Natsu basho 2021

[robnplunder]

39 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

He's very young to be retiring though; 28 years of age only. Is he that badly injured that he won't try to come back from the makushita joi?

Reverse psychology by Koorifuu a la Kintanayama san. Chiyootori will now put together a winning streak.  

One thing I've noticed since my following ozumo for a few years ... a typical rikishi seems to go intai as the last resort (unrecoverable injury, irreversible age, a scandal involving beer bottle throw, etc..)   My gut feeling is that Chiyootori has about 10 years to go before he stops bouncing ...

Edited May 15, 2021 by robnplunder

[Tigerboy1966]

1 hour ago, WAKATAKE said:

Abi might be completing the comeback if he keeps things up, but I thought he was going to lose until Kaisho couldn't keep his balance.

I can't see anyone beating Abi in his last 3 matches. The way makushita pans out means that an undefeated wrestler at the top end of the division faces progressively lower ranked opponents on the run-in. I'm guessing Terasawa, Tsukahara and Dewanoryu, all very fine performers but not likely to give our favourite mad lad too much bother.

[Kaninoyama]

10 hours ago, Amamaniac said:

Abi stepped up onto the dohyo and snagged his fourth straight win (that's a kachikoshi in Makushita land).  He's 11-0 since he returned from suspension.  Do I smell a second-straight Makushita championship?  Pretty sure he'll be wearing a silk mawashi come July.

Considering his proper place is in the sumo hierarchy is vying for sanyaku and his drop wasn't due to injury, anything less than zensho in Makushita would be unexpected. 

[jsolo]

May Sumo Links and stats blog--Updated through Day 7

 

May Basho Links and stats blog--updated through Day 7

[Eikokurai]

3 hours ago, Kaninoyama said:

Considering his proper place is in the sumo hierarchy is vying for sanyaku and his drop wasn't due to injury, anything less than zensho in Makushita would be unexpected. 

Don’t forget one Terunofuji lost a playoff in Jonidan and only managed 6-1s in Sandanme and Makushita for a time. I know he was coming back from injury, but Abi is no Terunofuji even when Teru is hurt and Abi healthy. Sumo is the sort of sport where minor and momentary errors results in a loss. Zensho is never straightforward.

Edited May 16, 2021 by Eikokurai

[Katooshu]

Anyone tried to henka him yet?

[since_94]

Big boy Dewanojo (S9) vs Kiyonoumi (S6) bout ends undecided after about 3-4 minutes of lock-up with a call of torinaoshi. Is this a case of sending them off for a water break? They did not remain at ringside, but headed down the corridors. Will they be back momentarily? First time I've ever seen that, though I have seen the gyoji pause the wrestlers mid-bout, reposition them after a break, and restart them. Weird. 

Edit:

OK, they're back after a few intervening bouts to let them rest and recuperate. Cold start, i.e. not repositioned mid-dohyo.

...and Dewanojo gets rolled in the clay! Tsukuinage. Too bad

Edited May 16, 2021 by since_94

[Gurowake]

2 minutes ago, since_94 said:

Big boy Dewanojo (S9) vs Kiyonoumi (S6) bout ends undecided after about 3-4 minutes of lock-up with a call of torinaoshi. Is this a case of sending them off for a water break? Will they be back momentarily? First time I've ever seen that, though I have seen the gyoji pause the wrestlers mid-bout, reposition them after a break, and restart them. Weird. 

In the lower divisions they usually send them off to rest for a few bouts, and restart it a few bouts later.  One such instance happened the basho I provided coverage for all the lower divisions off the Kyokai paid stream.  It probably won't be hard to find on my youtube channel (Gurowake sumo) since I haven't done anything else with it since then (Aki 2014).  In the digest I included only the tachiai that was conclusive, while I uploaded a separate video of the several minutes they stood and failed to get a result.  Somehow, the video of them not doing anything ended up being the most popular of all the videos I uploaded.  Probably because it's something that gets talked about afterwards, and it's there in video form for people to take notice of.

[since_94]

OK, this is the first time I’ve seen the new ringside injury protocols put into action

The Oginohama vs Roman bout in Makushita , a rikishi (I believe the former) landed awkwardly outside the ring. Looked like he hurt his leg.

Several of the ex-rikishi working security came literally running to offer assistance, including Toyonoshima and Aminishiki. It took seconds only for them to reach him. He was promptly helped up and presumably put in the wheelchair they’d wheeled into place before the camera cut away for a break.

I have to say, I have never seen a faster response to an injury in sumo. I can't speak to whether or not they did everything correctly, but it is certainly an improvement. Glad to see they're taking it more seriously.

[Jakusotsu]

Hate to say it, but that kind of rushed action might have made Hibikiryu's situation even worse. Damned if you do, damned if you don't...

Edited May 16, 2021 by Jakusotsu

[since_94]

4 minutes ago, Jakusotsu said:

Hate to say it, but that kind of rushed action might have made Hibikiryu's situation even worse. Damned if you do, damned if you don't...

Agreed, certainly different protocols apply for head and neck vs. limb injuries / conscious vs unconscious patient, etc.

[WAKATAKE]

9 minutes ago, Jakusotsu said:

Hate to say it, but that kind of rushed action might have made Hibikiryu's situation even worse.

I agree. You have to secure the injured properly if it is a neck type injury.

 

I have a separate opinion about the concussion protocol. As an official for high school wrestling in the US, I have to say that I have to be in agreement with their recent call in regards to if wrestlers exhibit concussion type symptoms even if it's an accident during the matta. The tachiai is part of the match, and if the wrestler can't continue, they can't continue. In high school wrestling, should a wrestler hit their head and look like they have a concussion, we give them time for an on site medical professional to assess them. If the medical professional or we as the officials determine that the wrestler can't continue, then they have to forfeit the match. In this case, where the rikishi that gets the concussion ends up having to forfeit the match, while unfortunate that is just the way that some things go. 

[Benevolance]

That look on Enho's face when they ruled the match a do-over...

[Seiyashi]

3 minutes ago, Benevolance said:

That look on Enho's face when they ruled the match a do-over...

Please, just go kyujo already. It hurts to see him fight.

[robnplunder]

1 minute ago, Seiyashi said:

Please, just go kyujo already. It hurts to see him fight.

Agreed.   With one arm and one leg, he is risking more than he may gain (an unlikely accidental win).  

Ura can have the sole Juyro lead with a win today.  I say Ura can beat Kaisei.  

[Seiyashi]

In line with Kakuryu being the special guest on today's NHK broadcast, today's makuuchi action will be intercut with excerpts from his sumo life. First up was his first maezumo bout with a win (even with a heavily taped arm), and, as a young sekitori, seeing his letter sent to Izutsu/the NSK asking to be accepted as a rikishi. Another highlight bout from Kakuryu's first yusho in Haru 2014, against fellow ozeki Kotoshogiku, was also shown. The maezumo bout was later shown again.

Clips from fighting Asashoryu at jungyo keiko in 2007 were also shown. I believe Asashoryu pulled a tsuriotoshi on him during one of those keiko bouts.

Kakuryu's morozashi technique, learnt from his stablemaster, was one of his trademark techniques, and was used most notably against Hakuho in his last championshup in Nagoya 2019. That was followed up with a bout of Sakahoko defeating Chiyonofuji with that same morozashi, as well as Konishiki with a morozashi and gaburi-yori (similar to Kotoshogiku).

Commenting on these techniques, Kakuryu said that it was important to do the makikae for the morozashi while on the offensive (confirming Wakanohana III's wisdom on this point), as doing it while pulling or going backwards would be disastrous.

Next followed an exchange bout with juryo sekitori Ryuho, back when Kakuryu was at Ms5, on day 13 of Aki 2005. A quick inashi allowed Kakuryu to secure his fifth win by okuridashi and guaranteed his place in juryo the next basho.

Known to be a basketball fan, Kakuryu also had the ceremonial first shot at one of the Japanese national team's 2019 basketball games. With Hakuho looking on, he landed a clean 3 pointer.

A comment from Shikoroyama - all of his deshi (back when Shikoroyama was in the same ichimon as Izutsu) said that Kakuryu was the kindest yokozuna ever. It so happens that Tatsutagawa (ex-Homasho), one of those deshi and doing the black box booth commentary today, was there to chip in on this. Naturally, Kakuryu's yusho parade from Natsu 2014 when Homasho was his flag bearer was also shown. The two actually met twice in makushita. Homasho says it was difficult fighting Kakuryu as he was an all-rounder. The duo's progress was also shown: Homasho actually entered sumo 2-3 years after Kakuryu, but both made it to juryo at about the same time and Homasho actually made it to makuuchi before Kakuryu.

Snippets from Kakuryu's Izutsu days followed, including the occasion where Izutsu, as shimpancho, was able to hand Kakuryu the yusho flag.

Edited May 16, 2021 by Seiyashi

[robnplunder]

A nice win by Ura against the Brazilian.   

Loved the replay video of Kak beating Hak prior to the Ura match.  I am going to miss Kak.

[Benihana]

I feel really sorry for Akiseyama. Fist kyujo ever in his career, and then it's caused by a jaw injury. I wish him all the best.

Ura is a phenomenon. When you watch the replay, guide your attention to Kasei after the bout. His body language says it all.

Edited May 16, 2021 by Benihana

[Seiyashi]

Oooo, Ishiura v Terutsuyoshi. That's the most exciting matchup in the bottom half of makuuchi today IMO (and maybe for the basho). Ishiura somehow survives charging across the dohyo bent over at 90 degrees, but Terutsuyoshi uses his superior position to land a beautiful sukuinage that flips Ishiura on his back. A much needed win for Terutsuyoshi, also breaking his latest duck against Ishiura.

Edited May 16, 2021 by Seiyashi

[Kaninoyama]

Just showed a bout from Kakuryu's debut. He was about 70 kilos when he entered sumo. Who could have guessed that skinny kid would eventually ascend to Yokozuna. 

[Seiyashi]

Ouch. Very nasty scrape for Tsurugisho after yesterday's bout. He has a huge bandage on his forehead and even a gash into his hairline where he lost hair. It also seems to have made him a bit slow to react today; Kotonowaka dispatched him with a shift to the side and an uwatedashinage.

Raja Pradhan, alluding to the days where he used to go round to the stables and be tormented instructed in the arts of sumo by oyakata, says that dashinage-type moves are actually very difficult to pull off, as they are open to counterplays by the opponent.

Edited May 16, 2021 by Seiyashi

[Seiyashi]

Bad basho for Tochinoshin; his attempt at forward momentum gets used against him by Chiyoshoma in an uwatenage that sends him off the dohyo. He also has a little trouble ascending the dohyo afterwards.

Edited May 16, 2021 by Seiyashi

[Tigerboy1966]

Hidenoumi looked to be in a lot of pain in the upper left thigh region.  It's middle sunday and the injuries are starting to pile up.

[Kaninoyama]

Onosho is quietly putting together a nice basho. 

[Seiyashi]

Tobizaru really living up to his name these two bouts. He hit the masuseki seats this time, courtesy of Hokutofuji.