dingo 1,160 Posted January 25 Shimazuumi is one of the least rookie looking Makuuchi rookies in recent memory. He looks like he's approaching 40. In fact Tamawashi who's actually approaching 40 looks younger than him. But we can't all be Tom Cruise and a shin-nyumaku kachikoshi on day 12 is a good achievement so congratulations! Nice showing by Oho, not letting his visit to higher ranks discourage him. Still on the way to a decent kachikoshi, and with this kind of sumo I wouldn't even exclude him winning out and reaching double digits. Despite being makekoshi and having a pretty bad basho so far Tomokaze didn't go easy on Mitakeumi and had a well earned shiroboshi. It might not be enough to save him from juryo, but rikishi pride is important as well. Meisei got nicely seated on the dohyo by Myogiryuu who also displayed some wilyness today. Overall a pretty good day for most of the veteran rikishi, except Takarafuji. Tobizaru got a bit lucky, but did enough to get the shimpan argue for him. Now that I think of it, there haven't been many monoiis in makuuchi this basho, and even less controversial decisions. Who else would Shonannoumi get his second win from than Shodai? The man is a total mystery, winning and losing seemingly random bouts against random opponents, their skill or strength notwithstanding. It's as if the sumo gods are flipping a coin every time Shodai steps on the dohyo. I was sort of hoping for a double henka in Abi vs Midorifuji, but a rare Abi yotsu win is almost as strange. Gounoyama vs Ura was very exciting! Good attacking sumo from both of them until Ura decided it's time to exploit Gounoyama's forward charging. Gounoyama is really starting to resemble Goeido more and more, in that there's not really a plan b besides charging forward and then charging forward some more. A lot of slipping today, did someone grease the dohyo or something? Kotonowaka was the biggest benefitter as Onosho didn't even get his attack going before he found himself on the floor. Daieisho seemed also very prone to a pulldown today, overextending dangerously but for some reason Ryuden didn't think about it. Massive step ahead for Daieisho maintaining his sekiwake rank. Hoshoryuu intends to stay in the yusho race as long as possible, dispatching Takanosho easily. He's getting better in the second half of the basho so there'll be some exciting bouts ahead,starting with the ozeki clash tomorrow which Kirishima really has to win if he wants to have a good chance at yusho. Onosato showed off his strength by moving Terunofuji back, but if he wants to beat the top ranks he has to be able to do more than just move forward. Like counter throws for example, or just develop some more belt skills. Otherwise he's just a stronger version of Hokutofuji. Fortunately he still has time to learn. Overall a good day of sumo and the yusho race promises to be very exciting for the last few days! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
lackmaker 432 Posted January 25 15 minutes ago, Gurowake said: Could you explain this to the unenlightened? Is it a Hakuho vs. Ikioi type thing? it's the similarity of their styles. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RabidJohn 1,665 Posted January 25 3 minutes ago, lackmaker said: it's the similarity of their styles. I remember Ikioi trying to emulate Hakuho's style, but he was hopeless at it. Ichiyamamoto comes a lot closer to Abi's style, including the dodgy balance. Probably belongs in the ridiculous predictions thread, but I could foresee a scenario where they both come out with nodowa, follow up with a thrust from the right, lose their balance and fall simultaneously, leading to a tori-naoshi, where they both come out with nodowa, ad nauseum until the shimpan get fed up and call the first draw since forever. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrGrumpyGills 119 Posted January 25 37 minutes ago, Gurowake said: Could you explain this to the unenlightened? Is it a Hakuho vs. Ikioi type thing? No, they look so much alike they could be twins. A similar match would be Takakeishō vs. Bushōzan. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sumo Spiffy 535 Posted January 25 (edited) 6 hours ago, Kintamayama said: I will respectfully disagree with you. The Terunofuji that never lost to these guys was a different Terunofuji. This Terunofuji will lose tomorrow to the eventual yusho winner Kotonowaka. No one can stop Kotonowaka now. The fact that dad isn't there to watch him is doing wonders for him and relieving him of unnecessary pressure. And even if not, I think Kotonowaka with a 13-2 and no yusho will be promoted.. I'm making the same call, but from the other angle: I think there's a smaller gap between 2022 Teru and this Teru than there is between Koto/Kiri/Nephew from a year-plus ago and now. Teru hasn't been able to bring the same power to bear, but you can see the same guy is in there; Kiri and Hoshoryu clearly stepped up their games over 2023, and Kotonowaka looks utterly remade. For example, even taking into account that the setups were different, Teru flung Gonoyama aside pretty easily, but Kotonowaka looked like he hardly had to try to do the same. Even six months ago it would have been easy to say Kotonowaka had the worst odds of the three to beat Teru. Now I'm pretty confident he has the best. Edited January 25 by Sumo Spiffy 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kintamayama 44,354 Posted January 25 5 hours ago, Akinomaki said: Hoshoryu and ほうしょうりゅう Houshiyouriyuu In the old days. we used to call Kotooushuu Osh.. I called him that to his face, he didn't like it. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kintamayama 44,354 Posted January 25 1 hour ago, MrGrumpyGills said: No, they look so much alike they could be twins. A similar match would be Takakeishō vs. Bushōzan. And of course their sumo style is identical. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rokudenashi 291 Posted January 25 After 4 straight losses to start, forum favourite Hakuyōzan has strung together 8 wins, all by oshidashi. He faces Shiden tomorrow, who has only lost by oshidashi 19 times in his career, one of which came courtesy of Mr Dame-oshi himself. Can he keep the streak going? I can’t wait to find out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrGrumpyGills 119 Posted January 25 22 minutes ago, Kintamayama said: And of course their sumo style is identical. Yep, which is pretty freaky, since it's not just one but two pairs that apparently got separated at birth... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yorikiried by fate 1,989 Posted January 25 34 minutes ago, Kintamayama said: In the old days. we used to call Kotooushuu Osh.. I called him that to his face, he didn't like it. I called Kotooshu "Aminishiki fodder". 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kintamayama 44,354 Posted January 25 (edited) 11 minutes ago, MrGrumpyGills said: Yep, which is pretty freaky, since it's not just one but two pairs that apparently got separated at birth... I don't know - I'm scared. I covered all the mirrors in my house and asked all family members to enter the shelter for an hour- before and after the bout, because that's when the Big Bang should occur. I probably will be showing the full shikiri on the video tomorrow, if I manage to survive. I want to capture the exact time of morphing or whatever it's called. Edited January 25 by Kintamayama 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gernobono 455 Posted January 25 7 minutes ago, yorikiried by fate said: I called Kotooshu "Aminishiki fodder". he liked that more? 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gurowake 3,921 Posted January 25 2 hours ago, MrGrumpyGills said: No, they look so much alike they could be twins. A similar match would be Takakeishō vs. Bushōzan. That's what I meant by Hakuho vs. Ikioi. Basically the same height and build and generally indistinguishable except by face. There was a poster that had Ikioi on it with his back turned, and I think they chose the image because they thought it was Hakuho, as most people assumed it was Hakuho until I noticed a mole on the back that I was able to find on Ikioi but not Hakuho. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrGrumpyGills 119 Posted January 25 I know and I understand your point, but even the faces of the aforementioned two "twin" sets are very similar, unlike Ikioi and Hakuhō. On a side note, for whatever reason I believed Abi and Ichiyamamoto already had faced each other in a bout before, but according to the sumo database they hadn't 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jakusotsu 5,815 Posted January 25 4 minutes ago, MrGrumpyGills said: On a side note, for whatever reason I believed Abi and Ichiyamamoto already had faced each other in a bout before, but according to the sumo database they hadn't You believed the universe already collapsed? And who would have guessed Abi being younger than his clone? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kintamayama 44,354 Posted January 25 6 minutes ago, MrGrumpyGills said: I know and I understand your point, but even the faces of the aforementioned two "twin" sets are very similar, unlike Ikioi and Hakuhō. On a side note, for whatever reason I believed Abi and Ichiyamamoto already had faced each other in a bout before, but according to the sumo database they hadn't No way. The Universe is still here. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yorikiried by fate 1,989 Posted January 25 3 minutes ago, Kintamayama said: No way. The Universe is still here. Or so the Germans would have us believe! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yamanashi 3,725 Posted January 25 10 hours ago, Ryoshishokunin said: Mostly: no syllable can end in anything but a vowel or 'n', so all these shortenings which please the western ear (Hak, Hosh, etc.) grate really badly if you know even the basics of Japanese like I do. "Hosho" would be much better if you must shorten. Listen, these are the people who say puroresu (pro wrestling), gurasu (glass, not grass), supa (grocery store, supermarket), etc. Don't worry about it, it's all just cosplay. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrGrumpyGills 119 Posted January 25 Instead of the universe collapsing, we could've jumped into some kind of parallel universe without anyone noticing 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Benihana 1,901 Posted January 25 I really like Shodai and i thought i'd seen at least a tiny glimpse of Shodai A this basho. But today he ruined my perfect 10 in SG by losing to Shonnanoumi, who clearly should be home, healing. And it happens all the time. I count on him and he lets me down. I really don't expect him suddenly to obliterate sanyaku, but come on! 1-10 Shonnanoumi Abandon all hope, ye who watch here. Terunofuji will put Kotonowaka back into his place tomorrow and my pattern senses see Kirishima as third co-leader. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yamanashi 3,725 Posted January 25 2 minutes ago, Benihana said: I really like Shodai and i thought i'd seen at least a tiny glimpse of Shodai A this basho. But today he ruined my perfect 10 in SG by losing to Shonnanoumi, who clearly should be home, healing. And it happens all the time. I count on him and he lets me down. I really don't expect him suddenly to obliterate sanyaku, but come on! 1-10 Shonnanoumi Abandon all hope, ye who watch here. As mentioned above, he did just what a dedicated Shodai watcher would expect: got snookered with a kotenage at the edge, the classic Shodai move. He went to Tokyo Univ., so he knows the technique; but he went to Tokyo Univ. of Agriculture, so he can't understand that others know it, too 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reonito 1,335 Posted January 25 13 hours ago, junsan said: Akua won with the most unsightly, fumbling kakenage. Hey, at least he finally pulled one off, after 3 disastrous attempts earlier in the basho. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reonito 1,335 Posted January 25 13 hours ago, Jakusotsu said: Will the universe collapse when Abi and Ichiyamamoto clash tomorrow? Oh, finally!!! Our prayers have been answered. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reonito 1,335 Posted January 25 9 hours ago, Akinomaki said: I think we should prepare ourselves for a yokozuna yusho and no promotion at all this basho - so far he hasn't lost to any of the other 3 he will meet from now on, and once he got so far, it's hard to stop him. A combined 25-0. Wow. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reonito 1,335 Posted January 25 (edited) 7 hours ago, Gurowake said: The yusho is down to the top 4 rikishi who will undoubtedly all face each other over the last 3 days. Given this, the winning score will be at least 12, as someone will have to get at least 2 wins. The only way the Yusho score will be 12 will be due to a 3-way tie and any 3 rikishi among the 4 might compose the tie; either Kotonowaka goes 0-3 and the rest 2-1 so the 3 currently at 10 finish with 12, or Kotonowaka finishes 1-2 and no one finishes 3-0 which requires two rikishi to go 2-1 to balance things out, and it could be any 2 of the 3 currently at 10 wins. If the Yusho score is 13 and Kotonowaka doesn't have that score, there will not be a playoff, as only one of the rikishi with 10 wins now can get 13. If Kotonowaka scores 13, then he still might tie with a 3-0 rikishi currently with 10 wins. And obviously if the Yusho score is 14 it's Kotonowaka only in the lead. Kirishima might still get 13 wins without the Yusho or a playoff loss if his only loss is to Kotonowaka who goes 3-0, which probably is still enough for Kirishima's promotion, though I wouldn't say it would guarantee it. A 13 win yusho-doten should guarantee it, while any Yusho obviously guarantees it. 12 wins without a playoff win is probably not enough, but will at least continue his run such that any 12+win Yusho or 13 win result in Haru would lead to a good chance of being promoted. Kotonowaka gets promoted without a problem with 13 wins or with a 12-win Yusho. 12 wins without the Yusho might still be enough given his very consistent recent history. 11 wins means he'll try again next basho with a lower main target. https://tenor.com/view/math-zach-galifianakis-mathematics-maths-equations-gif-11093327 Edited January 25 by Reonito Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
