JariM

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Posts posted by JariM

  1. Posted · Edited by JariM

    Kotoōshū and Chiyotaikai are the only ones who have been active while I was following sumo.

    Out of those two I think Chiyotaikai had more potential.

    Having said that I wasn't able to see him when he was in his prime. Anyway he did score 3 Yūshō so he did have the drive and ability to win.

    Kotoōshū on the other hand seemed to be a little bit too comfortable at his Ōzeki rank. Apart from his Ōzeki-run and his Yūshō he was lucky to get 10 wins in a basho.

  5. Posted

    Awesome to see Kise finally getting his first yusho. I have been waiting for this for many years.

    1 minute ago, Tsubame said:

    I am not a fan of an instand yokozuna promotion. With a Yokozuna Kisenosato we will have THREE yokozunae struggling to win a basho. So at least two of them will have a "kind reminder" very basho...

    Yes, but then again scoring results on the same level as Yokozunae does mean that he is performing on the same level. Let's not forget that he has a winning record over Yokozuna Kakuryu and that last year he went 3-2 against Yokozuna Hakuho.

    • Like 2

  6. Posted

    One of the shinpan is the head of Isegahama beya. First, he decided that Aminishiki had won (and it was way too close to identify a winner there) and then he decided that Goeido grabbed the topknot of Takarafuji (this was also not clearly to see). Two questionable wins for Isegahama and another open komusubi spot for Takarafuji by the way... (Scratching chin...)

    Yes, I know this was over a week ago, but I had been thinking about this and wondering if there's any other professional sport with judges/referees/whatever where the participants' coaches are among the people called on to make rulings about their players. Can you imagine football or baseball with one of the refs or umps being a coach of one of the teams? Do the oyakata not participate in the discussions about their rikishi? I certainly hope not, but from the sound of the discussion surrounding this it doesn't seem like it. How is such a thing tolerated at all? You obviously can't go overboard in siding with your rikishi, but I have to imagine that you can't be seen as impartial.

    I think there have been some cases in Finnish MMA events where the referee was also a manager of a team and an organizer for the event. But I'm not absolutely sure of that so I'm not going to state this as a fact.

  7. Posted

    ^The talks within the kyōkai have been surprisingly harsh in terms of Kotoshōgiku’s yokozuna run. IIRC both Isegahama oyakata and Hakkaku rijichō have said that it will depend on the contents of Kotoshōgiku’s sumō, rather than naming a win–loss target. Personally I think a 12–3 yūshō or a 13–2 dōten would be enough for promotion. (If I misused any terms please rectify me… wasn’t too sure.)

    Because the NSK doesn't want to see him become the weakest yokozuna among the four and have to retire him after a year or two. The NSK guys know clearly Geek's real strength.

    However, I wonder if the NSK can resist the pressure from the public's demanding of a Japan-born yokozuna.

    On what basis or evidence do you make these claims?

    Just look at Geek's last year's record (9, 8, 6, 8, 11 and 8 wins). He couldn't meet the minimal requirement (9-6) for an Ozeki ! At his current age of 31, do you believe he can improve? If Hakuho at 30 years' old is already going down slope, what about Geek?

    8-7 every other basho is the minimal requirement for an Ozeki.

    For promotion to Ozeki, a sanyaku rikishi needs average 11 wins in three consecutive basho. But once promoted, only a 8-7 every other basho is enough. Isn't it ridiculous?

    Not really to be honest. Ōzeki is the second highest rank and should not be a revolving door. It should bring some additional benefits to the rikishi who manage to be promoted. And a "weak" Ōzeki can maintain his rank by going MK-KK-MK-KK for only so long. Eventually he will end up being demoted.

    • Like 2

  12. Posted · Edited by JariM

    Yokozuna 1 East (15-0 x 6)

    ;-) Just kidding.

    It's really difficult to predict because it's not entirely up to him. Maybe we see some surprise initais among the high ranking wrestlers. That would work in his favor. Who konows? Maybe he just levels up. Or maybe he doesn't.

  17. Posted

    I find this whole hair-pulling-rule silly anyway. You are allowed to slap people silly, but "ooh, Ma, look, he touched my precious hair!" - ridiculous.

    Long hair is a huge liability in a street fight. Just grab a handful of your opponents hair with both hands and smash their head against your knee a couple of times. Game over. (That's why MMA fighters are all bald.)

    If hair-pulling is allowed in sumo, the same thing will happen on the dohyo. The rikishi would all shave their heads, the hairdressers would lose their jobs and sumo would become less interesting.

    Hair-pulling has been considered a foul under most MMA rules for quite some time now.

  18. Posted

    Third Mongolian Yokozuna Conspiracy.

    On the surface this might make as much sense as any other Sumo Conspiracy. And to be honest the Mongolian back scratching club might make even more sense.

    But the question is: what's in it for the rikishi possibly involved?

    Hakuho.

    Nothing much. He is the Yokozuna at the moment.

    Harumafuji:

    Plus:

    He could anticipate Kakuryu to return to his usual 8-10 wins per basho avarage. If Hauramuji does better than that he wouldnt be "the other Yokozuna" anymore. He'd be the second best Yokozuna. That would take some heat off his back for sure.

    Minus:

    Kakuryu might exceed him. That would put even more heat on him!

    Too much of a gamble if you ask me...

  19. Posted · Edited by JariM

    Is Kakuryu now on the Yokozuna run?

    The last time he collected more than 10 wins was in 2012. And he has done that only twice while at Ozeki rank.

    As good as he was this basho, all talk about any Yokozuna run is premature until he keeps this level of performance going for a few more basho. Just remember what happened with Kotooshu and Baruto (and they both actually won a tournament).

    Next tournament will be very telling and interesting in this regard.

    If he pulls another splendid performance, then we can talk about a Yok-run.

    • Like 1

  20. Posted

    Using a bit of fuzzy logic, I chose "Continue on as non-Ozeki Sanyaku, retire below Sanyaku".

    I don't think he can regain his Ozeki rank but he can surely stay around in the sekiwake or komusubi ranks for a while. I think he'll bow out after he drops down to the lower Maegashira ranks.

    But who knows?

  25. Posted

    JariM, on 18 Jul 2013 - 10:06, said:

    If Hakuho would retire, I belive Harumafuji would be winning yushos with mostly 13-2 records.

    How do you figure? In his 4 complete basho as yokozuna he's had one zensho, one 11-4 basho, and the other two have been 9-6. The best he might have done in those two without losses to Hakuho would have been 10-5, and without Hakuho his 11-4 basho would have been won by Kisenosato -- who, absent his own loss to Hakuho, might have gone 14-1.

    Fuzzy logic mostly.

    I think Hakuho being gone would give Harumafuji room to up his game a bit. I mean mentally. I think he could step up knowing that he is the top dog.

    Do you think the 13-2 estimate is too generous?