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Well boys, it's almost time for the July tournament to get under way (this Sunday). As has become the norm in recent years, we go into the Basho without a clear favourite as between a Yokozuna held together with bandages and glue, Ozeki who either don't look the part or are Kadoban, and Sekiwake and Komusubi who just can't seem to put it together when it counts, anyone with a healthy body and a good bit of momentum could potentially pull it off. The last 6 Bashos have all been won by different Rikishi, could we have a 7th this time?
The Banzuke -
Debuting Wrestlers:
For the first time since the Aki Basho in 2023, we have zero Rikishi debuting in the top division.
Promotions/Demotions:
We'll start with the guys promoted from Juryo. Wakatakakage took the Juryo Yusho in May and finally returns to Makuuchi after a 1 year absence from the division, though he hasn't fought in the top division since March 2023, hopefully he can ride his 14-1 performance from last Basho and continue to climb. Next we have Endo. Endo is back to Makuuchi after his 3rd stint in Juryo, each time only taking a single Basho to get promoted out of the division. In his 2 previous Juryo to Makuuchi promotions Endo put together 9-5-1 and 11-4 winning records, so it's safe to say he knows how to avoiding yoyoing like so many others fall victim to. Chiyoshoma also returns this Basho, and it only took him 4 Bashos in Juryo to break out this time, unlike his previous stint in Juryo where it took him 7 Bashos to get promoted, so that's a positive, i guess. Chiyoshoma will be looking to have a good showing, as the last time he came up from Juryo he scraped by with a record of 8-7. Next we have *looks at notes... sigh* Kagayaki returning... It's Kagayaki, the perpetual yoyo machine. Too good for Juryo, not good enough for Makuuchi, that's just the way it is. Last but not least we have Bushozan! Another yoyoer but you can see he's trying to be better. Bushozan hasn't dropped below a 9-6 record in Juryo since November 2022, but every time he gets promoted to Makuuchi he gets returned to sender the very next Basho, hopefully this time he finds a forever home in the top division.
Demoted Rikishi - Mitoryu, Tomokaze, and big Tsurugisho all had terrible Bashos back in May, and along with Tokihayate who was a single win away from staying up, all fall to Juryo. But sadly they're not alone... Takerufuji, the man of the hour, the man with the power, falls back to Juryo after not competing last Basho and automatically going 0-0-15. Takerufuji is the 19th Rikishi in history to be demoted to Juryo after having won a Makuuchi Division Championship. A demotion only 1 tournament after the victory means he's unfortunately the fastest ever. Not a record you want to have but what can you do.
Maegashira in trouble:
At M17 we have Nishikifuji, who after a great stint in 2022 and briefly in 2023 that saw him get 9 or 10 wins in 4 out of 5 Bashos back to back, has fallen off dramatically. He only got repromoted to Makuuchi in January this year, and anything less than 7 wins will send him back to Juryo. At M15 we have Roga. 2024 is Roga's second stint in Makuuchi after having endured a painful debut last November where he went 5-10 and was swiftly demoted. This time Roga has managed to hang on, and when i say hang on i mean it. Roga put together a record of 7-8 in both the March and May Bashos this year and unless he hits the gas, he's gonna be falling back to Juryo, especially when he has Wakatakakage and Endo in his immediate vicinity this time.
Maegashira impressing:
On the cusp of a promotion to the Sanzaku ranks, at M1, is Meisei. He's had a mixed bag so far this year, but with a 10-5 winning record at M5 last Basho and two Kinboshis in the past 12 months, Meisei should be full of confidence going into the July tournament, especially since he hasn't had a losing record in a July since 2019. The other name i want to mention is Oshoma. At M9 Oshoma should be just looking to secure 8 wins this Basho, as unlike Meisei, his 10-5 record last Basho came while he was at M14 so he's now in foreign territory.
Sanyaku:
First off, let's have a round of applause for Hiradoumi, who reached Komusubi this Basho after struggling at M5 this time last year. It's gonna be rough first Basho at this rank i think, but if he brings his usual scrappiness 8 wins could be doable. Fun fact Hiradoumi is only the 7th Rikishi from his prefecture to reach the rank of Komusubi since the end of WWII. The other Komusubi this Basho is Daieisho, who rejoins the Sanyaku ranks after a single Basho at M1, but he won't be too happy, as this time last year he was beginning his run to Ozeki, in which he got 9 or more wins in 5 straight Bashos, before going 6-9 in March earlier this year and falling to M1. The climb for Daieisho begins again.
And now for the Sekiwake boys. Abi is the only Sekiwake to retain his rank from the previous Basho in which he looked great, going 10-5 which included a 5-match win streak before getting big-brothered by his new Sekiwake rival Onosato. This is usually as high as Abi gets due to his heavy-pushing style that either works well or fails miserably depending on the opponent, and never really looks like he'll be able to push beyond his current rank. Next up... Onosato. What a guy, i mean seriously. After going 11-4, in his debut Basho in Makuuchi, Onosato followed that up with another 11-4 in which he almost got the Yusho until Takerufuji yanked it away. Then last Basho with Takerufuji out with an injury, Onosato went 12-3 and looked like the veteran teaching all the newbies who's boss. Truly beyond his years and hopefully the future of Sumo if he can stay healthy and hungry. Last but not least we have the fallen Kirishima. Not much to be said here, he didn't look great. Surely when Kirishima is back healthy he's a force to be reckoned with, but only time will tell.
Ozeki:
It's a weird place to be currently is Ozeki. These are the guys who the public is supposed to believe could be future Yokozuna, but they look levels below that rank, even with the current Yokozuna struggling to walk. Hoshoryu has shown he has the potential, but just when you start to believe he's turned a corner and become more consistent, he gets thrown to the dirt in a manner that makes you realize Yokozuna don't lose like that, and until he realizes this himself he's an Ozeki. Next he have Quad.. I mean, Kotozakura. Still early in his Ozeki life, Kotozakura is looking consistent with records of 10-5 and 11-4 in both his Ozeki Bashos thus far, but in both Bashos Kotozakura lost to eventual Yusho winners, Takerufuji in March, and Onosato in May. He just needs that extra push to beat his rivals and maybe a Yusho won't be too far away. Lastly we have the Ozeki Kadoban Takakeisho. Like Kirishima at Sekiwake, there's not a lot to say about Takakeisho. He's constantly injured with neck or shoulder problems, and this is his 9th time as Ozeki Kadoban, though he always turns in a stellar performance each time he's given the title.
Yokozuna:
I'm not being lazy on my writeups i swear, but Terunofuji has been broken and bruised for so long now that we're all just waiting for the day he calls it quits. He's unlikely to win another Yusho in my opinion, and he'll be lucky if he even finishes a complete Basho, especially when you've got Tobizaru kicking him in the knees. As of the writing of this post, Terunofuji still hasn't fully committed to competing this Basho... yikes.
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Viewing Options:
These may or may not work depending on whether the JSA attacks these people, or if they choose not to risk it at all, but i'm gonna post these avenues anyway. Granted even these ones are most likely gonna stream the matches and then take down the VOD themselves, so if you miss the live streams it can be difficult. Here goes -
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Sumo Stream 大相撲ライブ
Sumo is a traditional Japanese sport with deep roots in the country's history and culture. It is one of the oldest combat sports in the world, with a history dating back over 1500 years. Sumo is characterized by matches between two wrestlers, called "rikishi," who try to push or throw their...
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Sumo Stream 2 大相撲ライブ
相撲は、日本の歴史と文化に深いルーツを持つ伝統的なスポーツです。これは、1,500年以上もの歴史を持つ世界で最も古い格闘スポーツの一つです。相撲は、「力士」と呼ばれる2人の力士の試合に特徴があり、彼らは「土俵」と呼ばれる砂のリングの中で相手を押したり投げたりしようとします。 相撲は単なるスポーツ以上のものであり、多くの日本文化の側面を反映する神聖な儀式です。力士は戦士としてだけでなく、規律、忠誠心、尊敬などの伝統と価値観の管理者と見なされます。力士は「部屋」と呼ばれる施設で共同生活し、厳格なトレーニング、食事、儀式の日程を守ります。...
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SB design
Sumo is a traditional Japanese sport with deep roots in the country's history and culture. It is one of the oldest combat sports in the world, with a history dating back over 1500 years. Sumo is characterized by matches between two wrestlers, called "rikishi," who try to push or throw their...
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For anyone new to Sumo @Fork made a great Introduction to SUMO thread years ago so i'll put that here.
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