Re: Tochinohana outlook?

[Lukas Grossmann <lukas.grossmann.1@student.unibe.ch>]

William C. Blank wrote:

> Subject: Tochinohana outlook?
>           
> One of the sub-stories of the last basho, following Kaio's sterling
> performance, Miyabiyama's Ozeki promotion, and Akebono's choke, was
> the remarkable first time performance of Tochinohana's 12-3 including
> the historic two wins over ozekis.
>           
> Is he the "real deal"?  Will he have a winning basho next month from
> a much loftier position at maegashira 1, 2, or 3?  I don't remember
> him being heralded the way Miyabiyama was at the beginning of this
> basho, is he going to be sanyaku after the next basho?  Is he capable
> of becoming an ozeki, or even a yokozuna?  This guy is basically a
> huge question mark to me and I'd love to hear people's opinions and
> predictions for this seemingly rising star...
>           
To me too his future seems difficult to predict. But I'm quite sure
he'll go make-koshi next basho. At the moment the sanyaku ranks are
filled with such strong rikishi that I think it's almost impossible
for a newcomer to achieve kachi-koshi in the first basho where he's
ranked high enough to face the whole lot of them. This goes for
Tochinohana as well, despite him beating two Ozeki at Natsu Basho.
It's a difference whether you face an Ozeki after a winning streak
and at the top of self-confidence or whether you face Yokozuna,
Ozeki and other strong sanyaku day after day after day for almost
the whole basho.
On a longer perspective I guess Tochinohana may be able to establish
himself in the lower sanyaku ranks on a quite regular basis. Ozeki or 
even Yokozuna probably are rankings out of his reach.

Me too I'd like to hear other opinions on him!

Lukas aka Ookihito