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Basho Talk Haru 2015

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I think also age has caught up with both Shohozan and Yoshikaze, who were/are both fierce brawler types. I just didn't expect it to happen so fast nor so dramaticaly as they were both doing quite well not too long ago. It's unfortunate cause I enjoyed watching them both when they were doing well.

Tomorrow I think Terunofuji has not much chance against Hakuho, unless Hakuho screws up at the tachiai and gives away a good position. Terunofuji's kimedashi is fearsome, but he doesn't always get a good enough grip/position to execute it.

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At this point Shohozan is simply desperate. A few days ago he got into morozashi with Kyokutenho. Everyone knows how the Mongolian responds to this and yet Shohozan was very careless in his approach, falling easily to a well-executed Kotenage. It is not simple to counter that manouver but Shohozan put himself in the worst position to try it.

Takayasu is injured and limping since the early days of the basho.

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Hakuho is quite scary in this basho. It's clear he's determined to win and I must admit that those claims of him occasionally leaving openings for other guys in the past may hold some water after all - there is a different vibe about him right now and the gap to the rest suddenly seems even wider. Was he like that in his most dominant phase (before my Sumo-watching time)? Or am I imagining things?

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Hakuho is quite scary in this basho. It's clear he's determined to win and I must admit that those claims of him occasionally leaving openings for other guys in the past may hold some water after all - there is a different vibe about him right now and the gap to the rest suddenly seems even wider. Was he like that in his most dominant phase (before my Sumo-watching time)? Or am I imagining things?

He was different back then. Scary, but in a different way. He left openings a lot in his 63-streak, often on the brink of defeat, the scary thing was it still came off.

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I remember not too long ago after he broke his hand a lot of people were sure that he was in his twilight years too...

He's crazy. How long can it last? Terunofuji and Ichinojo are the new guys on the block but I think it will take them a while to gather the experience and move up.

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I was impressed with the way Hakuhou almost casually dispatched of Kotoshogiku today. It was as if he was saying, "get off my dohyo!"

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Really looking forward to a couple of matches in particular:

Tochinoshin vs Goeido

Hakuhou vs Terunofuji

Can't wait!!

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I assume it would be the chairman's job to know who high profile visitors that are likely to attract media attention to the Kokugikan are.

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Hakuho just lost to Terunofuji.

Kisenosato and Harumafuji, do your stuff!!!

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We may have witnessed a changing of the guard with Terunofuji's win over Hakuho.

Aminishiki wrote Terunofuji a note telling him to "work hard". Looks like he did.

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Shohozan is still on course for his 'zensho yusho'. Will he 'succeed' in accomplishing what Daido 'failed' to accomplish in Nagoya 2013?

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And the kid knocks Hak off! The crowd goes nuts! Not only that but he beat him fair and square - Hak threw everything but the kitchen sink at him and Teronofuji had an answer for it all. The look on Hak's face straight after was priceless - he couldn't believe it. I guarantee he was going for that record that really matters to him, Futabayama's 69, and now he has to start all over again. I really hope Teronofuji can back it up over the next few bashos, get to Ozeki and then actually provide a sustained challenge to Hak's dominance.

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Kise basically got owned by the nodowa again you would think he would learn. (At least it did not look quite as bad as last time and hara lost the grip near the end)

Damn what final bout and what a win by fuji. Now that is how a future oz/yok should look challenging Hak. Even if he had lost he would deserve kudos.

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It's really too bad that Terunofuji lost to Kaisei. I can not imagine Harumafuji (with his elbow injury) or Kisenosato (with his post Kachikoshi depression) to beat an "angry" Hakuho. But I couldn't imagine that Terunofuji wins today either, so let's see...

Kotoshogiku still in trouble with Harumafuji and Kisenosato left. Maybe Kise will do him a favour.

Edited by Tenshinhan

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Maybe Hakuho should have tried to get a good grip with a fast Tachiai and then go straight forwardi, since Terunofuji is kinda slow and often ends up in the worse position at the Tachiai. And if he can not power him out, than he could go for the throw. To be honest, Hakuho did not really seem to have a good game plan today.

Anyway, I am sure he will win anyway. I do not see Terunofuji win all his remaining matches And Hakuho losing one. But we will see.

Edited by Monnodo

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It's really too bad that Terunofuji lost to Kaisei. I can not imagine Harumafuji (with his elbow injury) or Kisenosato (with his post Kachikoshi depression) to beat an "angry" Hakuho. But I couldn't imagine that Terunofuji wins today either, so let's see...

Kotoshogiku still in trouble with Harumafuji and Kisenosato left. Maybe Kise will do him a favour.

That loss might go down in Sumo history as "Poop-Gate", I can't believe that Teru went so deep into details as to why he lost... (Help me...)

Edited by kuroimori

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Oh, yeah! I don't recall such a loss by Hakuho in the last many years, where he looked to be in good form and got out-maneuvered and overpowered chest-to-chest. And thought went into the bout as well--Terunofuji kept his right hip out of reach right up until the end. Then Hakuho had to lean in a little bit to try to get his favorite outside left, and that small opening was enough to drive him out. So similar to Hakuho's long list of easy looking yorikiri wins where he would wait for the precise moment when his opponent thought there was an opportunity to improve the grip, and then put on the power surge. Let the sumo gods protect these two from injury, and we should have some yusho races to look forward to.

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Also some props to the much-maligned Goeido today. He is Mr. Inconsistency for sure, but he is capable of excellent sumo as he showed today against a tough opponent. Of course every prediction must have the caveat "barring serious injury," but given that, I think Goeido's tenure at the ozeki rank, though not the longest since he was last to arrive, will at least still be running when the other two incumbents have left the rank.

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Kintamayama thinks Osunaarashi is underestimated, but it's more that he hasn't met the expectations set when he was widely overestimated on first climbing up the ranks. Today he faced Kyokushuhou, a man willing to trade him slap for slap, and it was when Osuna decided to go for the belt that he won the match. He could learn from that and make further progress. We will see.

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It's really too bad that Terunofuji lost to Kaisei. I can not imagine Harumafuji (with his elbow injury) or Kisenosato (with his post Kachikoshi depression) to beat an "angry" Hakuho. But I couldn't imagine that Terunofuji wins today either, so let's see...

Kotoshogiku still in trouble with Harumafuji and Kisenosato left. Maybe Kise will do him a favour.

I can't imagine Kisenosato doing Kotoshogiku a favour, especially since he has at least a couple of times cost Kisenosato a good yusho opportunity.

Also, Gagamaru is the next yokozuna! You heard it here first!

Edited by dingo

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Hakuho's win streak against shin-Komuusubi or shin-Sekiwake ended today as well at 35 wins. It's not so much a streak but an unblemished record which got tarnished.

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There was a real sense today (from me anyway) that the win by Terunofuji was one of those era-defining bouts that they will be replaying again and again a la Takanohana-Chiyonofuji. Hakuho isn't finished by any means and has three good years in him. But today a future Yokozuna put down his marker...and he did it in serious style. I don't remember seeing Hakuho so comprehensively beaten in a straight-up match.

Great stuff.

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