Aki 2023 discussion (results)

[Athenayama 953]

Even though he resisted as much as he could today, it seems that Azumaryu is as close as ever to intai, isn't he?

[Akinomaki 39,790]

10 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

Onosato is in good company as the 7th to start with 8 wins in his juryo debut (in the 15 days per basho era since Natsu 1949) o

...

So yusho, but likely he'll drop the next one, now that he reached his main goal

Not today - now Onosato is the 3rd to start with 9 wins in his juryo debut - but will he be the first with 10?

[rhyen 1,809]

That has to a self inflicted abisetaoshi from Chiyoshoma trying to attempt that Harumafuji technique against Hokuseiho.

Edited September 18, 2023 by rhyen

[Chartorenji 235]

Glad to see Onosato come into his own. I know a couple of us gave each other crap about his success potential but he is clearly a great talent and the faster he can get to Makuuchi the better. 

[Akinomaki 39,790]

The traditional sashi-chigae for Inosuke - 2nd day off for the kaobure as well: 15 days are too much for him

[Kaninoyama 1,694]

Hoshoryu has a bad case of the Shin-Ozeki blues. 

[Akinomaki 39,790]

21 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

On 17/09/2023 at 10:49, Bunbukuchagama said:

How did sanyaku become so mediocre again?

We still have one sekiwake 1 behind the leaders, we had worse basho. The ozeki are doing the expected: Hoshoryu heading towards kadoban, the two kadoban away from it

Only now we have the sanyaku at mediocre level - none left 1 behind the leaders. Hoshoryu needs no win anymore, it will be the same kadoban. The kadoban 2 are doing excellent, only 2 more wins needed to completely relax.

[Faustonowaka 112]

1 hour ago, Akinomaki said:

The traditional sashi-chigae for Inosuke - 2nd day off for the kaobure as well: 15 days are too much for him

I guess this means we won’t be seeing the 38th Kimura Shonosuke anytime soon

[dingo 1,160]

Compared to his previous makuuchi stint, Atamifuji seems to be a rikishi reborn. Don't tell me he's actually gonna win the yusho, Tokushoryu style... Well, we shall see in tomorrow's bout vs Takayasu who will be on top. Speaking of the rikishi who shall not be named (at least in conjunction with yusho), he is imo the best non-ozeki rikishi showing consistent ozeki sumo. Too damn bad he got demoted.

Is Tamawashi gonna get a win by the end of the basho? Anyone wanna bet?

Wow, Takakeisho was on fire! First time this basho to see him so fired up for a bout. Taking into account his connection with Gounoyama (thank you Kintamayama for the video insert!), it's no wonder he had to protect his image and couldn't afford to lose.

Didn't expect that decision against Hoshoryuu. Would've thought torinaoshi instead. Or maybe I should've expected it, considering Kotonowaka's pedigree? 

P. S. I think that being able to do the gorgeous flips is at least half of the fun in sumo for Ura. 

[dingo 1,160]

4 hours ago, Katooshu said:

Shishi - Mitoryu , what a match 

Shishi has to practice suriashi a lot more, those were some big bear steps in the ring. 

[RabidJohn 1,665]

15 minutes ago, dingo said:

Wow, Takakeisho was on fire! First time this basho to see him so fired up for a bout. Taking into account his connection with Gounoyama (thank you Kintamayama for the video insert!), it's no wonder he had to protect his image and couldn't afford to lose.

I heard 'senpai' in the Japanese commentary, which was enough for me to understand the link. Yeah, that was a proper welcome to the top for Gonoyama.

17 minutes ago, dingo said:

Didn't expect that decision against Hoshoryuu. Would've thought torinaoshi instead. Or maybe I should've expected it, considering Kotonowaka's pedigree? 

I thought tori-naoshi, too. Felt like a very iffy, if not outright biased decision. 

19 minutes ago, dingo said:

P. S. I think that being able to do the gorgeous flips is at least half of the fun in sumo for Ura. 

Ura's hinkaku is awful, like his bright pink mawashi. Yet I find his obvious love of his job, win or lose, utterly endearing, and find myself impassive about the contradiction.

[Koorifuu 886]

It's a massive injustice that someone as capable as Asashiyu is probably going to finish up with an all-time sekitori record of 1-14.

[Koorifuu 886]

5 hours ago, Athenayama said:

Even though he resisted as much as he could today, it seems that Azumaryu is as close as ever to intai, isn't he?

The degradation on his sumo has been evident for many months now, but it's taken a nosedive this basho. I've been expecting mid-basho intai for almost a week now, but he might hang on until the end now.

[Barutokai 62]

48 minutes ago, Koorifuu said:

It's a massive injustice that someone as capable as Asashiyu is probably going to finish up with an all-time sekitori record of 1-14.

But he is 5-0? He could be sekitori again in March?

[Koorifuu 886]

1 hour ago, Barutokai said:

But he is 5-0? He could be sekitori again in March?

I really hope I'm wrong, but his injury record doesn't fill me with confidence.

[Bunbukuchagama 688]

4 hours ago, dingo said:

Shishi has to practice suriashi a lot more, those were some big bear steps in the ring. 

Still, he escaped. Not elegant, but effective. 

[Iwayama 25]

4 hours ago, RabidJohn said:

I thought tori-naoshi, too. Felt like a very iffy, if not outright biased decision. 

After seeing the replay the decision made sense to me. The top of Hoshoryu's foot dragged across the clay before Kotonowaka touched out. 

[Kaito 275]

20 minutes ago, Iwayama said:

After seeing the replay the decision made sense to me. The top of Hoshoryu's foot dragged across the clay before Kotonowaka touched out. 

If you watch Kotonowaka's feet, he too drags the top of his foot over the clay before stepping out. But I thought this call was pretty surprising even without that. The position in the above image is very common, and the tops of the attacker's feet dragging is routinely ignored.

[Fashiritētā 169]

Shishi with the determination, good stuff.

He even put the kitchen sink in to use.

Edited September 18, 2023 by Fashiritētā

[dingo 1,160]

48 minutes ago, Iwayama said:

After seeing the replay the decision made sense to me. The top of Hoshoryu's foot dragged across the clay before Kotonowaka touched out. 

Thar was also the shimpan's explanation for awarding it to Kotonowaka. To me it seemed like a split second difference and perhaps would've been fairer on Hoshoryuu to get a torinaoshi. On the other hand, the ozeki can't have every decision going their way. 

[Katooshu 3,135]

The top of Kotonowaka's foot also dragged, before the moment in the screenshot. I think they should have rematched, and if forced to pick a winner I would have gone Hoshoryu. 

There is a lot of inconsistency among shimpan crews when it comes to the top of the foot.

Edited September 18, 2023 by Katooshu

[Iwayama 25]

1 hour ago, Kaito said:

If you watch Kotonowaka's feet, he too drags the top of his foot over the clay before stepping out. But I thought this call was pretty surprising even without that. The position in the above image is very common, and the tops of the attacker's feet dragging is routinely ignored.

I saw that too, but to me it looked more like the side of his foot skidding off the tawara as he stepped back. My understanding is that rikishi are allowed to jam their foot against the tawara when being forced back, and that the toku-dawara is specifically used for this purpose. That for me makes it a gray area. But in watching it apian I can see the koto-toe drag perspective and in that case a re-match is warranted. 

[Tigerboy1966 1,376]

Whatever the judges thought about the contact between the top of the foot and the clay, Hoshoryu should not have been struggling like this. He's either injured, or he has got very bad shin-ozeki syndrome or.... no.... I'll leave the tinfoil hat under the bed for now.

I haven't been a fan of Takayasu since his initial ozeki run in 2017, but I'm starting to hope that he can pop his yusho cherry so folks can stop yapping about his failure to do so.

[Akinomaki 39,790]

No hint at the possibility of a disputable decision in the usual papers - the semi-tabloid that posts the outcries of the fans in the social media is quiet so far this basho.

Inosuke for his 11th sashi-chigae as tate-gyoji handed in the informal resignation as the custom requests, in the presence of also the head shimpan for the bout Kumegawa (who is also responsible for the other recent bad decision this basho of not calling a mono-ii), Hakkaku as always dissuaded him from quitting. http://www.sanspo.com/article/20230918-QF5GS4NPKZNVPO3WQIAXUPQEPA/

Hakkaku also cautioned him: "It was a tricky bout, but judge dignified" http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/sports/sumo/20230918-OYT1T50120/

 - At least Hakkaku admitted that it was difficult to judge

Edited September 18, 2023 by Akinomaki

[dingo 1,160]

Yeah to be fair on Inosuke, anyone could've gotten this bout wrong. The shimpan declaring Kotonowaka's win instead of a redo was really a hairline decision.