Sumo Discussion

[ReiseReise]

Well, there's the jinx. Basho is wide open once more. Takakeisho gets Hoshoryu and a chance to catch up. Co leaders Takayasu and Oho face ea other, ensuring at least one Rikishi with 11 wins before senshuraku.

I expect Oho to face Takakeisho on Saturday no matter what. Not sure if they go with Shodai or Mitakeumi on the final day, but I'm sure it will be a sanyaku guy. Mitakeumi seems most likely because... 

Hoshoryu should be set in stone pretty much, Takakeisho - Shodai - Wakatakakage. 

Depending on the result, Takayasu might get Abi on Saturday who is only one win back. After that, maybe Kagayaki? He faced all upper rankers in the first eight days. 

[John E. Dynamite]

Takayasu looked iffy and still won on Day 14, going into the last day as sole leader. Oh man. I can barely stand to look.

At least Takakeisho and Abi are the other guys in the running. Hoshoryu will get there one day but I don't know if the Japanese spirit can handle four different Mongolians in a row taking the yusho (although it did happen in 2015 cause I had to look it up). And while I was looking stuff up I noticed - this'll be the first time six different rikishi win a top division tournament during a calendar year since 1972. Neat.

Edited November 26, 2022 by John E. Dynamite

[John E. Dynamite]

Choke Game Hakuho.

[ka-to]

That was sad to watch.

[Pete]

This sounds completely nuts:

Quote

With (Shodai's) drop from ozeki for the New Year Tournament, it will mark the first time ever since the status of the yokozuna rank was clearly defined in 1909 that there will be only one yokozuna and one ozeki in the rankings.

 

[Death From Above]

Sadly there are two scandals breaking at once these days. One, Ichinojo is suspended for violating covid protocol, he's also in shit for overdrinking and turning into a violent drunk but officially the suspension is over the covid rules.

Two, sadly, the stablemaster of Isegahema is off of the senior committie and bumped down the list for not reporting in-house abuses.

https://twitter.com/SumoFollower/status/1607637769639149571?s=20&t=yKIj2YcouDyomjgwXX89nw

The gist of it is that wrestler A picked on wrestler B by hitting him, wrestler C also joined in on that but later apologized. Wrestler A on another occasion also dumped a pot of boiling chanko on wrestler B, which sounds incredibly fucked up. Wrestler A will be sent into retirement (which is the least he should face for that), wrestler C is suspended but because he is still a young prospect he's not being booted. But overall sounds very shitty.

[John E. Dynamite]

Every time I see Daieisho out there, even when he's losing, all I can think is "damn, this guy is a tough out". Takakeisho looks focused and healthy and really should win this but Daieisho's done it before.

[ReiseReise]

It just seems like with Hoshoryu injured, no one is really that much of a contender. But Kotoshoho is somehow Takakeisho's closest pursuer, what an odd situation in general. 

In Juryo, Asanoyama seemingly finally found a lower division groove, he is 10-0. The Sumo association members will all keep their fingers crossed, they need Ozeki caliber Rikishi. 

[ReiseReise]

I guess I jinxed Takakeisho... 

[ReiseReise]

De facto play off, Takakeisho and Kotoshoho will meet in tomorrow's senshuraku matchup to determine the tournament winner, both at 11-3.

Good choice imo, giving both men a shot at beating their rival. It also makes more sense than Takakeisho v Shodai, which would have been the other matchup. 

Onosho lost to Kiribayama today, he is therefore eliminated from the title race. He faces Hoshoryu tomorrow who is injured (shame after a decent start to the tournament), yet still has a shot at kachi koshi. 

So far I'm counting five guaranteed free spots in Makuuchi, which will lead to a good chunk of the well performing Juryo Rikishi getting into the top division. It will be interesting to see if Juryo Yusho winner Asanoyama with what might be a 14-1 score tomorrow could be among those. 

[ReiseReise]

Takakeisho takes the win and the Yusho, beating Kotoshoho with a nice... Sukuinage?! That can't be right... But it is. Congrats, battle hamster. 

Takakeisho very likely on a real Yokozuna run in Osaka, another Yusho will likely see him through, no matter what the score will be. If it wasn't for his two losses on Day 11 and 12, they might have gone for the promotion already. 

[John E. Dynamite]

For as depressing as the top division has been this basho, it's nice to see these new wave debuts show up. They're like a big fat cleansing fire that will rid us of this post-Hakuho misery sumo, maybe? Anybody watching Ochiai in juryo? He's 8-2 and has a 9-1 Ichinojo tomorrow.

[John E. Dynamite]

Now today, that was good sumo. A bunch of standout bouts. I'm a Kintamayama guy and I had to find the link from his Twitter but I think Natto was on public YouTube this morning. Anyways go watch today. Day 12?

[ReiseReise]

Times of transition are often awkward, but while no one seems to be able to take up the crown right now and we are severely lacking consistent top guys, there are quite a few guys with tons of potential and the Sumo is mostly very good and often spectacular. In a year or two we will probably see this period for what it is.