maorencze

Given his proportions, I don't think you can get rounder than this, currently he's looking almost perfectly spherical.

Asanoyama? I beg to differ. He seems to have discovered something nasty inside, needed to get that rope, but Takakeisho looked reeeeally strong after his first loss, and I'm quite sure he won't fall for henka a second time. As for Mitakeumi, he hardly looks like sanyaku material now. If anyone it's Endo who can throw in a wrench for Takakeisho.

I think starting by gyoji's call is standard in amasumo, in Ozumo it's deliberately different. But it makes sense, much more than this mess.

7 bouts in and Onosho is starting to piss me off. I have yet to see him put both hands on the ground and he almost always crosses the starting line. When do "they" jump on his back about his tachiai like they did with Kotoyuki years ago and Enho last year? Sorely needed, at least to my taste

And all of a sudden its Takakeisho's yusho to lose! What the hell is happening here?! Not that it isn't fun and enticing, but, ya know, after years of things being quite clear, this is very...irregular. I'd say 12-3 playoff yusho, if Takakeisho keeps his current level then maybe 13-2 and tsuna run start. Out of the rest I'd say only Shodai and Terunofuji seem to have legitimate chance to win, with Kotoshoho and Tobizaru being the wildcards.

Yaay! 14-1 on first try! Though with only 46 points, not that great I suppose

I always saw Tochiozan as more like this gunnery sergeant

I remember Hakuho mentioning in one documentary that he doesnt lift that much, preferring to stick to traditional sumo routine, so this is the first time I hear he's lifting seriously.

Seems to lack power in right arm - elbow issue most likely

Didn't Kakuryuu mention sometime last week that he feels the end is near?

But it's not elevated and doesn't have weirdly dressed middle-aged guys sitting around instead of referees, so not the same...

That's natural, they have no dohyo!

Grasshopper-like bug What a basho: No 2S+4K or 3S+3K January for me sad, very sad, as the result goes, we might very well see 8-man sanyaku next basho if Abi stays at Komusubi Old guys (with Hakuho being a standard-bearer for elder statesmen in their 30s) are STILL better than most young guns, not many good ones under 27yrs of age, certainly less than there are guys in their 30s; given that, I don't see the change of guards being as imminent as I presumed around Aki 2018. Shame on me for such a bold prediction! And, of course, shame on 20-somethings for not being up to it (just yet). Let's see what Abi, Asanoyama, Hokutofuji and Takakeisho (maybe still even Mitakeumi) can do next yr Ishiura! Lies! Subterfuge! Mind tricks and SFX! Who are you, crafty little beast of technique, and what have you done with our beloved henka-ing muscular midget! No gino-sho, but that's obviously because NSK wants to set up an investigation committee for this alien-ish body switch Terunofuji!!!! Kotoshogiku Last thought based on going through the videos of all his Makuuchi appearances - Enho, guy getting some serious flak for his tachiai, is actually going straight-on in about a third of his bouts, with submarine-charge in other third, so I would say that given his bouts ending with belt-throw or straight push-out about 80-90% of the time, he's definitely worthy of M5-M10 region. Don't see the issue here, there are guys twice as large with worse tachiai habits than Enho, none of them getting such a bad rap

I say - we'll see in 5 years does he have IT? Not sure, maybe so if he improves, still got time to grow. But as of now, I myself don't see it, though for a first visit at this level he definitely performed great.

Agreed, and it's really sad. Old, tired, bruised, battered, hurting, limping Hakuho (you know, the guy that's only vaguely resembling the GOAT-Hakuho from 2010-2015) is still better than anyone on banzuke when healthy enough to compete.