Aki Basho 2021 - Discussion Thread (Spoilers!)

[Kaninoyama 1,802]

Takayasu quickly showing the ill effects of not having Araiso to train with anymore. 

[Seiyashi 4,106]

3 minutes ago, Kaninoyama said:

Takayasu quickly showing the ill effects of not having Araiso to train with anymore. 

I'd agree about the ill effects, but I don't know about quickly. At least today's bout felt above average in length even by Takayasu's usual standards.

35 minutes ago, Joaoiyama said:

I just hope Hoshoryu won't sweep the legs, that would not be pretty.

Naruto was saying, in response to that, that Terunofuji should pull him in after getting the grip, then Hoshoryu can't do leg tricks from there without getting just shoved over or lifted out.

Edited September 13, 2021 by Seiyashi

[Seiyashi 4,106]

Not looking good for Takakeisho, if he can be beaten at oshi by a relatively lightweight Kiribayama. We might be seeing a mid-basho kyujo and/or Takakeisho fighting from sekiwake in November.

Edited September 13, 2021 by Seiyashi

[Taliesin 68]

Takakeishou so weak...

[rhyen 1,842]

1 hour ago, Seiyashi said:

I agree he has a certain gravitas to it as he's doing it pretty slowly, but I don't know how much of that is just down to unfamiliarity and/or pain. How'd you think it's eerie?

 

53 minutes ago, Joaoiyama said:

Not sure if it's pain or the prevention of it but his slow pacing looks methodical, unlike Kakuryu and Kisenosato who just looked bored.

Probably learnt that slow pacing from observing Harumafuji’s DI, just that Harumafuji did a longer seriagari from beyond the line and ends up at the end of line perfectly. He doesn’t have the smoothness yet, but it is definitely not jerky like most first time performances.

and Satonofuji is doing the yumitori ceremony today, taking over from Oshoryu yesterday. 

Edited September 13, 2021 by rhyen

[Seiyashi 4,106]

1 minute ago, rhyen said:

and Satonofuji is doing the yumitori ceremony today, taking over from Oshoryu yesterday. 

Shohoryu, surely.

And even NHK knows it's a treat to watch him doing it that they keep the feed on him, even while the backroom interviewer is beginning the lead-in to Kiribayama's ginboshi interview.

[Kaninoyama 1,802]

11 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

I'd agree about the ill effects, but I don't know about quickly. At least today's bout felt above average in length even by Takayasu's usual standards.

Quickly, as in two losses on the first two days. 

[since_94 650]

3 minutes ago, rhyen said:

Satonofuji

 

3 minutes ago, rhyen said:

Satonofuji is doing the yumitori ceremony today, taking over from Oshoryu yesterday. 

I thought that was him! I though he had retired, to be honest. Guy is older than the dirt, but he has that bow-twirling routine locked down TIGHT!

[Eikokurai 3,437]

19 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

Not looking good for Takakeisho, if he can be beaten at oshi by a relatively lightweight Kiribayama. We might be seeing a mid-basho kyujo and/or Takakeisho fighting from sekiwake in November.

Presumably with Hakuho at Yokozuna-Ozeki then, since Shodai would be the only active Ozeki on the banzuke. That would, I believe, be a first for the GOAT.

[Seiyashi 4,106]

13 minutes ago, since_94 said:

 

I thought that was him! I though he had retired, to be honest. Guy is older than the dirt, but he has that bow-twirling routine locked down TIGHT!

No, he was still doing many of the honours at Terunofuji's tsuna-uchi, given that he has the most experience of all things yokozuna-tsukebito related in that heya.

It's good to see NHK giving him due credit too. They even cut to a close-up of his face when he did the shiko at the end of the yumitori-shiki, just before transitioning to Kiribayama's interview, when most of the time the yumitorishiki is considered disposable fodder and gets cut in favour of hanamichi shots.

Turns out, however, that Satonofuji doing it is as a backup of backups: Shohoryu is injured, and Kasugaryu is kyujo (not sure whether because he was at Miyagino during the COVID outbreak there), so the only one left is Satonofuji. Guess it's time to be training up a few more bow-twirlers, seeing as Shohoryu and Kasugaryu's reasons to be bow-twirlers (i.e. yokozuna tsukebito) are either non-existent or going to be soon.

4 minutes ago, Eikokurai said:

Presumably with Hakuho at Yokozuna-Ozeki then, since Shodai would be the only active Ozeki on the banzuke. That would, I believe, be a first for the GOAT.

You're right, it is - at least if the DB is accurate, which it should be.

Edited September 13, 2021 by Seiyashi

[since_94 650]

23 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

.

It's good to see NHK giving him due credit too. They even cut to a close-up of his face when he did the shiko at the end of the yumitori-shiki, just before transitioning to Kiribayama's interview, when most of the time the yumitorishiki is considered disposable fodder and gets cut in favour of hanamichi shots.

.

 

I find it amazing that most of the time the yumitorishiki is considered disposable fodder by many people in attendance at the Kokugikan, too, who stand up to leave as soon as it starts a couple of minutes before 6pm. I personally find it disrespectful, but whatever.I understand  people have their schedules and priorities, trains to catch, etc.

Whenever I’ve paid for my ticket, however, I make sure to wring every drop of value out of the experience, which means savoring every minute of every ritual inside and outside the Mecca of Sumo. It’s a privilege to be on hallowed Sumo ground, breathing the rarified, bintsuke scented air IMO.

[Tigerboy1966 1,451]

52 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

Not looking good for Takakeisho, if he can be beaten at oshi by a relatively lightweight Kiribayama. We might be seeing a mid-basho kyujo and/or Takakeisho fighting from sekiwake in November.

If you take away Takakeisho's explosive power at the tachiai (which looks like what the injury has done) there aren't many other tools in the box. He really didn't look like he wanted to be there today and I don't think I could ever say that of him before. The smart move might be to go kyujo and regroup for an attempt at 10 wins next time, which is what he did in 2019.

[Eikokurai 3,437]

Hmm. Not sure the new injury protocols are holding up if response to Ura’s loss is anything to go by. He looked pretty obviously out of it after that and should have been spared having to go back on the dohyo.

Edited September 13, 2021 by Eikokurai

[Akinomaki 40,670]

2 hours ago, since_94 said:

I find it amazing that most of the time the yumitorishiki is considered disposable fodder by many people in attendance at the Kokugikan, too, who stand up to leave as soon as it starts a couple of minutes before 6pm. I personally find it disrespectful, but whatever.I understand  people have their schedules and priorities, trains to catch, etc.

Whenever I’ve paid for my ticket, however, I make sure to wring every drop of value out of the experience, which means savoring every minute of every ritual inside and outside the Mecca of Sumo. It’s a privilege to be on hallowed Sumo ground, breathing the rarified, bintsuke scented air IMO.

With the Covid measures, people can't just leave anymore, they get entertained by oyakata with some extra service till it is their turn to leave.

In the past, if you wanted to avoid the congestion that may have caused you to need 10 minutes till JR station, you would rush out immediately after the last bout finished.

[Seiyashi 4,106]

30 minutes ago, Akinomaki said:

3 hours ago, since_94 said:

I find it amazing that most of the time the yumitorishiki is considered disposable fodder by many people in attendance at the Kokugikan, too, who stand up to leave as soon as it starts a couple of minutes before 6pm. I personally find it disrespectful, but whatever.I understand  people have their schedules and priorities, trains to catch, etc.

Whenever I’ve paid for my ticket, however, I make sure to wring every drop of value out of the experience, which means savoring every minute of every ritual inside and outside the Mecca of Sumo. It’s a privilege to be on hallowed Sumo ground, breathing the rarified, bintsuke scented air IMO.

With the Covid measures, people can't just leave anymore, they get entertained by oyakata with some extra service till it is their turn to leave.

In the past, if you wanted to avoid the congestion that may have caused you to need 10 minutes till JR station, you would rush out immediately after the last bout finished.

Or if you have another train to catch. When I was at Nagoya, I only managed to get a ticket when I was supposed to be in Tokyo by that day, so I had to avoid that congestion at all costs to get to Tokyo at a reasonable time (bearing in mind there's still the commute from the Dolphins Arena to Nagoya station proper).

But if I ever get to go to the Kokugikan when a honbasho is on, yeah, I'm definitely going to hang around (hopefully in a masuseki).

Edited September 13, 2021 by Seiyashi

[nelimw 80]

I thoroughly enjoyed watching Wakatakakage finish off Ichinojo after a long match. Dude looked so strong turning Ichinojo like that. 

[Gurowake 4,088]

Have the sanyaku ever started out this pitifully?  2 wins in 10 tries against maegashira after 2 days.  Seeing 3 of the top 5 maegashira at 2-0 is extremely odd.  

[rhyen 1,842]

7 hours ago, Seiyashi said:

No, he was still doing many of the honours at Terunofuji's tsuna-uchi, given that he has the most experience of all things yokozuna-tsukebito related in that heya.

It's good to see NHK giving him due credit too. They even cut to a close-up of his face when he did the shiko at the end of the yumitori-shiki, just before transitioning to Kiribayama's interview, when most of the time the yumitorishiki is considered disposable fodder and gets cut in favour of hanamichi shots.

Turns out, however, that Satonofuji doing it is as a backup of backups: Shohoryu is injured, and Kasugaryu is kyujo (not sure whether because he was at Miyagino during the COVID outbreak there), so the only one left is Satonofuji. Guess it's time to be training up a few more bow-twirlers, seeing as Shohoryu and Kasugaryu's reasons to be bow-twirlers (i.e. yokozuna tsukebito) are either non-existent or going to be soon.

You're right, it is - at least if the DB is accurate, which it should be.

Satonofuji will probably be retained as a sewanin, given his vast experience serving the yokozuna in Isegahama heya.

[Gernobono 467]

9 hours ago, Kaninoyama said:

Takayasu quickly showing the ill effects of not having Araiso to train with anymore. 

Takayasu is in ozumo for 16 years now and you think the reason he is not winning is the 3 months he is not training with araiso? really?

[Sakura 1,493]

1 hour ago, Gurowake said:

Have the sanyaku ever started out this pitifully?  2 wins in 10 tries against maegashira after 2 days.  Seeing 3 of the top 5 maegashira at 2-0 is extremely odd.  

Are we talking about bench sumo r the real thing...

I vaguely remember some statistic that @Asashosakari mentioned a couple of years ago, but that may have just been the Ozeki.

The best I can come up with is this. However, that doesn't isolate matches versus Maegashira only.

[Thorbjarn 215]

Takakeisho looked worrying. Thinking how he looked when injured two months ago it's not really surprising, but I had hoped... 

Terunofuji looked dominant today. 

I will say it now... I found Terutsuyoshi dislikeable before, but today was the exclamation mark to it. 

[rokudenashi 323]

Houshouryuu impressed in defeat, but Terunofuji really looked every bit the yokozuna today. Just too strong. Sincerely looking forward to seeing Houshouryuu challenge Terunofuji in bashos to come - if/when he gets his first victory it's going to be a great moment.

Expecting the Takakeishou kyuujou any day now... I'm not sure he can produce a better performance vs Ichinojou tomorrow than the one he mustered in Nagoya.

As far as freak shows go, Akinoyama vs Komanokuni is worth a watch. Two absurdly round lads clattering into each other, if that's your thing.

Edited September 13, 2021 by rokudenashi
missed a word!!

[Yamanashi 3,875]

Top three scores (2-0) by rank: Terunofuji, Hokutofuji, Kiribayama.

Total W/L from O-S-K: 2-10.

Wonder what's going through Asanoyama's mind right now?

[Asashosakari 19,528]

23 hours ago, Yamanashi said:

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.

They're getting cash bonuses for every win... Not anywhere near the 30k of a kensho envelope, of course, but the concept is hardly foreign to low-rankers. The noteworthy thing about kensho isn't the monetary value as such, but that getting one means that some person or entity that isn't part of the sumo world thought your bout worthy of spending money on. Somebody like Mitoryu could be buying stuff for his oyakata from his regular salary all he wants; but getting to do it with kensho money demonstrates a degree of having "made it" as a rikishi.

[Kaninoyama 1,802]

5 hours ago, Gernobono said:

Takayasu is in ozumo for 16 years now and you think the reason he is not winning is the 3 months he is not training with araiso? really?

Sorry, next time I'll spell it out for you that it was a tongue-in-cheek comment.