Morty

The noise when Chiyotairyu and the Geek collided at the tachiai there was titanic. I'd be interested to know what force was generated there between them. Mitakeumi / Shodai seemed to have a little extra there invested in that match - there is a good long term rivalry starting there. Goeido had one plan there - pull - and it backfired. Haraumafuji was not happy with Tamawashi's subtle little tachiai games and let him know it in all aspects of that match. And Endo looks like he has gotten past the injuries and has that balance back that has deserted him for the past couple of years. He has sublime tachiai and belt skills when healthy and they have been on show this basho.

Chiyotairyu is winning this thing. He has one weapon, the tachiai, and he blew that today big time. And then he beat Tochinoshin in a belt battle. Piggies are currently crossing the sky

Moti, in his digest, said that Godo would really need to screw up to lose it from here. Unfortunately I have confidence he can do that...

Chiyotairyu has the best tachiai in the business when he is on, and he is on this basho. He doesn't have much else (except for superior sideburns and a great sense of humour) but man, he knocked Onosho silly at the tachiai. He's just one behind Goeido at this point and if he can keep blasting them like this he is still in with a chance

I recently (3 months ago) damaged two extender tendons in my wrist. I thought they would get better on their own - they didn't. I have consequently had my wrist in a splint to stop any movement for the last six weeks. I am now allowed to take it off for a few minutes each day to do a bit of minor exercise to keep my muscles from atrophying completely, but my OT says it will be about a 3 months process of gradually wearing the splint less and less and strengthening my wrist back up. By comparison if it had been a broken bone it would be completely healed by now. Damaged tendons take time to heal

He had it yesterday, but Goeido got away with it at the edge

I take back everything i said about Chiyotairyu winning the yusho. Ho hum.

I wouldn't count Shodai out at M5E and a 3:2 record...

About four years ago in one of the start of year polls I picked that Chiyotairyu would be a yusho winner that year. That was when he was on his way up and looked super genki. It obviously didn't happen and since then I have been disappointed (continually). But I'm calling it now - this is the one where he wins one. He is capable of unbeatable sumo on his day and so far, he has been unbeatable. Back on the bandwagon.

You can only beat the opponent they put in front of you and if your opponent doesn't fight it ain't your fault. The Geek kept going, HF was waving at the Gyoji for a do-over, so the Geek deserves the Kinboshi. A Yokozuna should be smarter than that, particularly against a guy who has beaten him 35 times.

That was great. More please!

Glad to have sumo back. Thanks to Kinta for the digest. This basho is wiiiide open for one of the young guns to win it. With four Yokozunae it is unlikely anyone not of that rank will get a look in for the yusho. But with three of them on the side lines, the fourth (good as he is) in his twilight, and two of the three Ozeki kadoban (and so worried about 8 wins rather than winning the whole thing) and also probably still injured (in Terunofuji's case), the opportunity is there for one of the next crop coming through to get themselves a yusho. They will all know it as well

One thing I love about sumo is that at the end of a basho I can kind of forget about it for a month and a bit until the next banzuke comes out and the info starts to disseminate out of Japan as the training gets real. And as that happens I can get excited for the next basho all over again, after a nice break away from it. It has an ebb and flow that is different from most sports - there all year, but only some of the time.

Regardless of what he is doing Hakuho keeps winning. He just had back to back yushos long after everybody was saying he was past it. We are not there yet, but in five years time when he is gone we will be marvelling at his adaptability and his capacity to change his style to compensate for a buggered elbow and other chronic injuries. He is in that rare echelon of athletes that is so far above their peers as to put them in another realm in terms of competition. Hakuho is to sumo as Eddie Merckx was to cycling, as Don Bradman to cricket, as Michael Jordan to basketball, as Serena Williams and Roger Federer to tennis, as Kelly Slater and Layne Beachly to surfing, as Babe Ruth to baseball, as Wayne Gretzky to hockey, etc. He isn't just a normal rikishi. He is in the pantheon of names of people who transcend their chosen sport by being so much better than everyone else as to be untouchable.Who cares what the YDC says - I just want to make the most of watching his superlative skill while he is still here.

I reckon Gagamaru would be much better at sumo if he lost 30 or 40 kilos. Seriously, I mean it, this is not a joke. His lack of lateral movement is entirely related to his weight. He is too immobile to be successful