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2018 Haru Basho banzuke released.

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New Year champion Tochinoshin rejoins elites
Details
Written by Kyodo
Category: News
Published: 26 February 2018
Hits: 42
Tochinoshin02.jpg


Tochinoshin © Mainichi

On the back of his overpowering championship run in January, Georgian wrestler Tochinoshin will compete in March at sumo's third-highest rank of sekiwake, according to the rankings published Monday by the Japan Sumo Association.

When the 30-year-old takes to the ring at Edion Arena Osaka for the March 11-25 Spring Grand Sumo Tournament, it will be his second grand tournament as a sekiwake. The last time, in September 2016, Tochinoshin was demoted after going 6-9.

The March tourney will mark his first appearance as a "sanyaku" wrestler, meaning he will fight in one of the three ranks below yokozuna, since January 2017, when he pulled out after suffering a meniscus injury in his right knee.

The rankings for Osaka have Mongolian Kakuryu at the pinnacle as the top east yokozuna.

At the New Year meet, his first grand tournament since July, Kakuryu reeled off 10 straight wins, including one over Tochinoshin before he got hurt and finished at 11-4.

Neither of the other two yokozuna, Hakuho or Kisenosato, remained in action after the first week in January, having pulled out with injuries.

On the west side, Hakuho is recovering from multiple toe injuries. If he takes to the ring on opening day, he will celebrate his 33rd birthday while competing in a record 64th grand tournament as a yokozuna.

Kisenosato has not completed a tournament since he fought hurt to capture a dramatic championship last March in Osaka in his yokozuna debut.

Kisenosato's ozeki stablemate, Takayasu, is slotted into the more prestigious east side of the rankings after recording a 12-3 mark in Osaka, with rival ozeki Goeido on the west after scraping out an 8-7 winning record in January.

Mitakeumi, competing as a sekiwake for the fifth straight tourney, occupies the east side across from Tochinoshin. The komusubi rank is filled by mountainous Mongolian Ichinojo, who returns to the sanyaku for the first time since July 2015, and Chiyotairyu, who last wrestled as a komusubi in September 2014.

No debutants were named to join sumo's top-tier makuuchi division, but Hidenoumi and a pair of former sekiwake grapplers, Myogiryu and Aoiyama, have rejoined the top flight after earning promotion from the second-tier juryo division.

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2018 March Grand Sumo Tournament Banzuke Topics
YokozunaHakuho
  • With 64 Tournaments as an active Yokozuna, Hakuho has set a new record.
SekiwakeMitakeumi
  • Mitakeumi holds the Sekiwake-rank for 5 consecutive tournaments and is in Sanyaku for 7.
Sekiwake ReturnTochinoshin
  • Tochinoshin returns to the Sekiwake-rank he previously held in July 2016 after 10 tournaments. He had last been in Sanyaku in January 2017, it took him 7 tournaments to get back.
Komusubi ReturnIchinojo
  • Ichinojo has returned to Komusubi, the rank he previously held in May 2015. It took him 17 tournaments to get back. He was lastly seen in Sanyaku in July the same year, 16 tournaments ago.
Komusubi ReturnChiyotairyu
  • Chiyotairyu has returned to the Komusubi-rank he previously held in September 2014 after 21 tournaments.
Makuuchi ReturnMyogiryu
  • Myogiryu has returned to Makuuchi after 2 tournaments.
Makuuchi ReturnHidenoumi
  • Hidenoumi is back in Makuuchi after 8 tournaments. He previously held a rank here in November 2016.
Makuuchi ReturnAoiyama
  • Aoiyama has returned to Makuuchi after 2 tournaments.
Juryo DebutTakayoshitoshi
  • Takayoshitoshi is the 4th Rikishi from Takanohana Beya to be promoted to Juryo since the current Shisho has inherited it on the first of February 2004. The previous one had been Takagenji in May last year.
  • He is the 9th Rikishi from Tochigi Prefecture to achieve this post WWII, the last one also had been Takagenji.
  • Following his younger brother, the very Takagenji, this pair of siblings is the 19th in history to make it to the Sekitori-ranks. The previous ones had been the brothers Hidenoumi and Tobisaru with a promotion in July last year.
Juryo DebutEnho
  • Enho is the first Rikishi from Miyagino Beya to reach Juryo since Ishiura who had been promoted 3 years ago.
  • He is the 19th Rikishi post WWII from Ishikawa Prefecture, following Takaryu who was promoted in July 2015.
  • Additionally, he is the first graduate of Kanazawa Gakuin University to achieve this.
  • Moreover, he is the 125th Rikishi successful in amateur Sumo as a student to reach Juryo. The previous one was Mitoryu in the last tournament.
  • Taking only 6 tournaments to achieve this, he has tied the record of the fastest promotion.
Juryo ReturnYago
  • Yago has returned to Juryo after 2 tournaments.
Juryo ReturnShimanoumi
  • It took Shimanoumi 10 tournaments to return to Juryo. He held a rank here in July 2016.
Juryo ReturnTerutsuyoshi
  • Terutsuyoshi has returned to Juryo after 2 tournaments.
Juryo ReturnTobizaru
  • Tobizaru returns to Juryo after 4 tournaments, a rank he previously held in July of last year.
Juryo ReturnAkiseyama
  • Akiseyama returns to Juryo after 11 tournaments. He held a rank here previously in May 2016.
*Terunofuji
  • Terunofuji is the 4th former Ozeki to be demoted to Juryo. The previous 3 had been Daiju, Miyabiyama and Baruto who was demoted in September 2013.
  • Concerning Rikishi who won a Makuuchi Championship, he is the 12th in History, the last one also being Baruto.
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