Dwale

Enho will probably end up injured, sure. Just like 99% of rikishi do. He is small, he does have to work harder to get the same result a bigger man would. All true. That's why people like him.

I think he'll be ok. He can use his time down in juryo to regroup, and, ideally, come back reinvigorated.

And that, as they say, is that. What a wild end. Takakeisho, in the first match, shoved Terunofuji so hard that the kaiju literally got some air! But even that wasn't enough, and we end up with I think the most vicious pancaking I can remember ever seeing. At that point I said, "Whoever wins this fought their ass off for it, and they deserve it." I had the feeling Takakeisho was done, but he kept his head and his heart and he came back from that crushing defeat. The guy has backbone, you've got to grant him that at least. It's been a fun ride, sumo peeps. We will see y'all in January. Peace and love.

Ok, so everyone knows the deal: Terunofuji has to beat Takakeisho twice if he wants the cup. Well, he does want the cup, but can he do it? Yeah, he absolutely can. Terunofuji has better stamina than most guys his size. He has plenty of experience at sumo's apex and, as we all know, power to spare. I would still favor Takakeisho to win this, as he only needs to finish off Terunofuji the one time to seal it, so statistically speaking, the odds are pointing to him. BUT, I am not favoring him as heavily as I otherwise might. If this becomes an endurance thing, Terunofuji will take this yusho. Takakeisho's best bet is to get him out of there before that can happen.

Fans now believe m17 is equivalent rank to yokozuna, throw zabuton at Shimanoumi loss, simultaneously decapitating him and opponent.

Takarafuji lost, which is a bit of a bummer, but I noticed in the stream that folks are really gaining some appreciation for his sumo this basho, and that's a good thing. He may put up mediocre numbers, but by God he puts them up consistently. Dude's a total workhorse. Respect. And his battle with Hokutofuji today was pretty good! I expected Tobizaru to flit about the ring like a moth at a streetlight and he probably should have done just that. I understand why he went for the morozashi, but uh...backfired just a wee bit. Takakeisho getting it done. Myogiryu held his own, tried to use the ring, but this was never likely to be his win. His best days are behind him, but he can still put up a fight at least.

What a day of sumo! Wow, there was way more going on than I have time to really get into, but we had epic bouts, wild bouts, silly bouts...just a buffet of entertaining stuff. I didn't want Takakeisho to lose, buuuuut now he has, hey, at least it makes the race more interesting. Anything can happen in sumo!

I'm always hesitant to make calls like that. Either way, you're right, he has bulk to gain and skills to refine. I will say at this point that I'm expecting a bright future for him, wherever it ends up leading.

Absolutely. I've been really pleased with him and look forward to seeing the rest of his career.

Think Ura was dealing with some nerves this basho; hopefully he's settled down now. Daieisho played it smart against the kaiju, kept him from getting a hold and waited for his chance. Was cheering Terunofuji, but credit where it's due. Takakeisho enjoying another easy day at the office. Love the little dumpling man. Ichinojo showed some pretty good defense considering the position he was in, but Hoshoryu made sure he couldn't turn the tables. The kid is good.

That was good sumo from Mitakeumi today. It's nice to see him rounding out his game. He really is so talented, but...well, Mitakeumi's gonna Mitakeumi. Terunofuji is just such a monster. Wow. I mean, he looks like an ozeki, for sure. But I don't think anything short of a miracle will let his knees hold together long enough to reclaim the rank. Even so, I'll be cheering for him to do it. What a triumphant story that would be. Chiyonokuni looking sharp, despite having so much tape on his shoulder that it's bullet-proof. He is back with a vengeance and I love it.

That was classic Terunofuji, I love it. This ought to be a good basho.

Would have preferred playoffs (wouldn't we all have?), but no question Shodai deserved to take the cup this time around. Congratulations to him. Congratulations to Tobizaru, too, a guy who looks like he might just have a bright future.

Well now. I'll be purchasing coffee tomorrow because there is no way in Hell I'm gonna let myself fall asleep before the end!

Not an Onosho fan, but that was bad ass!

Events have settled into something resembling normalcy. Still, not going to get too comfortable with that, as things can change very quickly.

Couple years ago I might have said, "There's no way either Onosho or Tobizaru will be the one to take this" and I still feel like that's probably true, but after all this crazy **** we've seen, I don't feel comfortable making blanket statements like that anymore. I think this is going to be a tense yusho race that keeps us guessing til the last minute.

I got nothin'. What can I even say about this basho other than ""WTF?" Put on your helmets, folks, I get the feeling there's gonna be a lot of facepalming done before senshuraku.

You know, there were a lot of cool wins on day two, but I think my favorite was the relatively low-key victory by Takarafuji. He was just like, "You in a hurry to get to the bales? Ok, here go the bales!"

Personally, I don't put much stock in predictions no matter when they're made. The question is less about the yusho than it is about the perceptions of the fans.

Genuinely curious as to what people think: who is your guess for yusho winner?

Crazy basho for a crazy year, but I'm glad for Terunofuji's fairy tale ending here. Makuuchi has some turbulent days ahead as the old guard cycles out in favor of young blood, but it was nice to see some of the ol' favorites getting a taste of kachi-koshi again. The playoffs for juryo were fun, too. Hoshoryu is rough around the edges, but I like what I see in him. I came for the entertainment and was entertained. Can't complain. Peace and love, sumo peeps.

Hoshoryu looked skillful there. Ichinojo looked like a juggernaut. That was effing crazy. I wish we got to see that version of Ichinojo more often.

And now things have gotten very interesting indeed. Mitakeumi, you are a glorious mess. Hakuho, put on your big boy pants: it was your match to lose and you lost it. Pleased to note that Takayasu and Tochinoshin both look poised to go KK this basho.

Tamawashi v Terunofuji has me smiling and laughing. "And how do YOU enjoy being slapped in the face, my good bitch?"