messi19

I used to enjoy watching F1, but the way politics have dominated the sport really have turned me away from the sport. I guess it's been that way ever since the Balestre/Prost/Senna controversy, but it became unbearable last year. Oh and now that Schumacher is gone there is nobody to root against any more! Watching the races on German TV and having to cope with the unimaginable Schumacher bias with dumbass commentators openly insulting his rivals like Montoya simply does that to anyone not watching the races through the red-colored glasses.

Here it is - I asked about it back in December though it wasn't a poll. http://www.sumoforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=13833 Congratulations to you on stating very clearly that Hakuba would be the first! By the way: I hope Mokonami will be next in line.

Indeed the competition is extremely tough and strong now in the upper part of the banzuke even beyond sanyaku and that is also why it will be so hard for Kisenosato, Kotoshogiku, Ama or anyone else to make it to ozeki in the near future. At the very least an average of 11 wins over a period of three basho is needed and it means a rikishi has got to beat a lot of talented rikishi and peform admirably well to get it done. I doubt any of the current ozeki would still be able to pull off a successful ozeki run at this point - perhaps with the exception of Kotomitsuki. Think about it - for any of the rikishi ranked among the joi jin last basho it is hard enough going 3-3 against the likes of Asashoryu, Hakuho, Kotomitsuki, Chiyotaikai, Kisenosato and Ama (arguably the Top 6 rikishi in the world right now - I guess many would disagree with that though) and even if whatever rikishi would manage to pull that off he could afford only one more loss against the likes of Kotoshogiku, Tokitenku, Asasekiryu, Kaio and Kotooshu (obviously Kotoshogiku himself has a bit easier of a task considering his heya-mates)...And that would be needed not once but three basho in a row! One thing is for sure: The next ozeki - whoever it may be - will really deserve that rank.

Masunoyama (Sd46w) bounced back spectacularly from two consecutive MK with the Haru Basho sandanme yusho. (Blushing...) He had to overcome some strong competition as he handed Asanotosa, Ginkakuzan and Wakainami their only losses and Hamauzu was the only opponent who ended up MK. Obviously, Masunoyama is in for a tough challenge in Natsu as he will be ranked mid-makushita and a KK would be truly amazing considering his age and lack of experience with opponents of that level. My other adoptee Kitasatsuma (also from Chiganoura beya) was ranked Jk15w this basho following a kyujo from a career high jonidan rank in January, but did an acceptable job as he ended up with a 5-2 record which is one win better than he managed in his only other jonokuchi basho in Natsu 2007. KK will not be an easy task in Natsu, but he's got Masunoyama (with whom he seems to get along very well) to do keiko with so anything can happen!

I can't believe I managed to win the yusho considering the tough opposition. The very top of the Sumo Gamers World is competing in sekitoto - players such as Doitsuyama, Tosahayate, Norizo and others. My aim is to keep reducing the "X" picks - I think I averaged only two or three this basho (which still fades compared to those who never make use of them), but since I came out on top I guess I can't complain about my picking technique. However, clinching the yusho on senshuraku on a day where I manage a shiroboshi with five "X" selections it does feel as though I commited an inashi move to get it done today. :-)

I also question Hakuho's tactics. Last time he rushed his attack against Asashoryu was Day 14 in Haru last year and he also got burned. Hakuho has usually managed to beat Asashoryu in longish bouts most of them involving a stalemate with Hakuho calmly waiting for the right moment to execute a throw. Asashoryu has won most of the recent matchups by either outquicking him using his speed at the tachi-ai or in a similar scenario to today with Hakuho rushing things.

So we do know the answer now. Shunketsu not only drops out of juryo but goes intai. The majority of the voters got it correctly as Shunketsu was the sekitori generally expected to drop. I guess Katayama once again managed to escape demotion with a strong final week and a 7-8 record from J13E?

I agree with you! Powerful and forward-moving are the perfect words to describe Masunoyama's sumo (Showing off...) This was his 10th basho and now that he enters makushita he still has never lost by yorikiri or yoritaoshi and only once by oshidashi. I've been hard-pressed to find a rikishi with similar statistics after 10 career basho. As you say, very impressive for someone who only turned 17 not too long ago. (Praying...)

Lower division Yusho Interview + deciding bouts are now on youtube thanks to tosayuko. Daiyubu just ecaped defeat there, Masunoyama dominated his bout, Fukao looks even bigger than I thought and probably will have little trouble achieving a good record in jonidan. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zpWZiqAKSNA

And Tochiozan gets Kotoshogiku..That's just the way it is..Record-wise Tochiozan and Baruto were legitimate yusho contenders coming into Day 13 while Kokkai was not. That's why they are facing sanyaku rikishi on Day 14, because as you have indicated the torikumi was made before today's matches.

Just another future yokozuna who will never make it ... You get to watch a lot of lower division bouts so AFAIAC your opinion is well-respected, but I wouldn't be too sure about that:-)

The most beautiful thing to happen today was Roho getting his just reward for yet another henka and Futeno securing a well-deserved KK in the process. Kokkai looked very strong in yotsu again and Chiyotaikai showed he is not totally lost at it, but Toyonoshima came through and remains his nemesis. Oh, and nobody beats Kotomitsuki 29 times in a row! (I am not worthy...)

(I am not worthy...) First ever yusho and a huge jump on the banzuke for Masunoyama! Possibly upper half of makushita. He'll miss out on becoming Chiganoura's heya-gashira, but as the youngest rikishi in makushita there's time for everything else yet. (Applauding...)

Hmm, did anybody adopt this guy last basho? He has now beaten two-thirds of the shindeshi trinity (Fukao, Yamashita, Homarefuji)... I don't think there's anything to worry about...the in/out line for makushita promotions with 6 wins is Sandanme 50 these days (it used to be Sandanme 45 until a few years ago), so you can already congratulate him for making it. :-) Let's hope he isn't overmatched like Ryuden was this basho... You're bringing a lot of good news lately, Asashosakari...First telling me that Kitasatsuma was going to avoid the winner of Fukao/Homarefuji (well he still lost, but that's a different matter) and now this. (You are going off-topic...) As for the comparison with Ryuden whose lack of size has turned out to be a barrier for him and probably the main reason for his struggles at this level, I don't expect Masunoyama to get overpowered in a similar way because practically the only way he has been beaten up to this point is by nage and pull-downs - he is a difficult rikishi to overpower due to his excellent strength which may make it easier for him to pick up some wins, but KK will be a hard task nonetheless. Anyway, Masunoyama did de-geiko with Ryuden prior to Kyushu and Ryuden won the majority of the bouts. I expect both of them to have established themselves in makushita by this time next year.

Not to mention makushita promotion (which was his aim for this year) !! 6 wins being ranked where he is right now have led to makushita promotion the last couple of times though it is not a sure-fire thing, but if he picks up that 7th win there will be no doubt left. (You are going off-topic...) In any case a highly satsifying basho - the yusho would be an enormous achievement. First ever win by Uwatedashinage too. Wonder how it happened. (In a state of confusion...)

Another good win for Masunoyama against a former makushita yusho winner. He seems to be avoiding the obligatory pull-down losses and the record is a result of that. The fact that Wakainami is having a good basho with oshidashi/yorikiri wins but got beaten by yorikiri today once again shows how strong Masunoyama is in yotsu-zumo. All of this is purely based on kimarite distribution analysis though. The only bouts I have seen of him are those added by Nishinoshima on youtube last year. (I am going off-topic...)

Which he is not going to do - unless there is a kettei-sen involving the two - as they are both from Kasugano beya. (Chucking salt...)

Seems to me that this is typical Miyabiyama,he sleeps for the first part of the basho then suddenly goes on a winning streak. In recent times his bashos really do resemble one another. Though I think it has got more to do with the fact that in the first couple of days he gets to fight the rikishi he can absolutely no longer handle at this point of his career (Hakuho, Kaio, Kotooshu for instance) while in the second half of the basho he faces lesser-sized rikishi such as Aminishiki, Asasekiryu or Toyonoshima who just literally can't find a way through the tsuppari and force the bout to a yotsu-battle. IIRC in the last couple of basho he has come from something like 1-7 to end up 7-8 and with some banzuke luck his spot on the banzuke - and thus the order of opponents he faces - has hardly changed.

KK as early as in his 4th bout! First time he has done that in any divison and a nice way to bounce back from 2 consecutive MK. (Sign of approval...)

Right after I had sent my picks to the email account following several unsuccessful attempts to get my entry done on the sekitoto site, I tried one last time expecting to get another error notice but suddenly and surprisingly I was able to access the bout selections. (Shaking head...) Now you got them twice, but at least I spare Asashosakari the extra work. ;-)

Thanks Asashosakari. I again did the mistake of looking at the very bottom of the banzuke and figure that Kitasatsuma was going to meet Homarefuji/Fukao as these two would be the lowest ranked 4-0 rikishi on the banzuke. I also had already prepared for a bout between Masunoyama and Kainowaka and was surprised when looking at the nakabi torikumi. ;-)

I was going to ask you to elaborate but actually don't bother. Are you surprised? LOL. Exactly what happened. Surprised no, but obviously impressed, because he did exactly what I hoped he would (rather than win by a pull-down as others predicted). If anyone was going to end Hokutoriki's "magical run" I wanted it to be straight-on sumo. (Neener, neener...) It is now possible that unlike all the other newcomers Wakanoho may actually achieve a third straight KK in makuuchi. Goeido got two in a row while Tochiozan, Ryuo, Toyohibiki ended up MK in their second makuuchi basho.

While I don't mean to underestimate Chiyonishiki the bout between Homarefuji and Fukao is likely to be yusho-deciding in jonokuchi. Although it'd be too sweet to be true if Kitasatsuma (technically on a 7-bout winning streak) could upset whoever wins this one in the 5th bout. (Neener, neener...)

Wakanoho looks better than that 3-3 ? he is simply irritating, and to make matters worse he entered sumo at 16, not 22 like Roho or 23 like hatakikomi Aran so there are many, many years to come with this name on the banzuke. Yes, he got blown away by Dejima, Kyokutenho and Roho so I don't think he looks better than 3-3 at all at this point. 3-3 is a pretty good record anyway - he has already shown an ability to bounce back rather quickly following a disappointing bout. I'll be impressed if he takes Hokutoriki straight on tomorrow, absorbs the tsuppari attack and forces the bout into yotsu where he would obviously win out rather easily.