other sumo related news

[abe@kaleida.com (Masumi Abe)]

Makushita gyoji Kimura Keigo (23 years old) died the day before Shonichi of
Hatsubasho. He came home after the curfew of Futagoyama-beya and tried to
climb the wall to the second floor and accidentally fell and smashed his
head. Takanohana dedicated his yusho to Keigo and victims of Great Hanshin
Earthquake.

Musashimaru has applied Japanese cisizenship.

Akebono's wedding is planned this fall, and his future better half is Miss
Yukiko Yamada (21 years old) of Fukuoka.

According to banzuke predictions, more than half of sanyaku rikishi and
more than half of top 13 rikishi will belong to Futagoyama-beya for
Haru-basho.

                        Futagoyama              non-Futagoyama
Yokozuna                Takanohana              Akebono
Ozeki                   Wakanohana              Musashimaru
                        Takanonami
Sekiwake                Akinoshima              Kaio
Komusubi                Naminohana              Daishoho
Maegashira 1&2          Takatoriki              Kotobeppu
                                Misugisato              Konishiki

Even if Futagoyama-beya rikishi loose to all santaku rikishi, they could
end up with reasonable 11-4 record. With that kind of record, Akinoshima
could be next Ozeki, soon. On the other hand, if Kaio loose to all yokozuna
and ozeki and win over all others, his record will be only 10-5.

Takanohana's 8th yusho is ranked 13th best of all time yusho list.
1. Taiho        32
2. Chiyonofuji  31
3. Kitanofuji   24
4. Wajima       14
5. Futabayama   12
6. Tsunenohana  10
6. Tochinishiki 10
6. Wakanohana-I 10
6. Kitanofuji   10
10. Tachiyama   9
10. Tochigiyama 9
10. Tamanishiki 9
13. Hokutoumi   8
13. Takanohana  8

Yusho as a new yokozuna since showa.
Futabayama      1938 Haru       13-0
Azumafuji       1949 Haru       10-2-1 draw
Taiho           1961 Kyushu     13-2
Takanosato      1983 Aki        15-0
Takanohana      1995 Hatsu      13-2

-Masumi