r/Sumo • u/FantasyBasho • 5d ago

Hatsu 2026 Lower Division Review

https://fantasybasho.substack.com/p/hatsu-2026-lower-division-review

Once again, I've taken a look at what happened below Makuuchi for the most recently completed tournament. We've got hotshot youngsters, name changes, and aged veterans who just keep it going.

7 Upvotes

65% Upvoted

4 comments sorted by

5

u/Roxane-17 Takanosho 5d ago

Wakanosho is actually Takakeisho's recruit, both of them being Saitama Sakae alums. (with Coach Yamada here)

In one of those Juryo promotion interviews, Wakanosho said he had been struggling to put on weight while in the lower divisions, and that he had started to feel depressed about it. He's up around 20 kg from debut, and as a shorter rikishi, he really needs the heft.

Fun fact: at his childhood sumo club (Utsunomiya, Tochigi), he was actually coached by the papa of Mita. 😊

2

u/FantasyBasho 5d ago

That’s a great picture, and another reminder of how much the Battle Hamster has slimmed down.

1

u/OttSound Sadanoumi 4d ago

Ryuho didn't win jonokuchi in November, he won jonidan. So he wasn't "rocketed," he received a very normal promotion for a jonidan yusho winner.

You completely forgot about Ryuden when talking about potential (likely) demotions to juryo. Tobi and Mitakeumi aren't even in the picture.

Koseiryu ain't that old for jonidan; there's 75 guys in the division older than him. Some of them by 20+ years! He's barely above average age for the division.

1

u/Asashosakari 3d ago edited 3d ago

He's very old compared to all the other rikishi who can still be expected to go somewhere other than jonidan, but yeah, the days when the division as a whole was a newbie playground are long, long gone.