Tigerboy1966

Some good examples of "big man" fashion here. Ex-Futabayama opts for the double-breasted jacket, which is always a good option, whilst Haguroyama wisely goes for the high waisted look. But it's a fail for Azumafuji, whose dinky necktie gives up half way down his chest. That's not a good look for a man with a big belly.

We can add 12-10 vs Takakeisho, counting the playoff win. When I want to get an understanding of a wrestler's style I have usually gone to the database and looked up his list of winning techniques: in future i will be looking at the losses as well. In the case of Mitakeumi 43% of his losses come by yorikiri while 18% come by oshidashi. Glancing through the upper ranks the only others with ratios like that are Terunofuji, Ichinojo and Okinoumi but they are all yotsu specialists who try to take every bout to the belt: they get most of their WINS by YK as well. Depending on how you look at the glass of milk, you could say that Mitakeumi is either vulnerable to yotsu, or really good against oshi, or both.

Slight problem with this is that the top Ms guys would all be beating each other and it would be unlikely that any of them would get to 6-0 which is what you need to be in contention. My suggestion for the lower divisions is that they match the top unbeaten man with the lowest ranked opponent with a similar record. That way there would be a much better chance of ending with the two best wrestlers facing off for the yusho, which seldom happens under the current system.

Belt guys... Compare with Tamawashi (25-3) Onosho (10-3) Abi (7-2) Daieisho (12-7) and I think we see a pattern emerging.

I would question the use of the word "potential"... The problem for me is that I don't think that Mitakeumi has improved much in the last five years. In 2017 he beat Hakuho, Harumafuji (twice) and Kakuryu (twice). I don't think he's really shown that kind of form recently: he looks slow and passive and appears pretty clueless every time he faces Terunofuji. As far as ozeki contenders are concerned, if he's the best we've got we are in big trouble.

I know there's no accounting for taste, and I don't want to be cruel, and I don't want to reinforce stereotypes, but I think I know which one of these three is going to appeal to the ladies.

"Purple Thunder" or "Purple Lightning" Maybe purple because of the colour of the Flag of Machida.

For me it's Tsukahara. He made Ms7 for July 2019 at 19 years 9 months so he would have made the list then, but he's been stuck in upper makushita ever since. He bludgeoned his way up the ranks on size and strength but as we know, those things can only take you so far. He also has a very limited skill set and an allergy to the belt: db is down at the moment but until recently he had never won a bout by yori-kiri. In SF terms, he hit The Wall.

I would never normally root for Takakeisho against Terunofuji but there was a moment in Sunday's final when I almost reached that point. It came when Teru, having survived the initial charge just stopped fighting and stood off at (his) arms length as if to say "OK Shorty, watcha gonna do now?" He did something very similar in the May playoff. I was thinking "Teru, you are my man, but you are taking liberties and it would serve you right if you lost this one".

As the poet said: "In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed."

That's exactly how I have it. On my reading of the "numbers" I can't see Bushozan being placed ahead of Kagayaki, let alone Kaisei. With one more win he would have leapfrogged both of them: now there's a mental image for you.

No play-off in juryo as Kotokuzan loses to Nishikigi. Ichiyamamoto celebrates his yusho by doing the Ichiyamamoto thing: push'em, pull'em, slap'em down.

The exciting race for most losses of the year comes down to the final day—Kotoeko and Kagayaki are tied with 53. I always knew that Kagayaki would win something one day. In the infinitesimally small chance that Kagayaki reads a translated version of this I would like to add "Only joking big fella. Next year you are going to make that breakthrough."

He is one of those wrestlers who just does everything well without being outstanding at any particular aspect of the game. And me and Hidenoumi have history: let me explain... When I got back into sumo in late 2014 it seemed as though the newcomers to the top division like Ichinojo and Terunofuji were battering all and sundry, so I kept my eye out for the next promotees. Hidenoumi and Seiro made their maku'uchi debuts at Nagoya 2015 and I was expecting great things from them, especially Seiro as his name meant "blue wolf", which was cool, and he was Mongolian and, and, and... I was 49 years old at the time but I was a sumo teenager. Anyway, neither of them cut much ice in makuuchi, but I followed their future endeavours with interest. Hidenoumi kept popping up into the top division and dropping back again. You had to feel for him as his more charismatic little brother raced ahead and gathered up the attention. So when Hidenoumi finally established himself as a solid maegashira this year I was, as they say, well pleased. And before anyone asks, yes I do have a younger brother who is slimmer, better looking and more financially successful than me.

Having ruminated and cogitated (both still legal in England), I agree with Wakanohana's prediction as to where the sansho are likely to go. BUT... If I was in charge, I would give the gino-sho to Chiyoshoma, who has produced a couple of sublime throws and is probably the best technical wrestler I've seen this time around. It would also be nice to see a prize tossed in the direction of Hidenoumi, who does very solid, intelligent, correct sumo. Akua isn't half bad but his judo throws don't work as well in makuuchi as they do in juryo. I may be in a vanishingly small minority, but I am starting to find Ura annoying. Lots of gimmicky, flashy stuff but little in the way of technically correct sumo. And he looks so damn pleased with himself. And there have been a few bouts in which his opponents have been... how can I put it tactfully... less than entirely antagonistic.