Nagoya 2014 Discussion Thread

[Gurowake]

It's probably more an acknowledgement that Goeido's been overperforming for a sekiwake for some time now, even if he does go back and forth between having good and poor basho results. Three straight shukun-sho (4-1 against YOzeki this basho) and 2 jun-yusho in those 3 basho indicate that he's definitely capable of contending with the top ranked guys just as much as an Ozeki. I was, however, quite shocked to read that they were going to do it, but not because he's in anyway unworthy in general, just that he hasn't been quite as consistent as Ozeki promotees tend to be.

I think the main impetus though is their desire to have an even number of Yokozuna and Ozeki for scheduling purposes. (Not really)

[Mukonoso]

Good job for Goeido. Finally an Osaka boy my wife and I can root for (actually been cheering him on since Osaka 2013 basho). I've been wondering if someone could step up and replace Kotooshu that I would like in the Ozeki rank.

Too bad Fujinokaze (from my wife's hometown of Itami) doesn't look to go much higher than he is.

Edited July 27, 2014 by Mukonoso

[Ajisen]

Very enjoyable basho!

Just wondering if anyone else has noticed that this basho has had a significant increase in blood letting from scratches(?)

Are there regulations on fingernail lengths?

[Asameshimae]

I would be happy to see Goeido promoted to ozeki. Some of his sumo this basho was pretty electrifying (and I'm not particularly a fan). I would be even happier to see more "quiet" being practised round the general subject of promotions. All the hype adds so much pressure to the rikishi under consideration that it is generally counter-productive.

It's a bit different, but this reminds me of Endo this basho. They had Endo cheering groups carted in right before his bouts on several days, chanting his name loudly over and over. It was very distracting, most especially for him I expect. I think it is way too early for this kind of hero worship, and it put all kinds of pressure on him when he just needed to concentrate on his sumo. I think he would have done even better this basho had there not been so much of this. It also made me feel sorry for whoever he was facing when all the Endo screaming was going on.

[ronnie]

Are there regulations on fingernail lengths?

Yes!

No falsies!!!

[bettega]

Nice basho!

Happy for Hakuho, for Goeido, for the new Sekiwake. Sad for Osuna and Endo.

Until next basho and sorry for anything (I'll try to make my english better)!

[rzombie1988]

I'm cool with the Goeido promotion. He's pretty close to it. If you can let Ozeki get by for years with 8-7 records, then I see no problem with it working the other way. Unlike Yokozuna, he can be demoted/promoted if needed.

Edited July 27, 2014 by rzombie1988

[ALAKTORN]

Hah, can’t believe Gōeidō is finally ōzeki. His performance has been ōzeki-like for a while now anyway, so not much of a change.

Am I the only one who thought Harumafuji didn’t go as hard as possible in the match with Hakuhō? I don’t remember exactly right now but I think he was in a good position and made nothing of it.

Happy for Endō kachikoshi after a shaky start, but I want to see better from him. Sad for Ōsuna missing out on a lot for just 1 loss.

[specialweek 2]

Nice to see a mediocre 8-7 be rewarded with

Ozeki promotion. Opinions varied on this but

doesn't sit right to me.

[ALAKTORN]

By the way, I wanted to mention one thing. I usually watch the yūshō interview, and a lot of the time it was really awkward, with big pauses between Hakuhō’s answer and the next question, which made him repeat “hai, hai” a lot, and Hakuhō usually giving a feeling of “get this over with already”; but since 2 or 3 basho ago, the interviewer changed and it’s gotten a lot better. Also, this is the second time I’ve seen Hakuhō dictating when the interview ends with a conclusive answer at the end, I’m liking this attitude.

For anyone who hasn’t watched it, here is araibira’s vid, with a translation in the comments by notverypolite:

Hakuhō says that he’s going to Mongolia to his parents now, the interviewer asks him about his father’s condition and he replies that it has gotten well.

[rzombie1988]

Would love know what Hak does with all these trophies.

[torquato]

Intersting basho for my taste.

Didn't expect to see an Ozeki-promotion. I thought you'll need 3 consecutive double digits and an overall score of 33. But I'm fine with it. I'm sure he will be a worthy Ozeki.

Didn't expect Osuna to make 2 debut kinboshi. Wow. You don't see something like that very often. Before the basho I would have taken a 7-8 in his debut joi tournament without question, but now it feels a bit sad. He had some interesting bouts despite the kachi-age discussion.

I also feel very sad about Homasho going kyujo. In fact we had 2 really bad injuries to watch. Personally I have to turn my eyes away when they over and over again show such scenes in slomo.

An intai of a remarkeble rikishi: Takanoyama. I didn't like him that much to be honest, but on the other hand to be fair he had something special about him, that clearly made him an enrichment to sumo.

The yusho race first looked boring to me in favour of Hakuho, but at the end we had it still open on senshuraku among 4 guys. That's good.

Niji was most of the time quite nice to me. Only very few bouts aired on NHK I couldn't watch live or with my own recordings.

Last but not least: Thanks to all you guys, who contribute so much pictures, videos, data, general information, discusion, etc. to the forum during honbasho. Always nice and interesting to watch and read. I've enjoyed it and again learned quite a bit about sumo.

[specialweek 2]

Nice to see a maediocre 8-7 be rewarded with

Ozeki promotion. Opinions varied on this but

doesn't sit right

to me.

Does that also apply to a 13-2 Jun-yusho, a 13-2 Yusho with an 8-7 record in the middle of those two 13-2 records? (Akebono)

Kisenosato was also promoted with the same amount of 32 wins over a three tournament span.

And not a fan of Kise promotion either. Just because they promote doesnt mean I like it.

[Jakusotsu]

Would love know what Hak does with all these trophies.

Touch them once and let the yobidashi carry them back into the closet, as all yusho winners do.

[Tsubame]

I think no one in his right mind ever talks about an Ozeki promotion coming off an 8-7. At least, I don't remember it ever happening, even with Prince Kisenosato. Usually 12 wins-8 wins warrants the usual "He'll be starting from scratch" remark.

Nice to see a mediocre 8-7 be rewarded with

Ozeki promotion. Opinions varied on this but

doesn't sit right to me.

Does that also apply to a 13-2 Jun-yusho, a 13-2 Yusho with an 8-7 record in the middle of those two 13-2 records? (Akebono)

Kisenosato was also promoted with the same amount of 32 wins over a three tournament span.

The last ozeki promotion with a 8-7 basho, if I remember correctly, was the fabulous Kaio. But, ok, he had also a yusho in his ozeki-run.

[Tsubame]

Despite the 30th yusho for Hakuho and the ozeki-promotion for Goeido, I miss some words about Tochinoshin.

What a great comeback: three yushos in a row, only 2 losts in these three bashos. I wonder if he can preserve this performance or if it will be a "flash in a pan" when he gets back to makuuchi.

[Yasashiryu]

Throwing flowers before him...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHz1f77hUn4

Sigh, after watching 14 minutes without understanding a word though I did get the general gist of most things I guess it's time to learn japanese, would love for us filthy westerners to have subtitled versions of these interviews, not just with the big guys but overall the interviews and special broadcasts about different rikishi, etc, I bet it would help project sumo much more outside Japan and increase revenue as well as popularity of the art.

Edited July 28, 2014 by Yasashiryu

[Gurowake]

Despite the 30th yusho for Hakuho and the ozeki-promotion for Goeido, I miss some words about Tochinoshin.

What a great comeback: three yushos in a row, only 2 losts in these three bashos. I wonder if he can preserve this performance or if it will be a "flash in a pan" when he gets back to makuuchi.

Well, he's a former Komusubi and frequent joi contender who only was ranked lower because of missing many basho due to major surgery. He's even had 2 warm-up basho, first facing off against rikishi much less skilled than sekitori and then against ones on the verge of sekitori. The only interesting thing about his performance is that he managed to beat up-and-comer Ichinojo twice, more times than the latter had previously lost in the entire basho. I wouldn't be surprised to see Tochinoshin back in Makuuchi based on those wins against someone who will be ranked far higher then him, and would expect him to continue to dominate until he reaches at least the mid-maegashira ranks. It might take him a few basho at those ranks to regain his full strength much like Myogiryu, but unless he gets hurt again I expect him to make the joi if not sanyaku again by Nagoya next year.

I also was quite glad to see Kakuryu get 11 wins and be in the running for the Yusho up until day 14; as much as I don't think his record should have been enough to promote him, I think he's capable of consistent Yokozuna quality performances and that his first time out he merely hadn't been able to prepare due to the hype and ritual surrounding the promotion.

I look forward to seeing a bunch of new faces in sanyaku and the near total rotation of the non-Ozeki joi (only Yoshikaze and Aoiyama will likely be left). There's almost certainly going to be a debut Sekiwake for the first time in two years and only the second time in 4, as well as probably two Komusubi debuts unless they give one to Takayasu for some reason. Even if they don't make Komusubi, Jokoryu and Terunofuji will be in the joi facing Yokozuna and Ozeki for the first time, and we'll probably see Endo face them again - something that will give the media excuse to hype things even more.

Shohozan was a major disappointment for me; I really like how feisty he his, and thought he would at least be able to beat the people ranked below him. His losses to Tochinowaka and Toyohibiki were very disheartening. He's had a couple decent basho in the joi, but now he seems to be in elevator mode.

[Akinomaki]

The last 3 days Goeido fought with an injured left knee, hurt when he lost to HF on day 12, winning all 3.

http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/20140728/sum14072818040007-n1.html

Edited July 28, 2014 by Akinomaki

[Benevolance]

It's the end of an era. I'm going to miss making jokes about Goeido's ozeki runs. :-(

[krindel]

It's the end of an era. I'm going to miss making jokes about Goeido's ozeki runs. :-(

At least the Kyokai will stop having to embarrass themselves to keep him on those (perpetual) ozeki runs...

[Asameshimae]

Despite the 30th yusho for Hakuho and the ozeki-promotion for Goeido, I miss some words about Tochinoshin.

What a great comeback: three yushos in a row, only 2 losts in these three bashos. I wonder if he can preserve this performance or if it will be a "flash in a pan" when he gets back to makuuchi.

I had thoughts like this too until he beat the juggernaut* Ichinojo twice in a row to take the championship. I think he has more of a fire under him than ever before.

*Is Ichinojo not the definition of juggernaut? In most cases there is a short tachiai, he grabs ahold and then it's "okay, here we got to the tawara, one two three four steps. Hai. Thank you for your cooperation.

[Gurowake]

It's the end of an era. I'm going to miss making jokes about Goeido's ozeki runs. :-(

We can still make comments about how many tournaments it's going to be until he actually "should" make Ozeki. With Kisenosato's 32 promotion it was the very next basho. With Goeido, that would require a 13-2. I'd love to see it happen, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

[Asameshimae]

What aren't you holding your breath for? I am confused. Is this speculation that Goeido should get a 13-2 to justify his promotion or?

[Gurowake]

Looking over the schedules of Yokozuna in an old basho where there were more Ozeki, I realized the true reason why they promoted Goeido: so there will be less opportunities for kinboshi! More san'yaku => yokozuna face less maegashira. They realized the expense they have to accrue with every kinboshi over the expected career of a young maegashira like Osunaarashi and determined they needed to prevent the opportunities in any way that looked reasonable.

</silly conspiracy theory>