Akinomaki

Terunofuji Watch

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Not good. He's seems to be light all of the sudden. He's been winning because his opponents get nowhere on the tachi-ai as he was resisting well enough to counter and finish them. They are now.

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Anyone knows the real condition of those knees?

Are they still on a recovery phase and will keep improving with time or they are just "hanging by wires" and next big knock is game over?

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I felt like his movement looked very good today. Not easy to defend against all that twisting and turning.

The after-Matta bump didn't seem based in arrogance or annoyance to me, I guess he just didn't want to abruptly stop, considering the state his knees are supposedly in.

 

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13 hours ago, Otokonoyama said:

TnF v Hoshoryu (nephew of Asashoryu)

That was one of the better wins for Terunofuji.  He fought like a zombie in the last few matched but looked strong on this one.   

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6 hours ago, nutzername said:

I felt like his movement looked very good today. Not easy to defend against all that twisting and turning.

Personally, I felt that was more indicative of the fact that Hoshoryu's one big missing ingredient to success at the moment is his lack of pure strength. A lot of other juryo rikishi would have taken that one from that position, IMHO. (Of course, those other juryo rikishi might not be getting to that position to begin with.)

Terunofuji's knees don't look to be a significant issue this basho; he's good enough at standing his ground, unlike the usual "floaty" suspects such as Mitoryu or Yago. He just can't seem do much in yotsu with that arm the last few days.

Edited by Asashosakari
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That was an angry throwdown.  On again, off again, and on again.   Terunofuji is looking good in the last two matches.   He has a chance at the Juryo yusho with some help.  

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Seems relevant to post here, apologies if this has been discussed elsewhere, I did have a search but with everything that's going on it's hard to filter through!

I'm not wanting to put the cart before the horse, but a question comes out of this M17 yusho that didn't really merit discussion last time. 

Terunofuji will be upper Maegashira next tournament, that's a given. What if he manages to pull off another yusho? It seems like a given that that's worth of Ozeki promotion, but without being in the sanyaku since his return, and being only his second tournament back, would there be ANY chance of that happening?

I know it's an extremely unlikely scenario, but hey, so was this. And without speculation, well, we'd have a lot less to talk about! (Laughing...)

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2 minutes ago, Houmanumi said:

....What if he manages to pull off another yusho? It seems like a given that that's worth of Ozeki promotion, but without being in the sanyaku since his return, and being only his second tournament back, would there be ANY chance of that happening?

The key is not being in sanyaku or being in the joi-jin. Even with another yusho, no Ozeki promotion. 

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5 minutes ago, Kishinoyama said:

The key is not being in sanyaku or being in the joi-jin. Even with another yusho, no Ozeki promotion. 

Makes sense. Seems insane, but makes sense.

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I've mentioned it before, but each August Isegahama-beya comes to my neighboring town of Yahiko in Niigata for a one-week training camp that is open to the public. 

When the heya first came five years ago, it was flourishing. Harumafuji was Yokozuna. Terunojuji was an Ozeki for whom attaining the rope was just a matter of time. Takarafuji was a Joi mainstay. Aminishiki was a legend. Terutsuyoshi was soon to make his Juryo debut.

Fast forward four years to last summer. The heya was in shambles. Harumafuji retired (expelled). Aminishiki retired. And Terunofuji was a broken shell of the Ozeki he once was. 

During last year's camp I sat not five feet from the former Ozeki. Takarafuji is a huge man. Yet a healthy Terunofuji used to dwarf him. Now, he looked like a half-deflated balloon. In no condition to mount the dohyo to train, he spent the entire week limited to light stretches while limping around the outside of the dohyo on creaky knees. 

Seeing him in that condition, I was convinced his career was over. I would have bet my life savings that he would retire before he ever reached Makuuchi again. 

That he not only returned to Makuuchi but won a yusho less than one year after being in that condition is astounding. It is a minor miracle. It is a testament to the hard work he put into his comeback. And it's a reminder of the limitless ability he has when healthy. 

Edited by Kaninoyama
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6 hours ago, Houmanumi said:

Makes sense. Seems insane, but makes sense.

This astonishing yusho is going to bump Terunofuji straight into the joi-jin in September. That's when he can start trying to regain his ozeki rank. 

The NSK has in the past had higher requirements for ex-ozeki to qualify for repromotion, but I believe a yusho at, say, M2 followed by another yusho at sekiwake would pretty much force their hand in Terunofuji's case - a bit like he forced it with his original unconventional promotion. The likelihood of that happening is very remote, though.

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@John Gunning called it:

Quote

Terunofuji, back in the top tier after falling all the way down to the second-lowest division seems like the best dark horse candidate for the title. The Mongolian veteran won’t fear anyone he could be matched up with over the first ten days. Having already experienced life as an ozeki, and with a championship to his name, the pressure won’t be a factor either.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2020/07/16/sumo/basho-reports/upcoming-july-basho-fascinating-unpredictable-affair/

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Last time a M17 won, he got boosted all the way up to M2. Since none of the sanyaku are coming down this time, he will probably be M1. If he does well he could be sekiwake after that. A yusho as sekiwake might twist their arms. Otherwise, he'll have to wait one more tournament and keep his wins up. That's the only possibility I see for his ozeki run starting now, and it's probably a very long shot. 

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