Basho Talk - Aki Basho 2016 +++ Spoiler Alert! +++

[SumpaX]

1 hour ago, Bumpkin said:

OMG!  That would be the greatest.  Although, I think this is Harumafuji's yusho to lose.  We shall see.

Pretty much this! Harumafuji always lost on day 3 in the last basho's and he is more likley to win the second weeks bouts than anyone else, and i cant say the same thing about goeido..

[Senkoho]

30 minutes ago, Jakusotsu said:

I guess "someone like Tochinoshin who never pulls a henka" was the intention.

I know - thanks, though.

[Jyuunomori]

Chiyotairyu had no idea how to deal with Ura but somehow he managed to beat him while retreating and almost losing. Chiyotairyu might be going for a Yusho with Ura getting his traditional 10 wins.

Mitakeumi and Chiyoshouma are doing wonders in Makuuchi while Okinoumi impersonator is making fun of the whole sanyaku + yokozunae.

[Pandaazuma]

I still think Kisenosato will win!

[Gurowake]

3 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

The way this is going, Goeido's winning the yusho to leave Kisenosato as the only top-ranker without one...

I was going to suggest this before the tournament, but thought it was too far-fetched to even joke about.

[Gurowake]

Young twins Takayoshitoshi and Takagenji are both 2-0 at their highest ranks in the Ms20s.  Ishibashi, Kotokamatani, and Tamaki are as well further down in Makushita.  Oyanagi, however, fell to 0-2 against Meisei, another guy who's kinda young to be making a press for Juryo, even if not quite to the Sato/Onosho standard.

Edited September 13, 2016 by Gurowake

[WAKATAKE]

Ikegawa in Sandame also stands at 2-0, currently holding the longest active winning streak from debut at 16.

[Jyuunomori]

I don't want to believe that Oyanagi of all people would meet his wall in Makushita. He is so well established and dominant competitor in high-school. He has the size and he has the power.

Ishibashi, Ikegawa, Tamaki, Hatooka and others are quickly coming.

Then the youngest of them all Kotokamatani is also rising steadily, at only 18 years of age.

Competition in Juryo is about to be tough.

Ryuden is recovering from his injuries and is soon returning to Juryo, possibly for the next basho he is already 2-0. Similarily Yamaguchi seems quite determined to return to top division.

Also when are we going to start the betting? Will Sakamoto get his 4-3 KK again for the fifth time in a row?

Edited September 13, 2016 by Jyuunomori
Sakamoto!

[CT3*]

Kisenosato's losses aren't even shocking to me anymore. I actually now find them somewhat humorous.

[Tenshinhan]

1 hour ago, Gurowake said:

Young twins Takayoshitoshi and Takagenji are both 2-0 at their highest ranks in the Ms20s.

Takayoshitoshi beat Kagamio today. Wow, would like to see how this happened.

[taresu]

4 hours ago, Jakusotsu said:

I guess "someone like Tochinoshin who never pulls a henka" was the intention.

I guess it was. Tochinoshin is a very strong rikishi and has improved a great deal in the last tournaments, don't see why he wouldn't be capable of beating Kisenosato, he has done it six times already..seven now. But yeah, he not usually does a henka so guess is weird when he tries one, misses it and still win. 

 

[Morty]

If you are going to sit in the front row at the KK and be on TV all afternoon, then you should have a more convincing wig than this guy...

[Dwale]

4 minutes ago, Morty said:

If you are going to sit in the front row at the KK and be on TV all afternoon, then you should have a more convincing wig than this guy...

You mean Japanese Carl Sagan there or Mr. Mustache?

 

So, let's address the elephant in the room, that being Okinoumi of all people. While Okinoumi has demonstrated good technique, his tendency to do poorly against sanyaku means that I don't think anyone was expecting him to do quite this well. What a surprise. Well, sumo is results-based. Let's see what numbers he can put up. 

Favorite match of the day was actually juryo this time, that being Satoyama v Sadanofuji. Not the most exciting, no, but I find the fact that Satoyama is in there at all to be inspiring, and to take the win against an opponent who is so much bigger, and has beaten him so much in the past... Smart sumo, anyway.

Chiyoshoma doesn't look like much, but he's got skills. Watching him closely. 

Mitakeumi pulled off a cool switcheroo there and often wrestles above what his experience level would suggest. 

Oh, Tochinoshin, why? >.<

Terunofuji doing well with the underhand grip, even just one-armed. 

And Takayasu getting another win. Good on him.

Sure I'm forgetting some, ah, well. Another great day of sumo even if I'm purposefully not looking at the leader board yet because it'll make my head hurt.

[ALAKTORN]

Okinoumi on that yokozuna run.

[Benihana]

7 minutes ago, Dwale said:

Favorite match of the day was actually juryo this time, that being Satoyama v Sadanofuji. Not the most exciting, no, but I find the fact that Satoyama is in there at all to be inspiring, and to take the win against an opponent who is so much bigger, and has beaten him so much in the past... Smart sumo, anyway.

Yep, best bout of the day. It's always nice to see such differences in height and weight collide. It's 118,7kg and 177cm vs. 200,5kg and 189cm and i bet Sadanofuji wheighs more than sumo-db says!

Sadly Aminishiki, Osu and Ura all lost. Ami didn't look that bad at all, Osu all the more and Ura almost won while loosing.

Now to makuuchi...Kise, get your shit together and you Tochinoshin, couldn't you have won yesterday? Damnit! I hoped that Tokushoryu put an Endo to his loosing streak, but good bout anyways. Mitakeumi on his way to sanyaku. Kakuryu only won, because Yoshikaze slipped.

Okinoumi...just wow.

 

 

[Rocks]

7 hours ago, Jakusotsu said:

I guess "someone like Tochinoshin who never pulls a henka" was the intention.

Yes, it was. Not only does he rarely do it, he isn't good at it and it's contrary to his style and abilities. The henka is a trick and if you fail with it you are out of postilion and very vulnerable. Tochinoshim got caught pulling the card out of his sleeve clumsily and still manged to get the audience applause. That should never happen with someone of Kisenosato's rank and record. Most of the Makuuchi would have beat Tochinoshin after that, Hakuho would have made him pay severely.

[robnplunder]

No monoii on Ura's 3rd match?   It was pretty close but all his 3 bouts have been close.   He was bound to lose a close one - the law of average at work.

Kise did not look good so far.   I think his yusho dream for Hakless basho is done.   I am going to root for Okinoumi for the yusho instead. 

Watched Satoyama's match like 3 times.  Loved it each time.   Damn, it's hard to make a living for him, isn't it?   Loved the Ishihara's 3 wins so far.   He was like a delayed rocket in pushing out his bigger opponent.  

Aminishiki looked weak.  Definitely, he's not 100%.  

Mitakeumi & Shodai keep switching places from basho to basho.  It's Shodai's turn to rank high and get beat up, eventually ending with machikoshi.  OTOH, Mitakeumi will advance to Shodai's current position and repeat ....   Hopefully, they will both get out of their pattern and make a run for Ozeki.

[RabidJohn]

Kakuryu was so lucky that Yoshikaze slipped...

Great to see Okinoumi actually doing what he's always looked like he should be able to do.

Ura was robbed! Should have been a tori-naoshi looking at the slo-mo, but having said that, my instant reaction was that he'd lost so I can well understand there being no monoii. It's happened before and it'll happen again...

@Bumpkin: Why am I seeing a screen's height of blank space in your last post (haven't quoted it for obvious reasons)?

Edited September 13, 2016 by RabidJohn
Curiosity

[robnplunder]

Yes, Kakuryu was a bit lucky.   But until Yoshikaze slipped, the match was pretty close.   Yoshikaze had two spirited matches against the 2 Yokozunas and nothing to show for.  I feel for him.  

Ura gets involved in a lot of close calls and it will average out at the end.  Calls will go his way, too, as well as being "robbed." 

Is Amakaze for real?  He looks good.  How come he didn't get to Mukuuchi until now?  

[Ahogeyama]

Okinoumi's 3-0 start is an eyebrow-raiser. He once started 3-0 as M5 back in 2012, only to hit a loss on Day 4, but he still finished a respectable 10-5. If he can tiptoe around the sanyaku and not lose to a lower maegashira, perhaps he can achieve 12 wins for the first time in his career. Not banking on it, but it's a nice start.

The numbers are on Goeido's side if he wants to finish with a KK, but out of ten 3-0 starts as a makuuchi wrestler, he has gotten an MK once--he blitzed through Kotooshu, Kotomitsuki, and Kaio back in Natsu 2009 as a sekiwake, only to get wiped out by Asashoryu and the three current yokozuna rikishi. Time will tell, but I like his chances to avoid MK.

[Yubinhaad]

37 minutes ago, RabidJohn said:

Ura was robbed! Should have been a tori-naoshi looking at the slo-mo, but having said that, my instant reaction was that he'd lost so I can well understand there being no monoii. It's happened before and it'll happen again...

 

I saw nothing to warrant a torinaoshi (or indeed, even a mono-ii), and this picture only confirms it - his hand clearly touches down first.

[robnplunder]

On a slow-mo, I saw Ura's hand touching the ground.  It wasn't clear to me from the angle if his opponent's leg was out or not already.   Good no-monoii call! 

 

[Benihana]

Regarding the Satoyama-Sadanofuji bout...

https://www.youtube.com/embed/1yA_AWQihqY?start=1072&autoplay=1

Isn't it forbidden to grab the "crack-strap" of the mawashi?

[ALAKTORN]

1 minute ago, Ogami Ittō said:

Regarding the Satoyama-Sadanofuji bout...

https://www.youtube.com/embed/1yA_AWQihqY?start=1072&autoplay=1

Isn't it forbidden to grab the "crack-strap" of the mawashi?

Not in ōzumō.

[Benihana]

AH, ok. I asked because i think Ura was repeatedly slapped to let it go in his famous bout at the World Combat Games.