The reason why Takakeisho, the first place V, is “unsatisfactory” as a yokozuna candidate The dignity that one Ozeki showed, of course, the spring place is the place to win the rope (1/4) | JBpress (JB Press)

The dignity shown by a lone ozeki, of course, the spring tournament will be a rope-taking place

I want you to manage to pull the rope. This is probably what many people wish for Takakeisho Ozeki, who won his third Grand Sumo Tournament (at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo) for the third time.

While becoming 1 yokozuna and 1 ozeki for the first time in 125 years, Yokozuna Terunofuji was the only ozeki to show the highest ranking wrestler. At the end of Chiakiraku, he won the 13th East Maegashira, Kotokatsuho, with a scooping throw, and won the gift cup for the first time since November 2020.

Expectations for the first yokozuna from Japan since Kisenosato

The result is 12 wins and 3 losses. In November last year, at the Kyushu tournament, he lost in a three-way victory match, and although he drank tears, he was tied for victory with 12 wins and 3 losses. If he won at a high level at this place, the possibility of being promoted to yokozuna would have been greatly expanded, but it disappeared completely when he suffered a third loss in a row on the 12th day.

Chairman Masahiko Takamura, who attended the Yokozuna Deliberation Committee held at the Ryogoku Kokugikan on the 23rd, the day after Senshugaku, talked about Takakeisho’s position in the next spring tournament (first day on March 12th, Osaka Edion Arena) until the end. He didn’t say “tightrope”. However, he gave a big compliment to the first place V, which prevented him from winning four places in a row in the flat curtain, saying, “It’s not a high level, but I turned the pressure into gratitude and joy, and fulfilled my responsibilities as an ozeki.”

So far, Takakeisho has had a good record of 12 wins and 3 losses in two consecutive places, and the previous place is tied, and now is the first place in 13 places and the third time in the makuuchi. Considering that the internal rule for promotion to yokozuna is “two consecutive wins or similar results,” even if the yokozuna doesn’t explicitly say so, the next spring tournament should inevitably be a tug-of-war for Takakeisho.