TL;DR
- Anqingjin was promoted to Ozeki after winning the Kyushu tournament and consistently achieving high wins.
- Since the Heisei era, about half of newly promoted Ozeki have struggled, with many not reaching double-digit wins.
- New Ozeki face increased duties and pressure, often impacting their performance and requiring mental and physical adjustment.
■抜群の安定感で瞬く間に大関へ
今年の大相撲は、11月に行われた九州場所をもって本場所の全日程が終了した。同場所では関脇・安青錦が横綱・豊昇龍との優勝決定戦を制し自身初優勝。これが決め手となり、場所後に新大関へと昇進した。
Anqingjin achieved his debut in the top division during the spring tournament this year, subsequently recording 11 victories for two consecutive tournaments, rapidly advancing to the rank of Komusubi, a junior member of the three great offices. He also achieved 11 wins in the Nagoya tournament, the very tournament marking his promotion, and then secured 12 wins in the Kyushu tournament as a newly promoted Sekiwake. While there's a promotion guideline for Ozeki requiring "33 or more wins in the last three tournaments at the San't yaku level," Anqingjin's victory in the Kyushu tournament was recognized, leading to his promotion starting from the lower Makuuchi ranks.
幕内に上がってからは5場所連続で11勝以上をマークするなど、とにかく安定感が光っている安青錦。来年の初場所でも記録継続が期待されるが、仮に達成すると新大関としては十分合格点の部類に入ることになる。
■平成以降の新大関は約半数が苦戦
In the sumo world, since the Heisei era, 33 Ozeki have been produced before Yasunishiki (excluding those who were demoted and then promoted again, with 12 of them later advancing to Yokozuna). However, only two of them, Tochianto (13 wins, 2 losses) and Hakuhō (14 wins, 1 loss), achieved a championship in their promotion tournament. Including these two, 16 individuals have achieved double-digit wins.
一方、それ以外の17名の内訳は1ケタ勝ち越しが9名、負け越しが6名、全休が2名。直近で大関に昇進した大の里も、新大関場所となった2024年九州場所では9勝にとどまるなど苦戦した。
Ozeki are expected to contend for the championship as rivals to the top-ranked Yokozuna, and sometimes achieving double-digit wins is considered a successful season for An Ozeki. However, looking only at the Heisei era, as mentioned earlier, approximately half of them haven't even reached what could be considered a passing grade.
■新大関の苦戦が少なくないワケは？
The sumo wrestler who has achieved the rank of Ozeki will find themselves occupied with various duties, including the promotion ceremony, TV and event appearances, and media engagements. While Asanoyama, like others, is managing these responsibilities, it's undeniable that the time taken away from training and conditioning adjustments is negatively impacting his performance in actual bouts.
Furthermore, An Qingjin herself stated in her address during the promotion ceremony, "I will strive to reach even higher," but becoming an Ōzeki means facing even greater expectations and pressure as a potential successor to Yokozuna. In addition, scrutiny from other sumo wrestlers intensifies, making it common for wrestlers to struggle to perform at their best until they adjust mentally and physically.
Although Anqingjin was promoted to Ozeki at the young age of 21 years and 8 months, ranking fourth youngest all-time, his sumo is still considered unfinished with room for improvement given his age. Whether fans can watch over him with a long-term perspective, in addition to his own efforts, appears likely to influence his debut as a new Ozeki and, consequently, his future career.
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