robnplunder 976 Posted January 21, 2019 33 minutes ago, Eikokurai said: I have no concerns about Takakeisho. Agreed. I'd thought by now, rikishi have figured out how to beat his one dimensional attack. But that has not been the case. Maybe, that attacking style will continue to be effective. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jabbamaru 167 Posted January 21, 2019 Hak is with that "dont you f* dare to stay between me and the cup" attitude, once again. I dont know the kind of pressure he can put on the boys in the backstage but seems like they all mount the dohyo against him already in defeat. Little Sato is a real wanpaku so thats a bout im waiting for. ...Other interesting bout will be the ozeki showdown... Ps* i dont care for empresses, i don't care for kings, i dont care for princesses i dont care for queens (kampai to the Bolsheviks and the jacobins...) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amamaniac 2,079 Posted January 21, 2019 56 minutes ago, robnplunder said: Ozeki Kadoban watch: Tochinoshin - kadoban Takayasu (4-5) - highly likely as he looks fighting injured and it's not getting any better. Goedio (3-6) - he needs a miracle to stave off kadoban Begs the question: What is the record number of kadoban Ozeki coming out of one tournament? Could this be it? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amamaniac 2,079 Posted January 21, 2019 5 minutes ago, robnplunder said: I'd thought by now, rikishi have figured out how to beat his one dimensional attack. But that has not been the case. Maybe, that attacking style will continue to be effective. Mitakeumi, for one, seems to have figured out how to neutralise Takakeisho's sumo. (But then, he went kyujo. Sigh...) Something tells me, Hakuho knows how to handle Takakeisho too, but they have yet to fight in the current tournament! Too bad, they can save that match up until the senshuraku! With the "sumo makes no sense" system sweeping across the dohyo this basho, it wouldn't surprise me if Takakeisho manages a freak upset win (I know, it's highly unlikely). It probably would not cost Hakuho his 42nd championship, but it would go a long way to sealing Ozeki promotion for Takakeisho. How "wacky" would that be? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yatagarasu 352 Posted January 21, 2019 HATTORIZAKURAAAAAAA! This bout the other day was fantastic. I'd thought it a shame he didn't win it, so I'm very happy for him today. Also, very looking forward to Ura v Hoshoryuu tomorrow. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Morty 1,505 Posted January 21, 2019 Chiyotairyu busts out one of the best henkas I've ever seen. Laughed my head off Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Otokonoyama 2,735 Posted January 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Eikokurai said: The wheels seem to have come off for Hokutofuji and Nishikigi. Both started superbly but are now on mini losing streaks (ignoring the two freebies for Hokutofuji). They say that not every rikishi welcomes fusensho. When they're on a hot streak it can throw them out of sync. I'd think that's especially true of back-to-back days off. Some good luck turning into bad luck. Whatever it is, HTF has lost his mojo (for now). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BroadMeadow 43 Posted January 21, 2019 2 hours ago, Eikokurai said: The wheels seem to have come off for Hokutofuji and Nishikigi. Both started superbly but are now on mini losing streaks (ignoring the two freebies for Hokutofuji). Haru basho is shaping up to be a real kadoban party. Nishikigi's start wasn't actually that great...it only appeared to be so at the time. Beating 2 ozeki and 2 yokozuna sounds incredible. But Kise has retired, Kak withdrew, Tochi withdrew, and Goiedo is doing Goiedo things. One day he may boast to his grandkids about his great 4-0 start: but hopefully they aren't too inquisitive! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yorikiried by fate 2,029 Posted January 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Jabbamaru said: Ps* i dont care for empresses, i don't care for kings, i dont care for princesses i dont care for queens (kampai to the Bolsheviks and the jacobins...) Who totally not at all turned out to be nobility in new clothes, pray? 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yorikiried by fate 2,029 Posted January 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Amamaniac said: Begs the question: What is the record number of kadoban Ozeki coming out of one tournament? Could this be it? It's three (as a result of this basho), albeit from a group of six active Ozeki. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Otokonoyama 2,735 Posted January 21, 2019 Former makuuchi fan fave Masunoyama clinched kachikoshi today. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amamaniac 2,079 Posted January 21, 2019 1 hour ago, BroadMeadow said: Nishikigi's start wasn't actually that great...it only appeared to be so at the time. Beating 2 ozeki and 2 yokozuna sounds incredible. But Kise has retired, Kak withdrew, Tochi withdrew, and Goiedo is doing Goiedo things. One day he may boast to his grandkids about his great 4-0 start: but hopefully they aren't too inquisitive! It is definitely one of those "on paper" issues. Yes, upsetting two Yokozunas and two Ozekis is quite impressive "on paper". No indeed, it's not all that special when you factor in how miserably the elite wrestlers have been fighting in this tournament. But in my mind, Nishikigi was actually doing some pretty fine sumo in those first four bouts, and really showed his potential. Unfortunately, he - like others - seems to have lost his edge. He is not quite ready to break into the Sanyaku. But that is not all that surprising given that he has only been in the Top Division for less than three years. P.S., All my Iwate (Iwate-nian?) friends are crazy about him. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yamanashi 3,903 Posted January 21, 2019 8 hours ago, robnplunder said: With all due respect to people who posted about Tenno in this thread, you do realize that this is an international forum where there are members who don't look kindly upon what Japanese Emperor family stood for until the end of WWII. Millions of people were killed in the name of Tenno. When Tenno appeared in this thread, I stayed away from posting cynical remark until your post above. You should read about the other side of what Japanese Emperor line stood for. Start with The Rape of Nanjing which some Japaneses still deny it happened. Read it. All. (Including Bix.) Sorry, you are mistaking the Heisei Emperor for the Showa Emperor. It would be difficult to put any nuance into a reply if we can't get past that. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amamaniac 2,079 Posted January 21, 2019 (edited) The "no call" (i.e., pass interference) in the Rams-Saints NFC Championship Game should remind everyone that professional sports officiating isn't perfect. We can all claim that the gyoji and shimpan in sumo get things wrong, but I have to say I have never seen something as blatant as what just happened in professional American football in sumo. Maybe, just maybe, the frequently-maligned gyoji and shimpan aren't doing such a bad job after all. Edited January 21, 2019 by Amamaniac 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jakusotsu 6,049 Posted January 21, 2019 6 minutes ago, Yamanashi said: Read it. All. (Including Bix.) Sorry, you are mistaking the Heisei Emperor for the Showa Emperor. It would be difficult to put any nuance into a reply if we can't get past that. And that's about all there is to say for that matter. Please no further discussion about politics and the Emperor (moderator's request). (...too bad the old BBCode [mod] boxes don't work anymore...) 5 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rocks 1,809 Posted January 21, 2019 7 hours ago, robnplunder said: Aminishiki MK. I think this is it for him. Not at J3 I don't think. 1 more win and he's safe for one more basho. He'll stick around as long as there is a check. Takakaze on the other hand is 1-8 and lost to a Makushita crossover at J12. This could be it for him. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jakusotsu 6,049 Posted January 21, 2019 Sheesh. Fighting Enho is like trying to squish a mosquito with a hammer. Pretty annoying. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dwale 419 Posted January 21, 2019 4 hours ago, Amamaniac said: With the "sumo makes no sense" system sweeping across the dohyo this basho, it wouldn't surprise me if Takakeisho manages a freak upset win (I know, it's highly unlikely). That would be diabetes-level sweet. Not going to hold my breath, but no reason I can't hope. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amamaniac 2,079 Posted January 21, 2019 19 minutes ago, Dwale said: That would be diabetes-level sweet. Not going to hold my breath, but no reason I can't hope. Have your insulin ready, just in case. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Amamaniac 2,079 Posted January 21, 2019 I'm going into a funk. Early in this tournament, the Top Division matta-ed a lot. But in today's bouts, it didn't matta at all! Sorry... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Andreas21 188 Posted January 21, 2019 On 19/01/2019 at 16:53, Treblemaker said: There's not a great deal of charisma around these days, even with everyone healthy. Maybe that's the nature of the sport, but it makes me think of the absolute tension around bouts that featured Asashoryu or HF. There are no "characters" like Takamisakari anymore. No stare-downs, not a lot of excitement. Just two guys going up there - any two guys - going through the pre-fight motions, and then 4 seconds of grunting. (If that.) One of the reasons I took a couple of years off from watching the tournaments. I suggest this could have something to do with perspective. Sure, if you look for somebody like Asashoryu and Takamisakari you won't find one. But I suggest to have a closer look, and you may find Hakuho and Kotoyuki as reasonable replacements. Hakuho has developed over time and does a great deal of dirty tactics to intimidate the opponent (which compensates for the lack of power and the effect of injuries) before and after the bout. Try to come close and I will bite you! False Matta to show you how it feels to be off-balance. Kotoyuki has even been reprimanded several times for his pre-bout behaviour which Takamisakari has not achieved as far as I'm aware. So quite a character in this department as well. For "characters" I think for instance of Takakeisho. Has there ever been such a promising Rikishi so short and heavy at such a young age? What about Abi - such unconventional style of fighting - and so consistent in its application. Or lets take Ura - hilarious what he does - and he does (did) it good. Or isn't Hokutofuji quite a character? The perspective may change and in a few years we might think, oh ........., that was quite a character - we don't have something like this nowadays. 4 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yorikiried by fate 2,029 Posted January 21, 2019 Re: Charisma I think the worst lies behind us. Two or three years ago, I almost couldn't tell any of the recently arrived rank and filers apart (I was also not very interested, I admit). When I watch the bouts nowadays, I find myself having a favourite in every other bout, which means I recognize them. Shohozan and his attitude, Ryuden and Ikioi the warrior spirits, Abi longlegs, babyface Takarafuji who looks like my one-year old etc. I find enough sympathy projection space in the current crop. Admittedly. no-one has the flaming sword presence of Asashoryu, but that was quite unique anyway. Oh, and it definitely helped that Hakuho has become older. The times of near perfection dominance stiffled the charisma level of the whole division a bit IMHO. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gospodin 219 Posted January 21, 2019 5 hours ago, yorikiried by fate said: Admittedly. no-one has the flaming sword presence of Asashoryu, but that was quite unique anyway. Granted, but I am definitely not missing the Asashoryu who turned into some sort of heel in his later years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kintamayama 45,524 Posted January 21, 2019 It was always 'better back then". It never was. 7 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yorikiried by fate 2,029 Posted January 21, 2019 38 minutes ago, Gospodin said: Granted, but I am definitely not missing the Asashoryu who turned into some sort of heel in his later years. In my impression he never changed. The environment changed or maybe caught up after the initial shock. I miss him as the whole package. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
