September (Aki) Basho- offical thread (yay..)

[Tigerboy1966 1,476]

5 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

Shimpanbu recommending to the board that an extraordinary meeting be convened on the 30th, and that is when it will be officially confirmed.

That sounds like it's a done deal. They don't call this kind of meeting to announce that they're going to have a think about it and maybe set a target. Well done Shodai. He always had the skills and the physique, but now he has the fire in his belly to complete the set.

[Seiyashi 4,109]

11 minutes ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

That sounds like it's a done deal. They don't call this kind of meeting to announce that they're going to have a think about it and maybe set a target. Well done Shodai. He always had the skills and the physique, but now he has the fire in his belly to complete the set.

Yes, as far as I'm aware (and according to Herouth on Twitter), the board meeting is usually a formality. That said, the promotion is not confirmed and won't take place till after the meeting, so the saikeirei ceremony won't happen till Thursday at the earliest.

Edited September 27, 2020 by Seiyashi

[code_number3 708]

Shodai in 2016: bullied, powerless, and ridiculed

 

Shodai in 2020: look at me, i’m an ozeki now! Still dare to bully me?

[Sue 520]

And now I can say this with no trace of irony: congratulations to the next Ozeki, Shodai.

[Kashunowaka 300]

1 hour ago, Ichimawashi said:

Wikipedia says the Handel version is titled “See, The Conqu’ring Hero Comes” which seems rather appropriate for the occasion.

Of course! Didn't think of checking the original text, and I didn't read through the previous thread. Makes perfect sense (although it might be by accident). I'll try to stop thinking of that melody as a Christmas song.

[dada78641 884]

Shodai receiving the Prime Minister's Cup:

[pricklypomegranate 730]

1 hour ago, Amamaniac said:

I'm absolutely with you.  As an Enho fan, I am simply trying to defend the brave young man that dares to mix it up with literally giants.  When he took on Ichinojo, he was in essence taking on two men his size.  I couldn't help envision Ichinojo splitting into two opponents (both halves heavier than Enho, btw) and attacking a hapless Enho simultaneously.  But Enho proved that he could shock and awe even the biggest man in the Makuuchi ring.

As for Enho's poor record in the first half, I brought up the injury (back pain) issue earlier in this thread when many critics were suggesting that Enho was all figured out. I'd like to think that he will never be completely figured out.  Anyway, the evidence of acupuncture treatment disappeared in the second half, and so being pain free may well have allowed Enho to resume his old (exciting) sumo.

Agree. According to news reports, Hakuho and Miyagino oyakata told him to focus more on the offensive as his opponents were getting into his space. Hence, he focused more on the oshi attack. Enho and Hakuho are smart guys however. Miyagino oyakata isn't an idiot either. So I speculate that they figured it's just not working for him and asked him to revert back to his old sumo. His poor first half and better second half indicates that it isn't weight (he's always too light anyways) and not injury (which is suppose to worsen in the second half) but rather poor advice and tactics. 

46 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

I'm more curious to know - what do you think is the effect, if any, of Hakuho's prolonged convalescence this time round on Enho's performance? It feels like he is their primary coach and training partner, and with him laid up and at home resting, I don't think his deshi see very much of him.

Again, media reports of Hokuseiho mention that he gained words of encouragement from Hakuho in the heya's training dohyo on the morning of his yusho. Famously, Hakuho doesn't like staying at home when his kids or wife come home late or aren't home. So he probably stays in his heya more than the usual married rikishi. So I think he is in the heya often, just not in a position to train Enho. Also, it's not just Hakuho's sabbatical but also Ishiura's state as well. The sekitori training partners Enho has are poor representations of the rikishi he will be fighting in the first place and it probably meant that he had to train with Hokaho and the lower rankers. Hakuho, being the ever-scheming yokozuna  has probably realised this glut of pixies makes for poor training and thus was searching for bigger deshi (i.e. Toma, Senho and Hokuseiho) to balance his portfolio. 6-9, especially with the aforementioned poor advice, I think is a fair result for Enho. I agree with others that once the crowds come back (and if he doesn't lose all his fans by then) and degeiko is allowed (albeit limited this time) Enho will go back to his usual self. Unlike Ishiura, I think Enho is more talented and I certainly don't think he's a Juryo-Makuuchi elevator kind of rikishi (sorry Ishiura fans). I don't think it's a huge loss and he'll at worst end up M12 next basho. 

A little snooping can do wonders... 

[Tochinofuji 387]

5 hours ago, Kaninoyama said:

Interesting. The corridor walls where rikishi wait before heading out into the arena are lined with signs reading: shiko and teppo strictly forbidden. 

Isn't it enough to just tell the rikishi not to do it?

I don't know, they keep telling rikishi and oyakata not to haze people or bring down other scandals on the sumo world, to little effect. Cauliflower ears can make it hard to hear!

That, and I imagine it's a coronavirus reduction measure (the effectiveness of which I can't comment on). For an organization like the NSK, it's important for PR that they be seen to be taking protective steps. No one would notice the wrestlers simply not doing shiko or teppo. But at least one eagle-eyed viewer noticed that the Kyokai was specifically telling the boys not to run in the hallways... 

[lackmaker 439]

.....plus no bombing, petting or diving in the shallow end.

[hakutorizakura 643]

2 hours ago, Amamaniac said:

Did anyone see the photoboomher during Shodai's awards ceremony?  There was a husky guy in the masuseki holding a large sheet with the shikona Aoikiyama (i.e., the ring name of current ringside judge Edagawa oyakata).  Not sure what that was all about.  Frankly, I found it to be in rather poor taste, since this was Shodai's big moment, and those watching the ceremony should have been focusing on his new-found glory...

Maybe he's just trying to suggest a new shikona for him... 

 

36 minutes ago, code_number3 said:

Shodai in 2016: bullied, powerless, and ridiculed

 

Shodai in 2020: look at me, i’m an ozeki now! Still dare to bully me?

I wanted to like this but out of reacts. The oft-ridiculed punching-bag rikishi has now found glory!

[Benevolance 2,511]

That was actually good poise by Shodai with a lot on the line. Congrats to him. 

But still, Tobizaru? Gotta like this guy.

[dada78641 884]

Here's two more photos I wanted to post, even though they're from day 14. This is Chiyonokuni focusing before his match to clinch the Juryo yusho:

And here's the moment he did so:

The reason why I like this photo is because they let Tanigawa-oyakata (former Hokutoriki, on the left) from Kokonoe sit ringside that day so he could see his stable's wrestler win the yusho.

[The Fat Cyclist 32]

1 hour ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

Guilty pleasure of the the day was Chiyoshoma vs Nishikifuji in juryo. Chiyoshoma eschewed normal tactics and just smacked the kid around the head over and over again until he got dizzy enough to throw. Nasty, cynical, brutal sumo from a man whose hobbies allegedly include biting the heads off kittens. I enjoyed it enormously.

I just watched that because of your comment. Ouch!!!

[Yamanashi 3,917]

6 hours ago, Kaninoyama said:

Interesting. The corridor walls where rikishi wait before heading out into the arena are lined with signs reading: shiko and teppo strictly forbidden. 

Isn't it enough to just tell the rikishi not to do it?

It reminds me of the signs on walls in the U.S.: "No Loitering".  Of course, only loiterers will be hanging around long enough to read the sign.

[Yamanashi 3,917]

4 hours ago, RabidJohn said:

Happy to see Hoshoryu scrape a senshuraku KK. Dude's got a lot to learn and some bulk to build, but he's got potential.

Bout of the day for me, though, was another senshuraku KK decider: Kotoeko-Takarafuji. Stunning win for the little guy.

To paraphrase The Princess Bride: "Never go in against a Mongolian when kachi-koshi is on the line."

Kotoeko-Takarafuji: I love both those guys; I wish there were a special torinaoshi where both combatants get a win.

[Yamanashi 3,917]

4 hours ago, Eikokurai said:

I’m just catching up on the bouts I missed now. Ikioi-Shohozan just looked like a veterans bout from a jungyo. Very sad. And what was that flop at the end by Ikioi? Did he think he was playing football?

My thoughts exactly. Maybe they're prepping for Oldboy Sumo 2022: Kasugayama (Ikioi) vs Naruto (Kotooshu) and Furiwake (Shohozsan) vs Ajigawa (Aminishiki).

[Akōgyokuseki 228]

3 hours ago, Amamaniac said:

Did anyone see the photoboomher during Shodai's awards ceremony?  There was a husky guy in the masuseki holding a large sheet with the shikona Aoikiyama (i.e., the ring name of current ringside judge Edagawa oyakata).  Not sure what that was all about.  Frankly, I found it to be in rather poor taste, since this was Shodai's big moment, and those watching the ceremony should have been focusing on his new-found glory...

......*Quietly puts away Tomonohana towel*.

Congratulations Shodai/Shoudai!!!

[Akinomaki 40,866]

Tokitsukaze-oyakata is said to get special permission to come out of house arrest and attend the ozeki promotion messenger ceremony for Shodai on Wednesday, after the rijikai has formally decided on the promotion in the morning http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/20200927/sum20092720520018-n1.html

- and on the penalty for the shisho: the messengers maybe tell him that afterwards.

[Sakura 1,500]

9 hours ago, specialweek 2 said:

I believe he meant Takanosho, error.

That makes sense. I like Takanosho more than his Ozeki stablemate, but I can't think of a special prize that would have been appropriate this time around.

[WAKATAKE 2,677]

Shōdai at 28 years and ten months was nowhere near the top 10 for oldest first yusho, but should his promotion be official, he will become the 7th oldest promotion to the rank of ozeki. The people he’ll bump down? Goeido for instance, and Kaio will no longer be on the list

[Ender Wiggin 43]

4 hours ago, code_number3 said:

Shodai in 2016: bullied, powerless, and ridiculed

 

Shodai in 2020: look at me, i’m an ozeki now! Still dare to bully me?

This reminds me of how he used to be the punching bag of the OBC/joi during jungyo. But now with the dissolution of the OBC and with most of the longtime joi/makuuchi members retired or fading fast, he's finally stepping up and fulfilling Moti's prophecy. No more food truck camping for this future ozeki.

[Kaninoyama 1,818]

4 hours ago, hakutorizakura said:

Maybe he's just trying to suggest a new shikona for him... 

 

I wanted to like this but out of reacts. The oft-ridiculed punching-bag rikishi has now found glory!

What inspired that sort of treatment? In interviews he always seems like the most mellow, affable guy. 

[Highway 46]

Congrats to Shodai, well deserved. Again I think his composure this basho has really been improved, he withstood some big charges where he could have been in trouble. 

What an effort though by Tobizaru, as everyone says, he will be a name to remember.

No Yokozuna, maybe the sunset is setting on some legendary careers, but once again we have an exciting ozeki collection.

[WAKATAKE 2,677]

For the second time in the Reiwa era, the Juryo yusho score is higher than the Makuuchi score (Chiyonokuni 14-1 vs Shodai 13-2). The first time it happened was the first basho of the era (Takagenji 13-2, Asanoyama 12-3)

[sahaven111 186]

Uncle Asashoryu gets somewhat of a birthday president in Hoshoryu's Kachi-koshi. I'm sure he won't be happy with it...