Seiyashi

Aki Basho 2021 - Discussion Thread (Spoilers!)

Recommended Posts

Great day 1 for me. 3/4 wins from the guys I’m following closely. Tochinoshin, Tobizaru, and Hoshoryu all had good wins. Only Endo let me down today.

I’m not so sure I believe Takakeisho’s pre-basho comments about being completely healed. Not a good start for a kadoban Ozeki. 

Down in Makushita, I’m really excited about Ishizaki and his potential. 

Edited by Shinobi Steve
Spelling

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You have to love the salt-rubbers at the Kyokai: "Yeah, Mitoryu, we're not promoting you to Makuuchi even though you deserve it, but we're going to send you up there on day one anyway. Enjoy."

Edited by Eikokurai
  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
6 hours ago, Seiyashi said:

Yeah, guess this isn't Takayasu's basho.

Of the four top guys with question marks (Takayasu, Mitakeumi, Takakeisho, Shodai), only Mitakeumi looked like he had an answer. Still, until the end of day 3, it's too early to draw conclusions.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
8 hours ago, Seiyashi said:

Wow, an uncharacteristic display of out and out brute force from Yutakayama. He gets to Kaisei's right, grabs the back of his mawashi and initiates a killer nodowa, then just manhandles Kaisei out and down.

 

Looks more like a copycat of Harumafuji’s nodowa attacks that he regularly unleashes on bigger, slower rikishi (including Kisenosato a few times)

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
3 hours ago, Eikokurai said:

You have to love the salt-rubbers at the Kyokai: "Yeah, Mitoryu, we're not promoting you to Makuuchi even though you deserve it, but we're going to send you up there on day one anyway. Enjoy."

Not only that, there were five tantalising kensho banners (more than the usual 1-2 on the first bout in the Top Division) on the bout.  Mitoryu has always claimed that he looks forward to the day when he can win prize money so that he can "share it" with his oyakata as an expression of gratitude...  At J1e, he will probably get another opportunity to fight a bout in the Top Division with a little prize money available.  Perhaps he will finally be able to make good on that claim of his.

Edited by Amamaniac

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Day 1 is like opening day in most sports.  A few performers are ready to go from the start and have that methodical mindset, the rest are dreading the pain and the pounding and thinking that 0-1 is something they can make up later.

Takarafuji looked like he forgot his morning coffee, but it was the perfect foil for Ura, who couldn't remember any of his tricks and got escorted out.

Nobody in Makuuchi thinks the way to beat Kaisei is to do a mutual hug and let him yorikiri you out; almost any other attack leaves him flustered and knocked over, so do that.

Shodai appears to have settled on a three-step game plan: 1) survive the tachiai; 2) push the other guy out; 3) if he's pushing you out, pull a twisty move at the edge and make him fall.  If that's all he's got he's going to be the Next M5.

Hoshoryu is developing a lot of power to go with the speed and technique.  Uh-oh for the rest of the joi.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
5 minutes ago, Amamaniac said:

Not only that, there were five tantalising kensho banners (more than the usual 1-2 on the first bout in the Top Division) on the bout.  Mitoryu has always claimed that he looks forward to the day when he can win prize money so that he can "share it" with his oyakata as an expression of gratitude...  At J1e, he will probably get another opportunity to fight a bout in the Top Division with a little prize money available.  Perhaps he will finally be able to make good on that claim of his.

The kensho system is one of those "bonus" arrangements that occurs sometimes in other sports, but seems to be unique in its impact on rikishi.  (New) Juryo members dream of getting that chance to upset a Makuuchi and get a few kensho; it's like getting $500 bucks in the mail from some relative's will.  Once they've been in Makuuchi for awhile, it's probably thought of differently: : "Jeez, I only got 20 kensho this basho; the wife's gonna be on my back about this for a month."

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Just watched the highlights, haven't read the thread yet, but had to post this comment /observation; Is it just me, or were there a LOT of genki looking lads out there today? I'm not saying that the sumo was wonderful, but the fire was there and it seems there's a lot of peeps well up for it this tournament. Could be a stonker! 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
10 minutes ago, Yamanashi said:

The kensho system is one of those "bonus" arrangements that occurs sometimes in other sports, but seems to be unique in its impact on rikishi.  (New) Juryo members dream of getting that chance to upset a Makuuchi and get a few kensho; it's like getting $500 bucks in the mail from some relative's will.  Once they've been in Makuuchi for awhile, it's probably thought of differently: : "Jeez, I only got 20 kensho this basho; the wife's gonna be on my back about this for a month."

20 a basho is fairly exceptional for a journeyman maegashira, especially when you factor in actually having to win the bout. I doubt the attitude towards kensho changes very much before one becomes a joi or sanyaku mainstay. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Can someone explain to me why Ichinojo was able to fight in this tournament right from day 1 (after testing positive for Covid on August 28), while all of Miyagino Stable has to sit out the entire 15-day tournament after Hokuseiho tested positive not long after Ichinojo?  I assume all the Miyagino boys will maintain their banzuke status in November.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
5 minutes ago, Amamaniac said:

Can someone explain to me why Ichinojo was able to fight in this tournament right from day 1 (after testing positive for Covid on August 28), while all of Miyagino Stable has to sit out the entire 15-day tournament after Hokuseiho tested positive not long after Ichinojo?  I assume all the Miyagino boys will maintain their banzuke status in November.

Ichinojo has already underwent 14 days without anymore infections in his heya (and probably also had a negative test just prior to shonichi, otherwise he would also be yanked).

the Miyagino cluster still recorded cases within 14 days prior to the basho, so it would be best to quarantine the whole heya. 
 

You have to credit the kyokai for at least sticking to the SOPs, and also managing to organize a joint training session prior to the banzuke publication (using Monday as the timeline to test and identify isolated cases). 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
10 hours ago, nelimw said:

Nice to see ol' Tochinoshin start with a win.

No kidding. I hope he can get some momentum going.

Wakatakakage rather handed it to Takayasu, and Hoshoryu appears to be for real. At least when he's battling Shodai.

I miss the Miyagino boys, but at least it's finally a basho. ...of sorts. All of the Hakuho detractors will probably be bored to tears by senshuraku, hardly having anything to complain about. OK, I don't really believe that and I reckon I'll just have to wait until November to see how Hokuseiho stacks up against the juryo crowd. 

  • Thanks 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
4 hours ago, Seiyashi said:

20 a basho is fairly exceptional for a journeyman maegashira, especially when you factor in actually having to win the bout. I doubt the attitude towards kensho changes very much before one becomes a joi or sanyaku mainstay. 

OK, pick ten or eight or five.  My point is that getting a win bonus is beyond the imagination for non-sekitori, and for Juryo it's a tantalizing thing.  For a mid-Makuuchi it's undoubtedly still a bonus, but you could probably have an expectation of getting some every basho.  Most people's "status quo" moves up with them along the ladder of success.

OTOH, you are right about twenty; only 15 Makuuchi rikishi got 20 or more in May.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
13 hours ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

I disagree: he's M1E, won the gino-sho last time and he smokes ozeki like it ain't no thang so I think he's the present.

He needs another 10-20 kilos on his body, which he'll get in time, and once he does the sky is the limit. 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm looking forward to tomorrows first time Ura va. Terutsuyoshi. Both relatively small, quick and superb regarding technique.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 minutes ago, Kaninoyama said:

He needs another 10-20 kilos on his body, which he'll get in time, and once he does the sky is the limit. 

Why? He's almost exactly the same size/weigth, Harumafuji was.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
4 minutes ago, Benihana said:

Why? He's almost exactly the same size/weigth, Harumafuji was.

He's a different wrestler than Harumafuji. And Harumafuji was that weight as a mature, filled-out male. Hoshoryu is still growing into his body and as a belt grappler, the added weight and strength are only going to help him moving forward to become a Joi mainstay and eventually, an Ozeki and Yokozuna.

He might get there at his present size, but I doubt it. 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
12 hours ago, Kaioshoryu said:

Good to have a basho to follow, but I have to say that Day 1 was pretty unimpressive. Not a lot of good matches, especially bad work by Takakeisho, Shodai and Takayasu.

There was a lot of slip and fall in Makuuchi on day 1. I think 3 or 4 bouts ended with a rikishi losing his footing, which is always sort of an anticlimax. There were some good fights, like Chiyonokuni, Hoshoryu, Terunofuji’s dominance, and a few others, but yeah, kind of lackluster overall because of all the “slippiotoshi”.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 minute ago, Kaninoyama said:

He's a different wrestler than Harumafuji. And Harumafuji was that weight as a mature, filled-out male. Hoshoryu is still growing into his body and as a belt grappler, the added weight and strength are only going to help him moving forward to become a Joi mainstay and eventually, an Ozeki and Yokozuna.

He might get there at his present size, but I doubt it. 

I can't remember HF being a pusher/thruster. He was a brilliant technician with a strong belt game. That's why i see Hoshoryu being his reincarnation. But maybe i'm wrong. Barring injury, we'll have a few years to watch him develope.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
13 minutes ago, Benihana said:

I can't remember HF being a pusher/thruster. He was a brilliant technician with a strong belt game. That's why i see Hoshoryu being his reincarnation. But maybe i'm wrong. Barring injury, we'll have a few years to watch him develope.

The main difference I see is that Harumafuji relied more on agility and speed and getting opponents off balance at tachiai, whereas Hoshoryu tends to meet his opponents at the belt face on, which is why I think added weight and strength will benefit him.

And though we all see Hoshoryu's potential, before last basho's 10-5 record that vaulted him into M1, his prior performances since reaching Makuuchi have been:

8-7
7-8
9-6
7-8

Solid, but not quite at the level to make a run at Ozeki just yet. That said, I'm as bullish on him as anyone, and indeed I look forward to what's to come. 

 

Edited by Kaninoyama
  • Like 3

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I know it's still very early days, but does anyone think that Takakeisho will finish the basho?

Rewatching the Hokutofuji bout again. He goes in as usual, but then his thrusts look to be delivered with no more than 50% of his normal power.

Opponent today is Kiribayama, against whom he is 4-1, winning the past 4 straight, but has the skills to put him away if he comes out like he did yesterday

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
16 hours ago, Seiyashi said:

Except now the Takara Leben logo is plastered on the pre-bout fight card and the transition screens from the live coverage into the slow mo replays, which IMO is even worse

OK, I take back my original point. Not only have they put the logo in those places, I just saw some bizarre advert of theirs featuring a Clint Eastwood looking cowboy on a boat, which makes perfect sense given Takara Leben are in the business of building and managing residential property.

  • Haha 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now