Not good news for sumo again today according to Hochi Sports-the outlet reports Yokozuna Hoshoryu underwent right knee surgery at the end of July, was hospitalized for about a week and, as a result, is considered status uncertain for the upcoming September Grand Sumo Tournament which begins in just under a month. At a medical examination today at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, Hoshoryu said it was an old injury reaggravated during the July tournament in his match with Hakunofuji, per doctors, and if he didn’t have surgery and tried to recover naturally, he would have been out a year according to doctors. As a Yokozuna that could have been career-ending as the Yokozuna Deliberation Council could have well forced him to retire. He is currently participating in training at his Tatsunami Beya but not doing practice bouts. It sounds like if he can’t compete in September he should be able to return at full strength in November barring a setback as he continues looking for his first Emperor’s Cup as a grand champion and with the Council starting to put some pressure on both him and Yokozuna Onosato, who both have been injury-plagued this year and also title-less as Ozeki Aonishiki has dominated despite missing one tournament and briefly being demoted due to injury, but in July his 3rd Emperor’s Cup got him the quick re-promotion from Sekiwake.