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

[Amamaniac 2,079]

Watching the replay of the Shodai v. Terunofuji bout, one might argue that Terunofuji lost it by having a pretty bad tachiai (I don't think his hands even touched down) and that Shodai won it by a very smart right forearm drop to dislodge Terunofuji's left hand grip on his mawashi.  Terunofuji's success this tournament has been largely based on the strategy: get a mawashi grip, lock on for dear life, and go from there.  

Shodai showed great awareness and perhaps preparation in dealing with his opponent today.  Hat's off to him.

Edited August 1, 2020 by Amamaniac

[Gospodin 219]

20 minutes ago, Eikokurai said:

Well executed, but Terutsuyoshi is now far from my favorite rikishi, especially as he just said in his interview that he did it for Terunofuji. Not an attitude I admire.

What would you have done ?

Edited August 1, 2020 by Gospodin
no offense

[Seiyashi 4,108]

1 minute ago, Amamaniac said:

Watching the replay of the Shodai v. Terunofuji bout, one might argue that Terunofuji lost it by having a pretty bad tachiai (I don't think his hands even touch down) and that Shodai won it by a very smart right forearm drop to dislodge Terunofuji's left hand grip on his mawashi.  Terunofuji's success this tournament has been largely based on the strategy: get a mawashi grip, lock on for dear life, and go from there.  

Shodai showed great awareness and perhaps preparation in dealing with his opponent today.  Hat's off to him.

He must have watched Takayasu's bout against Terunofuji then. Somehow, I don't see Mitakeumi doing the same thing against Terunofuji though...

[robnplunder 976]

20 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

May even be a shukunsho, depending on tomorrow.

If Terunofuji beats Mitakeumi, the yusho is his.

Otherwise, it's a three-way playoff between him, Mitakeumi, and the winner of the Asanoyama - Shodai bout.

I am a big Mitakeumi fan so I am betting my farm on him.  Now, I just need to go get a farm.

[Benihana 1,937]

We need a perfect morozashi tomorrow.

Edited August 1, 2020 by Benihana

[Eikokurai 3,437]

4 minutes ago, Gospodin said:

What would you have done ?

Sidestepped the question in the interview.

[robnplunder 976]

5 minutes ago, Amamaniac said:

Watching the replay of the Shodai v. Terunofuji bout, one might argue that Terunofuji lost it by having a pretty bad tachiai (I don't think his hands even touched down) and that Shodai won it by a very smart right forearm drop to dislodge Terunofuji's left hand grip on his mawashi.  Terunofuji's success this tournament has been largely based on the strategy: get a mawashi grip, lock on for dear life, and go from there.  

Shodai showed great awareness and perhaps preparation in dealing with his opponent today.  Hat's off to him.

I believe this basho has been Shodai's best ever no matter what the last day brings.   

[Amamaniac 2,079]

40 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

He must have watched Takayasu's bout against Terunofuji then. Somehow, I don't see Mitakeumi doing the same thing against Terunofuji though...

I'm with you on that.  Mitakeumi is very spontaneous in his sumo.  I'm not convinced he does much analytical preparation.  That keeps his mind empty, which is a strategy too.  He'll try to attack quickly, and if that doesn't budge Terunofuji, he'll play the reactive game.  That is arguably his forte.  But if he let's Terunofuji get a solid left-hand grip, it'll likely be game over.

Edited August 1, 2020 by Amamaniac

[ScreechingOwl 343]

If Mitakeumi defeats Terunofuji tomorrow we will have a three-way playoff for the yusho (those two joined by the winner of Shodai v. Asanoyama). 

[Kishinoyama 596]

5 minutes ago, Eikokurai said:

Sidestepped the question in the interview.

Even if he was being honest with the answer? 

[Amamaniac 2,079]

1 hour ago, Kashunowaka said:

That was disappointing... Kudos to Terutsuysoshi though. Gino-sho awaits?

Perhaps, but without a final day win, I think it will be unlikely.  9-6 seems more Ginosho worthy.  The Sansho committee may make the Ginnosho conditional on a final-day win for Terutsuyoshi.  They seem to like that kind of thing.  Put a little extra pressure on the hopefuls, and saving money if the hopeful doesn't meet the condition.

But I admit that it would be quite interesting if they hand 8-6 Terutsuyoshi the Ginosho without any conditions.  That would indicate that his ashitori victory over the Shin Ozeki was worth extra credit.

 

Edited August 1, 2020 by Amamaniac

[Seiyashi 4,108]

Time to guess sansho?

I think one of the sekiwake, Terunofuji, Terutsuyoshi, Watatakakage, and Myogiryu are all in consideration for at least one each, depending on the results of tomorrow's bouts.

[Gospodin 219]

12 minutes ago, Eikokurai said:

Sidestepped the question in the interview.

I like Terutsuyoshi´s openness. He was also the first rikishi from Isegahama stable fighting an opponent from Takanohana stable after the Harumafuji incident. He showed the same attidude today - "No way I am going to lose"

Edited August 1, 2020 by Gospodin
editorial correction

[Morning 85]

13 minutes ago, Eikokurai said:

Sidestepped the question in the interview.

Henka the question about the henka. :)

I'm hoping for a three way playoff. More sumo.

[Eikokurai 3,437]

9 minutes ago, Kishinoyama said:

Even if he was being honest with the answer? 

Sure. (Though I assume you meant to ask if I was being honest with the answer.)

Edited August 1, 2020 by Eikokurai

[Jakusotsu 6,049]

Quite funny. Until day 9 Asanoyama was a shoo-in for becoming next yokozuna. Now he might not even be starting a tsuna-run.

[Seiyashi 4,108]

Just now, Jakusotsu said:

Quite funny. Until day 9 Asanoyama was a shoo-in for becoming next yokozuna. Now he might not even be starting a tsuna-run.

I was about to comment that he'd fallen out of focus completely. To be fair, he ran into two Isegahama opponents who had really good reasons not to let him win, and he needs to pray Mitakeumi will spoil Terunofuji's party and that he also beats Shodai.

But at this point, I think Shodai and Mitakeumi getting their ozeki runs well under way matter more than Asanoyama's own rope run. It's probably best for Asanoyama to step back and calm his nerves for a bit. If anything, he's shown that he's capable of coming back stronger every basho, so he should be a real treat to watch next round.

[hakutorizakura 643]

What a basho 

Hope everyone finish uninjured and here's hoping for a thrilling senshuraku!

*See, Shodai improved his tachiai 

[Gospodin 219]

2 minutes ago, Jakusotsu said:

Quite funny. Until day 9 Asanoyama was a shoo-in for becoming next yokozuna. Now he might not even be starting a tsuna-run.

I don´t think that has changed that much. He is still the strongest candidate at this point. The last few bouts just showed the holes in his game he has to work on.

[Seiyashi 4,108]

18 minutes ago, Gospodin said:

I don´t think that has changed that much. He is still the strongest candidate at this point. The last few bouts just showed the holes in his game he has to work on.

TLDR: Must win tomorrow and lose no more than 2 next basho.

It hasn't changed his status as "next yokozuna candidate", but it does make his promotion a lot less clearcut. The last ozeki to be promoted to yokozuna starting from an 11-4 non yusho/doten/junyusho was Tamanoumi in 1969 and before that Kashiwado in 1961; both were in the era of double ozeki promotions after a playoff. So if he loses to Shodai his hopes are as good as gone and he has to start from next basho. (Asashio did start with an 11-4 jun-yusho before Kashiwado, however)

If he beats Shodai tomorrow to be at least junyusho, he must virtually yusho next time with a good score to be guaranteed promotion. The last yokozuna promotion on a double jun-yusho was Onokuni and Futahaguro - Onokuni was promoted with a 13-2 junyusho while Futahaguro was promoted after a 14-1 junyusho-doten. And no yokozuna has ever been promoted with double 12-3s.

Basically, on a rope run, there's only so many bouts you can drop. Asanoyama's about reached the limit for this basho, and has therefore eaten into how many he can afford to drop next basho.

Edited August 1, 2020 by Seiyashi

[Amamaniac 2,079]

32 minutes ago, Jakusotsu said:

Quite funny. Until day 9 Asanoyama was a shoo-in for becoming next yokozuna. Now he might not even be starting a tsuna-run.

Funny, or ... sad?  I think a lot of people on the Forum (myself included) were excited about the prospect of a Shin Ozeki tsuna run.  There is definitely something of a crisis at the top of the banzuke, and Asanoyama seems to fit the bill for a new age.  Takakeisho sure does, IMHO.  The others are still playing sanyaku tag team.  Someone has to step up, before Hakuho passes the torch on.

Edited August 1, 2020 by Amamaniac

[Benihana 1,937]

Torikumi is out. I'm a Mitakeumi-fan and i never crossed my fingers so hard for him.

[Akinomaki 40,801]

1 hour ago, Eikokurai said:

Sidestepped the question in the interview.

After the news already had reported that he pledged to do it ?

It was what everybody expected of Terutsuyoshi and what is seen as the honorable thing to do (both doing it and saying it).

Edited August 1, 2020 by Akinomaki

[Morning 85]

I'm happy that Tochinoshin is at 9 wins. Hopefully, it'll become 10 tomorrow. At the beginning of the tournament I had worried that he would fail the kashi koshi by a margin.

[Kaninoyama 1,818]

Mitakeumi vs. Terunofuji and Shodai vs. Asanoyama in the final two matches tomorrow. 

A Mitakeumi win means a 3-way wrestle-off. 

It's shaping up to be an epic finish to an exciting basho.

 

 

Edited August 1, 2020 by Kaninoyama