Why worry?

[Kintamayama 45,116]

Knowing him a very small bit and personal feelings aside, he is not a quitter and genuinely loves sumo. It will take much more than his nagging knee problem for him to call it quits.At present he enjoys a lot of honor and adulation. Once this is over, what? Cultural attache to Japan? I doubt he will stay in Japan, so what's in store for him? He will be back much stronger and healthier, hopefully.

[Igordemorais 75]

I really like Kotooshu, I admire his strength and I like his technique. I hope he sticks around further.

[Gernobono 466]

_{i am sorry kotooshu obviously is not intai}

_{would have been 2 nice weeks for me with kokkai and kotooshu intai...}

Edited September 27, 2012 by Gernobono

[Kintamayama 45,116]

_{i am sorry kotooshu obviously is not intai}

_{would have been 2 nice weeks for me with kokkai and kotooshu intai...}

Why two weeks?

[Treblemaker 254]

_{i am sorry kotooshu obviously is not intai}

_{would have been 2 nice weeks for me with kokkai and kotooshu intai...}

Why two weeks?

One week it's Kokkai, the next week, it's Osh.

[Asameshimae 220]

Maybe Oshu can come back from this injury with a new lease on life (or at least his sumo). I sure hope so.

[Afrozuna 8]

Asashosakari - I think you fail to realise that 8-7 for a Yokozuna would not be palatable. Previosly when Yokozuna achieved that it was made ver clear that they had underperfomed, in fact the exact words were "brought shame to rank of Yokozuna" and yet these are the Ozekis you want to be promoted to Yokozuna. 10-5 is not a chest beating achievement for Yokozuna in fact it is an underperfomance. Kyokai might not fire a Yokozuna putting up those kind of numbers, but they would certainly not be impressed. 2ndly you have to take into account that Akebono was joint Yokozuna with 4 others (who all met the b2b yusho requirement btw) so obviously the standards after promotion could be relaxed.

I for one am very happy with strict adherence to 2back to back yusho requirement as it also sorts out those who rise to the pressure of winning a 2nd yusho from those who fold. Those who rise to the pressure before promotion will most likely rse to the pressure after promotion. Those who fold are most likely to be the 8-7 Yokozuna or even worse

As I have said repeatedly, the standard has changed, you can say I have been spoiled by the past 10 years if you like and guess what I vehemently agree. I do not want to see a Yokozuna constantly performing at Ozeki level which is the door you want to open. Kyokai are not idiots, they are former rikishi who know whats realistic and whats not. If you say I'm out of touch with reality then so is the Kyokai since they are in agreement with me. However it seems that you are the one who is out of touch with reality. The technology, medicine and supplements available today mean that the standards have been raised compared to 20 years ago. You dont seriously believe Asashoryu solely relied on Mongolian springs to heal his elbows

Edited September 29, 2012 by Afrozuna

[Randomitsuki 2,826]

The technology, medicine and supplements available today mean that the standards have been raised compared to 20 years ago. You dont seriously believe Asashoryu solely relied on Mongolian springs to heal his elbows

I hope you realize that the maximum of 15 wins per basho was not raised compared to 20 years ago. By the same logic one could say: Men are stronger than women, and with the help of technology, medicine and supplements I fully expect the male population to increase towards 100 %.

[Asashosakari 19,320]

Asashosakari - I think you fail to realise that 8-7 for a Yokozuna would not be palatable.

And you fail to realize that nobody will bat an eye if Harumafuji semi-fakes an injury and pulls out of the basho when he starts only 4-2 if he doesn't feel well, a privilege he did not have as ozeki. It's practically a time-honoured tradition with yokozuna, and just because you haven't seen much of it because you've been privileged to watch only Asashoryu and Hakuho doesn't mean it has gone away. Hakuho will be making use of it as well within the next two years, and nobody's going to say anything except that they hope to see him back at full strength the next basho.

Of course, you also just posted in another thread that sumo would have been a "complete snoozefest" to you without Asashoryu, so I'm not sure why I'm even trying to debate big issues with you... You're a fair-weather fan, and while that's perfectly fine as such, I'm amazed you apparently believe that you and other fair-weather fans ought to be calling the shots for the long-term direction of Ozumo. Thankfully the ones on the inside that actually do call the shots appear mostly unswayed by such fickle tastes.

And as Randomitsuki already implied, your claim about medical advances is hilarious. I didn't realize only yokozuna are allowed to take advantage of those.

(I guess Futabayama was engaging in some type of time travel shenanigans.)

Edited September 29, 2012 by Asashosakari

[Asameshimae 220]

Before Asashosakari chimed in I was going to mention Yokozuna Takanohana and all his absences, especially near the end of his career, for just the reasons you said.

"If you say I'm out of touch with reality then so is the Kyokai" - the Kyokai out of touch? Noooo.

[Asashosakari 19,320]

To add one more thought: The usual result of a sport becoming more professional (in coaching, nutrition, medical treatment, etc.) is that the competition becomes tighter at the top, and that it becomes more difficult for anyone to dominate, not less. Given that, I believe it's more likely that Asashoryu and Hakuho have simply been amazingly outstanding rikishi - quite possibly the best two since Futabayama - than that they are somehow nothing but the new model of what the future #1's will all perform like. Anyone who believes it's the latter is probably setting himself up for some serious disappointment in the post-Hakuho era.

[Masumasumasu 902]

To add one more thought: The usual result of a sport becoming more professional (in coaching, nutrition, medical treatment, etc.) is that the competition becomes tighter at the top, and that it becomes more difficult for anyone to dominate, not less. Given that, I believe it's more likely that Asashoryu and Hakuho have simply been amazingly outstanding rikishi - quite possibly the best two since Futabayama - than that they are somehow nothing but the new model of what the future #1's will all perform like. Anyone who believes it's the latter is probably setting himself up for some serious disappointment in the post-Hakuho era.

Takanohana would have wiped the floor with Hakuho and Asashoryu. Asa and Hak made it to Yokozuna primarily because of the lack of real competition. Akebono would have put the two of them in the hospital.

[Asameshimae 220]

I don't agree. In fact, Taka's build, long reach, and slower but relentless sumo reminds me a lot of Hakuho. I think the two would have been very evenly matched. Akebono was not nearly the juggernaut he appeared because of his top heaviness. I think he would have been more dominant had he been more triangular. Again Hakuho would have been a good match, winning about half the time I'd say. Haruma is a different story, too small maybe.

Edited September 29, 2012 by Asanomeshi

[Washuyama 641]

Takanohana would have wiped the floor with Hakuho and Asashoryu. Asa and Hak made it to Yokozuna primarily because of the lack of real competition. Akebono would have put the two of them in the hospital.

(Laughing...) (Shaking head...)

[Tsubame 361]

Takanohana would have wiped the floor with Hakuho and Asashoryu. Asa and Hak made it to Yokozuna primarily because of the lack of real competition. Akebono would have put the two of them in the hospital.

As always it is difficulte not to say impossible to compare two sekitori from different times. Was Futabayama better then Hakuho? Was Asashoryu better then Chiyonofuji? What about Taiho? Did he only won his 32 yushos due to a lack of real challengers?

Anf of course in my idealized view of the past the yokozunas Takanohana II and Akebono were at the peak of their careers better then Asashoryu and Hakuho. ;)

And in twenty years we will say the the new yokozunas will be never so good as the yokozunas Harumafuji and Jokoryu. The circle is inevitable.

[Kaioshoryu 63]

To add one more thought: The usual result of a sport becoming more professional (in coaching, nutrition, medical treatment, etc.) is that the competition becomes tighter at the top, and that it becomes more difficult for anyone to dominate, not less. Given that, I believe it's more likely that Asashoryu and Hakuho have simply been amazingly outstanding rikishi - quite possibly the best two since Futabayama - than that they are somehow nothing but the new model of what the future #1's will all perform like. Anyone who believes it's the latter is probably setting himself up for some serious disappointment in the post-Hakuho era.

Takanohana would have wiped the floor with Hakuho and Asashoryu. Asa and Hak made it to Yokozuna primarily because of the lack of real competition. Akebono would have put the two of them in the hospital.

Well, Asa was 4-5 against Musashimaru, a very comparable opponent to Akebono so I don't think this wiping the floor theory holds any water... And this was before Asa become Yokozuna.

[Afrozuna 8]

I see you have neatly sidestepped the issue again. Calling me a fairweather fan to escape the lack of merit in your argument is not scoring you any points. I have been following sumo for 14 years now and in that time I am well acquanted with previous Yokozuna records, bouts, videos etc. So to try and undermine my well-subsantiated opinion by saying I'm a fairweather fan is cheap not to mention sidestepping the actual issue being argued here.

2ndly to equate a basho withdrawal by a Yokozuna to a poor perfomance during the full length of the basho of a healthy Yokozuna is senseless. The Yokozuna might withdraw with 4-2 but if he follows that up with 8-7, 11-4, 8-7 clearly the Kyokai & YDC will start making noises as they have done before.

[Asameshimae 220]

Well, Asa was 4-5 against Musashimaru, a very comparable opponent to Akebono so I don't think this wiping the floor theory holds any water... And this was before Asa become Yokozuna.

Maru's build was perfect for sumo, or at least for not being easily knocked down or out. I was always surprised at how well Akebono performed against him. Akebono did seem to have more drive. I always got the impression (all my projection I am sure) that after a while in a bout that Maru would just give in, like "fine fine, if you wanted the win that bad why didn't you just say so in the first place" - that always seemed the look on his face when he finally was forced out of the ring. I also loved the deferent look on his face when he (rarely) lost a bout to an opponent. Almost seemed as if he was saying, "good sumo".

Sorry, sorry, waxing nostalgic...

[Asameshimae 220]

Back on topic. There are a number of Takanohana scores from later in his career where he took an early out to avoid the risk of a makekoshi.

Haru 1998 1-4-10, Aki 1999 0-3-12, Nagoya 2000 5-3-7

He may very well have been suffering from injuries these times as well, but he was also running the very real risk of a makekoshi, or even a mediocre 9-6 or 8-7 which the pundits wouldn't have liked either. Better to bow out early and save face. And that's okay. But that's exactly what it was.

[Masumasumasu 902]

I see you have neatly sidestepped the issue again. Calling me a fairweather fan to escape the lack of merit in your argument is not scoring you any points. I have been following sumo for 14 years now and in that time I am well acquanted with previous Yokozuna records, bouts, videos etc. So to try and undermine my well-subsantiated opinion by saying I'm a fairweather fan is cheap not to mention sidestepping the actual issue being argued here.

Don't take it personally. You're not the only victim of asahosukari's copious venom.

[Nabuko 11]

This becomes general discussion thread on sumo and I have question about Takayasu? Has he perspective to become regular joi-jin or more?

[Tsubame 361]

Don't take it personally. You're not the only victim of asahosukari's copious venom.

This statement fits perfectly to your signature...

[Masumasumasu 902]

Don't take it personally. You're not the only victim of asahosukari's copious venom.

This statement fits perfectly to your signature...

The fact of the matter is that asahosukari has referred to me as a 'troll' in the past simply because of my unpopular opinions.

Where did I defame him?

[ronnie 221]

The fact of the matter is that asahosukari has referred to me as a 'troll' in the past simply because of my unpopular opinions.

Where did I defame him?

Quite probably in your deliberate misspelling of his shikona.

[Asameshimae 220]

Quite probably in your deliberate misspelling of his shikona.

Twice in this thread alone. ;-)