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kuroimori

Basho Talk - Kyushu Basho 2015 +++ Spoiler Alert! +++

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I couldn't believe my eyes today. Hakuho make me laugh so hard that i ran desperate waiting for kintamayama video to watch it again. And i guess we are going to see a show off between harumafuji and hakuho at the end. I dunno if i feel happy for terunofuji or just concerned, he should be resting.

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I've been lurking on this board for about 1 calendar year now, ever since I made the eureka moment and said "it's 2014, I wonder if there is a way to get up to date sumo coverage?" I watched the sumo coverage on ESPN back in the late 90s as a very early teen, and was always a fan of Takanohana, going against the even larger Akebono and Musashimaru.

Thanks Kinta...

Figured it's as good of a time as any to make a post. Keep in mind, I don't know much about what I'm really watching, although I am learning as time goes on.

I personally found Hakuho hilarious today as well. I also did a deep belly laugh while watching.

The young guy I was hoping would take the leap, Ichinojo, was coming off his jun-yusho the first basho that I started following daily. So, I've sort of been rooting for him, not that I don't root for Terunofuji as the other young rikishi with incredible physical talent (I've come to realize that while you have favorites, you mostly just like everyone and then they fall into a pecking order of sorts).

I always wonder if Ichinojo feels like it's not "his time" yet or something. I almost feel like he "defers" to the higher ranked wrestlers... must be the fighting spirit discussion. I feel like he wants to wrestle more as a crafty guy, but doesn't have the experience to do so yet, instead of just winning by brute force and let the techniques come slower over time, while winning, hopefully. Beating Tochinoshin was a great sign today however, since he's always tough too. I love Tochinoshin also however. Too many guys to root for overall.

This has been a great basho so far, love this one

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I always wonder if Ichinojo feels like it's not "his time" yet or something. I almost feel like he "defers" to the higher ranked wrestlers... must be the fighting spirit discussion. I feel like he wants to wrestle more as a crafty guy, but doesn't have the experience to do so yet, instead of just winning by brute force and let the techniques come slower over time, while winning, hopefully. Beating Tochinoshin was a great sign today however, since he's always tough too. I love Tochinoshin also however. Too many guys to root for overall.

Ichinojo has a back injury. Also because hes a belt man he often loses when people get under him and push him out, which may look like he gives up, but in that kind of position, being so much taller than everyone, there isn't much he can do.

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Ichinojo read what i wrote here a few days ago and now he is going for it! Really nice to see him with that spirit again. Let's hope tomorrow bring a even nicer bout.

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NHK's broadcast of the Hakuho neko-damashi bout in full HD

Oh my god, he did it twice! I didn’t even notice!
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If there is one thing I got from Hakuho's match today, it was that he was having fun. He looked refreshed, he was very confident in his sumo today, and Tochiozan still can't figure out what happened. The NHK announcers were in just as much shock. The smile on Hakuho's face wasn't of one dodging a bullet, I can tell you that right now.

And yes he did the nekodamashi twice.

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I've been lurking on this board for about 1 calendar year now, ever since I made the eureka moment and said "it's 2014, I wonder if there is a way to get up to date sumo coverage?" I watched the sumo coverage on ESPN back in the late 90s as a very early teen, and was always a fan of Takanohana, going against the even larger Akebono and Musashimaru.

Thanks Kinta...

Figured it's as good of a time as any to make a post. Keep in mind, I don't know much about what I'm really watching, although I am learning as time goes on.

I personally found Hakuho hilarious today as well. I also did a deep belly laugh while watching.

The young guy I was hoping would take the leap, Ichinojo, was coming off his jun-yusho the first basho that I started following daily. So, I've sort of been rooting for him, not that I don't root for Terunofuji as the other young rikishi with incredible physical talent (I've come to realize that while you have favorites, you mostly just like everyone and then they fall into a pecking order of sorts).

I always wonder if Ichinojo feels like it's not "his time" yet or something. I almost feel like he "defers" to the higher ranked wrestlers... must be the fighting spirit discussion. I feel like he wants to wrestle more as a crafty guy, but doesn't have the experience to do so yet, instead of just winning by brute force and let the techniques come slower over time, while winning, hopefully. Beating Tochinoshin was a great sign today however, since he's always tough too. I love Tochinoshin also however. Too many guys to root for overall.

This has been a great basho so far, love this one

Welcome!

Re Ichinojo, I know he has a bad back, but I feel like he is also a bit conflicted about what type of sumo he should be doing. When he came in he won two out of every three bouts with throws but he seems to only be trying for force-out techniques over the past few bashos. I'm not sure if his back means he can't execute throwing techniques properly, or if he feels, given his size, he should be physically dominant over everyone else, or maybe others worked out what he was trying to do and counter it. But it looks to me like he isn't even trying to throw people anymore and he has lost part of his arsenal by making that decision. Personally I'm hoping he goes back to trying to throw people - he is good at it.

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social media claiming a reflection of disrespect on Hakuho's part to his opponent, but it was still interesting and amusing to see.

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Re Ichinojo, I know he has a bad back, but I feel like he is also a bit conflicted about what type of sumo he should be doing. When he came in he won two out of every three bouts with throws but he seems to only be trying for force-out techniques over the past few bashos. I'm not sure if his back means he can't execute throwing techniques properly, or if he feels, given his size, he should be physically dominant over everyone else, or maybe others worked out what he was trying to do and counter it. But it looks to me like he isn't even trying to throw people anymore and he has lost part of his arsenal by making that decision. Personally I'm hoping he goes back to trying to throw people - he is good at it.

I think the problem is his weight. He has gained something like 20kg compared to when he was shin-nyūmaku and doing well. He’s been saying that he’s getting too fat, but has had no success going back down. Edited by ALAKTORN

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I always wonder if Ichinojo feels like it's not "his time" yet or something. I almost feel like he "defers" to the higher ranked wrestlers... must be the fighting spirit discussion. I feel like he wants to wrestle more as a crafty guy, but doesn't have the experience to do so yet, instead of just winning by brute force and let the techniques come slower over time, while winning, hopefully. Beating Tochinoshin was a great sign today however, since he's always tough too. I love Tochinoshin also however. Too many guys to root for overall.

Ichinojo has a back injury. Also because hes a belt man he often loses when people get under him and push him out, which may look like he gives up, but in that kind of position, being so much taller than everyone, there isn't much he can do.

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NHK's broadcast of the Hakuho neko-damashi bout in full HD

Oh my god, he did it twice! I didn’t even notice!

That was amazing to watch the whole thing in slo-mo and to see how much Hak was simply playing with Tochiozan. It was like watching those basketball games where Jordan would just toy with his opponents, or when Anderson Silva wouldn't let Tyson Griffin or Damian Maia hit him, or watching Kane Williamson bat in the last couple of test cricket matches between New Zealand and Australia. There is clearly a massive gulf in quality between opponents and one knows they are much better than the other. Hak knows how much better he is than most of his opponents and I think he wanted to show that Tochiozan's win last basho was a fluke rather than the norm. I could watch that over and over.

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Re Ichinojo, I know he has a bad back, but I feel like he is also a bit conflicted about what type of sumo he should be doing. When he came in he won two out of every three bouts with throws but he seems to only be trying for force-out techniques over the past few bashos. I'm not sure if his back means he can't execute throwing techniques properly, or if he feels, given his size, he should be physically dominant over everyone else, or maybe others worked out what he was trying to do and counter it. But it looks to me like he isn't even trying to throw people anymore and he has lost part of his arsenal by making that decision. Personally I'm hoping he goes back to trying to throw people - he is good at it.

I think the problem is his weight. He has gained something like 20kg compared to when he was shin-nyūmaku and doing well. He’s been saying that he’s getting too fat, but has had no success going back down.

He looks like the kind of guy who could balloon like Konishiki if he isn't careful. Hopefully he can knock those 20kgs off.

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Hakuho treated the audience with a joke, but also made fun of his opponent, unintentionally though, and Kitanoumi was not happy......

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The first time I watched, I was too surprised to appreciate what I'd seen. Now, though, it gets funnier every time I watch. Hakuho just ran out of ****s to give at some point.

EDIT: I do feel he should do more to uphold the dignity of his rank, but on the other hand, that is still really funny...

2nd Edit: What I would give to be a fly on the wall in regards to the sumo elders here... I'm sure most of them are, "Grr, sumo is serious business!" But you know at least a couple of them are having to stifle their laughter.

Edited by Dwale

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I predict....a victory of yoshikaze tomorrow and a further injury of terunofuji...and also, a win of kisenosato...

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as a one time thing Hakuho gave a great laugh........ hope it doesn't become a trend and he becomes some sort of Assashoryu

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Oosu at 4-6 now....KK is a real possibility given his history against his likely opponents to come. I'm probably daydreaming, but maybe Goeido keeps his rank, both sekiwake drop, Tochinoshin MK's, Ichinojo's hot streak ends, and Oosu sweeps in to grab a sekiwake spot!

Also....I loved Hak-Tochiozan. I thought it was one of the funniest bouts in a while. Hak is the boss and can afford to play around like that.

Harmafuji looked a bit shaky at the start but he's back to yokozuna sumo.

By his standards Gaga is managing to stay on his feet well this basho.

Edited by Kotooshu's Revenge
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I wonder if they'll change up the order of the Yokozuna bouts in order to get Hakuho-Harumafuji as the last bout of the tournament now that Kakuryu is definitely out of the running. All they would have to do is move all the bouts involving the top 6 from Day 13 to Day 15; the sanyaku soroibumi would then end up having Kakuryu-Terunofuji and Kisenosato-Kotoshogiku.

Goeido seems like a good bet to get a KK now; I wish I could say the same thing about Kakuryu though, with the same record and harder opponents to come.

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Hakuho has used unusual techniques this basho against the 3 men who beat him in the last two basho. Yoshikaze(henka),Okinoumi(yaguranage),Tochiozan(nekodamashi). Probably coincidence.

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Does anyone have an informed idea about what would happen if an open sanyaku spot comes down to Oosu 8-7 at M1W and Ikioi 10-5 at M4e? In this case would Ikioi's greater amount of wins probably be enough to overcome him being that much lower in the rankings?

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I wonder if they'll change up the order of the Yokozuna bouts in order to get Hakuho-Harumafuji as the last bout of the tournament now that Kakuryu is definitely out of the running. All they would have to do is move all the bouts involving the top 6 from Day 13 to Day 15; the sanyaku soroibumi would then end up having Kakuryu-Terunofuji and Kisenosato-Kotoshogiku.

Goeido seems like a good bet to get a KK now; I wish I could say the same thing about Kakuryu though, with the same record and harder opponents to come.

I would not be surprised if Kakuryu announced a "recurrence" of his injury and a kyujo before the Y/O matches get going.

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Why do I get the feeling that if Hakuho wins this yusho, he will announce his retirement during the post-yusho interview? After he wins his bout and then sits on the floor next to the dohyo, he generally has a neutral look on his face. This basho seems to me to be noticeably different. The first two days, he had a peculiar look on his face, almost disturbed-looking. After the first two days, he still looked like he had a lot on his mind. But yesterday after his bout with Goeido, he sat on the floor with a strange, bittersweet look on his face, almost as if he was reminiscing. I watched the live broadcast on TV Japan. The cameraman lingered for a very long time on Hakuho's face. It was awash with emotion. There were obviously a lot of thoughts and feelings occurring simultaneously. It almost seemed like he was reflecting on his whole career or life itself. I do not believe this had anything whatsoever to do with his bout with Goeido.

Hakuho's face has always been very expressive, which can at times be frightening. At other times, his vulnerability can be moving. His happiness a joy to witness. But to see him lost in thought and close to tears as he sat next to the dohyo after his bout yesterday, made me wonder if a life-changing event in his life was about to occur. An event connected with sumo.

There are those, perhaps, who know what is really going on. They can say that I am wrong, which I may very well be. They can be dismissive and say that I am being merely speculative. Perhaps so. There are those who don't know, who can say the same things about what I am writing here. Maybe you are right. But being kyujo for most of the Aki basho gave him plenty of time to think hard about his present life and focus on his future. He had the luxury of time away from the dohyo to think and thinking can result in a change in priorities or direction.

Let's see what happens.................

You may be onto something. The look on his face and the sweep of his right hand after every match is telling. Little things like body language mean a lot.

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Hakuho... such lack of class and respect for his opponents.

1. Sidestepping

2. The pat

3. The smile.

Let's ignore the hand-clapping (twice), it's bad enough even without it.

so the issue is class and respect

how, then, do we come to know so well the proper manners of the dohyo, better than hakuho?

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You know I can't answer that, we all know there is no Hinkaku Manual or anything like that.

I said what I said based on what I've seen from yokozuna for the past 15 years.

The only other guy who could ever behave like this would be Asashoryu, and I think we agree that he's not a good example of what hinkaku looks like.

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