Doitsuyama 1,192 Posted July 22, 2008 Yokozuna Hakuho kept his two win lead in the yusho race as he beat sekiwake Kotoshogiku to reach double digit wins. Giant-killer Tochinonada beat another ozeki today with a quick tsukiotoshi over Chiyotaikai who still needs a win to escape kadoban. The other two pursuers Ama and Kotomitsuki met today with the ozeki withstanding a nodo-wa attack to turn Ama around and out. Kotooshu won for the first time in five attempts against Wakanosato since his ozeki promotion. Kaio beat Futeno with a makiotoshi for his 745th makuuchi win, just one win short of sharing third place all-time with Taiho. The two juryo leaders met today with Kitataiki beating Mongolian Mokonami with an utchari to take the sole lead at 9-1. Kyokunankai lost again to drop two behind the lead, but Tosayutaka broke the emerging nuke-nuke pattern with another win, staying one win behind Kitataiki. Russian Aran and Bushuyama also continued a good basho with wins, moving up to 7-3. The four lead juryo rikishi all lost today, hurting their makuuchi promotion chances. Tamaasuka is closest to demotion as he already is make-koshi with the loss to Ichihara. Day 10 Juryo J13w Sagatsukasa (6-4) oshidashi Ms2e Ryuho (2-4) J12w Ichihara (4-6) hatakikomi J13e Tamaasuka (2-8) J11w Ryuo (4-6) oshidashi J10e Otsukasa (4-6) J8e Bushuyama (7-3) hatakikomi J10w Wakakoyu (4-6) J8w Kirinowaka (4-6) hikiotoshi J11e Shirononami (4-6) J14w Tosayutaka (8-2) yorikiri J7e Kaiho (3-7) J14e Aran (7-3) oshitaoshi J6w Kasuganishiki (5-5) J4e Kitataiki (9-1) utchari J12e Mokonami (8-2) J4w Hakurozan (6-4) hatakikomi J9w Kyokunankai (7-3) J3e Kitazakura (6-4) yorikiri J9e Katayama (2-8) J3w Hoshihikari (4-6) tsukiotoshi J5w Hakuba (3-7) J7w Ushiomaru (4-6) sukuinage J2w Kasugao (4-6) J5e Kotokasuga (4-5-1) oshidashi J1e Tamawashi (5-5) J6e Shimotori (5-5) yorikiri J1w Toyozakura (4-6) Makuuchi M16e Masatsukasa (6-4) oshidashi J2e Wakakirin (5-5) M16w Chiyohakuho (6-4) yorikiri M15w Kakizoe (4-6) M15e Yoshikaze (5-5) oshidashi M12w Kimurayama (6-4) M13e Toyohibiki (7-3) yorikiri M11e Tochiozan (5-5) M11w Tamakasuga (1-9) hatakikomi M13w Koryu (3-7) M9e Kyokutenho (7-3) yorikiri M14e Tosanoumi (5-5) M14w Tochinoshin (6-4) yorikiri M9w Iwakiyama (4-6) M8w Dejima (4-6) hatakikomi M12e Takekaze (5-5) M7e Roho (4-6) uwatenage M8e Takamisakari (5-5) M7w Kakuryu (5-5) shitatedashinage M10w Kokkai (4-6) M6e Homasho (6-4) hatakikomi M10e Tamanoshima (6-4) M4w Goeido (5-5) yorikiri M5e Miyabiyama (6-4) M2e Asasekiryu (6-4) uwatedashinage M6w Tokitenku (6-4) M5w Baruto (6-4) hatakikomi M2w Hokutoriki (0-10) M1w Wakanoho (2-8) yorikiri K1e Kisenosato (3-7) K1w Toyonoshima (6-4) yorikiri M1e Aminishiki (4-6) O1e Kotooshu (7-3) oshidashi M4e Wakanosato (4-6) M3w Tochinonada (4-6) tsukiotoshi O2w Chiyotaikai (7-3) O2e Kaio (6-4) makiotoshi M3e Futeno (2-8) O1w Kotomitsuki (8-2) okuridashi S1e Ama (7-3) Y1w Hakuho (10-0) yorikiri S1w Kotoshogiku (4-6) Day 11 Day 11 Juryo J14w Tosayutaka (8-2) J13w Sagatsukasa (6-4) J13e Tamaasuka (2-8) Ms2w Asofuji (4-1) J11e Shirononami (4-6) J12e Mokonami (8-2) J10w Wakakoyu (4-6) J9w Kyokunankai (7-3) J9e Katayama (2-8) J14e Aran (7-3) J12w Ichihara (4-6) J7w Ushiomaru (4-6) J11w Ryuo (4-6) J5w Hakuba (3-7) J10e Otsukasa (4-6) J4w Hakurozan (6-4) J8w Kirinowaka (4-6) J3w Hoshihikari (4-6) J3e Kitazakura (6-4) J6w Kasuganishiki (5-5) J5e Kotokasuga (4-5-1) J2w Kasugao (4-6) J2e Wakakirin (5-5) J8e Bushuyama (7-3) J7e Kaiho (3-7) J1w Toyozakura (4-6) J1e Tamawashi (5-5) J6e Shimotori (5-5) Makuuchi J4e Kitataiki (9-1) M16w Chiyohakuho (6-4) M15e Yoshikaze (5-5) M13w Koryu (3-7) M12e Takekaze (5-5) M14w Tochinoshin (6-4) M15w Kakizoe (4-6) M11w Tamakasuga (1-9) M16e Masatsukasa (6-4) M10w Kokkai (4-6) M10e Tamanoshima (6-4) M13e Toyohibiki (7-3) M14e Tosanoumi (5-5) M9w Iwakiyama (4-6) M7e Roho (4-6) M12w Kimurayama (6-4) M9e Kyokutenho (7-3) M6w Tokitenku (6-4) M6e Homasho (6-4) M11e Tochiozan (5-5) M8w Dejima (4-6) M5w Baruto (6-4) M8e Takamisakari (5-5) M4w Goeido (5-5) M4e Wakanosato (4-6) M7w Kakuryu (5-5) M2w Hokutoriki (0-10) M1w Wakanoho (2-8) M3e Futeno (2-8) K1w Toyonoshima (6-4) K1e Kisenosato (3-7) M2e Asasekiryu (6-4) M1e Aminishiki (4-6) S1w Kotoshogiku (4-6) O1e Kotooshu (7-3) M5e Miyabiyama (6-4) O2w Chiyotaikai (7-3) O1w Kotomitsuki (8-2) O2e Kaio (6-4) M3w Tochinonada (4-6) Y1w Hakuho (10-0) S1e Ama (7-3) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Harry 67 Posted July 22, 2008 Kotokasuga vs. Kasugao... talk about two beat up guys! Somewhat fair perhaps? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aderechelsea 125 Posted July 22, 2008 (edited) i am afraid Kaiho is getting closer and closer to makushita and quite possibly to intai. B-) Daiyubu and Hoshihikari are in a slump too ... bad basho for my boys ... does he have to stay active more in order to get a permanent position in the Kyokai? I always tend to forget things like that. in general i wasn't able to watch much sumo "live" but Hakuho looks really strong and he'll get this one cruising. Edited July 22, 2008 by aderechelsea Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Harry 67 Posted July 22, 2008 (edited) Regarding Taikai... 7 wins, so near and yet perhaps so far? He still has Kotomitsuki, Kotooshu and Hakuho to meet in his last 5 matches, probably Toyonoshima too. Normally he'd meet Asa here as well but instead I assume he'll see another joi member, Wakanosako, Goeido, Miyabiyama or Baruto; would they go any lower than joi? I was really hoping he'd beat Tochinonada as I thought it was a good chance for him to get KK B-) I really hope he can win one of his last 5. Ganbatte Taikai. Kotomitsuki tomorrow may be one of his best chances, he at least has a winning record against him along with Miyabiyama and Baruto. Edited July 22, 2008 by Harry Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kotoeikoku 0 Posted July 22, 2008 I feel a bit mean saying this, but personally I would like to see Chiyotaikai retire ASAP, and if that means finally dropping his Ozeki rank, well then I guess I'm rooting for him to lose all the remaining five. He was an amazing rikishi but now he's just a pale shadow of this former self, and I don't think he does either himself (that paycheck aside) or sumo any good continuing to hang by a thread. Time for some new Ozekis to step up and do the rank proud... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jakusotsu 6,049 Posted July 22, 2008 Do you really expect much resistance from Mickey tomorrow? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fay 1,677 Posted July 22, 2008 Do you really expect much resistance from Mickey tomorrow? Don't make me change my Tippspiel guess - I gave him 4 points B-) . He still might be able, fingers crossed ... crossed .... crossed ......... to win the yusho (Shaking head...) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Harry 67 Posted July 22, 2008 If there was someone else doing an ozeki run which was practically prevented from the new rank by the presence of old ozeki I'd agree but I still don't see anyone making a run. I really hoped it would be Ama and I suppose he still has a chance to do it but once again some silly losses (Wakanoho...) are hurting his chances. Kisenosato is going backwards, Kotoshogiku has more silly losses than Ama. If Toyonoshima can buck up and put together another double digit record I'd say he might be our best bet. Do you really see any great ozeki candidates today? Next year, maybe... so Taikai and Kaio can hold on a little longer as I might have a trip to Japan in the fall B-) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chiyomaru 0 Posted July 22, 2008 I feel a bit mean saying this, but personally I would like to see Chiyotaikai retire ASAP, and if that means finally dropping his Ozeki rank, well then I guess I'm rooting for him to lose all the remaining five.He was an amazing rikishi but now he's just a pale shadow of this former self, and I don't think he does either himself (that paycheck aside) or sumo any good continuing to hang by a thread. Time for some new Ozekis to step up and do the rank proud... B-) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Asashosakari 19,655 Posted July 22, 2008 If there was someone else doing an ozeki run which was practically prevented from the new rank by the presence of old ozeki I'd agree but I still don't see anyone making a run. I really hoped it would be Ama and I suppose he still has a chance to do it but once again some silly losses (Wakanoho...) are hurting his chances. Kisenosato is going backwards, Kotoshogiku has more silly losses than Ama. Yeah, it's just an odd situation where the old guard is still good for 8-10 wins (albeit aided by the kadoban rule) often enough, while the new guys aren't yet capable of doing any better than that. And it doesn't help that even the meatgrinder riffraff (Tokitenku, Miyabiyama, Wakanosato, Asasekiryu, Aminishiki etc.) are always good for 6+ wins, so there just aren't enough wins to go around for any serious promotion push. I don't think Chiyotaikai or Kaio retiring would change that too much, either...perhaps once both are gone. Otherwise, one of the current hopefuls really needs to start separating himself from the pack; Ama seems to be on that path sometimes, but the difference between him and e.g. Kotoshogiku isn't nearly large enough yet. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jakusotsu 6,049 Posted July 22, 2008 What was the head judge saying after the Wakanoho-Kisenosato mono-ii? I thought I heard "Wakanoho isamiashi", but still they declared gunbai-dori. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kotoeikoku 0 Posted July 22, 2008 (edited) If there was someone else doing an ozeki run which was practically prevented from the new rank by the presence of old ozeki I'd agree but I still don't see anyone making a run. I really hoped it would be Ama and I suppose he still has a chance to do it but once again some silly losses (Wakanoho...) are hurting his chances. Kisenosato is going backwards, Kotoshogiku has more silly losses than Ama. If Toyonoshima can buck up and put together another double digit record I'd say he might be our best bet. Do you really see any great ozeki candidates today? Next year, maybe... so Taikai and Kaio can hold on a little longer as I might have a trip to Japan in the fall B-) Guess I don't really see any candidates today no...but Chiyotaikai's constant Kadoban yo-yoing seems very un-Ozeki like to me. I guess I'm of the the 'better go out when you're at your peak then after declining into mediocrity' school. Still, he is still strong enough to school many of the up-and-comers... Edited July 22, 2008 by kotoeikoku Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kotoeikoku 0 Posted July 22, 2008 (edited) What was the head judge saying after the Wakanoho-Kisenosato mono-ii? I thought I heard "Wakanoho isamiashi", but still they declared gunbai-dori. They were debating whether or not it was 'isamiashi' but decided in the end that Kisenosato's heel touched out first, making it 'gunbai-dori.' Edited July 22, 2008 by kotoeikoku Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Chiyomaru 0 Posted July 22, 2008 If there was someone else doing an ozeki run which was practically prevented from the new rank by the presence of old ozeki I'd agree but I still don't see anyone making a run. I really hoped it would be Ama and I suppose he still has a chance to do it but once again some silly losses (Wakanoho...) are hurting his chances. Kisenosato is going backwards, Kotoshogiku has more silly losses than Ama. If Toyonoshima can buck up and put together another double digit record I'd say he might be our best bet. Do you really see any great ozeki candidates today? Next year, maybe... so Taikai and Kaio can hold on a little longer as I might have a trip to Japan in the fall (Shaking head...) Guess I don't really see any candidates today no...but Chiyotaikai's constant Kadoban yo-yoing seems very un-Ozeki like to me. I guess I'm of the the 'better go out when you're at your peak then after declining into mediocrity' school. Still, he is still strong enough to school many of the up-and-comers... I admire his will power for him not to give up and quit, but fight to save his rank all the time! B-) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ryafuji 815 Posted July 22, 2008 Hokutoriki seems determined to become the first since Itai in 1991 to chalk up fifteen straight losses in the top division. On his current form I wouldn't bet against him achieving that... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sashohitowa 6 Posted July 22, 2008 (edited) I feel a bit mean saying this, but personally I would like to see Chiyotaikai retire ASAP, and if that means finally dropping his Ozeki rank, well then I guess I'm rooting for him to lose all the remaining five.He was an amazing rikishi but now he's just a pale shadow of this former self, and I don't think he does either himself (that paycheck aside) or sumo any good continuing to hang by a thread. Time for some new Ozekis to step up and do the rank proud... I disagree completely. I find Chiyotaikai's spirit really admirable. Never giving up. Remember Hatsu this year? He was on the dohyo every day, no matter of the pain. And even if he was going to end 0-15, I find it very honorable, and I can have nothing but B-) to him. Edit: If you compare it with some cases of withdrawals recently, which behaviour you would prefer? "Fight-till-the-end" 0-15, or "I-am-going-kyujo-after-2-losses"? Edited July 22, 2008 by Sashohitowa Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kotoeikoku 0 Posted July 22, 2008 (edited) If you compare it with some cases of withdrawals recently, which behaviour you would prefer? "Fight-till-the-end" 0-15, or "I-am-going-kyujo-after-2-losses"? I would rather neither. From my point of view (ignorant, I admit) the rank of Ozeki, as with Yokozuna, carries certain responsibilities, one of which is to post double-digit wins every basho and contend for the Yusho. Now I am aware that, like the idea that a yokozuna should always aim for zensho-yusho, such an ideal may not be realistic or historically accurate, but nevertheless I feel that the number of Kadobans Chiyotaikai has had make him unsuitable for the rank. Of course this is just my opinion. I enjoy watching a genki Chiyotaikai very much. But I feel that his determination to walk the kadoban tightrope is not enough for the Ozeki rank. Edited July 23, 2008 by Manekineko quote fix Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fujisan 533 Posted July 22, 2008 Kotomitsuki owes Taikai a win I believe but is it too early to collect? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bilu 0 Posted July 23, 2008 (edited) Kotomitsuki owes Taikai a win I believe but is it too early to collect? Well, obviously not.. Strange dive by Mickey (judging by the feed only). Edited July 23, 2008 by Bilu Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vpl 0 Posted July 23, 2008 Kotomitsuki owes Taikai a win I believe but is it too early to collect? Well, obviously not.. Strange dive by Mickey (judging by the feed only). Obviously Kotomitsuki owed Futeno a win too with an even stranger dive on day 9. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mokele 3 Posted July 23, 2008 Day 11 results are in, and now it's clear that short of an extremely rare sequence of events, Hakuho (11-0) will win the yusho, and from all indications should be regarded as the dominant rikishi in sumo today. I watched his bout on you tube vs. Kotoshogiku, and Hakuho easily shrugged off the very strong gappuri-yotsu that Kotoshogiku can demonstrate, and just drove him straight back and out. Now that's power! Shades of former yokozuna Takanohana! Kotooshu has won several bouts in a row and at 8-3 seems to be on his way to 10 or 11 wins, respectable for an ozeki but disappointing for those who were hoping that he would be the next yokozuna. Quite simply, Kotooshu still has way too much trouble with several rikishi who should not be defeating him with such frequency. In particular, he loses too often to Wakanosato, Roho, Aminishiki and Toyonoshima. He's not close to yokozuna material until he exhibits a reliable approach to defeating those rikishi, along with a few others. I still believe that Kotooshu can make yokozuna, but it will take intensive training over the next 2 or 3 years or else ozeki will be the highest rank that he achieves. Maybe some of the sumo fans here remember Mainoumi and the incident with the silicone implanted into the top of his skull so that he would qualify for the height requirement to get into Japanese sumo. Mainoumi's success in Makunouchi was an important factor in the Kyokai removing that height requirement. Now we see how foolish that height requirement was in the 1st place, given that Toyonoshima has become a strong rikishi at only 5'6 1/2" (169 cm.) tall. At the moment he's 7-4 at Komusubi and has knocked off a yokozuna and 2 ozeki, and has shown reasonable power in all his bouts. When you do a physical comparison of Toyonoshima with some of the other Makunouchi regulars, he looks unimpressive, but his short stature sometimes works to his advantage, since he gets underneath many of the others, particularly Kotooshu. Being 14 inches shorter than Kotooshu doesn't seem to bother him! He's excellent technically, and seems to always have a plan to defeat the other rikishi. It's also clear that I was dead wrong about Kaio (7-4 so far), who has lasted over a year longer at the ozeki rank than I thought he would. He's still winning most of his bouts with simple power yotsu-zumo, and although he has a few more bad days than he did in his prime, he's still winning 8 houts or more each basho. He's no longer a threat to win the yusho, but what can we expect for a guy who will be 36 years old soon. Although he's not quite ready for the big breakthrough, it appears to me that Ama will be the next ozeki. He seems to have the quickness, technical skill and intelligence to adjust to whatever his opponents can do. I give him around an even chance to be an ozeki at this time next year. Once again Hokutoriki is setting new records as an "elevator rikishi". It seems that he simply gives up when facing the joi-jin. He makes a token effort at a thrusting attack with nodo-wa, and if it doesn't do much he's finished. He's 1 of the worst rikishi at yotsu-zumo I'v ever seen, right up there with Toki and Aogiyama. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Bilu 0 Posted July 23, 2008 Day 11 results are in, and now it's clear that short of an extremely rare sequence of events, Hakuho (11-0) will win the yusho, and from all indications should be regarded as the dominant rikishi in sumo today. I watched his bout on you tube vs. Kotoshogiku, and Hakuho easily shrugged off the very strong gappuri-yotsu that Kotoshogiku can demonstrate, and just drove him straight back and out. Now that's power! Shades of former yokozuna Takanohana! I second that :-S Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jakusotsu 6,049 Posted July 23, 2008 He's no longer a threat to win the yusho, but what can we expect for a guy who will be 36 years old soon. Just look at Your avatar pic. :-S Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kotoeikoku 0 Posted July 23, 2008 I want to see the young guns grab ozeki promotion rather than wait till the old guard are retired. Can't disagree with that. :-S Maybe I've been to quick to judge the Ozeki. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
