Day 13 results and day 14 pairings

[Doitsuyama 1,157]

The yusho race suddenly got a lot tighter as both leaders Asashoryu and Tochiazuma lost while Chiyotaikai and Dejima won to close in. It certainly was unexpected for the Kyokai which still has to set up an opponent for Dejima who is ranked higher than M7. Only one of Dejima's opponents was higher than M9 with M7e Hokutoriki, tomorrow follows M7w Kotoryu. Well, at least Dejima would have to go through a playoff as he can't finish as the sole leader.

Wakanosato won today to improve his chances to stay in Sanyaku, while the other three lower Sanyaku already are sure to plummet down the banzuke. Tochinonada, Toki, Tosanoumi and Tamanoshima all are at attention with 8 wins already and vie for the free Sanyaku positions, their number ranging from two to four, depending on Wakanosato and Musoyama.

The Juryo division has the hottest and the coldest sekitori as Kobo and Ushiomaru are winning five in a row now, and shin-Juryo Bushuyama lost six in a row after a 6-1 start. It is probably too late for Ushiomaru as Kokkai beat Oikari and still has a two win lead.

Tomorrow's Juryo torikumi is interesting as both Monolian Makushita 1 at 3-3 are paired off against very low Juryo at 6-7.

--

Doitsuyama

Makuuchi yusho arasoi

Two losses

Edited November 21, 2003 by Doitsuyama

[Zuikakuyama 1]

From my untrained eyes, asashoryu looked really lethargic against kaio. No movement at all.

BTW, if the positions were reversed and Asashoryu had Kaio in that position, he would have thrown his opponent off the dohyo.

[Kaikitsune Makoto 202]

Tamarikido's injury is meniscus injury in the knee.

Gojoro has muscle tear in hamstring.

Kotonowaka has either medial or lateral collateral ligament damage. It is not as bad as ACL or so but requires some time to heal.

Today's sumo was "interesting". Tenho's henka and probably talked about "just having fun for the rest of the basho" again, Wakanosato's ultimate zombie sumo win, Iwakiyama slapping down Aminishiki, Chiyotaikai is good but so very annoying with this kind of style he uses now. Kotoryu's henka, Hokutoriki, Tamanoshima's strange passiveness of late, Tochisakae....anticlimaxes after one another.

Well win is a win, loss is a loss and bad sumo is bad sumo. We do have ultimate warrior called KaioU who once again showed he owns Asashoryu whenever Shoryu has to fight in any other way than morozashi against him. Identical tachi-ai as in many of their bouts. KaioU blocked Shoryu's morozashi attempts with elbow angling and Shoryu tried and tried to dig in but KaioU has powerful arms and he defended successfully and never succumbed to that. Cool stuff. Amazing come-back from his early days when he couldn't even sit when having chanko.

[Yoavoshimaru 0]

Big kudos to Kaio for sticking in the basho, doing his best, not going kyujo. Shows great mental strength and deserves to keep his ozeki rank. B-)

[Onnagumo 4]

Kotonowaka has either medial or lateral collateral ligament damage. It is not as bad as ACL or so but requires some time to heal.

:-D That's what I hoped to hear, Kaikitsune-zeki. Maybe he'll try again in March. He has kosho status, after all, and with 7 wins he should stay in Makuuchi.

We do have ultimate warrior called KaioU who once again showed he owns Asashoryu whenever Shoryu has to fight in any other way than morozashi against him. Identical tachi-ai as in many of their bouts. KaioU blocked Shoryu's morozashi attempts with elbow angling and Shoryu tried and tried to dig in but KaioU has powerful arms and he defended successfully and never succumbed to that. Cool stuff. Amazing come-back from his early days when he couldn't even sit when having chanko.

Yeah.... Kaio B-) !!!

[Zenjimoto 39]

Yeah, (Alien stuff...) deserves a pat on the (aching) back this basho. Very gritty performance that deserves respect. I thought after clinching his KK he might just coast, the more impressed am I that he bear Asa... wow!

If he displayed this sort of grit during his yokozuna-runs, he would already be one!

Cheers

Zenjimoto