Re: Takanohana

[Yugo Yodogawa <yyy@soda.berkeley.edu>]

>> However, I have yet to hear any mention made of sumo's restrictions
>> concerning bouts with stablemates. Clearly, Takanohana and his stablemates
>> Wakanohana and Takanonami, enjoy a definite advantage in any discussion that
>> deals with wins in absolute terms.
>>
>> For instance, although Akebono (as shown above) only has 4 more wins than 
>> Takanohana over the same periond of time, in all liklihood Akebono had as
>> many as 18 (2X9bashos) more fights with san-yaku ranked rikishi. I admit
>> I'm only guessing here since I don't have any detailed information (I even
>> lost access to Japan Today last week through my local cable channel,
>> AAARRRRRGGGGHHHH!!).
>>
>> I guess my point pertaining to this discussion about Takanohana is that, I 
>> don't think it unreasonable for one to expect him to win on the order of 40
>> or more bouts in any three basho period prior to his promotion to Yokozuna.
>> And that any serious consideration of promoting him at this time (ESPECIALLY
>> with the make-koshi) is IMHO premature.

I think 40+ wins would be a little too much to expect, since out of the last
10 Yokozuna, only 2 (Wakanohana & Onokuni) have had as many as 40 wins in the
three basho span and none with more than 40, and there have been many cases
before in which there were multiple rikishi from the same stable in the
san-yaku or Yokozuna ranks.  As a reference point, great Yokozuna Kitanoumi
and Chiyonofuji were 36-9 and 38-7 respectively. 

> If he get more than 36 wins for a period of three successful basho with at
> least 11 wins in Ozeki, I think the rikishi deserves to be promoted to
> yokozuna.  But at the same time, I would like to see that yokozuna-to-be is
> at least 1-2 (.333) winning ratio against the current yokozuna before
> becoming yokozuna.  I don't think Takanohana has been winning that much
> against Akebono.  When there are two yokozuna and one particular yokozuna
> almost always wins the match between yokozuna, sumo will be rather boring.

This Yokozuna-sen seems to be a good guideline, as the last 9 Yokozuna have
all had at least a .333 winning percentage in the three basho span (although
there were no Yokozuna for Akebono to face).

Overall, Takanohana is 7-12 against Akebono, and since Akebono has become
Yokozuna, he's 3-3.  We'll have to see how he does in this and the next basho.

>> BTY, although I can't speak directly of the popularity of the current
>> 'Ohana brothers, I was a big fan of their father (former Ozeki Takanohana)
>> and I do know that he was IMMENSELY popular back in the early to mid 70's.
>> And that there was similiar pressure back then to promote him before his
>> time.

For all his popularity, though, he never did make it to Yokozuna...

> He used to be a olympic candidate butterfly swimmer when he was in a junior
> high.  He decided to follow his oldest brother (yokozuna Wakanohana I) and
								      ^
Don't you mean Wakanohana II?  I'm pretty sure the present Wakanohana is the
third.

-yugo