This IS the July 2020 Basho thread!! Spoilers!!

[dada78641 884]

Enho dashing right past everyone because he has to be back in time for Hakuho's dohyo-iri.

 

[Eikokurai 3,433]

Okay, just seen the bouts and I agree with Kintamayama that those decisions were bullshit. Or was it bollocks? Bullshit and bollocks. No need for a rematch in the Asanoyama bout and a clear win for Enho too. Fortunately justice was served in the former case but Enho got screwed. He was clearly initiating a move while defending his position inside the tawara. 

Bizarrely, the one bout which arguably did deserve a redo – Daieisho and Hokutofuji – was allowed to stand. Very poor day at the office for the shimpan. They should all work remotely from now on.

[Atenzan 1,074]

At this rate we'll never see a new tate-gyoji... 

[Morty 1,479]

Ooof, that Kotoshogiku-Tamawashi bout was brutal - about six headbutts, both of them going for it. The way it finished, right after the last of the full contact head clashes, made me think Giku rang Tamawashi's bell a bit. Watching it in slow motion made me wince, a lot. Tamawashi likes to use the head as a weapon but he  met his match today.

[hakutorizakura 582]

Monoii day  Happy for Teru for his KK -- welcome back! Hakuho wanted to hug a gyoji after the bout like he often does, but that was a bit... rough 

[Kintamayama 44,250]

1 hour ago, Kaito said:

Enho gripped Takakeisho's mawashi and pulled him past, then had his foot still planted on the tawara after Takakeisho was airborne in an unrecoverable position. So who was really the dead body?

EXACTLY!!

[Yamanashi 3,687]

1 hour ago, Kaito said:

Enho gripped Takakeisho's mawashi and pulled him past, then had his foot still planted on the tawara after Takakeisho was airborne in an unrecoverable position. So who was really the dead body?

He should demand a writ of habeas corpus.

[Amamaniac 2,078]

4 hours ago, robnplunder said:

4 hours ago, Eikokurai said:

Uh oh. Mitakeumi’s week-two collapse has begun.

Even Abi would have beaten Mitakeumi ...

Speaking of Abi, he is an idiot!   Abi damned.

What no one is pointing out is that Mitakeumi's "collapse" started on the heels of a fusensho (c/o Abi).  Time and time again, wrestlers' lose their rhythm when they don't have to fight on a given day.  Perhaps it's just a case of that phenomenon being more noticeable when you have someone in the yusho race just fall apart the way Mitakeumi appears to be doing.

So, I'm not sure if you meant it in the same way, but yeah, "Abi damned" or perhaps "Damn you, Abi"?

That said, if Mitakeumi were ready for promotion to Ozeki, then he would have won his last two bouts...

Edited July 27, 2020 by Amamaniac

[Eikokurai 3,433]

18 minutes ago, Amamaniac said:

What no one is pointing out is that Mitakeumi's "collapse" started on the heels of a fusensho (c/o Abi).  Time and time again, wrestlers' lose their rhythm when they don't have to fight on a given day.  Perhaps it's just a case of that phenomenon being more noticeable when you have someone in the yusho race just fall apart the way Mitakeumi appears to be doing.

So, I'm not sure if you meant it in the same way, but yeah, "Abi damned" or perhaps "Damn you, Abi"?

That said, if Mitakeumi were ready for promotion to Ozeki, then he would have won his last two bouts...

It’s an interesting theory and there may be merit to it, though most of Mitakeumi’s famed week two declines haven’t involved a fusensho.

http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=12210

Edited July 27, 2020 by Eikokurai

[Akinomaki 39,546]

37 minutes ago, Amamaniac said:

What no one is pointing out is that Mitakeumi's "collapse" started on the heels of a fusensho (c/o Abi).  Time and time again, wrestlers' lose their rhythm when they don't have to fight on a given day.  Perhaps it's just a case of that phenomenon being more noticeable when you have someone in the yusho race just fall apart the way Mitakeumi appears to be doing.

Waka yesterday before the bout said that a day off wouldn't matter much for Mitakeumi, because he loves short bouts and doesn't train much. Shodai on the other hand likes long bouts and would have had problems after a fusensho.

At least so far Waka is not way off with his Hakuho prediction

[RabidJohn 1,634]

Kotoshogiku's new, knee-saving tachi-ai style is interesting. Seems to be producing the goods for him too, and he's not usually the winner of marathons like today's bout, is he? Life in the old dog yet...

Kotoshoho looked might relieved to end his losing streak at 2. Messy, but a win's a win.

Awesome defensive sumo from Tokushoryu today. He seems to have found a bit of spirit lately.

Another notable scalp for Kiribayama today. Even if he MKs from here, he's not disgraced himself at his career high rank. Mitakeumi being Mitakeumi again...

Was it Dodgy Mono-ii Decision Day in Japan today? Gunbai-dori that should have been tori-naoshi and vice versa, and one that should probably have been sashi-chigae. At least Asanoyama got the chance to demonstrate a more decisive win...

I noticed Hakuho deliberately using the ringside gyoji to reduce his momentum, but he still seemed to fall awkwardly. Hope he's ok.

Edited July 27, 2020 by RabidJohn

[Akinomaki 39,546]

2 hours ago, Eikokurai said:

Bizarrely, the one bout which arguably did deserve a redo – Daieisho and Hokutofuji – was allowed to stand. Very poor day at the office for the shimpan. They should all work remotely from now on.

It may look a bit suspicious that Okinoumi and Hokutofuji are from the heya of the riji-cho ...

Takadagawa was head shimpan - maybe he has still aftereffects from Corona. Unfortunately the best head shimpan they had, Fujishima, was removed from duty at the dohyo

On 25/03/2020 at 18:34, Kintamayama said:

More posts- Fujishima and Hanakago will be deputies of the judging department and will be in charge of torikumi and banzuke making , but will not do actual dohyo-side shinpan duties. 

[Dapeng 232]

4 hours ago, Eikokurai said:

Because I demand it. I want to see some serious display of Yokozuna hinkaku.

If they meet 14 to 14 on day 15, people will want to see more such significant bout. If Hakuho retires for no other reason except losing such a match, it's not hinkaku but exactly the opposite. 

[Eikokurai 3,433]

21 minutes ago, Dapeng said:

If they meet 14 to 14 on day 15, people will want to see more such significant bout. If Hakuho retires for no other reason except losing such a match, it's not hinkaku but exactly the opposite. 

I think you and the other guy have missed the point (not that it was said in much seriousness). In days of yore, Yokozuna would retire once they started losing to their junior rivals. Stepping aside when you realized you were top dog no longer was a dignified act. One has to ‘pass the baton’ at some point and I have a feeling too that Hakuho only wants to leave sumo when he feels the sport is in good hands. He has spoken of Asanoyama as the future of sumo and his successor, so in the glorious tradition of sumo, if and when he loses a key bout to Asanoyama, he should do as the Emperor recently did and abdicate the throne. 

[RabidJohn 1,634]

Last one I remember who did that

45 minutes ago, Eikokurai said:

In days of yore, Yokozuna would retire once they started losing to their junior rivals. 

The last yokozuna I remember who did that was Chiyonofuji, and it was preceded by a pre-bout announcement that if he lost to the up-and-coming Takahanada (later Takanohana) he would retire. He lost and went intai on day 3.

That is a world away from, say, being in contention with a 14-0 record on senshuraku then losing to a new ozeki. 

[Kashunowaka 300]

14 minutes ago, RabidJohn said:

The last yokozuna I remember who did that was Chiyonofuji, and it was preceded by a pre-bout announcement that if he lost to the up-and-coming Takahanada (later Takanohana) he would retire. He lost and went intai on day 3.

Let's not forget Takatoriki though, who was the last man to defeat Chiyonofuji. The yokozuna lost to Takahanada on day 1, so apparently he needed a few extra days of sumo to think things over. On day 3 he lost to Takatoriki and then resigned.

[Amamaniac 2,078]

2 hours ago, Eikokurai said:

It’s an interesting theory and there may be merit to it, though most of Mitakeumi’s famed week two declines haven’t involved a fusensho.

http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=12210

What Mitakeumi's record also shows is that he has lost four out of five times after receiving a fusensho.

Of course, there are numerous factors in determining a wrestler's performance, and in some cases, it would appear that a fusensho is one of those factors.  That is the beauty of oozumo!  

[Dapeng 232]

56 minutes ago, Eikokurai said:

I think you and the other guy have missed the point (not that it was said in much seriousness). In days of yore, Yokozuna would retire once they started losing to their junior rivals. Stepping aside when you realized you were top dog no longer was a dignified act. One has to ‘pass the baton’ at some point and I have a feeling too that Hakuho only wants to leave sumo when he feels the sport is in good hands. He has spoken of Asanoyama as the future of sumo and his successor, so in the glorious tradition of sumo, if and when he loses a key bout to Asanoyama, he should do as the Emperor recently did and abdicate the throne. 

As Rabid just said, Chyunofuji retired when he saw a youngster coming up to replace him, however, he was already unable to yusho. Otherwise he would have kept going on for 1 more yusho.

Asanoyama will be the next yokozuna (probably before the Tokyo Olympic) for sure. After one or two years, he may reach the strength of the current day Hakuho and the latter will hang up his mawashi.

[Benevolance 2,462]

Anyone know if Hakuho at least return the ringside gyoji's wallet after he mugged him?

[Dapeng 232]

2 minutes ago, Amamaniac said:

What Mitakeumi's record also shows is that he has lost four out of five times after receiving a fusensho.

Of course, there are numerous factors in determining a wrestler's performance, and in some cases, it would appear that a fusensho is one of those factors.  That is the beauty of oozumo!  

Seems Hakuho never yusho-ed after he received a fusensho.

[Akinomaki 39,546]

9 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

When was the last hansoku loss for holding and "breaking" (over-bending) the finger(s) of the opponent?

The conference result explanation was that there was suspicion of Hakuyozan doing that to Tobizaru, as cause for the mono-ii - he didn't.

o o

Nikkan says it is the first time ever a mono-ii was called for that

[Amamaniac 2,078]

32 minutes ago, Dapeng said:

Seems Hakuho never yusho-ed after he received a fusensho.

Hopefully, that won't happen if Takakeisho decides to withdraw on senshuraku, when the two highest-ranked men on the banzuke will presumably meet (...or not). 

[Amamaniac 2,078]

40 minutes ago, Benevolance said:

Anyone know if Hakuho at least return the ringside gyoji's wallet after he mugged him?

I seriously doubt it.  Hakuho suspects Yodo of skimming off the kensho stacks with a nifty slight of hand.

[Jakusotsu 5,742]

1 hour ago, Dapeng said:

Seems Hakuho never yusho-ed after he received a fusensho.

Nice catch!

[Joaoiyama 303]

Hokutofuji and his furious sumo style might be a serious threat to Hakuho today.