Cheered on by his hometown fans, Tamaasuka scored nine wins in his top division debut. He would have received the "Kantō-shō" or Fighting Spirit Prize had he won on the final day, but he was defeated by Tokitenkū. He was promoted to "maegashira" 9, but could only manage a disappointing 4-11 record in the next tournament. On the fourth day of the November 2005 tournament he broke his left ankle and was forced to pull out. As a result, he was demoted back to the "jūryō" division. It was the first time in his career that he had missed any bouts. Since he had an enforced layoff, he decided to undergo eyesight corrective surgery in December 2005. He had not fully recovered from either his injury or his surgery by the January 2006 tournament but felt he had to compete to try to prevent demotion to the unsalaried "makushita" division. However, in the event he withdrew once again after losing his first two bouts. He largely remained in the third division for the next three years.