Basho Talk Haru 2018 (SPOILERS)

[Akinomaki 39,497]

9 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

The Enhou interview was by far the best new rikishi interview I have ever seen, Intelligent, calm, really fun to watch. Mainoumi is today's commentator and he gave him some small man tips. Then, suddenly, Enhou takes this golden opportunity and asks Mainoumi what he was thinking about the most during his bouts. I've never seen such confidence before, the interviewee asking a question..Mainoumi answered that he always looked at his opponents' hands. Before that, they showed a clip of Enhou before his first ever Juryo dohyo-iri, asking the gyoji where exactly  he was supposed to stand. "I made it  up here so quickly I wasn't prepared and didn't know what to do.." he explained. Maybe i'll try to translate and post it-it's exceptionally long.

I don't remember an interview split into that many parts - Enho was sitting there patiently till way into the 1st half of makuuchi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKZY_AEPcNs

[Highway 46]

100% daylight robbery. I have no idea what's going on there. Aoiyama clearly won that, it wasn't even close. Credit to him for taking it without complaining, I would have been tempted to pull a Hakuho. Like it's one thing to be unlucky in a disputed decision, but that was straight out his win.

 

[RaeucherLax 287]

Am I the only one who's bored by Ichinojo's Sumo?

Nothing against him personally, he seems to be a nice and gentle guy... but he just wins thanks to the fact that he's huge and that he regained his ability to lean on his opponent 

[Rocks 1,801]

2 minutes ago, RaeucherLax said:

Am I the only one who's bored by Ichinojo's Sumo?

Nothing against him personally, he seems to be a nice and gentle guy... but he just wins thanks to the fact that he's huge and that he regained his ability to lean on his opponent 

I hear what you are saying and it's true but a little bit oversimplifying. When his back was hurt and he couldn't resist opponents twisting  him they threw him easily. It takes a lot of strength, mental and physical, not just size to let a  some of these guys twist and turn you without moving until they wear themselves out. I admire Endo a lot more after he took that for 85 seconds.

[RaeucherLax 287]

18 minutes ago, Rocks said:

I hear what you are saying and it's true but a little bit oversimplifying. When his back was hurt and he couldn't resist opponents twisting  him they threw him easily. It takes a lot of strength, mental and physical, not just size to let a  some of these guys twist and turn you without moving until they wear themselves out. I admire Endo a lot more after he took that for 85 seconds.

I know,  I know... and you're absolutely right... but this kind of sumo is super boring nevertheless (at least from my POV) and that's the reason why I hope that he doesn't win the Yusho that way.

[Fukurou 534]

11 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

 

Wow, look at the cracks in the dohyo already. Didn't they change the construction method/mix? That area around the step to the left right of the centermost judge looks especially bad to me. Some of it appears to me to be caved in somewhat.

EDIT - I don't know left from right.

Edited March 15, 2018 by Fukurou

[Jakusotsu 5,721]

37 minutes ago, RaeucherLax said:

I know,  I know... and you're absolutely right... but this kind of sumo is super boring nevertheless (at least from my POV) and that's the reason why I hope that he doesn't win the Yusho that way.

Which makes me wonder: Have you been around in the era of Kotonowaka et al.?

[robnplunder 974]

1 hour ago, RaeucherLax said:

Am I the only one who's bored by Ichinojo's Sumo?

 

Boring if you are only watching Ichinojo.   I am waiting, speculating what his opponent can/will do to beat him.   It helps me pass the time .   To be honest, I want to see a marathon like that after so many "one-second" bouts - Tachihai, slip, and falls.

[Yatagarasu 352]

Ishiura has started getting under my skin again.  These incessant, predictable and poorly executed henkas just show desperation. I'm not sure if he is now using them to compensate for a lack of skill rather than his lack of height.  I wouldn't miss him if he got demoted.  I can't sit through his bouts anymore.

While Ikioi seems to be on the mend, my guess is that his recent charging the last couple of days is to avoid active engagement on the dohyo itself because he is still a bit weak and unable to throw like he used to (and he will lose if pushed back to the tawara).  He's managed to bluff his way through so far, but I wonder how he'll fare next week.  I suspect he'll have a losing streak.  

Great fight from Endo today.  He's clearly gaining strength though a man can't always move (meat) mountains.  

Kakuryuu is looking increasingly fit to me.  I think he's getting back into the groove of active competition.  

What has happened to Yoshikaze and Hokutofuji?  Are they injured?  It's hard to tell in the absence of strapping and no real visible indication; it just seems like all round loss of strength.  I hope they both bounce back and regain their mojo.

Where is Kaisei and what have you done with him?  

Is it churlish of me to be utterly underwhelmed by our current crop of ozeki?  Goeido, I expect it.  But Takayasu has the build, aggression and a fierce tachiai yet he is just not dazzling in the way that he should.

[Yatagarasu 352]

56 minutes ago, Fukurou said:

Wow, look at the cracks in the dohyo already. Didn't they change the construction method/mix? That area around the step to the left of the centermost judge looks especially bad to me. Some of it appears to me to be caved in somewhat.

Yeah, it started showing big cracks by day 3.  As far as I recall, there was some sort of edict relatively recently that a certain ratio of the earth used would be imported from Tokyo and mixed with the local earth/clay, so as to have some sort of consistency in the texture of the surface (particularly in Nagoya, which I understand is notoriously slippery).  Not sure if the mix isn't quite right yet or what, but that's looking like a week 2 dohyo already...

[Suwihuto 125]

In today's video, Ichinojo was described as 'The Lean Machine'. I never thought I'd see the day where the word 'lean' was applied to him.

[Kintamayama 44,187]

6 minutes ago, Suwihuto said:

In today's video, Ichinojo was described as 'The Lean Machine'. I never thought I'd see the day where the word 'lean' was applied to him.

Yes, it looked funny when I wrote it, but he IS the Lean Machine, the other lean.

[Kintamayama 44,187]

5 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

I don't remember an interview split into that many parts - Enho was sitting there patiently till way into the 1st half of makuuchi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKZY_AEPcNs

BECAUSE it was interesting. A boring rikishi would have been dismissed by the time the first bout of the day started.

[lackmaker 428]

 

1 hour ago, RaeucherLax said:

Am I the only one who's bored by Ichinojo's Sumo?

In a seemingly simple contest (knock them down or throw them out) its the many variations, approaches and personalities that are intriguing. It's never been enough to just be an inert lump but the contrast in styles will often add to the spectacle. 

But if his sumo doesn't entertain you there are plenty of others on show so I guess you're enjoying something. Seeing him beaten maybe?

 

 

[Kintamayama 44,187]

So, who are these two sixth-graders (related somewhat to this thread so I think it belongs here..)?

 

 

Edited March 15, 2018 by Kintamayama

[Amamaniac 2,078]

9 hours ago, Fede said:

In such situations in Italy you would have every kind of bad comments by media, hysterical reactions by fans, criticism by other competitors, ecc., for one week at least.
I'd like to ask one question: what are the reactions of such error in Japan? Everything normal? Just part of the game? Aoiyama's victory was clear at first sight...

First of all, the video replay clearly shows Myogiryu down while Aoiyama's heel in still on the tamara.  I can't upload the full screen capture from mbovosumo due to this site's serious limitations (41KB, seriously?), but here is the best I can do.

You can see that Aoiyama's heel (far right) is still on the tamara, and both of Myogiryu's arms are down and out in the corner.  No monoii call on that is disgraceful.

But the monoii decision for the bout between Kakuryu and Takarafuji was at least close enough to warrant a torinaoshi.

As for Japanese reactions, the "respect authority rule" rules, and so the judges have the final say no matter what.  Japanese respect those who respect authority, so Aoiyama scored points for not contesting the decision on his bout against Myogiryu.

However, historically speaking, there was a major, media-based, fan outcry in Japan when Taiho's win streak was broken by a bad call by the shimpan on March 10, 1969.  That resulted in the adoption of video review.

 

Edited March 15, 2018 by Amamaniac

[Yukiarashi 195]

42 minutes ago, Kintamayama said:

So, who are these two sixth-graders (related somewhat to this thread so I think it belongs here..)?

 

 

Enho and Kagayaki. Don't ask me why I say Kagayaki.

[Amamaniac 2,078]

4 minutes ago, Yukiarashi said:

Enho and Kagayaki. Don't ask me why I say Kagayaki.

Perhaps because that's what was said (& shown) in the interview.  

[robnplunder 974]

1 hour ago, Yatagarasu said:

Ishiura has started getting under my skin again.  These incessant, predictable and poorly executed henkas just show desperation. I'm not sure if he is now using them to compensate for a lack of skill rather than his lack of height.  I wouldn't miss him if he got demoted.  I can't sit through his bouts anymore.

 

I am sure he has a lot of skills but has no physical size to be effective, hence, the henkas.  But I believe he has to use them judicially & timely to be effective.   Being a small guy myself, growing up playing physical sports against much bigger guys, I understand what Ishiura and other small rikishi must do to survive.    They do not have whole lot of options to overcome their size disadvantage.   Henka is one of the few options they have at their disposal.   I will be watching Ishiura and other little guys with much interest to see what they come up with to beat the guys twice their size.

BTW, before Ura was injured, he was starting to use more henkas b/c, IMO, he has reached what he can do to beat the bigger opponents without resorting to henkas.  He too was clumsy at it, not like Harumafuji was (and why the heck he'd resort to henkas as a Yokozuna & his size/speed is beyond me).

[robnplunder 974]

9 minutes ago, Yukiarashi said:

Enho and Kagayaki. Don't ask me why I say Kagayaki.

Hmm, let me guess which one is Enho .... 

[sekitori 492]

16 hours ago, robnplunder said:

Yes, but he (Tochinoshin) looks like a completely different rikishi from the last basho.   He does not look like a yusho contender at all..   Perhaps, he's not at 100% physically.  

There are three certainties in life--death, taxes, and the fact that no rikishi competing in professional sumo is ever 100% physically.

Edited March 16, 2018 by sekitori

[Amamaniac 2,078]

Since Enho was featured in a special Day 5 interview, I was wondering if it was mentioned (or if anyone happens to know) who the other wrestler(s) in history was/were who rose from Maezumo to Juryo in just six tournaments.  Enho did not set a new record.  He simply tied an existing one.

Edited March 16, 2018 by Amamaniac

[Kishinoyama 582]

33 minutes ago, Amamaniac said:

Since Enho was featured in a special Day 5 interview, I was wondering if it was mentioned (or if anyone happens to know) who the other wrestler in history was who rose from Maezumo to Juryo in just six tournaments.  Enho did not set a new record.  He simply tied an existing one.

From the sumo records thread. I think this is what you are looking for:

1. 6 - Kotetsuyama (9/1978~9/1979)
1. 6 - Tosayutaka (3/2007~3/2008)
1. 6 - Jokoryu (5/2011~5/2012)

[Bumpkin 438]

30 minutes ago, Kishinoyama said:

From the sumo records thread. I think this is what you are looking for:

1. 6 - Kotetsuyama (9/1978~9/1979)
1. 6 - Tosayutaka (3/2007~3/2008)
1. 6 - Jokoryu (5/2011~5/2012)

Further proof that it's not how you start. It's how you finish!

[RaeucherLax 287]

7 hours ago, Jakusotsu said:

Which makes me wonder: Have you been around in the era of Kotonowaka et al.?

I remember him from my Eurosport Sumo years but not his style of sumo  I favoured others like Wakahano III / Terao / Chiyotaikai in those days.