Benevolance

The YDC stopped just short of recommending karaoke.

Ha ha! In the lower division, Byakuen (171 cm 67 kg) went straight at Amamidake (178 cm 155.5 kg) like the latter had stolen his wallet.

To be clear, that's 10 Canadian dollars. Which is, like, about the same value as 1 slightly used American pretzel, which is what I'll mail you if I lose the bet.

10 bucks says it's decided by a Slippiotoshi

That's my favorite one, too!

Maybe we'll get to see the majestic and elusive double henka!!!

I briefly had hopes that Takakeisho might be able to grab the rope back at the end of 2020. He seemed like he'd recovered from his injury during his ozeki run and put up that junyusho and yusho back to back. In hindsight, it's probably best that he didn't, because he'd probably already have had to retire with his results since. And, sadly, he's been the most consistent ozeki over that time period.

Maybe Otani's just getting a head start on promoting his inevitable post-sumo MMA career?

Shodai showing the Ozeki Pride by putting up the same sort of numbers as Tamawashi. A different order, sure. But it's the same numbers.

Okay, nevermind. Shodai's back in the race.

Shodai was the only person who realized that this basho was finishing on opposite day, and he takes the yusho with a 14-1 record.

The problem is, they can't even really make Hokotofuji fight higher up the banzuke, either, because if they put him against the sanyaku it's giving him free wins.

Then Shodai is walking the path of greatness! And, uh, maybe playing golf this basho? Whatever sport it is, it's not sumo at any rate.

I know the sanyaku looks bad, but if we pretend that they're tennis scores the whole scenario changes! At 6-3, Wakatakakage won his first set! Good work Wakatakakage!

I'm starting to think that maaaaybe this one isn't going to be a Shodai yusho.

Shodai does sometimes seem reluctant to give that extra shove.

In my half asleep, semi-inebriated haze at 1:30am, I thought Shodai looked pretty convincing in his win.

Shodai ain't no quitter! He'll EARN those losses, because he's got Ozeki Pride (TM).

Heads up, the NSK leaked the results early and Shodai wins the yusho. The puzzling part is how he stills ends up kadoban.

Okay, Asanoyama - he's sitting at Ms15e. This bizzaro banzuke (bizzban? bizzuke? ) withstanding, does he have mathematical odds of making juryo from this tournament's results?

Enough that they sought legal counsel.

Aw, man. We'd better hide this news before Bettega shows up. We'll say that Kaisei is, uh, napping! Yeah. He's just napping.

Just to clarify, since Asanoyama went 7-0 in Sandanme, he gets automatic promotion to makushita. If he wins the Makushita yusho next time, the auto-promote would bring him to...upper makushita? I forget how it's usually handled.

Oh, no! I just had a terrible thought! What if that zabuton bonk undoes the Hakuho bonk and resets Shodai B back into Shodai A? It would mean the announcers were right all along!?!?

Shodai! Okay, I gotta know now. When Hakuho had his 'talk' with Shodai, what size of empty bottle did he use? This could open up a whole new field of sports psychology in sumo.