Gurowake

Intended as a repository of pointless bits of trivia I or others find, particularly while browsing the database. It happens a lot between basho. In a total of 5 basho since the 15-day era began, the last match was between two undefeated rikishi. Twice it was Taiho vs. Kashiwado, and they split the matches. All matches featured Y1e. No such match was a playoff (theoretically possible between stable members). Harumafuji is the only one to appear in such a bout that was not a Yokozuna at the time. No other Day-15 matches involving 2 14-0 rikishi have occurred. In Haru 1996, there was a 6-0 match in Jonidan on Day 15, but two other rikishi were also 7-0 from previous days. Incidentally, a few basho in each direction in that time period there were many Day-14 6-0 matches in the lower divisions, but none that basho and one on Day 15 instead. Only one Day-14 6-0 match took place outside that 1995-1996 window.

So we might (not likely given the difference in rank, but reasonably possible) see Mita vs. Mitakeumi next basho.

It's possible that one of the measures of net income is something like EBITDA or Free Cash Flow that's more cash-basis, while the other is accrual-basis accounting income. I don't know enough Japanese to be able to read financial statements, but I suspect that the lower number is likely to be accounting income, as they would have a lot of depreciation, amortization, and accrual of rikishi retirement benefits some which are not part of EBITDA or FCF but would be part of accounting income.

Well, he is. You don't stop being a Ozeki when you become a Yokozuna. And that link does say Yokozuna for rank now - perhaps you have a cached version of the page.

Bad memory.

My memory is that only Sadanohana had a yusho from such a low rank in that time period.

Doesn't seem likely to me. I think if Takayasu lost it would be closer, but given that they don't seem to have as much deference to Komusubi when it comes to Sekiwake promotion compared to maegashira as they might once have, and that Takayasu actually had a harder schedule by some metrics, I personally have little doubt Takayasu gets it. But what do I know anymore?

Kusano(14-1 J14w) J1 Hidenoumi(10-5 J6w) Mitakeumi(6-9 M17e) J2 Fujiseiun(9-6 J5w) Takarafuji(3-12 M12e) J3 Shirokuma(5-10 M17w) Hakuyozan(9-6 J8w) J4 Wakaikari(8-7 J9e) Kagayaki(4-11 J1w) J5 Hitoshi(9-6 J12e) Daiseizan(8-7 J10e) J6 Nishikifuji(0-2 M13e) Shimanoumi(8-7 J10w) J7 Tomokaze(7-8 J7e) Tsurugisho(8-7 J11e) J8 Kotoeiho(7-8 J7w) Shiden(4-11 J4e) J9 Oshoumi(4-7 J4w) Tohakuryu(7-8 J9w) J10 Hatsuyama(8-7 J13e) Kazekeno(8-7 J13w) J11 Mitoryu(4-11 J6e) Wakanosho(7-8 J11w) J12 Nabatame(3-8 J5e) Miyagi(4-3 Ms1e) J13 Daiamami(4-3 Ms2e) Mita(5-2 Ms4w) J14 Mudoho(4-3 Ms3w) Last basho Shirokuma was level with Tamashoho if you consider there to be one full rank extra space between divisions, so it made sense he got promoted, though less sense that he was put over Tokihayate except for what seems like a general desire now of dropping 7-8s at least one place only a few basho after leaving 6-9s with no demotion. This basho we have Kusano and Hidenoumi level with Asakoryu and Nishikigi by the numbers if you don't add some extra space between the divisions. If this was Juryo<>Makushita, we'd see such a tie go to the promotees (in just about the only way in which they favor Makushita promotees), but will they do the same with Makuuchi<>Juryo? I'm not really sure what to do with the J7-J8 area. We have 7-8s that by the numbers could keep their rank, but there are rikishi reasonably close that could make them get at least a one-spot demotion. I also felt Tsurugisho over Tomokaze was a bit too far to go given the latter already had a one-spot demotion, but at the same time keeping the two 7-8s together splitting the 8-7s seemed stupid, so I went with what's shown.

Daieisho was getting an extra sanyaku spot no matter what rank he was put at; the lower sanyaku all had KKs. Pretty much everyone assumed it was going to be Sekiwake due to the last 13-2 at M1, but that it was Komusubi didn't change the number of sanyaku, so it really didn't affect scores any more than just getting him wrong.

A 39-year-old returning from Juryo after over a year there scoring a bare KK might be less impressive in the overall scheme of things, but it's surely about as unexpected.

Full sansho speculation: Shukun-sho conditional on Yusho for all maegashira in contention Gino-sho to Takayasu Kanto-sho to Aonishiki Kanto-sho to Tamawashi if he wins

As mentioned last basho, Kyokutenho got one for getting 10 wins at basically the same age as Tamawashi was last basho. This basho he's equaled his 9 win total from last basho, is in the top half of the division, and beat a Komusubi. Given that he was kinda sorta in the yusho race too (losing to guys who are still in it the last couple days), I would vote to give a sansho to Tamawashi unconditionally.

I was expecting to see a Kizenryu-uwatenage-level percentage on that guy in the top, but it's "only" around 30% or his wins, not 48% for Kizenryu, though that's probably simply because uwatenage is generally more common anyway. That guy's Katatsukashi rate was 40 times the base rate, while Kizenryu's uwatenage rate was "only" 9.25 times. Midorifuji's rate for Katatsukashi is around 25 times the base rate.

I didn't mean for it to become a topic of conversation. I initially referenced an old suggestion that I had, and I've been trying to minimally answer questions about it. I didn't intend to open this can of worms, only to respond to what people were asking. You're being really harsh here for a reason I can't really understand. You could have made all these points in a much more constructive way. I acknowledge most of your points, but I don't really want to argue about it. While I have put some work into thinking about it, it's not like I've declared it as an absolutely air tight way to improve the promotions to Juryo. I'm sorry I ever brought it up here, and I'll be sure to never mention it again seeing as it seems to annoy you so much.

I guess Hoshoryu was really lucky he didn't have to face him on his tsuna run. That's a really bad head to head to see for a Yokozuna, and only twice was Takayasu ranked higher (and once same rank).

I'm not discounting the fact that some people are heavily influenced in their picks by momentum. I'm just quite surprised that it was that much more of a factor to people than career record to date to cause such an imbalance in that direction. If someone told me that the picks for that match were imbalanced and asked which side I thought it went, I would have been wrong.

Of course it's not happening. I don't have any hope that it ever will. But it's more fuel to my wish that something like it should happen, and they do change some things every once in a while that seem beforehand like they'd never happen, but no one really expects them. I don't think anyone expected SdTD to ever be instituted, them to move from MsTD60 to Ms15/10TD and then back 20 years later. It's also not just about TDs, but as a solution to the general trend that a young hopeful languishes in the top of Makushita for a while before breaking through to Juryo and quickly getting promoted to Makuuchi. I first really noticed it with Shodai, but there are plenty of other examples (I just don't remember them as easily). There really need to be more matches between those with prospects of making Juryo in my opinion.

In order to better differentiate those that are aiming for Juryo. I've laid down a more detailed plan here:

I'm surprised that there were plenty of people that said "Shishi has a better record so far, so he must be better" compared to the people who actually analyzed how their careers went so far and determined that Aonishiki is probably stronger, at least on a long enough time scale. Aonishiki's career has gone so much better I find it rather odd to think people thought Shishi would win in general, unless there's just something about their relative styles that suggests Shishi is favored.

Obviously the more recent entries are dominated by MsTDs, who need a lot fewer tournaments to get to Makuuchi, and now it's not possible for them to get to Juryo in one tournament (more reason why I think they should give all the Makushita 6-0s* matches every one of the last three days, so it's reasonable to promote anyone who manages a 9-0 to Juryo). Ichinojo's record is going to be very hard to beat. *And 5-1s, since they're still in the Yusho race under this system, but clearly an 8-1 Ms60 isn't getting promoted, so not relevant to what I'm saying.

I think this is a much better name for the game.

I was wondering how this was possible, but obviously it's because the ones ranked below them didn't compete. Well, at least this time, and so I assume it's true for the rest.

The workaround seems obvious to me: scalpers provide fake IDs to the purchasers. They seem to be very permissible about the kinds of ID that will work.

How much of this might be due to the fact that Sumo was basically the only sport available to follow in March 2020, which caused a lot of people to actually watch it and noticed it was more interesting than pop culture would have led them to believe?

In my thinking about this situation, I've wondered if the "fake" Ozeki would actually get any rank protection. Like, they have to put someone on the banzuke with that rank, but perhaps they can demote him quickly if there's a "real" replacement and the "fake" one goes MK before earning a "real" Ozeki promotion. Maybe there would be lighter requirements than a "real" promotion before the rank protection kicked in, but it doesn't seem fair to the Ozeki that earned "real" promotions that someone who was just in the right place at the right time gets the ability to go MK every other tournament without being demoted before showing that they really deserve that protection. At the same time though, rikishi get promoted to sanyaku positions all the time without really earning them in the by-the-numbers sense, and they're treated just the same as any other sanyaku when they're demoted.