notes:

Possibility of reaching sekitori: Not likely.

Kazeeidai is a lightweight out of Saitama Sakae High School (a teammate of last basho’s debutant Kobayashi). It is hard for me to think, but he is lighter than I was when I went on the dōhyō at the Sumo and Sushi Event. I will keep telling myself that I had to “build my body” to be able to compete there! Since then, I am now way less than a Kazeeidai!

Kazeeidai indicated that his father and those around him were all sumo enthusiasts. Thus, he began participating in children’s sumo tournaments from primary school. He is from Kawagoe, in Saitama Prefecture. He entered Saitama Sakae and became a regular on the team, which did finish second one time in the team competition. He reached the best 16 at the National Select Tournament.

Oshiogawa Oyakata (former Takekaze) was the first to approach him and inquire if he wanted to go pro. He aspires to become a sekitori and hopes to repay his hometown for its support by “performing well and showing what I can do”. His family has some other ties to Oshiogawa stable. His father is acquainted with ex-Motohashi (本橋), who was active from 1995-2004 in the prior incarnation of Oshiogawa-beya. The former Motohashi runs a Chanko restaurant in the father’s hometown.

His shikona takes the stable’s Kaze (風) and adds a part of his high school name, Sakae (栄). This pattern seems to exist in Oshiogawa stable who has Kazekōdai (風紅大) from Takushoku University affiliated Kōryō (紅陵) High School.

Kyokumizuno (旭水野)

Stable: Ōshima
Age: 21
Height (cm/feet-inches): 170 / 5’7”
Weight (kg/lbs): 156 / 344
Home prefecture: Tōyama
High School: Tōyama Shōgyō (Commercial) High
University: —
Career Record and notes: 80-65-2 (.552)
Debut: 2022 Haru

Possibility of reaching sekitori: Not likely.

Kyokumizuno is a half Filipino, who comes out of the same prefecture and high school as senpai Asanoyama and recent recruit Kakueizan. As a large junior high school graduate (Asahi Junior High) and with good martial arts skills, he had already been approached by stable masters to go pro. However, he continued with judo in high school. He remained a dedicated judo student, even taking a prefectural judo champoinship in the over 100kg category. Having felt he accomplished all he could in judo, he transferred to the high school sumo club in his junior year. He quickly performed well, wining 2nd place in the team event at the prefectural championships.

He excels at pushing and thrusting. He said “being shorter and with shorter arms, I prefer a style where I surge forward decisively, rather than grappling”. His mother, Irene, said that he could eat 2.4 liters of rice per day (between lunch and dinner). He could easily eat enough grilled meat for ten “normal” people.
He is the first graduate of Asahi Junior High to enter the sumo world and has received lots of local support. The mayor wished him well when he went pro, saying “I hope you settle into he stable as quickly as possible. Ideally, I want to watch your matches on TV in the late evening. I am also looking forward to seeing you face your high school senpai, Asanoyama”. The reference to the late evening implying that he will have reached the top divisions!

Upon joining, he indicated he wanted to grow as a person and become the first sekitori from Ōshima-beya. He wants to repay those who supported him and aims for Yokozuna. When he joined he indicated Kyokutaisei was the wrestler he admired most given his continued determination after all his injuries.
He reached his career high of Sandanme 14 in Spring 2024 – stalling out in Sandanme after that. He questioned himself – wondering if all his efforts were meaningless. Then, he was spurred on my the success of Kyokukaiyū (who became the stable’s first sekitori last tournament). Witnessing Kyokukaiyū’s rapid rise has served to intensify his determination. He had a chance to practice against his senpai, Asanoyama, earlier in the year – while the former Ōzeki was rehabilitating at Takasago-beya. This left a lasting impression and also fueled his resolve to continue with sumo.