Basho Talk - Hatsu Basho 2016 +++ Spoiler Alert! +++

[WAKATAKE 2,631]

Hakuho basically did the exact same thing he did in the Tochiozan fight, and got punished for it. Very strange that he would pull it on Kisenosato, though.

The hand? Silly Hakuho, you know that Kise is full of surprises like you are :-P

[kumasama 28]

FWIW, Hakuho came out with a very similar strategy against Kisenosato in Kyushu last year and it worked out then!

http://youtu.be/Ju9lC3L_l5o

It seems like Hakuo's tachiai has really changed since I was last paying attention. He used to go for the left underarm grip right on the front of the mawashi in most bouts. Did guys figure out how to defend against it? Now he seems to go for the cheeky slap most of the time, or for Kisenosato's right shoulder (at least the last two times).

Edited January 23, 2016 by kumasama

[tomayama 8]

How about this? Top athletes excell in high pressure situations. Isn't that a plausible explanation, considering it is what they do every day?

Who excels in high pressure situations is a top athlete?

In every match, one (top) rikishi wins and another (top) rikishi loses.

[Dapeng 232]

I believe there was somebody talking about Toyonoshima letting Kotoshogiku win today so that he could help his fellow Japanese sumo wrestler win the yusho?

Toyonoshima also wants to yusho. Now he beat Giku so he is still in the race. If he lost he was out.

That's the thing. Toyonoshima has on more than one occasion come close to winning the yusho himself. That he went all out against Kotoshogiku should not be surprising if he has a chance to win the yusho. He even said it himself that he was going to give it his best. And if events go really awry to allow him into the playoff, then he'll take it. It is often said, if you want to be the best, you have to BEAT the best.

You missed the point, and many people here also (some pretended). The point is, a Japan-born rikishi should Yusho. This is the politics behind, last basho and this basho.

Last year when I said a Japan-born would Yushow in upper 2016 and some disagree. But now it'seems happening.

[Kishinoyama 582]

I believe there was somebody talking about Toyonoshima letting Kotoshogiku win today so that he could help his fellow Japanese sumo wrestler win the yusho?

Toyonoshima also wants to yusho. Now he beat Giku so he is still in the race. If he lost he was out.

That's the thing. Toyonoshima has on more than one occasion come close to winning the yusho himself. That he went all out against Kotoshogiku should not be surprising if he has a chance to win the yusho. He even said it himself that he was going to give it his best. And if events go really awry to allow him into the playoff, then he'll take it. It is often said, if you want to be the best, you have to BEAT the best.

You missed the point, and many people here also (some pretended). The point is, a Japan-born rikishi should Yusho. This is the politics behind, last basho and this basho.

Last year when I said a Japan-born would Yushow in upper 2016 and some disagree. But now it'seems happening.

Well, a Japanese Yusho was eventually going to happen and keep in mind this tournament is not over yet. ;-)

If someone had told me in 2006 that no Japanese rikishi would win a tournament for 10 years I would have called anyone that made that prediction crazy.

I've said it before and I will say it again. Their are people here that think that the tournaments or matches are fixed. If this is how they feel then why do they bother watching a sport when they already know the outcome?

[Morty 1,480]

Phew! Okay, the bandwagon is up and running again. Come on the Geek and get it done tomorrow straight off rather than needing a playoff.

[Dapeng 232]

By saying "a Japan-born should yusho" I don't mean he should be given a yusho, he still need to earn it. But when a Japan-born is near it, elite foreign rikishi will not try to block his way.

Japanese are frustrated because it's been ten years without a Japan-born yusho. Believe me, I lived and studied in Japan for several years during 1990s and I know more about Japan than many people.

[Dapeng 232]

Phew! Okay, the bandwagon is up and running again. Come on the Geek and get it done tomorrow straight off rather than needing a playoff.

He will, simply because he is better than Goedo and the latter had lost fighting spirit.

[Atenzan 1,074]

I don't like Giku's playoff odds if he loses to Goeido tomorrow. The bumpety train must only stop at the terminal station.

[Morty 1,480]

By saying "a Japan-born should yusho" I don't mean he should be given a yusho, he still need to earn it. But when a Japan-born is near it, elite foreign rikishi will not try to block his way.

Japanese are frustrated because it's been ten years without a Japan-born yusho. Believe me, I lived and studied in Japan for several years during 1990s and I know more about Japan than many people.

I think what Kishinoyama meant was that in sport it is inevitable that barren spells get broken and hence it was inevitable that, in a Japanese sport, where the majority participation is Japanese, and given that some of the Japanese are quite good at said sport, that one of them would win a yusho eventually, which would end up in a Japanese winner. And I agree. Statistically it would be unlikely that a Japanese would never win again. It was only a matter of time

[Jyuunomori 226]

Kisenosato may have just won the Yusho. Not the way he imagined but he may have just won it for Geek.

So a question:

Shodai has won 7 of his 9 bouts with different kimarite. If he wins tomorrow and goes 10-5 could he receive technique and fighting spirit prizes? If he gets prizes he completely outshines Mitakeumi's debut last basho.

Toyonoshima has won 6 of his 12 wins with different kimarite also so he is a candidate to win technique prize too and will most likely get fighing spirit and outstanding performance price is he win tomorrow and goes 13-2.

Edit: Added Ura

Also Ura has been ridiculous again this basho. In my eyes the competition in makushita is so below him at this point. Will definedly be Juryo this year.

Edited January 23, 2016 by Jyuunomori

[Atenzan 1,074]

It is not impossible that a sansho should be awarded to two rikishi. If you go back as far as Kyushu 2005 you will find that three rikishi earned Fighting Spirit.

Edited January 23, 2016 by McBugger

[Tenshinhan 1,599]

Shodai may have a chance to get the Kanto Sho. In the past, a Makuuchi debutant who achieved double digits got this prize. I don't know if they still handle it like that.

Toyonoshima should win the Shukun Sho for beating (the tournament champion) Kotoshogiku and he also might get the Gino Sho although I believe that the number of different winning techniques is not really the criterion for the Gino Sho...

[WAKATAKE 2,631]

Toyonoshima is definitely going to get a sansho, just a matter of whether he gets one or two. I think he will be guaranteed either the Kanto-sho or the Gino-sho and then could receive the Shukun-sho if he wins his match tomorrow, and maybe winning the yusho too. I know that in the past getting a 10-5 in your makuuchi debut was de facto for getting the Kanto-sho, but in a conversation I had with Asashosakari it isn't always the case. One of the 10-4 guys could get a prize if they win tomorrow. We'll know more tomorrow morning I would think.

[Fukurou 534]

I guess I'm the only one, but both while watching in real time and now watching replays, I thought/think that a hair pull more likely happened than not - given the really weird way Takarafuji went almost horizontal in an instant, I doubt Goeido was merely pressing down on his head. It wasn't a lengthy, "even a child could see it" hair pull, but enough of one to impart a decisive impulse on Takarafuji's body.

In the video here at 1:42 it certainly looks as though Goeido is loosening a grip of some kind on the mage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD2NQIbZyaY

I thought the hair pull was pretty clear. In "real time" it's at 0:49. Watch the replay from about 1:20 and it's presented from several angles.

[Benevolance 2,478]

I want to say, "There would be a certain poetic element if Goeidou withdraws and gives Kotoshogiku the fusen win, because it's not like he shows up anyway!" but I don't want to jinx The Geek. What to do...what to do...

[krindel 671]

I wouldn't bet on the completely demoralized 4-10 Goeido we have seen this basho to defeat a motivated 7-7 M14, let alone a Kotoshogiku gunning for a historic Yusho. I believe that if Kotoshogiku loses, it will be 100% a failure of his mental fortitude and nothing else. After all, the expectation surrounding him right now must be enormous, and unlike Kisenosato, he hasn't really have had to deal with this at all up to this basho. After all, who would have realistically thought he would be the one to reach this point first?

I still recall what happened to Tochiozan found himself out of the blue in that playoff against Kyokutenho, ready to become the hero.

[kuroimori 1,634]

Talking about senschuraku scenarios - imagine the Kogukikan after a successful henka by Goeido (probably his only chance anyway)

[bettega 427]

This is a strange thread... too much conspiracies and new users.

Let's face it:

• Hakuho is not dominant as before and some other guys will eventually get the Yusho.
• Hakuho is not the God of Sumo that only loses on purpose for some higher conspiracy
• The judges are people (all of them, I think), and people make sincere mistakes sometimes.

Too much conspiracies are really bad, they spoil the sport and the pleasure to watch. Try to watch sumo without the "Conspiracy Glasses", please, you'll like it even more.

EDIT: AND Kotoshogiku!! I give him a Intai some time ago and now he's almost breaking a 10-year curse. I apologize and cheers for him

Edited January 23, 2016 by bettega

[Senkoho 552]

Who can explain today's Hakuho's tachi-ai to me?

[sharpiesan 0]

By saying "a Japan-born should yusho" I don't mean he should be given a yusho, he still need to earn it. But when a Japan-born is near it, elite foreign rikishi will not try to block his way.

Japanese are frustrated because it's been ten years without a Japan-born yusho. Believe me, I lived and studied in Japan for several years during 1990s and I know more about Japan than many people.

no one cares that you studied in Japan for a few years 20 years ago. That doesn't make you some expert on an entire nation. You just sound like a stuck-up guy who just wants to act like he knows so much about Japan.

I've been lurking here for quite some time and finally decided to long in to post because your posts are so annoying.

[Ruziklao 34]

Believe me, I lived and studied in Japan for several years during 1990s and I know more about Japan than many people.

Having spent more than 10 years on this forum I would say that there are a few people here that know about Japan quite a lot too. Even about Japan today.

[Dwale 419]

Well, it's been an odd basho. I'm already looking ahead to March, and hopefully the return of Terunofuji and Osunaarashi.

But first, Kotoshogiku's impending win. It does appear he's going to take it, I hope he does. Still, there's just enough uncertainty to keep it interesting. Can't wait to see.

[kamizake 24]

This is a strange thread... too much conspiracies and new users.

Let's face it:

• Hakuho is not dominant as before and some other guys will eventually get the Yusho.
• Hakuho is not the God of Sumo that only loses on purpose for some higher conspiracy
• The judges are people (all of them, I think), and people make sincere mistakes sometimes.

Too much conspiracies are really bad, they spoil the sport and the pleasure to watch. Try to watch sumo without the "Conspiracy Glasses", please, you'll like it even more.

EDIT: AND Kotoshogiku!! I give him a Intai some time ago and now he's almost breaking a 10-year curse. I apologize and cheers for him

i agree with you that hakuho is not dominant as he was

but come on do you really believe that giku beats 3 yok on the exact 10th year anneversary :))

they could have henkad giku very easily but they decided to go straigth to him and giku bumpety bumped out them and that technique almost never worked on hakuho

Giku had a historic loosing head to head record(46-4) against hakuho but he managed to win the GOAT Hakuho on the most important moment

Hakuho is usually angry about the rikishi who won him or who destroyed his chance to get yusho and he punished them rigth after next tournament

slapped ichinojo throw out yoshikaze henkad tochiozan but in this tournament he was not even angry at giku he made a funny face after harumafuji and giku match and he said giku's sumo was bearly perfect sumo what an act better than dicaprio :))

toyonoshima defeated giku and created a big chance for hakuho but he choke on kise and look at that match are you really buying that (Laughing...)

also look at that haruma vs kakuryu match that looks like they are securing giku's or toyonoshima's yusho

i did not said it is all impossible iam just saying its too suspicious and too hard to believe that it is coincidence

sorry about my bad english

Edited January 23, 2016 by kamizake

[Asashosakari 18,786]

Who can explain today's Hakuho's tachi-ai to me?

Who can explain any of the whacked-out stuff Hakuho has been pulling for the last few basho? Nobody asserts shenanigans as long as he still wins while doing it, why does a loss change that?