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

[Jyuunomori 226]

//I may not be able to do my color commentary reactions to all bouts today as I need to go and watch some other sport. I know heresy!//

Here goes day 8!

1: Chiyootori vs Daishomaru: Chiyootori and Daishomaru have a bouncing contest at the beginning, Chiyootori wins. Chiyootori also wins the bout which seemed like a lazy effort from Daishomaru. Chiyootori managed to push him around like he weighed nothing and managed to grab him easily and win by forcing him out of the dohyo.

2: Akiseyama vs Mitakeumi: Akiseyama seems to have lost his fighting spirit when he got the shit slapped out of him by Osunaarashi. But he comes blazing in today! Mitakeumi uses his skills as a highschool Yokozuna to reverse the momentum and gently force him out of the dohyo by turning his body around. Another win by Mitakeumi who was ill last basho. Seems like this could be a good basho for him, as he doesn't have to face many Gagamaru's this basho.

3: Daieisho vs Amuuru: Amuuru chases Daishou around the ring, both men out. Gyoji points Daieshou MONOII! Amuuru is easily out before Daieshou and the decicion stands. Daieshou's win. Amuuru was way too eager and mobile here. Also Daieshou did a great move by moving sideways as Amuuru rushed in. Nothing to take away from Daieshou here, victory by skill.

4: Toyohibiki vs Satoyama: Awesome, this bout is awesome. Toyohibiki slams into the small mountain who does not waver. Instead Satoyama stays calm and gets a hold on mawashi and performs beautiful sukuinage. Beautiful throw.

5: Kitataiki vs Sadanoumi: MADA MADA MADA! Kitataiki steals and slaps Sadanoumi out of the ring. But then hidari-yotsu by Sadanoumi and both thrown out of the dohyo. And I think Sadanomi won so does Gyoji!. MONOII! Super close, could go either way! Kitataiki's foot is out before Sadanomi's arm. Decicion stands. Lot of monoii going on today. I completely missed the kimarite, Utchari? Need to check it later when we see Kintamayama's replays. Nah, it was obviously yoritaoshi. Utchari? I must be blind.

6: Hidenoumi vs Chiyotairyu: Hidenoumi gets a great start and railroads Chiyotairyu who is doing absolutely terrible this basho. Nothing else much to say about this match.

7: Takekaze vs Tokushouryu: They're head to head. 2-4 who is going to take this one? Tokushouryu wins by oshidashi. They both collide and push and they seperate only to clash again. Takekaze is sent reeling back and steps out while Tokushouryu loses balance and flies of the dohyo. If only Takekaze could have deterred the momentum he could have won.

8: Tamawashi vs Kaisei: Kaisei B has only made one appearance this basho. I hope Kaisei A can keep his useleless and regressive B side in check. But we will see. Tamawashi goes for a cheeky henka but Kaisei A doesn't care. Tamawashi gets pushed back and lands his feet out of the dohyo. Kaisei's been looking good! Oshidashi.

9: Myougiryu vs Ichinojo: 4-1 Head to head. Let's see which former sekiwake is superior today both having good basho's so far, let's see if Ichinojo keeps going forward today and doesn't fall for his bad habit. Myougiryu tries to henka! Ichinojo doesn't fall for it! But suddenly he finds his arm wrapped and his huge body pushed back like nothing! Yorikiri win by Myougiryu. Myougiryu was too explosive for Ichinojo today. Today's Myogiryu looked good! He looks like he did before his fall from sanyaku. Today Ichinojo faced a Sekiwake Myogiryu.

10: Gagamaru vs Shodai: Oh no! Our crybaby Gagamaru is crying again. :(((( Shodai and Gagamaru clashed and Shodai pulled backwards and twisted Gagamaru into a perfect sukuinage. The disappointing face of Gagamaru with tears in his eyes when he was laying in the clay is heartbreaking. And mortified crying face as he walked backstage. :(((( Mortifying. But not to Shodai fans. I like both. Poor baby Gaga.

11: Kyokushuho vs Takanoiwa: Good tachiai from both but neither get a good grip of the belt. But somehow Takanoiwa find his left hand on Kyokushuho's belt and drives him of the dohyo. Yorikiri!

12: Hooter vs Wily Old Mummy: Hooter comes out and gives a big HOOT and gets an applause from the crowd. He is a crowd pleaser I guess? MINDGAMES ARE REAL! Kotoyuuki doesn't put his hands down when Aminishiki wants him to and does it after Aminihiki does. Aminishiki tries to henka but Kotoyuuki pounces on him and pushes him back. Kotoyuuki teeters on the edge and almost steps out but waits for Aminishiki to lose his balance first. Kotoyuuki is showing us exellent performance. He keeps getting better and better!

13: Shohozan vs Takayasu: Weak tachiai by both and Shohozan tried to huff and puff! But it doesn't work! Takayasu finally wins one by a throwing manouver. You can see a relief in his face.

14: Takarafuji vs Toyonoshima: LONG, LONG MATCH! Toyonoshima starts with an excellent rocket tachiai and is stopped by Takarafuji. Much leaning and positioning ensues. Toyonoshima once tried to get a hold of Takarafuji's neck but gave up on that as he remembered who he was facing. Long and long leaning and pushing and arm twisting ensues and Takarafuji finally pushes Toyonoshima off the dohyo. Yoritaoshi. A horrifying looking fall and Takarafuji jumps after him to see if Toyonoshima is okay. He signals it's alright and they both return to take their bows. Excellent match.

15: Kadoban vs Tochinoshin: KADOBAN USES HENKA! IT IS SUPER EFFECTIVE! Goueido's own homecrowd grunts at him. Yikes. Goueido wins by henkakomi. Now to the best match.

16: Ikioi vs Kisenosato: EXCITED! NOTHING ELSE TO SAY! Except 0-10 head to head! Now let's see: Ikioi tried everything he knows! PUSHING, PULLING and THROWING. Nothing works as Kisenosato block everything with his legs and manages to grabs the mawashi. Kisenosato wins and gets his kachikoshi and is now the sole leader of the basho. Will he get the yusho? Yorikiri victory!

17: Kotoshogiku vs Tochiozan: Now the other exciting match. 14-17 head to head to Tochiozan's favour. Koto-Bauer!! Will it help him!? Let's witness this: Tochiozan doesn't even look at Kotoshogiku! They both collide and the flailing starts. Kotoshogiku's balance is greater and he drives Tochiozan of the dohyo. YORIKIRI!

18: Okinoumi vs Terunofuji: Terunofuji's legs are very lightly taped today. Good sign? OH NO NEVER MIND! WHAT HAPPENED? Katasukashi!! Okinoumi leads Terunofuji right out of the ring from the head. Now I am worried for him.

19: Harumafuji vs Sokokurai: Then the Yokozuna matches starting with Harumafuji. Harumafuji wins via yorikiri. Sokokurai put out an excellent fight. Lot of weird movement at the end there. You guys need to see this match. Sokokurai is so underrated, even by me. Actually from the replay it is evident that Sokokurai was winning and commanding the whole match until the end. Harumafuji was just too skilled in the end. Excellent bout.

20: Kakuryuu vs Aoiyama: Hurry up, I need to get going in 10 minutes. Breach the tradition and rules and throw the salt faster, I wanna see this before I go. Good tachiais and Aoiyama gets some distance to unleash tsuppari. Another clash! Mawashi gets caught and Kakuryu yoritaoshi's Aoiyama out of the ring. Now to the last match!

21: Yoshikaze vs Hakuho: Let the wind blow over you! Please Yoshikaze, beat him. Please! MULTIPLE CLASHES! BLOOD IS FLOWING! Hakuho smacks the shit out of Yoshikaze and throws his ass off the dohyo. They exhance looks of fury. They don't like each other for some reason, Hakuho takes his prize and is drenched in Yoshikaze's blood. THAT's ALL FOLKS!

Edited March 20, 2016 by Jyuunomori

[kuroimori 1,634]

Might as well be a trivia topic:

Did we just see the first Chinese vs. Yokozuna matchup today, when Sokokurai tried hard and just ended up short in his effort to get the first ever Chinese kinboshi?

[hamcornheinz 839]

If I were smart I would say something witty about Kakuryu's morozashi...

[Tsubame 361]

Holy bloodbath! :-O

[inhashi 2,363]

So bloody! I feel bad for Yoshikaze's family :-( ... and kind of for Izutsu. Hakuho looking very impatient lately. The longer that he's on the dohyo the angrier the outcome?

[Blue_Wolf 24]

Might as well be a trivia topic:

Did we just see the first Chinese vs. Yokozuna matchup today, when Sokokurai tried hard and just ended up short in his effort to get the first ever Chinese kinboshi?

Sokokurai is not a chinese. He is a Mongolian.

[Morty 1,495]

Is there a rule or something about how tight the mawashi should be tied? Both Takanoiwa and Tochinoshin often seem to have theirs tied very loosely meaning their opponents are grabbing something very slack and limiting their ability to lift and throw. Is it a tactic to tie the mawashi loosely this way?

[Naganoyama 5,911]

Ethnically Mongolian. Nationally Chinese.

[torquato 1,075]

Might as well be a trivia topic:

Did we just see the first Chinese vs. Yokozuna matchup today, when Sokokurai tried hard and just ended up short in his effort to get the first ever Chinese kinboshi?

Sokokurai is not a chinese. He is a Mongolian.

The DB says "China, Inner Mongolia". Inner Mongolia should not be confused with the country Mongolia. Inner Mongolia is a region in China.

Edited March 20, 2016 by torquato

[torquato 1,075]

Endo has failed us all, the pattern has been broken.

Also Osunaarashi must be disappointed in himself just as much as we are disappointed in him. He couldn't find a new kimarite to defeat Endo today and had to resort to using Uwanage twice. Tsk tsk. (Pick on my sarcasm, please.)

This giant power uwatenage was worth every pattern break, i guess. ;)

[inhashi 2,363]

Is there a rule or something about how tight the mawashi should be tied? Both Takanoiwa and Tochinoshin often seem to have theirs tied very loosely meaning their opponents are grabbing something very slack and limiting their ability to lift and throw. Is it a tactic to tie the mawashi loosely this way?

Yes. I think the only thing illegal is putting anything on the mawashi like a lubricant other than water. The slack on a loose belt can give some time to react to their opponent's grip. If they prefer it very tight, the opponent may have difficulty at gripping it.

[Morty 1,495]

T

Is there a rule or something about how tight the mawashi should be tied? Both Takanoiwa and Tochinoshin often seem to have theirs tied very loosely meaning their opponents are grabbing something very slack and limiting their ability to lift and throw. Is it a tactic to tie the mawashi loosely this way?

Yes. I think the only thing illegal is putting anything on the mawashi like a lubricant other than water. The slack on a loose belt can give some time to react to their opponent's grip. If they prefer it very tight, the opponent may have difficulty at gripping it.

Thank you, appreciate it

[Jyuunomori 226]

Endo has failed us all, the pattern has been broken.

Also Osunaarashi must be disappointed in himself just as much as we are disappointed in him. He couldn't find a new kimarite to defeat Endo today and had to resort to using Uwanage twice. Tsk tsk. (Pick on my sarcasm, please.)

This giant power uwatenage was worth every pattern break, i guess. ;)

It was glorious throw. Probably one of the biggest I've seen from him. I never saw Osunaarashi as a thrower, but he seems to be proficient at it.

[Atenzan 1,081]

Tomorrow is a crucial day. Let's take a look at the top yusho arasoi and important bouts.

8-0 Kisenosato

7-1 Hakuhou

7-1 Kakuryuu

7-1 Kotoshougiku

7-1 Goueidou

7-1 Ikioi

0-50 or something SomeOtherPeoplenoyama

Day 9:

Kotoshougiku vs Kisenosato (Giku 31, Kise 26)

Hakuhou vs Tochiouzan (2-5) (Hakuhou 30, Tochiouzan 2)

Harumafuji (6-2) vs Ikioi (Harumafuji 7 for no loss)

Kakuryuu vs Goueidou (Kakuryuu 23, Goueidou 10)

If there is no upset from Ikioi or Tochiouzan, tomorrow will only leave us with four rikishi with 1 loss or less: Hakuhou, Kisenosato, Kotoshougiku if he wins and 1 of Kakuryuu and Goueidou. This means that the sei-ozeki battle will shape the basho dramatically. Let's analyse this a bit:

Scenario A. Kotoshougiku wins, no upset from Ikioi or Tochiouzan, Kakuryuu wins.

8-1 Hakuhou

8-1 Kakuryuu

8-1 Kotoshougiku

8-1 Kisenosato

7-2 Harumafuji

7-2 Goueidou

7-2 Ikioi

7-2 any of Ichinojou, Daieishou, Myougiryuu.

This scenario is very exciting. Tsuna run very much alive, 4 leaders, Ama lurking at the back, probably a 13-win yusho, anybody's Cup.

Twist 1: Goueidou wins

8-1 Hakuhou

8-1 Kotoshougiku

8-1 Kisenosato

8-1 Goueidou

7-2 Harumafuji

7-2 Kakuryuu

7-2 Ikioi

7-2 any of Ichinojou, Daieishou, Myougiryuu. A bit less exciting, Kakuryuu is one contender dramatically weakened.

Twist 2: Ikioi wins

8-1 Hakuhou

8-1 Kakuryuu

8-1 Kotoshougiku

8-1 Kisenosato

8-1 Ikioi

7-2 Goueidou

7-2 any of Ichinojou, Daieishou, Myougiryuu.

Again, a bit less exciting than the main scenario A. Ama has effectively got an icecube's hope in hell sitting at 6-3 with all these strong handsome dudes posing coyly 2 wins above him.

No twist featuring Tochiouzan beating Hakuhou. I don't think that there is the slightest chance of that happening. If it does, put these words on my gravestone. Also no combined twists because I don't have enough time. Sorry!

Scenario B. Kisenosato wins, no upset from Ikioi/Tochiouzan, Kakuryuu wins.

9-0 Kisenosato

8-1 Hakuhou

8-1 Kakuryuu

7-2 Harumafuji

7-2 Kotoshougiku

7-2 Goueidou

7-2 Ikioi

7-2 any of Ichinojou, Myougiryuu, Daieishou. With six top men 7-2 or better, there is a very small chance that the yusho will drop to 12 wins. This means that Kotoshougiku must stay perfect to stand a chance for the tsuna, Kisenosato is in prime position to disappoint everyone again, and Hakuhou is licking his lips. The twists work out similarly, with none of the scenarios making anythink more interesting.

GANBARIZE KOTOSHOUGIKU! GANBARIZE LIKE NEVER BEFORE! FOR YOU! FOR US! FOR SUMO!

[Atenzan 1,081]

Might as well be a trivia topic:Did we just see the first Chinese vs. Yokozuna matchup today, when Sokokurai tried hard and just ended up short in his effort to get the first ever Chinese kinboshi?

Sokokurai is not a chinese. He is a Mongolian.

The DB says "China, Inner Mongolia". Inner Mongolia should not be confused with the country Mongolia. Inner Mongolia is a region in China.

Judging by his name, he is an ethnic Mongolian (Khalka) though. This is a bit of a touchy topic, perhaps some would think it best to leave it out of the forum.

[rhyen 1,837]

//I may not be able to do my color commentary reactions to all bouts today as I need to go and watch some other sport. I know heresy!//

Here goes day 8!

21: Yoshikaze vs Hakuho: Let the wind blow over you! Please Yoshikaze, beat him. Please! MULTIPLE CLASHES! BLOOD IS FLOWING! Hakuho smacks the shit out of Yoshikaze and throws his ass off the dohyo. They exhance looks of fury. They don't like each other for some reason, Hakuho takes his prize and is drenched in Yoshikaze's blood. THAT's ALL FOLKS!

And Hakuho manages to put Izutsu shimpan-Cho into an ambulance to the hospital after throwing Yoshikaze on top of him at the end of that bout. I think the Ozekis better concede the Yusho race to him ASAP before he injures anyone else.

[Wakaebala 151]

Anyone else annoyed by Goeido's tachiai? He just simply forgot to touch the ground... Easy way to henka poor Tochinoshin.

[hamcornheinz 839]

Anyone else annoyed by Goeido's tachiai? He just simply forgot to touch the ground... Easy way to henka poor Tochinoshin.

Ever seen 80's sumo?

[Jyuunomori 226]

//I may not be able to do my color commentary reactions to all bouts today as I need to go and watch some other sport. I know heresy!//

Here goes day 8!

21: Yoshikaze vs Hakuho: Let the wind blow over you! Please Yoshikaze, beat him. Please! MULTIPLE CLASHES! BLOOD IS FLOWING! Hakuho smacks the shit out of Yoshikaze and throws his ass off the dohyo. They exhance looks of fury. They don't like each other for some reason, Hakuho takes his prize and is drenched in Yoshikaze's blood. THAT's ALL FOLKS!

And Hakuho manages to put Izutsu shimpan-Cho into an ambulance to the hospital after throwing Yoshikaze on top of him at the end of that bout. I think the Ozekis better concede the Yusho race to him ASAP before he injures anyone else.

Is the Izutsu the one who replaced Nishikido after Brody pushed his opposition on his stablemaster? I think Osunaarashi threw Endo on top of a shimpan too. Hakuho is out of the line with those extra shoves. Is there any reports what Izutsu damaged?

[Wakaebala 151]

Anyone else annoyed by Goeido's tachiai? He just simply forgot to touch the ground... Easy way to henka poor Tochinoshin.

Ever seen 80's sumo?

That means you were fine by that? :)

[hamcornheinz 839]

Anyone else annoyed by Goeido's tachiai? He just simply forgot to touch the ground... Easy way to henka poor Tochinoshin.

Ever seen 80's sumo?

That means you were fine by that? :)

I don't think its outrageous if you compare it to the stuff we normally see, with guys like Gagamaru who only puts one hand down in every match, blatantly. I think both with henka's and with these semi-cheating tachiai, the attitude among rikishi is, you got away, you are smart and good for you, as opposed to it being bad sportsmanship. 2 sides of the same coin, though.

[luispereira 383]

great basho so far! from my perspective at least.. and in juryo...osuna is looking great! happy for him!

[Morty 1,495]

Are we slowly watching Hak morph into Asashoryu in his later years? He's employed some pretty brutal tactics this basho during the matches, and then has acted like a spoilt child after them by trying to injure his opponent. Poor Tochiozan probably won't get much sleep tonight based on how Hak has messed around with him lately...

[Wakaebala 151]

Anyone else annoyed by Goeido's tachiai? He just simply forgot to touch the ground... Easy way to henka poor Tochinoshin.

Ever seen 80's sumo?

That means you were fine by that? :)

I don't think its outrageous if you compare it to the stuff we normally see, with guys like Gagamaru who only puts one hand down in every match, blatantly. I think both with henka's and with these semi-cheating tachiai, the attitude among rikishi is, you got away, you are smart and good for you, as opposed to it being bad sportsmanship. 2 sides of the same coin, though.

Yeah, ok. I might be a little bias. When my favorite rikishi "cheats" this way, I might not notice it.

Anyway, just wanted to mention it. I didn't like that win of Goeido, and I didn't like the fact, that Tochinoshin (who I value a lot) lost this way. :)

[Dwale 419]

Lost the original message because of the genius who decided "backspace" should leave the page, but only sometimes. (If you are this person, please subject yourself to a suitable punishment)

Ikioi vs. Kisenosato was some tasty sumo. Ikioi showed great lateral movement, evading Kise's attempts to cut off the ring and corner him (until he did).

Now, I like Kisenosato, he's one of my favorites, but I simply do not see him going undefeated this week. So, I'll be cheering for him like always, but also anticipating a choke. -.- Still, it's not like it's impossible...