Numbers you would have given yoshi and Hioki

[shunsukenumber98]

What numbers would you have given hioki and yoshi if the whole spreading out top competitors wasn't a thing 

here's the tournaments to assign the numbers to for each of the: 

Yoshi from sasuke 38-40 

Hioki from sasuke 31-40

[dakohosu]

To be honest if Hioki wasn't the typical "gets low numbers" competitor, I could see him sort of getting the Kawaguchi treatment where he'd perennially get a number in the mid-to-high 90s given his popularity among the fanbase, even if he doesn't reach Stage 3 in a prior tournament. I could definitely see him getting the same numbers as Drew while Drew gets dropped a few positions due to Inui's stance on foreigners and issues with Drew on a personal level, similar to how Shunsuke used to get numbers in the 80s despite giving really strong performances at times.

Re Yoshi I'd have probably given him like #91-92 in 38, #93 or #95 in 39, and #92 in 40. Mainly because those numbers were occupied by rando athletes.

Generally though I like how they're spreading out stronger competitors throughout the field. It means that no matter where you are in Stage 1, you're never more than 10-20 minutes away from a competitor you actually want to see. This is becoming increasingly pertinent with Stage 1 now lasting 3.5 hours and there being more celebrities and comedians in the running order than ever before. In the earlier tournaments a lot of the lower numbered joke competitors would be one and done in about 20-30 minutes, whereas now if all of the stronger competitors were grouped in, say, the 70s onwards, it would be at least an hour and a half of no clears and repetitive fails on the Rolling Hill through Dragon Glider, which would be far too painful to watch and likely result in a lot of both hardcore fans and people who want to see Iwamoto etc. rage quitting.

[subtleagent]

I'd put Hioki somewhere in the 80s given he's never beaten the Cliffhanger and Yoshi would probably get in the early 90s. I feel like the spreading out competitors thing should be rotated and even Inui is beginning to realize that doing it with only Hioki is starting to get old. That said Yusuke is never getting anything that isn't 100.