sekitori 492 Posted March 21, 2016 (edited) It appears to me that he's competing with a sense of urgency I've never quite seen before. He hasn't won the last three yushos although he withdrew from one of them due to injury. Since he has become a yokozuna, he has never gone four consecutive bashos without a yusho. If there is a fourth one without a win, he may feel that he has already won 35 of them and has nothing more to prove. And that assumption would be absolutely correct. In addition, the press has been a constant nuisance and considering everything, he may feel that he's had quite enough of sumo. And if he wins, knowing that his most dominant days are behind him, he may figure that it will be a good time to leave while he's still on top. While this reasoning seems logical to me, it may make no sense to someone else, especially Hakuho himself. Edited March 21, 2016 by sekitori 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kishinoyama 574 Posted March 21, 2016 Something is different in the last few tournaments, maybe going back two years? I do think Hakuho is injured. He does not go for the belt. Maybe the wrapped right elbow is the reason why? Whether or not he will retire after this tournament is another matter but I do think his time as an active rikishi is drawing to a close. I believe his goal was to be around for the Olympics in 2020 but I think his body won't allow him to hang on that long. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hamcornheinz 839 Posted March 21, 2016 Considering how much money the man makes.....he'll stick in there. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dwale 419 Posted March 21, 2016 I'd be shocked if he did retire. I haven't seen anything that suggests to me that he will, except maybe an urge to conserve his remaining storage space from additional awards. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WAKATAKE 2,562 Posted March 21, 2016 I'm not sure whether to consider this a conspiracy or not but I do not think Hakuho will be retiring within the year. I do believe as do a number of other people that the man has some kind of injury, one he has taken great care not to really show other people. He is winning the matches he most needs too, but not in a dominating fashion. Also, he is 30, he is not as "young" as he used to be when he was winning his yushos. On top of that, more younger and powerful rikishi are coming up and challenging him. He may be beating a majority of them right now but there is going to come a point when he is going to start losing to quite a few of these guys. Hakuho's current yusho goal is 39, which is the equivalent of what his father won in Mongolian sumo. I think he'll be around for a few more years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Blue_Wolf 24 Posted March 21, 2016 His last basho? Hell no. If Hakuho chooses to continue as an average yokozuna he can compete at least 2 more years with comport. Who are the younger and stronger wrestlers coming at hem except Terunofuji? His rest and main contenders are Harumafuji and Kotoshogiku who are actually 1 year older than him and Kisenosato, Goeido only a year younger. Kakuryuu with a same age they can all stay and retire around same time. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dapeng 231 Posted March 21, 2016 He will remain the number one but his top priority is to stay healthy to compete for several more years. He may grab several more yusho but yusho is no longer his top priority. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
orandashoho 720 Posted March 21, 2016 Oh, I think he hates it enough to be beaten and he will still want to break some more records. He won't be a pushover. He still likes the big stacks of kensho envelopes. The bashos have become a lot more interesting with a more open competition, though. I like it that he has come down a peg and the yusho is no longer a sure thing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rzombie1988 157 Posted March 21, 2016 (edited) Oh, I think he hates it enough to be beaten and he will still want to break some more records. He won't be a pushover. He still likes the big stacks of kensho envelopes. The bashos have become a lot more interesting with a more open competition, though. I like it that he has come down a peg and the yusho is no longer a sure thing. The basho's have definitely been more interesting. We had 4 different basho winners last year. That's the most since 2012. We have about 5 possible contenders this time around. Hak has at least another year or two at minimum. He's not going anywhere. Edited March 21, 2016 by rzombie1988 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Asashosakari 18,157 Posted March 21, 2016 Hakuho's current yusho goal is 39, which is the equivalent of what his father won in Mongolian sumo. I think he'll be around for a few more years.Isn't it 36? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Atenzan 1,074 Posted March 21, 2016 (edited) Hakuho's current yusho goal is 39, which is the equivalent of what his father won in Mongolian sumo. I think he'll be around for a few more years.Isn't it 36? It is 6 annual tournaments, meaning that Monkhbat was the winner 6 times in once-annual tournaments, of which the *maximum* equivalent is 6 times 6, 36 yusho. However, one could argue that a more fitting equivalent is 4 or more yusho (absolute majority) in 6 unique calendar years. He has done this feat in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014, equalling his father in "dominance". Besides, there are Mongolian wrestlers with more annual tournament wins than Hakuho's dad: Tuvdendorj (7), Bayanmonkh (10), and Bat-Erdene (11). Bat-Erdene famously lost only one fight in Mongolian wrestling's prime competition, Naadam, between 1988 and 1999. Hakuho on the other hand is, with little exaggeration, the most dominant rikishi since the times of Raiden Tameemon. Edited March 21, 2016 by McBugger 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gurowake 3,791 Posted March 21, 2016 Hakuho's current yusho goal is 39, which is the equivalent of what his father won in Mongolian sumo. I think he'll be around for a few more years.Isn't it 36? Yeah, I don't see where 39 comes from. The elder Monkhbat had 6 wins and 4 runner-up placements in a yearly tournament. I don't see any way of allocating Yusho to those two to get 39. source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongolian_wrestling(bottom of page) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gurowake 3,791 Posted March 21, 2016 Hakuho's current yusho goal is 39, which is the equivalent of what his father won in Mongolian sumo. I think he'll be around for a few more years.Isn't it 36? It is 6 annual tournaments. Meaning that Monkhbat was the winner 6 times in once-annual tournaments, of which the *maximum* equivalent is 6 times 6, 36 yusho. However, one could argue that a more fitting equivalent is 4 or more yusho (absolute majority) in 6 unique calendar years. He has done this feat in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2014, equalling his father in "dominance". Besides, there are Mongolian wrestlers with more annual tournament wins than Hakuho's dad: Tuvdendorj (7), Bayanmonkh (10), and Bat-Erdene (11). Bat-Erdene famously lost only one fight in Mongolian wrestling's prime competition, Naadam, between 1988 and 1999. Hakuho on the other hand is, with little exaggeration, the most dominant rikishi since the times of Raiden Tameemon, I almost think a better measure would be most wins per calendar year, which Hakuho has completely dominated for nearly a decade, even spotting the competition a full basho last year and winning. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hakuhonofan 333 Posted March 21, 2016 No. He still has some personal goals to achieve. Why he's not his usual self; I suspect as a dai yokozuna, many would've studied him before any bout, so he's been trying different moves to catch his opponent off-guard (and win). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ShoHaku 4 Posted March 21, 2016 Hakuho's current yusho goal is 39, which is the equivalent of what his father won in Mongolian sumo. I think he'll be around for a few more years.Isn't it 36? Yes it is 39. In japan 39 can be read as "san-kyu" (thank you). So Hakuho wants to win 39 yusho which means thanks for Japan, Japanese people, sumo, his stable, oyakatas. Thanks for accepting him and training him also makes him bigger, stronger. Because Sumo gave him everything. So Hak want to win 39 yusho. "Thank you Japan. Thank you Sumo" (Sorry for my English. Hope you guys understand what i am really want to say) 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Benevolance 2,422 Posted March 21, 2016 He still has 4 years until the Olympics. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
orandashoho 720 Posted March 22, 2016 Come on guys... this is what a basho needs: a champion that everyone wants to beat, attogant maybe but still at the top of the ladder, showing just enough bad behaviour to fire up the antagonism. Drama and excitement. Everyone is lapping it up. Imagine the torikumi without Hakuho. Naaah. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gurowake 3,791 Posted March 22, 2016 Hakuho's current yusho goal is 39, which is the equivalent of what his father won in Mongolian sumo. I think he'll be around for a few more years.Isn't it 36? Yes it is 39. In japan 39 can be read as "san-kyu" (thank you). So Hakuho wants to win 39 yusho which means thanks for Japan, Japanese people, sumo, his stable, oyakatas. Thanks for accepting him and training him also makes him bigger, stronger. Because Sumo gave him everything. So Hak want to win 39 yusho. "Thank you Japan. Thank you Sumo" (Sorry for my English. Hope you guys understand what i am really want to say) That has nothing to do with his father's Mongolian wrestling achievements, which is the context in which it was brought up. At least, you haven't provided any connection between the two. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
