Hatsu 2024 discussion (results)

[hakutorizakura 590]

7 hours ago, junsan said:

 

He won but still had to check the video, then got mad.

So, what exactly is he mad about in the replay?

[Katooshu 3,132]

Just be thankful Teru doesn't hold his stares as long as Hoshoryu does, or he'd still at the edge of the dohyo mean mugging Tobi 

I am not too bothered by what either did FWIW - I don't think Tobi was trying to hurt his knee (kick was more to the ankle and Tobi uses that vs many opponents), but I can also understand Teru's reaction and think if there's such a thing as 'earning' a moment like that, he had one of them saved up. Make up and get on with it  

Edited January 19 by Katooshu

[Yamanashi 3,724]

10 minutes ago, Katooshu said:

Just be thankful Teru doesn't hold his stares as long as Hoshoryu does, or he'd still at the edge of the dohyo mean mugging Tobi 

I am not too bothered by what either did FWIW - I don't think Tobi was trying to hurt his knee (kick was more to the ankle and Tobi uses that vs many opponents), but I can also understand Teru's reaction and think if there's such a thing as 'earning' a moment like that, he had one of them saved up. Make up and get on with it  

We saw how long Hoshoryu's power-hex lasted on Gonoyama.

I'm also not bothered by what either did, because 1) I don't live anywhere near Tokyo; 2) I didn't enter the match with a facial expression like a member of Stray Cats; 3) I didn't slap a Yokozuna's face at the tachiai.  If that were Hakuho, Tobizaru would be getting the stink-stare ten years later as an Oyakata.

[Akinomaki 39,764]

TF says he's ashamed that he lost his temper facing a lower ranked rikishi and denies it had anything to do with his loss to Tobizaru in Nagoya, after which he went kyujo for 3 basho.

o o

The monkey says: "I'm going for a win regardless against whom. It's useless If you don't win. There were some inefficient movements, I'll gambarize to change that." o

- so next time he knows how to wreck the knee properly

[Koorifuu 886]

1 minute ago, Akinomaki said:

TF says he's ashamed that he lost his temper facing a lower ranked rikishi and denies it had anything to do with his loss to Tobizaru in Nagoya, after which he went kyujo for 3 basho.

 o

This is a great photo, it couldn't have illustrated the mood any better.

[RabidJohn 1,663]

1 hour ago, Akinomaki said:

TF says he's ashamed that he lost his temper facing a lower ranked rikishi

If he's saying that without having had a behind-the-scenes bollocking (and even if he has), my gripe with him is over.

---

One of the first things that fascinated me about sumo was watching two guys knock seven bells out of each other, stop when the gyoji said 'Shobu ari', calmly go back to their side and bow to each other.

For a guy brought up on boxing where the protaganists mouthed off at each other at the weigh-in (and fights broke out) it was a revelation.

Edited January 19 by RabidJohn

[Kaninoyama 1,694]

5 hours ago, hakutorizakura said:

He won but still had to check the video, then got mad.

So, what exactly is he mad about in the replay?

He was mad about being kicked in the knee, knowing that one well-placed kick could spell the end of his sumo career. 

[specialweek 2 136]

I don't believe he was kicked in the knee. Calf yes.

[Morty 1,480]

13 minutes ago, specialweek 2 said:

I don't believe he was kicked in the knee. Calf yes.

Agreed. Anyway, he's got so much metal in those braces protecting his knees that kicking one of them would likely break your foot. So it would be a dumb strategy to go for.

[specialweek 2 136]

9 minutes ago, Morty said:

Agreed. Anyway, he's got so much metal in those braces protecting his knees that kicking one of them would likely break your foot. So it would be a dumb strategy to go for.

Actually I believe no metal parts. The US import braces have a solid material as support and Kyokai won't accept metal braces.

[Kaninoyama 1,694]

The point is he was kicked in that region and that was enough to set him off. 

[Reonito 1,335]

according to the interview, apparently what really set him off was getting poked in the eye...

[Kaninoyama 1,694]

4 hours ago, Reonito said:

according to the interview, apparently what really set him off was getting poked in the eye...

That's kind of odd that he would be incensed about that, as a poked eye is something that can easily happen by accident in the heat of the battle. So much so that he would pound the monitor desk all the way back in the hallway. And he didn't appear to be favoring the eye after the bout. 

[Seiyashi 4,071]

9 minutes ago, Kaninoyama said:

That's kind of odd that he would be incensed about that, as a poked eye is something that can easily happen by accident in the heat of the battle. So much so that he would pound the monitor desk all the way back in the hallway. And he didn't appear to be favoring the eye after the bout. 

The straw that broke the camel's back, maybe? First the slap, then a poke, then two kicks at the knees. Deliberate or not, Teru would have no way to know that at the time. And honestly, with that catalogue, even if it were a friend who did that to you, you would still be a bit pissed at least.

Edited January 20 by Seiyashi

[Thorbjarn 214]

Heat of the battle applies for both combatants. There is not always a rationale for being / getting mad. 

[Katooshu 3,132]

Kicked, poked, now showered with purple rain......

[Hankegami 412]

Good Day 7! A few comments right out of the oven.

Probably the biggest news of the day is Big Teru losing to Shodai. I was somehow expecting that, although I was - of course - not really sure about my personal hunch. As many said here, Shodai is an enigma, or perhaps an "underachiever" from a Yokozuna perspective. The man is big, strong, and with a well-developed ring sense. He just seems to not care most of the time. And yet today he cared. Or perhaps he's just in a good shape this Hatsu. Well, whatever it is, he pulled one on Teru. Mischievous Shottie.

Talking about upsets, Hokutofuji almost did one today. Kirishima got a hard run for his money and his runner-up spot. The popular Stompy resisted well the Ozeki's initial oshi attack (well, he's an oshi specialist after his stablemaster, after all) and he even got a nice arm-lock on Kirishima's right arm. He was almost on his way to kokenage Kirby out at least once. Kirishima eventually managed to set the game on the belt, but Hokutofuji played rather well also on this part. Anyway, Kirishima is a yotsu specialist, and once he got the belt he was expected to win (by contrast, Shodai set his bout against Terunofuji - another belt specialist although also often capitalizing his large and well-toned frame - on mutual oshi bear hugs, Teru looking for his usual clamps and Shottie using his hug to pull him up and backwards). And did he win eventually. But what a fight it was! (Note of color with the gyoji being bowled down at some point in the match).

Everything else went pretty much as most expected today. Teru was the only guy from the Y/O/S group to lose his bout, and the general arasoi changed little. Asanoyama leads alone and undefeated from his comfy M7w spot, but I'm sure that the 6-1 guys (but also the 5-2 bunch) are just patiently waiting for him to be paired with them. The last five days are going to get really interesting as things are shaping out right now.

[Tigerboy1966 1,376]

13 minutes ago, Hankegami said:

Good Day 7!

I don't know about that: it perked up towards the finish but there was some rubbish in mid-card.

The worst culprit was Kinbozan, who bounced off Nishikigi, said "sod this for a lark" and hit reverse. What did he expect? Everyone bounces off Nishikigi.

[Seiyashi 4,071]

On 17/01/2024 at 16:33, dingo said:

Sounds like a decent plan, but where are we gonna get new ozeki? I'm rooting for Kotonowaka but there should be at least a few. 

Shōdai, apparently. Him dropping was just a long con to pad his mochikyūkin with a kinboshi. 

[RabidJohn 1,663]

I was quite impressed at how quickly Kimura Shonosuke was on his feet to take over when Yodo got bowled. Dude's got four years on me, but I don't think I could've reacted as promptly.

Who was the lady in the commentary box with Miyagino-san today?

[Akinomaki 39,764]

50 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

On 17/01/2024 at 09:33, dingo said:

where are we gonna get new ozeki? I'm rooting for Kotonowaka but there should be at least a few. 

Shōdai, apparently.

Rather him than Takayasu - unaffected by any jinx, since he always has bad press - but Asanoyama is back first

6 minutes ago, RabidJohn said:

Who was the lady in the commentary box with Miyagino-san today?

Olympic wrestling champion Yui_Susaki - sujo since early childhood

[Eskbibs 72]

I fully admit that this is about as premature of a judgment as you can make - but man, Onosato is such a treat to watch. I know that people who follow amazumo have been hyping him up for a while now, and I know that it's literally a week into his first tournament in the top division, and I also know that so far, he's only faced people who are, one might say, no-names and don't have much going for them in terms of expectations. But there's something incredibly satisfying about watching him win. Big, young, strong, full of spirit, not covered in injuries (unless he's carrying something from his amateur days?) - and he wins by blasting people out - what's not to like? It's very simple. I've only been watching sumo since 2018, which means I've missed a whole lot compared to the elder statesmen on the forum, but just in terms of (my very unskilled) eye test, he looks pretty good compared to some of the other hyped prospects who have come up since then. His movement is just so strikingly...fresh?

Cue him getting injured or otherwise losing disgracefully tomorrow. I'll still be his fan, though!

 

[RabidJohn 1,663]

3 minutes ago, Eskbibs said:

I've only been watching sumo since 2018, which means I've missed a whole lot compared to the elder statesmen on the forum, but just in terms of (my very unskilled) eye test, he looks pretty good compared to some of the other hyped prospects who have come up since then. His movement is just so strikingly...fresh?

Cue him getting injured or otherwise losing disgracefully tomorrow. I'll still be his fan, though!

 

Yeah, I'm already looking forward to his arrival in the joi in a couple of basho. I want to see him face the test Atamafuji's currently undergoing.
Onosato's got a commanding presence on the dohyo and looks a very good bet for high rank.

He either will or won't get injured. Overall, I'd say we're a superstitious bunch (particularly regarding Takayasu), but in reality nothing we say here has any impact.

[Kashunowaka 300]

In the Churanoumi - Bushozan bout, there was a weird sequence where to me it looked like

• Bushozan thought he was losing and started to ease up
• Churanoumi sensed that, thought he was winning and then *he* started to ease up on his pushing
• whereupon Bushozan got back into the bout, side-stepped and eventually won. 

I don't know, it felt slightly unsportsmanlike by Bushozan. 

Edited January 20 by Kashunowaka

[Hankegami 412]

5 minutes ago, Kashunowaka said:

In the Churanoumi - Bushozan bout, there was a weird sequence where to me it looked like

• Bushozan thought he was losing and started to ease up
• Churanoumi sensed that, thought he was winning and then *he* started to ease up on his pushing
• whereupon Bushozan got back into the bout, side-stepped and eventually won. 

I don't know, it felt slightly unsportsmanlike by Bushozan. 

Do you mean that moment near to the ropes, almost to the end of the bout? I cannot see any easing from either of them, honestly. Sure, Bushozan was almost upright with that last push, but he started sidestepping immediately (and at a same time he also clutched Churanoumi's left arm). A big part was played by the tokudawara, which gave more room for Bushozan's feet to side-step. But there wan no pause that I could see (and I played it at the slowest pace to be sure). The sequence was: Bushozan is pushed to the bales > He goes forward for a counter-push but he's pushed back almost upright > He clutches Churanoumi's arm which was still against his chest pushing him, and side-steps > Churanoumi is pulled out balance and Bushozan counter-attacks.