Hatsu 2022 discussions (results)

[Eikokurai 3,433]

Mitakeumi is 3-0 and looking motivated by that Ozeki run!

[Seiyashi 4,071]

The NSK commentator makes a good point: Shodai has never gone 3-0 since his ozeki debut promotion to ozeki (he's done 2-0 thrice before). And he fails to break that jinx this basho, again; Daieisho didn't give him any space or time to try.

Edited January 11, 2022 by Seiyashi

[Eikokurai 3,433]

2 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

The NSK commentator makes a good point: Shodai has never gone 3-0 since his promotion to ozeki (he's done 2-0 thrice before). And he fails to break that jinx this basho, again; Daieisho didn't give him any space or time to try.

He went 3-0 in his Ozeki debut, only to go kyujo later.

[Eikokurai 3,433]

Wow, great bout between Takakeisho and Ura. I did not expect Ura to be with it that much today. Mono-ii! Though looked like a clear win for Takakeisho, tbh.

No, torinaoshi! This ordinarily would work for Ura with his better stamina.

And it does! A little trickery by Ura and Takekeisho is already two wins off the yusho pace.

Edited January 11, 2022 by Eikokurai

[Seiyashi 4,071]

On the contrary it was a very confused bout IMO. Ura wasn't clean at all and Takakeisho isn't looking too good either. He has a lot more trouble with Ura than he should considering what happened to Ura yesterday, and cleaner footwork would have made him the unambiguous winner of the first bout.

Edited January 11, 2022 by Seiyashi

[robnplunder 974]

Finally, Daieisho gets a well-deserved win. 

Shodai's record as an Ozeki is rather poor.  He had just one good basho as an Ozeki.  Mitakeumi has outperformed him in that span.  Shodai is going to be a regular kadoban visitor.

[Seiyashi 4,071]

1 minute ago, robnplunder said:

is going to be

"going to be"?

[Benihana 1,901]

URAAA! I'm so much in joy right now :)

[robnplunder 974]

A rare henka win by Ura after what appeared (to me) to be a loss in round 1.

[robnplunder 974]

16 minutes ago, Eikokurai said:

Mitakeumi is 3-0 and looking motivated by that Ozeki run!

Again.   I hope this time, he makes it.  

[since_94 650]

Unbelievable, but not at all surprising to see how completely and utterly gassed Takakeisho was after his first bout with Ura. Even after the monoii and the reset, he was still gasping after a bout that lasted less than 10 seconds. Ura could have relied on virtually any technique in the torinaoshii and won. The half henka wasn’t even necessary against a guy that out of wind. Conditioning is a major problem for the Ozeki. Anyone who stands up directly in front of him and let’s him get “the wave” going will lose. Anyone smart enough to duck under it , dodge it, or otherwise stay out of range will likely prevail. Takakeisho’s conditioning is appalling. Great win for a shell shocked Ura.

Terunofuji just takin care of business as de rigeur.

[Eikokurai 3,433]

Terunofuji wins his 21st bout in a row, which I think makes him the first man to go on a streak longer than 20 since Harumafuji's 32 in 2012. Goeido managed exactly 20 in 2016.

Did anyone go above 20 without a zensho since then, e.g. finishing one basho with 11 wins and starting the next with 11? 

[Jakusotsu 5,809]

Yikes! Close-up view of Satonofuji - can't look much older than him.

[Kaninoyama 1,694]

8 minutes ago, since_94 said:

Unbelievable, but not at all surprising to see how completely and utterly gassed Takakeisho was after his first bout with Ura. Even after the monoii and the reset, he was still gasping after a bout that lasted less than 10 seconds. Ura could have relied on virtually any technique in the torinaoshii and won. The half henka wasn’t even necessary against a guy that out of wind. Conditioning is a major problem for the Ozeki. Anyone who stands up directly in front of him and let’s him get “the wave” going will lose. Anyone smart enough to duck under it , dodge it, or otherwise stay out of range will likely prevail. Takakeisho’s conditioning is appalling. Great win for a shell shocked Ura.

Terunofuji just takin care of business as de rigeur.

Ura was pretty out of wind as well. And even in his interview following Terunofuji's bout, he was still so exhausted he couldn't even answer the reporter's questions. 

[Benihana 1,901]

6 minutes ago, Eikokurai said:

Terunofuji wins his 21st bout in a row, which I think makes him the first man to go on a streak longer than 20 since Harumafuji's 32 in 2012. Goeido managed exactly 20 in 2016.

Did anyone go above 20 without a zensho since then, e.g. finishing one basho with 11 wins and starting the next with 11? 

Hakuho:

2016.03 started with a loss, won 14-1, zensho 2016.05, won the first four 2016.07 = 33

[Eikokurai 3,433]

2 minutes ago, Benihana said:

Hakuho:

2016.03 started with a loss, won 14-1, zensho 2016.05, won the first four 2016.07 = 33

Ah, yeah, I forgot my qualifier: first man other than Hakuho! 

[Seiyashi 4,071]

Shodai has gone kadoban twice in 8 basho as ozeki. Of the 51 ozeki promoted since the kadoban rule change in 1969, the 14 ozeki that have matched or done worse than that from their debut are:

• Daiju (shortest longest ozeki reign - i.e. excluding Musoyama/Takakeisho''s 2-basho stints)
• Kaiketsu (demoted within 8 basho but later repromoted)
• Mienoumi (demoted within 8 basho but later repromoted and achieved yokozuna)
• Masuiyama (2x kadoban in 7 basho and retired after the 7th)
• Kirishima (2x kadoban in 8 basho)
• Musoyama (demoted straight back to sekiwake after two basho, and managed to achieve immediate repromotion like Takakeisho)
• Miyabiyama (3x kadoban! in 8 basho)
• Kaio (2x kadoban in 8 basho, but this period also included 2 yusho)
• Tochiazuma (2x in 8 basho from his debut in 2002 and 2003, including 2 kosho basho - so arguably unlucky to have been injured on the dohyo twice)
• Goeido (2x kadoban in 8 basho)
• Terunofuji (2x kadoban in 8 basho (and 3x in 9), but this was during his injury laden-period)
• Takayasu (2x kadoban in 8 basho)
• Tochinoshin (2x kadoban in 5 basho, ties Daiju for shortest longest ozeki reign)
• Takakeisho (2x kadoban in 8 basho including a demotion to sekiwake)

My overall assessment of that list is that it's not particularly illustrious company. Sure, you have Kaio, who alternated yusho and kadoban, Tochiazuma, who managed sekiwake repromotion twice, Kaiketsu, who managed to be repromoted later in his career, and Mienoumi and Terunofuji, who managed to be promoted to yokozuna later on, but none of the ozeki are particularly noteworthy or for good reasons, and there's the infamous Miyabiyama (who was arguably bad enough that the NSK declined to repromote him even when they could).

Considering Shodai's age, it doesn't bode well for his future that he's already kadoban 2x in 8 basho, unless he too picks it up a notch some time in the future like Mitakeumi seems to be doing this basho.

Edited January 11, 2022 by Seiyashi

[Eikokurai 3,433]

2 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

shortest longest ozeki reign

That's like the guy 10th on the all-time 'number of basho as Ozeki' list.

[Seiyashi 4,071]

8 minutes ago, Eikokurai said:

12 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

shortest longest ozeki reign

That's like the guy 10th on the all-time 'number of basho as Ozeki' list.

I should have qualified it to be "shortest longest ozeki reign who peaked at ozeki", but you get what I mean. Everyone below him on that list had a shorter ozeki reign only because they were promoted to yokozuna (Akebono, Kitao, Wajima, Chiyonofuji, Asashoryu, Kitanoumi, Hokutoumi), and particularly illustrious yokozuna to boot other than Kitao/Futahaguro.

Edited January 11, 2022 by Seiyashi

[robnplunder 974]

4 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

Shodai has gone kadoban twice in 8 basho as ozeki.

He's lucky that the current crop of Makuuchi rikishi is pretty weak.  There's Terunofuji at the top and that's it.  

[Seiyashi 4,071]

1 minute ago, robnplunder said:

10 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

Shodai has gone kadoban twice in 8 basho as ozeki.

He's lucky that the current crop of Makuuchi rikishi is pretty weak.  There's Terunofuji at the top and that's it.  

That's true, which means he'd probably have done even worse if he was active during the Waka-Taka era.

[Leo C 52]

I'm happy for Ura, getting that close after getting Takakeisho's mawashi must have been frustrating, but he got the win on the rematch. Especially considering his fall yesterday.

[RabidJohn 1,663]

Back when he was Sato, Takakeisho always had the tricksy Ura's number and I expected more dominance today, especially after Ura's fall yesterday. TBH, I expected Ura to be kyujo.

However, I was also aware of fact that this was Takakeisho's first time facing Ura's massively improved upper body strength.

When I saw the gunbai go Takakeisho's way I thought, 'Mono-ii', and when I watched the replay I thought 'Tori-naoshi', so maybe I could've made a decent shimpan.

Neither rikishi looked ready for it when it was announced, but by the start only Ura looked ready. 

In gamer terms, Takakeisho has gone the risky route of putting nearly all his points into bulk and a single powerful attack that takes a full day to recharge. He put no points into stamina, and it shows...

---

I'm surprised we don't already have a poll on who's going to end Terunofuji's streak...

[Gernobono 455]

Takakeisho was robbed 

[Kujo 116]

1 hour ago, Kaninoyama said:

Ura was pretty out of wind as well. And even in his interview following Terunofuji's bout, he was still so exhausted he couldn't even answer the reporter's questions. 

I was wondering whether that was "out of wind" or after effects of a concussion.

I am hoping "out of wind", but he didn't look "all there".

I am guessing the kyokai's concussion protocol (or lack thereof) is not like other sports where you have mandatory time off when suffering one.

He may not have shown any true concussion signs after the bout (or he may not have been checked).

I was on the receiving end of one playing ice hockey a long time ago, I felt the effects for weeks.