Morty

I found that the most uninspiring damp squib basho I've ever watched. There were some highlights to be had (eg Terutsoyoshi over Tochinoshin), but the capitulation of the Ozeki just left me going "meh" at the end. The one highlight was Kotonowaka's strong showing. If he keeps that up, and Asanoyama comes back to his previous position then we've got something to look forward to. Roll on July, it can only get better from here.

Ichiyamamoto was only in the yusho race while he was playing in the double digit maegashira ranks. But facing an M8, an M4, and a K ejected him pretty quickly from any yusho race. The gulf in class was obvious.

Shodai hasn't had a proper Ozeki schedule for about a year. Most bashos he misses the Yokozuna and some of the other Ozeki. If he had to face a proper schedule I doubt he would have successfully hung onto his Ozeki status. I really like Shodai but it's pretty clear at this point that he isn't really an Ozeki level rikishi and he should just get the two MK in a row over with and put everyone (including himself) out of their misery

Some people just like to wear loose fitting clothes....

Australian historical archaeology, particularly convicts and Indigenous peoples. But I've worked all over the world doing all kinds of archaeology on all kinds of sites. Just last week I was excavating an Aboriginal site (rock-shelter) in the northwest of Australia.

I too am an archaeologist (though I suspect with a very different research focus...). Good to meet another one on here

Agreed that a HNH is definitely still a henka

The first two bouts today were conducted in a fairly staid fashion and then things just fell off the truck. Matta after matta, some really cranky sumo from a few characters (Yutakayama not happy with Akua after an egregiously aggressive matta, Shimanoumi not happy with Kagayaki, Chiyoshoma and Myogiryu not happy with each other) and a couple of guys busted open hard way resulting in about a 0.6 Muta for each of them. On top of that some awesome sumo in a number of bouts. And Takakeisho winning a long one with a throw!?!?! A great day to be a spectator.

In the slow motion replay you can see he slaps down at Onosho's arms and just grazes one. But if you blinked you would miss it.

He hurt his shoulder in the first couple of days when someone tried a kotenage on him. He was flexing his arm at the end of the bout and grimacing

Kotonowaka starting to look like the real deal. Successful so far at his highest ever rank. Even in his one loss to Takayasu he looked good.

That was a really good first day's sumo. Some really good technical bouts there. Kotonowaka looked great, as did Kotoshoho. Shodai looked like he's be quite happy to not be Ozeki any longer and not have that pressure on him anymore thank you very much. Great to have sumo back!

Thoroughly enjoyable basho. Really pleased for Mitakeumi. I must admit I had settled into a kind of equilibrium with him where I thought he was stuck at Sekiwake and would never work out how to take the next step. I did the same thing with Kisenosato and winning a yusho/making it to Yok - I think in that case I made a lot of posts on this forum about how he really needed a good sports psychologist, and then, like Mitakeumi, he went and achieved it on his own when I had convinced myself he couldn't. For Mitakeumi 33 wins over three basho with a 9/11/13Y progression, with the yusho clinching win over the reigning Yokozuna, is about as solid an Ozeki run as you can get. With regard to the other two Ozeki, while both kadoban, I think it is a mistake to lump them in the same boat as "failed ozeki who will never make it to Yok". They are clearly different. Shodai has clearly struggled (looks mental rather than physical/talent based to me), while Takakeisho has shown that he is the real deal when he's fit. I suspect Shodai will not last at Ozeki much longer, while Takakeisho will go on to be quite successful at the rank

Watching the slow motion, frame by frame replay of Hoshoryu's face connecting with the tawara was both glorious and cringe inducing. Serious guts to say "well I could put my hand down and cushion the blow but I think I'll just faceplant instead...". I guess it got him the win though (and a mild 0.2 Muta crimson mask). Also, Mitakeumi hurt his back in that bout. He couldn't bow properly at the end and was grimacing afterwards. Hope he can still go tomorrow.

Watching Hak prowl around like a caged tiger while on Oyakata guard duty the other day, I would suggest he's ready to put his hand up for option 2.