Nagoya Basho 2021

[sumojoann 1,254]

WTF was Hakuho doing??!!  Very weird sumo! 

So happy for Yokozuna Terunofuji!!!  Congratulations!

[ViscountessNivlac 24]

2 minutes ago, Katooshu said:

As a Teru fan hoping for promotion, I cant feel comfortable until he wins the yusho (or was it already announced he'd get the rope with 14?)

14-0 vs 14-0 baby! Youngish beastly lion vs the wise old GOAT!

Sumo sumo sumo 

I don’t see how he can’t get it. It’s his highest ever score in Makuuchi and if he loses he loses to the greatest rikishi ever who’s just had close to a year off.

[Amamaniac 2,078]

2 hours ago, Eikokurai said:

Of course, whether someone actually gets one is always down to banzuke luck, but just on numbers alone 11 wins from J6 has got a rikishi into Makuuchi 18 times since 1958, including as recently as January this year.

http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Query.aspx?show_form=0&form1_rank=J6&form1_wins=11&form1_year=1958-2021&form2_m=on

Not to mention that he still has an opportunity to get 12 wins!  

#Red Bull gives you wings!

[pricklypomegranate 730]

What the hell was that from Hakuho? At first I thought he was disrespecting Shodai for such a terrible performance, but on second thought it might be the knees. He's trying to avoid tachiai and save himself for Terunofuji tomorrow? 

[Eikokurai 3,433]

1 minute ago, pricklypomegranate said:

He's trying to avoid tachiai and save himself for Terunofuji tomorrow? 

Shodai has no tachiai to speak of though. 

[Seiyashi 4,068]

2 minutes ago, pricklypomegranate said:

What the hell was that from Hakuho? At first I thought he was disrespecting Shodai for such a terrible performance, but on second thought it might be the knees. He's trying to avoid tachiai and save himself for Terunofuji tomorrow?

Most probably the knees. He was limping in the hanamichi. 

[Thorbjarn 214]

It really seemed he was mad at Shodai, damn, that was sinister. I can't see them not promoting Terunofuji. He clearly earned a Yusho equivalent. 

Edited July 17, 2021 by Thorbjarn

[Eikokurai 3,433]

I need to reschedule family life tomorrow so I can watch this finale.

[pricklypomegranate 730]

Whether it's his knees, or disapproval of Shodai, or maybe being bored and wanting to try something new, the result is quite clear. The rhythm of the match was completely disrupted - on a level never seen before. For Shodai, it must have been like being forced to dance to garbled or even nonexistent music. 

[MrGrumpyGills 114]

I'm going to root even harder for Terunofuji tomorrow to win after this level of BS from Hakuho. Sincerely hope he'll get promoted, he really earned it and it'd put the cherry on top of his epic comeback.

[rokudenashi 290]

Good win for Oho, who scalped a leader in the arasoi with Makuuchi experience.

At this point it seems Shohozan is trying to spin his wheels until next January, when Nishonoseki-oyakata is due to retire. Hopefully he can stick around in Juryo until then.

[Amamaniac 2,078]

The growing consensus that Hakuho is hiding knee troubles may well be on the mark.

But here is another viewpoint to consider.  Hakuho has in the past shown his penchant to mix things up and try new approaches ... to challenge himself because he is getting bored of the same old routine.  TBH, his tokudawara shikiri today was quite un-Yokozuna-like – but I don't think Hakuho really cares too much about that at this point.  

Hakuho did manage to get up quickly after rolling down of the ring, so I'm not sure how bad the situation is with his knees.  

And if his knees are acting up, today's bout could have been a practice run for him, since maybe he expects to fight Terunofuji "off the belt" tomorrow.  Fighting Teru on the belt would be a recipe for disaster I fear, since Teru definitely looks to be the stronger of the two.  And fighting on the belt for Hakuho would require all the knee strength he can muster...

Edited July 17, 2021 by Amamaniac

[Faustonowaka 108]

Edited July 17, 2021 by Faustonowaka

[Amamaniac 2,078]

6 minutes ago, MrGrumpyGills said:

I'm going to root even harder for Terunofuji tomorrow to win after this level of BS from Hakuho.

I sense someone is living up to his Forum name.   But you definitely make a solid point.  Cowardly set up and multiple harite slaps smelled a little foul indeed.

But as to the crouch at the tokudawara far back from the shikirisen line, could it be that Hakuho was trying to make a point about the BS that the refereeing staff has dished out in the recent past when Hakuho's stablemate, Enho, has tried the non-charging tachiai and the gyoji immediately call a matta on him.  Could Hakuho have been daring hapless Shikimori Inosuke to call a matta on a Yokozuna?!

Just a thought.

[pricklypomegranate 730]

Or... he could have been particularly intrigued and excited about Tobizaru's approach to him, and decided to try it out and see how he could improve it. Sounds crazy, but Hak's crazy. 

[Amamaniac 2,078]

2 hours ago, Jakusotsu said:

On 10/07/2021 at 09:06, Adil said:

Is Wakanosato the east side shimpan today? One of the things that I always find interesting is how the rikishi greet the oyakata before stepping onto the dohyo and the oyakata acknowledges their greeting with a nod. Today, Wakanosato didn't acknowledge a single greeting.

Same with Tochinonada.

Don't forget legally blind Takamisakari!  But perhaps he has an excuse...

[Amamaniac 2,078]

1 minute ago, pricklypomegranate said:

Or... he could have been particularly intrigued and excited about Tobizaru's approach to him, and decided to try it out and see how he could improve it. Sounds crazy, but Hak's crazy. 

Crazy good! 

[pricklypomegranate 730]

Eh... My review of his fight today was rather mixed, pointing towards negative. His tawara technique was much lower than it usually is. I think what would sway my opinion would be knowing the intention to that strange approach. Better pray he accepts his interview today so that he can explain himself. 

 

[nagora 88]

The link back to Tobi's fight shows the problem with allowing this sort of start - if both chose to start with their heels on the rope and just stand up and wait for the opponent, what happens?

I see the same problem in shogi from time to time, where two players are not keen to engage and the nature of piece swapping in the game can lead to very long, very dull games, especially if the kings have passed each other.

It's all well and good to say that attacking and defensive styles should be allowed, but I think the favour should always go to attacking and hiding in the front row of the crowd is a dubious practise IMO, even if you win in the end.

Edited July 17, 2021 by nagora

[Jyuunomori 226]

I honestly think that was just Hakuho giving some smelling salts to Shodai with those slaps. '''See, you can't even beat a guy who doesn't tachiai. Time to learn the entire sumo dictionary again, from alphabets, basics of the basics.''

 

Anyways. Will Terunofuji remain Terunofuji when he is given the rope? Glad to see him get it...since he always was gonna get it before the...delay...

Edited July 17, 2021 by Jyuunomori

[Kintamayama 44,220]

This was a clear message from Hakuhou to Terunofuji. "Expect the unexpected." Hakuhou is a mind-game master. At his status and at this point in his career in his "do or die" basho (hahaha for that..) he feels he can piss from the diving board. I don't believe his knee is in worse condition than it was at the beginning of the basho. He looks relaxed, maybe too relaxed. Doing what he did today at this stage of the basho demands a lot of cool.  I didn't notice any sort of limp after his bout, BTW. Watch him at his best tomorrow, and probably lose. Personally, I don't think he's a match for Terunofuji at present. You know what? I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't show up tomorrow, citing an injury.

Edited July 17, 2021 by Kintamayama

[Eikokurai 3,433]

28 minutes ago, Amamaniac said:

Don't forget legally blind Takamisakari!  But perhaps he has an excuse...

Not the best qualification in a ringside judge

[Kintamayama 44,220]

In all the ecitement, we cannot forget there is a Shoudai-Takayasu match-up with KK on the line for both-excellent ending to this basho, for sure.

[RabidJohn 1,630]

Anybody still believe Terunofuji needs to win again tomorrow to get the rope?

I don't believe I've ever seen a yokozuna dissing an ozeki like that before. It was strange to watch but I found it quite hilarious overall. 
I'm with Moti; Hakuho is a master of mind games and he was f***in' with a lot more heads than Shodai's there. 

I'm chuffed to bits that we're going to see another zensho yusho tomorrow. I'm going to be happy no matter who comes out on top, though I'm still slightly biased towards the GOAT. 

[sumojoann 1,254]

Here is the Hakuho vs Shodai bout again for those who might want to analyze it further. 

 

Edited July 17, 2021 by sumojoann