Coming off his first top-division championship in March, sekiwake Wakatakakage remains on the more prestigious east side of the latest rankings released Monday by the Japan Sumo Association ahead of next month's Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
Mitakeumi, who went 11-4 as a first-time ozeki in March, also found himself on the east side for the 15-day tourney starting on May 8 at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Terunofuji, who missed most of the March competition due to right heel and left knee injuries, sits atop the rankings as the sole yokozuna on the east. The top two slots on the west are occupied by the other two ozeki, Shodai and Takakeisho.
Abi remains on the west side of the sekiwake rank, while May's komusubi duo will have Hoshoryu, the nephew of former Mongolian yokozuna Asashoryu, back on the east and Daieisho, who returns to the rank for the first time in two tourneys, on the west.
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Former ozeki Takayasu, who lost to Wakatakakage in the championship playoff as a No. 7 maegashira, shot up six spots to No. 1. Twenty-four-year-old Kotonowaka, who was in the title hunt until the final day for the second straight tournament, jumped four spots from No. 6 to No. 2.
At the other end of the elite makuuchi division, three wrestlers have been re-promoted from the second-tier juryo ranks -- No. 14 Oho and No. 15 Azumaryu, who went 10-5 in March, and No. 16 Midorifuji, who went 12-3.
Makuuchi division rankings for the May 8 to 22 Summer Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, released Monday by the Japan Sumo Association (previous rankings and results in parentheses, Y=yokozuna, O=ozeki, S=sekiwake, K=komusubi, M=maegashira, J=juryo):
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RANK EAST WEST
Y Terunofuji (Y, 3-3-9)
O Mitakeumi (O, 11-4) Shodai (O, 9-6)
Takakeisho (O, 8-7)
S Wakatakakage (S, 12-3) Abi (S, 8-7)
K Hoshoryu (K, 8-7) Daieisho (M1, 8-7)
M1 Takayasu (M7, 12-3) Ichinojo (M2, 9-6)
M2 Kiribayama (M4, 10-5) Kotonowaka (M6, 11-4)
M3 Hokutofuji (M6, 9-6) Tamawashi (M2, 7-8)
M4 Endo (M4, 8-7) Takanosho (K, 4-11)
M5 Onosho (M3, 6-9) Tobizaru (M9, 9-6)
M6 Ura (M1, 4-11) Wakamotoharu (M9, 9-6)
M7 Takarafuji (M5, 6-9) Kotoeko (M12, 9-6)
M8 Shimanoumi (M10, 8-7) Terutsuyoshi (M11, 8-7)
M9 Kotoshoho (M14, 9-6) Tochinoshin (M15, 9-6)
M10 Okinoumi (M7, 5-10) Nishikigi (M16, 9-6)
M11 Aoiyama (M10, 7-8) Chiyoshoma (M8, 5-10)
M12 Myogiryu (M11, 7-8) Sadanoumi (M8, 5-10)
M13 Chiyotairyu (M12, 7-8) Meisei (M3, 1-14)
M14 Oho (J1, 10-5) Yutakayama (M14, 7-8)
M15 Azumaryu (J2, 10-5) Ichiyamamoto (M17, 8-7)
M16 Ishiura (M5, 2-7-6) Midorifuji (J6, 12-3)
M17 Kotokuzan (M16, 7-8) Kagayaki (M17, 7-8)
*
(Note: Results are shown as won, lost and rest days)
