Nagoya Basho 2021

[Seiyashi 4,071]

2 minutes ago, Jakusotsu said:

I think we know him very well, and the dream is finally over.

:cries into Enho supporter towel:

[WAKATAKE 2,631]

Enho will have a hard time even trying to get a kabu. Maybe trading places with Mainoumi to be Kitanofuji’s foil could be an option. Or he could become Araiso’s broadcast partner in the future 

[Benihana 1,901]

13 minutes ago, WAKATAKE said:

Enho will have a hard time even trying to get a kabu. Maybe trading places with Mainoumi to be Kitanofuji’s foil could be an option. Or he could become Araiso’s broadcast partner in the future 

Enho is a 26 year old university graduate. He will find a good job, if he decides to quit sumo.

[since_94 650]

Overheard in a therapy session in 2030:

Kagayaki: ”Sometimes, when I lie in bed at night,  I can still…I can still see it.“   [breaks down sobbing]

Therapist: “What you went through would have been difficult for anyone. Why don’t you tell me how your experience in Nagoya made you feel?”

Kagayaki: “You don’t understand. No one could possibly understand.”

Therapist: “I hear what you’re saying. Help me understand. I want to help you.”

Kagayaki: “You really want to know? I’ll tell you. It…had…I mean…there…were…HAIRS. ALL. OVER. IT.

Therapist: “Umm, we’re out of time. We’ll have to pick this up next week.”

 

[Kaninoyama 1,694]

6 minutes ago, Benihana said:

Enho is a 26 year old university graduate. He will find a good job, if he decides to quit sumo.

If he wanted to I think he could easily join Mainoumi and go the "tarento" route, as he has the looks and popularity to succeed on TV. 

[yohcun 393]

1 hour ago, since_94 said:

Overheard in a therapy session in 2030:

Kagayaki: ”Sometimes, when I lie in bed at night,  I can still…I can still see it.“   [breaks down sobbing]

Therapist: “What you went through would have been difficult for anyone. Why don’t you tell me how your experience in Nagoya made you feel?”

Kagayaki: “You don’t understand. No one could possibly understand.”

Therapist: “I hear what you’re saying. Help me understand. I want to help you.”

Kagayaki: “You really want to know? I’ll tell you. It…had…I mean…there…were…HAIRS. ALL. OVER. IT.

Therapist: “Umm, we’re out of time. We’ll have to pick this up next week.”

 

Except this is Kagayaki, so every line is delivered like

[since_94 650]

38 minutes ago, yohcun said:

Except this is Kagayaki, so every line is delivered like

Touché. 

Maybe a solitary teardrop rolling slowly down one cheek instead of sobbing? 

Sorry. I shouldn't have said "cheek"?

Wouldn't want to trigger Kagayaki anyone...

[Asashosakari 18,786]

8 hours ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

For Kotoeko, the phrase "banzuke luck" may be sounding somewhat ironic at the moment. I like Kotoeko, he's a man who lacks the natural bulk of a typical sekitori but has sculpted the body mass he was blessed with into a formidable physique. He's one of those sumo wrestlers, like Ishiura, who can take his t-shirt off at the beach without getting sniggers and moob comments. He took an awfully long time to grind his way up through the divisions: 4 years to reach makushita, another 3 to reach juryo and another 3 to get to maku'uchi.

He got to juryo at age 22, not sure how that qualifies as a protracted struggle to go up the rankings.

[Yamanashi 3,728]

3 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

He got to juryo at age 22, not sure how that qualifies as a protracted struggle to go up the rankings.

Yes, but he didn't stick in Juryo until 7/16, over 9 years after he entered.  Even 22 is no speed run when you start at 15.  For current Makuuchi, he's easily the slowest to reach and stick in Juryo -- even slowpokes Takanosho and Chiyoshoma only took 7 years.

[since_94 650]

Miyogiryu does NOT get the benefit of the “dead body rule” against Chiyonoo. Bad luck, and another frustrating example of the inconsistency of that rule’s application by Shimpan.

Chiyonokuni showing great aggression to handle a surging Hidenoumi.

Shohozan just doesn’t have the gas in the tank that he did when a few years younger. Time catches up to us all.

Tochinoshin worked hard for that one to avoid MK. Good stuff.

Tamawashi, the wily veteran, took care of Ichiyamamoto easily, showing the benefit of experience trumping youthful vigor.

Shimanoumi just refused to quit against Kotonowaka, who is on a hot streaks, and shimanoumi-ed out the win.

Ura really  turned a neat trick with that pivot and tsukuinage against Kiribayama. You could see him thinking about what to do when they were locked up. Technician at work. 

[Seiyashi 4,071]

9 minutes ago, since_94 said:

Shimanoumi just refused to quit against Kotonowaka, who is on a hot streaks, and shimanoumi-ed out the win.

With Kotonowaka's loss (and if both Hakuho and Terunofuji win, which they're likely to do) does this make this basho the first time where there are 2 co-leaders zensho and clear of the rest of the field by 3 win 

Edited July 14, 2021 by Seiyashi

[rhyen 1,809]

13 minutes ago, since_94 said:

Miyogiryu does NOT get the benefit of the “dead body rule” against Chiyonoo. Bad luck, and another frustrating example of the inconsistency of that rule’s application by Shimpan.

 

That is an utchari, isn’t it?

[Eikokurai 3,433]

Another Ozeki scalp for Hoshoryu. That’s 3 in 5 bouts now, including two wins over Shodai. This one gets him his KK.

http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Query_bout.aspx?show_form=0&shikona1=Hoshoryu &rank2=O

Edited July 14, 2021 by Eikokurai

[Seiyashi 4,071]

Did the forum go kyujo for a bit?

A not entirely unsuspected outcome for the last three bouts. The leaders stay unbeaten, opening a 3 point gap between themselves and the rest of the field, and Hoshoryu's looking like the next kanban rikishi. He'll probably not be promoted to sanyaku this basho, but a good result from M1-2 next basho might well do it.

[Eikokurai 3,433]

1 minute ago, Seiyashi said:

Did the forum go kyujo for a bit?

A not entirely unsuspected outcome for the last three bouts. The leaders stay unbeaten, opening a 3 point gap between themselves and the rest of the field, and Hoshoryu's looking like the next kanban rikishi. He'll probably not be promoted to sanyaku this basho, but a good result from M1-2 next basho might well do it.

I couldn’t get it to load up until a few minutes ago, yeah.

[Morty 1,480]

Utchari!!!!!! Big props to Chiyonoo for attempting, and pulling off, the most suicidal move in sumo. Love seeing that!

[Gaijingai 1,527]

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2021/07/14/sumo/sumo-hakuho-terunofuji/
John Gunning Article on top rivalries

[Asashosakari 18,786]

4 hours ago, Yamanashi said:

Yes, but he didn't stick in Juryo until 7/16, over 9 years after he entered.  Even 22 is no speed run when you start at 15.  For current Makuuchi, he's easily the slowest to reach and stick in Juryo -- even slowpokes Takanosho and Chiyoshoma only took 7 years.

Kotoeko was the 7th-youngest sekitori in his juryo debut basho. Even a year and a half later when he finally managed to stick in the paid ranks he was still the 12th-youngest. He was also the 12th-youngest in makuuchi on his debut there another two years on.

People really have some completely skewed ideas of what the typical rank-and-filer career progression looks like. Because yeah, talented kids who turn pro at age 15 don't shoot up the rankings the way talented guys who turn pro at age 22 do, and it makes no sense at all to just look at how many basho/years they need to get somewhere. Haven't we gone over this on this forum about two thousand times by now?

Edit: To put this together with the other, even more frequently seen, side of the coin: A mediocre collegiate guy going directly to mid-makushita with no setbacks is not an impressive ascent. A high caliber 15-year-old rookie taking four years to makushita and seven to become sekitori is not a Herculean struggle against all odds. They're both simply...normal.

Edited July 14, 2021 by Asashosakari

[Kujo 116]

22 minutes ago, Asashosakari said:

Edit: To put this together with the other, even more frequently seen, side of the coin: A mediocre collegiate guy going directly to mid-makushita with no setbacks is not an impressive ascent. A high caliber 15-year-old rookie taking four years to makushita and seven to become sekitori is not a Herculean struggle against all odds. They're both simply...normal.

There you go making sense again (I completely agree).

Kotoeko for me is like Takarafuji. You know what you are going to get in their matches. They show up every day and gambarize (thanks Moti), no matter what their record is.

 

51 minutes ago, Morty said:

Utchari!!!!!! Big props to Chiyonoo for attempting, and pulling off, the most suicidal move in sumo. Love seeing that!

Felt bad for Miyogiryu but that was a great move for Chiyonoo.

1 hour ago, Eikokurai said:

Another Ozeki scalp for Hoshoryu. That’s 3 in 5 bouts now, including two wins over Shodai. This one gets him his KK.

 As much as I like Shodai, Hoshoryu is looking really good.

[ryafuji 807]

3 hours ago, since_94 said:

Miyogiryu does NOT get the benefit of the “dead body rule” against Chiyonoo. Bad luck, and another frustrating example of the inconsistency of that rule’s application by Shimpan. 

Disagree completely, that was a perfectly executed utchari by Chiyonoo - nothing dead body about it. 

[Jakusotsu 5,815]

With another two wins tomorrow, Hakuho and Terunofuji can make sure on day 12 already that nobody else will win the yusho (barring any kyujo, and even then it's an uphill struggle for the pursuers). Can't remember having seen anything like that before.

Edit: Ok, there's at least one precedence: http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Results.aspx?b=201207&d=12

...and there are the only other instances:
http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Results.aspx?b=196403&d=12
http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Results.aspx?b=196307&d=12
http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Results.aspx?b=195905&d=12

Edited July 14, 2021 by Jakusotsu

[RabidJohn 1,665]

Some very entertaining sumo today from the bottom to the top of makuuchi. 

The highlight for me was, of course, that wonderfully suicidal utchari Chiyono managed to pull off. It was very close - close enough that I don't believe I'd have complained at a tori-naoshi call - but there was definitely no dead body about Chiyono. Sure, he was falling backwards, but while he was falling he picked up Myogiryu and twisted him to the left; i.e. Chiyono was in control.

[Seregost 130]

Enho will fight till the end, but I don't think he's in condition to do that. Finally people has figured him out, and now they can avoid his dodgin tachiai and keep him out of range. It's the only thing they need. If he gets your mawashi, then you can be in trouble, though. I'm sorry for Akua, seems a nice guy, and sometimes he has really great moves, but he's struggling too often. I'm glad too that Tohakuryuu is having a bad basho, I don't like his sumo at all, just going backwards everyday, pulling and trying to hatakikomi everyone. 

Chiyonoo's utchari was just beautiful, it's really entertaining to see this rescue techniques sometimes, and not just oshidashi, yorikiri and tsukiotoshi; although I like Kiribayama, I'm happy to see Ura picking another win. Chiyosoma goes back to straight forward sumo, and it pays off, and Hoshoryu is just really good with his leg trips, always disrupting Shodai's balance. Takayasu is having a lot of problems with this high mobility guys like Tobizaru and Wakatakakage, they are never in the same position to push them easily, and they are too fast and smart to give up their mawashi. But this basho, finally, he just was able to overcome both. Terunofuji and Hakuho, OTOH, just stay on their business, creating a nice hype for senshuraku. Maybe not the best basho, but for me there's enough good bouts to enjoy it.

[lackmaker 432]

Big surge from the mid ranked mongolians. Could be a large presence in the joi next time around. Must be a conspiracy right? 

[Benevolance 2,478]

It seems likely that Takayasu will secure his kachikoshi, which I think is impressive given that it seemed possible he'd miss the tournament entirely. It's feels unlikely that he'll beat either Hakuho or Terunofuji, though, so he's probably topping off at a maximum 9 wins. Don't think that'll help his re-promotion chances all that much, but I've liked his fighting spirit. 

Edited July 14, 2021 by Benevolance