Nagoya 2023 discussion (results)

[Jakusotsu 5,814]

2 hours ago, Gurowake said:

Nishikigi beat Terunofuji in Juryo on the latter's way back up in their first ever match.  First win in the 4th attempt in Makuuchi, sure, but it's not like the win in Juryo was on Terunofuji's way down, so it shouldn't be neglected.

Nishikigi seems to be doing best against opponents who don't dodge or shift, so Terunofuji is an ideal aite in that department. Straight up sumo - I like that kinboshi.

[Octofuji 327]

6 hours ago, RabidJohn said:

Don't know what Konosuke was looking at. Maybe it went on so long he got bored and distracted...

I have to say the dohyo looks like an ice rink at times.

Yeah I expect he'd forgotten who was where by that time. Nishikigi looked a bit shell-shocked, I hope he can make it to san'yaku. A couple of new Ozeki might help him get there.

[Gurowake 3,915]

48 minutes ago, Jakusotsu said:

Nishikigi seems to be doing best against opponents who don't dodge or shift, so Terunofuji is an ideal aite in that department. Straight up sumo - I like that kinboshi.

He's also doing well this basho against opponents who don't show up.

[Yamanashi 3,724]

Just now, Gurowake said:

He's also doing well this basho against opponents who don't show up.

So, he'll have at least three wins after his match with Shodai.

[Benevolance 2,478]

Meisei totally goaded Kotonowaka into that false start and threw him off. 

[Gurowake 3,915]

2 hours ago, Yamanashi said:

So, he'll have at least three wins after his match with Shodai.

That's assuming he'll face Shodai.  If the current trend continues, it's reasonable to believe he won't.  I have it penciled in tentatively for Day 10, but by then Shodai might be doing poor enough he wouldn't get a match against someone who's doing well.

[Kaninoyama 1,694]

5 hours ago, Gurowake said:

He's also doing well this basho against opponents who don't show up.

His post-bout kinboshi interview was a comedy of interviewer errors.

Interviewer: "What has been working well for you so far this basho?"

N: "Well I didn't even wrestle yesterday so..."

Interviewer: "How do you feel about potentially revisiting Sanyaku?"

N: "Actually I've never made it there yet so it would be a first-time promotion."

 

 

 

 

Edited July 10, 2023 by Kaninoyama

[dingo 1,160]

Daieisho looked to be on the edge of overextending against Mitakeumi. One more cm forward and he would've bellyflopped. The dohyo seems quite slippery and soon he might get a few opponents who are more adept at pulling so hopefully he'll control his pushes a bit better like last basho. 

Wakamotoharu was beautiful to watch. Once he got his grip and settled that was it. Denshamichi sumo all the way until Tobizaru was safely and surely escorted out. 

[Seiyashi 4,071]

9 hours ago, Yarimotsu said:

11 hours ago, Seiyashi said:

Hokuseihō needs to figure out a game plan to assert himself. He was all over the place at the start of the bout, and had he been shorter and lighter he would have lost.

To me, it's kind of the point that he isn't shorter and lighter and so those moments of sloppiness won't cause him a loss. As he becomes even stronger and heavier, these moments should become even less risky for him.

Yeah, but that's, idk, not good sumo, or at least not a good portent for rising higher if he's overreliant on his physique to ward off the consequences of bad technique. Ōhō isn't exactly top-tier material and still gave him that much trouble from the start. 

It's actually a bit akin to Shōdai's tachiai problem as well, where he's just basically guaranteed to lose out of the tachiai because of his lousy stance. And look what that cost Shōdai when he wasn't in 100% shape to rescue the rest of the bout.

[Bunbukuchagama 688]

Hokuseiho... 

[Kaninoyama 1,694]

Nishikigi, the Giant Killer. 

[Chartorenji 235]

WTF LMAO. Just wrapped around and kept going. Both of Teru's main strategies have been stopped so far. 

[Bunbukuchagama 688]

That loose belt is BS. 

[Leoben 121]

Teru's knees must be really bad. Completely incapable of using his power even when he had a decent grip and an advantageous position. I imagine he'll be dropping out tomorrow.

That said I'd be extremely pissed off at the loose belt. It was coming up to Tobizaru's armpits at one point.

Edited July 11, 2023 by Leoben

[Jakusotsu 5,814]

14 minutes ago, Leoben said:

That said I'd be extremely pissed off at the loose belt. It was coming up to Tobizaru's armpits at one point.

Indeed. I've sensed the spirit of Tokitenku smirking.

[Faustonowaka 112]

49 minutes ago, Kaninoyama said:

Nishikigi, the Giant Killer. 

10 (or 11) bout winning streak, including 7 sanyaku opponents…

I’ll have what he’s having

Edited July 11, 2023 by Faustonowaka

[junsan 170]

2 hours ago, Leoben said:

Teru's knees must be really bad. Completely incapable of using his power even when he had a decent grip and an advantageous position. I imagine he'll be dropping out tomorrow.

That said I'd be extremely pissed off at the loose belt. It was coming up to Tobizaru's armpits at one point.

Yes, he was at a great disadvantage with that loose belt. Knees look bad too.

[Koorifuu 886]

Just watched the bouts. The only thing that prevented me from thinking Tobizaru would unwillingly exposing himself was the fact I'd have seen it on Twitter by now.

Anyway. I'm seriously worried that little kick might have abysmal implications. Terunofuji was already weak, but his legs were just hopeless after that.

[RabidJohn 1,663]

Wow, Tobizaru broke Terunofuji! The yokozuna looked like he could barely stand afterwards, and he was supporting himself on his tsukebito's shoulders in the hanamichi.

Props to Tobizaru - I definitely didn't see that coming. I guess that loose outer wrap of the mawashi is going to be as divisive as henka among fans. It's a risky strategy; if it had gone on much longer the Monkey would have been disqualified for it coming undone entirely.

I said before the basho that the joi looked dangerous, but I meant for the potential ozeki rather than the yokozuna...

Hokuseiho completely fluffed that HNH attempt, didn't he?
 

[Koorifuu 886]

Nishonoseki getting a faceful of Yoshii's bum. In two different angles.

That's my contribution to the internet.

[Fashiritētā 169]

The leg kick heard round the world, if Teru doesn’t go kyujo i will surprised.

Props to Tobizaru.

Daiesho and Takayasu looked determined.

 

 

Edited July 11, 2023 by Fashiritētā

[dada78641 884]

Extremely impressive by Tobizaru to keep standing after all those charges by the yokozuna, even if he's clearly not fighting at full strength. If his mawashi had been slightly more tight I think he would've lost that bout, though.

[Tochinofuji 372]

Loose mawashi, tight mawashi (put on while having water applied and allowed to dry if I recall correctly?), all part of the game. I will say Tobizaru's footsweep attempt - more a kick than anything - seemed a little unkind and like it may have some serious impact unfortunately. But at the end of the day, this is sumo and that's the way the dohyo crumbles I guess. 

[Yaochozuna 137]

8 minutes ago, Tochinofuji said:

I will say Tobizaru's footsweep attempt - more a kick than anything - seemed a little unkind and like it may have some serious impact unfortunately.

My thoughts exactly.

[Yarimotsu 522]

11 hours ago, Seiyashi said:

Yeah, but that's, idk, not good sumo, or at least not a good portent for rising higher if he's overreliant on his physique to ward off the consequences of bad technique. Ōhō isn't exactly top-tier material and still gave him that much trouble from the start. 

It's actually a bit akin to Shōdai's tachiai problem as well, where he's just basically guaranteed to lose out of the tachiai because of his lousy stance. And look what that cost Shōdai when he wasn't in 100% shape to rescue the rest of the bout.

You're not wrong, and it cost him against Takayasu. I'm just thinking a bit ahead of things as they are now - expecting that he will learn some, and grow some more. Overly reliant on his physique? Not great on paper, as you point out. But ultimately any dominant strategy he can craft will be heavily dependent on his physique, as that is his competitive advantage. Technique will always be lacking and look clumsy for him but I think Ozeki is calling either way.