Futeno

[Kashunowaka 300]

After spending a year in lower makuuchi and even dropping to juryo for the January basho, Futeno has made a real breakthrough in just two basho. Now he makes his debut among the big boys. The first sanyaku basho is often a humbling experience even for very talented rikishi - remember Kotooshu's 4-11 earlier this year.

How do you think Futeno will fare in Aki basho?

Edited September 5, 2005 by Kashunowaka

[Manekineko 200]

Eh, I seem to be in the majority voting for mk with single-digit losses. It was a toss between that and the option below it, though. KK would surprise me immensely.

Nice poll. (A sekitori...)

[Kaikitsune Makoto 210]

Well Futeno is holding on his own in keiko against tough foes and is remarkably talented...

Yes sounds familiar but Futeno did have lot of problems with his lower back for some basho so that might have been the main reason for his stagnation. Healed back and boost in confidence makes him bloom. I doubt he is ready for Hakuho-like debut but certainly is capable of 8-7, 9-6. Very strong sumo and not vulnerable in defense either.

There was a time when Kokkai and Futeno had even rivalry in juryo and seemed like future rivals too. Kokkai went ahead first but now they are both up there. Hope same happens with Kotooshu-Kisenosato pair. Big rivals for long but then Kotooshu stepped up to new level while Kisenosato is stagnating for some reason. Kisenosato should catch up with his rival and stop his nonsense.

Btw, last night I had a dream where Asashoryu had about 50 bouts against Sawai! He had come to train Sawai and very furious bouts they were. Sawai was shouting "arigatou!" after every bout and was looking really solid against the yokozuna although naturally losing all bouts. Still the composure of this body and attacks were dynamic and Shoryu got a good work out too. Few weeks ago I had a dream where Asashoryu was at de-geiko where KaioU was too and Shoryu pointed at KaioU saying "I want to train with YOU today!". KaioU said "Ok but only some bouts today".

[Kintamayama 47,236]

Btw, last night I had a dream where Asashoryu had about 50 bouts against Sawai! He had come to train Sawai and very furious bouts they were. Sawai was shouting "arigatou!" after every bout and was looking really solid against the yokozuna although naturally losing all bouts. Still the composure of this body and attacks were dynamic and Shoryu got a good work out too. Few weeks ago I had a dream where Asashoryu was at de-geiko where KaioU was too and Shoryu pointed at KaioU saying "I want to train with YOU today!". KaioU said "Ok but only some bouts today".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I had a dream where I went to degeiko in Hollywood and was up against the likes of Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Aniston in mawashi. I was 6-7 but gave good keiko. I woke up filled with sorrow.

Maybe this should be moved to the "juvenile" sub-forum, as soon as we have one.

[Asojima 2,874]

Since we are doing some serious dreaming, I see an Asasho kyujo, and a Futeno/Mickey shootout for the yusho. Seriously though, Futeno has been my pick for the surprise of the Aki basho. His skills and confidence have become much more apparent in the last two basho, and, given the walking wounded status of several of his likely oponents, an 11-4 or 12-3 record seeems to me to be within his reach.

[Sasanishiki 57]

Btw, last night I had a dream where Asashoryu had about 50 bouts against Sawai! He had come to train Sawai and very furious bouts they were. Sawai was shouting "arigatou!" after every bout and was looking really solid against the yokozuna although naturally losing all bouts. Still the composure of this body and attacks were dynamic and Shoryu got a good work out too. Few weeks ago I had a dream where Asashoryu was at de-geiko where KaioU was too and Shoryu pointed at KaioU saying "I want to train with YOU today!". KaioU said "Ok but only some bouts today".

You dream about keiko? :-(

I think I prefer Kintamayama's sumo dream (A sekitori...)

[Zuikakuyama 1]

With the injury situation, especially among the Ozeki, a 9-6 is definitely achievable for Futeno.

[ilovesumo 12]

I hope he's ready. He's somebody I wan't to see on top because he's a nice guy.

"Kotomitsuki's little brother" (Hugging...)

[Fujisan 535]

3-12 or worse! (Hugging...)

They are gonna be picking bits of him from the Dohyo for years to come (Help me...)

[ilovesumo 12]

3-12 or worse! (Hugging...)

They are gonna be picking bits of him from the Dohyo for years to come (Help me...)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

(Annoyed...) Don't you think to undervalue him a LITTLE? (Eh?)

[Kashunowaka 300]

I am not quite as pessimistic as Fujisan, but I think 3-12 is closer to the truth than 9-6. We'll see if I'll eat my words. Not that I'd mind; I hope Futeno does well.

[Jonosuke 28]

I am not quite as pessimistic as Fujisan, but I think 3-12 is closer to the truth than 9-6. We'll see if I'll eat my words. Not that I'd mind; I hope Futeno does well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Futeno was a breed apart when he was with Nichidai and I always wondered why he could not duplicate his success in Ozumo but I now think he has finally arrived.

His weakness is his tachiai as he does not generate enough coming out of tachiai. If he can harness the energy he will have far easier time getting into his favorite yotsu position.

He can be definitely successfuly if he learns to speed up as he has a tendancy to slow down and does a Kotonowaka move.

He will have a kachikoshi but it will be much more difficult this basho as other top contenders have been studying him much more closely. I will say he will get an 8 and 7.

[Kaikitsune Makoto 210]

Out of all the Nichidai captains that I trained with he was easily the least powerful one. I mean he was still quite strong compared with the rest of amateur Rikishi, but not by Nichidai standards. So I think he's had steady good progress in Oozumou and has not been a disappointment with respect to a prior stellar amateur career.

But in this sense it is surprising he didn't have any problems reaching juryo soon after joining ozumo.

By the way, do you have any inside information or rumours and hearsay from the ozumo society regarding the level of these two high school guys Sawai and Kageyama? Sawai is now finally tested once since he competes at rather high makushita and I suppose Kageyama is very close in ability too. Lot of publicity around Sawai already but haven't heard of any concrete comments about his ability at this state. His physical attributes seemed rather optimal with enourmous leg power especially and generally good sumo body but it would be interesting to hear some inside comments about how he is regarded in sumoworld. There have been no news whatsoever about his keiko level at Kasugano and whether he is already the best non-sekitori of the heya and whether he can compete with sekitori at some level too.

[Asashosakari 20,253]

But in this sense it is surprising he didn't have any problems reaching juryo soon after joining ozumo.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think there are a couple of things responsible for that, in no particular order:

- Unlike other, less successful tsukedashi guys he already had very much an "Ozumo body" when he started. Many other guys out of college lately have looked like they still need to fill out a bit more, so they have tended to struggle against high Makushita competition (where bodies tend to be pretty big, more or less Juryo level).

- I've always thought that he was a pretty well-rounded rikishi...you know, the type who does most things well, but nothing really spectacularly good. His biggest shortcoming during his struggles in lower Makuuchi was his maddening inconsistency, but that didn't matter as much yet in Makushita, where you can just overwhelm most opponents if you're good enough.

- The competition in high Makushita seems to be a lot more fierce now than it was 2 years ago, because there are usually tons of talented foreigners (mostly Mongolians) and college talents up there now. I don't think the 2003 Futeno could get 6-1, 6-1 there nowadays.

Edit: Almost forgot...I voted for the small makekoshi option. He's definitely capable of going 8-7 or 9-6, but I've seen way too many rikishi crumble under the pressure of a sanyaku debut to really consider those numbers realistic this time around.

Edited September 6, 2005 by Asashosakari

[Jonosuke 28]

And he wasn't extra strong, at least by Nichidai standards. He was nowhere as dominant and powerfull as Narita (quit Oozumou out of Jonokuchi) or Daishouma (in Makushita now for some time) and he was the captain because there was nobody extra strong at the time, not because he was a breed apart...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think you are little too harsh on Futeno or Izumi Uchida.

My observation was based strictly on his records as a College level rikishi and his accomplishments during his Nidai days. Actually he was already dominant when he was still going to Buntoku High School as he did win the Alll Japan High School Sumo Tournament in 1997 and in 1998 he lost to Hideki Yokoyama of Tottori Johoku (Kotomitsuku's alma mater and now Takamifuji) but placed the second while his junior from Buntoku, Shiraishi, placed fourth.

Daishoma (Takahito Saeki) who gradudated a year earlier than Uchida from Nichidai never won any major tournament and needed to start out from Mae-zumo and still struggling in Makushita (though he is ever getting closer to the sekitori hood).

Uchida won the coveted All Japan Sumo Tournament and was crowned the Amateur Yokozuna in his second year at Nichidai. He perhaps felt he did accomplish one major goal in his college days. Regardless how he was looked at Nichidai Sumo Club, his rivals in those days were Takekaze (Narita) from Chuo University and Miyoshi (Asahimaru) from Kinki University and he did consistently beat them at sumo tournaments. However he probably faced Yokoyama (then at Toyo University) now of Azumazeki Beya, more than anyone at major tournaments.

Personally I feel he did fulfill his responsibility as the captain of Nichidai Sumo Club. The All Japan was won by Tamiya (Kotomitsuki) two years in a row and then by Kato (Takamisakari) a year later when Uchida joined the club. Two years later Uchida himself won the tournament. Since then the best they have done is the second place finish by Shimoda in 2003.

Uchida won the Japan National Game ("Kokutai") Individual Sumo Adult A Class in his final year at Nichidai. All in all he won 14 major tournaments during his years at Nichidai, the most since Tamiya (Kotomitsuki) who won 27, who was only second to Kushimaumi in the amateur university history.

Edited September 7, 2005 by Jonosuke

[Odoriou 0]

My two Euro Cents:

It's always the same with new sanyaku rikishi: They had an impressive result in last basho and everybody expects them to repeat that. But most of them have just taken the elevator, bringing them up to Komusubi and sending them back to M4 afterwards. I predict a 6-9 for , as usual.

[Sasanishiki 57]

Since then the best they have done is the second place finish by Shimoda in 2003.

Not forgetting 2004, when they had 3 of the four semi-finalists. However, the tournament was eventually won by Hakiai of Kinki University.

[Fujisan 535]

3-12 or worse! (Lifting weights...)

They are gonna be picking bits of him from the Dohyo for years to come (KaioU...)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

(Annoyed...) Don't you think to undervalue him a LITTLE? (Eh?)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Just being realistic ILS! :-)

[Mark Buckton 1]

After spending a year in lower makuuchi and even dropping to juryo for the January basho, Futeno has made a real breakthrough in just two basho. Now he makes his debut among the big boys. The first sanyaku basho is often a humbling experience even for very talented rikishi - remember Kotooshu's 4-11 earlier this year.

How do you think Futeno will fare in Aki basho?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I see absolutely no point in this poll without the 'Hilda Ogden' option. Now who knows that name? (Hugging...)

[Mark Buckton 1]

Futeno was a breed apart when he was with Nichidai and I always wondered why he could not duplicate his success in Ozumo but I now think he has finally arrived.

And he wasn't extra strong, at least by Nichidai standards. He was nowhere as dominant and powerfull as Narita (quit Oozumou out of Jonokuchi) or Daishouma (in Makushita now for some time) ...

Out of all the Nichidai captains that I trained with he was easily the least powerful one. I mean he was still quite strong compared with the rest of amateur Rikishi, but not by Nichidai standards. So I think he's had steady good progress in Oozumou and has not been a disappointment with respect to a prior stellar amateur career.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

so, in other words - power isn't everything? (Hugging...) Futeno in sanyaku or Daishouyama in Makushita - which do you think we'll remember 10 years from now? Daishouyama's 'power' or Futeno's em, how can I put it - SUCCCCCESSSSS (Whistling...)

[Sasanishiki 57]

Given what I saw last year, I'd be surprised if someone from Nichidai doesn't win it soon (possibly this year). They had three of the semi-finalists, and something like 7 of the last sixteen. Through sheer weight of numbers and the law of averages, they must be due to win it in the next two years or so.

[Sasanishiki 57]

I see absolutely no point in this poll without the 'Hilda Ogden' option. Now who knows that name?  (Hugging...)

Unfortunately a character from Coro St doesn't work so well when the options are numerical ranges.

[Araiwa 0]

I voted for the small mk 7-8 with some strong wins. Determination he has, but sanyaku is a huge step, yet too huge for him. Though Futeno seems to get stronger with the competition, so you never know...

ANR: Daishouyama is long retired

[Mark Buckton 1]

ANR: Daishouyama is long retired

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

exactly my point - where did the power sumo get him (Hugging...)

[Kintamayama 47,236]

ANR: Daishouyama is long retired

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think he meant Daishouma, who is wallowing in upper Makushita lately. At least, he was mentioned by Shiroikuma as a powerhouse college rikishi.