Basho Talk ** Haru Basho 2017 ** (SPOILERS)

[Sakura 1,472]

This is the thread for ongoing commentary about the basho.

I'll start with `for all of us who picked Narutaki in the Banzuke surfing game, I have bad news'

 

Edited March 12, 2017 by Sakura
Narutaki

[WAKATAKE 2,631]

And the wily veteran Aminishiki starts Haru with a win!

[Sakura 1,472]

Watching on qq is an interesting experience.

It seems as though the person streaming on that channel is getting a feed from NHK on his computer and is streaming that feed out. Occasionally the screen goes blank and you can hear him clicking furiously to get the image back again. He also failed to mute his many coughs.

PS Harumafuji has the best looking dohyo-iri and Kisenosato is looking very nervous.

Edited March 12, 2017 by Sakura

[WAKATAKE 2,631]

And Ura with a quick spin blows Sadanoumi out of the dohyo!

[Sakura 1,472]

2 minutes ago, WAKATAKE said:

And Ura with a quick spin blows Sadanoumi out of the dohyo!

and getting a nice stack of envelopes for his efforts.

[Mihasan 13]

Great start for Ura and there was even a bitt of a tachiai...
 

[Mihasan 13]

Is it just me or does Ichinojo look way fitter than before?

 

Edited March 12, 2017 by Mihasan

[WAKATAKE 2,631]

And the defending champion has no problem disposing of Takekaze

[WAKATAKE 2,631]

Sooner or later, Shodai was going to get it! 

[Fukurou 534]

holy smoke, Shodai over Hakuho. Not an auspicious start for the yokozuna

[robnplunder 974]

Wow, Mitakeumi almost beat Kak, and Shodai beat Hak.   Kotoshogiku beat hapless Harumafuji.   Even with the win, Kotoshogiku looked to be not 100%.  His chance of getting the Ozeki title does not look good IMO. 

 

[charliki 15]

Kakuryu will no longer resist to the energy and power of Mitakeumi

[Kuroyama 715]

Just now, charliki said:

Kakuryu will no longer resist to the energy and power of Mitakeumi

He didn't resist it this time. He waited for the right moment and redirected it.

[Jyuunomori 226]

Giku wins!

Kisenosato wins!

Kakuryuu barely, barely deflects Mitakeumi's charge. I thought that Mitakeumi looked more like a Yokozuna than Kakuryuu did.

Shodai beat him. Naked lap around the house for me, holy s~~~

Ura wins, Takayasu wins, Tamawashi wins. Lots of winning going around.

 

Could this be Kisenosato's basho?

Edited March 12, 2017 by Jyuunomori

[Benihana 1,901]

I'm already getting tired of so much winning.

I thought nothing could top last basho...looks promising so far.

[orandashoho 720]

1 minute ago, Benihana said:

I'm already getting tired of so much winning.

One thing you can be sure of, there'll be as much losing as there will be winning.

[WAKATAKE 2,631]

So Kotoshogiku won what was the 59th match between Geek (32) vs Harumafuji (27). Puts them in what I expect be a temporary 3 way tie with Musashimaru (38) vs Takanonami (21) and Hakuho (43) vs Kisenosato (16), since the latter pair should be facing each other barring a withdrawal.

[Morty 1,480]

Hakuho's veneer of invincibility has definitely left the building. All the up and comers are going to be thinking they have a chance against him now

[WAKATAKE 2,631]

Nikkan has provided a list of 16 time periods that there have been four yokozuna (names in order of promotion):

 - 1917 Natsu to 1918 Haru (2 basho): Tachiyama, Otori, Nishinoumi II, Onishiki I

 - 1918 Natsu (1 basho): Otori, Nishinoumi II, Onishiki I, Tochigiyama

 - 1938 Haru to 1938 Natsu (2 basho): Tamanishiki, Musashiyama, Minanogawa, Futabayama

 - 1943 Haru to 1945 Aki (7 basho): Futabayama, Haguroyama, Akinoumi, Terukuni

 - 1949 Haru to 1949 Aki (3 basho): Haguroyama, Terukuni, Maedayama, Azumafuji

 - 1951 Aki to 1953 Hatsu (5 basho): Haguroyama, Terukuni, Azumafuji, Chiyonoyama

 - 1953 Haru to 1953 Aki (3 basho): Haguroyama, Azumafuji, Chiyonoyama, Kagamisato

 - 1954 Haru to 1954 Aki (3 basho): Azumafuji, Chiyonoyama, Kagamisato, Yoshibayama

 - 1955 Hatsu to 1958 Hatsu (14 basho): Chiyonoyama, Kagamisato, Yoshibayama, Tochinishiki

 - 1961 Kyushu to 1962 Hatsu (2 basho): Wakanohana I, Asashio, Kashiwado, Taiho

 - 1965 Haru to 1966 Kyushu (11 basho): Kashiwado, Taiho, Tochinoumi, Sadanoyama

 - 1979 Aki to 1980 Kyushu (8 basho): Wajima, Kitanoumi, Wakanohana II, Mienoumi

 - 1987 Kyushu to 1988 Hatsu (2 basho): Chiyonofuji, Futahaguro, Hokutoumi, Onokuni

 - 1990 Aki to 1991 Natsu (5 basho): Chiyonofuji, Hokutoumi, Onokuni, Asahifuji

 - 1999 Nagoya to 2000 Haru (5 basho): Akebono, Takanohana, Wakanohana III, Musashimaru

 - 2017 Haru to ?: Hakuho, Harumafuji, Kakuryu, Kisenosato

 

This will be the first basho since 1980 Kyushu that all four yokozuna have the chance of facing each other (previous three times had two yokozuna from the same heya). This will be the 74th basho featuring four yokozuna on the banzuke. 48 out of the previous 73 basho had yokozuna winning the yusho. Since the start of the 15 day basho era in 1949, there have been only four instances where all four yokozuna finished with at least 10 wins. Only nine basho have seen all four yokozuna finish all 15 days. Only four times have we seen four yokozuna for at least one year. 

Also statistics wise the order of promotion seems to have quite an impact on retirements when bringing a close to a four yokozuna era:

First yokozuna to retire:

 - First to be promoted: 6 times

 - Second to be promoted: 3 times

 - Third to be promoted: 5 times

 - Fourth to be promoted: 1 time

 

http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/1791056.html

[Dwale 419]

Hello, everyone. Well, that was one of the more satisfying first days (for me, anyway) that I've seen in a while. Most of my pets won their matches.

Going to be watching Kotoshogiku, who I think is in for a rough basho. He has an array of hungry, fierce competitors this time around. He looks like he's fighting hard. Good, he needs it!

Going to try not to get too pumped on account of Ichinojo's vigor, but if he keeps fighting that hard then I could see a lot of good coming his way.

Takayasu is looking calm and composed. Many rikishi would have eaten a loss right then, but no problem for him.

And of course, I'm super psyched to see Ura finally in makuuchi. Win or lose, he's going to be entertaining as **** while he does it.

Would LOVE to see Kisenosato rack up another tournament win, just to silence any doubters (although of course he is one of my favorites and I cheer him no matter what).

Kanpai. 

[SumpaX 23]

Hei everyone, that was really wild, I would even say a little too wild for me for day 1.

Its sad to admit but this looks like an era is coming to an end... and a new chapter begins (altho i really like the newer Rikishi alot).

Alot of people writing hakuho off, but shodai was a ticking time bomb it seems and he is exploding right now.

[gijo 27]

The changing of the guard is yet to come, but we start to see things changing from the very first day. Nothing has been already told, it's just day one, but it's definitely in the air. It's spring time, and the young one get spirited...

[Rocks 1,807]

Crazy day of upsets and really Mitakeumi should have won too. Very close. Kisenosato was lucky he had someone he dominates Day 1 because he looked a bit nervous. He looks good but Shodai is going to be very tough today.  I think Harumafuji will win today because Ikioi seems to have no confidence at all against the Yokozuna but I give Harumafuji a less than 50% chance of finishing this basho.  Tochinoshin, Okinoumi and Osunaarashi all look like they should not even be here. I think Tochi goes kyujo as soon as he has 8 win or losses with losses looking more likely now. Okinoumi will go to the bitter end cause that's what he does but I see no KK for him. Osunaarashi needs to tough it out too but I think he only needs about 4 wins to avoid dropping from Juryo. I don't see any of those 3 getting near a KK though.

 

The man to watch is Ichinojo. He's turned a corner mentally. As long as he back pain doesn't flair up I see him in the Yusho hunt. I think a playoff between him and Kisenosato and or Hakuho is likely.

[PawnSums 59]

8 minutes ago, Rocks said:

Crazy day of upsets and really Mitakeumi should have won too. Very close. Kisenosato was lucky he had someone he dominates Day 1 because he looked a bit nervous. He looks good but Shodai is going to be very tough today.  I think Harumafuji will win today because Ikioi seems to have no confidence at all against the Yokozuna but I give Harumafuji a less than 50% chance of finishing this basho.  Tochinoshin, Okinoumi and Osunaarashi all look like they should not even be here. I think Tochi goes kyujo as soon as he has 8 win or losses with losses looking more likely now. Okinoumi will go to the bitter end cause that's what he does but I see no KK for him. Osunaarashi needs to tough it out too but I think he only needs about 4 wins to avoid dropping from Juryo. I don't see any of those 3 getting near a KK though.

 

The man to watch is Ichinojo. He's turned a corner mentally. As long as he back pain doesn't flair up I see him in the Yusho hunt. I think a playoff between him and Kisenosato and or Hakuho is likely.

I stand strong on my position of a Hiramaku. it will be a new sengoku-jidai and just like the 90's

[Highway 46]

Right, really did not expect that from Hakuho. If it's the injury, then yeah, I suppose sometimes the smallest (seemingly) of injuries can down giants of the sport.