Natsu 2023 discussion (results)

[maglor 132]

6 hours ago, Koorifuu said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is when Takanoiwa was out due to alleged karaoke remote related injuries, right?

The soft demotion might've been helped by some extra sympathy for him (which was my impression at the time), and also to avoid adding more fuel to the Takanohana fire. Both of which aged like milk...

There were 7 guys who were by-the-numbers worse than Takanoiwa who got demoted, which resulted in a 4-3 Ms6 and a 5-2 Ms7 getting promoted.

It worked out very nicely because they didn't have to give Takanoiwa a soft demotion anyway, he was safe by the math.

[Katooshu 3,485]

Wow! Gonoyama-Ochiai was an amazing match, excellent showing from both of them.

Onosato easily pushing Shiden out - should be no time before he's in juryo.

[Kaninoyama 1,880]

Takayasu returns on Day 11 and looks like he didn't need to miss the previous 10 days. 

[rhyen 1,858]

Tobizaru trying to walk the dawara tightrope failed. 

[Kaninoyama 1,880]

Spectacular utchari by Wakamotoharu. 

Edited May 24, 2023 by Kaninoyama

[junsan 204]

Wakamotoharu with the MOVE OF THE BASHO~!

[Jakusotsu 6,394]

2 hours ago, Katooshu said:

Onosato easily pushing Shiden out - should be no time before he's in juryo.

Should *have* been, if he didn't botch his first bout.

[Koorifuu 1,120]

Kotoeko really showing he'd gone in with a strategy. Instead of doing his pigeon technique of flailing about at high speed, swooping in when there's an opening.. BLAM, Kinbozan was a morozashi victim before he knew it.

It also speaks volumes about Kinbozan's yotsu prowess when Kotoeko of all people powers him out of the dohyo.

The potential is there but these rough edges really are going to show against this kind of opposition. Sanyaku might be a long term project.

[RabidJohn 2,071]

I'm not clairvoyant, but I expected that utchari win by Wakamotoharu from about halfway through the bout. Dude didn't disappoint me - and it was a thing of great beauty.

I was surprised to see Kiribayama get Hiradoumi, but I was impressed by the patient way he dealt with the 'unknown quantity' of a first time meet.

So Takakeisho had no chance of a KK in his current condition... Anyone still got money on that?

[Morty 1,518]

Utchari!!!!

That was awesome, absolutely loved it. Imagine being Hokoseiho thinking you've got that one won and then suddenly you're in the air and being flipped over. Wakamotoharu is the best Utchari exponent we have seen in years.

[hakutorizakura 688]

Yes indeed, WMH utchari!! Saw that coming somehow.

Hokuspokus boy is good. He's learning everytime.

[Seiyashi 4,109]

With Hokuseihō and Ochiai absolutely ripping things up as they go, I wonder if Miyagino will be the first in a long while to have the honour of having two yokozuna at the same time.

Last should have been the Hanada brothers, right?

Edited May 24, 2023 by Seiyashi

[RabidJohn 2,071]

1 hour ago, Morty said:

Wakamotoharu is the best Utchari exponent we have seen in years.

He is, but I don't know where he's got it from. I don't recall it being a prominent feature of moto-Sokokurai's sumo...

[dingo 1,477]

Not sure what was Hoshoryuu thinking rushing into Terunofuji's grip like that. I guess it's good that he has Hakuho's mindset of trying to beat an opponent at his game but the skills are not quite there yet. 

[Jakusotsu 6,394]

1 hour ago, Seiyashi said:

With Hokuseihō and Ochiai absolutely ripping things up as they go, I wonder if Miyagino will be the first in a long while to have the honour of having two yokozuna at the same time.

Last should have been the Hanada brothers, right?

Should have been Isegahama, but some busted knees and a karaoke remote prevented that.

[RabidJohn 2,071]

59 minutes ago, Jakusotsu said:

Should have been Isegahama, but some busted knees and a karaoke remote prevented that.

I believe the knees were way more of a factor than the incident at the Mongolian piss-up.
Harumafuji was already nearing the end of his tenure (and at least resignation meant he never became the no. 1 giver-away of kinboshi).

Anyway, Isegahama-san has raised 2 yokozuna, which is kudos enough. Concurrency would've just been icing on the cake.

[robnplunder 978]

2 hours ago, dingo said:

Not sure what was Hoshoryuu thinking rushing into Terunofuji's grip like that. I guess it's good that he has Hakuho's mindset of trying to beat an opponent at his game but the skills are not quite there yet. 

No one can match Terunofuji with power.  Well, Hoshoryu is pretty smart and he will have a better plan the next time they meet.

How many new Ozeki will we see in the next basho?  Kiribayama for sure.

Even with a loss today, Ochiai looked good.  I can't wait to see what he does in the next basho.  

[robnplunder 978]

3 hours ago, Seiyashi said:

With Hokuseihō and Ochiai absolutely ripping things up as they go, I wonder if Miyagino will be the first in a long while to have the honour of having two yokozuna at the same time.

Last should have been the Hanada brothers, right?

I like Ochiai's chances.  Only if Hokuseio learns to use both arms at the start of a match ....

[Octofuji 431]

6 minutes ago, robnplunder said:

How many new Ozeki will we see in the next basho?  Kiribayama for sure.

And Daieisho if he wins out, which seems unlikely despite a good record against Terunofuji.

I'd love to see Wakamotoharu join them after Nagoya. That utchari was the high point of a wonderful string of matches.

As a newish (4 years) fan I've never been as excited about the future of sumo as I am now. There are so many wrestlers on the rise who I could see at Ozeki or beyond in the next few years.

[Reonito 1,783]

4 minutes ago, Octofuji said:

And Daieisho if he wins out, which seems unlikely despite a good record against Terunofuji.

I don't think that's a lock, given that his first basho was at M and they won't need an emergency promotion.

[Octofuji 431]

1 minute ago, Reonito said:

I don't think that's a lock, given that his first basho was at M and they won't need an emergency promotion.

Yes I just realised this on reading Tachiai :)

[Koorifuu 1,120]

1 hour ago, Octofuji said:

Yes I just realised this on reading Tachiai :)

Veering off topic a little - are Tachiai's contributors here in this forum? I should probably check it more often - have forgotten about them this basho altogether.

[Reonito 1,783]

8 minutes ago, Koorifuu said:

Veering off topic a little - are Tachiai's contributors here in this forum? I should probably check it more often - have forgotten about them this basho altogether.

[dingo 1,477]

3 hours ago, robnplunder said:

No one can match Terunofuji with power.  Well, Hoshoryu is pretty smart and he will have a better plan the next time they meet. 

The thing is I expected more from Hoshoryuu already this time. I think he's been close to defeating Terunofuji before so he really should've come up with a better plan. Perhaps Terunofuji's long absence dulled Hoshoryuu's memory or something. 

[Fashiritētā 213]

Just now, dingo said:

The thing is I expected more from Hoshoryuu already this time. I think he's been close to defeating Terunofuji before so he really should've come up with a better plan. Perhaps Terunofuji's long absence dulled Hoshoryuu's memory or something. 

Exactly, Meisei showed him what to do, just grab an outside grip and start moving quickly in a circle.