Basho Talk Natsu 2018 (SPOILERS)

[CT3* 331]

Tough break for Hokutofuji. Here's hoping he has a speedy recovery.

Also felt a bit bad for Aminishiki. He's already perpetually banged up and today he fell pretty hard and awkwardly on his braced knee. Seemed to be clearly in pain afterwards.

Speaking of banged up, I had a feeling that Hakuho was going to smack Endo around. Not the first time that Hakuho has brawled with him.

And Tochinoshin! As a longtime fan, I'm psyched to see him make such a strong bid for the Ozeki rank. It'd be cool to see him actually achieve that amazing accomplishment before starting the Yokozuna talk.

And even though some time has passed, I still really miss having Harumafuji on the dohyo. The intensity and unpredictability that he brought to his matches as well as the yusho race is missed.

[Jabbamaru 166]

31 minutes ago, sekitori said:

he did against an M5 rikishi who seemed to be no threat.

Imho Giku is always a potential threat. Everybody get gaburied once on awhile...

[Tiger Tanaka 222]

Kakuryu has a very tough opponent against the surging Mitakeumi to stay firmly in the yusho race tomorrow. 

Mitakeumi has beaten Kakuryu in 3 of the last 4 matchups. Kakuryu has been relying heavily on hatakikomi of late, a kimarite that Mitakeumi has only lost by in 8 matches during his sumo career. Furthermore, with Kakuryu pulling a henka and seeming ashamed about it in interviews after, he will likely be kept honest on the tachiai tomorrow. If Mitakeumi gets off the blocks quickly, Kak could be in big trouble.

Shodai has looked good and Geek has shown the ability in the past to beat Tochi regularly (though this is not the same Tochi). So it could be very likely we see one of the three yusho contenders drop a match today. Things are heating up!

[Rocks 1,807]

Hakuho-Tochinoshin on Day 12? That's a surprise. 

I wonder if this means they will have Tochinoshin-Kakuryu on Day 13 and Ichinojo will get Hakuho Day 13 and Kakuryu Day 14? 

Weird considering Ichinojo has 4 losses already.  

Actually, under that scenario  if Hakuho and Kakuryu lose today and Tochinoshin keeps winning he could wrap up the Yuhso on Day 13. Wild.

Edited May 23, 2018 by Rocks

[Asashosakari 18,959]

32 minutes ago, Rocks said:

Hakuho-Tochinoshin on Day 12? That's a surprise. 

I wonder if this means they will have Tochinoshin-Kakuryu on Day 13 and Ichinojo will get Hakuho Day 13 and Kakuryu Day 14? 

Should be like this, I think:

12: Y1w Hakuho - Se Tochinoshin
13: Y1e Kakuryu - Sw Ichinojo
14: Y1e Kakuryu - Se Tochinoshin
14: Y1w Hakuho - Sw Ichinojo
15: Y1e Kakuryu - Y1w Hakuho
15: Sw Ichinojo - Ke Mitakeumi

I'm guessing Kakuryu as the top-ranked yokozuna receives the usual courtesy of facing his top opponents in ranking order on consecutive days. That means Hakuho-Ichinojo has to be Day 14 because it's the only possible companion match for Kakuryu-Tochinoshin, and Kakuryu-Ichinojo has to be Day 13, leaving Day 12 as the only place for Hakuho-Tochinoshin unless they had wanted to have no intra-sanyaku match on Day 12 at all.

Edited May 23, 2018 by Asashosakari

[Rocks 1,807]

7 minutes ago, Asashosakari said:

'm guessing Kakuryu as the top-ranked yokozuna receives the usual courtesy of facing his top opponents in ranking order on consecutive days. That means Hakuho-Ichinojo has to be Day 14 because it's the only possible companion match for Kakuryu-Tochinoshin, and Kakuryu-Ichinojo has to be Day 13, leaving Day 12 as the only place for Hakuho-Tochinoshin unless they had wanted to have no intra-sanyaku match on Day 12 at all.

I get it. So do you expect Hakuho-Ikioi on Day 13 then since Ikioi got Kakuryu on Day 12?

[Gurowake 4,011]

11 minutes ago, Asashosakari said:

I'm guessing Kakuryu as the top-ranked yokozuna receives the usual courtesy of facing his top opponents in ranking order on consecutive days.

That's the only reason why they wouldn't do the more sensible thing Yusho-race-wise and have Kakuryu-Ichinojo on 12 and Hakuho-Tochinoshin on 13.  The top ranked Yokozuna always gets the "courtesy" of facing sanyaku other than Komusubi as late as possible.  Normally the top-ranked Yokozuna would face more than just three opponents in their final run, but that's all there is this time, and the closeness of them to his second Komusubi match is just a product of the very thinned-out sanyaku ranks.

[Shinrei 47]

9 hours ago, ALAKTORN said:

Hakuhō grabbed the hair there for a moment, even though it had no effect on the bout I think.

Glad I'm not the only one. I think I saw one brief clench of his fingers in Endo's hair (at 16:14 in the slo-mo) before one or two other hand-hair contacts (five seconds earlier). Who knows, other than Endo, how distracting that was (if any)?

 

1 hour ago, sekitori said:

Henkas don't just "happen". Despite his denial, Kakuryu obvioulsy planned it. What he did not plan for was the total derision it evoked. If he did it against a rikishi who could have provided strong competition, that could somehow be taken into account. But he did against an M5 rikishi who seemed to be no threat. 

I think they can. The mind is open - ready, then the body moves to suit the situation. Perhaps Kakuryu sensed a valid threat of losing. Looking at the past two years, when Kotoshogiku had a winning record coming into their match (granted, as an ozeki), he won two out of three.

http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Query_bout.aspx?show_form=0&shikona1=Kakuryu &shikona2=Kotoshogiku

Perhaps Kakuryu just wanted (if only subconsciously) to avoid a potential hug & chug on this occasion.

[Gurowake 4,011]

7 minutes ago, Rocks said:

I get it. So do you expect Hakuho-Ikioi on Day 13 then since Ikioi got Kakuryu on Day 12?

Of course.  Maybe if Chiyonokuni was still on one loss he might get sent down, but it's rather unlikely now. 

[Shinrei 47]

7 hours ago, Dapeng said:

Because henka is a legal move, any rikishi should not expect his opponent (even though his opponent is a yokozuna or ozeki) will not henka him. A rikishi should always be prepared to be henka-ed at tachiai. 

Right on. Legal, valid, effective. 

If someone tries to fool you, pretend to be fooled...

[Gurowake 4,011]

Kakuryu henkas like 3 times a year.  I'm not going to count, but it's neither particularly frequently nor vanishingly rare for him.  I don't see why people get so upset about it.  It's always been a part of his bag of tricks.  Of course he's going to be contrite about it, and who knows if it was "planned" or if it was a spur of the moment thing, but Yokozuna will probably always declare it was not planned, as doing such would be beneath them.

[ScreechingOwl 343]

Kotoshogiku is about the easiest rikishi to henka, which is one reason he is on the receiving end of so many. He always charges forward with his head down. His body type has proven difficult for Kakuryu over the years, and he had 22 wins over him (against 26 losses), and he's looked pretty genki this basho, so it wasn't a huge surprise to see the henka. Ideally, yokozuna and ozeki shouldn't henka, but ideally I'd have tomorrow off too.

The henka will never be banned so we fans just have to suck it up once in awhile. Overall, there are fewer henka then there were 10 years ago in makuuchi, so at least matters are trending positive.

[808morgan 805]

Lets go Tochi, yusho and Ozeki promotion!

[808morgan 805]

1 hour ago, Gurowake said:

Kakuryu henkas like 3 times a year.  I'm not going to count, but it's neither particularly frequently nor vanishingly rare for him.  I don't see why people get so upset about it.  It's always been a part of his bag of tricks.  Of course he's going to be contrite about it, and who knows if it was "planned" or if it was a spur of the moment thing, but Yokozuna will probably always declare it was not planned, as doing such would be beneath them.

My first thought was, Geek's head and body were on that trajectory, he only had to push down as he went by. I don't like to see Yokozuna use it, but in that split second it really looks like it was harder to do anything else. Geek shouldn't put himself in that position, literally. I'm over it, it's not the dirtiest henka we've seen.

[WAKATAKE 2,644]

Personally I felt the same as the crowd related to the outcome of the Kakuryu-Geek match. Kakuryu can say all he wants but he's not going to have some fans for a while. But it's all a part of sumo. Seeing the above posts, Tochinoshin's real test will begin on day 12, against the nemesis in Hakuho. Having 11 wins will get him into very good shape for ozeki promotion, but I think a win over Hakuho would seal the deal. And probably one over Kakuryu too.

[WAKATAKE 2,644]

No matchup between Hoshoryu and Naya for this basho, as Naya loses for the first time while Hoshoryu improves to 6-0, setting himself in position for a likely jonidan playoff.

[autotroph 43]

14 hours ago, Yamanashi said:

...The problem is that you have to be freakishly strong in the upper body..

To my eye it looks like The Lift depends most heavily on the lower back, with a bit of upper back (traps, rhomboids, etc). Of course, good grip strength is essential too, and the leg strength to move forward with the victim aloft.

[Yatagarasu 352]

6 minutes ago, autotroph said:

To my eye it looks like The Lift depends most heavily on the lower back, with a bit of upper back (traps, rhomboids, etc). Of course, good grip strength is essential too, and the leg strength to move forward with the victim aloft.

Exactly.  

That said, the less sophisticated 'bread and circuses' part of me would dearly love to see him wedgie Hakuhou.  

[Eikokurai 3,437]

I believe we have ourselves a new ozeki. :)

[autotroph 43]

And he displayed some of that coveted kimarite variety 

[Jabbamaru 166]

11! Nice Tochi!

 

[Eikokurai 3,437]

Lame from Shodai there. Considering how hard others have made Hakuho work for his wins so far I was hoping for a bit of a struggle and maybe even a Shodai win to put some light between Hak and Tochi.

[Jakusotsu 5,869]

 

On 18.9.2014 at 09:33, Doitsuyama said:

On 18.9.2014 at 09:14, Jakusotsu said:

  On 17.9.2014 at 18:27, Doitsuyama said:

Rank-and-file?? This is for me a maegashira who struggles to get into the joi-jin and gets whooped when there. Tochinoshin actually was a joi-jin regular from age 22 to 25, and it wouldn't surprise me if he is even stronger now at age 26 and with a good amount of rest (and looking fully healthy of course).

Apart from another odd Komusubi appearance, I don't see Tochinoshin reaching sanyaku.

Steak?

Of course he might get injured, but yes, steak. I give you one komusubi appearance, but two komusubi or a sekiwake debut, and it's mine. You know, so far he is comparing favorably with the best of marches from low makushita in history, going 32-2 with three yusho so far, still competing with Miyabiyama's record setting 40-4 with four yusho.

Not that you ever got your first steak, but you just earned another one.

[Jyuunomori 226]

Tochinoshin just may be awarded Gino-sho, maybe even with Kanto-sho and Shukun-sho if he wins against a Yokozuna.

Ozeki promotion is all but confirmed now. Wonderful stuff.

[Yatagarasu 352]

I would have thought Ishiura had learned by now not to henka.  And specifically not to henka Aoiyama.  He's in some sort of creative rut strategically.  He has a powerful compact body that he could do so much with.

I enjoyed Kyokutaisei's bout with Gagamaru.  Sure, Gagamaru is juryo, but still, Kyokutaisei threw him like there was no size disparity whatsoever.  

Today Chiyotairyuu reminded me of a fish flopping on the bank.  Ichinojo has the quiet undulating softness of an overstuffed caterpillar about to build his chrysalis.  The bout itself?  Oh, I don't remember...

Tochinoshin - ah, this is what I'm talking about! He adapted his strategy for Uncle Giku and a beautiful uwatenage ensued, even if he couldn't resist ever so briefly lifting him off his feet while doing so!   I think it's also to his credit that, unlike Kakuryuu, he engaged Kotoshogiku.  I'd like to see him win tomorrow, if only to break Hakuhou's 25-0 streak against him.