Hatsu 2015 Comments

[808morgan]

‹

Oh man, I was all pumped up after this and the Hakuho match, I really wanted things to go the other way for Harumafuji and Kisenosato. But it wasn't to be. Still great matches and rematches.

[wanderer]

I heard it from many Mongolian grand champions, including Hakuho's father, that their mere movement becomes a winning technique in their prime. They were so much far above the rest. I think Hakuho is doing just what his father used to do.

Edited January 23, 2015 by wanderer

[Asashosakari]

And he's not done yet. Barring a sudden and rapid collapse of his strength, competitive cunning and technique, he's got more yuusho's under his mawashi. Only 3 times since reaching yokozuna has he failed to get 12 wins, and he manages a 13 wins or better effort 5/6 basho each year. The bar is very, very high. Even those contenders that can beat him (Kise, Haru, Goiedou, Kak come to mind) will not challenge his dominance until they can beat all the other rikishi with the same consistency that Hak shows.

Or until Hakuho stops his super-human dominance of opponents ranked sekiwake and below. I doubt any of the other yokozuna and ozeki have the potential to ever go 9-1 or 10-0 against that crowd consistently, so what's ultimately going to stop Hak in his tracks is when he can no longer do that.

He's no longer quite as dominant as he used to be, but it's still plenty enough for those 10 opponents each basho.

Edited January 23, 2015 by Asashosakari

[shumitto]

It will be a while before we will see another one as consistently good as he is. I'm really pleased I was able to see him win his 33rd Yusho and I hope he turns it into a zensho on the weekend.

I really hope it takes a long, long time. I don't know to which extent my position is out of the mainstream, but it is not for these kind of things that I would watch sumo or any other sport. I prefer competitiveness over dominance any given day.

The advantage of sumo over team sports in that regard is that you know that any dominance one day will end, even if it is followed by another one shortly (Takanohana<Asashoryu<Hakuho<Goeido :-P ).

[Highway]

Amazing. Kise did his best, he really tried, but Hakuho is the undisputed champion. What can you say. A living legend.

[CT3*]

_{I feel fortunate to be witness history in the making. I attended a single day of the January 2013 basho and Hakuho lost on that day to Kotooshuu. At the time, I was just happy to be able to witness the zabuton fly in the Kokugikan.}

_{But I got to take in 3 days of the current basho. I got to see the zabuton fly when Kakuryuu lost, but I'll always be able to say that I attended the basho in which Hakuho broke the record. And after witnessing three consecutive days of live sumo, I'm already planning to head back next year for the Osaka basho. Can't wait!}

Edited January 23, 2015 by CT3*

[bettega]

Hakuho's WORST results in the last 8 years were 2 basho with 10-5. Just unbelievable.

[rzombie1988]

Hakuho has now won 5 tournaments in a row. I'm wondering how high that streak will go. His ace in the hole is never losing in the first week, and no one's going to catch him until they can do it as well. It's hard to see him slowing down and it's hard to see anyone taking any titles from him when Kak/Haruma average 3-4 losses or more per tournament.

Harumafuji's tachi-ai was so fast today. He looked like he literally ran into it. I have no idea how he can generate such speed from that position.

I'm kind of disappointed with the lower and mid ranked guys this basho. No one has really stuck out to me this time around.minus Tokitenku. Lots of disappointments with Tochinoshin, Aoiyama and Ichinojo.

[Kishinoyama]

Hakuho has finished in first or second place in all but TWO tournaments as a Yokozuna. Wow.... (I am not worthy...)

[ryafuji]

What's also amazing is that Hakuho has never missed a single bout as a yokozuna. Sat out one basho as an ozeki, and since then, 47 straight kachi-koshi.

[Morty]

What has been missed in the excitement of Hak's yusho record was the greatness of the Harumafuji / Kakuryu match. That was one of the best sumo bouts I have ever seen. Just a fabulous basho this time around:).

[Masumasumasu]

Go-eido!

[Mintofuji]

In the English commentary on

, the commentators mention that video replay was introduced due to Futabayama's streak of 69 wins being broken due to an incorrect decision by the gyoji. I was under the impression that it was Taiho's streak of 45 wins that ended by a gyoji error, not Futabayama (Wikipedia, for example, gives this reference). Did the commentators get it wrong? Edited January 24, 2015 by Mintofuji

[specialweek 2]

Cant listen atm. Who were the announcers?

No tv in those days.

[Asashosakari]

Yes, it was the Taiho streak. Real-time video recording and replay technology wasn't anywhere near the required level back during Futabayama's streak anyway.

[specialweek 2]

This is some guy doing his own blog. Not the official English commentary

Edited January 24, 2015 by specialweek 2

[Asashosakari]

Good basho for Cowabunga Kawabata, just blasted out Sasakiyama for his 6th win. In this form he'll be in juryo before too long, I guess the back-to-back 3-4's woke him up to the fact that tsukedashi doesn't mean he'll be handed a sekitori spot (as his sumo often looked like).

[Mintofuji]

This is some guy doing his own blog. Not the official English commentary

While the guy who posted the video does make his own comments, when he's not speaking you can hear the English commentary from the channel. The commentary I was referring to was definitely the English commentary.

[Gernobono]

green hawk down :-(

one of my favourites tokushinho just pressed the down-button to makushita

unfortunatelly i do not expect a quick return of "mr.nodowa" soon with all those young prospects in makushita

and a sidenote:

why did tamaasuka even care to climb the dohyo?....that bout of a already kk-rikshi against one looking for kk (hidenoumi) was just pathetic

Edited January 24, 2015 by Gernobono

[CT3*]

I really hope Hakuhou didn't injure himself. He landed pretty hard at the end of that first bout with Kisenosato and seemed to be limping a bit after the rematch. Wouldn't be at all surprised to see him sporting a nasty bruise.

[specialweek 2]

This is some guy doing his own blog. Not the official English commentary

While the guy who posted the video does make his own comments, when he's not speaking you can hear the English commentary from the channel. The commentary I was referring to was definitely the English commentary.

Right you are. Think he was meaning Taiho just got his numbers wrong.

[Masumasumasu]

Terunofuji vs. Ichinojo...a supreme mawashi battle. The o-toro of sumo, baby!

[I am the Yokozuna]

Great bout between two young Mongolian hopefuls. I just think that there are too similiar in their approach and lack variety which led to almost 5 min duration of their contest.

[Asojima]

Eight 7-7 makuuchi rikishi for Day 15, and none of them are facing each other.

[Asashosakari]

Eight 7-7 makuuchi rikishi for Day 15, and none of them are facing each other.

A lot of what the current shimpan/banzuke committee does looks like it's being run by somebody who has slept through the last 10-15 years...all the bad habits from the "good old days" are making a comeback.