Kaioshoryu

Guy on the right looks intensely bored…

I don’t comment much on here, but I just had to say this: Shodai’s performance is pathetic.

I remember when ST came on the scene, it was really exciting for me to have another english source of information about sumo. And the site was interesting for a long time, it had good contributors who wrote interesting and funny reports. I didn't agree with everything they wrote, but it was refreshing to have another viewpoint on sumo. It even featured Alice Cooper's guitarist (Kane Roberts) as a writer at one point. But as others have said, when the contributors left and it became a oneman show, the site descended into parody. Everything in sumo is a conspiracy became the narrative. Come to think of it, that outlook is almost kind of racist, e.g. the evil japanese NHK who seeks to ruin the chances of the valiant mongolian rikishi. The most annoying thing for me, was when the things that Mike said would never happen, happened. For instance, Hakuho would never be allowed by the NHK to beat the record for most yusho. But Hakuho did do it, and there was never any soulsearching by Mike on how he got it wrong. Further, if the evil NHK runs everything by way of yaocho and other shady business, why are mongolian rikishi still winning almost every yusho? Makes no sense. It really is a shame how it ended up, because ST really was worthwhile when it sprang onto the scene all those years ago. It was a good supplement to this site, kind of what I think tachiai.org has become now. And it was fun. Now it's just sad.

Font day is best day. I watch your videos only, if you post late I wait until it arrives on YouTube. Other channels may have slicker production, but I don’t care. They do not have your dry wit and humour. And I love that you have invented new words like slippiotoshi and oshiwashi. Never change!

Perhaps, but I think the quality this basho is worse than last basho. Still, the drama is good though.

Probably will be a 11-4 with a playoff. Says a lot about the current state of sumo doesn't it? Even though it's quite enjoyable with Makuuchi being totally unpredictable, in terms of the quality of the actual wrestling it doesn't look that good.

Hokuseiho??

Pretty lousy effort from Terunofuji there.

I love when these necro threads are pulled up, seeing the names of the posters in them... Mark Buckton, now there's a blast from the past!

Oops, not good. I'm by no means a Hakuho fan, but meant no disrespect to the greatest rikishi of all time by spelling his name wrong. I hope a moderator can correct my mistake.

I don't know how credible the source is, but there is strong rumblings that Hakuho's retirement has been set in motion. https://twitter.com/SumoFollower/status/1442197463100579845

Boring tournament in my opinion. I have no problems with the yokozuna dominating and taking the yusho, that is how it's supposed to be, but there was an overall lack of exciting sumo. Highlight was the ipponzeoi by Hoshoryu. Lowlight: very bad effort from the ozeki pair. They are supposed to contend for the yusho, but they weren't close, they weren't even in the same solar system. Takakeisho needs to get his body and mind back together.

Good to have a basho to follow, but I have to say that Day 1 was pretty unimpressive. Not a lot of good matches, especially bad work by Takakeisho, Shodai and Takayasu.

If Hakuho went to watch judo without informing the NSK, that’s just incredibly short-sighted. I am sure Hak knew there would be a reaction, but decided to do it anyway. This could be really bad for him, but we’ll see. As someone else mentioned: this feels a lot like a certain football match…

Will they also be testing for steriods I wonder…