Basho Talk Hatsu 2018 (SPOILERS)

[YoungSumo 93]

On 18-1-2018 at 18:21, yorikiried by fate said:

Steady the horses. Tochinoshin has never even been close to a Makuuchi yusho (his jun-yusho 12-3s were against zensho performances). Even if he enters the last third with 10-0, the mental thing will kick in and then someone like Kakuryu (and maybe even still Goeido "Questionable Mental Make-up" Gotaro) will be favourite by a long shot.

Looks like the horse has been steadied. Day 12 in the books and he's the sole leader. 

[PawnSums 59]

is anyone looking genki?

besides daiamami.

[dada78641 884]

Who will Tochinoshin fight from here on? He has already cleared everything except the M1 pair Ichinojou and Hokutofuji. Tomorrow's match should be the last big hurdle, then an ailing Hokutofuji (is he injured?), and maybe he'll go against so-so performing Chiyotairyu last.

[Rocks 1,804]

First, what Ichinojo did to Yoshikaze isn't sumo, it was a mugging. Wow. Awesome power. If he comes out like this in March no one is going to take that Yusho from him. Tochi will have his work cut out for him tomorrow and now he's sole leader which adds even more nerves. But I think Tochi will take this yusho at 13-2. Kakuryu's confidence has broken down even more with the loss to Endo. He will lose at least one more. Maybe 2. His only saving grace is Mitakeumi and Goeido are fading fast. But there is a lot of kensho on the final match to inspire these guys.

As far as Mitakeumi is concerned he better step up or Ichinojo will be claiming a Sekiwake spot in March along with Tochinoshin.

Edited January 25, 2018 by Rocks

[Joaoiyama 303]

7 minutes ago, dada78641 said:

Who will Tochinoshin fight from here on? He has already cleared everything except the M1 pair Ichinojou and Hokutofuji. Tomorrow's match should be the last big hurdle, then an ailing Hokutofuji (is he injured?), and maybe he'll go against so-so performing Chiyotairyu last.

Exactly, this is the best chance he has ever had to clinch the cup. 14-1 is not unlikely at all.

[Joaoiyama 303]

Kakuryu still has Mitakeumi and the 2 Ozeki to face, the odds are on Tochi's side.

[Dapeng 232]

37 minutes ago, Joaoiyama said:

Kakuryu still has Mitakeumi and the 2 Ozeki to face, the odds are on Tochi's side.

If Tochi beats Ichi tomorrow, Tochi may claim the yusho on day 14 which I believe never happened for a hiramaku .

Edited January 25, 2018 by Dapeng

[Benihana 1,900]

Seeing Ichinojo vs. Yoshikaze i could only think of one thing...thwow him to the floow!

Mitakeumi must be injured.

That Abi henka pissed me off, because he is better than that, what he instantly displayed. *hmpf*

They should pile up the vodka stocks, because if tochinoshin wins...oh boy, oooh boy...

Edit:

Tomorrow King Kong vs. Gojira LARP.

Edited January 25, 2018 by Benihana

[ALAKTORN 346]

21 hours ago, Jakusotsu said:

People said that about Endo as well, but he wouldn't be anywhere near where he is now if he did.

How can you say that? Isn’t Tochinoshin exactly the proof to the contrary?

1 hour ago, PawnSums said:

ichinojo should've lost.

hansoku.

I agree. Nodowa needs to be with open fingers, but Ichinojō’s didn’t look very open?

I see people saying Mitakeumi must be injured, but I’d rather he’s not… at least get kachikoshi, man.

Kakuryū pulling and losing again. Why?

Tochinoshin–Ichinojō is gonna be good tomorrow. Tochinoshin must be going through a plan on how to win. I assume he’ll try some kind of twisting technique on the mawashi, I doubt he’d be able to just brute force yorikiri him out or throw this basho’s Ichinojō… also Tochinoshin is ever redder.

 

[The Fat Cyclist 25]

I'm a big Tochinoshin fan but Ichinojo has found something this basho. If it's fair to say that about someone who is already M1. I think this will be the beginning of the end of the yusho dream

[Joaoiyama 303]

6 minutes ago, ALAKTORN said:

How can you say that? Isn’t Tochinoshin exactly the proof to the contrary?

I agree. Nodowa needs to be with open fingers, but Ichinojō’s didn’t look very open?

I see people saying Mitakeumi must be injured, but I’d rather he’s not… at least get kachikoshi, man.

Kakuryū pulling and losing again. Why?

Tochinoshin–Ichinojō is gonna be good tomorrow. Tochinoshin must be going through a plan on how to win. I assume he’ll try some kind of twisting technique on the mawashi, I doubt he’d be able to just brute force yorikiri him out or throw this basho’s Ichinojō… also Tochinoshin is ever redder.

 

I bet Tochinoshin will win by yorikiri , this version of Tochi is just too damn strong.

[Rocks 1,804]

Interesting thing with Takakeisho and the hair pull. He adjusts his hair like 3 times after the bout walking back to bow to Kotoshigiku. Signal to shipan? Takakeisho never gives a crap about his hair, or anything else except catching his breath, after a bout.

[Jakusotsu 5,741]

11 minutes ago, ALAKTORN said:

21 hours ago, Jakusotsu said:

People said that about Endo as well, but he wouldn't be anywhere near where he is now if he did.

How can you say that? Isn’t Tochinoshin exactly the proof to the contrary?

Not in that timeframe.

[Katooshu 3,079]

12 minutes ago, The Fat Cyclist said:

I'm a big Tochinoshin fan but Ichinojo has found something this basho. If it's fair to say that about someone who is already M1. I think this will be the beginning of the end of the yusho dream

Pretty clear that Tochinoshin has found something too though. There's good reason he's 11-1 and the sole leader, with wins over all the O/S/K he's faced.

Even if Tochinoshin loses tomorrow he's at worst tied for the lead going into day 14. Kak will still have Takayasu and Goeido, but who will Tochinoshin have? Endo and Chiyotairyu may be as tough as it gets.

I like his chances, though it's far from over.

Edited January 25, 2018 by Katooshu

[ryafuji 806]

56 minutes ago, Dapeng said:

If Tochi beats Ichi tomorrow, Tochi may claim the yusho on day 14 which I believe never happened for a hiramaku .

Kotofuji incredibly clinched the yusho by Day 13 in July 1991.

[ryafuji 806]

2 hours ago, PawnSums said:

ichinojo should've lost.

hansoku.

 

24 minutes ago, ALAKTORN said:

 

I agree. Nodowa needs to be with open fingers, but Ichinojō’s didn’t look very open?

 

Has anyone ever seen a hansoku for something other than hair-pulling? I think they just let that kind of thing go.

[jalil_the_swan 25]

So, Kakuryu has (almost) bottled it. Seems to have lost his clue against Endo. 

Takayasu is the dark horse in this race. That's funny.

Mitakeumi nowhere to be seen. I wonder if he even gets his KK eventually, or goes on to completely f it up to become first rikishi in a long time to end up going MK from 7-0 up.

Tochinoshin - Sekiwake next basho. But Ichinojo tomorrow...

[Kaminariyuki 497]

46 minutes ago, Katooshu said:

I like his chances, though it's far from over.

Not until the fat lady sings? Oh, wait, wrong sport I reckon. ...until the skinny guy sings.

It's Tochinoshin's to lose, and as a small and very fair lad, I'm pulling for the tall pink guy. Definitely the best sumo I've seen from him.

Tomorrow's match between Mitakeumi and Kakuryu, anybody see the reverse direction pull in play? I'm guessing not. Takayasu is not yet to be counted out of the yusho race, but on Day 13 it doesn't hurt to have a 1 match lead, eh? Banzai Tochinoshin! Now's the time, buddy.

[Kintamayama 44,230]

59 minutes ago, Rocks said:

Interesting thing with Takakeisho and the hair pull. He adjusts his hair like 3 times after the bout walking back to bow to Kotoshigiku. Signal to shipan? Takakeisho never gives a crap about his hair, or anything else except catching his breath, after a bout.

Reminds me of Kyokushuuzan a while back in his bout with Asashouryuu. He was actually pointing at his hair to the shinpan.

[Kintamayama 44,230]

I am now taking bets on how long till we hear Kakuryuu actually re-injured one of his many injured body parts in his day 10 bout. Probably after he goes 10-5.

[Adil 232]

I like Ichinojo as much as the next guy and I have been waiting (like most of the folks here) for him to wake up from his torpor after that meteoric rise, but I am starting to get the feeling he won't go too far. I don't think his body can take that much pounding - no, I am not talking about his opponents; I am talking about his own weight. Has there been a 200 kg+ rikishi in recent times who had a long, successful career as an ozeki/sanyaku mainstay? The three Hawaiian behemoths come to mind, but Musashimaru and Konishiki became ozeki at the age of 23 and 24 respectively and Akebono was yokozuna at the age of 24. (Anyway, the three Hawaiians are more like the exception than the rule.)  Ichinojo will be 25 in three months; if he becomes ozeki in 2018, one could say that his rise to the top is roughly in the same timeframe as the three Hawaiians. If not, father time will start catching up with him real fast. If he becomes ozeki soon, he can start playing the kyujo/kadoban game to let his body recuperate. In that case, I guess he can have a long, successful career as an ozeki and maybe even become yokozuna. If he doesn't become ozeki soon and he keeps posting the kinds of results that he has been doing for the last three years (no double-digit wins in 2015, one in 2016 from M11 and one in 2017 from M4) in 2018, his chances of becoming an ozeki will go down real fast as his body starts breaking down because of the stress of having to compete in each and every basho. 

Summary: If he doesn't become ozeki in 2018 or early 2019 while he still appears to be in good shape, he's not going to make it because his weight and body shape will affect his knees and back very much.  

Edited January 25, 2018 by Adil

[Taikoubana 143]

I'm gonna make a risky call and say that Takayasu makes his way into the lead, and maybe wins the yusho in a hairpin turn of events. Although I'd much rather he win his first yusho having remained in the lead the whole time.

[MumboJumbo 34]

Odds on Tochinoshin winning by tsuridashi...? 

[Jakusotsu 5,741]

16 minutes ago, Adil said:

Summary: If he doesn't become ozeki in 2018 or early 2019 while he still appears to be in good shape, he's not going to make it because his weight and body shape will affect his knees and back very much.  

Or in other words: he'll become just the Kotonowaka he always looked like.

[Rocks 1,804]

5 minutes ago, Taikoubana said:

I'm gonna make a risky call and say that Takayasu makes his way into the lead, and maybe wins the yusho in a hairpin turn of events. Although I'd much rather he win his first yusho having remained in the lead the whole time.

I don't think so, but he'll get a jun-yusho I think. Even if Tochi loses to Ichinojo who is left to throw at him? Endo? Kaisei? Endo has a good record against Tochi but Endo is not a strong finisher in bashos and is likely to let up if he gets his KK today. Kaisei won't be the one to deny Tochi a yusho that's for sure. I don't see Tochi worse than 13-2.