Kyushu 2023 discussion (results)

[Fashiritētā 154]

1 hour ago, dingo said:

Seems like Takakeisho's forward moving sumo has lasted for about 15 seconds in total if you take yesterday into account as well. He still got the win today but each bout seems quite precarious for him. Taking into account his injury issues, can't blame him though. 

Looks as though Takakeisho is shying away from the head first tachiai, thats his second bout where his hands make contact before his neck.

Stay Neck Strong Battle Hamster.

[RabidJohn 1,628]

2 hours ago, Yarimotsu said:

Honestly I was happy with the call. Usually where the dead body becomes apparent for one, then the other who touches first becomes dead body slightly later, I like to see the bout called a redo. Expecting big things from Gonoyama in the future though, he clearly has the spirit and skill to stick around the top of the banzuke.

I wasn't exactly unhappy with it; it was exceedingly close and they both slipped at the same time. Maybe they just don't want to upset any more sanyaku gyoji...

I also like the look of Gonoyama. In both physique and technique he's almost a clone of moto-Goeido, and he's got the same brawler fighting spirit.

[Seiyashi 4,068]

Is this the best the ōzeki have done in recent memory?

I would not want to be Gōnoyama's neck right now. It has been the subject of two attempts in as many days to dispossess it from his body.

It's quite comical that Hokuseihō looks positively svelte for a sumo wrester thanks to his lankiness. But the instant right hand over at the tachiai seems quite deadly if he can land it - he can do so many nasty things with the left hand afterward. Then again, Endō is perhaps the most likely to fall victim to this trick - so opponent specific preparation, or a new trick up his mawashi?

[Reonito 1,295]

5 hours ago, Seiyashi said:

Is this the best the ōzeki have done in recent memory?

If you query for at least 3 ozeki, all starting 2-0, you have to go back to Natsu 2016.

And I believe there have been 24 intervening tournaments with 3+ ozeki competing on day 2, in none of which they all started 2-0.

Edited November 14, 2023 by Reonito

[sumojoann 1,254]

3 hours ago, RabidJohn said:

 

I also like the look of Gonoyama. In both physique and technique he's almost a clone of moto-Goeido, and he's got the same brawler fighting spirit.

The first time I played "Sekitori Sweepstake, I drew Gonoyama, who was in Juryo at that time.  I knew nothing about him but was happy with his 9-6 result.  What I like the most is his jutting jaw.  Not a tall rikishi, but he just has a certain look about him --- tough, scrappy, determined, relentless, a fearless fighter.  He looked surprised when he lost last night.  Barring serious injury, I see him going far.

[Katooshu 3,079]

Gonoyama reminds me of Hokutofuji. No nonsense, filled with fighting spirit. Both with an appearance to match their style.

[Kotomiyama 161]

First win in Makuuchi for Tomokaze since 2019. It's been a long road, but here he is again!

[Asashosakari 18,650]

11 hours ago, Yarimotsu said:

Honestly I was happy with the call. Usually where the dead body becomes apparent for one, then the other who touches first becomes dead body slightly later, I like to see the bout called a redo.

Same here. Almost every time one of these double-KO type finishes happens where the two guys are falling separately and not actually exerting any force on each other anymore en route to a (near-)simultaneous touch down, I'm glad when the torinaoshi is called. (Sadly not often enough.) It's a "neither rikishi deserved to win this" type of situation, as far as I'm concerned.

Edited November 13, 2023 by Asashosakari

[Rocks 1,801]

1 hour ago, Asashosakari said:

Same here. Almost every time one of these double-KO type finishes happens where the two guys are falling separately and not actually exerting any force on each other anymore en route to a (near-)simultaneous touch down, I'm glad when the torinaoshi is called. (Sadly not often enough.) It's a "neither rikishi deserved to win this" type of situation, as far as I'm concerned.

Yeah, I was cool with it for the same reasoning.  Although I was also sure Daieisho would win the redo easily. 

[Bunbukuchagama 674]

Wait, Hitoshi  is fine? They said he couldn't walk. 

[rhyen 1,798]

Chiyomaru has injured his chest in the same place as Kisenosato?

Tsurugisho injured left knee is probably injured again?

[Kaninoyama 1,649]

Is there anyone who finds himself on the losing end of more close, spirited battles than Meisei? 

Edited November 14, 2023 by Kaninoyama

[Taliesin 68]

59 minutes ago, Kaninoyama said:

Is there anyone who finds himself on the losing end of more close, spirited battles than Meisei? 

I doubt that. He has tremendous driving force and knows both how to push and how to work the belt, but he is by far the worst in makuuchi at keeping his balance. He slips all of the time.

[Hankegami 412]

Happy Day 3 to everyone. I'm unfortunately unable to pester you all with my unrequited analysis of the bouts during the week, yet hopefully I can still participate from time to time, like today. Now, my much narrow-sighted highlights:

After three days, I am positive that Oho finally decided to try some forward oshi-zumo instead of backpedaling all the time. This did not work very well nonetheless, since he apparently lacks power. I mean, he managed to be overpowered by a Takarafuji clearly not in shape. I only hope he won't go back to his old habits just to rack up a few more wins.

Tamawashi is clearly genki in this tournament. He looks like he's going to make a short work of the lower Maegashira around him. By the looks of it, he needs to hit at least the M9 guys and higher (not for the rank in itself, but for the people ranked there) to face some real competition. Although he might have some scratches to deal with already tomorrow - his foe is his old pal Sadanoumi. He's 7-11 against him on the overall (here), but after their initial meetups in 2014-2015 (0-6), Tamawashi leads 7-5 including their last two meetings.

Atamifuji "Little Teru" Sakutaro continues to impress. Today he got Kinbozan's belt immediately and drove the heavyweight Kazakh out. He definitively learned Terunofuji's left inside grip move well. Tomorrow he will get Ryuden and that could be interesting, since the latter is a belt specialist. Also, Atamifuji is 0-3 against him from their Juryo days in 2022 (here). A win would show that Atamin really reached a new level.

Daieisho continues to walk down his warpath. He has an unlikely chance to Ozeki promotion with a 14-1 or 13-2 result, but a man must try anyway. He surely looks genki, chasing Tayakasu down the dohyo. Tomorrow he gets Ura (9-3 precedents, easy for on paper here).

Last like for the Ozeki collective, all at 3-0. I am most impressed that Takakeisho got there after pre-basho news about his neck injury. He's coping very well, considering his situation. Hoshoryu went back to his old belt gripping habits against Hokutofuji, but it worked well and he got an elegant win. However, the one that impressed me the most so far is Kirishima (II). He's definitively set on opening with some strong oshi at the tachi-ai, and it works splendidly. Shodai even managed to get an inside left grip but could do noting with it.

In general, a small group of 3-0 leaders already formed after three days (well, it often does), and it does include some very convincing Yusho contestants. For the moment, I see the Ozeki trio (yep, including Tatakaeisho as long as he manages to keep up with the rest) and Daieisho as the actual leaders given their history and high rank. Kotonowaka does not smell just as good to me. He's surely good, but he never impressed me with his technique. Ditto Shonannoumi. That's great that he hit the joy after a lifetime in the lower divisions, but he does not strike me as capable to hold his own against the upper echelons. On the other hand, Atamifuji smells like Teru spirits, and that's enough for me to put him on my watch. The other 3-0 buch are ranked too low to be impressed by their results.  (Disclaimer: my observation could well end up to be sorely wrong in due time).

Edited November 14, 2023 by Hankegami

[Akinomaki 39,497]

The last 2 basho Insosuke gave his best, last basho even doing the kaobure on day 2 and 13, now that he has the promotion he's stopped to gambarize - no torikumi announcement from him so far this basho. Bad luck for Tamajiro - we only need 2 tate-gyoji if we have 2 yokozuna.

Speaking of which, I suddenly got a nightmare vision of a Takakeisho yokozuna dohyo-iri

Edited November 14, 2023 by Akinomaki

[RabidJohn 1,628]

I was wondering if I'd just seen a sloppy utchari from Kotonowaka when they announced it as osakate. That's a new one on me - had to look it up.

7 minutes ago, Akinomaki said:

Speaking of which, I suddenly got a nightmare vision of a Takakeisho yokozuna dohyo-iri

Unryu, right? I must have a masochistic streak, because I don't believe being proven completely wrong about him would actually upset me.

[MrGrumpyGills 114]

50 minutes ago, Akinomaki said:

a Takakeisho yokozuna dohyo-iri

I've been wanting to see that for years and while I don't actually believe it will happen, I'll still keep up hope. But then again, I've been called a contrarian before, so I guess that's part of the appeal for me

[Seiyashi 4,068]

Is it some weird opposite basho where all the ōzeki are doing well and the weakest is Hōshōryū? 

[Yarimotsu 513]

I did see the 2016.05 basho mentioned as the last where three Ozeki got off to a 2-0 start (also a 3-0 start, but not 4-0 in that case). However we're also looking at the top 3 active wrestlers getting a 3-0 start. That hasn't happened since 2018.09, when we had 3 Yokozuna start the tournament 5-0. 

At the time, Takakeisho was having a (much improved) second try at Komusubi, Kiri was faltering at the top of Makushita and Hoshoryu was just easing his way into Makushita for the first time.

[Fashiritētā 154]

Takakeisho being wise this Basho, 3rd day in a row his hands make contact first, if the Battle Hamster can stay focused and keep his neck safe, then there is hope .

[dingo 1,103]

I've seen the future of sumo more clearly than ever today, and its name is Oonosato. And Gounoyama. And Atamifuji. 

Chiyomaru unfortunately dislocated his shoulder, but he had blue jacket Hakuho himself come to his aid. Maybe that made him feel a bit better, though who am I kidding. That must've hurt as hell.

Add another 3 seconds of forward moving sumo to Takakeisho's record this basho. But three seconds was enough today against Ura. I should really start counting his totals of forward moving vs backwards moving sumo in order to quantity the potential yokozuna promotion data for the Kyokai 

 

Edited November 14, 2023 by dingo

[Yubinhaad 11,499]

9 hours ago, Bunbukuchagama said:

Wait, Hitoshi  is fine? They said he couldn't walk. 

Well he had to be helped off the dohyo and left in the wheelchair. Perhaps it was just precautionary. Anyway, I'm glad he's not injured.
 

[Joaoiyama 303]

The future is bright! 

[Akinomaki 39,497]

5 hours ago, Yarimotsu said:

I did see the 2016.05 basho mentioned as the last where three Ozeki got off to a 2-0 start (also a 3-0 start, but not 4-0 in that case). However we're also looking at the top 3 active wrestlers getting a 3-0 start. That hasn't happened since 2018.09, when we had 3 Yokozuna start the tournament 5-0. 

At the time, Takakeisho was having a (much improved) second try at Komusubi, Kiri was faltering at the top of Makushita and Hoshoryu was just easing his way into Makushita for the first time.

All 3 ozeki on the banzuke starting with 3 wins last happened 26 years ago - Kyushu 1997: Musashimaru, Takanonami and Wakanohana o

[Akinomaki 39,497]

One for the kimarite watch, first time in Reiwa, last  in makuuchi 13 years ago: Osakate by Kotonowaka

o

On 10/09/2022 at 09:50, Kintamayama said:

Oosakate Hatsu 2010 Baruto - Kakizoe