Haru 2022 Discussion Thread (SPOILERS!)

[dingo 1,159]

4 minutes ago, hakutorizakura said:

Shodai A / Shodai B. Something like Kaisei. Or maybe there are Shodai A+ / A / B / C, dunno...

Looking at this basho it's more like A and Z. 

[Yamanashi 3,724]

39 minutes ago, dingo said:

Abi committed the strategic mistake of going for Takarafuji's neck. Someone should've told him...

No do wa: 1) In Sumo, thrusting at an opponent’s throat; 2) In Sumo, thrusting at Takarafuji’s chin.

[WAKATAKE 2,631]

Konosuke got saved from a sashichigae on day 8 when the judges decided on a torinaoshi, but he couldn’t get it right today

[Tigerboy1966 1,376]

1 hour ago, Reonito said:

On 18/03/2022 at 19:50, Tigerboy1966 said:

I don't think anyone in the Ms top 15 is going to go 7-0. Chiyonoumi would probably have to get past Shonannoumi, Tochimaru, Shishi and Kinbozan... can't see that happening.

What do you think of his chances now?

I think he's the favourite although Kinbozan could be anything. I'll take my crow medium rare if you please.

[Jakusotsu 5,806]

2 hours ago, dingo said:

Wakatakakage is the real deal, at least this basho. Every win he works hard, and is smart. Will be interesting to see if he can keep it up the next basho. His body type reminds me a bit of Chiyonofuji.

And Wakamotoharu reminds me of Wakanohana I., at least visually. Right now I wouldn't be surprised if the brothers will become Sanyaku mainstays.

[Kintamayama 44,349]

8 hours ago, Seiyashi said:

 

There's also Chris' vids where he's usually quite scrupulous about elongating the vowel sounds, but I'd bet a hat eating session Kintamayama is going to come in and say that no one in Japanese actually speaks like that except to kids, for emphasis, or to gaijin.

And except when pronouncing shikonae.

[Chartorenji 235]

1 hour ago, Jakusotsu said:

And Wakamotoharu reminds me of Wakanohana I., at least visually. Right now I wouldn't be surprised if the brothers will become Sanyaku mainstays.

Wakamotoharu has looked like a different fighter entirely since his last basho at Juryo. Dude just looks and seems more motivated then ever (the motivation reminds me of Hoshoryu a little bit, in terms of putting as much effort as he can)

[Koorifuu 886]

Who'd have guessed that both up and coming Fujis (Seiun and Toshi) would go 0-4 at the start? This is rather shocking. Someone put something into Fujishima-beya's chanko during the first week.

[Thorbjarn 214]

That Wakatakakage kid is impressive. Somebody called him the pound for pound strongest Rikishi a while back, whoever said that was onto something. 

Hoshoryu should not have lost today. 

The Yusho race is shaping up nicely. 

[Amamaniac 2,078]

31 minutes ago, Thorbjarn said:

Hoshoryu should not have lost today. 

In my mind, there was something fishy about the way Hoshoryu used his right-hand grip on Shodai's mawashi to pull him back into the ring, when in essence he had the Ozeki up against the bales.  In so doing, he handed Shodai the win...  To his credit, Shodai did a good job blocking Hoshoryu's nage attempts.

Edited March 21, 2022 by Amamaniac

[Amamaniac 2,078]

Since Mitakeumi has secured promotion to Ozeki, he seems to be trying to show good sportsmanship by holding out his hand to fallen opponents, as in today's bout vs Tamawashi.  It kinda looked like an afterthought today, and from general observation, most oozumo wrestlers don't want that kind of lame (?) show of consideration.  TV announcers love it, but I wonder if he is doing himself any favours among his peers by doing it.

[Kaninoyama 1,694]

5 minutes ago, Amamaniac said:

Since Mitakeumi has secured promotion to Ozeki, he seems to be trying to show good sportsmanship by holding out his hand to fallen opponents, as in today's bout vs Tamawashi.  It kinda looked like an afterthought today, and from general observation, most oozumo wrestlers don't want that kind of lame (?) show of consideration.  TV announcers love it, but I wonder if he is doing himself any favours among his peers by doing it.

Several of his vanquished opponents have accepted the proffered hand, so I doubt they mind, other than being annoyed at having just lost.

As he edges closer to Yokozuna perhaps he's aware he needs to begin polishing his hinkaku game for the future.

I think in yesterday's case it was more a formality as Tamawashi's spill wasn't as bad as some of the others, and Tama simply didn't need it or want it.

[Thorbjarn 214]

5 hours ago, Amamaniac said:

Since Mitakeumi has secured promotion to Ozeki, he seems to be trying to show good sportsmanship by holding out his hand to fallen opponents, as in today's bout vs Tamawashi.  It kinda looked like an afterthought today, and from general observation, most oozumo wrestlers don't want that kind of lame (?) show of consideration.  TV announcers love it, but I wonder if he is doing himself any favours among his peers by doing it.

It has not just been Mitakeumi imo. There seems to be a trend offering a hand when a rikishi got pushed off the dohyo, and while this happened before, it was only recently the rikishi started accepting it. Mitakeumi generally has been quite good at stopping right after winning, rarely bulldozing guys off the dohyo 

[jsolo 106]

2022 MARCH (HARU) SUMO BASHO LINKS AND STATISTICS BLOG--DAY 9, MARCH 21, COMPLETE

Links to NHK videos of Yokozuna and all Ozeki matches (with a bit more of the pre-match stuff than before), photos from nikkansports, results, match articles from Kyodo News, Tachiai.org, and nikkan sports, Kimarite and time statistics, Top rank performance, maegashira v san-yaku, and more.

Enjoy

[Eikokurai 3,433]

Have we just seen the last ever bout between Tochinoshin and Kaisei after 27 meetings? Felt like it. The former is on the cusp of staying in Makuuchi, while the latter is heading for a slide further down into Juryo. Neither can have much time left on the dohyo. Once both retire, only Aoiyama will remain of the non-Mongolian foreign sekitori and he surely won't be that far behind. I recently noted that its 15 years this month since I first watched a full sumo basho and went along in person to see it live. I took a look at the banzuke for that tournament and there were no fewer than five Europeans* in Makuuchi: Bulgarian Kotooshu at Ozeki, the Georgian Kokkai, Russians Roho and Hakurozan, and Estonian Baruto (who went kyujo in the end). Those were very different times. There are a few guys in the lower divisions now who could yet break through, but it feels like we're nearing the end of an era.

 

*Georgia is culturally European, being Orthodox Christian, but geographically in Asia.

Edited March 22, 2022 by Eikokurai

[Eikokurai 3,433]

Kotoeko wins today almost the same way he won yesterday, with a beautiful retreating sukinage.

[Kaninoyama 1,694]

10 minutes ago, Eikokurai said:

Have we just seen the last ever bout between Tochinoshin and Kaisei after 27 meetings? Felt like it. The former is on the cusp of staying in Makuuchi, while the latter is heading for a slide further down into Juryo. Neither can have much time left on the dohyo. Once both retire, only Aoiyama will remain of the non-Mongolian foreign sekitori and he surely won't be that far behind. I recently noted that its 15 years this month since I first watched a full sumo basho and went along in person to see it live. I took a look at the banzuke for that tournament and there were no fewer than five Europeans* in Makuuchi: Bulgarian Kotooshu at Ozeki, the Georgian Kokkai, Russians Roho and Hakurozan, and Estonian Baruto (who went kyujo in the end). Those were very different times. There are a few guys in the lower divisions now who could yet break through, but it feels like we're nearing the end of an era.

 

*Georgia is culturally European, being Orthodox Christian, but geographically in Asia.

Just like the Hawaiian era. In the end, it was the Mongols who conquered the (sumo) world. 

[Tigerboy1966 1,376]

Anyone know why Onosho (M3e) is on before Meisei (M3w) today. I thought they went in ascending order of the higher ranked wrestler in the bout.

[Kaninoyama 1,694]

Kotonowaka wins again, improving to 9-1 and right in the thick of the yusho hunt. 

[Kaninoyama 1,694]

Meanwhile, Ura is having a nightmare of a basho in front of his home crowd. 

[Eikokurai 3,433]

9 minutes ago, Kaninoyama said:

Kotonowaka wins again, improving to 9-1 and right in the thick of the yusho hunt. 

And close to being tied for the lead! Takayasu hangs on though and pulls out the win against a very stubborn Hoshoryu.

[Kamitsuumi 384]

28 minutes ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

Anyone know why Onosho (M3e) is on before Meisei (M3w) today. I thought they went in ascending order of the higher ranked wrestler in the bout.

West is treated as higher on even days, and the Ozeki trio do their rotation every 3 days.

[Seiyashi 4,071]

15 minutes ago, Kaninoyama said:

Meanwhile, Ura is having a nightmare of a basho in front of his home crowd. 

Ura and Tobizaru have always felt to me like confusion-fu artists who thrive on mistakes made by their opponents in responding to their (reputation for) unpredictability. To date, their spanking when they're in the joi seems to back that up; against opponents who have their own solid confirmed game plan, that just doesn't work.

Enhō and Ishiura used to be a bit of the same, but they do seem to have reinvented themselves lately.

Edited March 22, 2022 by Seiyashi

[Eikokurai 3,433]

Wakatakakage! He goes into tomorrow's crunch match with Takayasu with the chance to make it a three-way tie for the lead (and possibly four if Mitakeumi wins today).

Edited March 22, 2022 by Eikokurai

[robnplunder 974]

That's the best I've seen from Takayasu in a long time.   

More blood spilled today than I can remember in a long time.  It has been a bloody day.