Natsu 2024 discussion (results)

[Kaninoyama 1,694]

Onosato looks as strong as any Japanese-born rikishi we've seen since, well, his shisho. Even stronger, quite frankly.

Hopefully Takerufuji recovers fully from his injury for next basho so we can see if his yusho was a fluke or if he's a real future Ozeki contender. Onosato certainly is.

And Kotozakura looks quite comfortable as a still-fresh Ozeki.

Lots of young up-and-coming talent to be excited about in the basho to come. 

 

Edited May 26 by Kaninoyama

[dingo 1,160]

Congrats to Onosato! In the end he beat Abi quite comfortably, managing to overcome the two first nodowa and after that it was a one way road. I'm happy for him, for his dad and for the fact we have a yusho with a decent scoreline. 

Kotozakura blew it yesterday against Abi. If not for that loss he would've gotten a playoff. With Kotozakura's experience vs Onosato's raw power who knows how that would've ended. But 11 wins is nothing to scoff at and if he can reduce his losses 1-2 more per basho, the yusho will come. 

Exciting basho in the end! A great number of contenders, even if noone except the winner managed more than 11 wins. 

[Octofuji 327]

The scary thing is Onosato is still getting better each basho...!

Nice basho for the veterans, especially Endo's aggressive sumo, which took me by surprise, I thought he was ready to retire.

[Kotogouryuu 126]

Abi could have brought a gun and he still would have lost. Onosato is going to make things interesting in the near future.

Unless, of course, he gets horribly injured. I'm getting a little cautious with the hype trains...

Edited May 26 by Kotogouryuu

[junsan 170]

Also congratulations to Nishonoseki oyakata. He has quite the rikishi on hand, and if he can steer and keep him in the right direction mentally, the sky's the limit for both of them.

[Kotogouryuu 126]

3 hours ago, junsan said:

Abi should've henka'd.

I can't imagine this didn't occur to him. It isn't the first time in head to head sports something like this happens; there would have been some serious prestige available had he won over Onosato straight up. The first thing that comes to mind is in UFC when Frank Mir tried to outbox Junior Dos Santos. Sometimes a top level athlete just has to back themselves up and believe they can beat the best at their own game.

Of course, history will only remember the winners..

[Kaninoyama 1,694]

Clamoring for a rikishi to pull a henka and expressing disappointment when he didn't. The sumo forum has come full circle. 

[Asashosakari 18,786]

11 hours ago, Katooshu said:

Akua is such a troll, 3 absolutely deliberate matta. Glad he lost to Hakuoho that time 

I generally like Akua, but that was one of the most deserved losses of the basho after that nonsense.

(Even though it cost us the first four-makushita-winning day in five decades.)

[junsan 170]

4 minutes ago, Kaninoyama said:

Clamoring for a rikishi to pull a henka and expressing disappointment when he didn't. The sumo forum has come full circle. 

Calm down. Only for wanting to see a playoff which would've been very exciting to watch. His tsuppari was never going to work on Onosato.

[Kaninoyama 1,694]

1 minute ago, junsan said:

Calm down. Only for wanting to see a playoff which would've been very exciting to watch. His tsuppari was never going to work on Onosato.

I'm perfectly calm, thank you. The post was meant to express amusement, not criticism. And as you can see from my Avatar, no one is a bigger Abi fan than I (henkas and all). 

[Asashosakari 18,786]

4 hours ago, Kishinoyama said:

Wakatakakage said no playoff in Juryo today. Congratulations on the yusho and return to the top division but a henka?

Double henka really, and pretty half-hearted at that. It looked like both guys weren't quite sure if they should do it.

 

1 hour ago, Octofuji said:

Nice basho for the veterans, especially Endo's aggressive sumo, which took me by surprise, I thought he was ready to retire.

Before the basho I thought that Myogiryu was going to be the one demotee to stage such a triumphant return... But I agree, very nice to see a more confident and dare I say it, more aggressive Endo again.

[Tetsuoka 5]

Congratulations to Onosato. He will be the nex big thing in Ozumo, I am pretty sure he will be the next Yokozuna, and I am really excited about that.

[Reonito 1,335]

13 hours ago, Bunbukuchagama said:

I never knew we had a "he was a leader once" sansho. 

He basically was handed 3 losses he wouldn't have had if he wasn't in the race ... not saying he would have necessarily won all those 3 bouts against more typical opposition, but an M10 who gets 10 wins while facing 3 of the best-performing san'yaku seems prize-worthy.

[Reonito 1,335]

13 hours ago, Katooshu said:

Akua is such a troll, 3 absolutely deliberate matta. Glad he lost to Hakuoho that time 

What a total $%^& ... and of course he had to go for the kakenage 

Edited May 26 by Reonito

[Reonito 1,335]

12 hours ago, Katooshu said:

An 11-4 (Kagayaki) is only the 5th strongest record in juryo. That can't be too common.

4th, no? 11 wins at M5 is ahead of 9 wins at M2 I think.

[Katooshu 3,135]

11 minutes ago, Reonito said:

4th, no? 11 wins at M5 is ahead of 9 wins at M2 I think.

I just mean number of wins, regardless of rank. Kagayaki's 11-4 was 5th in the yusho race.

Edited May 26 by Katooshu

[Reonito 1,335]

18 minutes ago, Katooshu said:

I just mean number of wins, regardless of rank. Kagayaki's 11-4 was 5th in the yusho race.

Yup, that dawned on me after I clicked submit 

[hakutorizakura 590]

Kisenosato took 90 basho to get a yusho (whatever the correct number), and now Onosato did it with 3. Huge improvement, well done 

No one is congratulating Chiyosoma for his career high 12 wins? 

[Yamanashi 3,725]

1 hour ago, hakutorizakura said:

No one is congratulating Chiyosoma for his career high 12 wins? 

I mentioned when he was 9-2 that he hadn't pulled a henka all tournament, and he continued in that vein.  He looked very fast, and switched between pushing and hauling with some real dexterity.  Is there anything Japanese citizenship can't do?

[Tigerboy1966 1,376]

1 hour ago, hakutorizakura said:

No one is congratulating Chiyosoma for his career high 12 wins? 

No-one ever congratulates Chiyoshoma. For anything. Ever.

The next annual outing of the Chiyoshoma International Fan Cub will take place next week with a trip to Southport. All members (including me and my cat Bob) should be able be able to fit comfortably into my Kia Picanto.

[Reonito 1,335]

24 minutes ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

No-one ever congratulates Chiyoshoma. For anything. Ever.

The next annual outing of the Chiyoshoma International Fan Cub will take place next week with a trip to Southport. All members (including me and my cat Bob) should be able be able to fit comfortably into my Kia Picanto.

I have to say he's really grown on me, after starting firmly at the top of my list of least favorite rikishi.

[dingo 1,160]

10 hours ago, hakutorizakura said:

Kisenosato took 90 basho to get a yusho (whatever the correct number), and now Onosato did it with 3. Huge improvement, well done 

No one is congratulating Chiyosoma for his career high 12 wins? 

I know you're joking but that got me checking. 

Kisenosato entered makuuchi in the 2004 November basho. The first 12-3 yusho opportunity from that point on was in 2015 May! In that basho Kisenosato ended with a 11-4 junyusho, beating Hakuho but losing to Harumafuji, Terunofuji, Tochinoshin and Myogiryu. So the circumstances are obviously quite different. 

But Onosato showed good mental strength in the last bout. At least I thought he didn't look visibly nervous and definitely didn't botch his bout with Abi. So maybe his oyakata has taught him something. Or he's just different. In any case, that bodes well for his future. 

[Jakusotsu 5,815]

41 minutes ago, dingo said:

Kisenosato entered makuuchi in the 2004 November basho. The first 12-3 yusho opportunity from that point on was in 2015 May! In that basho Kisenosato ended with a 11-4 junyusho, beating Hakuho but losing to Harumafuji, Terunofuji, Tochinoshin and Myogiryu. So the circumstances are obviously quite different. 

While Kisenosato generated some hype when he was still Hagiwara, it was mostly due to his youth and not the same caliber of raw talent as Onosato. Kisenosato always had to work hard for his money, more similar to the new Kotozakura in that regard.

[dingo 1,160]

For sure Kisenosato was not at the same level, but the ceiling was also much higher. When Kisenosato was active, a 12-3 yusho which would've allowed more rikishi to have a yusho chance was a rarity. Nowadays it's pretty common. 

[I am the Yokozuna 187]

Really impressed by Onosato and what he has achieved so far. Tremendous a seventh basho and a yusho. A rightful ozeki and who else what next for him. 

On the other hand, I still cannot understand where sumo Kotozakura excels at.