Nagoya 2019 Discussion (here be spoilers)

[Rocks 1,807]

1 hour ago, Amamaniac said:

I was watching Enho's senshuraku NHK interview, and I could swear that he gets his eyebrows groomed!  Not that I have anything against the practice, but it does suggest a degree of vanity.  How many other rikishi/sekitori get their eyebrows done?  And does that sort of thing fall under the purview of Tokoyama?  LOL

It's all the TV appearances. The makeup artists do that. 

[Gospodin 187]

6 minutes ago, RPedro44 said:

I remember some Dejima. His yusho was one of the first basho i watched, but I don't remember him going eyes closed facing down at the tachiai hopping the other guy was still there.

Bad quality, but...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCOHOhLisEI

[luispereira 383]

5 minutes ago, Gospodin said:

Bad quality, but...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCOHOhLisEI

Bad quality SUMO, but...  

Fixed!

[Rocks 1,807]

5 minutes ago, Gospodin said:

Bad quality, but...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCOHOhLisEI

Another BS henka. A sekiwake pulling a henka on a 6-6 M6 when he already has his KK.  A real portrait in courage. 

[ALAKTORN 346]

3 hours ago, Rocks said:

Another BS henka. A sekiwake pulling a henka on a 6-6 M6 when he already has his KK.  A real portrait in courage. 

Looks to me like Dejima was doing BS at the tachiai. That’s one time I think henka is deserved, unlike with Kotoshōgiku.

I had a feeling Kakuryū was gonna win that bout but I still wanted Hakuhō to take it. Oh well.

[robnplunder 974]

10 hours ago, Eikokurai said:

Agreed. Okay, he didn’t face the toughest joi line-up of all time, but he can only fight the guys in front of him. 7-8 is a respectable record for an M1 debut no matter the circumstances, but especially coming off the back of yusho celebrations.

Agreed,  Asanoyama did well.   For that matter, any M1 or M2 who finishes no worse than 7-8 has done well, especially, if he was at his career highest rank.  Some fans may had higher expectation given his yusho but I still say that was one off.  

[Kaninoyama 1,694]

Why does Izutsu Stable only have three active wrestlers despite having Kakuryu in the house?  I would think that a stable with a Yokozuna present would be an appealing one to join?

[Koorifuu 886]

9 hours ago, robnplunder said:

Agreed,  Asanoyama did well.   For that matter, any M1 or M2 who finishes no worse than 7-8 has done well, especially, if he was at his career highest rank.  Some fans may had higher expectation given his yusho but I still say that was one off.  

7-8 is a very respectable score on paper for a joi debut, especially with two Ozeki wins. The thing is, those two wins against against ailing Goeido and Tochinoshin so there's still a few question marks... I personally consider Hokutofuji to have been doing much better.

[Jakusotsu 5,815]

1 hour ago, Koorifuu said:

7-8 is a very respectable score on paper for a joi debut, especially with two Ozeki wins. The thing is, those two wins against against ailing Goeido and Tochinoshin so there's still a few question marks... I personally consider Hokutofuji to have been doing much better.

Not only taking the number of wins into account but also the kind of losses, both Asanoyama and Hokutofuji lost twice against lower-ranked opponents, so they had similar success in that context.

[Andreas21 182]

On 21/07/2019 at 12:06, Qwerry said:

Abi and Endo for komusubi.

Hokutofuji, imho, just M1.

Mitakeumi S1E, Abi for S1W, Takakeisho for S2E!

Then Endo, Hokutofuji for Komusubi!

[Eikokurai 3,433]

1 hour ago, Koorifuu said:

7-8 is a very respectable score on paper for a joi debut, especially with two Ozeki wins. The thing is, those two wins against against ailing Goeido and Tochinoshin so there's still a few question marks... I personally consider Hokutofuji to have been doing much better.

I’m not sure how much Goeido was ailing on day one when Asanoyama beat him. He won his next two (and three of his next four) easily enough.  

[Nantonoyama 246]

17 hours ago, Faustonowaka said:

Because of the arrows. The are never given to a MK rikishi

?

Natsu 2019 Ichinojo (4-7-3) vs Myogiryu (6-8)
Kyushu 2018 Kagayaki (4-10) vs Ichinojo (6-8)

Only in the last 6 tournaments. In both cases sanyaku vs maegashira.
In both case an alternative with other sanyaku vs maegashira, both kachi-koshi, was available.

[Rainoyama 1,157]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9Q04oR-ZXg

It's in japanese but an interesting piece on Abi and especially his controversial henka win against Kotoshogiku on senshuraku. As some of the members of the forum mentioned before, although it's a completely legal, Abi dissapointed many fans with this move to say the least. The video explains how Abi's older brother who posted a tweet to congratulate Abi for his KK received loads of mean private messages to the point where Abi himself had to send a tweet asking to stop dragging his family into this and adress all the complaints to him directly... No tate mae on social media uh... The video ends with the footage of a 0-6 Abi back when he was still in Makushita, winning his last bout of the tournament with a straight oshi attack.

Abi's tweet, the responses to it are generaly  positive and encouraging to Abi which is good to see.

 

[nelimw 80]

That Endo v. Hokutofuji was the most exciting match that I've watched since I got into Sumo! The Kak v Hak match didn't disappoint either.... but Abi? It's official, I'm not a fan. I'm not sure why the fans love him so much. Can someone explain that? I just can't stand his windmill attack. 

[MrGrumpyGills 119]

I'm not a fan of his per se, but Abi is one of the young rikishi I'm following. He's likable, at least to me, and I think there's still potential to grow. While he can be overeager and has some balance issues, he also has a lot of energy and speed, and I usually enjoy watching his frantic bouts.

As for the henka he used against Kotoshōgiku, I don't mind it one bit, even though I usually can't stand henka'ing. However, this isn't the first time Kotoshōgiku lost an important match in this way (Haru 2017, vs. Terunofuji comes to mind) and yet he seemingly refuses to address this weakness and keeps rushing in blindly. So it was a perfectly fine way to win in my book.

Having said that, at first I was quite disappointed with the way this basho evolved, but that changed in the last few days, which were very entertaining. The yusho race was open until the last day and decided in an absolutely satisfying showdown between Hakuhō and Kakuryū. As for many, THE match of the basho for me was Endō vs. Hokutofuji. I don't even like Endō that much, but his balance and footwork are out of this world.

[ryafuji 807]

18 hours ago, Kaninoyama said:

Why does Izutsu Stable only have three active wrestlers despite having Kakuryu in the house?  I would think that a stable with a Yokozuna present would be an appealing one to join?

It's been a steady decline over a number of years. Back in the 1980s they had five in makuuchi simultaneously (Sakahoko, Terao, Kirishima, Jingaku and Sasshunada, since you ask). There doesn't seem to be much effort at recruitment - I remember an interview with Izutsu Oyakata in which he said it was difficult because "there are so many heya nowadays." 

[yorikiried by fate 1,989]

4 hours ago, nelimw said:

I'm not sure why the fans love him so much. Can someone explain that? I just can't stand his windmill attack. 

First of all, he's probably cute, as in not-just -another-random-fat-blob-with-a-rash. Secondly, his style can be seen as appealing. Everyone knows whats coming, nevertheless not many find the counter. That he is successful is even more surprising for the length of his legs. His shape is a bit like Miyabiyama after a hunger crisis.

I didn't like the henka either, mainly because Kotoshogiku had earned his wins and even lost a couple of 50/50s. On the other hand, I appreciate Abi's KK, because he has visibly hardened and improved, which was not necessarily to be expected.

[Benihana 1,901]

12 minutes ago, ryafuji said:

I remember an interview with Izutsu Oyakata in which he said it was difficult because "there are so many heya nowadays." 

Well, he could lower the number of heya by merging. He has 7 years 'til mandatory retirement. Kakuryu will be gone far earlier. If having a Yokozuna in your heya doesn't draw new talent, the 2 rikishi left won't do either. But when you can pay the bills...it's only 7 years, no stress...

[yorikiried by fate 1,989]

1 hour ago, MrGrumpyGills said:

As for many, THE match of the basho for me was Endō vs. Hokutofuji. I don't even like Endō that much, but his balance and footwork are out of this world.

Count me in on the match. Let's hope that Endo has finally overcome the suffocation he endured during the Next-Japanese-Hope-V14 hype. He is a very skilled guy, if he has the head free. Recently, he seems more clever and even hard-boiled. If he can keep this up, I wish him a long sanyaku stay.

[Tsuchinoninjin 1,249]

2 hours ago, ryafuji said:

It's been a steady decline over a number of years. Back in the 1980s they had five in makuuchi simultaneously (Sakahoko, Terao, Kirishima, Jingaku and Sasshunada, since you ask). There doesn't seem to be much effort at recruitment - I remember an interview with Izutsu Oyakata in which he said it was difficult because "there are so many heya nowadays." 

In May I only saw the outside of several heya, but Izutsu was the only one that looked visibly unkempt on the outside.

Had to explain to my SO the rikishi situation there.

[Asojima 2,870]

Does Izutsu oyakata actually own the kabu or is it still the property of Kitanofuji?

[Benihana 1,901]

19 minutes ago, Asojima said:

Does Izutsu oyakata actually own the kabu or is it still the property of Kitanofuji?

SumoDB says it's still Kitanofuji's

http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Kabu.aspx?kabu=27

[Sakura 1,472]

56 minutes ago, Benihana said:

SumoDB says it's still Kitanofuji's

http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Kabu.aspx?kabu=27

That's not how I read that. Under the DB, the blank owner slot on the right suggests that the Izutsu kabu is owned by the current holder.

Compare with the Kasugayama kabu owned by Ikioi.

http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Kabu.aspx?kabu=32

[Amamaniac 2,078]

Was re-watching Day 2 coverage on Live.ge and spotted a Georgian (?) beer commercial starring none other than our favourite Georgian Ozeki.  (see 2:15:45)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD-YYw6y8mQ

Everyone is entitled to their own conclusions...

 

[Kaninoyama 1,694]

1 hour ago, Tsuchinoninjin said:

In May I only saw the outside of several heya, but Izutsu was the only one that looked visibly unkempt on the outside.

Had to explain to my SO the rikishi situation there.

All the more impressive that Kakuryu was able to achieve the rank of Yokozuna despite belonging to such a small, indifferently run Heya.