I can, better, say that your argument doesn't logically follow. There
are set, performance-based criteria for promotion; Kaio has never met
them. There was plenty of talk that Asashoryu ought not to be promoted
having met them, for such reasons (and others, besides), but he was.
I've never heard anyone previously imply that either on the one hand,
Kaio was so dignified he ought to be promoted regardless, or on the
other, that he lacks the dignity, even if he performs up to snuff.
the issue is not, in his case (and for all practical it seems to me,
ever) about dignity-as-distinct-from-performance. Is winning two basho
back to back somehow more 'dignified' than winning five over a longer
period of time? Beats me. Would he have some quality of dignity if
he'd had one more win last basho that he otherwise lack? Only if one
defines 'dignity' in an entirely circular manner, IMO.
I disagree. Facts. 4 times. He failed. Injured and/or healthy, he
failed. Choked. He may finally succeed now, but till now-choked.
Don't you mean five?
To fail is not to choke. (Necessarily.) To choke is to fail
_specifically due to the pressure on one to succeed_. Unless you have
powers of telepathy you cannot state as a matter of fact he "choked",
and you'd need IMO much more powerful circumstantial evidence that it's
even likely. (That he's too injury prone, and/or not quite good enough
to hit the required standard both seem to me to be more persuasive.)