

SumoKitten
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Same here. Could it be a localisation issue? Is a Japanese IP necessary?
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Thank you so much for the detailed post! I just wanted to add on this point: every rikishi in the top divisions, makuuchi, juryo etc., is top of the crop, they all are the world's best sumotori. And I think that there was no real disrespect meant here. Going back and forth in arguments is what is so fun about discussions in general. And since there is so much to talk about sumo, it makes up for such lively discussions. ... Day 12 will be the make or break day for Takayasu. I hope he makes it and wins. I feel I am jinxing him somewhat because I am rooting for him. In happier news, I got 15 out of 19 predictions right for day 11 in my makeshift prediction game. I call it practice before I can join the games for the next basho. I fully expect to drop to 4 out of 20 predictions or similarly horrible rates by then.
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How can Yano be "totally surprised"? Didn't the YDC give both yokozuna a warning in November?
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(I've just discovered the quote section function and I already love it, yay me!) I think in addition to increasing sloppiness, it doesn't help him that his strategy of lifting the opponent out of the ring doesn't work on everyone. Takayasu was too strong and blocked him, Shimanoumi had amazing footwork paired with a bit of luck. Terunofuji has been a one trick pony for the majority of the tournament. So his change in strategy was quite refreshing to see today. I hope that Takayasu will show his bear strength and endurance in the last four days, winning out.
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I don't know about that one. I became a fan of sumo without the presence of yokozuna. I mostly knew them from "they can't compete" notice at the beginning of tournaments. That is a fair point. And to be honest, ups and downs in any rikishi's career are only natural. But noticing these ups and downs is just as natural. I enjoy the current discussion of whether or not the current ozeki are average, below or under, or if some of them could be yokozuna material, if they are a good tier group or an under-performing one. This is the reason I looked for a forum like this in the first place. Deprecating any (critical) arguments though, is what I took offense at. I thought the komusubi's schedule was tougher? In any case, the ozeki as a group would look more confident and convincing, if not at least one of them had to fend off his kadoban status every other tournament. Recency bias is a notable thing. (Good night!)
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I would argue that Daieisho was about to get his groove back, I don't think he has fully restored it yet. But his match made a more lasting impression on me than Kiribayama's win against Asanoyama. Be that as it may, he had two losses back to back where he didn't stand a chance. And that is exactly the point I was trying to convey. You can lose as an ozeki. And while it is also human to lose in spectacular fashion, it *does* open the door for criticism. Of course, the ozeki are not the worst. But calling all criticism as unwarranted or garbage as Morty did was something I refuted. Or at least tried to. I think I always make more sense in my head than on paper.
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I am not particularly a fan of disregarding criticism as garbage, but that could just be me. But now allow me to defend my trash opinion. The part of your answer that I deleted for my quote was your list of tournament records of the current ozeki. This is all well and good, but I think - and this has nothing to do with the absence of the yokozuna - that for an ozeki not only the number of wins and losses matter, but also how these come about. It's of course always possible to lose. And the guys the ozeki are facing are really, really good (at least for the most part). But losing like Asanoyama did on day 8 against a struggling Daieisho? I don't think that bending backwards like that after just a few seconds was a particularly good look. Still, I would say Asanoyama may still be the most consistent one of the three ozeki in this tournament. At the very least, he is able to string more than two wins together, unlike Shodai and Takakeisho. And no, I don't expect them to win every tournament. But I do expect them to be in contention for the title a little while longer. And while yes, Asanoyama and Shodai did have great records on first glance in the last tournament (11-4), Asanoyama's is a bit misleading. Due to his early losses, he was never in contention for the title, he would have required a number of rikishi to have spectacular collapses in the second week of the tournament to get in a prime position. This did not happen. The higher you climb on the ladder, the thinner the air gets. As an ozeki you are held to higher standards than everyone else minus the yokozuna. A sekiwaki is expected to perform better than a komusubi and so on. That is just the way it is. An ozeki gets higher rewards and recognition, but these come at a price. And saying that the ozeki (each in their own right) have under-performed is not unwarranted. Their performance, while not the worst of all time (and I have not seen anyone claim something to the contrary), is hardly inspiring at the moment. When they do well, they get lauded. When they do not as well, they get criticised. That is how life goes.
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Oh nooooooooooo. This is on me. I kept saying how Shodai could face demotion after the next tournament, so he paid me back by defeating my favourite to win this tournament.
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Nah, Takayasu gonna start a winning basho streak. You watch him get the nod in November.
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I just woke up to the news. Unfortunately, I have not been a sumo regular long enough, so I never got to see him fight. And still, even I can feel the magnitude of this decision. It feels weird. Comparable to when a pope dies. (Luckily, Kakuryu is still a young man and hopefully has a long, fulfilled life ahead of him).................. Maybe the YDC can announce their next choice of yokuzuna with a little bit of white smoke? Also, how long does the waiting period have to be before we can start some future yokuzuna hype trains? All jokes aside, this is the right decision. And yet I can absolutely understand why it took him so long to make it. This had to be the (or one of the) hardest decision of his entire life. There is no returning from that. I wish him all the best for his future endeavours.
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Expanding on the two great points that you are making. Not only do we have to consider these numbers in the context of the historical development but also in the context of how sumo "performs" against other forms of entertainment. I assume the number *are* down from years/decades ago, but that doesn't automatically mean that sumo has a significant issue here. Never has it been easier to access a plethora of entertainment than it is today, thank to the internet. There are various streaming providers, various tv shows, various social media accounts to follow on a number of platforms. However, the day still has only 24 hours, and with the needs to sleep, eat, socialise, and the necessity to work and work out, you have only so much time that you can spend on entertainment. 20 years ago, young Japanese people might not have had so much different forms of entertainment to choose from. What I am saying is, that modern-day sumo is not only competing with the sumo of yesteryear, but also with wrestling, baseball, football, game shows, movies, tv shows, performances etc. Therefore it would be interesting to see how sumo fares compared to other forms of entertainment. Maybe sumo lost 20 percent of interest among young people. But if all other forms lost 25 percent then that would actually be not such a bad thing. Even if problems are identified, problems still might not be addressed. The Kyokai seems to be an institution enshrined in (religious) traditions. So there might not even be a will to change, because doing it the way as it as always been done might just be a higher priority.
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That is great to read! ... ... ... So, if Takayasu throws the lead, can we start the Takayasu for yokuzuna hype train then?
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Oh, I definitely could see this for the reasons you stated above. It might very well be a tight race between the two, something neither should want, but here we are. Compare the pre-tachiai movements/posture/facial expressions of Shodai and Takayasu for example. You need not be able to read minds to see the stark differences between the two. Shodai looks like he is already dreading what is about to happen, while Takayasu clearly showed Takakeisho his confidence that this is his ring and that he will win the match. Nothing pseudopsychological about it. Please don't jinx it. In team sports I have a knack for being a fan of teams excelling blowing leads. 28-3 still gives me ptsd. So, please, can we perhaps not jinx Takayasu?
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Only that in this case, the food ended up eating the one who had the plate set. I think the impatience stems from him having to finish bouts as quickly as possible. His style relies very much on his superior strength, however, this is a more taxing style on the stamina than other, more technical approaches that do not rely the rikishi on hoisting his opponent out of the ring. And the fewer seconds he spends in the ring with his banged up knees the better. But I am not unhappy about this result. It gives Takayasu a bit of a cushion. Pretty sure though that Terunofuji will still make the necessary numbers.
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I doubt the 5 or even 6 ozeki bansuke will happen... Not because I can't see Takayasu and Daieisho (re)claiming the rank, but because I feel confident in two of the current ozeki to be demoted by then. Shodai being my front runner for the demotion.