Non-K-November basho 2020 Discussion (spoiler space)

[Seiyashi]

12 minutes ago, Koorifuu said:

Tobizaru must've been working puroresu style, because I just don't see any other reason why he'd headcharge into Terunofuji's mawashi.

And with Kiribayama showing why you don't attempt morozashi as a light rikishi against Terunofuji earlier in the basho, to boot.

[Hakuryuho]

Can't wait for Takakeisho v Kotoshoho tomorrow;

Ozeki v future Ozeki (at least in my book )

I think that bout will be one of the best on Day 11!

 

[Yamanashi]

6 hours ago, pricklypomegranate said:

Just realised that I am now in Makushita. I will gambarise and make it to the sekitori ranks. I will concerntrate, take it one day at a time and do my brand of sumo. 

As a soon-to-be Ozeki, my advice is keep posting sincerely, keep in touch with the koenkai, and don't expect to get paid.

[Kaminariyuki]

Day 9 (I know, I'm behind) - Pirouette Day. Someone probably noted this above, but I thought Day 9 was rather extraordinary in that no less than 3 rikishi in the top division did complet 360 degree spins. Even more extraordinary? Two of them still managed to win! I think some of the lads may be taking ballet lessons during the pandemic.

[Seiyashi]

16 minutes ago, Yamanashi said:

6 hours ago, pricklypomegranate said:

Just realised that I am now in Makushita. I will gambarise and make it to the sekitori ranks. I will concerntrate, take it one day at a time and do my brand of sumo. 

As a soon-to-be Ozeki, my advice is keep posting sincerely, keep in touch with the koenkai, and don't expect to get paid.

As shin-nyumaku, my advice is that your journey starts here and being sekitori is only the starting line. But aim higher nonetheless and post content which the fans will enjoy.

[code_number3]

2 hours ago, dada78641 said:

What a beast.

When your son refuse to go to bed...

[ryafuji]

10 hours ago, Jakusotsu said:

Trivia question: has there ever been a rikishi before Akua sporting his own image on the kesho-mawashi?

(no, Tosayutaka doesn't count)

Konishiki did late in his career, I remember seeing it on Eurosport.

Edited November 17, 2020 by ryafuji

[Benevolance]

I hope Gagamaru's retirement doesn't negatively impact his chances at a yokozuna promotion. 

[Amamaniac]

8 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

Ryuuden, kachikoshi on day 10, first one since January. "I'm in attacking mode and also persistent. It's good that my body is moving. And how about the twerking, huh? Shaking that ass.." Asked about the new-fangled tachiai: "I am thinking and doing it.."

I noticed that you left the "new-fannyed tachiai" remarks out of the Rikishi Talk version posted on your Sumo Newsletter.  Odd that it took until day 10 for someone to ask Ryuden about it.  Perhaps the Japanese press didn't "twig on" to the "twerk" earlier, but when Murray Johnson first saw it on day 3, he had a huge meltdown.  And the streaming chat rooms have been abuzz with Ryuden's Elvis impersonation since at least that time.  Enjoy it (not) while it lasts. 

[Amamaniac]

So very are down to the last five days in the tournament.  It's crunch time.

Anyone out there feeling like eating their hat?  Will we see another makujiri champion before the year is out?  

Shimanoumi has a share of the lead with Takakeisho, and it is still uncertain what opponents the M17e pretender to the throne will face in the final days.  One thing I sense is that these last five days will be rather tough for the likes of Ozeki Takakeisho and Komusubi Terunofuji.  Arguably, they are still favoured to win, at least they were so in the first half of the tournament.  Trouble is, Takakeisho has altered his fighting style from aggressive in your face attacking to cautious stand your ground defence.  His last two bouts were 15.2s and 10.3s long.  Compare that to his first two bouts: 4.3s and 4.2s.  He is taking longer to finish off his opponents or to end up being finished off by them.  The point is that he seems to be losing energy and the longer his bouts last, the more energy he spends wastes.  The same is true of Terunofuji.  He had quick and clean 3.8s and 5.7s victories in the first few days.  The last two days, he's spent 23.0s losing to Takayasu and 6.9s carrying Tobizaru to the edge.  Again, like Takakeisho, he is expending more precious energy in the second half of the tournament.  The big question is: can they keep this up?  And, at this point, how vulnerable are they to upsets in the final days?  

I wonder what odds the bookies in Vegas are putting on a Shimanoumi championship.  I, for one, am not ready to say: "I'll eat my hat if Shimanoumi wins the tourney."

Let's see if he can handle Hoshoryu tomorrow...

Edited November 17, 2020 by Amamaniac

[robnplunder]

This year, we learned not to dismiss M17 ranked rikishi.  Shimanoumi is still in the yusho race.  Heck, he's in the lead albeit with others.   Now, the big question is who are all jocking for the coveted M17 rank for the next basho?   

This is the last basho I will be rooting for Mitakeumi.  I am switching my allegiance to Daieisho, Midorifuji, Takanosho, among many others .  Mitakeumi, you are dead to me.  See you when you get your act together. 

Edited November 17, 2020 by robnplunder

[Gospodin]

Where can one donate for new bandages for Hokutofuji ? By now his favorite set looks simply ragged.

[Kaninoyama]

16 hours ago, Dwale said:

Takarafuji lost, which is a bit of a bummer, but I noticed in the stream that folks are really gaining some appreciation for his sumo this basho, and that's a good thing. He may put up mediocre numbers, but by God he puts them up consistently. Dude's a total workhorse. Respect. And his battle with Hokutofuji today was pretty good!

NHK mentioned yesterday he is the current leader in straight Makuuchi appearances, somewhere in the 700s.  I think that's what they said. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. A testament to his iron-man consistency. 

Edited November 18, 2020 by Kaninoyama

[WAKATAKE]

4 minutes ago, Kaninoyama said:

NHK mentioned yesterday he is the current leader in straight Makuuchi appearances, somewhere in the 700s.  I think that's what they said. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. a testament to his iron-man consistency. 

Day 10 marked 700 consecutive matches, that is correct

http://www.sumoforum.net/forums/topic/36454-makuuchi-consecutive-match-tracker/?do=findComment&comment=424205

[Seiyashi]

8 hours ago, Amamaniac said:

So very are down to the last five days in the tournament.  It's crunch time.

Anyone out there feeling like eating their hat?  Will we see another makujiri champion before the year is out?  

Shimanoumi has a share of the lead with Takakeisho, and it is still uncertain what opponents the M17e pretender to the throne will face in the final days.  One thing I sense is that these last five days will be rather tough for the likes of Ozeki Takakeisho and Komusubi Terunofuji.  Arguably, they are still favoured to win, at least they were so in the first half of the tournament.  Trouble is, Takakeisho has altered his fighting style from aggressive in your face attacking to cautious stand your ground defence.  His last two bouts were 15.2s and 10.3s long.  Compare that to his first two bouts: 4.3s and 4.2s.  He is taking longer to finish off his opponents or to end up being finished off by them.  The point is that he seems to be losing energy and the longer his bouts last, the more energy he spends wastes.  The same is true of Terunofuji.  He had quick and clean 3.8s and 5.7s victories in the first few days.  The last two days, he's spent 23.0s losing to Takayasu and 6.9s carrying Tobizaru to the edge.  Again, like Takakeisho, he is expending more precious energy in the second half of the tournament.  The big question is: can they keep this up?  And, at this point, how vulnerable are they to upsets in the final days?  

I wonder what odds the bookies in Vegas are putting on a Shimanoumi championship.  I, for one, am not ready to say: "I'll eat my hat if Shimanoumi wins the tourney."

Let's see if he can handle Hoshoryu tomorrow...

Terunofuji's long match against Takayasu is at least no anomaly for the latter. And his lift out of Tobizaru is pretty efficient, so I wouldn't be worried about him so much - if his knees survived that callback to his prime. 

You've bang on mentioned what I alluded to when Tobizaru beat Takakeisho. The good news I think is that it's a lot harder for opponents to exploit Takakeisho's mass against him by hatakikomi, and he's making it work so far. Considering also he's playing defensively, he's not expending a lot of energy going on attacks like Hokutofuji. But it is nevertheless a weakness in this new style, albeit one much harder to exploit, and one I don't think his remaining opponents will care to try. 

[since_94]

I likewise don’t worry when I see Terunofuji or Tochinoshin lifting opponents out sky crane style. I don’t think that’s how the majority of knee injuries in sumo occur. Most, I think, are caused by twisting or bending the joint the wrong way under extreme loading. Lifting someone out, a rikishi would be more likely to injure his back, IMO. Lift away, power sumo guys! There’s no defense to that technique barring not allowing your opponent a belt grip in the first place.

[Asojima]

37 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

Takakeisho ... But it is nevertheless a weakness in this new style, albeit one much harder to exploit, and one I don't think his remaining opponents will care to try. 

and the weakness is ?? 

[Amamaniac]

Holy cow.  Naya showed that he actually has some fighting spirit in his bout against Takagenji today!  Naya is now 5-1 and there is little doubt that he will advance to Juryo in January.  If he keeps fighting like he has this tournament, the chances are good that he will continue to advance up the banzuke.

[Ichimawashi]

Anybody know why this keeps happening?  About 2-4 matches from the end of Juryo, some fool begins loudly practicing the hyoushi-gi sticks in the back corridor.  Is this something that always happens but is usually covered by the crowd noise?  I don't recall it in July or September.

Edited November 18, 2020 by Ichimawashi

[Jakusotsu]

Are you sure it isn't your neighbour?

[Seiyashi]

1 hour ago, Asojima said:

and the weakness is ?? 

He's more conservative and not as easily slapped down, but he sacrifices mobility as a result; he can simply be danced around, worn down and pushed out as Tobizaru showed. He doesn't have the reach of say Akebono, so if you stay mobile, Takakeisho can only chase you so quickly without losing his own balance or exposing himself to a tsukiotoshi or hatakikomi.

With his remaining opponents being Kotoshoho, Takarafuji, Shimanoumi/Tamawashi, Terunofuji and Mitakeumi, I don't see any of them doing the above - maaaaaybe Kotoshoho, but the rest are likely to just attempt yotsu or engage Takakeisho in an oshi battle. On the other hand, if Enho and Terutsuyoshi were still in the joi, I could see them completely doing it. The only one I see Takakeisho going all out against is maybe Terunofuji, because it's legitimately an open question what damage Terunofuji can do with a mawashi grip, and Takakeisho might just want to exploit Terunofuji's relatively poorer mobility from the start and win like he did last basho.

Edited November 18, 2020 by Seiyashi

[Amamaniac]

Shimanoumi keeps the Makujiri V dream aliiiiiiiiiiiiive!

[jsolo]

November Basho Day 1-10, complete. Links to videos, articles, photos, stats standings, etc.

Enjoy

 

[Seiyashi]

What was with Tokushoryu's look at Chiyoshoma after that tottari? Didn't look like Chiyoshoma was attempting a henka, and it was Tokushoryu's matta to begin with.

Poor Takarafuji. That's two knackering matches he's been in back to back, and with nothing to show for it.

Edited November 18, 2020 by Seiyashi

[robnplunder]

1 hour ago, Amamaniac said:

Shimanoumi keeps the Makujiri V dream aliiiiiiiiiiiiive!

He got Ruden tomorrow.   A 9-2 Ruden will not be easy for the M17 ranked one.  What do you think?  I am hoping Shimanoumi to beat him.