Hatsu 2022 discussions (results)

[Hankegami 412]

2 hours ago, Seiyashi said:

No sign of week 2 Mitakeumi so far. That's very strong, forward-moving sumo he's been using well this basho. That zensho is getting less and less far-fetched.

I would go for a 14-1 for the moment. There's Terunofuji between Mitakeumi and his zensho (but also his yusho). Although Mitakeumi is a oshi wrestler, his record against Terunofuji is 4-12 with most losses coming from after the latter's comeback in July 2020 (1-8). Last basho Terunofuji just pushed Mitakeumi out in one sweep (the bout lasted 4 seconds). Granted, each bout has its own story, but Mitakeumi must really gear up to pull such an upset. And I believe that Terunofuji's plan right now consists exactly in maintaining one loss and give Mitakeumi a double yorikiri in the last day and yusho playoff. In short, gambare Mitakeumi.

About the other bouts, Shodai is still the usual (sigh). I was baffled by Ichinojo's extra shove though. I always portrayed him as a fair-player overall. Well, there was also that gigantic hairpull on Takakeisho last bout. I guess he has his bad days. Anyway, I couldn't help but thinking that a yellow card / red card system like in football (US: soccer) might help. Be a jerk twice and you lose a bout. Alright, it's just a silly thought but these shoves are dangerous.

[Seiyashi 4,071]

Oh, to be clear, I don't think Mitakeumi is actually going to make a zensho. 0.2% chance is twice as likely as 0.1% but still wildly improbable, after all... He still is the leader in the arasoi, and every passing day he remains the undisputed leader makes a yusho more likely and almost confirms some sort of yusho honour (D/J). Whether that is enough (depending also on whether he goes 14 or 13) to force a discussion of his promotion is another matter altogether, though.

The dameoshi card idea is an interesting one, and I might even suggest that two of them in a basho and you go immediately kyujo with a deemed 7-8. The problem is a dameoshi is really only obvious if the opponent isn't resisting - sometimes you really need to get that last shove in to get a opponent over the tawara as they're not out/down before that. Ichinojo's dameoshi I suspect came about because Ura had previously resisted at the tawara, and Ichinojo wanted to finish the job properly this time, except Ura decided he was done and offered a lot less resistance than Ichinojo expected he would.

Edited January 17, 2022 by Seiyashi

[Morty 1,480]

2 hours ago, Gernobono said:

the inosuke now, easily qualifies for the worst tate-gyoji ever

not that i know all of them, but there cannot ba a worse one

Yeah that was a seriously egregious wrong decision. He was looking right at it and it was clear as day to the casual watcher yet he still got it wrong. 

[Morty 1,480]

1 hour ago, Hankegami said:

I was baffled by Ichinojo's extra shove though. I always portrayed him as a fair-player overall. Well, there was also that gigantic hairpull on Takakeisho last bout. I guess he has his bad days. Anyway, I couldn't help but thinking that a yellow card / red card system like in football (US: soccer) might help. Be a jerk twice and you lose a bout. Alright, it's just a silly thought but these shoves are dangerous.

That's the second day time in three days he has pushed his opponent off the dohyo after he had clearly already won. He is usually so nice to his opponents. I wonder if he has a tooth ache or something?

[Akinomaki 39,798]

2 hours ago, Morty said:

That's the second day time in three days he has pushed his opponent off the dohyo after he had clearly already won. He is usually so nice to his opponents. I wonder if he has a tooth ache or something?

He has found his inner Hakuho

[Obana 301]

On 15/01/2022 at 02:20, Benihana said:

Kaisei's back looks like he had some fun recently.

It had me wondering if participation in tentacle porn was a permissible COVID activity.

[Akinomaki 39,798]

Inosuke handed in his retirement request as customary (in case of a tate-gyoji sashi-chigae, instead of using his short sword), and also as the custom dictates, Hakkaku dissuaded him from leaving his job. This 2nd sashi-chigae today after the isami-ashi of Wakatakakage vs. Shodai on day 4 was blatant, one for isami-ashi is usually permissible.

This is the 8th sashi-chigae for the 41st Inosuke, the 40th was suspended for 3 days after 2 sashi-chigae Kyushu 2015, the 29th who had many sashi-chigae was suspended for the first 3 days of Hatsu 2000. The 40th had 4 sashichigae in 3 basho.

https://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2022/01/17/kiji/20220117s00005000454000c.html

Edited March 15, 2022 by Akinomaki

[lackmaker 432]

1 hour ago, Obana said:

It had me wondering if participation in tentacle porn was a permissible COVID activity.

Only if it's the "dream of the fisherman's wife"

[RabidJohn 1,665]

4 hours ago, Morty said:

Yeah that was a seriously egregious wrong decision. He was looking right at it and it was clear as day to the casual watcher yet he still got it wrong. 

It was so wrong that I can't believe he thought Shodai had won; i.e. he knew Meisei had won but pointed his gunbai the wrong way. 
Still another nail in his promotion chance's coffin, though.

[Yamanashi 3,726]

5 hours ago, Seiyashi said:

The problem is a dameoshi is really only obvious if the opponent isn't resisting - sometimes you really need to get that last shove in to get a opponent over the tawara as they're not out/down before that. Ichinojo's dameoshi I suspect came about because Ura had previously resisted at the tawara, and Ichinojo wanted to finish the job properly this time, except Ura decided he was done and offered a lot less resistance than Ichinojo expected he would.

I concur.  Also, the dameoshi I see are of two types: one is just a guy who likes to push people one more time for fun; those types never make it far, because it's handled by his peers or by the oyakata.  The other type is big lumbering guys who have been beaten by faster rikishi who turn them out at the tawara.  Sometimes they seem to be thinking "I'm not getting near this guy at the tawara, I'm going to give him a big enough shove so he can't possibly get back in."

The situation you refer to is also very common, and a wrestler can't always tell if his opponent is going to suddenly give up or rather "dance the bails" to get back in when he unleashes his shove.

[Sue 483]

7 hours ago, Morty said:

Yeah that was a seriously egregious wrong decision. He was looking right at it and it was clear as day to the casual watcher yet he still got it wrong. 

I suspect that in the moment, he thought that Meisei was on the ground, or that he had come in from the other hanamichi. I've done this myself numerous times when shinpanning Naginata matches -- red scores a point, but I put up my white flag because I thought white was red. Usually, this happens when the two competitors have circled around each other, and white is now on red's side. In a Naginata match, I can take down my white flag and put up red, and I have two other shinpans in line of sight to help me catch my mistake. The gyoji has less room to fix mistakes, and doesn't have anyone, other than the shinpans calling a monoii, to point out that he's pointing at a different rikishi than he thought.

Edited January 17, 2022 by Sue

[WAKATAKE 2,631]

It’s painful to watch Inosuke get it wrong so many times like this. Is Tamajiro’s record that comparable that they can’t give it to him?

[Gurowake 3,922]

3 hours ago, Sue said:

I suspect that in the moment, he thought that Meisei was on the ground, or that he had come in from the other hanamichi. I've done this myself numerous times when shinpanning Naginata matches -- red scores a point, but I put up my white flag because I thought white was red. Usually, this happens when the two competitors have circled around each other, and white is now on red's side. In a Naginata match, I can take down my white flag and put up red, and I have two other shinpans in line of sight to help me catch my mistake. The gyoji has less room to fix mistakes, and doesn't have anyone, other than the shinpans calling a monoii, to point out that he's pointing at a different rikishi than he thought.

That's fine for Jonokuchi/Jonidan Gyoji.  It happens quite a lot if you watch enough of matches that low, and the shimpan just verbally correct the gyoji as long as it was obvious.  By the time they get to the top, they should be very familiar with keeping track of which rikishi came from which side.

Edited January 17, 2022 by Gurowake

[Seiyashi 4,071]

32 minutes ago, Gurowake said:

3 hours ago, Sue said:

I suspect that in the moment, he thought that Meisei was on the ground, or that he had come in from the other hanamichi. I've done this myself numerous times when shinpanning Naginata matches -- red scores a point, but I put up my white flag because I thought white was red. Usually, this happens when the two competitors have circled around each other, and white is now on red's side. In a Naginata match, I can take down my white flag and put up red, and I have two other shinpans in line of sight to help me catch my mistake. The gyoji has less room to fix mistakes, and doesn't have anyone, other than the shinpans calling a monoii, to point out that he's pointing at a different rikishi than he thought.

That's fine for Jonokuchi/Jonidan Gyoji.  It happens quite a lot if you watch enough of matches that low, and thee shimpan just verbally correct the gyoji as long as it was obvious.  By the time they get to the top, they should be very familiar with keeping track of which rikishi came from which side.

On that note, Herouth on Twitter pretty much has the same comment, and also linked an article from Nikkan Sports which suggests that Hakkaku is also getting fed up:

The isamiashi "couldn't be helped", but instead of "do better next time", it's become "do better or else". Might portend a suspension for the next screw up.

[Kintamayama 44,354]

12 hours ago, Seiyashi said:

No sign of week 2 Mitakeumi so far. That's very strong, forward-moving sumo he's been using well this basho. That zensho is getting less and less far-fetched.

I think you meant weak 2, no?

[Seiyashi 4,071]

7 minutes ago, Kintamayama said:

13 hours ago, Seiyashi said:

No sign of week 2 Mitakeumi so far. That's very strong, forward-moving sumo he's been using well this basho. That zensho is getting less and less far-fetched.

I think you meant weak 2, no?

From the makers of the hit film Mitakeumi: 1 Year to Makuuchi - Mitakeumi: 2 Weak 2 Sumo. Now coming to a Kokugikan near you!

Leaks suggest the sequel - Mitakeumi: 3 Basho to Ozeki - has been stuck in development hell for a long time. It's anyone's guess when it will be released.

Edited January 17, 2022 by Seiyashi

[Akinomaki 39,798]

44 minutes ago, Gurowake said:

That's fine for Jonokuchi/Jonidan Gyoji.  It happens quite a lot if you watch enough of matches that low, and thee shimpan just verbally correct the gyoji as long as it was obvious.  By the time they get to the top, they should be very familiar with keeping track of which rikishi came from which side.

Looks like Shodai confuses Inosuke - both sashichigae were in his bouts - thus we can say that Shodai has no personality and can't be distinguished.

The shimpan tried to save Inosuke's face though, the mono-ii was for the assumption they went out at the same time, as Takadagawa explained. They have been unusually generous with torinaoshi this basho.

Edited January 17, 2022 by Akinomaki

[Kintamayama 44,354]

"I knew Meisei had won, but I got their sides (the east-west) mixed up.." said Inosuke in his defense. Hakkaku did not say "do better or else"- he said "Regarding today, it's not good if he doesn't do it properly."

今日のはしっかりしなければ駄目だ

[rhyen 1,809]

14 minutes ago, Akinomaki said:

Looks like Shodai confuses Inosuke - both sashichigae were in his bouts - thus we can say that Shodai has no personality and can't be distinguished.

The shimpan tried to save Inosuke's face though, the mono-ii was for the assumption they went out at the same time, as Takadagawa explained. They have been unusually generous with torinaoshi this basho.

Not forgetting the current Inosuke is from Takadagawa heya. 

[Taikoubana 143]

What a shame, I enjoy Inosuke's energy but he isn't exactly honoring the rank. And here I've been looking forward to a new Kimura Shonosuke sometime soon. Don't suppose they can bump one of the sanyaku gyoji up to Shonosuke instead?

Also going to withhold my comments on Mitakeumi. I'll just be throwing salt over my shoulder and rubbing a rabbit's foot until the basho is over.

[Tsuchinoninjin 1,248]

28 minutes ago, Taikoubana said:

 

Also going to withhold my comments on Mitakeumi. I'll just be throwing salt over my shoulder and rubbing a rabbit's foot until the basho is over.

Ah, you meant 'Future Yokozuna Mitakeumi'.

[Katooshu 3,135]

I think I've seen more black eyes over the last  few basho than I've seen at any other point watching sumo (a measly 6 years mind you). More slap fests?

Kitanowaka looking as good as I knew he could be. He outperformed fellow Saitama Sakae-ers Oho, Kotoshoho, and Kotonowaka in the amateurs, and should be in makuuchi later this year. A versatile guy who is good in pretty much all areas.

Kinbozan poor in losing to a guy he should've beat easily - you saw one of his weaknesses in that he's forward heavy and can be susceptible to being dragged down.

Edited January 18, 2022 by Katooshu

[since_94 650]

6 hours ago, Tsuchinoninjin said:

Ah, you meant 'Future Yokozuna Mitakeumi'.

D'OH!

[jsolo 106]

January (Hatsu) 2022 Basho--DAY 9 Links and Statistics Blog--videos, photos, match articles, quotes, results and standings, kimarite statistics, time of match statistics, top rank performance, Maegashira v san'yaku, Rookie performances and more. Same fan bowled over by 3 different Rikishi. 

[Eikokurai 3,433]

Nice to start the day with old school Tochinoshin lifting Shohozan out with a tsuridashi. That's the second time Tochinoshin has beaten Shohozan that way, though it's a sign of where they're at in their careers that the last time Tochinoshin was an Ozeki and Shohozan a Komusubi. Today, they're M15 and J3.

Edited January 18, 2022 by Eikokurai