Morty

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About Morty

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  1. Morty

    Hatsu 2025 discussion (results)

    Exactly this. Achieving the status of Yokozuna is one of, if not the most, difficult thing to achieve in world sport. There's a reason why there have only been 73 of them in just under 400 years. The one time they relaxed the standards they ended up with a Yokozuna with an imaginary asterisk next to his name, in that he never won a yusho. The banzuke has to have an Ozeki on it, not a Yokozuna, and there is no reason they need to quickly overpromote someone. That status should be reserved for only the absolute champions, the ones who prove they deserve it, by being so dominant they almost never lose, and when they do it is such a surprise that the cushions fly. Eventually someone will come along who fits that criteria, and will deservedly get the rope. I suspect it will happen sooner rather than later, but I hope they have to achieve it, rather than being given a soft ride to it.
  2. Morty

    Hatsu 2025 discussion (results)

    If I had to put money on it at this stage I'd say Takerafuji is in the yusho box-seat. He doesn't seem to suffer from nerves, he's done it once before, he is clearly better than all the other rikishi around him on the banzuke, and he looks capable of mixing it with the guys at the top. We'll know more after tomorrow, but bigger picture, if he stays fit I reckon he'll be Ozeki well before the end of the year.
  3. Morty

    Hatsu 2025 discussion (results)

    That result today is exactly why I think the KK is backing the wrong horse with giving Hoshoryu a tsuna run. There is nothing in his past performance that suggests he is consistent enough to be Yokozuna. Over the past seven or eight years we have had a number of rikishi have a single strong streak, get to Ozeki, then have mediocre performances and eventually crash and burn, for numerous reasons. Terunofuji (and arguably Takakeisho) are the only one who have shown the consistency of performance over a long period of time to rightly be promoted to Yokozuna level. I'm not suggesting Hosh is in the "crash and burn" phase of his career, and hopefully never will be, just that he isn't Yokozuna level yet (and may never get there). Also it would be pretty awesome if the other Grandson kept going and took this yusho
  4. Morty

    Hatsu 2025 discussion (results)

    Hoshoryu being on a Tsuna run seems like the softest run of all time. His only yusho was a year and a half ago, and since then he has only got more than ten wins twice, both for jun-yushos. The basho before last he went 8-7. I thought it was supposed to be two yusho or yusho equivalents in a row, not J-Y. What am I missing here, how is a tsuna run justified at this time?
  5. Morty

    Makunouchi Yushos in 2025

    Onosato will get three Kotozakura will get two Takerafuji will get one
  6. He's going to go on until he dies. Three 8-7s, and three 7-8s
  7. Morty

    Wakaikari - Teenage sensation?

    This is all pure guess as I know nothing about him - mid table maegashira, and he'll win a juryo yusho
  8. Morty

    Sekiwake/Komusubi/Upper joi-jin January 2026 poll

    E: Wakatakakage S1 W: Atamifuji E: Gonyama K1 W: Hakuoho E: Kirishima K2 E: Oho M1 W: Abi I'm picking Hakuoho as a smoky to regain form and fitness, and move up the banzuke
  9. Morty

    Oho with love (birthday on Valentine's Day)

    I think he'll be a joi perennial but won't be good enough to end up in the sanyaku in January 2026 (though he may spend a basho or two in lower sanyaku during the year). I think he'll get at least a couple of kinboshi but will also get beaten by someone from the bottom of the banzuke. And I rating him as the best of the short shikona rikishi, though Abi might make me look silly here
  10. Morty

    Kirishima's 2025 - going back up?

    He'll do okay but will have at least one diabolical basho where he gets only 3 or 4 wins and so won't have enough consistency to do any better than lower sanyaku. He has the talent but not the consistency and he's shown that if he's carrying any type of injury he struggles. Last year I said he'd get the rope and I was wrong, so I'm going with what I saw in 2024
  11. Intai, unfortunately. I think a precipitous fall then he calls it a day, because he's tired.
  12. Morty

    Yokozunas and Ozekis for January 2026

    Terunofuji will be intai. Kotozakura and Onosato will both get the rope, Hosh will continue being not quite good enough, Takerafuji will make a run up the banzuke and will be Ozeki by the end of the year, and Wakamotoharu will finally get 33 over 3 and will be promoted, to emulate his brother. Kotozakura Y1 Onosato Hoshoryu O1 Takerafuji Wakamotoharu O2
  13. Morty

    Atamifuji - maybe this year?

    I'm putting him at Sekiwake with a successful year, but not spectacular enough to go higher. Given how young he is I think he can afford a gentle rise, and I see this as a learning year with Ozeki in 2026
  14. He can't possibly make it to 2026 (prove me wrong big guy!). I don't think he yushos at all, I think he participates in a couple of tournaments all up, doesn't finish either, then intai. I feel like he's waiting for the next Yokozuna, so if that happens quickly (say Kotozakura wins in January) then he'll go pretty quickly. If it happens later in the year then he'll hang around, but he won't compete much, and if no-one gets the rope he'll be forced out by poor performance by the end of the year