SOS - Shinjinrui on Sumo Chris Gould Chris sinks his teeth deeper into how sumo can go about pulling in the younger fans in part two of a three-part series. Azumazeki up close and personal Steven Pascal-Joiner / William Titus A wiz with a pen and a wiz with a lens get together with SFM to share their time with Azumazeki Oyakata - Takamiyama as was - with the wider sumo following world. Rikishi of Old Joe Kuroda Joe Kuroda takes a detailed look at the life and times of a former yokozuna forgotten by many - Maedayama. Eric Evaluates Eric Blair Eric calls the musubi-no-ichiban kimarite call on nakabi in Kyushu as perhaps only he could. Heya Peek Jeff Kennel First time heya visitor Jeff Kennel wrote about, photographed and even made a video of his time spent at Arashio Beya prior to the Kyushu Basho. All to be found within. SFM Interview Mark Buckton Mark interviews Russian up and comer Wakanoho of Magaki Beya. Photo Bonanzas See behind the scenes at the Kyushu Basho, morning training in Arashio Beya through the eyes of an artist and exactly what the Azumazeki lads had to eat halfway though the July Nagoya Basho. All originals, all seen here and nowhere else, and all for you. Kyushu Basho Summary Lon Howard Lon wraps the Kyushu Basho in Fukuoka and throws in some henka sighting results for good measure. Lower Division Rikishi Mikko Mattila The lower divisions, their members and results get the once over thanks to Mikko's eyeing of life down below the salaried ranks. Hatsu Ones To Watch Carolyn Todd Carolyn ponders and puts fingers to keys on the ones to watch come January and the Hatsu Basho. Kimarite Focus Mikko Mattila Mikko's latest clarification of a handful of sumo's kimarite offers unequalled analysis and in depth explanations. Amateur Angles Howard Gilbert Howard looks at makushita tsukedashi and what it means in real terms. Kokugi Konnections Todd Lambert Click on Todd's bimonthly focus on three of the best sumo sites online. Fan Debate Facilitators - Lon Howard / Carolyn Todd Two SFMers talk over the yokozuna benefiting from weak opposition - or not as the case may be. SFM Cartoons Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson In this issue's cartoon bonanza, sit back and sample Stephen's artistic offerings. Sumo Odds ’n’ Ends SFM's interactive elements including Henka Sightings, Elevator Rikishi and Eternal Banzuke! Lets Hear From You What was it that made you a sumo fan? Starting with issue #10, the SFM staff will reveal a little of their own routes into sumo fandom - starting with Benny Loh. Readers' Letters See what our readers had to say since we last hit your screens. Sumo Quiz The Quizmaster Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.

he is dominant.  And using the Debate title as a guide, we should make this comparison only with regard to those yokozuna who were truly dominant.  Since ‘dominance’ is the theme of this discussion, the idea of what it means is what I will be focusing on.   This narrows the focus of our discussion down to the opposition faced by Taiho, Chiyonofuji, Kitanoumi and Takanohana.  I’m sorry, but I just don’t have a feel for the opposition faced by Futabayama, or by the other dominant yokozuna that preceded him.   In trying to get a handle on what constitutes dominance, I carved out what I consider to be the ‘heyday’ of the four historical dominant yokozuna, beginning no later than their first yokozuna basho.  I cut out the latter portions of their careers during which they were no longer winning yusho with regularity in order to focus on the time in which they were dominant.  Thusly, Kitanoumi was the only one of those four men for which the dominant period began with his first yokozuna basho.  The others started their period of dominance when they were still ozeki. Here’s the result, using the heyday periods of those four men: Yokozuna # Basho # Yusho Yusho % Takanohana 23 15 65 Taiho 48 29 60 Chiyonofuji 52 29 56 Kitanoumi 45 21 47 Let’s key on Kitanoumi.  No one disputes that he was a dominant yokozuna, yet he won the yusho only 47 per cent of the time in his heyday, and even less if you include his entire yokozuna career.  Asashoryu’s heyday began with his first yusho and continues today.  His record shows 18

yusho in 24 basho for an astounding yusho percentage of 75%.  For him to have fallen below Kitanoumi’s yusho percentage, his yusho total would had to have been reduced to 11, giving him a comparable 46% yusho percentage. Kitanoumi had a near-dominant yokozuna to compete with in Wajima, who won eight yusho in Kitanoumi’s 45-basho heyday run.  If Wajima had been competing alongside Asashoryu, is it even remotely imaginable that he could have taken seven of Asashoryu’s yusho in barely half that time?  No, that’s completely unreasonable on its face, especially when you consider that some of those seven yusho would have been taken from the rikishi that won those other six yusho, and not from Asashoryu himself.  And even if this impossible scenario had happened, Asashoryu would still have 11 yusho, and could accurately be called a dominant yokozuna. HG: OK, Lon, I see that you have supplied figures of your own. Your argument brings in the possibilities that could exist if Asashoryu had a “rival” yokozuna (comparable to Wajima’s role alongside Kitanoumi). This is precisely a point that I believe supports my theory! While you suggest that a rival would have difficulty winning seven yusho in the past four years, I don’t believe that can be the only test of a true rival and the effect that might have on Asashoryu’s record. Your figures for Kitanoumi show him winning just under half the yusho available during his prime. Wajima won only a third of Kitanoumi’s tally in that same period. However, Kitanoumi won five of the eight basho in which Wajima went kyujo/intai during their time together as yokozuna,

while Kitanoumi completed all of these basho. Although Kitanoumi won so many yusho, Wajima holds the head-to-head match-up 23-21.  So, while Wajima didn’t necessarily take yusho away from Kitanoumi, he certainly showed the yokozuna was beatable and was his equal in competition. A consistent rival to Asashoryu might not have directly “taken” a number of yusho away from him, but there are other ways in which he could’ve altered the outcome. Going back to the Rinko Period, what were the effects both physically and mentally to Kitanoumi, and psychologically for the other rikishi, of having Wajima as a rival to the dominant yokozuna of the time? I would suggest that the presence of Wajima gave Kitanoumi plenty to think about each basho. For starters, there was another rikishi expected to compete with Kitanoumi for the yusho, and their likely clash would be on senshuraku. Furthermore, if Wajima was out of yusho contention, Kitanoumi knew that he was still there in the role of spoiler. Thirdly, the other rikishi saw someone who could challenge the dominant yokozuna of the time. This may have acted as an impetus for their performances against Kitanoumi. All this I see lacking in the situation with Asashoryu. There is no rival, and thus no clear threat that runs in the yokozuna’s mind throughout the basho. Currently, five ozeki contest for the yusho with Asashoryu. Realistically no one else is expected to consistently match these six men in the hunt for the yusho. Perhaps by virtue of there being so many ozeki, none of these five has emerged to be the Next