BASHO TALK -- Natsu 2017 -- SPOILERS

[Rocks 1,804]

14 minutes ago, Asojima said:

Toyonoshima - 3/3 at Ms19e

Cool! How about the Jokor?

[pmac 34]

2 minutes ago, Rocks said:

Cool! How about the Jokor?

still to come

[Rocks 1,804]

Jokor! 

[sekitori 492]

14 minutes ago, 808morgan said:

I wonder about Endo, does he really want to be there or did he find a little fame so he is making that money while he can? Even Juryo make good money, I think. Endo looks pretty unmotivated, hard to tell. Maybe I missed a good interview with him.

I think much of Endo's problem is that he physically is unable to compete at the highest levels.  He had a severe knee injury, one that requires surgical intervemtion to be strong enough to compete in a demanding activity like sumo. Instead, he received so-called "advice" to have the injury heal naturally without surgery. I guess the reason was that he would miss several bashos and would probably drop well into the makushita ranks before he could start competing again. 

The problem with that thinking is that Endo was left with a knee that will never regain the strength it had before his injury. He won't be the future yokozuna that some people predicted he would be, but he still is a talented rikishi who should have been a sanyaku regular. It's too bad that he has to compete on a leg that because of poor advice from people who should know better, will never allow him to reach his full potential.

[Asojima 2,870]

Juryo Day 12 - Two at 8-4, Two at 4-8, Everyone else in between, except for Osunaarashi at 2-10.

[Asojima 2,870]

Kotoyuki showed up for the dohyo-iri!!

[Adil 232]

It looked for a second like Terunofuji was going to do Cactus Jack's Butterfly DDT on Shodai.

Oh no! Terunofoji limping badly after the match. He had to be helped by one of the attendants.

[Adil 232]

That's strange. Harumafuji gave Hakuho the chikara mizu when it should have been Aoiyama, because he had the previous match. Is it because Harumafuji got the freebie or is there something else?

[Asojima 2,870]

Just now, Adil said:

That's strange. Harumafuji gave Hakuho the chikara mizu when it should have been Aoiyama, because he had the previous match. Is it because Harumafuji got the freebie or is there something else?

The loser never presents the chikara mizu.

[rhyen 1,799]

2 minutes ago, Adil said:

That's strange. Harumafuji gave Hakuho the chikara mizu when it should have been Aoiyama, because he had the previous match. Is it because Harumafuji got the freebie or is there something else?

Should be Harumafuji giving it to Tochiozan & Goeido giving it to Hakuho?

[Asashosakari 18,669]

5 hours ago, Fukurou said:

Ura, creature of media promotion he is, is Endo, creature of media promotion he was, before the knee injuries. Endo wasn't able to (and still can't) handle the Joi well enough to become one of them.

Endo was legit one of the top ~5 collegiate rikishi of the last 10 years. The level of hype may be similar, but the background is vastly different.

[Benihana 1,900]

Ura now 10-2...and his fighting style has changed noticeably. The last bashos we often saw a flying Ura, winning just by being the second one to touch the ground. Haven't seen this Ura around a lot lately. Learning curve. Next basho will be very interesting.

Mitakeumi back on course to KK, which is nice.

Aminishiki 7-5 after 2-4 is even nicer.

Ozeki promotion for Takayasu now almost guaranteed. He has to lose his last 3 bouts with weak showings to avoid it.

[Dwale 419]

I would be hard-pressed to choose a favorite match today. Wow.

I liked Takakeisho's approach, negating Tochinoshin's leverage and turning the tables. Takakeisho has looked pretty sharp this basho.

Not sure why Ura henka'ed there. I guess he just didn't want to let Hokutofuji get his belt? But I was surprised at how much force he was able to generate to get the win. Still don't like the henka...

Come to think, Chiyoshoma and Ishiura also won today. Hooray for them. Both of their wins were pretty cool, too.

Chiyonokuni v. Yoshikaze was good, better than I was expecting. Yoshikaze is one of the more entertaining rikishi, IMHO, and certainly an aggressive scrapper. I was expecting Chiyonokuni to get maimed, but no! 

Shodai v. Terunofuji was... Hmm. Shodai showing some good moves, but not able to get anything going. Terunofuji had him on the defensive early and just overpowered him. Still, it was interesting. 

Yeah, I had more I wanted to talk about but my memory is already fading. I'll have to watch again later. 

EDIT: Oh, right! Takarafuji was quite stubborn on the bales, but not stubborn enough. Hooray, Takayasu! 

Edited May 25, 2017 by Dwale

[autotroph 43]

15 hours ago, Amamaniac said:

I watched the NHK broadcast of Day 11's action.  It provided footage of Hakuho emerging from the shitakubeya with his tsukibito in tow.  What caught my eye was that one younger tsukibito came out with a plastic bowl of something (liquid?).  Hakuho stopped in the hall with his back to the camera.  He bent over the bowl as if to breathe in whatever it contained.  My first thought was that it might be something like smelling salts.  Then I considered that it was some oriental concoction.  Anyone have any thoughts?  Hakuho seems to be trying everything to keep on top.

I think that's a spittoon.

[Philioyamfugi 378]

Wish Ura Hokutofuji was more eventful but probably a smart move by Ura. Eventually he might have to bang with the big guys.

[nadnadnad 6]

Does anyone have any word on Terunofuji? I was there at the Kokugikan and he looked very much in pain after his bout :( 

[WAKATAKE 2,614]

Ura at 10-2? Who would have thought. Looks to me like he did some adjusting this basho after the 8-7 debut and so far it's been paying off, even going so far as to stay in the yusho race so far. Here's to hoping he gets the gino-sho this basho for his troubles.

Takakeisho stepping up his game against Tochinoshin, that was impressive.

The lower sanyaku continues to be all over the place, there is still a chance that both komusubi could KK, meaning no open slots for anybody. Geek could possibly become the third komusubi if he manages a 7-8, but I think a 6-9 will drop him to M1E.

Takayasu has pretty much clinched that ozeki promotion, but one more win in my mind guarantees it. Especially if he can beat one of the Isegahama duo.

Shodai put up a good fight against Terunofuji, but it wasn't enough unfortunately.

Looks like Goeido's got a good shot at KK now, but he can't mess anything up. And he still has Harumafuji these last three days somewhere.

Speaking of Harumafuji, he got pretty lucky against Takanoiwa today, but needs to maintain pace with Hak if he wants that senshuraku showdown to mean anything.

Lastly with Hakuho, staying the course obviously. 

[Arn 24]

Tamawashi seems to relatively quietly have established himself at Sekiwake. 9-3 now and his third KK in a row at Sekiwake. The next Ozeki (after Takaysu)?

Edited May 25, 2017 by Arn

[ryafuji 806]

30 minutes ago, Arn said:

Tamawashi seems to relatively quietly have established himself at Sekiwake. 9-3 now and his third KK in a row at Sekiwake. The next Ozeki (after Takaysu)?

I think I'm going to have to finally give up on predicting a MK for him every basho in Long Kachikoshi Streaks. He continues to prove me wrong!

[Philioyamfugi 378]

Haramafuji Takayasu tomorrow...Hakaho Tamawashi as well.

Edited May 25, 2017 by Philioyamfugi

[Rocks 1,804]

3 hours ago, Dwale said:

Not sure why Ura henka'ed there. I guess he just didn't want to let Hokutofuji get his belt? But I was surprised at how much force he was able to generate to get the win. Still don't like the henka...

He henkaed because he needed to and it used to work against Hokutofuji as he just blindly charges but Hokutofuji is learning and didn't fall for it. He should have won that match. Now Hokutofuji needs to learn what to do next. He won't lose to Ura much in the future.

[Dwale 419]

29 minutes ago, Rocks said:

He henkaed because he needed to and it used to work against Hokutofuji as he just blindly charges but Hokutofuji is learning and didn't fall for it. He should have won that match. Now Hokutofuji needs to learn what to do next. He won't lose to Ura much in the future.

Perhaps.

[Morty 1,479]

4 hours ago, Dwale said:

Chiyonokuni v. Yoshikaze was good, better than I was expecting. Yoshikaze is one of the more entertaining rikishi, IMHO, and certainly an aggressive scrapper. I was expecting Chiyonokuni to get maimed, but no! 

 

Chiyonokuni is the next coming of Yoshikaze. Same style, throw everything at the wall and see what sticks, no backward steps under any circumstances. In ten years I reckon we will be talking about Chiyonokuni in the same way we talk about Yoshikaze now

[orandashoho 720]

13 minutes ago, Dwale said:

44 minutes ago, Rocks said:

He henkaed because he needed to and it used to work against Hokutofuji as he just blindly charges but Hokutofuji is learning and didn't fall for it. He should have won that match. Now Hokutofuji needs to learn what to do next. He won't lose to Ura much in the future.

Perhaps.

The henka is not the only weapon in Ura's arsenal. He is very flexible and usually much quicker than his opponent to change strategy, seeing opportunity in the rebalancing after a failed move, etc. I don't think that he will be losing that agility, and he has a very good ring sense.
Sure, it will be a challenge when he gets to meet the sanyaku and he still needs to develop more strength, but even the top guys may have a weakness that he will be sure to exploit.

[Dwale 419]

4 minutes ago, orandashoho said:

The henka is not the only weapon in Ura's arsenal. He is very flexible and usually much quicker than his opponent to change strategy, seeing opportunity in the rebalancing after a failed move, etc. I don't think that he will be losing that agility, and he has a very good ring sense.
Sure, it will be a challenge when he gets to meet the sanyaku and he still needs to develop more strength, but even the top guys may have a weakness that he will be sure to exploit.

I'm inclined to agree. Ura is the quick-and-tricky type, and that requires novelty and improvisation. Honestly, who ever would have thought that nekodamashi was worth doing, back in the day?

The proof is in the pudding either way. Ura's performance over the years to come will reflect his capacity, whatever that may be. IMHO, sumo is all about finding what that is.