>>244514
Making sekiwake twice before their first komusubi basho happened with 7 wrestlers, including Takanosho (pic related). The record is Tochiakagi doing it 3 times in 1979 and 1980 before making komusubi in 1981.
Making sekiwake twice without ever making komusubi in their career happened with 3 wrestlers. The record is also 3 set by Chiyonoyama back in 1947, 1948, and 1949. He's also the most recent, so this seems to be something less likely ever since they went to the 6 basho, 15 days schedule. Oho would count as the most recent since Chiyonoyama, but that would be dependant on him never making komusubi at all before he retires.