Natsu 2022 Discussion Thread - here be spoilers

[Katooshu 2,100]

10 hours ago, Leo C said:

I think Kotonowaka (or as I like to call him, titty titty) is going to win this basho.

I don't mean to body shame any rikishi, but I am fascinated by his body. It's like he doesn't have typical moobs, but actually has 2 distinct sets of breasts, one above the other. It's trippy. 

[Seiyashi 2,968]

Terutsuyoshi v Tochinoshin is definitely bout of the day for spectacle, but Terunofuji v Kiribayama comes a close technical second. 

Wakamotoharu showing some impressive staying power against Shimanoumi, a very "snappy" match between Hokutofuji and Hoshoryu, and yeah the ozeki need a talking to.

Regarding the Sadogatake/Kotonowaka bit, on the other hand, a head shimpan that was too barefaced about being biased would lose standing amongst his peers for not being sound, so that's probably the safeguard. Not a great safeguard from a strict rules perspective, but still a safeguard nonetheless. 

[rhyen 1,479]

4 hours ago, Katooshu said:

I don't mean to body shame any rikishi, but I am fascinated by his body. It's like he doesn't have typical moobs, but actually has 2 distinct sets of breasts, one above the other. It's trippy. 

Will it eventually sag like Aoiyama?

[Old Shatterhand is dead 14]

16 hours ago, Leo C said:

I think Kotonowaka (or as I like to call him, titty titty) is going to win this basho.

With a little help of daddy.

[Yokozuna Hattorizakura 116]

bit late, but I just noticed that yesterday was the first time in 11 years that chiyoarashi and shohozan had fought. back then, shohozan was fighting under his real name and had yet to reach juryo.

 

Edited May 11 by Yokozuna Hattorizakura

[Kintamayama 39,208]

The Yokozuna dohyo iri attendants this time are the two lightest and shortest rikishi in Makuuchi. If they stand on each other's shoulders, will Terunofuji still be taller? Will the world be the same?

Edited May 11 by Kintamayama

[jsolo 106]

• MAY 2022 (NATSU) BASHO LINKS AND STATISTICS BLOG--DAY 3

Links to 9 archived Makuuchi Day 3 videos (doubled up on one, sorry, will fix later,) 1 Juryo, 4 Jonokuchi, and several maezumo matches,  over 175 photos, match articles, selected Rikishi quotes, match results, Kimarite and time statistics with comparisons to the March Basho. I have added match results and Kimarite statistics for Juryo. Also Top Rank performance, Maegashira v san'yaku, and Top Ten performance in Juryo. 

Have added Time of Match statistics for Juryo (no official source, so I used a stop watch app). Probably not exact, but close. Anyway, if anyone knows of an "official" source available in English please let me know. Hope it increases your enjoyment of the Basho. 

 

Enjoy

[Eikokurai 3,360]

Meisei is truly hapless right now. What's going on? He had Aoiyama voluntarily going backwards and still conspired to lose to one of the least mobile men in makuuchi.

[Eikokurai 3,360]

Ah ... Wakatakakage's Ozeki promotion this time around is looking very unlikely. 2-2 after four days leaves him with little margin of error. He can perhaps afford one more loss, two if the Kyokai are feeling very generous. I think the best he can probably hope for now though is to hit 10 and count this as the middle basho in a run.

[Eikokurai 3,360]

Takakeisho wins and Shodai finally turns up, albeit needing to turn the tables on Takayasu. He's avoided a repeat of the 0-4 from last time.

[Akinomaki 32,853]

After his sashichigae vs. Kotonowaka yesterday, top sanyaku gyoji Kimura Tamajiro went kyujo today due to a herniated disk, likely for longer. He was in charge of the first 2 ozeki bouts till day 3. https://www.sanspo.com/article/20220511-W5PCUU5CMNNOXKVNVJ7D4O6DDA/

[RabidJohn 1,161]

Obviously it's way too early to be calling the yusho, but the trio of unbeaten rikishi at the end of day 4 is a very unusual cast list of tournament leaders: Tobizaru, Aoiyama and Ichiyamamoto.

[Gaijingai 1,086]

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2022/05/11/sumo/summer-basho-kotonowaka/
John Gunning article

[Rocks 1,675]

Why does Hoshoryu insist on trying to beat Takakeisho at his own game? 

[since_94 595]

14 hours ago, Katooshu said:

I don't mean to body shame any rikishi, but I am fascinated by his body. It's like he doesn't have typical moobs, but actually has 2 distinct sets of breasts, one above the other. It's trippy. 

It is…the double bubble. 
 

Or, it may be more correct to say…he is.
 

 

[Leo C 42]

56 minutes ago, Rocks said:

Why does Hoshoryu insist on trying to beat Takakeisho at his own game? 

I was wondering the same thing. I was rooting for Hoshoryu before it started, but after this somewhat dumb display I found it quite funny when Takakeisho swatted him out of the dohyo with a slap basically.

[since_94 595]

57 minutes ago, Rocks said:

Why does Hoshoryu insist on trying to beat Takakeisho at his own game? 

Seriously. I often find myself shouting at Takakeisho’s opponents, “Don’t just stand in front of him (FFS)! Grab his belt!”

Day 4 was case in point. 

 

[since_94 595]

6 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

The Yokozuna dohyo iri attendants this time are the two lightest and shortest rikishi in Makuuchi. If they stand on each other's shoulders, will Terunofuji still be taller? Will the world be the same?

Maybe Hakuho started the trend choosing Ishiura and Enho. Makes the Yokozuna appear that much more imposing 

[Sumo Spiffy 85]

5 hours ago, Eikokurai said:

Takakeisho wins and Shodai finally turns up, albeit needing to turn the tables on Takayasu. He's avoided a repeat of the 0-4 from last time.

The image of the day that sticks with me is Takayasu's "did that really happen" expression after losing to Shodai. I think I had the same one on.

[Gospodin 149]

1 hour ago, Leo C said:

I was wondering the same thing. I was rooting for Hoshoryu before it started, but after this somewhat dumb display I found it quite funny when Takakeisho swatted him out of the dohyo with a slap basically.

I think he did quite well, that was a very valuable experience for the up and coming star. He just learned the hard way to never forget about Takakeisho´s left paw. I don´t think he will fall for it again.

[dingo 591]

Did Kotonowaka really think going for yotsu sumo against Terunofuji is a good idea? 

[Gurowake 3,225]

11 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

The Yokozuna dohyo iri attendants this time are the two lightest and shortest rikishi in Makuuchi. If they stand on each other's shoulders, will Terunofuji still be taller? Will the world be the same?

So I take it he rotates through the 3 heya-mates at various times?  I had assumed he would always have Terutsuyoshi and Takarafuji, but I forgot about Midorifuji being back until I looked at a list of Makuuchi rikishi with heya - last time he was active in Makuuchi was before Terunofuji was Yokozuna.

[Koorifuu 344]

5 hours ago, since_94 said:

Maybe Hakuho started the trend choosing Ishiura and Enho. Makes the Yokozuna appear that much more imposing 

That's more of a coincidence, though, isn't it? Those two were more than Hakuho's stablemates, but more like his uchideshi. There was an added layer of meaning on choosing them.

[Yamanashi 2,654]

1 hour ago, Koorifuu said:

That's more of a coincidence, though, isn't it? Those two were more than Hakuho's stablemates, but more like his uchideshi. There was an added layer of meaning on choosing them.

Also, they were the only Miyagino rikishi to reach Maegashira while Hakuho was active (except for Daikiho, who had one basho at M16).

[Seiyashi 2,968]

More like Takarafuji begged off being an attendant for the umpteenth time, seeing as how he's also been an attendant for Hakuho in the past (and probably Harumafuji too?). Might as well spread around the "honour" a little. I don't think having a nice matched pair of mini attendants was a primary motivation for picking Midorifuji, although it's certainly a nice touch to the dohyo iri.