Nagoya Basho 2018 Discussion [SPOILERS]

[Kaminariyuki]

4 hours ago, Chojin said:

Goeido kept his cool but was pretty lucky against kagayaki. Was really hoping that kagayaki got all those big fat envelopes but maybe next time he will get those. 

Mitakeumi looks so focused.  I know he has a tendency to lose stamina and focus towards the end but he does look the goods! 

 

Maybe Mitakeumi is one of those heat loving dudes and is going to thrive in Nagoya while everyone else suffers?

[Philioyamfugi]

We'll...proud of my boy Kagayaki...good fights  against both ozeki but hoping he'd get that kensho today. Reportably one of the hardest trainers in sumo today...so he's gonna be fine. Also seems to avoid injury.  Maybe he upsets  Mitakiumi tomorrow ?  It's a good race to the finish... My invisible money on Takayasu !  

[Rocks]

4 hours ago, mikawa said:

That was such a hairy moment (excuse the pun) for Takayasu today, but he should be safe now. But for Goeido? The rollercoaster ride continues......

As much as I like Takakeisho, it was difficult to watch Yoshikaze going 0-9, things are just not working for him at the moment. An injury maybe?

I'm fighting a really bad summer cold/flu for the past week and Yoshikaze looks about the same as I do. The heat just makes it worse. I wonder if that is what is going on because he doesn't have any obvious injury and seems to have good mobility.

[Yamanashi]

56 minutes ago, Thundersnow said:

Maybe Mitakeumi is one of those heat loving dudes and is going to thrive in Nagoya while everyone else suffers?

Half-Pinoy; 'nuff said.

 

[Kaminariyuki]

3 minutes ago, Yamanashi said:

Half-Pinoy; 'nuff said.

 

Well, I was Peace Corps in the Philippines, and I can testify it's a very warm place, hotter than the Dolphins Arena, I suspect.

 

[Amamaniac]

Abi and Kyokutaisei both shot up the banzuke after good records in the Summer basho, but they look as though they are set to undo all their respective forwards momentum in Nagoya.  Neither one of them will drop out of the Top Division, I suspect.

Anyone care to weigh in on the upcoming bout between Abi and Takakeisho?  Given Abi's current groove deficit, I'm thinking Takakeisho will take it.  With the obvious height difference, it should make for an interesting contest.  Abi will need a definite strategy to get Takakeisho down or out.  Keep in mind, this will be their first encounter.

And lo and behold, Takanoiwa is out front in the Juryo race!  Looks like he may just win that championship, and possibly return to the Top Division in September, less than a year after the whole "karaoke remote" (a.k.a., beer-bottle) incident!  But he will face Harumafuji's sumo brother, Aminishiki, next.  Now, there's a bout that I would like to see.  Not sure if Ami can slow or even spoil Takanoiwa's championship run, but I suspect Harumafuji is giving Ami as much coaching advice as he can...

 

[Rocks]

Abi-Takakeisho will be interesting. I guess it will come down to who gets the first really good smack in. Given their trajectory I'd say Takakeisho. 

Advice isn't going to help Aminishiki against Takanoiwa. He's not going to beat a guy like Takanoiwa who comes who comes with a solid strategy against him unless it's by a pull. He looked terrible against Kotoyuki. I expect Aminiskiki to go into a slide now. I think at best he gets 9 wins total with 8 more likely. 

[Jabbamaru]

The two ozekis really fighted on the tightrope, nice bouts.

[Amamaniac]

2 hours ago, Rocks said:

Advice isn't going to help Aminishiki against Takanoiwa. He's not going to beat a guy like Takanoiwa who comes who comes with a solid strategy against him unless it's by a pull. He looked terrible against Kotoyuki. I expect Aminiskiki to go into a slide now. I think at best he gets 9 wins total with 8 more likely. 

It's sad, but you are probably right about that.  Takanoiwa is fighting well, and he has youth and strength versus Ami's one-trick wiliness.  Let's just say, with a 5% chance of victory, I will be suitably surprised and happy if Ami defeats Takanoiwa...  

[wys]

4 hours ago, Amamaniac said:

Anyone care to weigh in on the upcoming bout between Abi and Takakeisho?  Given Abi's current groove deficit, I'm thinking Takakeisho will take it.  With the obvious height difference, it should make for an interesting contest.  Abi will need a definite strategy to get Takakeisho down or out.  Keep in mind, this will be their first encounter.

 

I am really looking forward to this match as well, and not just because Takakeisho is my fave. Their contrasting body types and the fact that this will be their first encounter definitely factor into the anticipation. But I agree Takakeisho will take it. He has more experience and better ring instincts/smarts than Abi I think. I expect Abi to try to keep Takakeisho away with those long arms but I think Takakeisho will find a way to take advantage of Abi once he finds an opening when Abi is off-balance with that frenetic sumo of his. 

 

[Gurowake]

Ichinojo is indeed the first Sekiwake to be scheduled against an Ozeki despite being higher ranked - he'll face Takayasu Day 11.  The torikumi committee has seen the light - or at least been forced to by the extreme circumstances.

[Eikokurai]

Poor old Takayasu. He must have thought he’d stolen a march on everyone when he made Ozeki first, but he’s seen Tochinoshin beat him to a yusho and is now looking at another first-time winner getting in ahead of him, be it Mitakeumi or one of the hiramaku.

Who’d have thought before the tournament that the two M13s would be in the mix after 10 days?

[Chojin]

Hokutofuji getting better with each day. Starting to look like he was last year in Kyushu. He has fire in his belly and his KK now looking good. 

Mitakeumi striking with the head with a fast tachiai and in complete control. 10 in a row, now a yusho is the only way he will be satisfied. Looking confident and dare I say like an Ozeki. Yamashina oyakata looking pretty happy with his achievements thus far. A yusho for dewanoumi would be awesome. 

Takayasu didn't look so good after his loss getting up after being thrown down. Injured? Let's wait and see tomorrow. 

[ALAKTORN]

Let’s go Mitakeumi!

[Morty]

I thought the Geek had killed that old lady he landed on but she seemed pretty pleased with the whole deal. He came off the dohyo clutching his wrist though before he landed on her. Didn't look good.

[RabidJohn]

1 hour ago, Chojin said:

Mitakeumi ... Looking confident and dare I say like an Ozeki.

No, I agree with Moti's comment on his video yesterday: he's looking like a yokozuna!

10-0 is new ground for Mitakeumi and I've got my metaphoric fingers crossed (not my real ones, or I wouldn't be able to type!) that it's a real step forward, while being aware that it could just be a blip like Hatsu 2017.

And we've all seen good starts like this not get carried forward into yusho, so I'm saying nowt on that score, other than I fancy the chances of Mitakeumi over the current Takayasu.

[kuroimori]

Today's special deal:

3 Kotenage for the price of 2 - the two paying the price could be Takayasu and the Geek, Yoshikaze was also in pain after Ichinojo felled him. Takayasu should try to notch just one more win to shake off kadoban before a potential withdrawal.

Let's wait for the Kotenage Kyujo Kommunique for Day 11...

[Jakusotsu]

Just now, kuroimori said:

Takayasu should try to notch just one more win to shake off kadoban before a potential withdrawal.

Well, he still has Yoshikaze to face, unless the torikumi makers won't let him take the easy road.

[kuroimori]

21 minutes ago, Jakusotsu said:

Well, he still has Yoshikaze to face, unless the torikumi makers won't let him take the easy road.

That matchup would then be called

"The Klash of the Kotenage Klobbered"

or

"The One-Armed Bandit Duel"? 

Edited July 17, 2018 by kuroimori

[Yumenofude]

No matter who you were hoping would win, I rather liked that match on day 10 between Asanoyama and Hokutofuji.

I think I even heard the Japanese NHK announcer how you didn't really know before the end who was going to win.

[Jakusotsu]

9 minutes ago, Yumenofude said:

No matter who you were hoping would win, I rather liked that match on day 10 between Asanoyama and Hokutofuji.

I think I even heard the Japanese NHK announcer how you didn't really know before the end who was going to win.

Really? To me it looked like Asanoyama never found his footing during the whole match.

[Yumenofude]

7 minutes ago, Jakusotsu said:

Really? To me it looked like Asanoyama never found his footing during the whole match.

Well, I wouldn't mind seeing it again - "never found his footing" is something I perhaps don't have quite enough experience to have properly judged it.

 

(Unlike, say, the match I've just finished watching, Chiyoshoma vs Kotoeko...which was over nearly before we could see it.)

[mikawa]

A bit of a celebration going on there after his win today from Hokutofuji, not something you see everyday.

Was that an intentional move by Ichinojo? Talk about innovation and thinking outside the box.

[maorencze]

I think Takakeisho has it in the bag tomorrow, with Endo's inability to deal with quality oshi zumo (which bothers me to no end, I was hoping Endo would finally be ready for his breakout yet somehow it seems that as soon as oshi guys stop him from getting a grip it's over)

[Morty]

58 minutes ago, Jakusotsu said:

Really? To me it looked like Asanoyama never found his footing during the whole match.

On first viewing I thought he had done okay but after a couple of watches it was clear how comprehensively Hokotofuji beat him. He was never in that match