Basho Talk Hatsu 2018 (SPOILERS)

[Kishinoyama 513]

Tochinoshin vs Shohozan match and interview(s) courtesy of youtube user MISELET.

And congratulations to Tochinoshin. I hope he will continue to stay healthy.

Edited January 27, 2018 by Kishinoyama

[Akinomaki 35,647]

If Aoiyama gets the juryo yusho, I guess he might be in the car for the parade - but this looks like Mitakeumi has a foot in the door for it

o o

[ryafuji 771]

1 hour ago, Stein said:

A yokozuna should not "take" a 10-5, a yokozuna should be there to win no matter what, and knowing that he has a chance to clinch the cup.

 

With kakuryu, i understand that he is an athlete, he need the money, and his salary is far from poor, but he doesnt fit the dignity of a yokozuna with this poor performances...

 

I believe that, when a yokozuna is not able to win a single basho in years, even when every other yokozuna is kyujo, he should consider retirement.

 

And believe me, i was hoping that he would be able to at least get 13 wins or so...or the yusho...but there we go again...

Of course he is trying his best to win, but he has had a long injury layoff and is understandably rusty. I believe a 10-5 or 11-4 is acceptable under those circumstances. And it’s misleading to say he hasn’t won a basho in years - it was actually November 2016, just over one year ago and not long before his injury problems. 

[Rocks 1,750]

Congrats to Tochinoshin!  A well deserved yusho.  Just a great thing to see a great for sumo in the long run IMO.

 

As far as Kakuryu, the most  you can say is he looked healthy, not strong. He may win tomorrow to get his 11th win but if he does it will only be because Goeido isn't up for the match having gotten his KK. Now if Goeido was going for 10 wins it might be different. Even still Goeido usually gets up for Yokozuna matches so I still favor him tomorrow.

Now, I see some going on about Goeido as an Ozekiwake but he, unlike Kakuryu, beat all of sanyaku so far except for Takayasu. It is no dishonor to him to lose to a fellow Ozeki on his way to a jun-yusho. 

As far as Kakuryu going intai? No one should be pushing him that's for sure but to suggest he was at a Yokozuna level this basho is silly. He wasn't even at an Ozeki level. He had a good bout against Takayasu but at no point did I see him winning it. 

In fact considering his only win against sanyaku  so far is against a brand new Komosubi who ended up with at least 9 losses, You'd have to say Kakuryu looked like a Komosubi this basho.  He beat the yusho winner but given Tochinoshin's abysmal record against Yokozunas that was no surprise. His only other good win was against a 1-2 Ichinojo before he got rolling. Overall, Tochi and Ichinojo looked way stronger than Kakuryu this basho. 

So, no, no one should be pushing for Kakuryu's intai, but maybe he should be thinking about his post sumo career himself.  As far as Yokozunas he looked better than Kisenosato but then so does 60% of makuuchi. I don''t think he is near even an injured Hakuho's level.

 

[Tsuchinoninjin 1,064]

Idiots on the wide show saying tochinoshin real name sounds like a terrorist.

[ryafuji 771]

What’s a wide show? 

[Tsuchinoninjin 1,064]

National TV news program in but a little more light like good morning America

[Jyuunomori 225]

55 minutes ago, Akinomaki said:

If Aoiyama gets the juryo yusho, I guess he might be in the car for the parade - but this looks like Mitakeumi has a foot in the door for it

o o

Tochinoshin: ''Ah, thank you!''

Mitakeumi: ''What is that?''

Tochinoshin: ''A handshake...''

Mitakeumi: ''Come here you...''

HUGS!

[wys 55]

It was disappointing to see some of the people ( Asanoyama, Mitakeumi, and Kakuryu) with strong starts in the basho collapse so spectacularly in the second half. If they had kept up their performance in the second half, it would have made this basho that much more exciting.  

And I am happy for Tochinoshin. Hopefully he can stay injury free and keep up this level of performance in the next basho. 

And I am glad my favorite tadpole, Takakeisho, mustered a win today against Shodai. It seems like as long as the opponent doesn't get a grip on his mawashi (or hair) he has a very decent chance of winning. Hopefully he will end this basho on an up-note.

Cheers,

[Benevolance 2,302]

I suspect that after such a long lay off, Kakuryu simply didn't have the stamina to finish a tournament strong. I thought he looked good (up until he reverted to his backwards sumo) and I'll be really surprised if the YDC does more than the usual non-yusho-winning-grumble about his return performance. 

[Dapeng 231]

1 hour ago, Benevolance said:

I suspect that after such a long lay off, Kakuryu simply didn't have the stamina to finish a tournament strong. I thought he looked good (up until he reverted to his backwards sumo) and I'll be really surprised if the YDC does more than the usual non-yusho-winning-grumble about his return performance. 

Sure, the YDC can't say anything negative about Kakuryu. Before the basho they said Kisenosato could go kyujo and they won't say a thing. Kise attended with confidence but had to pull out after 5 days. Kakuryu finished the basho with a decent number of winnings. They shouldn't criticize Kakuryu for finishing the basho. 

[PawnSums 59]

3 hours ago, Tsuchinoninjin said:

Idiots on the wide show saying tochinoshin real name sounds like a terrorist.

which one?

[Amamaniac 1,996]

In his yusho interview, Tochinoshin makes a point of thanking his oyakata (and even okamisan) multiple times.  I can't remember the details of Kyokutenho's yusho interview, although he only had the ringside NHK interview, but I don't seem to recall championship winners even mentioning their oyakatas.  Of course, it makes sense to do so, especially for a first-time win.  But I couldn't help but feel he was doing his part to help Kasugano oyakata while he is beset with the Yahagi scandal...

[Dwale 419]

All the congratulations to Tochinoshin, one of the hardest fighters in the sport today. He's a man who has fought his way back, setback after setback, up the ladder in this unforgiving sport. Here's hoping he stays healthy and strong so he can continue to bring his brand of power sumo to the dohyo.

[dada78641 863]

Re: Kakuryuu, 10-5 feels like the minimum score a Yokozuna should get. But I feel he did a great job none the less. He's had massive injury problems, and it's pretty clear that he collapsed during this basho because some old injury got aggravated. If he's even slightly healthy, he's a yokozuna and a half. So, despite his low score (11-4 is OK I guess, if he gets it), I still have to respect him.

[WAKATAKE 2,382]

70th career Basho as a first time winner. That will probably get into the record books. Also, Tochi may be the first sekitori to have fallen all the way to makushita before coming back up and winning it. Also, he may be the first rikishi to have won without ever having beaten a certain Yokozuna. Regardless, my tip of the hat and hearty congratulations to you sir!

[Yukiarashi 193]

CONGRATULATIONS TOCHINOSHIN!!!!

One of the most unexpected yushos ever probably. Especially being ranked so high!

So glad to see with all of his terrible luck over the years and bad banzuke treatment him finally win. Probably one of those yushos where everyone is happy for him.

That match vs. Shohozan was fantastic! Shohozan was going to make him work for it. Fun slapping in that bout. Plus Konosuke officiated the yusho-clinching bout! Konosuke for top gyoji!

Kakuryu vs. Takayasu in musubi-no-jun-yusho was a brilliant bout too. Kakuryu looked a lot better today, but Takayasu in the last five days has looked Yokozuna like. 

Arawashi is 7-7 on no knees! He's beaten both Sekiwake, an Ozeki, and has a chance at KK at a rank that could be considered joi-jin this time! Wow!

Ichinojo looking excellent again. He's waking up! 9-5 at M1!

Abi-Kotoshogiku was excellent too! Abi did a lot better than I expected against his first high ranker, but Kotoshogiku is still fighting well and determined.

Well 2-11 Ikioi absolutely wrecked Terunofuji. Knowing his gentleness he wasn't even trying too either. Terunofuji's legs are like cardboard right  now

RYUDEN!!!!, Good for Ishiura KK!, Yutakayama has finally gotten a KK aswell, good for him.

[Gurowake 3,528]

20 minutes ago, WAKATAKE said:

Also, Tochi may be the first sekitori to have fallen all the way to makushita before coming back up and winning it.

Not even the first Maegashira - Chiyonofuji made Makuuchi for one basho, then got injured and dropped to Makushita 5 years before he ever won a Yusho.  Maybe first former Komusubi?

Also, by your own statement, it wouldn't be that hard.  It's not very far from Juryo to Makushita.  Plenty of rikishi have failed in their first sekitori stint.  Yusho winners include: Kakuryu, Kyokutenho, Baruto, Kotonishiki, Kotofuji, Kirishima...

Edited January 28, 2018 by Gurowake

[ryafuji 771]

1 hour ago, WAKATAKE said:

70th career Basho as a first time winner. That will probably get into the record books.

Nah, not even close. It took Kirishima 96, and Kyokutenho a whopping 122. There may well be others. 

[PawnSums 59]

1 hour ago, Gurowake said:

Not even the first Maegashira - Chiyonofuji made Makuuchi for one basho, then got injured and dropped to Makushita 5 years before he ever won a Yusho.  Maybe first former Komusubi?

Also, by your own statement, it wouldn't be that hard.  It's not very far from Juryo to Makushita.  Plenty of rikishi have failed in their first sekitori stint.  Yusho winners include: Kakuryu, Kyokutenho, Baruto, Kotonishiki, Kotofuji, Kirishima...

How about Sandanme?

[Rocks 1,750]

I have no idea what this is supposed to say but this is how Google Translate is translating this  headline:

 

Tochinoshin of the victory is "Nicolas Cage" in the horny world, a good cook man

[Amamaniac 1,996]

3 hours ago, WAKATAKE said:

70th career Basho as a first time winner. That will probably get into the record books.

You may be right, but keep in mind that Kyokutenho is at the top of that list with his first Top Division championship coming on his 121st career basho...

The list that appeared on NHK's broadcast:

Number of Top Division Tournaments before first championship (counting cancelled 2011 spring tournament)

Kyokutenho. (86)

Kisenosato (73)

Kotoshogiku (66)

Takatoriki & Tochinoshin (58)

 

Edited January 28, 2018 by Amamaniac

[Rocks 1,750]

Quotes from Kakuryu saying he had a lot of trouble both mentally and physically going the whole 15 days and that he regrets losing this one.  Considering he has been resting, healing and training for 6 months not being able to go the whole 15 days is not a good sign IMO. Mentions he knows he's pulling too much too. 

[Kishinoyama 513]

1 hour ago, Gurowake said:

Not even the first Maegashira - Chiyonofuji made Makuuchi for one basho, then got injured and dropped to Makushita 5 years before he ever won a Yusho.  Maybe first former Komusubi?

Kotokaze did it as a Sekiwake and then went on to be an Ozeki. 

http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=4112

[Gurowake 3,528]

25 minutes ago, Rocks said:

I have no idea what this is supposed to say but this is how Google Translate is translating this  headline:

 

Tochinoshin of the victory is "Nicolas Cage" in the horny world, a good cook man

"角界" is being translated as "horny world", when even my plug-in knows that it means "sumo world" (don't ask me why though).  I'm not really clear on the cooking aspect though.

Edited January 28, 2018 by Gurowake