March basho 2021

[Seregost]

15 minutes ago, Kaminariyuki said:

Just like the Great British Bake-Off, or a symphony, or a foot race, it never hurts to finish strong.

Except if we are in Mahler's 9th ;)

[Sue]

32 minutes ago, lackmaker said:

Seiyashi: So basically, the rule is, there is always an exception. 

Except for the rules where there have so far been no exceptions.

...which is, itself, an exception, so there's an exception.

[Kaminariyuki]

Excellent matchups for Friday! Takayasu vs. the giant killer, Wakatakakage, as well as the ozeki battles. Tomorrow's results will tell us how exciting the weekend is likely to be.

Edited March 25, 2021 by Kaminariyuki
name mis-spelled

[Kaminariyuki]

Has anyone noticed that Takayasu seems to be doing a very minor version of his regular pre-bout gorilla stomp? It's not the full-blown intimidation theater that we've enjoyed for so long, but the only two times they've shown it on NHK World Highlights, it seems like he's doing the most subdued version possible, just so that he's done it. For good luck?

[bessantj]

2 hours ago, RabidJohn said:

Don't count on it. Daieisho's failure to secure an additional sekiwake slot with a 13-2Y from M1 blindsided just about everybody here!

Yes, I was a bit surprised by that. Maybe he farted in the presence of an elder and they just don't like him! 

[Gospodin]

Aoiyama should be flagged for unnecessary roughness. They should ask his oyakata to teach him proper technique, otherwise he may inadvertently break someone´s neck or crush a larynx.

[Tigerboy1966]

9 hours ago, Amamaniac said:

Wakatakakage is a real breath of fresh air this tournament.  He is clearly the most talented wrestler of the three Waka brothers.  

He started out this tournament with a 2-4 losing record.  But the thing was that his two wins were Ozeki scalps!  With those upset victories under his belt, I felt that he could potentially make a claim on a Sansho Prize (esp. Outstanding Performance) if only he could manage a KK ideally with 9 or more wins.

If he does get a prize it will not be before time. He should have got a kanto-sho in July last year when he got 10 wins in his first full maku'uchi  basho. He did have his top-division debut 8 months earlier but had to pull out after winning his first 4.  I wouldn't have argued if they had tossed a gino-sho his way after a technically excellent 11-4 last September.  41-21 in completed bouts is a pretty good start.

[Seregost]

58 minutes ago, Gospodin said:

Aoiyama should be flagged for unnecessary roughness. They should ask his oyakata to teach him proper technique, otherwise he may inadvertently break someone´s neck or crush a larynx.

I always have this feeling with him,  he's not in my favourite wrestlers list at all. 

[Gospodin]

I don´t think those, well, rough finishes are intentional. Just (comparably) crude technique. Other Europeans, particularly a pair of Russian brothers were genuinely disliked for their quite raw-looking styles.

Edited March 25, 2021 by Gospodin

[dingo]

2 hours ago, Gospodin said:

Aoiyama should be flagged for unnecessary roughness. They should ask his oyakata to teach him proper technique, otherwise he may inadvertently break someone´s neck or crush a larynx.

Abi was doing that almost every bout. 

[Kaninoyama]

3 hours ago, Gospodin said:

Aoiyama should be flagged for unnecessary roughness. They should ask his oyakata to teach him proper technique, otherwise he may inadvertently break someone´s neck or crush a larynx.

He's 34 and 11 years into his sumo career. This is an old dog that's not going to be learning any new tricks. 

[Katooshu]

Hiradoumi from Sakaigawa beya is moving up the ranks under the radar....if he wins tonight he'll be at around Ms1-3 at only 20 years old.

Edited March 26, 2021 by Katooshu

[WAKATAKE]

6 hours ago, Gospodin said:

Aoiyama should be flagged for unnecessary roughness. They should ask his oyakata to teach him proper technique, otherwise he may inadvertently break someone´s neck or crush a larynx.

You mean the same Oyakata who went after Tochinoshin with a golf club?

[Gurowake]

21 minutes ago, WAKATAKE said:

You mean the same Oyakata who went after Tochinoshin with a golf club?

Well, as should be obvious, Aoiyama and Tochinoshin weren't also in the same heya.  Hell, they even met in Makuuchi once.  One might even say Aoiyama's move to Kasugano was the start of his oshi career.  The NSK listed him (and might still do now) as a yotsu wrestler, because that's what he started as, and that's what his fight against Tochinoshin in Makuuchi was like, and he clearly was soon to move to Kasugano.

[jsolo]

https://jbssumo.blogspot.com/2021/03/grand-sumo-results-with-relevant-links.html

Day 12 added to blog post. Results, links to match articles, photos and (when NHK uploads in about an hour), links to all 239 FULL MATCH VIDEOS. Kimarite statistics, time of match statistics, Hachi-koshi/Make-koshi lists, Top Rank performance and Yusho race snapshot, maegashira v san'yaku statistics, Juryo Substitute Statistics, etc.

Enjoy

https://jbssumo.blogspot.com/2021/03/grand-sumo-results-with-relevant-links.html

[Amamaniac]

There is a big match coming up between Abi and co-frontrunner Tokiasakae!  Should be interesting...

[Godango]

11 minutes ago, Amamaniac said:

There is a big match coming up between Abi and co-frontrunner Tokiasakae!  Should be interesting...

Cheers for the reminder, I've got the broadcast on one of my workscreens now! 

As admirable as Abi sucking up his punishment and working his way back up is, I'll feel for Tokisakae if this is the loss that denies him promotion and a bit of cash.

[hakutorizakura]

This Abi guy seems to be quite good. Clearly sekitori material, maybe sanyaku.

 

 

[Godango]

Abi 7-0 and wins the Makushita yusho. Good for him, I guess.

[Asashosakari]

30-year-old Ms16w Chiyosakae beats erstwhile yusho contender Hiradoumi and finishes 6-1 to (probably) hit a new career-high rank next basho. Now there's a guy I'd love to get his cup of coffee as a sekitori. Debuted in the star-studded Hatsu 2009 maezumo class that featured no less than five future makuuchi rikishi in a field of just 16 - he had a rocky 2-6 start there with losses to four of them, but has kept grinding to build a very respectable career himself.

[Amamaniac]

So Taiho's grandson Oho (formerly Naya) picks up his kachikoshi.  We'll have to see if it will be enough to bounce him back up to Juryo!

[Amamaniac]

Ura just snagged his kachikoshi by defeating Bushouzan with a hikkake.  Another amazing performance by the guy in pink!

[word20]

Mitakeumi has not been able to reach Ozeki and now he is 5 - 7. in my opinion he will not reach Ozeki if he continue as he has done until now. We see when he goes up against Asanoyama that he seems not to be at Ozeki level now. The question is if he he able to reach Ozeki, hsa he the capacity to do it?

[Seiyashi]

5 minutes ago, word20 said:

Mitakeumi has not been able to reach Ozeki and now he is 5 - 7. in my opinion he will not reach Ozeki if he continue as he has done until now. We see when he goes up against Asanoyama that he seems not to be at Ozeki level now. The question is if he he able to reach Ozeki, hsa he the capacity to do it?

The problem with Mitakeumi is that he just doesn't put in the effort needed - he is skilled but not hardworking enough to go to the next level. For that reason, he can beat the ozeki on a good day, but now more than ever he's reduced to playing the occasional spoiler - and he's thoroughly failed to do that this basho. I don't think he'll make ozeki, or that he'll be a good ozeki even if he does.

The irreversible mark of his decline is going to be when he starts facing the upstarts like Kotoshoho, Kotonowaka and Hoshoryu on a regular basis. Once he fails to beat them every time, he's done as a wrestler; he's never going to be going up from there again.

Edited March 26, 2021 by Seiyashi

[Thorbjarn]

I hope Ura listens to his body and makes the right decision. A slow but steady climb right now seems worth more than forcing yourself to compete in hopes of winning another two, I'd think. 

Quick look tells me there will be two free spots in Juryo, one will be the domino effect of Kakuryu's intai, and the other one will be Yago. Nishigiki could be relegated, should be if he doesn't win out, Nishikifuji aswell. Oho is behind Daishoho who is at least 5-2 at half a rank below and might fall back into third place for Sekitori re-promotion should Kotokuzan win his final match, I assume.