Nagoya Basho 2021

[Seiyashi]

NHK showing a retrospective of old Terunofuji-Hakuho bouts. My god, it's so weird seeing a younger, brasher version of Terunofuji.

[Eikokurai]

Just realized it's a Mongolian sweep of yusho in Makuuchi, Juryo and Makushita this tournament, with Mitoryu getting his first ever at any level and the unofficial Mongolian Hokuseiho taking the Makushita yusho.

Edited July 18, 2021 by Eikokurai

[Katooshu]

A full year straight of makuuchi KK for Meisei, Kagayaki on the other hand is going on 5 straight MK

[Eikokurai]

Wow. Wakatakakage took inspiration from Tochinoshin earlier. What a move with his back to the bales.

[Eikokurai]

But for the main event, this Shodai-Takayasu bout would probably be getting more attention. Both men have 7 white and 7 black stars. Shodai avoids kadoban with a win; Takayasu stays at Sekiwake. A nice little subplot from the scriptwriters.

And Shodai takes it, avoiding kadoban with a late win.

Edited July 18, 2021 by Eikokurai

[Seiyashi]

What was that double hands-down gesture from Inosuke restarting the tachi-ai? A unilateral matta call because of the baby crying or what?

Shodai avoids kadoban, but clogs up sanyaku in the process.

[Katooshu]

Here we go 

[Thorbjarn]

Shodai is the Ozeki we need, not the Ozeki we deserve. Or the Ozeki we deserve, not the Ozeki we need. Or both. (Or neither.) 

I feel bad for Takayasu. He was visibly not close to 100 %, yet he was close to kachi koshi. 

Edited July 18, 2021 by Thorbjarn

[Eikokurai]

2 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

Shodai avoids kadoban, but clogs up sanyaku in the process.

How's that? He'll be Ozeki next basho kadoban or not.

[Seiyashi]

Quite a bit of screaming and murmuring in the crowd, including an audible kakigoe of Hakuho.

[Gospodin]

10 hours ago, Yamanashi said:

  This leads to a question that  maybe someone can answer: what's the ratio of right-hand to left-hand henka?  Do some rikishi clearly favor one side?  I would bet some do.

Off the top of my head I‘d say it would make sense to henka on the opposite side of your opponent‘s dominant hand.

[Eikokurai]

1 minute ago, Thorbjarn said:

I feel bad for Takayasu. He was visibly not close to 100 %, yet he was close to kachi koshi

All things considered, I think he had a good basho. I wasn't expecting to see him after two days out with back pain, so to come in and take seven wins is an achievement. And he looked pretty good in the process too. He'll be back.

[Seiyashi]

2 minutes ago, Eikokurai said:

4 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

Shodai avoids kadoban, but clogs up sanyaku in the process.

How's that? He'll be Ozeki next basho kadoban or not.

Unless the banzuke committee do something unusual like making Asanoyama haridashi sekiwake in recognition of his suspension, his defeat of Takayasu sends Takayasu down to the komusubi slot Wakatakakage vacated. Meisei's and Mitakeumi's KKs means the lower sanyaku next basho will be Mitakeumi, Asanoyama, Meisei, and Takayasu, with no room for Ichinojo, Takanosho, Hoshoryu, or Hokutofuji, who will presumably be jammed into the joi instead.

He himself didn't clog up sanyaku, but winning his bout did "lock" the rest of the sanyaku; if Takayasu had won Shodai would still be ozeki, but there would be a fresh komusubi.

Edited July 18, 2021 by Seiyashi

[Tigerboy1966]

1 minute ago, Eikokurai said:

4 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

Shodai avoids kadoban, but clogs up sanyaku in the process.

How's that? He'll be Ozeki next basho kadoban or not.

Takayasu probably drops to komusubi, blocking the way of Ichinojo who really should be there.

[Asashosakari]

So only one and a half sekiwake next basho (going by salary receipts)? I am not looking forward to having to guess how the banzuke committee is going to handle things here.

[Thorbjarn]

2 minutes ago, Eikokurai said:

All things considered, I think he had a good basho. I wasn't expecting to see him after two days out with back pain, so to come in and take seven wins is an achievement. And he looked pretty good in the process too. He'll be back.

I agree. It was a valiant effort, I think his gutsy performance deserved to preserve his rank. It was not to be

[Seiyashi]

Just now, Asashosakari said:

So only one and a half sekiwake next basho (going by salary receipts)? I am not looking forward to having to guess how the banzuke committee is going to handle things here.

Nah, Shodai made your life simple. Unless they make Asanoyama haridashi, no new komusubi - and no need to guess a second komusubi either.

Although I'm tempted to pick the haridashi sekiwake option on my own GTB....

[Eikokurai]

1 minute ago, Seiyashi said:

Unless the banzuke committee do something unusual like making Asanoyama haridashi sekiwake in recognition of his suspension, his defeat of Takayasu sends Takayasu down to the komusubi slot Wakatakakage vacated. Meisei's and Mitakeumi's KKs means the lower sanyaku next basho will be Mitakeumi, Asanoyama, Meisei, and Takayasu, with no room for Ichinojo, Takanosho, Hoshoryu, or Hokutofuji, who will presumably be jammed into the joi instead.

He himself didn't clog up sanyaku, but winning his bout did "lock" the rest of the sanyaku; if Takayasu had won Shodai would still be ozeki, but there would be a fresh komusubi.

Oh, I see what you mean. His win's impact on the rest of the guys.

[Seiyashi]

Ooooooh, the game faces are out. This is the best nirameai we've seen in a long long time.

[Thorbjarn]

That. Was. Amazing. 

[Seiyashi]

Mein gott. The audience got their money's worth out of that one bout. Bit of a disgraceful start by Hakuho, but what the hell was the rest of that.

A 16th zensho after a year of layoff. The boss has got it. But he's made some Terunofuji-supporting kids in the crowd cry.

Stray glimpse of Hokuseiho passing behind the whole crew of Hakuho attendants in the hanamichi shot, by the way.

Edited July 18, 2021 by Seiyashi

[Eikokurai]

FFS, Mum! Why did she start texting me as the bout was due to start?!

Man, sloppy bout. Not good sumo from Hakuho, tbh. He clearly didn't want to go chest-to-chest with Terunofuji and did what he could to disrupt his sumo. I get it - you do what you can to win - but that won't go down in my books as one of his most glorious senshuraku victories. 

[Asashosakari]

3 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

Nah, Shodai made your life simple. Unless they make Asanoyama haridashi, no new komusubi - and no need to guess a second komusubi either.

Although I'm tempted to pick the haridashi sekiwake option on my own GTB....

Wouldn't have been any guessing involved anywhere if Takayasu had KK'ed.

That was only marginally less weird sumo from Hakuho than yesterday. Grats, I guess.

[Thorbjarn]

This basho brought out the really weird starts. From the tactic Hakuho used it was pretty evident that he didn't trust he could beat Terunofuji on the belt. Kudos to Terunofuji for staying in the match after that Elbow. 

[Hakuryuho]

I never yelled so loudly at my TV.

But I don‘t think I yelled quite as loud as Hakuho did after winning this crucial bout.

 

So many haters, doubters and critics…silenced completely.

The best ever.

Edited July 18, 2021 by Hakuryuho