Preparations of the masses- Haru 2021

[Kintamayama]

Tsurugishou is back in Makuuchi after a year of absence, to the surprise of some. " My dream is to get a big yusho. I'm planning on going undefeated! I want two straight Makuuchi yushos for Oitekaze beya," he declared. He had a good first Makuuchi basho back in September 2019, going 10-5 and getting the kanto-sho, but tore his left k nee ACL last March and subsequently dropped to Juryo. "I still have pain and some loss of balance, so this time I will do forward-moving sumo. I have been checking out the competition and more than getting into my favorite stance, I'd like to take them out of their comfort zone and put them at a disadvantage. I like to use my right hand grip, but if I get my opponents' right elbow out of the way I'll go for the left hand grip. I'm studying what my opponents don't like and i want to do bad things to them.. I want to be the 'heel' (bad boy) of the sumo world, like Baikinman! He is alive and well. I want my opponents to hate facing me! " he added. He says he has ten different types of tachiai "I want my opponent to wonder what kind of tachiai he will be facing today. Usually, everyone has the same kind of tachiai- the right hand gripper comes out with his right, the left hand gripper comes out with his left, the oshi sumo guy comes out charging. Everybody knows that. Me? I'm aiming to keep my opponents guessing. That will prevent them from coming at me with all their might. I want you all to write about this. Reading this will cause them further confusion.." he summed.

Finally, something fun to translate. New fan here of Abiko.

Edited March 9, 2021 by Kintamayama

[Yaochozuna]

7 hours ago, Kintamayama said:

I want to be the 'heel' (bad boy) of the sumo world

I thought the heel of the sumo world was Chiyoshoma.

[Godango]

1 hour ago, Yaochozuna said:

I thought the heel of the sumo world was Chiyoshoma.

For this, I miss Goeido.

[pricklypomegranate]

2 hours ago, Houmanumi said:

For this, I miss Goeido.

Surely the ultimate heel must be Hakuho? 

[Yamanashi]

It looks like Tsurugisho wins the day on Sumo Forum!

[Sue]

3 hours ago, pricklypomegranate said:

Surely the ultimate heel must be Hakuho? 

Hakuho is more of an "attitude era" type than a classic heel. They've even let his "evil foreigner" angle from earlier in his career fade.

I used to think that Terunofuji was a heel, but the "fall and redemption" storyline that the bookers have run him through in the NSK kayfabe has definitely included a face turn.

Edited March 9, 2021 by Sue

[Yamanashi]

2 hours ago, Sue said:

Hakuho is more of an "attitude era" type than a classic heel. They've even let his "evil foreigner" angle from earlier in his career fade.

I used to think that Terunofuji was a heel, but the "fall and redemption" storyline that the bookers have run him through in the NSK kayfabe has definitely included a face turn.

You guys are such marks!  The plot has been sitting right in front of you -- Daieisho does a heel turn involving a critically placed henka because he was treated badly by the banzuke committee. 

[since_94]

Asashoryu somehow absent from the heel discussion? Really? Fixed it.

[since_94]

10 hours ago, Yaochozuna said:

I thought the heel of the sumo world was Chiyoshoma.

He’s my personal one anyway.

[Yaochozuna]

After giving it some thought I'm willing to concede that, anatomically, Chiyoshoma has been more of an ass.

[Kaminariyuki]

16 hours ago, pricklypomegranate said:

Surely the ultimate heel must be Hakuho? 

Beat me to that, but clearly it must be true.

[Kintamayama]

Isegahama Oyakata on Terunofuji: “He  isn’t in bad shape.. He has been training diligently and all he needs to do is take it a day at a time and do his own brand of sumo.. The goal is 33 wins - he has to clear that first,  hopefully with double-digit wins..”