Quiz

Christmas quiz !

Timothée Heinz Sumo Topics , , ,

We’d like to greet our great readers with a quiz focusing on the 2019 year in makuuchi. I hope everybody will enjoy it and that this thread will remind us some of the best moments in a tormented year 2019.

Good luck to all, and Merry Christmas !

1. How many honbasho have been won by a foreign-born rikishi ?

a. One

b. Two

c. Three

d. Four

2. Nobody won more bouts than Asanoyama in 2019. Who finished runner up ?

a. Abi

b. Hakuho

c. Hokutofuji

d. Mitakeumi

Asanoyama Hideki

3. And many wins have notched all three yokozuna combined ?

a. 72

b. 82

c. 92

d. 102

4. How many shin-makuuchi rikishis (newly promoted wrestlers to the top division) have we seen in 2019 ?

a. Four

b. Six

c. Eight

d. Ten

5. How many rikishi have made their san’yaku debut in 2019 ?

Note : we’re only talking about rikishi who have never, ever been in san’yaku before 2019 !

a. Two

b. Four

c. Six

d. Eight

6. What has been Enho’s record in makuuchi ?

a. 10-5 ; 8-7 ; 5-10 ; 6-9

b. 8-7 ; 7-8 ; 10-5 ; 9-6 ; 8-7

c. 6-9 ; 6-9 ; 12-3 ; 4-11 ; 8-7

d. 7-8 ; 9-6 ; 9-6 ; 8-7

Enho Akira

7. Abi had a fine year 2019. Which of these statements is true ?

a. He made his makuuchi debut in March 2018

b. He managed double digits once in 2019

c. He made his sekiwake debut in 2019

d. He managed six kachi koshi in 2019

Abi Masatora

8. Takakeisho had a mixed year 2019, having to cope with serious injuries. He did so quite impressively, however, going to a playoff in September, where he lost to Mitakeumi. Who was the last rikishi to lose a playoff in makuuchi ?

a. Kakuryu

b. Terunofuji

c. Ichinojo

d. Goeido

Takakeisho Mitsunobu

9. Terutsuyoshi luckily escaped juryo demotion after the Natsu basho 2019. Sumo gods’ lenience paid off as he produced an astonishing 12-3 result in Nagoya, finishing runner up for his third makuuchi appearance. Who did better ?

a. Goeido

b. Hakuho

c. Terunofuji

d. Ichinojo

Terutsuyoshi Shoki

10. How many foreign rikishi have made a makuuchi appearance in 2019 (having fought in at least one bout) ?

a. Ten

b. Twelve

c. Fourteen

d. Sixteen

11. Ishiura usually bounces from juryo to makuuchi, and from makuuchi to juryo. If M symbolizes makuuchi and J symbolizes juryo, how can one represent Ishiura’s year ?

a. J – M – M – J – M – M

b. M – J – J – M – J – M

c.  J – M – J – M – J – M

d. M – M – J – M – J – M

Ishiura Masakatsu

12. What about Chiyomaru ?

a. J – M – J – J – M – M

b. M – M – J – M – J – M

c. M – J – J – J – M – M

d. J – J – M – M – J – M

13. Azumaryu made a makuuchi return during the Aki basho. He last appeared in makuuchi in…

a. 2013

b. 2014

c. 2015

d. 2016

14. Which one of these rikishi have earned two kinboshi in 2019 ?

a. Nishikigi

b. Tomokaze

c. Asanoyama

d. Myogiryu

15. Which one of these wrestlers have produced six make kochi this year ?

a. Tochiozan

b. Kotoshogiku

c. Nishikigi

d. Kagayaki

Quiz !Yokozuna performances

Timothée Heinz Sumo Topics ,

Last week’s series on winners of most bouts during a calendar years have raise debates upon readers – many thanks for that. Apart from the topic, many questions where about yokozuna or yokozuna wanna-be performances, which broadened our views and enriched the discussion. It was largely helped by the first part, which was dedicated to Hakuho – the GOAT’s aura really shines at every corner, doesn’t it ?

Anyway, thanks to our readers, a new topic is opened, about yokozuna performances. To entertain you, we will publish first a series of questions. Answer, as well as more detailed information will be brought after.

Unless said otherwise, our questions refer to the modern era only (starting from 1958). Enjoy our quiz !

1. Let’s start with a reasonable warm up: who is the only yokozuna who never won a single basho during his entire career ?

a. Futahaguro

b. Wajima

c. Kirishima

d. Kotokaze

2. We have to look before the modern era to find the last ozeki to be promoted to yokozuna without having won a tournament. Who was it ?

Tip : unlike Futagahuro, he won yushos after his promotion.

a. Terukuni

b. Tochinishiki

c. Azumafuji

d. Chiyonoyama

3. Speaking about yushos, how many wrestlers have not won a single yusho during their yokozuna careers ?

Note : the yushos may have been won before 1958. We’re looking at the whole careers of yokozuna who have been active since 1958.

The correct answer of the first question is, of course, included !

a. Two

b. Three

c. Four

d. Five

4. How many yokozuna have been make-koshi despite competing all fifteen days ?

a. One

b. Two

c. Three

d. Four

5. What happened to him / them ?

a. It caused huge scandal and he was / they were expelled from sumo

b. He was / they were allowed to continue, due to the fact that he / they won the previous basho

c. He / they retired from their duties

d. The Yokozuna Deliberation Council did not consider resignation

6. And how many yushos has he / have they won, combined, afterwards ?

a. None

b. One

c. Six

d. Twelve

7. Of the ten last yokozuna, how many have earned promotion without winning two yushos in a row as ozeki ?

a. Two

b. Three

c. Four

d. Five

Yokozuna Deliberation Committee Soken. Moshiai. Ryogoku Kokugikan. Kisenosato vs Kakuryu. 3 May 2018. Photo by Nicola Hetherington for Tachiai.

8. How many dai yokozuna were active during the modern era ?

a. Nine

b. Ten

c. Twelve

d. Fifteen

9. Sumo year 2017 saw a quartet of yokozuna, composed of Hakuho, Harumafuji, Kakuryu and Kisenosato. Which year saw the creation of the previous quartet ?

a. 1990

b. 1992

c. 1995

d. 2000

10. The four yokozuna were…

a. Chiyotaikai, Musashimaru, Hokutoumi, Asashifuji

b. Onokuni, Hokutoumi, Akebono, Kirishima

c. Chiyonofuji, Onokuni, Hokutoumi, Asashifuji

d. Chiyonofuji, Chiyotaikai, Takanohana, Onokuni

11. What can we say about the situation that happened after eleven bashos ?

a. Each tournament has been won by a yokozuna

b. Each tournament has been won by a non yokozuna

c. Each yokozuna won at least one yusho

d. There were no more yokozuna

e. There was a fifth yokozuna

12. By the way, what is the highest combination of yokozuna seen at the same time ? The question covers the period from 1909 to 2019

a. Four active yokozuna

b. Four active yokozuna and a fifth awaiting retirement ceremony

c. Five active yokozuna

d. Five active yokozuna and a sixth awaiting retirement ceremony

Yokozuna Deliberation Committee Soken. Butsukari. Ryogoku Kokugikan. Hakuho & Endo. 3 May 2018. Photo by Nicola Hetherington for Tachiai.

13. Back to the modern era, the three yokozuna to have won six yusho in a row are…

a. Chiyonofuji, Takanohana II, Asashoryu

b. Chiyonofuji, Taiho, Hakuho

c. Taiho, Asashoryu, Takanohana II

d. Taiho, Asashoryu, Hakuho

14. The feat of winning seven yusho in a row has been accumplished by…

a. Taiho

b. Takanohana II

c. Asashoryu

d. Hakuho

e. No one

15. And many foreigners have been promoted to yokozuna ?

a. Four

b. Five

c. Six

d. Seven

Good luck, don’t hesitate to drop a comment with your answers!