The Amazing Asashoryu

[Kozaru 0]

No, Asashosakari... the first thing that came to my mind was total support for Asa, as stated in my first post in this thread. I was in the stands today, and believe me, I was screaming my support. Don't put me in the same category as ST commentators or whoever else you were thinking of. I do not believe in all of this yaocho garbage, or that every tournament has a pre-determined winner. So don't say that it occupies a lot of my mind. But I am not blind or deaf either, and I do know that Ozeki are throwing matches, and that there was an awful shitstorm that resulted from Asa's last zensho. It still goes on to this day, in case you haven't noticed. Perhaps you choose to ignore the ongoing troubles related to it, I don't know. But it is certainly relevant. You know as well as I do that there is a country full of media here just waiting for Asa to say or do something "bad" that will sell newspapers. My comment was SARCASTIC, and was meant as a slap in the face to the JAPANESE MEDIA who make those accusation, NOT at one of my favourite rikishi, Asashoryu.

Now lighten up and take a joke, will ya? Unless you are a member of the Japanese media.....

Good for Asa! Take down Kitanoumi!

Edited January 25, 2009 by Kozaru

[Kintamayama 45,441]

(Showing respect...) (Neener, neener...) I am happy,content, and generally positive. I just hope this isn't his swan song.

[slt 9]

I couldn't agree more. This is what senshuraku should be like !

Let's hope both our yokozuna keep it up for at least the next few basho !!

[Musashoryu 3]

Wow. what a final day! I was enjoying a lovely plate of Tuna and Salmon Sashimi while watchin the bouts on big screen at a restaurant here in Sydney and I can tell you it was one of the best nights out i have had in a long time. I admit to having doubts before the basho and being an Asa fan I am happy to eat my hat! lets see more final days like this! Now wqe just need that flop of a bunch of Ozeki to make it worthwhile!

[Orion 431]

Well you can cleary see Kyokutenzan up to his old tricks in Estonia paving the way for Adere's yusho in the open division next Oct in Egypt. So if Asashoryu is buying wins he must have a new go-between.

Nice tat, Adere. You must see mine some day (got in Ulaan Baatar, but picked out of what looked like a sufer book.....)

Orion

[mokele 3]

Asashoryu not only performed well in the 2009 Hatsu basho, but shows signs of maturing as well. Sometimes you could see signs of nostalgia in his face for a brief few seconds after a bout, as if he was quietly saying "gosh, this is still fun, just like in the good ol' days when I was the dominant figure in sumo".

It's very clear that he's still much stronger than any of the ozeki when he's in good form. He's also still a young man, and it wouldn't hurt him one bit to talk for a few minutes to Chiyonofuji about motivation and attitude. With the proper attitude and training, Asahoryu could easily fight on for 4 or 5 more years and perhaps get another 10 yusho. That would be a great long-term goal for him, to break Taiho's yusho record of 32 yusho.

[Coo-cook 0]

Asashoryu not only performed well in the 2009 Hatsu basho, but shows signs of maturing as well. Sometimes you could see signs of nostalgia in his face for a brief few seconds after a bout, as if he was quietly saying "gosh, this is still fun, just like in the good ol' days when I was the dominant figure in sumo".

It's very clear that he's still much stronger than any of the ozeki when he's in good form. He's also still a young man, and it wouldn't hurt him one bit to talk for a few minutes to Chiyonofuji about motivation and attitude. With the proper attitude and training, Asahoryu could easily fight on for 4 or 5 more years and perhaps get another 10 yusho. That would be a great long-term goal for him, to break Taiho's yusho record of 32 yusho.

He-he. Maybe we should change some paragraphs of our constitution so that Mongolian president can compete in sumo while being in office.

[Orion 431]

Asashoryu not only performed well in the 2009 Hatsu basho, but shows signs of maturing as well. Sometimes you could see signs of nostalgia in his face for a brief few seconds after a bout, as if he was quietly saying "gosh, this is still fun, just like in the good ol' days when I was the dominant figure in sumo".

It's very clear that he's still much stronger than any of the ozeki when he's in good form. He's also still a young man, and it wouldn't hurt him one bit to talk for a few minutes to Chiyonofuji about motivation and attitude. With the proper attitude and training, Asahoryu could easily fight on for 4 or 5 more years and perhaps get another 10 yusho. That would be a great long-term goal for him, to break Taiho's yusho record of 32 yusho.

Errr, have I stumbled into the alternative universe? (apart from performing well in the Hatsu basho?). If he invited Chiyo's advice on motivation and attitude, I wouldn't know who to put my money on -- if I were a betting woman, that is...

Orion

[Hananotaka 8]

Asashoryu not only performed well in the 2009 Hatsu basho, but shows signs of maturing as well. Sometimes you could see signs of nostalgia in his face for a brief few seconds after a bout, as if he was quietly saying "gosh, this is still fun, just like in the good ol' days when I was the dominant figure in sumo".

It's very clear that he's still much stronger than any of the ozeki when he's in good form. He's also still a young man, and it wouldn't hurt him one bit to talk for a few minutes to Chiyonofuji about motivation and attitude. With the proper attitude and training, Asahoryu could easily fight on for 4 or 5 more years and perhaps get another 10 yusho. That would be a great long-term goal for him, to break Taiho's yusho record of 32 yusho.

Errr, have I stumbled into the alternative universe? (apart from performing well in the Hatsu basho?). If he invited Chiyo's advice on motivation and attitude, I wouldn't know who to put my money on -- if I were a betting woman, that is...

Orion

Chiyonofuji, of the 1000+ career wins and 31 yusho, not Chiyotaikai, the remarkable yet inconsistent Ozeki.

[Yubiquitoyama 4]

:-D B-) I am happy,content, and generally positive. I just hope this isn't his swan song.

Yes, I agree. I think I'd like to see Asashoryu in reasonably great form for a few years more and I think sumo would be better for it, but his career does in many ways resemble that of other great yokozunas in which case this could well be "that final showing"... (Whistling...)

[Jonosuke 28]

I do not believe in all of this yaocho garbage, or that every tournament has a pre-determined winner. So don't say that it occupies a lot of my mind. But I am not blind or deaf either, and I do know that Ozeki are throwing matches,

Yaocho does not exist in isolation. If ozeki are throwing matches, they are throwing matches to yokozuna as well so if you think, yaocho exists in the highest ranks, then Asashoryu's yusho must have been not of his own making.

As for Asashoryu and media, one cannot dance a tango alone. Whether positive or negative, one gets more rewards being on the news all the time as it's free marketing. He would have never sold as many books or getting as many visitors to his hotel in Mongolia or use his travel agency if he was not as well known. Most of his business ventures stem from him being well known.

[Peeter 15]

Hmmm, all could be true, but from Your's mouth? :-) Even if You say IF...

[Mark Buckton 1]

was reading a very interesting newspaper report from the 1910s/20s yesterday - Japan Times I think?? thatsaid as a matter of course that a finalmatch was obviously fixed to prevent crowd trouble - the outcome beign a (then) acceptable draw.