All six leading rikishi won today, so the yusho race didn't change, but with only one day left it is not looking good for the three pursuers at 10-4 as they need all three leaders Kisenosato, Tochiozan and Kyokutenho to lose to reach a four rikishi (at least) kettei-sen. Kyokutenho is the only one of the leaders not having an ozeki as opponent tomorrow, but Goeido might be more dangerous than underperforming Kotooshu and Baruto as he showed last basho, derailing Kakuryu's yusho train on senshuraku.
Kyokutenho won today against ozeki Kotooshu with a great uwatenage and with this win he actually is the oldest rikishi all-time still in makuuchi yusho contention after day 14, beating out Wakasegawa who was one month younger than Kyokutenho now in Aki 1957 when the then M10w was 11-3, one behind yokozuna Tochinishiki. Wakasegawa even won his last bout, but Tochinishiki also won - actually Wakasegawa never was moved up against higher ranked opponents as was usual at the time which made these kind of things not so surprising after all especially with a much bigger makuuchi division. The next places also are in this era from 1949 to 1962. If we constrict this record for the period after 1962 ("modern torikumi making"), it gets interesting as before today the top eleven oldest yusho contenders after day 14 were all one and the same rikishi - Chiyonofuji eleven times from Nagoya 1988 to Kyushu 1990.
Even more interesting it's to see who was the oldest yusho contender after day 14 if we eliminate Chiyonofuji too. Then we have at 43rd place (behind 31 rikishi from 1949 to 1962 and 11 Chiyonofuji)... Kyokutenho himself! He was the sole pursuer of yokozuna Hakuho in Aki 2007 at exactly 33 years with an even much softer schedule than this basho, no opponent higher than M6 except then komusubi Ama on day 14 (in a way a revival of the fifties torikumi making). This was also the last basho he got a sansho (the kanto-sho). So I guess, jumping over all age records from Chiyonofuji, the rikishies from the fifties and even Kaio (who last was seen in yusho contention after day 14 in Aki 2004...) is a pretty good record he can be proud of.
On the demotion front to juryo I must say it's a good thing that Tamawashi and Takarafuji already have 8 wins because both slipped from 8-2 to 8-6. But even so there are a few open spots with Chiyonokuni, Fujiazuma, Kimikaze and Tenkaiho bound to go down and Asasekiryu still needing a win against Shohozan tomorrow.
Juryo yusho leader Tamaasuka is guaranteed to go up, as will pursuer Takanoyama and 9-5 lead juryo Masunoyama. Three more hot candidates are Ikioi, Hochiyama and Kyokushuho who all need to win tomorrow to get ahead in the crowded promotion line.
Doitsuyama (sumoforum)
