Nagoya 2022

[Yamanashi]

4 minutes ago, Sue said:

Early in the basho, Ichinojo showed everyone what he'd be like if he were fully healthy, and he was able to hang on long enough to win the yusho. I hope he can find a way to stay healthy in the future.

The best bet would be to take alternate basho off with COVID heya-kyujo, like in Natsu.

In fact, if the "take a basho off, come back healthy" model is correct, Aki 2022 is going to look like the Battle of the Titans.

[Akinomaki]

1 hour ago, Gurowake said:

Well, it's almost certainly necessary for the kanto-sho, but for the other two it's not really.  There have been plenty of gino-sho given for impressive technical skill but with only 9 wins, or possibly even 8.  Myogiryu got 3 gino-sho early in his career with 9, 9, and 8 wins.  (He then got a 4th with 10 wins and a 5th and 6th with 11.)  Other times include Wakatakakage in Natsu 2021, Midorifuji in his debut in Haru 2021, Enho in Nagoya 2019, and I'm sure there are plenty of others.  The shukun-sho also regularly (in the past at least) goes/went to rikishi with only a bare KK, so long as they are the best-performing rikishi below Ozeki to have beaten a Yokozuna who finished with double digit wins. 

It's necessary for no sansho, there are plenty of kanto-sho with 8 or 9 wins http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Query.aspx?show_form=0&columns=1&rowcount=2&form1_wins=8-9&form1_ks=on

It is only the standard requirement for the kanto-sho as new makuuchi, which in the past a long time was guaranteed with 10 wins, then not necessarily for a while and recently again http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Query.aspx?show_form=0&columns=1&rowcount=2&show_sansho=on&form1_rank=m&form1_wins=10&form1_debutd=on

And even that was awarded with less http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Query.aspx?show_form=0&columns=1&rowcount=2&form1_wins=8-9&form1_debutd=on&form1_ks=on

[sumojoann]

1 hour ago, hakutorizakura said:

ICHINOJO YUSHO!!!

Glad I didn't jinx him

Now to find that yusho interview video...

Here is the awards ceremony and the Yusho interview with English subtitles. 

 

[Amamaniac]

2 hours ago, Sue said:

Is this the end for Kaisei? Will he give it one go in Makushita before hanging it up?

That seems to be the million-dollar question.  

Given that he was 1-1 versus Makushita opponents in the tournament suggests that sticking it out in Makushita would probably not help his cause.

Don't get me wrong.  I admire the man and the wrestler.  But at this stage in his career, he looks pretty beaten up.  No one can really appreciate the pain professional athletes subject themselves to, but seeing all the cupping marks on his back and how readily he seems to give up in certain situations, makes me think that he will follow Shohozan's example.  Shohozan started in sumo in March 2006, whereas Kaisei started in September of the same year.  I'd say retirement is definitely in the cards.

But will Kaisei do it before the next banzuke is set?  Shohozan's announcement came too late, and so he ended up taking a spot on the latest tournament's banzuke.  No doubt, it is a difficult decision.

Edited July 24, 2022 by Amamaniac

[Akinomaki]

Days 1, 7, 8, 13 and 14 had more than 80% attendance and today was a sellout, but due to the many Corona kyujo, the NSK didn't lower the man-in onrei banners this basho. https://mainichi.jp/articles/20220724/k00/00m/050/190000c

 

It's a kind of celebration, thanks for the full house, they apparently rather felt like apologizing. I don't think they only wanted to save the expenses for the ooiri-bukuro for the media people.

[Eskbibs]

Beyond happy for Ichinojo. Beyond happy! Feels good to be a fan, and I'm glad that everyone else seems happy too.

52 minutes ago, sumojoann said:

Here is the awards ceremony and the Yusho interview with English subtitles. 

 

My Japanese isn't good enough to detect his accent, but thanks to you guys who were commenting on it. My man looks like he's in so much pain!!

[Sue]

Dear Takayasu,

Yes, it is possible to blow a two-win lead and still win the yusho. Please keep that in mind for next time.

Hope that helps, Sue

[Tigerboy1966]

Ichinojo's yusho takes him out of contention for the title of "Best wrestler who never won a yusho and never made ozeki". Takadagawa okata (Akinoshima) is safe at the top of that list (and is likely to remain there for a very long time).

[Sue]

20 minutes ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

Ichinojo's yusho takes him out of contention for the title of "Best wrestler who never won a yusho and never made ozeki". Takadagawa okata (Akinoshima) is safe at the top of that list (and is likely to remain there for a very long time).

Ichinojo Ozeki run! C'mon, Joe, you can do it!

[WAKATAKE]

And the NSK has updated their website with the Aki basho schedule, with Ichinojo is your front page wrestler now

Edited July 24, 2022 by WAKATAKE

[Kotomiyama]

Ichinojo yusho! Since his striking debut in Makuuchi I liked him, but I had lost all hope of him winning. He is the epitome of the gentle giant and his yusho interview just confirms my suspicions: he is a timid likable guy. Now he has a yusho and he will be remembered.

Hoshoryu: slowly but firmly, he gets another sanyaku KK. He has everything to be an Ozeki by 2023 and I am sure he will be.

Wakatakakage: Ah, the classic yusho hangover. Nevertheless, he managed to pull a good basho overall. I count him as another Ozeki candidate.

Shodai: the greatest mystery in sports right now and I am not joking. After 5 days we were sure that he gas going down to Sekiwake with a humiliating MK. And somehow he recovered and with a 10-5 nonetheless! I imagine his oyakata struggling to solve the riddle...

 

[WAKATAKE]

As usual, Chris Sumo's commentary is interesting, but cringe yet again. He definitely inserts himself into the action, if you are wanting to be a good "reporter" then inserting yourself into the story is not quality journalism. And he also implies that somehow everybody did NOT want to see a playoff between Teru and Ichi, that everybody just wanted to go home. Would 30 minutes really have made a difference?

[Tigerboy1966]

Ichinojo is the reason I am here now.

I have told this story before but I will wheel it out one more time. I became fascinated by sumo when it was shown on Britain's Channel 4 in the late 1980's. When Channel 4 replaced sumo with Monkey Tennis or whatever it was I lost touch with the sport although I maintained a vague interest. I the autumn of 2014 I stumbled upon Jason's channel and found that I could watch daily sumo highlights on youtube. I started to follow the Aki basho and was drawn in by the narrative as two men emerged from the pack: we had the GOAT Hakuho and an enormous Mongolian rookie called Ichinojo. It was like Paul Newman vs Jackie Gleason in The Hustler or Steve McQueen vs Edward G Robinson in The Cincinnati Kid. I didn't know shit about sumo but this was an archetypal conflict and I was hooked.

The kid lost to the man... but the kid came back.

Edited July 24, 2022 by Tigerboy1966
ce

[Octofuji]

5 minutes ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

Ichinojo is the reason I am here now.

I have told this story before but I will wheel it out one more time. I became fascinated by sumo when it was shown on Britain's Channel 4 in the late 1980's. When Channel 4 replaced sumo with Monkey Tennis or whatever it was I lost touch with the sport although I maintained a vague interest. I the autumn of 2014 I stumbled upon Jason's channel and found that I could watch daily sumo highlights on youtube. I started to follow the Aki basho and was hooked by the narrative as two men emerged from the pack: we had the GOAT Hakuho and an enormous Mongolian rookie called Ichinojo. It was like Paul Newman vs Jackie Gleason in The Hustler or Steve McQueen vs Edward G Robinson in The Cincinnati Kid. I didn't know shit about sumo but this was an archetypal conflict and I was hooked.

The kid lost to the man... but the kid came back.

The kid lost to the goat, surely 

[Tigerboy1966]

13 minutes ago, WAKATAKE said:

As usual, Chris Sumo's commentary is interesting, but cringe yet again. He definitely inserts himself into the action, if you are wanting to be a good "reporter" then inserting yourself into the story is not quality journalism. And he also implies that somehow everybody did NOT want to see a playoff between Teru and Ichi, that everybody just wanted to go home. Would 30 minutes really have made a difference?

Chris did be interesting. But then did he insert himself into the action. And then did he imply that an early finish did be mandated. And then did he brutalise English grammar until he did appear mildly ludicrous.

[Dapeng]

23 minutes ago, Kotomiyama said:

Ichinojo yusho! Since his striking debut in Makuuchi I liked him, but I had lost all hope of him winning. He is the epitome of the gentle giant and his yusho interview just confirms my suspicions: he is a timid likable guy. Now he has a yusho and he will be remembered.

Hoshoryu: slowly but firmly, he gets another sanyaku KK. He has everything to be an Ozeki by 2023 and I am sure he will be.

Wakatakakage: Ah, the classic yusho hangover. Nevertheless, he managed to pull a good basho overall. I count him as another Ozeki candidate.

Shodai: the greatest mystery in sports right now and I am not joking. After 5 days we were sure that he gas going down to Sekiwake with a humiliating MK. And somehow he recovered and with a 10-5 nonetheless! I imagine his oyakata struggling to solve the riddle...

 

Well, Hakuho knew that Shodai is not an oil-saving lamp.

[Reonito]

3 hours ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

Ichinojo's yusho takes him out of contention for the title of "Best wrestler who never won a yusho and never made ozeki". Takadagawa okata (Akinoshima) is safe at the top of that list (and is likely to remain there for a very long time).

 

[Yamanashi]

How odd. Of Takayasu's five JY's, three of them are at Ozeki (natch') and the other two are at M7e(!?)

[Octofuji]

1 hour ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

Ichinojo is the reason I am here now.

I have told this story before but I will wheel it out one more time. I became fascinated by sumo when it was shown on Britain's Channel 4 in the late 1980's. When Channel 4 replaced sumo with Monkey Tennis or whatever it was I lost touch with the sport although I maintained a vague interest. I the autumn of 2014 I stumbled upon Jason's channel and found that I could watch daily sumo highlights on youtube. I started to follow the Aki basho and was drawn in by the narrative as two men emerged from the pack: we had the GOAT Hakuho and an enormous Mongolian rookie called Ichinojo. It was like Paul Newman vs Jackie Gleason in The Hustler or Steve McQueen vs Edward G Robinson in The Cincinnati Kid. I didn't know shit about sumo but this was an archetypal conflict and I was hooked.

The kid lost to the man... but the kid came back.

I've just been looking at the banzuke for March 2019 when Ichinojo went 14-1 (this was the first basho I followed, and I've been kind of mildly disappointed in him ever since until now!).

Only one wrestler was kyujo that whole tournament and Hakuho was matched against each of the other top 16 on the banzuke in precisely the proper order, just missing out on Ichinojo at M4W.

That can't have happened too many times since then!

[Octofuji]

7 minutes ago, Octofuji said:

Only one wrestler was kyujo that whole tournament and Hakuho was matched against each of the other top 16 on the banzuke in precisely the proper order, just missing out on Ichinojo at M4W.

That can't have happened too many times since then!

Zero times in fact. Kyushu 2021 was close when Terunofuji went 15-0, the pattern spoilt on Day 14 by Abi being in contention for the yusho and Shodai underperforming.

[dingo]

I thought Ichinojo did pretty well at the yusho interview. Yeah maybe he has an accent and is not terribly eloquent, but there's many Japanese rikishi who wouldn't do a whole lot better. Ichinojo seems to be a heart on the sleeve type of guy so even though the interview may have been bit awkward, it was also quite endearing. From the crowd's reaction it seems many took it that way as well. Congrats again, well deserved yusho! 

[Reonito]

2 hours ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

Chris did be interesting. But then did he insert himself into the action. And then did he imply that an early finish did be mandated. And then did he brutalise English grammar until he did appear mildly ludicrous.

Yoda, he thinks he is.

[Tigerboy1966]

1 hour ago, Octofuji said:

I've just been looking at the banzuke for March 2019 when Ichinojo went 14-1

It was a very odd basho. Ichinojo took to slapping and thrusting down his opponents rather than going for the belt and had spectacular success. He could have persisted with that approach but he just didn't like fighting that way.  I think that this was the only case of a wrestler going 14-1 and not taking the yusho without being given the chance to face the 15-0 winner.

[Kaninoyama]

7 hours ago, Yamanashi said:

The best bet would be to take alternate basho off with COVID heya-kyujo, like in Natsu.

In fact, if the "take a basho off, come back healthy" model is correct, Aki 2022 is going to look like the Battle of the Titans.

Takayasu is waiting hungrily for next basho.

[Kaninoyama]

Now we know that all Shodai needs is to jump ship and join Magaki's new heya and we'll have our next Yokozuna.