Miyagino lower-division rikishi

[Seiyashi 4,087]

Much of the Miyagino-centric news in 2021 was on Hakuho's retirement and Hokuseiho's short-lived stint in juryo after a sweep of the toriteki yusho, plus two enforced COVID kyujo for the entire heya. Yet in the past two years, the heya has added a number of interesting prospects, including high-school east ozeki Mukainakano who's now in a sandanme playoff after 2x 6-1 records in the lower two divisions.

Besides Mukainakano and Hokuseiho, at least two other toriteki rikishi are worth noting: Ishii, whose large frame and simultaneous entrance with Hokuseiho caused some interest as "the twin towers of Miyagino", but who seems to have suffered some injury problems, and Raiho, who like Mukainakano is relatively storming it in the lower divisions but so far dropping a bout in each of the two full basho he has competed in. In addition, seeing as Hakuho has now retired, is presumably the frontrunner to take over Miyagino-beya (as we now know it, howsoever named), and is free to focus on recruiting and coaching, we might see other promising rikishi added to Miyagino in the near future.

Apart from this thread hopefully serving to consolidate information on Miyagino toriteki now and moving forward, I also have two quick questions:

1) Other than his injuries, Ishii's record actually looks rather equivocal. He's definitely not as good as Hokuseiho although that's a tall bar to reach, but does he have any trappings of sekitori material in him?

2) Mukainakano's entry into sumo was interesting: Ishiura was the Miyagino representative present (alongside Hakuho's wife) when he announced his entry into sumo, and he wore one of Ishiura's kesho-mawashi during his shinjo shusse hiro. Is there anything to be read into this as being Ishiura's deshi, or at least a rikishi scouted primarily by Ishiura, rather than Hakuho himself?

[Koorifuu 1,000]

This was a low-key impressive tournament for Miyagino overall. Very interesting placements are expected for Haru.

• Hokuseiho will become current Miyagino's (Hakuho obvs) first makuuchi rikishi as an official shisho
• Ochiai might or might not be on his way to juryo already, let's see
• 5-2 ms7 Kawazoe will be in the top 10 makushita (which he should've already been in) and is sniffing a juryo spot for Natsu
• 5-2 ms13 Mukainakano is likely to be just outside that group, but still close enough that juryo is within reach for Nagoya
• 4-3 sd4 Raiho and 4-3 sd11 Onokura will be back in makushita. (The former is definitely in, the latter can still miss out albeit unlikely)
• 6-1 sd44 Otani likely to accompany Onokura in the very last makushita spots.

 

Edited January 22, 2023 by Koorifuu