2006 in sumo

Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 8 January – 22 January

2006 Hatsu basho results - Makuuchi Division
Result					East			Rank	West			Result
11	-	4	-	0			Asashōryū	Y
4	-	4	-	7	ø		Chiyotaikai	O	ø		Kaiō	3	-	6	-	6
14	-	1	-	0			Tochiazuma	O			Kotoōshū	10	-	5	-	0
8	-	7	-	0			Kotomitsuki	S			Hakuhō	13	-	2	-	0
4	-	11	-	0			Kyokutenhō	K			Tamanoshima	7	-	8	-	0
	-		-				Miyabiyama	M1			Tokitenkū		-		-
	-		-				Rohō	M2			Kokkai		-		-
	-		-				Takekaze	M3			Tochinohana		-		-
	-		-				Hakurozan	M4			Asasekiryū		-		-
	-		-				Iwakiyama	M5			Kasuganishiki		-		-
	-		-				Ama	M6			Dejima		-		-
	-		-				Aminishiki	M7			Kakizoe		-		-
	-		-				Jūmonji	M8			Futen'ō		-		-
	-		-				Kisenosato	M9			Toyonoshima		-		-
	-		-				Takamisakari	M10			Kotoshōgiku		-		-
	-		-				Hokutōriki	M11			Kyokushūzan		-		-
	-		-				Kasugaō	M12			Toyozakura		-		-
	-		-				Tochisakae	M13			Yoshikaze		-		-
	-		-				Tosanoumi	M14			Tokitsuumi		-		-
	-		-				Shunketsu	M15			Wakatoba		-		-
	-		-				Wakanosato	M16			Katayama		-		-
	-		-				Kitazakura	M17

Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, Osaka, 12 March – 26 March

2006 Haru basho results - Makuuchi Division
Result					East			Rank	West			Result
13	-	2	-	0			Asashōryū*	Y
12	-	3	-	0			Tochiazuma	O			Kotoōshū	9	-	6	-	0
9	-	6	-	0			Chiyotaikai	O			Kaiō	8	-	7	-	0
13	-	2	-	0			Hakuhō	S			Kotomitsuki	8	-	7	-	0
4	-	11	-	0			Rohō	K			Miyabiyama	10	-	5	-	0
	-		-				Tamanoshima	M1			Kokkai		-		-
	-		-				Ama	M2			Hokutōriki		-		-
	-		-				Aminishiki	M3			Iwakiyama		-		-
	-		-				Futen'ō	M4			Dejima		-		-
	-		-				Kyokutenhō	M5			Tokitsuumi		-		-
	-		-				Kakizoe	M6			Tokitenkū		-		-
	-		-				Kisenosato	M7			Kasugaō		-		-
	-		-				Kotoshōgiku	M8			Asasekiryū		-		-
	-		-				Jūmonji	M9			Takekaze		-		-
	-		-				Tochinohana	M10			Toyonoshima		-		-
	-		-				Wakanosato	M11			Takamisakari		-		-
	-		-				Hakurozan	M12			Tochinonada		-		-
	-		-				Kyokushūzan	M13			Kasuganishiki		-		-
	-		-				Toyozakura	M14			Kitazakura		-		-
	-		-				Tamakasuga	M15			Ōtsukasa		-		-
	-		-				Ushiomaru	M16			Yoshikaze		-		-
	-		-				Buyūzan	M17

Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 7 May – 21 May

2006 Natsu basho results - Makuuchi Division
Result					East			Rank	West			Result
1	-	2	-	12	ø		Asashōryū	Y
	-		-				Tochiazuma	O			Kotoōshū		-		-
	-		-				Chiyotaikai	O			Kaiō		-		-
								O			Hakuhō*	14	-	1	-	0
	-		-				Kotomitsuki	S			Miyabiyama	14	-	1	-	0
	-		-				Kyokutenhō	K			Ama		-		-
	-		-				Kisenosato	M1			Kakizoe		-		-
	-		-				Asasekiryū	M2			Wakanosato		-		-
	-		-				Kotoshōgiku	M3			Aminishiki		-		-
	-		-				Tokitenkū	M4			Takekaze		-		-
	-		-				Kyokushūzan	M5			Rohō		-		-
	-		-				Tamanoshima	M6			Kokkai		-		-
	-		-				Futen'ō	M7			Dejima		-		-
	-		-				Kasugaō	M8			Hakurozan		-		-
	-		-				Iwakiyama	M9			Tochinonada		-		-
	-		-				Tamakasuga	M10			Tochinohana		-		-
	-		-				Hōmashō	M11			Baruto		-		-
	-		-				Takamisakari	M12			Tosanoumi		-		-
	-		-				Toyonoshima	M13			Hokutōriki		-		-
	-		-				Katayama	M14			Yoshikaze		-		-
	-		-				Buyūzan	M15			Kitazakura		-		-
	-		-				Tokitsuumi	M16			Jūmonji		-		-

Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium, Nagoya, 9 July – 23 July

2006 Nagoya basho results - Makuuchi Division
Result					East			Rank	West			Result
14	-	1	-	0			Asashōryū	Y
13	-	2	-	0			Hakuhō	O			Chiyotaikai		-		-
	-		-				Kaiō	O			Kotoōshū		-		-
								O			Tochiazuma		-		-
	-		-				Miyabiyama	S			Kotomitsuki		-		-
	-		-				Asasekiryū	K			Kisenosato		-		-
	-		-				Kotoshōgiku	M1			Kyokushūzan		-		-
	-		-				Hakurozan	M2			Kyokutenhō		-		-
	-		-				Rohō	M3			Kakizoe		-		-
	-		-				Ama	M4			Baruto		-		-
	-		-				Futen'ō	M5			Kokkai		-		-
	-		-				Wakanosato	M6			Dejima		-		-
	-		-				Hokutōriki	M7			Aminishiki		-		-
	-		-				Tokitenkū	M8			Takamisakari		-		-
	-		-				Yoshikaze	M9			Tosanoumi		-		-
	-		-				Tamanoshima	M10			Iwakiyama		-		-
	-		-				Toyonoshima	M11			Kasugaō		-		-
	-		-				Tochinonada	M12			Tamakasuga		-		-
	-		-				Jūmonji	M13			Takekaze		-		-
	-		-				Hōmashō	M14			Toyozakura		-		-
	-		-				Tochinohana	M15			Buyūzan		-		-
	-		-				Kitazakura	M16			Daimanazuru		-		-

Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, 10 September – 24 September

2006 Aki basho results - Makuuchi Division
Result					East			Rank	West			Result
13	-	2	-	0			Asashōryū	Y
8	-	7	-	0			Hakuhō	O			Chiyotaikai		-		-
	-		-				Kaiō	O			Kotoōshū		-		-
								O			Tochiazuma		-		-
	-		-				Miyabiyama	S			Kotomitsuki		-		-
	-		-				Kisenosato	K			Kokkai		-		-
	-		-				Baruto	M1			Rohō		-		-
	-		-				Tamanoshima	M2			Tokitenkū		-		-
	-		-				Dejima	M3			Aminishiki		-		-
	-		-				Tamakasuga	M4			Kyokutenhō		-		-
	-		-				Tochinonada	M5			Iwakiyama		-		-
	-		-				Ama	M6			Toyonoshima		-		-
	-		-				Futen'ō	M7			Kotoshōgiku		-		-
	-		-				Kyokushūzan	M8			Kakizoe		-		-
	-		-				Takamisakari	M9			Asasekiryū		-		-
	-		-				Takekaze	M10			Hakurozan		-		-
	-		-				Hōmashō	M11			Jūmonji		-		-
	-		-				Yoshikaze	M12			Tosanoumi		-		-
	-		-				Hokutōriki	M13			Tochinohana		-		-
	-		-				Wakanosato	M14			Hōchiyama		-		-
	-		-				Kasuganishiki	M15			Kasugaō		-		-
	-		-				Ryūhō	M16			Shimotori		-		-

Fukuoka International Centre, Kyushu, 12 November – 26 November

2006 Kyushu basho results - Makuuchi Division
Result					East			Rank	West			Result
15	-	0	-	0			Asashōryū	Y
	-		-				Chiyotaikai	O			Kotoōshū		-		-
	-		-				Tochiazuma	O	ø		Hakuhō	0	-	0	-	15
								O			Kaiō		-		-
	-		-				Miyabiyama	S			Kotomitsuki		-		-
	-		-				Kisenosato	K			Kokkai		-		-
	-		-				Aminishiki	K			Rohō		-		-
	-		-				Ama	M1			Iwakiyama		-		-
	-		-				Kotoshōgiku	M2			Futen'ō		-		-
	-		-				Tokitenkū	M3			Dejima		-		-
	-		-				Takekaze	M4			Kakizoe		-		-
	-		-				Hokutōriki	M5			Tochinonada		-		-
	-		-				Kyokutenhō	M6			Baruto		-		-
	-		-				Tamanoshima	M7			Kasugaō		-		-
	-		-				Toyozakura	M8			Kakuryū		-		-
	-		-				Takamisakari	M9			Asasekiryū		-		-
	-		-				Kyokushūzan	M10			Toyonoshima		-		-
	-		-				Hōmashō	M11			Kitazakura		-		-
	-		-				Ushiomaru	M12			Tosanoumi		-		-
	-		-				Asōfuji	M13			Tochinohana		-		-
	-		-				Tamakasuga	M14			Hakurozan		-		-
	-		-				Ōtsukasa	M15			Katayama		-		-

• At the Hatsu basho in Tokyo, ozeki Tochiazuma takes his third top division yusho or championship with a 14–1 record. This stops Asashoryu's record streak of consecutive championships at seven. Tochiazuma will likely be promoted to yokozuna if he wins the next tournament or posts at least 13 wins. Sekiwake Hakuho is runner-up with a 13–2 record and wins the Outstanding Performance Award. Ozeki Kaio and Chiyotaikai both drop out through injury. Maegashira Tokitsuumi and Hokutoriki both win an impressive twelve bouts; Tokitsuumi is awarded his fourth Technique Prize while Hokutoriki gets the Fighting Spirit Award. Veteran Tochinonada wins the juryo division championship with a 12–3 record and earns promotion back to the top makuuchi division. Estonian Baruto, recovered from appendicitis, wins the makushita division championship and returns to juryo. Former sekiwake Hayateumi, who has fallen to makushita 49, retires.

Action at the Osaka Prefectural Gym during the 2006 tournament.

• At the Haru basho in Osaka, Asashoryu defeats Hakuho in a playoff bout to take his 16th championship with a 13–2 score. Hakuho is promoted to ozeki nevertheless, and is awarded the Technique and Outstanding Performance prizes. He becomes the sixth non Japanese to reach sumo's second highest rank, and is also the fourth youngest ozeki ever. Fellow Mongolians Ama and Kyokushuzan win the Technique and Fighting Spirit prizes respectively. Tochiazauma, who was hoping for promotion to yokozuna, finishes in third place on 12–3 and narrowly misses out. Kaio and Chiyotaikai both post winning records to maintain their ozeki status. In the juryo division Baruto wins the championship with a perfect 15–0 record, the first man to do so since Kitanofuji in 1963. He is promoted to the top division for the first time, alongside Homasho.

A full house at the Kokugikan on the final day of the May 2006 tournament.

• At the Natsu basho in Tokyo, Asashoryu bows out of the tournament early due to injury. Tochiazuma also withdraws after seven days. Hakuho takes his first championship in his debut tournament as an ozeki, with a 14–1 record. He defeats sekiwake Miyabiyama in a playoff. Miyabiyama's 14–1 score is his best ever, and there is speculation he could return to ozeki for the first time in five years with a good performance in July. He is awarded the Technique and Outstanding Performance prizes. Baruto scores eleven wins in his top division debut and wins the Fighting Spirit prize, as does Asasekiryu for his ten wins at maegashira 2. Toyozakura wins his first juryo championship and is promoted back to makuuchi. Daimanazuru is also promoted to the top division, in his case for the first time after 14 years in sumo. In makushita, the championship goes to Shimoda, a Nihon University graduate who scores a perfect 7–0 record as a makushita tsukedashi debutant. Former komusubi Toki retires.

• Following the death of its stablemaster, Hatachiyama stable is absorbed by the Kitanoumi stable.
• Oshiogawa Oyakata, the former ozeki Daikirin, retires from the Sumo Association at the age of 64.

• After bowing out of the Natsu basho due to injury, Asashoryu comes back strong to win his 17th yusho with a 14–1 record. Hakuho defeats Asashoryu on the final day but the championship had already been decided on Day 14 and his runner-up score of 13–2 is not considered good enough by the Sumo Association for promotion to yokozuna. Miyabiyama, who scored 10–5, is also denied promotion to ozeki, despite accumulating 34 wins over three tournaments. Tochiazuma races to an 8–0 lead, only to lose seven in a row. Veteran Tamakasuga is awarded the Technique Prize, some nine years after his previous special prize. Tamanoshima wins the Fighting Spirit Prize. Russian wrestler Roho is suspended for three days after striking two photographers and breaking a bathroom window following a bad-tempered defeat to Chiyotaikai.[1] Hochiyama wins the juryo division championship. In the makushita division, Kageyama wins promotion to juryo after a 6–1 performance, and changes his fighting name to Tochiozan. Former maegashira Wakatsutomu retires.

Hakuhō and Chiyotaikai in Taiwan.

• 1: Onoe Oyakata, the former komusubi Hamanoshima, leaves Mihogaseki stable to set up his own Onoe stable. He brings with him several sekitori, including Baruto.
• 20–21: The Sumo Association visits Taiwan for the first time. The 42 sekitori take part in a two-day tournament, won by Asashoryu.

• At the Aki basho in Tokyo, Asashoryu's dominance continues as he chalks up thirteen wins for his 18th championship. Hakuho and Miyabiyama's promotion hopes end as they score only 8–7 and 9–6 respectively. Runners-up are maegashira Aminishiki who is awarded the Technique Prize, and Ama who gets the Fighting Spirit Award. Komusubi Kisenosato is awarded his first Outstanding Performance prize for his victory over Asashoryu. Kaio withdraws on the seventh day of the tournament with only one win. In the juryo division, former sekiwake Takanowaka wins the yusho. The makushita championship goes to Sawai, who wins with a perfect 7–0 record. He is rewarded with promotion to the elite sekitori ranks and a shikona change to Goeido. Former amateur champion Kaido, a stablemate of Kaio, retires. In addition, the 40-year-old former juryo wrestler Kotokanyu, veteran of 154 tournaments, is forced to retire by his stablemaster after punching young opponent Ikioi in the face in the locker room after a defeat.[2]
• The Sumo Association raises the standard of qualification for former wrestlers who wish to open up their own stables. They must now have spent at least 25 tournaments at a sanyaku rank or at least 60 tournaments ranked in the top division. The move is seen as an attempt to limit the number of stables, which now stands at 54.

Banners announce the beginning of the 2006 Kyushu tournament.

• At the Kyushu basho, Asashoryu achieves a perfect 15–0 record to take his 19th championship. He has little competition; the closest being maegashira 11 Homasho, who finishes as runner-up on 12–3 and receives the Technique and Fighting Spirit Awards. Hakuho is missing, having injured himself in training shortly before the start of the tournament. Kotoshogiku shares the Technique Prize, scoring an impressive ten wins at maegashira 2. Kaio staves off retirement for another year by returning to win his first eight bouts in a row, although in the end he too finishes on 10–5. Jumonji wins the juryo championship. Former komusubi Kyokushuzan, who in 1996 was the first Mongolian to reach the top division, retires at the age of 33. He had been ranked as a maegashira for a record 58 consecutive tournaments. Former maegashira Harunoyama also announces his retirement. This tournament is also unique in sumo history in that there are three sets of brothers (Asofuji and Aminishiki, Kitazakura and Toyozakura, and Rohō and Hakurozan) in the top division simultaneously for the first and only time (Kitazakura is demoted back to juryo for January 2007).
• Isegahama Oyataka, the former ozeki Kiyokuni, reaches 65 and retires. Wakafuji Oyataka, the former Katsuhikari, takes over the running of Isegahama stable, but only on a short-term basis.