Nagoya Basho 2021

[Amamaniac 2,078]

This tournament, the Ukranian Shishi is not faring all that well.  I had/have big hopes for him.  Unfortunately, he picked up his second loss of the tournament today against the Russian Roga.  

Shishi reminds me of a more confident Homarenishiki (the Canadian).  His fighting style is quite a bit different than that of his unofficial rival Hokuseiho.  But both youngsters are pretty tall (Shishi 191cm and Hokuseiho 200cm).  Hokuseiho's future is brighter thanks in part to Hakuho's backing.  

The questions in my mind are, is Shishi sekitori material? and will Hokuseiho surpass the success of stablemates Ishiura and Enho?  

[sumojoann 1,262]

1 hour ago, Kaninoyama said:

Usually not one to grumble about the quality of bashos, but this one is shaping up to be a snoozer. 

I've noticed from past basho that virtually every time, someone comments about how boring the basho is after just a few days.  And EVERY SINGLE TIME, in the end the basho turns out to be very exciting.  I believe this basho will be no exception.  The biggest excitement to me is anticipating a big showdown between Hakuho and Terunofuji.  Barring either one of them going kyujo, can you imagine how exciting that's going to be?!  Hakuho is looking stronger than I expected.  We may be watching him in the ring for the last time if he retires after this basho.  It would be great if he went out with a bang.  We should enjoy every moment and be grateful that we are alive during this historic time in sumo.  And how often do we get the privilege of witnessing the promotion of a new Yokozuna?  (I know I'm getting ahead of things and there's no guarantee).  However, if Terunofuji keeps up his incredible performance, this will be his destiny.  And if he wins the Yusho & his promotion is assured, we can look back and remember his miraculous Cinderella story, another historic moment in sumo.  Right now, there are only 2 top contenders but there are still 9 days left and if we look back at previous basho, we can see that rikishi's fortunes can change in the blink of an eye.  That's a big part of what makes sumo so exciting and what keeps me on the edge of my seat for the entire 15 days.

[RabidJohn 1,715]

5 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

An alternative to guessing would be clicking the links to their respective basho records that were helpfully included in the table.

I so want an 'Oof!' reaction emote for posts like this.
Dry AF, Pierre - love it!

---

I'm a Brit who likes ozumo in a weebish kind of way simply because it's Japanese, but I've got no vested interest in the nationality of the participants. As long as I'm seeing good sumo, I'm happy, no matter where the rikishi were born. 
I'm happy with what I'm watching this basho.

The GOAT is back and putting on a good show for what is likely to be his swansong. 
His successor is on course to succeed.
That success may well involve a senshuraku yusho-decider between them.

Snoozer? Not from where I'm watching!

[Gospodin 187]

2 hours ago, Kaninoyama said:

Usually not one to grumble about the quality of bashos, but this one is shaping up to be a snoozer. 

Agreed, but for me watching Hakuho in perhaps his last hurray easily trumps everything else. Emotions, I know, but having followed that guy for 17 years makes every bout a special one. I know, I know, gai-jin mentality, but still…

Edited July 9, 2021 by Gospodin

[Koorifuu 913]

6 hours ago, Ichimawashi said:

leaving open the possibility of another 0-8 if there is a volunteer from the Banzuke-gai sickbay that the sumo equivalent of Dr. McCoy deems ready to face the walking wounded welcomer.

By banzuke-gai, I'm sure you mean any 0-0-6 jonokuchi - as bg rikishi are not taking part under any circumstance - and there is a pretty good candidate for a Ryuden bout.

Kagamio.

[Yamanashi 3,771]

Tsurugisho vs Kagayaki: that's the highest uwatenage I've seen.  It's like my Dad saying he won't bend down for anything less than a dime.

[Tigerboy1966 1,408]

Just a thought... Let's say Terunofuji gets the promotion and Hakuho stays around for one more basho. Teru wants Takarafuji as tachimochi and Terutsuyoshi as tsuyuharai. Hak however, would like Terutsuyoshi to carry the sword and Ishiura to sweep the dew. Who would get first call on the little salt-slinger's services? Would the lad himself get to choose? Could he do double duty?

On second thoughts it probably won't be that interesting as Kaisei would get the call up to assist the great one.

Edited July 9, 2021 by Tigerboy1966
copy edit

[Tigerboy1966 1,408]

7 hours ago, Koorifuu said:

14 hours ago, Ichimawashi said:

leaving open the possibility of another 0-8 if there is a volunteer from the Banzuke-gai sickbay that the sumo equivalent of Dr. McCoy deems ready to face the walking wounded welcomer.

By banzuke-gai, I'm sure you mean any 0-0-6 jonokuchi - as bg rikishi are not taking part under any circumstance - and there is a pretty good candidate for a Ryuden bout.

Kagamio.

Oh dear lord no! Kagamio could knock Shonanzakura off the dohyo with a hard stare. Is there a kimarite for that?

[robnplunder 975]

10 hours ago, Amamaniac said:

Finally able to watch a live stream (i.e., Abema TV) and was treated to Gagamaru as the guest commentator.  He was a breathless breath of fresh air!  He is known for being talkative, not to mention fluent in Japanese.  I just found his voice to be very calming and there was never a moment of dead air time with him.

It was nice to see that he has managed to drop a significant amount of weight.  And he showed up super casual: (1) jeans, (2) short-sleeved shirt, (3) non-flashy watch, and (4) hair in a bun rather than a mage.  

Overall, he gave me a California surfer vibe!  He is such a happy and positive person.  Despite the fact that he was wearing a mask, I couldn't help but feel that the pandemic was over and that things were back to normal.  I thank him for that.

Wow!  Gagamaru always struck me as one of those guys who is always pissed off at the world.  Thanks for your take on him, going ga ga over the dude.

 

The little dudes (Midorifuji, Enho, Ura) are struggling a bit in this basho. 

This looks like another Yusho basho for Terunofuji unless the old GOAT has a different plan.

[Benevolance 2,482]

Morgan Freeman voice over: Hakuho did, in fact, have other plans...

[Amamaniac 2,078]

10 hours ago, bookkeeper said:

hey guys what's the current understanding for how hair pulls are called, and have there been any changes to the rule recently (past 2 years or so)? i've been seeing a lot of comments about hair pulls this basho (maybe because of what happened with teru last basho) and wanted to know what the real score was. thanks :)

A little surprised that no one on this forum has commented on bookkeeper's post.  While he doesn't come right out and say it, there was evidence of a hair pull by the distinguished Yokozuna Hakuho in his bout against Hokutofuji today.  The bout was over in a flash, but Nikkan Sports' cameras definitely caught Hakuho's hand grabbing Hokutofuji's hair.  

https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/photonews/photonews_nsInc_202107080000473-25.html

One look at Hokutofuji's hair after the bout would create suspicion.  But this was the final bout of the day (tick tock and all that) and there is an exciting storyline developing in this tournament which relies on Hakuho and Terunofuji staying next and neck.

Hakuho's attack was so quick that the grab was easily missed (by the ringside judges anyway).  Despite the hair pull not being part of the coup de grace, it did IMHO give Hakuho the advantage.  

Yokozuna hair pulls are one of the most disgraceful things in oozumo.  Asashoryu and Harumafuji both share the ignominy associated with that.  In both of those cases, one might argue that desperation got the better of them.  As his career in the ring is coming to a close, Hakuho seems more desperate than ever to win.  He's just lucky he didn't get caught on hansoku infraction!

Or perhaps I am simply seeing things...

[Asojima 2,873]

1 hour ago, Amamaniac said:

 

Or perhaps I am simply seeing things...

Touching is not pulling. 

[Asashosakari 18,954]

13 hours ago, Jakusotsu said:

I hope so, too. Just to deny him yet another yusho in Aki.

What if they rank him at M17?

[bookkeeper 4]

1 hour ago, Amamaniac said:

A little surprised that no one on this forum has commented on bookkeeper's post.  While he doesn't come right out and say it, there was evidence of a hair pull by the distinguished Yokozuna Hakuho in his bout against Hokutofuji today.  The bout was over in a flash, but Nikkan Sports' cameras definitely caught Hakuho's hand grabbing Hokutofuji's hair.  

https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/photonews/photonews_nsInc_202107080000473-25.html

One look at Hokutofuji's hair after the bout would create suspicion.  But this was the final bout of the day (tick tock and all that) and there is an exciting storyline developing in this tournament which relies on Hakuho and Terunofuji staying next and neck.

Hakuho's attack was so quick that the grab was easily missed (by the ringside judges anyway).  Despite the hair pull not being part of the coup de grace, it did IMHO give Hakuho the advantage.  

Yokozuna hair pulls are one of the most disgraceful things in oozumo.  Asashoryu and Harumafuji both share the ignominy associated with that.  In both of those cases, one might argue that desperation got the better of them.  As his career in the ring is coming to a close, Hakuho seems more desperate than ever to win.  He's just lucky he didn't get caught on hansoku infraction!

Or perhaps I am simply seeing things...

so this was definitely the bout that prompted the hair pulling comments i've seen around, and i was actually not very sure when i watched it but, wow is that photo damning. i'm very new to sumo so i'm unaware, but, does the NSK ever release statements clarifying how they adjudicate rules, and is there even any reason to believe they would do so this time around?

[Jakusotsu 5,866]

2 hours ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

Oh dear lord no! Kagamio could knock Shonanzakura off the dohyo with a hard stare. Is there a kimarite for that?

Shoo

[Kintamayama 44,635]

2 hours ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

Oh dear lord no! Kagamio could knock Shonanzakura off the dohyo with a hard stare. Is there a kimarite for that?

Niramiaigeri.

[Kaninoyama 1,711]

10 hours ago, Gospodin said:

Agreed, but for me watching Hakuho in perhaps his last hurray easily trumps everything else. Emotions, I know, but having followed that guy for 17 years makes every bout a special one. I know, I know, gai-jin mentality, but still…

You and sumojoann are correct of course. The basho needs to run its full course, and we've seen countless times that even when things seem like a done deal early on, the story can change in a hurry.

And I too am appreciating Hakuho and Terunofuji, neither who have been my personal favorites in the past: Hakuho because this may be his swan song; and Teru because he's looking every bit like a Yokozuna. 

Sorry for the moment of weakness. 

Edited July 9, 2021 by Kaninoyama

[Kaninoyama 1,711]

2 hours ago, robnplunder said:

Wow!  Gagamaru always struck me as one of those guys who is always pissed off at the world.  Thanks for your take on him, going ga ga over the dude.

 

The little dudes (Midorifuji, Enho, Ura) are struggling a bit in this basho. 

This looks like another Yusho basho for Terunofuji unless the old GOAT has a different plan.

Not at all. In his interviews he comes off as a happy-go-lucky guy who would love nothing more than to chat your head off for hours. Hope he can find a nice post-sumo niche somewhere because he really seems to love Japan and Japanese. 

[Kintamayama 44,635]

13 hours ago, Kaninoyama said:

Usually not one to grumble about the quality of bashos, but this one is shaping up to be a snoozer. 

As someone who has to watch all Makuuchi bouts while editing, I have to say that the first half of the day this basho so far is a snoozer indeed. I've been doing these for years, this one is exceptionally boring. Ura is someone else, Chiyonokuni is cautious, Enhou is in Juryo as is Shouhouzan, Tochinoshin is fading and trying to survive, Ishiura is quite conventional, Terutsuyoshi too busy perfecting his salt throwing - All the first half guys are really, really boring this basho. But as soon as we hit the second half, guys like Tobizaru, Houshouryuu, Ichinojou and the sanyaku more than make up for the yawning. It seems we have a lot of Outsukasas now, starting with Daiamami through Hidenoumi and Shimanoumi et al. Maybe great warriors, but  zzzzz.. I love them all, but Kaninoyama does have a point.

[Kintamayama 44,635]

19 hours ago, Kaninoyama said:

Not at all. In his interviews he comes off as a happy-go-lucky guy who would love nothing more than to chat your head off for hours. Hope he can find a nice post-sumo niche somewhere because he really seems to love Japan and Japanese. 

I remember his kinboshi interview which was frigging incredible-he was babbling like a 14 year old after his first kiss. 

Edited July 10, 2021 by Kintamayama

[Eikokurai 3,437]

14 minutes ago, Kintamayama said:

I remember his kinboshi interview which was frigging incredible-he was babbling like a 14 year old after his first kiss. Someone probably has it somewhere.

Boys start kissing real late in your part of the world! 

[Kintamayama 44,635]

10 minutes ago, Eikokurai said:

Boys start kissing real late in your part of the world! 

You didn't get it- boys that look like Gagamaru kiss at 14. Boys that look like me kiss at 7.

[since_94 650]

1 hour ago, Asojima said:

Touching is not pulling. 

Thread becomes risqué 

[Reonito 1,380]

1 hour ago, bookkeeper said:

does the NSK ever release statements clarifying how they adjudicate rules, and is there even any reason to believe they would do so this time around?

next you'll be asking if they explain perplexing banzuke rankings

[Eikokurai 3,437]

4 minutes ago, Kintamayama said:

You didn't get it- boys that look like Gagamaru kiss at 14. Boys that look like me kiss at 7.

Not in Georgia, I suspect.