Hakuho -- deep in thought

[kotooshu_bulgaria]

Wow! It's only past day 5 and people are already getting philosophical about life and makekoshi! (Exercising...)

Seriously, give Hakuho a break, he might be going through a hard moment, but we must still continue believing in him. ;-)

He will rise to the level of our expectations one of these days! (Exercising...)

[Bataa]

Wow! It's only past day 5 and people are already getting philosophical about life and makekoshi! 

Seriously, give Hakuho a break, he might be going through a hard moment, but we must still continue believing in him. 

He will rise to the level of our expectations one of these days! 

Yeah i agree>besides i think too much is expected from him at the moment..after all hes still 19, a boy ;-)

[Coo-cook]

...still 19, a boy

Are you sure? ;-)

[Bataa]

Well,maybe 20 but thats also very young IMHO..

Hey, is that Ama on ur avatar?hes one of my faves .

[Kishinoyama]

Whether he goes 8-7 and stays at Sekiwake or not makes no difference, he will still be starting over in terms of his pursuit of the Ozeki rank.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He would not have been promoted anyway. I think he would have had to wait until he had several strong tournaments at Sekiwake before he would have been promoted to Ozeki. I think he would have been treated similarly to the way Kotomitsuki was treated. ;-)

[aderechelsea]

I will add my opinion here just for the record.

I really thought Hakuho would be Ozeki and maybe win a basho in 2005 but i guess it is a bit too muck for him right now.

I am sure though that he will be a Sanyaku mainstay during his maturing proccess to Ozekihood and he proved his quality last basho when he was 4-7 but got that KK after all.

Please give me another example from the current or untill recently Sanyaku who were in such a difficult position in their debut but still managed to escape. (what the hell ... not only in their debut ... anytime)

this guy has what it takes to become a great rikishi (i will avoid talking about ranks here). He is even a great rikishi as we speak, and he has 10+ years of career ahead of him to prove to everyone who abandoned their faith so quick, how wrong they were.

Tomorrow back to shiroboshi and then to double digits ... (Nodding yes...)

[ilovesumo]

He is even a great rikishi as we speak, and he has 10+ years of career ahead of him to prove to everyone who abandoned their faith so quick, how wrong they were.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

10+ years to win 60+ Yusho (Nodding yes...) (I hope everybody knows that I try to joke)

Edited May 13, 2005 by ilovesumo

[Petr]

I am being a smart ass now, but anyway, Hakuho's yesterday attempt for soto-gake showed that there is still some room to learn. There was no point trying to save the situation like that when being pushed on the edge. Soto-gake works only when you're the one who is pushing forward. If you use it in the opposite situation, your body erects and you are just helping your opponent to topple you behind...

[kotooshu_bulgaria]

Well, if he salvages the kachikoshi, he will not have to start over, since he will be retaining his sekiwake rank, which Wakanosato lost after his makekoshi in January. ;-)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Whether he goes 8-7 and stays at Sekiwake or not makes no difference, he will still be starting over in terms of his pursuit of the Ozeki rank.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Why is that? Would not he be able to build on his kachi-koshi and then just need 25 more victories in the next two bashos (perhaps even including an yusho)?

I am confused in this ozeki-promotion situation... (Nodding yes...)

[genghis]

Hakuho needs to hit a wall, a hard hit. Like Osh last basho. He is becoming more like an underachieving wonderboy, spoilt by everyone. (Whistling...)

[Bataa]

spoilt by everyone.

*Nod nod* (Pulling hair...)

ps:genghis are u mongolian?( chi mongol uu?) (Whistling...)

[genghis]

Yep, pretty obvious, right (Tiimee, medeej mongol)

[Zuikakuyama]

Patience is exactly the point I am making.

It is the overblown hype surrounding him. If you watch the nightly NHK recaps, you will see that Hakuho's match always gets 2 or 3 slo-mo replays, while others of equivalent rank get no replays at all.

The negative comments on Hakuho is partly a reaction against the people who are proclaiming that Hakuho will make Ozeki last basho, Yokozuna by the end of this year, and is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

[Naganoyama]

I still have high expectations for Hakuho. A few bad basho won't dent those expectations. How many top rikishi never have any setbacks?

Possibly part of his problem is that he has so much natural ability that he has climbed up the banzuke without really knowing how he has done it. Last basho he had too much pressure on him and now his confidence has taken a hit - perhaps it is not so easy after all.

I expect he will make it to Ozeki (don't ask me when). It is even possible he will make yokozuna.

[Jakusotsu]

Soto-gake works only when you're the one who is pushing forward. If you use it in the opposite situation, your body erects and you are just helping your opponent to topple you behind...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Depends on Your height. I bet Kotooshu could pull it off, using the leg-hook as leverage for the upper grip.

(either I imagine things or I'm sure I've seen such a stunt before...)

[Petr]

I am being a smart ass now, but anyway, Hakuho's yesterday attempt for soto-gake showed that there is still some room to learn. There was no point trying to save the situation

[Kishinoyama]

I still have high expectations for Hakuho.  A few bad basho won't dent those expectations.  How many top rikishi never have any setbacks? 

I expect he will make it to Ozeki (don't ask me when).  It is even possible he will make yokozuna.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree with you. I am also waiting for Kisenosato to start living up to expectations. I want to see some strong competition at the top. (Exercising...)

[Senpai]

Hakuho finally broke his losing strike!

[Jakusotsu]

Hakuho finally broke his losing strike!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But barely so! I feared the worst when he started pulling. It was a narrow escape.

[Kishinoyama]

Hakuho finally broke his losing strike!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But barely so! I feared the worst when he started pulling. It was a narrow escape.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

He needs to stop with the pulling. Once he stopped pulling he was able to use his power against Kokkai. Did Hakuho not get enough keiko in before the tournament? Maybe he has lost some confidence? (In a state of confusion...)

Edited May 14, 2005 by Kishinoyama Whitney

[Yubiquitoyama]

I still have high expectations for Hakuho.  A few bad basho won't dent those expectations.  How many top rikishi never have any setbacks? 

I expect he will make it to Ozeki (don't ask me when).  It is even possible he will make yokozuna.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I agree with you. I am also waiting for Kisenosato to start living up to expectations. I want to see some strong competition at the top. (In a state of confusion...)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm sure quite a few is waiting on Kisenosato... I'm surprised many seem more disappointed with Hakuho while Kisenosato who was also hyped beyond proportion just a few basho ago is going Kotonowaka on us all... He'll have to step up and rather soon, young or not, so that the old "next Ozeki or Yokozuna" won't be "next Kotonowaka or Kushimaumi"... I know I risk sounding like those dismissing Hakuho now, but I definitely think Hakuho has shown much more and Kisenosato won't be young forever. He has time on his side, but not an infinite amount.

Edited May 14, 2005 by Yubiquitoyama

[Jakusotsu]

I'm surprised many seem more disappointed with Hakuho while Kisenosato who was also hyped beyond proportion just a few basho ago is going Kotonowaka on us all.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Only mildly surprised. I think most of us recognized the hype about Kisenosato to be exactly that: hype. Hakuho on the other hand proved to have some substance to back up the fuzz.

Nice comparison with Kotonowaka there - that's exactly where I see Kisenosato going. Not bad by any means, but not the biggest of guns.

[Kashunowaka]

Does it appear that Hakuho's natural style of sumo is evolving into that of the dearly departed Takanonami's -- soft tachiais and countermoves??    (In a state of confusion...)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But what is Hakuho's natural style of sumo?

I'm surprised many seem more disappointed with Hakuho while Kisenosato who was also hyped beyond proportion just a few basho ago is going Kotonowaka on us all.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Only mildly surprised. I think most of us recognized the hype about Kisenosato to be exactly that: hype. Hakuho on the other hand proved to have some substance to back up the fuzz.

Nice comparison with Kotonowaka there - that's exactly where I see Kisenosato going. Not bad by any means, but not the biggest of guns.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

For every hype there is an anti-hype. ;-)

By the way, ilovesumo: you REALLY don't need that disclaimer about bad English. It's way out of proportions.

[_the_mind_]

how many tournaments was Takanohana a Sekiwakie before making Ozeki?

[Doitsuyama]

how many tournaments was Takanohana a Sekiwakie before making Ozeki?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Takanohana (or better Takahanada) is a special case, but very comparable to Hakuho, actually. Both were quite young in their first basho at Sekiwake. Takahanada needed nine basho, netting two yusho and three make-koshi in that span. It just shows that being unstable comes with the young age.