Basho Talk - Nagoya 2015 +++ Spoiler alert! +++

[Treblemaker]

A really bored Hakuho shows in the 3rd day that his only bored... not old, weak or anything

And there's no one in sanyaku or upper makuuchi that could match him, except, maybe, Teru.

Still not sure... the first two bouts had Hak in positions where the right move could have had him. Tochinoshin basically beat himself. I'd reserve judgement about Hak until after the 6th or 7th day. If he's still not dominating people by then, it's not boredom.

And gravity is still Gagamaru's biggest foe.

Kakuryu (for the first time) showed the style I remember when he was climbing up the ladder.

Giku was fortunate. That could have gone either way.

Disappointed that HF is out. I enjoy watching him, win or lose.

And I'm puzzled about Ichinojo. He's not really a plodder. He's got some footwork. For a big guy, he's pretty agile, I think. Why not use some of that agility? Or am I wrong about this? (I've been wrong before, but it's so long ago...) ;)

[inhashi]

Day 4 and finally ★★★☆ for Toyonoshima and Gagachan

Great effort by Amuru. I thought for sure there would be mizu iri for that bout.

[WAKATAKE]

I've seen this quite often with Ichinojo, and that is a lot of the time the way he tries to pull his opponents down often works against him. He then loses by getting pushed out of the dohyo. I think if he were to concentrate on the mawashi, he would have a bit more success. For Kyokutenho, he's had these before, but he seriously needs to get something going if he wants to stay in Makuuchi for September. I think he can barely stay in with a 5-10 but that would depend on those around him in the lower maegashira and the people in juryo. A 6-9 he can definitely stay but if he doesn't start winning it's going to look bleak.

[Mongolith]

Welp the Geeku express has come to its last stop. Think Tenho also joins him in retirement as Father Time has finally caught up to him. Guessing Goeido is gonna amass yet another 8-7, actually looked good today. Ichi just looks terrible this basho and doubt he stays in the sanyaku. Hoping he can scrape a 7-8 and just drop to K.

Edited July 15, 2015 by Mongolith

[dingo]

Amuuru simply didn't have anything else in his arsenal than a push, and Sadanofuji was just too big and strong for that. Would've been better to try a throw...

Today's bout seems to be the kind of sumo that would be good for Oosunaarashi. He can get a strong grip and force his opponent out without rushing too much.

It's sad, but Kotoshougiku's time really seems to be over. In his current shape, I don't see him coming back from his position right now.

Kisenosato did some ozeki quality sumo today. Goeido too.

Takayasu's been putting up a really good fight is his bouts so far in this basho, too bad the wins aren't materializing for him.

[Jakusotsu]

Welp the Geeku express has come to its last stop. Think Tenho also joins him in retirement as Father Time has finally caught up to him.

Who says Kotoshogiku is going to retire? He has a new wife to feed!

[Andreas21]

Who says Kotoshogiku is going to retire? He has a new wife to feed!

And he would look much better in Lower Meagashira against the likes of Sadanofuji and Toyohibiki. There is nothing really wrong with him, just, too much strong competition at the top for him.

[WAKATAKE]

Wakanosato seems to have his back on the ropes, too. An 0-4 start at J11 isn't too promising. And he doesn't have as much room as Kyokutenho has to afford a 5-10. Even a 6-9 could drop him to Makushita if one those guys has a good basho.

[Gurowake]

Ichinojo is really looking terrible. He used to be quite quick as well as big, pulling off those henkas last year in Aki, but he seems to really have lost a step. It seems as though he's not really putting in the work to continuously improve that Terunofuji clearly has. He's now just slow and fat; all those sweets aren't contributing to him building the muscle he needs. With how stacked the upper ranks are now, there just aren't very many easy opponents that don't have the might to move him, and I see him headed for a pretty awful record right now.

Hakuho back to business as usual.

[Jakusotsu]

...which makes him even more like Kotonowaka.

[kuroimori]

Wakanosato seems to have his back on the ropes, too. An 0-4 start at J11 isn't too promising. And he doesn't have as much room as Kyokutenho has to afford a 5-10. Even a 6-9 could drop him to Makushita if one those guys has a good basho.

Maybe the old geezers can't cope too well with the humid summer heat...

[kuroimori]

Is it only me or does Kotoyuki not only tend to false start AND not even put one hand down at the tachi-ai without getting matta-ed?

[inhashi]

Wondering the same. How/why does he get away with it?

[Jakusotsu]

Wondering the same. How/why does he get away with it?

Perhaps they fear he starts barking again when reprimanded.

[dingo]

I think it's been mentioned many times that putting one's hand(s) down is not really a rule -- the rikishi only need to move in sync during the tachiai, nothing else. What makes it confusing is that sometimes the shinpan do demand rikishi to put their hands down, but that's more in order to get the rikishi synchronized, not for touching the dohyo as a principle.

[Andreas21]

Ichinojo is really looking terrible. ... It seems as though he's not really putting in the work to continuously improve that Terunofuji clearly has.

Agree with the first, but disagree with the second. In fact, I'm pretty much optimistic for Ichinojo.

Previously, in amateur sumo and Makushita+Juryo it was enough to just stand there mighty. For the top of Ozumo, this is not enough anymore. Initially, he got some success with freak Sumo, but that is not to last. Top Rikishi can easily adapt.

Now he's thinking, and he is trying out things. In the bouts so far this Basho, he is just doing basic and plain Sumo technique. It doesn't work out well, he is not used to it. He is not really in the flow. But still I believe, this is the right path for a more solid technique that goes along well with his size and his sheer power. It doesn't quite come together now, it looks horrible yet. But in a few Bashos in which we see a struggling Ichinojo in and out of Jo'i, a new, more complete Rikishi will emerge, which will then be very hard to defeat.

Terunofuji had his hard time, struggling in Mid-Makushita. Needed a year to get over it. In the end, this difficult year seemed to be the key for his recent success.

[bettega]

Ichinojo is really looking terrible. He used to be quite quick as well as big, pulling off those henkas last year in Aki, but he seems to really have lost a step. It seems as though he's not really putting in the work to continuously improve that Terunofuji clearly has. He's now just slow and fat; all those sweets aren't contributing to him building the muscle he needs. With how stacked the upper ranks are now, there just aren't very many easy opponents that don't have the might to move him, and I see him headed for a pretty awful record right now.

Agreed. All Ichinojo bouts are kind of "meh"

[Masumasumasu]

If I ever need to illustrate what sumo *not* is about, I'd take any bout featuring Osunaarashi.

I'd say ignoring the pain of a fractured shoulder, putting duty ahead of the self and showing up to fight when common sense and medical advice says not to, is *exactly* what sumo is about.

While observing Ramadan.

Observance of the Holy Month can only help Booty. 1) Allah rewards those who keep His laws. 2) A little hunger is good for a rikishi.

[kuroimori]

Ramadan, Nadaam, thank you Ma'am!

I feel a bit dizzy now...

[inhashi]

While observing Ramadan.

Observance of the Holy Month can only help Booty. 1) Allah rewards those who keep His laws. 2) A little hunger is good for a rikishi.

That should help satisfy many oyakata who say the current influx of rikishi no longer have that 'hungry spirit' as ones from years earlier. Though it may be true...and as I type kachikoshi for Osunaarashi!!!

Edit: oops, I meant shiroboshi...getting ahead of myself. 頑張ってください!

Edited July 16, 2015 by inhashi

[Masumasumasu]

While observing Ramadan.

Observance of the Holy Month can only help Booty. 1) Allah rewards those who keep His laws. 2) A little hunger is good for a rikishi.

That should help satisfy many oyakata who say the current influx of rikishi no longer have that 'hungry spirit' as ones from years earlier. Though it may be true...and as I type kachikoshi for Osunaarashi!!!

Allah blessed him with another unlikely win.

[Tsubame]

Ramadan ended today... so we can see how that affected his sumo.

[WAKATAKE]

Glad to see Kyokutenho finally getting that first one. He NEEDED it. Pharoah looking good, 4-1 and Ramadan done, should be interesting to see how he does. He's also been taking care not to land on the shoulder. Today Ichinojo wrestled like...Ichinojo. Dominant performance against Goeido who could do nothing against the big guy. Tochiozan tried his best but ultimately was not able to pull off the win against Terunofuji, who has an atmosphere around him that smells of not going to smile until he clutches the Tennohai again. Happy that Kakuryu is sticking with Hakuho, not good when anybody in the top two ranks drop off so easily from staying in the lead for the basho.

[dingo]

Goeido's mistake was going for the pull (ironically the same mistake Ichinojo made yesterday).

I'm amazed that Tokitenkuu yori-ed Sadanofuji out, whereas Amuuru (who looks stronger, or at least more muscular) wasn't able to do it yesterday.

Gagamaru for once managed to get a shiroboshi from gravity and not fall down before Homarefuji stepped out :)

After a slump, Yoshikaze seems to be getting back to his groove. He's not quite there yet, but doing much better than a couple of basho ago.

[Kintamayama]

I think it's been mentioned many times that putting one's hand(s) down is not really a rule -- the rikishi only need to move in sync during the tachiai, nothing else. What makes it confusing is that sometimes the shinpan do demand rikishi to put their hands down, but that's more in order to get the rikishi synchronized, not for touching the dohyo as a principle.

It actually is a rule, and the gyoji tells them to get their hands down because it IS the rule. It is the most unenforced rule in the Universe for sure, but it is the rule. If moving in sync was all that was needed, the gyoji would be shouting at them to "move in sync!" Listen closely whenever there is a matta as the head judge will invariably admonish one party for not getting both hands down. Mattas, when called, are due to one party obviously jumping the gun, or because one party visibly does not have his hands down. There of course is that third reason, which is when nobody in his right mind has the foggiest idea why the $%^^&* it was called, except for the head shinpan.

Edited July 16, 2015 by Kintamayama