Basho Talk - Kyushu Basho 2015 +++ Spoiler Alert! +++

[hamcornheinz 839]

wow what happened to Gagamaru? Looked like he was near tears, but hes already KK.

Edited November 19, 2015 by hamcornheinz

[haboki 4]

I've never seen any rikishi so emotional about losing as Gagamaru just now. He really, really wanted to beat Ikioi. He was almost crying as he walked out.

[Jakusotsu 6,049]

He cried because he thought he won and already crouched down for the envelopes. The look on his face was priceless.

[luispereira 383]

after reading about this ura guy I decided to go to "the database" and check the videos...ok...nice moves there, the kid has spunk, in my amateur opinion, either is gonna be a great rikishi, or a fluke...I'm gonna stalk him close.. (not in a bad way of course..)

[hamcornheinz 839]

He cried because he thought he won and already crouched down for the envelopes. The look on his face was priceless.

No, he didn't. He literally didn't. It didn't happen.

[Akinomaki 40,791]

See it happen

[hamcornheinz 839]

See it happen

yeah, he does that thing which some rikishi do, bowing and taking out their decoration- things at the same time. No crouching.

[Irakusamaru 77]

He'd seen the call - I think he was looking about for the monoii.

I kinda like that Gagamaru tries (and fails) to hide his joy at winning and his disappointment at losing.

He looks all rough and tumble, but I suspect he's a great big softie.

[Asashosakari 19,664]

He looks all rough and tumble, but I suspect he's a great big softie.

Nagatanien missed a trick there - Gagamaru might be much more of a hug doll than Endo. (Laughing...)

[Pandaazuma 1,310]

A lot of the Japanese fans I know love Gagamaru recently, for what it's worth. I think it was that famous kinboshi interview he did that garnered attention to his 'cute' side.

[Irakusamaru 77]

He looks all rough and tumble, but I suspect he's a great big softie.

Nagatanien missed a trick there - Gagamaru might be much more of a hug doll than Endo. (Laughing...)

Maybe they could do a Gagamaru hug pillow.

Extra wide, of course.

[inhashi 2,363]

Some Gagamaru cuteness at jungyo. He still adamantly and proudly insists that he weighs 199kg... no more, no less.

199 kilo da yo!

Edited November 19, 2015 by inhashi

[Mongolith 51]

Yeesh Endo is getting treated like a pinata this basho. Smack him around while the goodies (kensho) fly out. The ozeki crop looked pathetic today other than Giku who gave a good effort. Fuji at least is injured but the other two should put up at least some resistance against the yoks.

[Jyuunomori 226]

Poor baby GaGa. :'-(

He really wanted that win, but that is just how cookie crumbled today. He looked utterly demoralized. He probably was and still is looking for 10 wins this basho and was sad that he couldn't make it when he was so close to winning Ikioi who is ranked so much higher than him.

Sumo is a merciless and hard sport while GaGa is obviously a big softy.

[Jakusotsu 6,049]

He cried because he thought he won and already crouched down for the envelopes. The look on his face was priceless.

No, he didn't. He literally didn't. It didn't happen.

Yeah, sorry, my bad. I was fooled by the replay shot from behind when he was still kneeling on the dohyo. I thought that frantic look left and right was because he got no envelopes. ;-) Edited November 19, 2015 by Jakusotsu

[hamcornheinz 839]

He cried because he thought he won and already crouched down for the envelopes. The look on his face was priceless.

No, he didn't. He literally didn't. It didn't happen.

Yeah, sorry, my bad. I was fooled by the replay shot from behind when he was still kneeling on the dohyo. I thought that frantic look left and right was because he got no envelopes. ;-)

'ts all good

[ALAKTORN 346]

Kakuryū’s tachiai was amazing today. Finally Aoiyama uses his tsuki/oshi attack, every time he goes for the belt I’m just appalled.

[Dwale 419]

I don't think I've ever seen a day where so many of my favorite rikishi lost!

Osunaarashi's safety buffer is gone. Tochinoshin is not really someone you want to be on the bails against...

The ghost of Kisenosato put up about as much fight as a mobile home does to a tornado. Come on, man!

Takayasu and Takarafuji was a good bout. I felt sure Takayasu was going to pull off a win, but alas... Takarafuji definitely earned it, so good for him.

Aminishiki got a nice-looking throw in. Sometimes I forget how much strength he has left in him. Kasei didn't seem like he expected it any more than I did.

[hamcornheinz 839]

Goeido hesitated a bit at the tachiai. Goeido and Kakuryu I think are both very technical men who really only reach full potential when they completely hulk out, like when Kakuryu fought for Yokozuna promotion.

[Katooshu 3,334]

Gagamaru seems very serious on the dohyo but he's usually come across as a lighthearted guy off it from what I've seen. I thought he had Ikioi (who for some reason I continually find myself rooting against) for a moment and I was disappointed to see him lose that. I can obviously understand him being upset at that type of loss, but he did seem to take it unusually hard. I was also disappointed to see Oosunaarashi lose, and I suspect that three of my favorites (him, Tochinoshin, and Terunofuji) are going to be MK this basho, though it's not over yet!

And how about Shohozan? A great return for him and going by these showings hard to believe that he went 6-9 at juryo only 4 months ago.

Edited November 19, 2015 by Kotooshu's Revenge

[Adil 232]

The touching down with both hands before the tachiai issue.... I remember Moti-san saying a few months ago that there are many rikishi who do not always touch down with both hands and that the gyoji only make a point of insisting on both rikishi touching down sometimes. That having been said, isn't it a case of unfair advantage if one rikishi is allowed to get away without touching down with both hands before the tachiai? I mean, a little iffyness (I just made that up) happens sometimes, but Gagamaru is taking it to another limit. He only touches down with one hand and the other one is literally a foot (not just one or two inches) above the ground. You'll see many rikishi take that position, but they touch down very quickly with the hovering hand just before they charge, or at least try to touch down. Gagamaru doesn't even make an effort to move the other hand down. As someone else pointed out about his day 8 bout, even after a matta was called twice, he still didn't make the slightest of efforts to touch down. From today's bouts, Aminishiki and Kitataiki (Goeido too, but at least he made a sudden movement as if he tried) looked like they didn't touch down, but I don't know if they do it consistently.

Am I making a mountain out of a molehill? I also remember now that Asashosakari remarked about Gagamaru not touching down during week one. Like I said, I'm only mentioning this because I think it gives a rikishi an unfair advantage if he is allowed to charge with his hand so high up in the air.

[hamcornheinz 839]

The touching down with both hands before the tachiai issue.... I remember Moti-san saying a few months ago that there are many rikishi who do not always touch down with both hands and that the gyoji only make a point of insisting on both rikishi touching down sometimes. That having been said, isn't it a case of unfair advantage if one rikishi is allowed to get away without touching down with both hands before the tachiai? I mean, a little iffyness (I just made that up) happens sometimes, but Gagamaru is taking it to another limit. He only touches down with one hand and the other one is literally a foot (not just one or two inches) above the ground. You'll see many rikishi take that position, but they touch down very quickly with the hovering hand just before they charge, or at least try to touch down. Gagamaru doesn't even make an effort to move the other hand down. As someone else pointed out about his day 8 bout, even after a matta was called twice, he still didn't make the slightest of efforts to touch down. From today's bouts, Aminishiki and Kitataiki (Goeido too, but at least he made a sudden movement as if he tried) looked like they didn't touch down, but I don't know if they do it consistently.

Am I making a mountain out of a molehill? I also remember now that Asashosakari remarked about Gagamaru not touching down during week one. Like I said, I'm only mentioning this because I think it gives a rikishi an unfair advantage if he is allowed to charge with his hand so high up in the air.

I made a remark about it on youtube too, the strange thing is he never gets a belt grip with that hand, always a low underhook of his opponent's arm or something similar, which isn't benefited by him not touching down. Its bizzare.

[ronnie 221]

The double matta on day 8 by Gagamaru. The gyoji called it twice when Gaga didn't touch down with his left hand (the one nearest the gyoji), so on the third attempt, he changed hands. The head shimpan clearly wasn't bothered by the right hand not touching down.

[Akinomaki 40,791]

Gagamaru saw Ikioi's foot out and looked and cried for a mono-ii - the replay showed the foot was still in.

http://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/1568338.html

The next gyoji to get a sashi-chigae reversal on his record for a really bad decision in the Takayasu-Takarafuji bout is Shikimori Yodayu. Kandayu escaped the shame for an equally bad decision yesterday at the Ichinojo-Goeido bout by the grace of the shimpan, who ordered only a rematch. Maybe they thought it would look bad if all contenders for Shonosuke had a sashi-chigae this basho.

The daily NHK digests in HD with replay are also on this YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUNXglwZqkfTxYFPZGf-l0Q/videos

[Kurikara 28]

The touching down with both hands before the tachiai issue.... I remember Moti-san saying a few months ago that there are many rikishi who do not always touch down with both hands and that the gyoji only make a point of insisting on both rikishi touching down sometimes. That having been said, isn't it a case of unfair advantage if one rikishi is allowed to get away without touching down with both hands before the tachiai? I mean, a little iffyness (I just made that up) happens sometimes, but Gagamaru is taking it to another limit. He only touches down with one hand and the other one is literally a foot (not just one or two inches) above the ground. You'll see many rikishi take that position, but they touch down very quickly with the hovering hand just before they charge, or at least try to touch down. Gagamaru doesn't even make an effort to move the other hand down. As someone else pointed out about his day 8 bout, even after a matta was called twice, he still didn't make the slightest of efforts to touch down. From today's bouts, Aminishiki and Kitataiki (Goeido too, but at least he made a sudden movement as if he tried) looked like they didn't touch down, but I don't know if they do it consistently.

Am I making a mountain out of a molehill? I also remember now that Asashosakari remarked about Gagamaru not touching down during week one. Like I said, I'm only mentioning this because I think it gives a rikishi an unfair advantage if he is allowed to charge with his hand so high up in the air.

Kotoyuki is another one whom I've never seen touching down with two hands (although I have not been following sumo for three years). Except when Aminishiki made him do it earlier this basho. And the result was hilarious.

Edited November 19, 2015 by Kurikara