Hoshifransu

Thanks, Kintamayama-zeki ! I forgot that good old Susa ! :-) Well, the problem in this forum ... is certainly me, and that's not the first time ... I'm the black sheep (Baaa...) of sumoforum.net ! Bee

Thanks a lot. I will support them ! :-)

Maybe it was a bit provoking, you're right but just read again his post just before, it was a bit provoking too like all the posts he made before during this thread which were all especially directed to me to answer me "point by point" and for one time, I'm reacting a bit ! :-)

Which spot, please ? I refer all the time to Syd Hoare and Zentoryu-zeki refered twice to Kaikitsune-zeki in the same answer, that was just a funny wink but I asked myself before posting, that this could have been not rightly interpreted ... Or is it another spot ? (Hehe...) (Exclamation)

Calming down ? Me ? As always ... when everybody used to be "hot" with me ? Why not ? (Nervous...)

At first, it has to be proved, it's only a speculation ! I can't imagine someone crippled fighting and staying up for years at this level ... A real point could be he wasn't at 100% during many time, but like many wrestlers coming back from injury and still a bit injured because of hard demotion rules ... BTW, I think THAT'S the real problem in Sumo, a real solution to avoid all these kyujo could be doctors disallowing the wrestlers to fight back if they're still very injured ! Because you know all the stories behind all the wrestlers each time you refer to stats or you write this to anybody else who refer to stats !? And that's not the debates ! The debates are, for the Kyokai to avoid kyujo and so, to avoid weak tournaments. On that point Konishiki filled all these requirements ! That's too easy. Which wrestler was not the shadow of his former self at the end ..? Recently, just look at Akinoshima, Takatoriki, Terao, Higonoumi, Takanonami, Dejima (except last basho), Oginishiki, Kitazakura (except last basho), etc.. A fact ? Konishiki was on his way down at the end, like many wrestlers, that's the fact. If gaining weight would have been so so so bad for his condition, he won't have done it. He's not stupid. You can't write : he had lost almost all of his mobility, it's very very exagerated : any wrestler losing almost all their mobility could survive in Makuuchi. Anyone can't believe that ! Even you, I'm pretty sure you don't really believe it. (Brushing teeth...) That's certainly a joke ?

Absolutely. Just look at his stats page at Chiyozakura's site. Well, Konishiki's all time record is : 649-476-89 Very few injuries for such a long career he had ! Compare to the great (and light, half Konishiki's weight) Chiyonofuji at the same time : 807-253-144 (record in Makuuchi, I have not his all time record) So, the stats speak up themselves ! For Akebono, it was a bad example, because with 654-232-181, we can consider it's too much ! I DON'T want to "play with the words" ... They are going to change some parameters (if you prefer) to disadvantage the heaviest (though, before writing more, I'm still waiting for these changes taking effect to assert what I wrote) and I would like to believe "the heavyweights are here to stay" but after Musashimaru, who's the next 200 kilos and more Hawaiian ? And even Japanese : Gokenzan is still older and older and he has difficulties to reach the Makuuchi, and Towanoyama too ... So, the super heavyweights are over ... for a while and with some changes, over for ... ever ? Because, from now on, (if the changes will take effect)

BTW, Sumo Fans and English Soccer fans, free German Sports channel will broadcast full Premiership games sometimes on saturday night ! So, tomorrow, on 2003/02/07, watch the full replay of Liverpool Vs. Middlesbrough ! And they will broadcast these other ones very soon (february & march), too : - Everton Vs. Southampton - Villa Vs. Man Utd - Man Utd Vs. Fulham All infos by clicking here. Check it out on DSF, and free, via satellite ! (Hehe...)

Another article said this : (...) Asashoryu, who is only 22-years-old, is the picture of health, preferring the Charles Atlas look to the Michelin Man figure that many Japanese wrestlers resemble. Others argue that many of today's Japanese wrestlers lack the will and determination of former greats like Chiyonofuji and Kitanoumi. "Chiyonofuji was in much better shape than today's Japanese wrestlers," said Shimoei. "Some wrestlers don't train enough and are overweight and that's why you have injuries." (...) [Yoshihisa Shimoie, a writer for Sumo Magazine] Posted: Monday January 27, 2003 7:00 PM Full article by clicking here.

I've just found another interesting one, about doping, drugs ... "TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's sumo governing body may begin testing wrestlers for drugs next month to quiet concerns about doping-related injuries in the ancient sport, a major Japanese newspaper reported Sunday. The Sumo Association could conduct urine tests during the twice-a-year medical checkups for all wrestlers, said the Yomiuri, the nation's largest daily, citing unidentified sources. An association spokesman couldn't be reached for comment. Although no cases of doping have been proven, rumors about drug use -- and its ties to wrestlers' expanding girth and frequent injuries -- abound. With the goal to push an opponent out of the ring or throw him down, many top-ranked wrestlers have beefed up to get an edge. Over the past decade, the average weight of wrestlers in the top division -- the best 40 of the roughly 700 professionals in the sport -- has increased by 10 kilograms (22 pounds) to 155 kilograms (345 pounds). The average Japanese man weighs less than 70 kilograms (155 pounds). But the greater emphasis on size has taken its toll. Increasing heft has meant diminishing speed and technical prowess, and more injuries. With so many of the top wrestlers sidelined by pain, the sport has lost fans. Both yokozuna grand champions, Hawaiian-born Musashimaru and Takanohana, bowed out of the last competition in November, and in July, 16 wrestlers were absent -- the most since World War II. Last year, Sumo Association chairman Kitanoumi, a former yokozuna, speculated that performance-enhancing drugs, used to get bigger, may be to blame. He has vowed to investigate. Critics say doping tests could expose offenders and further undermine support for the sport." Posted: Sunday January 05, 2003 4:43 PM from CNNSI.com at this link.

Thanx for both previous messages with precious things I didn't know ! Latest news : Thursday, February 6, 2003 at 09:30 JST TOKYO

Very interesting couple of messages previously, great job, Kintamayama-zeki ! Still on french sport.fr, they published some short articles, including that old one (1999/03/10): in english, it's something like : "The observers of the sumo worry about the increase in the weight of the wrestlers. Between 1969 and 1999, the average weight of the fighters of the first division passed from 125 kilos to 153 kilos, the heaviest exceeding 200 kilos. The president of the Japanese federation of sumo, Master Tokitsukaze, worry a lot ..." But more interesting was that one in 2000/12/07 : something like : "The sumo starts its revolution. Unknown in Europe, the sumotori are regarded as demigods in Japan. At the beginning of the 21st century, the persons in charge for this sport have just authorized new movements in a discipline codified to the extreme. The leaders of this sport governed by ancestral laws have just introduced new catches. Twelve movements will come to be added to the 70 already authorized by the judges. The required goal is to support the blooming of smaller wrestlers but especially quicker. However the persons in charge did not open the valves completely since they always refuse to open this sport to the women."

For today's coverage of days 7-8-9, Syd Hoare was very inspired ! How did he say they call Wakanosato in Japan ? Popeye ? Really ? For the strength ? He called Tochinonada, "the Ozeki killer" too ;-) And I really loved when, talkin' about Kotonowaka winning by fusensho to Takanohana, at day 9, Syd said "fusensho or no show" which is a new good translation of fusensho ! Best moments during these days : (to me, of course) Wakanoyama stopped, couldn't break the "Takanotsuru" wall ! Kyokutenho grabbing Takanowaka so fast, putting him on the edge so fast and winning so fast ! Very good Tokitsuumi Vs. Asashoryu bout and during a moment, we imagine Tokitsuumi is much better than a simple midtable maegashira ... Huge overarm throw made by Kyokushuzan to Nami, we found the good old Shuzan back for this tournament ... He was so "absent" during the past tournaments ... (Thumbs up...)

Sorry, but these changes of rules ... I jus' can't stop thinkin' about the 70's movie called Rollerball (starring James Caan as Jonathan E. the superstar of Rollerball with the Houston team) In order to get rid of him because he's dangerously too popular, the corporate minds behind the game decided to change the rules ... to make sure the star player finds it difficult to survive ! By changing the rules of the game and making it increasing more brutal, the corporation hope to see him killed or crippled, thereby retiring him permanently. But their strategy backfires and in the final game, where the rules have been dispensed with completely, and where the teams must play until one or the other is completely wiped out, Jonathan E. is the sole survivor, triumphantly slammin the ball home in his opponents' goal. A great movie to be watched (the original version, always the original version, not the remake) !