Jaakunakunshu

I did too, though I suspect that was picking with my heart rather than my brain. Probably did terribly again this time but in my defence this game is haaaaaard.

Wow. Dude was positively svelte back then.

I wonder if he's looking ahead to retirement, which has to come next year if not sooner, and thinking he wants to compete as much as possible while he still can rather than sit out a bunch of what will likely be his last active year. I hope not, though. I would much rather see him at 100% condition than in the kind of condition we saw Kisenosato in at the end of his career.

To be honest I don't agree at all. Something being violent doesn't automatically rob it of aesthetic value. And sumo, while brutal and physical, ultimately is more than just two big guys smashing into each other, otherwise the biggest guys would always win. I'm not a Hakuho fan, but I think he demonstrated that quite ably this basho. His physical abilities are starting to fail him, but his mental and strategic skills aren't. There were multiple bouts where his opponent had him in a bad position, but his timing and split-second decision making was what made the difference, and led him to the zensho. Ultimately it comes down to how much you want to get out of it. If you go in just wanting to see two huge guys smash each other, that's what you're going to see. But you shouldn't assume that everyone just sees exactly what you do. It's funny you should bring up chess, because I used to follow the chess world a fair bit (not so much these days) and I'll tell you this; for all the reputation of chess players as intellectual types, there is far more lying, backstabbing, politics, scandal, bullying and omerta mentality in the chess world than the sumo world could dream of.

I think if the Kyokai/YDC said that the guy who's dominated sumo for the last decade plus couldn't be involved in the Olympics because they reprimanded him, they would be a laughing stock.

I wish he'd stayed out too, but I get where he was coming from. Either sit out and definitely get demoted to juryo, or compete and hopefully get enough wins to stay up. I would have liked to see Tochinoshin and Mitakeumi get back to 100% as well, but it wasn't going to happen.

I agree, but all the more reason why Terutsuyoshi could have won without going after the leg. I just hope Ikioi rests up and comes back healthy, it's been difficult to watch him this basho.

Maybe it's because I love Ikioi so much, but seeing Terutsuyoshi go straight after the injured leg like he did really soured me on him. I get that he's looking for a win to stay in makuuchi but intentionally exploiting an opponent's injury like that just isn't right.

15. Onosho

14. Nishikigi

It was worth a shot. 13. Kaisei

12. Nishikigi

11. Hokutofuji

10. Mitakeumi

9. Tamawashi