Nagoya Basho 2013 discussion thread

[Akinomaki 39,790]

Day 12: 5400 spectators – today they got a full house again, but that was to expected also without the announcement.

Some news mentioned that Hakuho twisted something and got injured in the weird Kakuryu bout the day before. Moot.

So it's again the jun-yusho possibility for Kise.

[Mark.Buckton 68]

Endo unstoppable - 12-1 now.

Another win for Oosunaarashi too - 9-6, and following an unexpected request this morn set to feature in a flight magazine around the time of the Aki Basho.

9-4 sir..

sorry, was there writing about yaocho and got my post mixed up with my article ;)

[Asashosakari 18,786]

Looks like both Sekiwake are having a serious shot at KK after all.

Goeido is having Aoiyama tomorrow, and maybe one of Gagamaru / Kyokutenho for Day 15?

No way he's getting a makekoshi rikishi. My guess would be Myogiryu-Aoiyama and Goeido-Okinoumi.

[Vikanohara 171]

Azumanami vs. Kaiho

bout after bout i believe in Kaiho (my adopted rikishi) more and more. What a nice turnaround he accomplished at the tawara today!!! :-)

i guess there is more to him than the perfect shikona (i know ... different "kai" kanji than the original Kaiho but still ...)

You might have jynxed him. :-/

[aderechelsea 124]

Azumanami vs. Kaiho

bout after bout i believe in Kaiho (my adopted rikishi) more and more. What a nice turnaround he accomplished at the tawara today!!! :-)

i guess there is more to him than the perfect shikona (i know ... different "kai" kanji than the original Kaiho but still ...)

You might have jynxed him. :-/

of course i did ... that is my job as an adoptive father (Another year older...)

Edited July 19, 2013 by aderechelsea

[Morty 1,480]

On Kise and his worthiness as a Yokozuna. Surely what the Kyokai are seeing in him, and what convinces them he's worth the gamble, is consistency. He has got double digit wins his last six basho - this one will make seven. He might not be a dai-Yokozuna throughout his career, but I think they're looking at him and thinking that he isn't going to embarrass them by threatening to MK regularly, or by losing three bouts in a row in a single basho. Since he got comfortable at Ozeki he has owned the rank and has looked the best of all the guys at that rank by a long shot. My guess is that when ( or maybe if) he gets promoted to Yokozuna he will take a basho or two to get comfortable, then it will be 12-3 basho after 12-3 basho, with an occasional 13-2 yusho when he's feeling inspired. He's never going to be Hak but I wouldn't be surprised if he put together a more consistent and durable Yokozuna record than Harumafuji, given the chance.

[Morty 1,480]

On Kise and his worthiness as a Yokozuna. Surely what the Kyokai are seeing in him, and what convinces them he's worth the gamble, is consistency. He has got double digit wins his last six basho - this one will make seven. He might not be a dai-Yokozuna throughout his career, but I think they're looking at him and thinking that he isn't going to embarrass them by threatening to MK regularly, or by losing three bouts in a row in a single basho. Since he got comfortable at Ozeki he has owned the rank and has looked the best of all the guys at that rank by a long shot. My guess is that when ( or maybe if) he gets promoted to Yokozuna he will take a basho or two to get comfortable, then it will be 12-3 basho after 12-3 basho, with an occasional 13-2 yusho when he's feeling inspired. He's never going to be Hak but I wouldn't be surprised if he put together a more consistent and durable Yokozuna record than Harumafuji, given the chance.

I did a bit more digging. He has actually scored double digits in 14 out of his last 16 bashos. He has been the picture of consistency, which I'm sure is why the Kyokai are looking at him as a viable next Yokozuna

[Jakusotsu 5,815]

In hindsight it seems weird that Endo lost against Tokushinho of all people. Has he never faced a rikishi that big before? He looked rather clueless in that bout.

[Vikanohara 171]

Celebrating in headbang-style ! (Punk rocker...)

[Naganoyama 5,841]

You might think that his oyakata might teach him not to (mis-)behave like that. But then again, you might remember who his oyakata is...

[Asashosakari 18,786]

You might think that his oyakata might teach him not to (mis-)behave like that. But then again, you might remember who his oyakata is...

Does his oyakata remember who his oyakata is?

[Doitsuyama 1,173]

Regarding Endo's future: Four other rikishi achieved a juryo yusho following up on a two basho long makushita career. Three stayed in juryo and all won another yusho while the fourth, future yokozuna Asashio, struggled to get an 8-7 in the makuuchi debut. Miyabiyama is the only one who also started as makushita tsukedashi, and he did it from Ms60Td which is much more impressive.

Edit: This guy of course fits in with the other rikishi who didn't start in makushita, he just did it with only one basho in makushita.

Edited July 19, 2013 by Doitsuyama

[Akinomaki 39,790]

Harumafuji is now at 5 losses, with 6 a call for intai in the YDC was promised. As I said earlier, I don't believe it will pass, but it may if he loses both remaining - and he should get a stern warning instead of the lenient announced before the basho.

Harumafuji becoming yokozuna - and performing like that - is a bliss for Kisenosato: he no longer has to fear the comparison with Hakuho, but only has to avoid the bad results by HF, and like Morty I think he will deliver.

With the determination the NSK (esp. the riji-cho) is showing, they'll push Kise from one run to the next, till he finally get's used to it and performs good enough to get promoted.

This basho he again has now become the single best ozeki – and should keep that – but it may become a 11-4 co-jun-yusho – what then for next basho ?

Edit: thinking of the frequent news about his bad health, it looks that this promotion is the last great task Kitanoumi desperately wants to accomplish.

Edited July 19, 2013 by Akinomaki

[Asashosakari 18,786]

In hindsight it seems weird that Endo lost against Tokushinho of all people. Has he never faced a rikishi that big before? He looked rather clueless in that bout.

That throat grab attack is pretty unusual in today's sumo though (and probably on the amateur circuit, too). And Tokushinho has excellent range being so tall, I'm frequently surprised how little chance of getting away his opponents have if they make the mistake of trying to seek close combat with him but run right into the nodowa.

Fluky-looking losses in a 14-1 don't seem too unusual in any case. Not many in that list that were against other yusho contenders.

Edited July 19, 2013 by Asashosakari

[aderechelsea 124]

Fluky-looking losses in a 14-1 don't seem too unusual in any case. Not many in that list that were against other yusho contenders.

nice query you got there ...

at least Kokkai's loss to Kasugao was definitely not a fluke. That was the plan from the start. A tsuppari-ist against a kotenage-ist ..... job done.

I always loved the fact that Kasugao used kotenage for the 17.5% of his total wins when the rest of the field uses it for the 1.6% of theirs.

(of course the numbers are from the DB but the image of Kasugao delivering the kotenage all over the place is still in my head, and this is why i still consider him of my favourites and a true representative of the rikishi that "could have been but never was")

so .. yeah ... another useless post by me (In jonokuchi...)

[Kintamayama 44,354]

Rare occurrence -all yusho from Jonokuchi up to Makuuchi were decided on day 13. First time since Natsu 1949 when the 15 day basho was invented.

[Asashosakari 18,786]

Belly bump victory:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beF2KwaNPhI

[Gernobono 455]

Belly bump victory:

nice find (Laughing...)

[shumitto 418]

It was in the back of mind for a while now and I don't know where it belongs, if it belongs anywhere at all, but it occurred to me today that Wakanosato's decline has been a long one. In fact, when I started following sumo some 6, 7 years ago he already had his best days behind him, and Nagoya is likely on the end of 9 basho streak at a double digit makuuchi rank. Some time ago he made my very tentative list of "possible sekitori by the age of 40", and although such high hopes I no longer harbor for him, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he battled on for another year and a half or so in Juryo, hopefully winning his 5th Yusho in the process. :-D

Edited July 19, 2013 by shumitto

[ScreechingOwl 343]

It was in the back of mind for a while now and I don't know where it belongs, if it belongs anywhere at all, but it occurred to me today that Wakanosato's decline has been a long one. In fact, when I started following sumo some 6, 7 years ago he already had his best days behind him, and Nagoya is likely on the end of 9 basho streak at a double digit makuuchi rank. Some time ago he made my very tentative list of "possible sekitori by the age of 40", and although such high hopes I no longer harbor for him, I wouldn't be at all surprised if he battled on for another year and a half or so in Juryo, hopefully winning his 5th Yusho in the process. :-D

Wakanosato has been in a slow, steady decline for some time, as is pretty common for a rikishi moving into his later 30s. His performance declined noticeably in 2012 and yet again this year, where he’s been a borderline makuuchi/juryo rikishi all year.

I doubt he’s going to find juryo a soft landing. Upper juryo next basho is going to be a bloodbath, with tough up and comers like Osunraashi, Endo (most likely), Chiyootori and Kyokushu mixing It up with injury recovering Makuuchi veterans such as Baruto and Jokoryu. I doubt the older, slower, weaker Wakanosato will be able to get a kk, never mind even sniff another yusho. He'll last longer than Miyabiyama, but not that much.

Edited July 20, 2013 by Manekineko
quoting mishap

[Mark.Buckton 68]

"to prevent food poisoning it is prohibited to bring food in (to the Aichi Prefectural gym) from outside" - at the Nagoya Basho. Back of the tickets also say "no entry is allowed for gangsters".

[Kotoibachi 0]

I would prognosticate that Endo and Osunaarashi are gonna be climbing the banzuke together and starting a good rivalry. Endo recovers from the edge and splits the series between them. Hope they fight again soon. Endo will make Boody better.

[Nabuko 11]

Endo escaped from Osuna barage. Interesting.

[Benevolance 2,478]

Endo did a pretty nice circle of the ring there. Good ring sense, or just plain lucky? :)

[Masumasumasu 902]

Endo escaped from Osuna barage. Interesting.

Finesse over brute force.