yohcun

I'm saddened that Gagamaru didn't go the oyakata route.

Musashimaru has ballooned the last couple of years. He's had me worried for a while. I really don't want another Akebono.

The cigarette culture is something that could theoretically be addressed without negatively impacting rikishi performance, the way body weight might.

Kinbozan reminds me of Ichinojo in the interview room. Enormous foreigner with a small voice and darting eyes like "what on earth am I doing here!?"

Even as far as successful henkas go, this was kinda embarrassing. (Fujiseiun - Asashiyu)

What's with Oshoryu sporting twin black eyes?

Terutsuyoshi's botched ashitori attempt looked like Hattorizakura taking a dive against that big scary opponent.

Hozan/Naya is doing pretty well, considering how universally written-off he was before his career even started.

Kagayaki, to my eye, looks like he's trying to diversify lately. He's been grabbing the mawashi more often, and visited inter-stable practice for the first time ever. He's probably clued in that he's hit a ceiling for the last few years. I don't expect dividends of it to come for a while though. I'm pretty sure he's been doing the same straight-ahead push sumo since his childhood.

Hakuyozan injured yet again . The same knee as his giant brace.

Kazakh Sd100 Kinbozan now 2-0. Not much of a bow going on.

Hagiwara just got wheeled away in a pretty sorry looking state. Looked like something with his right knee.

Makushita tsukedashi Oshoma lost in his first bout, against Mineyaiba.

Local boy Shohozan wins the emperor's cup by default, as everyone else forgot it was actually being held in Kyushu this time.

I remember when Hakuho recruited him, he told him the first thing to do was lose some weight. Maybe he actually did, I don't have the numbers. Hakuho did change his mind about Enho gaining weight, but Toma wasn't putting up Enho results.

Not even Kunio puts that many notes into it.

Unusual to see Ichinojo absent from these.

Well, other expulsions for criminal behaviour never made it to trial either, like Takatoriki, Kotomitsuki, Wakanoho, etc. It's not like this is vindicating him. In fact, when's the last time a rikishi actually did dragged in front of a judge?

Kanechika, that oyakata who married into the job, ousted the incumbent Miyagino, rarely attended keiko, and eventually got fired after being arrested for assault.

Looks like he's shed plenty of weight already. This tweet has a more close-up photo.

Was that thumbnail meant as a hint?

That was the daintiest, most courteous, ashitori I've ever seen.

Shishi looks like a very late withdrawal today. Not listed on the official site yet, but just gave a fusen-sho to Chiyootori.

Musashimaru. Remarkably forgettable for a dai-yokozuna. Just because he wasn't the first foreign-born yokozuna, and his career peaked in between two all time greats in Takanohana and Asashoryu. Even now I forget the guy's still in sumo as an oyakata.