Aki 13 Comments

[Akinomaki 39,763]

The former big hope dominating the new one – the oyakata said day 3 was Endo's worst sumo up to then – now this was it for sure.

[Akinomaki 39,763]

Kitanoumi about Harumafuji: “2-2 is painful. That drives him into the corner mentally. His physical condition seeming bad? It doesn't feel that way. Is this basho totally different from the last? That's not the case, because last basho he had 2 losses on day 5. He hasn't completely turned into a yokozuna.”

Tospo comments: “He just didn't say yet: 'This is his true strength.'”

YDC chief Uchiyama: “If he loses 3 in the first half it has to be kyujo. Else the YDC will likely have to tell him something.” The man himself or the oyakata have to decide on a kyujo, the YDC can't: the YDC talking about demanding it is a rare thing.

Edited September 19, 2013 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 39,763]

Day 4: 6310 spectators, Endo got 3 more kensho.

Toyonoshima today looked like he really has got his sumo back now.

Ishiura again showed his agility. Looks like he can get a KK with his sumo in makushita as well.

http://youtu.be/AQY6Ubd2_DA?t=24s

[Jaak 7]

Futahaguro holds the distinction of being the only no yusho yokozuna. There is a fair bunch of yokozunas with a single yusho:

Shiranui

Nishinoumi II

Nishinoumi III

Musashiyama

Maedayama

Akinoumi

Yoshibayama.

[ALAKTORN 346]

Endō was doing better in jūryō, Sōkokurai was doing better in Makuuchi.

[Akinomaki 39,763]

Hakuho: “I'll do my best to follow the pace of Yoshikaze.”

Yoshikaze, asked about a yusho by a home-grown rikishi: “If it were Kisenosato or Goeido at no losses, but with me there is no excitement at all, isn't it. If it were day 14 with no losses and the yokozuna 2 wins behind … ” About the rikishi shedding tears after a kinboshi: “I don't cry. The master (Oguruma-oyakata) says 'If you show emotions on the dohyo that is not acceptable' and then there is the respect to the opponent.”

Kyokutenho, getting reminded of his yusho last year: “With this loss I can (and all should) calm down.”

Edited September 20, 2013 by Akinomaki

[Asashosakari 18,784]

[Asojima 2,870]

Aragyoshi can almost always be counted on for an unconventional, but interesting match. One of my favorites.

[Gernobono 455]

not much difference to kagamio - takanoyama

[Doitsuyama 1,173]

I also like the sole Irish (or is there another?) rikishi Ohara, he is doing even better than Aragyoshi.

[Mukonoso 273]

Ahh! Don't touch me! You're all sweaty!

[Andreas21 182]

Yoshikaze started twice with 5 wins in his Makuuchi career, and both times he won also the next two, then began to lose and still finished in double-digits (10/11). Let's see if he follows the pattern again.

[Masumasumasu 902]

I shook Kaisei's hand yesterday. That guy has big paws!!

[Vikanohara 171]

I began following both Aragyoshi and Ohara last year and they keep improving steadily. Meanwhile I already noticed more guys like them. But they keep topping as in excitement factor.

[Vikanohara 171]

What's happening with Tamao ? Of his last 12 bouts he only won one. I would have expected him to rocket back to Makushita in no time.

Meanwhile, Takamai (ex-Watanabe) seems to have started a new string of defeats... :-S

Tosayutaka doesn't seem to be coming back pretty soon either. :-(

This was a nice finishing. Curious about the kimarite.

And Osunaarashi got injured ? Or was he already ?

Edited September 20, 2013 by Vikanohara

[Masumasumasu 902]

Big Sandstorm looks like he injured himself today. I hope that he is OK.

[Akinomaki 39,763]

Day 5: 7263 spectators

Jokoryu as his 2 year Nichidai senior knows Endo's weakness when taken out in one go and acted accordingly when Endo tried to pull. The other makuuchi will soon learn that weakness, Endo better corrects that quickly. Jokoryu was 2-0 against Endo during university.

Jokoryu's injuries (left ankle torn ligament etc.) are said to have healed, he hopes for kachikoshi this basho and in 2 years to have the Nichidai team members – his 1 year junior Daikiho was senpo, Endo chuken and he taisho (for the 1^st, 2^nd & 3^rd team bout) – to fight each other in the high ranks.

[Akinomaki 39,763]

Wakanosato (37): “That's just 6 losses in a row. From now on I'll do my best to get kachi-koshi.”

Make-koshi may mean a drop to juryo. “You want to ask if I will retire, don't you. I'll go on for 10 more years!”

Yoshikaze: “Just as I managed to pull even with Endo in getting reported about: now I'm thrown back to be an ordinary human. If I don't win 10 I can't beat Endo.”

Edited September 21, 2013 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 39,763]

Kyokutenho lost on day 5 though his daughter on her 5^th birthday had told him to win for sure. The bout was close to 1 minute: “I'm worn-out.”

About the secrets of his longevity on the dohyo: first of all, not putting needless pressure on himself.

“I do as I want to do. I don't know if that's good or bad for the body, if I get the urge to eat meat I eat meat, when I think I'd like to drink alcohol I drink it. It's just that recently the frequency of going out to drink has decreased. After going out one day it takes 2, 3 days to return to normal. Maybe in regard to this it's the point where I think that I'm no longer young.”

When his son was born 2 years ago he wanted to continue till the boy can understand that his father is a rikishi – and now points at a sumo calender with the photo and calls “papa”.

With his yusho accomplished 2 years ago, Kyokutenho can go on completely at ease.

As the second reason he names that he praises himself high, thoroughly making himself feeling good.

“There certainly are people whose feelings get hurt when being told about their age. I'm the opposite. Being told, 'It's amazing how well you are doing, isn't it', I take that as a praise. I love to be praised. I get energy from it. Every year in the Aki basho when my birthday comes I surely get told a lot of things by everybody. Because of that I have many kachi-koshi in the Aki-basho.”

http://www.zakzak.co.jp/sports/etc_sports/news/20130920/spo1309200729003-n1.htm

[Doitsuyama 1,173]

Wakanosato (37): “That's just 6 losses in a row. From now on I'll do my best to get kachi-koshi.”

Make-koshi may mean a drop to juryo. “You want to ask if I will retire, won't you. I'll go on for 10 more years!”

I guess Kintamayama lit a fire with his video comments..

[Umigame 82]

“I do as I want to do. I don't know if that's good or bad for the body, if I get the urge to eat meat I eat meat, when I think I'd like to drink alcohol I drink it. It's just that recently the frequency of going out to drink has decreased. After going out one day it takes 2, 3 days to return to normal. Maybe in regard to this it's the point where I think that I'm no longer young.”

After the bouts on day 2 (Monday), just by pure luck I saw Kyokutenho at Hakuba’s restaurant. Up close he looks incredibly young and healthy!

And indeed he did not drink much alcohol nor eat much meat.

[Jakusotsu 5,806]

With his yusho accomplished 2 years ago, Kyokutenho can go on completely at ease.

Two years? It's been barely 16 months ago.

[dingo 1,159]

Talking about age, to me Tokitenku looks much older than Kyokutenho. Maybe it's the droopy face.

[shumitto 418]

Tochiozan was a good candidate to bring some trouble to Hakuho, but he didn't and even had to give up halfway to avoid risking an injury. Harumafuji won again but didn't convince. Shaky sumo. The Ozeki camp looks good with the sole exception of Kotooshu, who has suffered two bad losses in a row. Managing short rikishi has never been his forte and today (yesterday) it showed. He stood upright not knowing where to go nor what to do. Chiyotairyu went from the next Japanese hope to being defeated by slow Kaisei. I am not saying he won't make it, but it will be a looong ride. Aminishiki is a strong veteran and today he imposed Yoshikaze's first loss thus leaving Hakuso as the sole leader. Not that the Yokozuna would worry about Yoshikaze's Yusho hopes though. By moving around Toyonoshima did the right thing to Gagamaru, but the Makuuchi heaviest showed very solid footing and improved to 2-4. Someone who would like to be 2-4 is Wakanosato but the Aomorian is struggling at 0-6 with very bad sumo and is Juryo-bound already. Lower Juryo is overly lenient on Terunofuji's slow approach; he has to correct that while moving up.

In Makushita I am surprised to see Kimurayama at 3-0 - but I am yet to watch his bouts. Nionoumi won one, did that from a very advantageous position and not without some sweat. Terutsuyoshi at 3-0 is also good news.

Edited September 20, 2013 by shumitto

[Asashosakari 18,784]

In Makushita I am surprised to see Kimurayama at 3-0 - but I am yet to watch his bouts.

The first one was "classic" Kimurayama sumo...a relatively young and relatively small opponent made me dread the henka, and sure enough. The next two were pretty convincing wins, however, to my great surprise. He got moved back quite a bit in both (especially the second bout), but made good use of his size. And he's got no really big or powerful opponents left now - if he survives Arawashi tomorrow he's actually got an excellent shot at the zensho, the most dangerous competitor after that might be Tochinosato from the second quarter of the division (so the 6th bout potentially).