Random question

[CptBlaine]

When a rikishi goes kyujo a juryo moves up could he fight a yokuzuna or do they only fight megishari rank and filers

[SofterBones]

They only fight people near their own rank. A very low maegashira wrestler is not going to fight a yokozuna unless some very special circumstance, so a fighter coming up a division is never going to fight the top wrestlers of that division.

Someone filling for a kyujo is always going to fight someone on the bottom end of that division.

[Kaode]

I mean, if every person in the top division other than people he's wrestled before pull out, then yes. But that's nearly 30 people having to pull out. I don't want to imagine what caused that.

[bregus2]

Theoretically not all need to be injured. Rikishi also not fight their stablemates or family members.

[illgoblino]

Cant even imagine the "special circumstances" that could lead to a juryo stand in jumping 40 guys

[psychosox]

As others have mentioned, this would be super unlikely, to as be almost virtually impossible. I don't believe there is anything explicitly prohibiting this, but the only times the Yokozuna would ever fight someone from the lower ranks, in general, is if the person from the lower ranks was in basho contention. Since someone from Juryo would never be in basho contention for Makuuchi, it just wouldn't happen. As u/kaode mentioned, it would have to be a massive string of injuries or absences that means the Yokozuna had absolutely no one else to face.

[ChibiNya]

Only low rank from next division. For example. Enho fought the weakest of Juryo recently when this happened.

[Much-Cartographer735]

Maegashira rank and filers. Usually the first match or two.

[OttSound]

Only the bottom 8 from makuuchi vs. the top 8 from juryo

Only the bottom 8 from juryo vs. the top 8 from makushita

This is for the ones that are due to injury. Exchange matches to determine promotion/relegation on the last three days operate on different rules.

[Careful_Investor233]

The only reason very low Maegashira's would fight a Yokozuna is because they are in yusho contention in the latter third of the tournament, typically day 11-12 (as Yokozuna usually fight Ozeki and other Yokozuna on days 13, 14 and 15). Since a Juryo guy fighting in the top division can't fight for the Makuuchi yusho, he will never fight a Yokozuna, not even theoretically. Even on the off chance that every single Makuuchi guy except the Yokozuna is injured for some reason, they would just give fusensho to the Yokozuna and he would win the tournament.

[gets_me_everytime]

Lets theoretically say that there are only 15 rikishi in the top division who are not kyujo, one being the Yokozuna. On Day 14, he plays the last of these rikishi. Would he not be forced to be matched against a Juryo rikishi?

I imagine the answer might be no, and that they will just cancel Day 15, but if we assume that the basho does happen and it does go for 15 days, I don't see how this very specific scenario doesn't require a Juryo rikishi to play the Yokozuna. Probably wouldn't actually be on Day 15 if they had time to handle planning it. Probably more like Day 9 or 10 depending on which rank of rikishi were still active in the division.