Day 10 results and day 11 pairings

[Doitsuyama 1,178]

It looks like Hakuho might be able to break his alternating yusho - jun-yusho pattern and win his first yusho in Tokyo since Aki 2008. The yokozuna now has a two win lead thanks to Kotooshu beating the new European ozeki Baruto, while Harumafuji already is three wins behind with a loss to Hakuba as he wanted to finish the bout too fast. Hakuho did his part with a good oshidashi win over Kisenosato. The only suspense might be the zensho watch, and the Kaio 1000 career wins watch which is now at 997 wins as the ozeki was able to beat Kotomitsuki suspiciously easy forward-going.

Gagamaru prevented a similar runaway in juryo, beating yusho leader Daido to get within one win of the three leaders as Kiyoseumi also lost while Matsutani won. The shin-sekitori already had the kachi-koshi secured and really seems to enjoy his new-found powers, blasting Sokokurai right away. Oh, and Kaiho lost to Asofuji and is make-koshi with certain demotion to makushita, and I wouldn't be too surprised with an intai announcement later today.

Day 10

Juryo

J11w   Yamamotoyama (4-6)  yorikiri	   J11e   Wakatenro (4-6)
J10w   Hoshikaze (4-6)	 hikiotoshi	 J13e   Kirinowaka (2-8)
J9e	Kasuganishiki (5-5) oshidashi	  J13w   Kanbayashi (3-7)
J14e   Sadanofuji (5-5)	oshidashi	  J9w	Kyokunankai (4-6)
J6e	Asofuji (4-6)	   kirikaeshi	 J14w   Kaiho (2-8)
J5w	Bushuyama (7-3)	 sukuinage	  J12w   Futeno (6-4)
J4e	Tamaasuka (6-4)	 oshidashi	  J10e   Kiyoseumi (8-2)
J12e   Matsutani (8-2)	 oshidashi	  J4w	Sokokurai (5-5)
J7w	Tokushinho (5-5)	oshidashi	  J3e	Kasugao (2-8)
J8w	Sakaizawa (6-4)	 shitatenage	J3w	Chiyohakuho (4-6)
J6w	Tosanoumi (5-5)	 uwatenage	  J2e	Shotenro (4-6)
J5e	Masatsukasa (5-5)   oshidashi	  J2w	Kotokasuga (5-5)
J1e	Sagatsukasa (4-6)   hatakikomi	 J7e	Toyozakura (4-6)
J1w	Gagamaru (7-3)	  yorikiri	   J8e	Daido (8-2)

Makuuchi

M13w   Takamisakari (7-3)  yorikiri	   M15e   Wakakoyu (5-5)
M12w   Kimurayama (5-5)	oshidashi	  M16e   Koryu (4-6)
M15w   Shimotori (8-2)	 yorikiri	   M11e   Mokonami (6-4)
M11w   Tokusegawa (6-4)	uwatenage	  M14w   Hokutoriki (5-5)
M10e   Aran (8-2)		  oshitaoshi	 M13e   Yoshikaze (6-4)
M10w   Okinoumi (2-8)	  uwatenage	  M14e   Tochinonada (2-8)
M9w	Goeido (5-5)		oshidashi	  M16w   Tamanoshima (3-7)
M8e	Kakizoe (5-5)	   hikiotoshi	 M12e   Takekaze (5-5)
M9e	Tosayutaka (5-5)	yoritaoshi	 M7e	Tamawashi (2-8)
M4e	Kitataiki (6-4)	 oshidashi	  M7w	Kyokutenho (6-4)

M4w	Asasekiryu (7-3)	shitatenage	M8w	Toyohibiki (4-6)
M3e	Kakuryu (4-6)	   oshidashi	  M6w	Kokkai (2-8)
M6e	Tokitenku (5-5)	 yorikiri	   M3w	Wakanosato (1-9)
K1e	Kotoshogiku (5-5)   yorikiri	   M2w	Tochinoshin (5-5)
K1w	Tochiozan (4-6)	 oshidashi	  M1w	Miyabiyama (4-6)
M1e	Toyonoshima (3-7)   yorikiri	   S1w	Aminishiki (3-7)
O2w	Kaio (6-4)		  yorikiri	   O2e	Kotomitsuki (6-4)
M5w	Hakuba (8-2)		tsukiotoshi	O1e	Harumafuji (7-3)
O1w	Kotooshu (7-3)	  yorikiri	   O3w	Baruto (8-2)
Y1e	Hakuho (10-0)	   oshidashi	  S1e	Kisenosato (5-5)

Day 11

Juryo

Ms1e   Masuraumi (3-2)					J13w   Kanbayashi (3-7)
J13e   Kirinowaka (2-8)				   Ms2e   Kaisei (3-2)
J12w   Futeno (6-4)					   J11w   Yamamotoyama (4-6)
J12e   Matsutani (8-2)					J10w   Hoshikaze (4-6)
J14w   Kaiho (2-8)						J9w	Kyokunankai (4-6)
J8e	Daido (8-2)						J8w	Sakaizawa (6-4)
J11e   Wakatenro (4-6)					J7w	Tokushinho (5-5)
J7e	Toyozakura (4-6)				   J14e   Sadanofuji (5-5)
J10e   Kiyoseumi (8-2)					J6w	Tosanoumi (5-5)
J9e	Kasuganishiki (5-5)				J4w	Sokokurai (5-5)
J4e	Tamaasuka (6-4)					J5w	Bushuyama (7-3)
J5e	Masatsukasa (5-5)				  J3w	Chiyohakuho (4-6)
J3e	Kasugao (2-8)					  J6e	Asofuji (4-6)
J1e	Sagatsukasa (4-6)				  J2w	Kotokasuga (5-5)

Makuuchi

M15e   Wakakoyu (5-5)					 J2e	Shotenro (4-6)
J1w	Gagamaru (7-3)					 M14w   Hokutoriki (5-5)
M14e   Tochinonada (2-8)				  M16e   Koryu (4-6)
M12e   Takekaze (5-5)					 M12w   Kimurayama (5-5)
M16w   Tamanoshima (3-7)				  M10w   Okinoumi (2-8)
M9e	Tosayutaka (5-5)				   M13e   Yoshikaze (6-4)
M15w   Shimotori (8-2)					M8w	Toyohibiki (4-6)
M8e	Kakizoe (5-5)					  M13w   Takamisakari (7-3)
M10e   Aran (8-2)						 M7w	Kyokutenho (6-4)
M7e	Tamawashi (2-8)					M11w   Tokusegawa (6-4)
M9w	Goeido (5-5)					   M6w	Kokkai (2-8)

M6e	Tokitenku (5-5)					M11e   Mokonami (6-4)
M3e	Kakuryu (4-6)					  M4w	Asasekiryu (7-3)
M1e	Toyonoshima (3-7)				  M3w	Wakanosato (1-9)
K1e	Kotoshogiku (5-5)				  M4e	Kitataiki (6-4)
M2w	Tochinoshin (5-5)				  S1w	Aminishiki (3-7)
S1e	Kisenosato (5-5)				   M1w	Miyabiyama (4-6)
O2e	Kotomitsuki (6-4)				  M5w	Hakuba (8-2)
K1w	Tochiozan (4-6)					O1w	Kotooshu (7-3)
O1e	Harumafuji (7-3)				   O3w	Baruto (8-2)
Y1e	Hakuho (10-0)					  O2w	Kaio (6-4)

Edited May 18, 2010 by Doitsuyama

[Bealzbob 0]

Where's all the discussion gone?

I was impressed again with Asasekiryu. His 3rd good nage in a row! Was also impressed with the gorilla's strength over the (visually anyway) much larger Tamawashi. Always good to see a (relatively) wee man lift a bigger rikishi clean off his feet.

Felt a little sorry for Miyabiyama. It was clear that his tsuppari just doesn't have the same impact as before. Even when he was 'on top' in the bout it was clear to me that Ozone was easily absorbing the blows and would just come forward and finish him off, and he duly did.

Kotomitsuki fluffed his lines and handed it to Kaio on a plate. Ama dropped a similar clanger too and looked really disappointed with himself. That Hakuba is a strange one. Apart from a failed cameo in 2008, it takes him 11 years inclusive to get into makuuchi and then he posts 3 consecutive KK? He must be somewhat of an anomoly the way his career has panned out to date.

Baruto just seemed to lose track of where his arms were at one point and once he was stood up it was curtains. And I really though Kisenosato had Hakuho in the bag at one stage but somehow the yokozuna gathered himself together and you never get a 2nd bite of the cherry.

Watching the ease at which YMY overpowered Wakatenro, you wonder why he can't coast back through juryo :-) Guess it's just not that simple. It was funny watching Daido trying in vain to throw the huge Gagamaru time and time again. It was never going to happen. He had no plan B without his uwatenage and he was inevitably turfed out.

[Asashosakari 19,150]

Ms1e   Masuraumi (3-2)					J13w   Kanbayashi (3-7)
J13e   Kirinowaka (2-8)				   Ms2e   Kaisei (3-2)

Whoever convinced the torikumi makers to start early this basho, thank you thank you thank you. One side effect: If both makushita guys lose, you can still pair them up for a crucial 3-3 bout later on if there are enough demotable juryo by that time.

BTW, I've resigned myself to seeing YMY in juryo as long as he can still find a sufficient number of opponents who are dumb/crazy-brave enough to try attacking him straight on for the entire bout. What were you thinking, Wakatenro?

Edit: Ah, I see Bealzbob posted a somewhat different take on that bout while I had this post in the queue...

Edited May 18, 2010 by Asashosakari

[Bealzbob 0]

I take it YMY has lost a lot of his manouverability then recently? He used to be quite agile for someone of his size. So even if an opponent was clever not to take him head on, he was usually able to make it so that they had to fight him in some form of a strength matchup.

Is his slide down the banzuke more attributable to an injury or to being found out by his opponents? As for my take on it; it is no doubt motivated by being a fan of his. I take it you're not overly enamoured with the idea of him sticking around the sekitori ranks.

Edited May 18, 2010 by Bealzbob

[Harry 67]

I take it YMY has lost a lot of his manouverability then recently? He used to be quite agile for someone of his size. So even if an opponent was clever not to take him head on, he was usually able to make it so that they had to fight him in some form of a strength matchup.

Is his slide down the banzuke more attributable to an injury or to being found out by his opponents? As for my take on it; it is no doubt motivated by being a fan of his. I take it you're not overly enamoured with the idea of him sticking around the sekitori ranks.

The Aichitaiikukan shook when Yamamotoyama fell and injured himself in Nagoyabasho last year. He went kyujo and I wonder if that injury still bothers him as he hasn't really been the same since. He used to have some ability to turn but river barges come around faster these days.

What is Hakuba eating? I must say the little guy reminds me a little bit　of... Ama!?

Edited May 18, 2010 by Harry

[Sokkenaiyama 80]

What is Hakuba eating? I must say the little guy reminds me a little bit　of... Ama!?

More like Kakuryu in his early days. Ama was all-out aggressive when he didn't henka, he'd go with vicious thrusts and try to take the other guy's head off.