Kaioshoryu

Kaio, and Toki for the sideburns.

I'm pretty sure you are right Mr. Gunning. If I knew all the behind the scenes stuff you know, I'm afraid my interest in Sumo might suffer... There's a reason why I refuse to watch documentaries about industrial chicken farming, I still love my Chicken McNuggets.

He’s probably using his skills in «expert analysis» right now to show how this picture is proof of bias against foreign rikishi.

Comment of the year!!!!

Is it just me, or is Kimura Kounosuke a lot more subdued than usual this basho? He usually sounds a lot more assertive and strict, now he sounds kinda tame...

Trans-gender issues?? Damn, I never thought of that....

Methinks you are taking this issue a bit more seriously than me Kinta.... I haven't really advocated anything. And you are probably correct in everything you write, I'm just not certain allowing women to stand on the dohyo will lead to the total annihilation of all sumo traditions.

There is a difference between women and asses...

Personally, I don’t see what the big deal is. Just allow women on the dohyo and be done with it. Especially if noone really knows Why this rule is in place anyway.

Can't say I ever was a fan of the Sandstorm, but this is a really sad ending to his career. Doesn't feel like he deserved to be kicked out.

What’s up with all this necroposting??

This basho felt non-competitive in the sense that so many rikishi was kyujo, and when you have the greatest rikishi ever present, the result pretty is pretty much a given. I still follow the lower divisions of course, and ozumo is such a great sport that I'll never be bored with it. But, thing is: I first got into ozumo back in the Eurosport days. My first real memory of watching ozumo on TV, was when Takatoriki got his yusho. It felt like lots of rikishi had a possibility of taking the yusho back then. I was probably wrong, but that's how I felt. Fast forward a few years, and having forgotten about ozumo for some years, I got back into it when my internet access became better. I learned that all the top rikishi I had known were gone, and there was a new sheriff in town: Asashoryu. Since then, Asashoryu, Hakuho and Harumafuji has pretty much ruled over ozumo. And it felt good back in wacky Aki, which was a real open basho where it felt like anything could happen. This basho just felt predecided in a way. I know I'm whingeing, but that is how I feel. Hakuho is the greatest rikishi of all time, but I'll be glad when he quits to be perfectly honest.

Boring basho, predictable outcome.

Would not surprise me if this is a correct guess Kinta. Hakuho doesn’t just forget proper manners for a Yokozuna after 39 yusho...

Bennyloh is always missed.