Kyushu Basho 2018 Discussion [SPOILERS]

[Amamaniac 2,078]

It looked to me like Takayasu took a page out of Takakeisho's book in his hatakikomi win over Yoshikaze today.  I can't wait for their O1W-K1E match-up.  Takayasu has the weight advantage, but Takakeisho has the speed advantage, especially in terms of thrusting.  That will be a critical bout for both wrestlers.  I hope wee Takakeisho will be fearless.  But I am getting ahead of myself.

Edited November 19, 2018 by Amamaniac

[robnplunder 974]

4 hours ago, Amamaniac said:

It looked to me like Takayasu took a page out of Takakeisho's book in his hatakikomi win over Yoshikaze today.  I can't wait for their O1W-K1E match-up.  Takayasu has the weight advantage, but Takakeisho has the speed advantage, especially in terms of thrusting.  That will be a critical bout for both wrestlers.  I hope wee Takakeisho will be fearless.  But I am getting ahead of myself.

IMO, Takayasu has the edge. Just keep him in front and use the long reach and size..   Don't play into Takakeisho's hand.

[Amamaniac 2,078]

25 minutes ago, robnplunder said:

IMO, Takayasu has the edge. Just keep him in front and use the long reach and size.

That's what makes it so enticing!  It's a modern-day chubby David and Goliath reenactment on a Japanese dohyo.  

In previous meetings, Takayasu has prevailed (i.e., 4 times) with various hinerite twist down techniques.  But Takakeisho has won twice using oshidashi.  

I agree that on paper Takayasu has the edge.  But Takakeisho is coming into his own, and generally speaking is afraid of no opponent.  In this tournament, Takayasu has seen Takakeisho dispatch Kisenosato, Goeido and Tochinoshin.  He may start doubting his own chances.  That might just be enough to give Takakeisho the edge.  Watch out, I say.

[robnplunder 974]

13 minutes ago, Amamaniac said:

That's what makes it so enticing!  It's a modern-day chubby David and Goliath reenactment on a Japanese dohyo.  

In previous meetings, Takayasu has prevailed (i.e., 4 times) with various hinerite twist down techniques.  But Takakeisho has won twice using oshidashi.  

I agree that on paper Takayasu has the edge.  But Takakeisho is coming into his own, and generally speaking is afraid of no opponent.  In this tournament, Takayasu has seen Takakeisho dispatch Kisenosato, Goeido and Tochinoshin.  He may start doubting his own chances.  That might just be enough to give Takakeisho the edge.  Watch out, I say.

Good points.   Takakeisho's all out bullying sumo  intimidates his opponents or at the least, make them playing into Takakeisho's hands.  By now, I thought good rikishi may have figured Takakeisho out.  After all, Taka only knows one way to sumo.   But give the little guy a huge credit.   He is still rolling over the giants.   Other than his arrogant face (don't really know if he is really arrogant or just looks like one), I like him.

[Amamaniac 2,078]

The Juryo yusho is looking interesting as well.  The difference between Juryo and Makuuchi Divisions is that in the Juryo there isn't a set of elite wrestlers that are the ones to beat.  In Juryo, there is constant flux: wrestlers dropping down from Makuuchi and Juryo wrestlers on their way up to Makuuchi.  

In this tournament, the Juryo frontrunners are mostly smaller sekitori.  It would appear that in both salaried divisions, the larger wrestlers are having a hard time figuring out their smaller opponents.  But wrestlers like Enho present a totally different style of sumo than Takakeisho.  Frankly, I find Enho infinitely more interesting to watch in the ring.  His skill in overcoming his opponents is a thing of beauty.  Takakeisho, on the other hand, is all business and has remarkable power.  But both wrestlers seem to be on a mission to grab a championship in their respective divisions.

There are still six days of tournament action left.  Will the little men prevail out of sheer determination, or will the big men reassert their dominance?

[Michishige 64]

1 hour ago, robnplunder said:

Good points.   Takakeisho's all out bullying sumo  intimidates his opponents or at the least, make them playing into Takakeisho's hands.  By now, I thought good rikishi may have figured Takakeisho out.  After all, Taka only knows one way to sumo.   But give the little guy a huge credit.   He is still rolling over the giants.   Other than his arrogant face (don't really know if he is really arrogant or just looks like one), I like him.

He really does have an arrogant look all the time. I find myself disliking him even though (1) I have no real reason to do so and (2) his sumo is quite excellent and enjoyable to watch. I’d love to know more about him so I can at least have an informed opinion. 

[Shio-kago 180]

15 minutes ago, Michishige said:

He really does have an arrogant look all the time. I find myself disliking him even though (1) I have no real reason to do so and (2) his sumo is quite excellent and enjoyable to watch. I’d love to know more about him so I can at least have an informed opinion. 

Many people criticize Takakeisho for having an arrogant look about him. I can sort of see it, if I try to, but it's not the impression he makes on me. 

To me he's always looked very placid and detached; like he's making every effort not to get caught up in the excitement and weight of of the occasion, because he's afraid that if he does then the pressure will get to him and he'll lose his confidence. 

At the risk of making an insulting comparison, he reminds me of a pasture animal grazing. No thought, but to do go about his business and do the thing. I think he tries to reestablish that attitude after a match too, but with somewhat less success.

[Kaninoyama 1,663]

I don't think it's arrogance as much as confidence. Simply put, he's intimidated by no one out there, Yokozuna included, unlike many up-and-coming rikishi in their Joi debut who cower with fear and are completely overwhelmed by the moment when facing a Yokozuna.

Takakeisho believes he belongs up there with the best, and he's backing up his brazen self-belief with winning sumo to match. 

[robnplunder 974]

4 hours ago, Kaninoyama said:

I don't think it's arrogance as much as confidence.

Sometimes it is a very thin line between arrogance and confidence.  When the arrogance is backed up with wins, it is called confidence.      

Edited November 20, 2018 by robnplunder

[Kyokufuji 58]

Interpreting a basically completely blank look as arrogance... 

[robnplunder 974]

Good going for Aminishiki!   He may get kachikosh yet. 

 

And the Mighty Mouse Terutsuyoshi fell down Yago!   

Edited November 20, 2018 by robnplunder

[Eikokurai 3,433]

He only have ever looks ‘arrogant’ after winning I find. Before hand he looks like anything from a lost little boy to a confident ... little boy.

[Jakusotsu 5,767]

Can somebody please kill that moustached moron who's taken the girls' seat on abema tv today?

[robnplunder 974]

Good going for Aminishiki!   He may get kachikosh yet. 

 

Wow, no monoii on Daieisho vs Takanosho?

Edited November 20, 2018 by robnplunder

[Akinomaki 39,588]

The other 2 leading -Shos are quite plain in their interviews - a pity we got robbed of one Takakeisho interview: the shukun interview for beating a top ranker superseded the kachi-koshi interview. I really would like to hear a yusho interview, maybe the most spartan ever. Arrogance? - no, he is always doing his best to be Taka's most faithful disciple.

[Akinomaki 39,588]

Nobody predicting an Aoiyama yusho?

[robnplunder 974]

4 minutes ago, Akinomaki said:

Nobody predicting an Aoiyama yusho?

Not I.  Higher ranked rikishi will dispatch him rather easily.    He's been feeding on M1x ranks so far except for one, an M8.

Edited November 20, 2018 by robnplunder

[robnplunder 974]

26 minutes ago, Akinomaki said:

Arrogance? - no, he is always doing his best to be Taka's most faithful disciple.

It is probably his facial expression and swagger which give the impression to some.   Some people are born with certain fixed impression written on their face.  E.g, I look like I am always pissed off.  

Edited November 20, 2018 by robnplunder

[lackmaker 428]

So that's not your photo then? 

[Eikokurai 3,433]

Shohozan-Chiyonokuni was a great battle. One of the best in the basho so far for me.

[Kishinoyama 582]

After yesterday and today's matches, it appears that Goeido is really trying to make sure he finishes in second place....

[Morty 1,480]

4 minutes ago, Kishinoyama said:

After yesterday and today's matches, it appears that Goeido is really trying to make sure he finishes in second place....

I'm astonished at this point that he has henka'd twice against relatively mediocre opposition and there have been no howls of protest from the forum.... Are people so jaded about Goeido at this point that they just shrug and go "meh"?

[Akōgyokuseki 227]

1 hour ago, Morty said:

Are people so jaded about Goeido at this point that they just shrug and go "meh"? 

To put it bluntly sir, yes

I was pretty astonished he did it twice myself but then I remembered Osaka.. That was Goeido's finest moment indeed...

https://youtu.be/wwlheYE5MjE

Edited November 20, 2018 by Akōgyokuseki
found link

[Morty 1,480]

Pretty rotten of Chiyoshoma to throw Onosho AFTER they were outside the dohyo AND down on the floor amongst the spectators.

[mikawa 1,794]

11 hours ago, Michishige said:

He really does have an arrogant look all the time. I find myself disliking him even though (1) I have no real reason to do so and (2) his sumo is quite excellent and enjoyable to watch. I’d love to know more about him so I can at least have an informed opinion. 

Takakeisho, aka Sato Takanobu, was born in Ashiya City in Hyogo Prefecture. He was named after 2 popular Japanese figures, the Taka from Takanohana (his former oyakata) and the Nobu from Oda Nobunaga, a famous warlord from the sengoku period. He studied karate from a very young age until 3rd Grade, when he lost in a national final due to what might have been considered a questionable call. Because of this, Sato decided to practise sumo instead.

In 5th Grade, he once again reached a national final, this time at the 23rd Wanpaku Tournament, only to lose to the massive Yamamoto Masakatsu. He did however produce one of the shocks of the tournament in the semi-final, which you can see at the 7:46 mark here. This opponent he would once again face at the last 16 stage in Grade 6, where he got a moro-zashi grip, but ultimately was thrown to the ground.

Three years later, he would win the National Middle School Championships to become the 40th Middle School Yokozuna, beating Utetsu Fumiya (aka Onosho) in the final. Moving on to the famous Saitama Sakae High School (where Goeido, and Hirano Shurato's dad, graduated), he twice won the open weight division at the National Junior Sumo Championships, plus 7 other notable victories. During his final year in high school, Sato won the open weight division at the World Junior Sumo Championships.

During September of that year, Sato decided to become a pro, joining Takanohana Beya. He started off with back-to-back Yushos in Jonokuchi and Jonidan, and reached sekitori in only 10 bashos getting there by winning the Makushita Yusho in March 2016. He would go on to add the Juryo Yusho to his achievements in November 2016, and the rest, as they say, is history.