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HISTORY OF THE SUPER BANZUKE:

On this page, 

we shall record all important milestones in the life of the SUPER BANZUKE!

On February 26, 2002,
French Sumo fan extraordinaire Hoshifransu first published the idea that spawned the SUPER BANZUKE on Kotoseiya's popular sumo discussion forum - Sumoforum.net!

On February 28, 2002,
Hoshifransu came up with another great idea, to establish some sort of "Masters" series for the very best players on the SUPER BANZUKE.  Yet another revolutionary brainchild from the French Sumo connoisseur!

In the following weeks, 
Hoshifransu and Zenjimoto (back then known as Makususuchi) put their heads together to develop the ideas and solicited the input from several cyber rikishi; a preliminary "formula" was found.

During the Haru Basho 2002,
the formula was first applied in an unofficial "test run", to see how well it did or did not work.  The unofficial 2002 Haru SUPER BANZUKE included 140 players from 7 games.  A mock "SB Masters" was also conducted with the top-10 of that unofficial SUPER BANZUKE.  The tests were successful, and we pressed on to try and make it official the next time around!

On April 27, 2002,
just days after the Guess The Banzuke results were out, the FIRST OFFICIAL SUPER BANZUKE was completed and published, changing the internet Sumo gaming world forever!  Well... that's what we'd like to think :)  Doitsuyama and Yubiquitoyama would be the first ever SUPER BANZUKE Yokozuna!

Natsu Basho 2002 
was the first Basho in which the SUPER BANZUKE is officially active and where the 10 invitees to the SB MASTERS were be fighting it out for the Green Mawashi!  The 10 invitees were Yokozuna Doitsuyama, Yubiquitoyama, Ozeki Feginowaka, Igiski, Leonishiki and Ekigozan, Sekiwake Chiyozakura (kyujo) and Rannohana, Komusubi Gaijingai and Tamanaogijima and Maegashira 1 East Takanorappa (in as first alternate).  The first ever SB MASTERS Champion and winner of the inaugural Green Mawashi was Ozeki West IGISKI, with an impressive 27-point Zen-Yusho!

On June 30, 2002,
the second ever SUPER BANZUKE was published (a little late for several reasons) for the Nagoya 2002 Basho.  The first seven ranks remained unchanged, with Doitsuyama and Yubiquitoyama at Yokozuna, Feginowaka, Igiski, Leonishiki and Ekigozan at Ozeki, and Chiyozakura at Sekiwake East.  Kirinoumi and Kaikitsune joined the Sanyaku ranks for the first time, sandwiching Tamanaogijima at Komusubi East.  These ten were the invitees for the Nagoya 2002 SB MASTERS.

Nagoya Basho 2002 
marked the second coming of the SB MASTERS, with the world's top-ten cyber-rikishi slugging it out for the Green Mawashi.  This time, dominating Yokozuna East DOITSUYAMA is the Champion, with an impressive 27-point Zen-Yusho - he is helped into the Green Mawashi by Natsu 2002 SB MASTERS Champion Igiski!

On August 14, 2002,
SUPER BANZUKE KYOKAI (SBK) Co-Rijicho Makususuchi officially changed his Shikona to Zenjimoto (not that it really matters to the SUPER BANZUKE, this is just for the record, in case anybody is confused :).

On August 15, 2002,
SUPER BANZUKE KYOKAI (SBK) received extensive statistics from Gunga's Internet Sumo Pool (GISP) Rijicho Gunga.  The statistics included detailed results of GISP Basho all the way from Nagoya 2000 to Nagoya 2002, and enabled the SBK to compile a Banzuke for GISP for the purposes of finally integrating the GISP ranking into the SUPER BANZUKE!  From this day on, all ten major games are represented in the SUPER BANZUKE!

On August 19, 2002,
SUPER BANZUKE KYOKAI (SBK) made the decision to change the point in time at which the GTB Ranking will be integrated into the SUPER BANZUKE.  Instead of the GTB Ranking being the last and final part of each new SUPER BANZUKE, it will henceforth be the FIRST part (meaning that the GTB Ranking after the Aki 2002 GTB will be the first ranking to count towards the Kyushu 2002 SUPER BANZUKE, and not, as it would have previously been, the last ranking to count towards the Aki 2002 SUPER BANZUKE.  This change allows for an earlier release of the SUPER BANZUKE with the added advantage that all SB MASTERS participants will be known before the GTB competition is about to begin, and not after it has already been completed.  For the Aki 2002 SUPER BANZUKE, the new GTB Ranking system developed by Andoreasu was used for the very first time (in this case, the ranking after the Nagoya 2002 GTB).

On August 20, 2002,
the third ever SUPER BANZUKE (Aki 2002) was published.  The first six ranks still remained unchanged, with Doitsuyama and Yubiquitoyama at Yokozuna, Feginowaka, Igiski, Leonishiki and Ekigozan at Ozeki.  New Sekiwake East is German rising star Flohru, having made the move from Juryo to Sanyaku in just two basho (!), Sekiwake West is Kirinoumi (formerly Sekiwake East).  Both Komusubi are Germans: Chiyozakura holds the East spot, having fallen back from Sekiwake East, and Hamanoyama makes his Sanyaku debut at Komusubi West.  These ten cyber-rikishi will compete in the Aki 2002 SB MASTERS!  Out of Sanyaku and the SB MASTERS for now are Tamanaogijima and Kaikitsune.

Aki Basho 2002
marked the first ever Ladies' League Masters Series (LLMS), which, despite mixed reactions, went ahead with wide-spread enthusiasm and a very respectable inaugural field of 11 lady cyber-rikishi from 8 different countries: Amanogawa (Japan), Hahanoyama (Sweden), Heitaikai (Germany), Kaenkamiko (USA), Getayukata (UK), Marushiki (Australia), Hamamiharu, Hononeko, Fukurou (all three USA), Chiisabuke (India) and Doronohana (Poland) were the first to compete in the LLMS.  German HEITAIKAI became the first LLMS Champion and thus bearer of the "Pink Mawashi" in a narrow victory over Doronohana, the key to her success being the Yusho in Sekitori-Toto!

In the open SB MASTERS meanwhile, impressive German Rookie FLOHRU took away the "Green Mawashi" from defending champion Doitsuyama, who finished a disappointing 8th.  Flohru scored 26 points, just one point ahead of Australian runner-up and winner of all three special prizes, Ekigozan, making the two "Masters" for Aki Basho 2002 a purely German affair!

Aki Basho 2002 also marked the appearance of two new sumo games on the internet, eligible for inclusion in the SUPER BANZUKE system: Kojamuri's ODD SUMO, which drew a field of 55 ranked participants, and Sekitori-Toto's new sister game, SEKITORI-ORACLE, which drew 71 players in its first running.  Both these games will be phased into the SUPER BANZUKE beginning with the Kyushu 2002 ranking, where points earned in these two games will be counted HALF.  For the Hatsu 2003 SUPER BANZUKE, both games should fully count for the SUPER BANZUKE, as per the usual rules.  Meanwhile, Gunga's Internet Sumo Pool did not run for this basho.  Should it not run again in November either, points earned in the GISP will be halved for the Hatsu 2003 SUPER BANZUKE.  We hope that GISP will be back again for Kyushu 2002!

On October 17, 2002
the domain SUPERBANZUKE.COM was registered and came online as the new, instantly recognizable address of the SUPER BANZUKE on the internet!

On October 19, 2002
the SUPER BANZUKE for the Kyushu Basho 2002 was published.  Doitsuyama and Yubiquitoyama remained Yokozuna, Feginowaka, Flohru, Ekigozan and Igiski were Ozeki, Chiyozakura and Leonishiki Sekiwake and Kaikitsune and Gaijingai Komusubi.  These ten were of course the invitees to the Kyushu 2002 SB Masters.

Kyushu Basho 2002
marked the fourth running of the SB MASTERS and the second running of the LL MASTERS.  Spaniard Leonishiki won the Green Mawashi, while Brit Getayukata won her first Pink Mawashi in an exciting tie-breaker over Japan's premier female sumo enthusiast, Amanogawa.

Kyushu Basho 2002 saw the emergence of yet another two new games!  Kintamayama's Chaingang game gave its debut, as well as Zentoryu's RotoSumo - both games featuring automation by Kofuji.  Since both games easily met the requirements for SUPER BANZUKE inclusion, both games will be phased into the SUPER BANZUKE beginning with the Hatsu 2003 ranking, where points earned in these two games will be counted HALF.  For the Haru 2003 SUPER BANZUKE, both games should fully count for the SUPER BANZUKE, as per the usual rules.

On Christmas Eve 2002
the SUPER BANZUKE for the Hatsu Basho 2003 was published.  In dramatic developments, Yubiquitoyama assumed the Yokozuna East spot from Doitsuyama, the first time the German has not been on the very top of this ranking!  Chiyozakura was promoted to Ozeki for the first time, replacing Igiski, who is relegated to Sekiwake.  Two Shin-Sanyaku this time: The Man with the Golden Balls, Kintamayama, and another Swede, Maguroyama, both make their Komusubi debuts, and will be participating in their first SB MASTERS in Hatsu 2003.  The other four participants will be Ozeki Feginowaka, Flohru and Ekigozan, and Sekiwake Leonishiki.

Hatsu Basho 2003
marked the fifth running of the SB MASTERS and the third running of the LL MASTERS - and both contests saw their first repeat winners!  Doitsuyama dominated the field in the SB Masters, winning with 27 points to take his second Green Mawashi.  Meanwhile, defending champion and current Pink Mawashi bearer Getayukata refused to relinquish her victorious adornment, and wins her second LL MASTERS in a row!  SUPER BANZUKE Yokozuna East Yubiquitoyama meanwhile had to endure a shocking 19-3-90 record which may result in a large drop in the standings for the next SUPER BANZUKE.  No new games debuted this basho, but SB Rijicho Zenjimoto is considering the inclusion of several Japanese sumo games, some of which have well over 100 participants, and as such clearly meet the criteria for inclusion.  Stay tuned.

On March 1, 2003
the Haru 2003 SUPER BANZUKE was published.  Yokozuna East Yubiquitoyama, after a dismal Hatsu Basho, lost his lofty rank, and fell all the way to Maegashira 2 East, enabling Doitsuyama to reclaim the top spot, this time as the lone YokozunaHamanoyama makes his Sanyaku return as Sekiwake to replace Yubiquitoyama in the top-10.  The other eight remain unchanged, Chiyozakura, Feginowaka, Flohru and Ekigozan the four Ozeki, Igiski and Leonishiki the other two Sekiwake, and Maguroyama and Kintamayama hold on to their Komusubi spots.  Not implemented for this SUPER BANZUKE was the plan to include various Japanese sumo games.  Maybe next time! :)

Haru Basho 2003
brought a popular victory for Kintamayama in the SB Masters, outbattling Hamanoyama and Flohru to take his first Green Mawashi, while Amanogawa was another first-time Masters champion, winning the LL Masters and her first Pink Mawashi in a really close kettei-sen over Kaenkamiko!

On April 25, 2003
the Natsu 2003 SUPER BANZUKE was published.  Doitsuyama remains the sole Yokozuna for now, but catching up is young star Flohru, who takes over the Ozeki East position emphatically.  He is joined in the Ozeki ranks by a NEW Ozeki, Hamanoyama, making his debut at the second highest rank, while Feginowaka, Chiyozakura and Ekigozan round out the fivesome, all keeping their ranks.  Igiski remains Sekiwake, and is joined by current Green Mawashi holder Kintamayama as shin-Sekiwake.  Former Ozeki Leonishiki meanwhile falls to Komusubi, where he is joined by the first Sanyaku debut since two basho, the first Austrian to ever make the top-10, Gernobono.  These ten will also comprise the field of invitees in the Natsu 2003 SB Masters!  Falling out of Sanyaku after a two-banzuke stint as Komusubi is Maguroyama.  Alarming is the apparent domination of the central Europeans... no less than six of the ten Sanyaku are now occupied by German-speakers!

The Natsu 2003 SUPER BANZUKE is also historic from another point of view: for the very first time, one of the widely popular Japanese sumo games has been included in the ranking!  The Paper-Oyakata Game, run by Onzoushi-Oyakata, with 161 ranked participants, will be a part of the SUPER BANZUKE henceforth, with the possibility of more Japanese games joining soon.  Paper Oyakata Game Ozeki Daijordan and Asahi both made their SUPER BANZUKE debuts as Sekitori already, sitting at Juryo 12w and 13e, respectively.  An attempt to include the successfully resurrected CyberSumo game by Hinerikeri unfortunately failed for now, but we hope to include that game by next time!


Natsu Basho 2003
brought a close to the SB and LL Masters series - for now.  Compiling the scores for these two events has become quite a lot of work with the recent increase in games.  There had been some talk of partially automating that process with the help of a macro-spreadsheet, data base, or the like, but plans did not materialize until now.  Seeing that the manual scoring is rather work-intensive, and due to an apparent general lack of interest in the series (even though the results from the two Masters were not published after Natsu, only two people inquired about it - and they were two of the most hard-core game enthusiasts), for now the SB and LL Masters will be discontinued.  Should a solution emerge to make the scoring process faster and less work-intensive, the series may return in the future.  The SBMS and LLMS pages have been taken off the main page links bar, but the old pages can still be reached at these links:
SBMS and LLMS


On June 26, 2003
the Nagoya 2003 SUPER BANZUKE was published.  Doitsuyama again remains the sole Yokozuna, behind him follow five Ozeki in the order Ekigozan, Flohru, Chiyozakura, Kintamayama (NEW Ozeki!) and Igiski.  Sekiwake are Leonishiki and veteran Sanyaku returnee Rannohana.  Former Yokozuna Yubiquitoyama also makes his Sanyaku return as Komusubi East, with Feginowaka falling from his Ozeki rank for the first time to take the final Sanyaku spot at Komusubi West.  Hard falls for Hamanoyama, who returns to Maegashira 2 after just one basho at Ozeki, and Gernobono who drops from Komusubi all the way to Maegashira 5.

On August 29, 2003
the Aki 2003 SUPER BANZUKE was published.  Doitsuyama is still absolutely untouchable, reigning on top as the lone Yokozuna with an incredible lead of well over 1,000 points!  Unreal!  Following him are two increasingly strong Ozeki, Flohru and Ekigozan.  If these two can keep increasing their gap to the other three Ozeki (Kintamayama, Ozeki returnee Yubiquitoyama and Shin-Ozeki Maguroyama - good basho for the Swedes, eh?), they might themselves become Yokozuna candidates.  To make room for the two Swedes at Ozeki, Igiski and Chiyozakura fall to Sekiwake ranks.  Former Ozeki Leonishiki slides to Komusubi, where he is joined by Shin-Sanyaku Takanorappa.  Falling out of Sanyaku are Rannohana, who was there for just Nagoya '03, and, for the first time ever, former Ozeki Feginowaka, who drops all the way to Maegashira 5 East.

A minor change in the ranking system was implemented this SUPER BANZUKE: instead of ending "Makushita" at Makushita 30 West, it now continues all the way down to Makushita 60 West, just like the "real" Banzuke.  The SBK felt that, since the SUPER BANZUKE is meant to represent something of an "overall" ranking to internet sumo games, it should follow the format of the "real" Banzuke, so comparisons can easily be drawn.

On October 29, 2003
the Kyushu 2003 SUPER BANZUKE was published.  Doitsuyama again remains the sole Yokozuna, and four of the previous Ozeki keep their rank in Maguroyama, Ekigozan, Yubiquitoyama, and Flohru, while Ozeki Kintamayama falls to Maegashira 2 West after a bad basho in Aki.  Igiski remains Sekiwake East, joined on the West side by Sanyaku returnee and Canadian veteran Rannohana.  Takanorappa meanwhile retains his Komusubi East slot, and is joined by Komusubi returnee Kaikitsune, and Sanyaku debut, Boltono, the first British player to reach the top-10.  Falling out of Sanyaku besides Kintamayama are long time Ozeki Leonishiki and Chiyozakura.  Wasarabiyama becomes the first Japanese player to reach Sekitori rank on the SUPER BANZUKE, debuting at Juryo 7 East. 

On January 4, 2004
the Hatsu 2004 SUPER BANZUKE was published.  For the first time since Hatsu 2003, Yokozuna Doitsuyama has been displaced as World Number One, this time by his compatriot Flohru, who for the first time takes the Yokozuna East position, with Doitsuyama remaining Yokozuna West.  With the exception of Flohru's promotion to Yokozuna, the Ozeki picture stays otherwise unchanged, with Maguroyama, Yubiquitoyama and Ekigozan all retaining their Ozeki ranks.  The Sekiwake ranks feature two Sanyaku returnees in Kintamayama and Gaijingai.  Igiski falls from Sekiwake to Komusubi, Takanorappa keeps his Komusubi rank, and Zenjimoto makes his Sanyaku debut as the third Komusubi.  Boltono, Rannohana and Kaikitsune lose their Sanyaku ranks for now.

With the expansion of the "real" banzuke to 70 Sekitori, the SUPER BANZUKE also follows suit, and will henceforth feature 42 Makuuchi and 28 Juryo.  Likewise, points for the SUPER BANZUKE will henceforth be earned by placing in the Top-42 (versus Top-40 used previously) of a member game's banzuke.

Thanks to the expansion, two more Japanese players make their Sekitori debuts, Sekitori-Oracle standout Gachinco at Juryo 13 West, and Paper Oyakata Ozeki Asahi at Juryo 14 East.  They join Wasarabiyama, who remains in Juryo.

Most notable this SUPER BANZUKE, however, is the admission of a NEW game to the SB - sumotalk.com's FANTASY SUMO has fulfilled all the admission criteria, and will henceforth be a part of the SUPER BANZUKE system.  The inclusion of the Fantasy Sumo Banzuke resulted in a myriad of new players showing up in this ranking.

On February 24, 2004
the SUPER BANZUKE MASTERS SERIES made its comeback with a wholly new game concept that combines results from all 16 SUPER BANZUKE sanctioned games to find the "Super Yusho" Winner for each Basho, who will be the bearer of the prestigious Green Mawashi.  Retroactive to Hatsu Basho 2004, the SBMS hence replaces the now defunct "original" SBMS and the LLMS.  More about the "new" SB Masters Series can be found here

Frinkanohana was the inaugural "new" SBMS Champion for Hatsu Basho 2004 (calculated retroactively), and will be donning the Green Mawashi until the next champion is crowned at the Haru 2004 Basho.  Frinkanohana, who won Yusho in both, Sekitori-Oracle and GISP, edged out Juryo Game Yusho winner Kojamuri by a mere point.  Kojamuri, Chaingang Yusho Winner Daninowaka,
and Heikotoriki were the three Sansho winners.

On February 27, 2004
the SUPER BANZUKE Sumo Games World Championship is officially launched with its new page.

March 4, 2004
was a big day, as the 2004 Haru Basho SUPER BANZUKE was published today.  For the first time ever, an American is Yokozuna East and leading the ranking at number one: Gaijingai!  He displaces Hatsu Yokozuna East Flohru, who moves back down to lead the Ozeki.  Doitsuyama remains Yokozuna, now holding the rank of Yokozuna and ranking in the top-2 continuously since the first Super Banzuke was published for Natsu 2002, 12 basho in a row!  Ozekis Ekigozan, Maguroyama and Yubiquitoyama all retained their ranks, while we have a new set of Sekiwake in Igiski and Rannohana.  Kintamayama drops to Komusubi, Zenjimoto remains Komusubi. Takanorappa falls to Maegashira for now, in what was very little sanyaku exchange.

March 4 was also a momentous day, as the SB Sumo Games World Championship today proudly introduces its first official Kensho sponsor: Zenshoyusho's Rare Sumo Items for Sale on eBay is now an official 2004 SGWC Sponsor, and the brand-spanking new Kensho banner can now be seen and clicked on on
the World Championship page!   Zenshoyusho would go on to purchase an additional two Kensho shortly later, for a total of three!  Thank you! :-)

March 5, 2004
The SB Sumo Games World Championship today receives kensho sponsorship from Joe Klemmer (Kuramarujo)!  Thank you! :-)

March 29, 2004
The SB Sumo Games World Championship today receives kensho sponsorship from Charliki!  Thank you! :-)

Haru Basho 2004
Mariohana is the dominator of Haru Basho 2004, not only taking the Green Mawashi, but also leading two of the sansho categories (but as the Green Mawashi Champion is ineligible for sansho, they go to others).  Mariohana won the UDH Yusho in Haru 2004, setting the foundation for his win, backing it up with a Jun-Yusho in Sekitori-Oracle and a third place in Tipp-Spiel, as well as points scored in Sumo Game and Juryo Game.  So the Green Mawashi remains in German hands!  Congratulations to Mariohana!

Haru Basho 2004 also marks the emergence of two new games: Salarycap Sumo, and Sekitori-Quadrumvirate, both of which immediately fulfil the criteria for inclusion in the SUPER BANZUKE, and will be part of the SB World Championship Series from Natsu Basho 2004!

April 2, 2004
The SB Sumo Games World Championship today receives kensho sponsorship from Konrad Walterskirchen (Konizan)!  Thank you! :-)

On April 26, 2004
The 2004 Natsu Basho SUPER BANZUKE is released!  Three new games find inclusion in the World Ranking this time, new games Salarycap Sumo and Sekitori-Quadrumvirate, and newly included Japanese language game Norizo Cup, bringing the total of SUPER BANZUKE sanctioned games to 19!

The Natsu 2004 SUPER BANZUKE sees Flohru back in the Yokozuna East position, with Doitsuyama and Gaijingai as the other two Yokozuna.  Kintamayama is the only one to fall from Sanyaku, replaced by Takanorappa, who takes Komusubi West.  Norizo and Frinkanohana make large jumps from Makushita to Makuuchi.

Natsu Basho 2004
Kintamayama makes history in Natsu 2004, as he becomes the first player to win both types of Green Mawashi... in the "old" SB Masters format that included only the top-10 players on the SUPER BANZUKE, as well as the "new" format we have today.  Kintamayama thus also adds his name to the elite group of multiple Green Mawashi winners, and he did so simply by scoring fat points in 6 different games, even though he did not win a Yusho in any of the19 points-earning games (which is also a first!)

Nagoya Basho 2004
Due to a delay in the making of the OddSumo Banzuke, the SUPER BANZUKE for Nagoya 2004 could NOT be published before the basho - a first in the two-year history of the ranking...

Despite his retirement from Bench Sumo, Kaikitsune wins the Green Mawashi for Nagoya 2004 in convincing fashion by winning Chaingang and Sekitori-Oracle, as well as placing Runner-Up in GTB, with a total of more than 13 points ahead of second place finisher Mariohana!  Kaikitsune's dominating performance this basho would have also landed him all three sansho, if the Masters winner were eligible for them!  Congratulations to the enigmatic Finn!

On August 17, 2004
The missing information for the Nagoya (!) 2004 OddSumo Banzuke is received, and the 2004 Nagoya SUPER BANZUKE is finally "posthumously" published without fanfare.  Kintamayama's fantastic Natsu Basho catapults him not only back into Sanyaku, but all the way to Ozeki East, where he is joined by first time Ozeki Zenjimoto, demoted Yokozuna Gaijingai and Ozeki/Sekiwake elevator rikishi Igiski.  Swedish Ozeki pair Maguroyama and Yubiquitoyama both fall to Sekiwake, Ekigozan drops from Sekiwake to Komusubi East, and Mariohana, who is the SB Sumo Games World Championship leader at this time, makes his long awaited Sanyaku debut at Komusubi West.  Rannohana and Takanorappa fall from Sanyaku for the time being.

On September 25, 2004
(Senshuraku of the Aki Basho), the 2004 Aki Basho SUPER BANZUKE is finally posted.  This time, it was the Fantasy Sumo banzuke that held up the process.  Due to data loss, the Fantasy Sumo Game was unable to produce an Aki 2004 banzuke, leaving the SBK in a bind.  It was finally decided to use the Nagoya 2004 Fantasy Sumo Banzuke as the best available solution since the Nagoya Fantasy Sumo results were lost and the basho will thus be essentially ignored by the organizers of Fantasy Sumo.  Hopefully for Kyushu 2004, a new valid FS Banzuke will once again be available.  Since OddSumo was not played in Nagoya, the Nagoya 2004 OddSumo Banzuke remains in effect, but points from that game will be halved on the next SUPER BANZUKE (OddSumo also did not play in Aki), and should OddSumo miss Kyushu as well, it will be temporarily suspended off the SUPER BANZUKE.

Not much movement on the top, with Flohru keeping a dominant Yokozuna East position, ahead of  DoitsuyamaGaijingai and Yubiquitoyama swap Ozeki spots, with the other three Ozeki remaining the same.  Maguroyama drops from Sanyaku to make room for returnee Hamanoyama.

To be updated again soon... sorry for the delay! ;-)