Basho Talk Hatsu 2018 (SPOILERS)

[Kishinoyama 595]

1 hour ago, Huschnu said:

I at a look at some of the old Baruto - Tochinoshin matches.
Man would it be nice to have someone like Baruto again...

You do and his name is Terunofuji. Unfortunately, like Baruto, his injured knee has made him a shadow of his former self.

The only thing worse than Aminishiki and Terunofuji returning was having them in back to back matches today. It was really sad to watch.

[Huschnu 5]

1 minute ago, Kishinoyama said:

You do and his name is Terunofuji. Unfortunately, like Baruto, his injured knee has made him a shadow of his former self.

Kind of, while Terunofuji was one of the strongest, I feel Baruto was still one step above that (leveraging his height and wingspan very well).
Through my nostalgia tinted glasses, I remember Baruto's matches as decided right after he secures a good belt grip.

Terunofuji's characteristic beltless grip is a beauty to observe none the less though.

[Joaoiyama 308]

23 minutes ago, Huschnu said:

Kind of, while Terunofuji was one of the strongest, I feel Baruto was still one step above that (leveraging his height and wingspan very well).
Through my nostalgia tinted glasses, I remember Baruto's matches as decided right after he secures a good belt grip.

 

Baruto had the best sumo body ever, he was just that strong.

[Fukurou 534]

3 hours ago, Tochinofuji said:

Thank you! I did a forum search that got me three hits and no explanation, but figured it was more sumo specific rather than in general use. I probably deserved  a "here, let me google that for you" response. 

Rather than fitting usage into one of the dictionary references, just think of TPTB is "the ones in charge".  YMMV on "in charge" of what, or if they're only "in charge" in theory (or their own minds)

[Burajirotono 99]

Caralho! Ichinojo what was that? You should not do that with an old man.

So we do have a basho afterall! I cant wait for Ichi X Tochi! Will be like the ghostbuster´s marshmellow´s monster clashing The Thing.

Kakuryu, why? Why another lousy pull? Must be injured, no one is that dumb...

Giku; hair pulling is for little girls, dont do it, man. 

Takayasu´s yusho?

 

 

[Yukiarashi 195]

TOCHINOSHIN!!!!!! What a basho this has turned into! Any basho with a hiramaku sole leader after day 10 is already awesome, but this is incredible! Everyone's talked about Tochinoshin's luck over the years, the knee trouble, banzuke shafting, and now he's leading himself with three days left out of nowhere! The twists and turns have been incredible and will likely continue. 

My instant reaction with Endo's upset of Kakuryu was TOCHINOSHIN!!!! Great win by Endo, but Kakuryu is imploding right now. I wouldn't be shocked to see Kakuryu finish 10-5 he hasn't looked himself at all the last couple of days. Great to see so many Zabutons again and support for Tochinoshin.

Takayasu might be doing the best right now, but he's three wins behind. He and Ichinojo look the strongest right now. Takayasu is very much in contention right now still. Tochinoshin has never been in this position before and has Ichinojo and potentially an explosive Chiyotairyu too if the torikumi makers go that way. He looked nervous today and this basho could be far from over. Goeido meanwhile might not even KK what happened!? I know he's Goeido but still.

TOCHINOSHIN!!!!! AGAIN!!!!! 11-1 from M3 and the sole leader with three days left!!!! As nervous as he looked I'm surprised he handled Tamawashi like that. He's got to look out for Godzilla Ichinojo today though. No matter what happens with that bout I'm pretty sure by the end he's going to look like the inside of a very rare steak. 

Mitakeumi! Again! To a 3-8 Okinoumi! What's going on! Watch him beat Kakuryu today. Good for Okinoumi though.

I didn't see the Kotoshogiku hairpull live but definitely in the replay. Could have for sure called a hansoku.

That was nuts!!! Ichinojo grabs Yoshikaze's throat and wins by "B**** on the ground!" technique. That was punkish!

Ikioi 2-10!

Very impressive by debutants Abi and Ryuden Kachikoshi on Day 12!!! Still an outside yusho shot too...

Seeing Ikioi was sad, seeing Aminishiki and Terunofuji about made me want to cry. The only people in the division they could beat right now is probably each other. Aminishiki blasted out by a 4-8 Takekaze looking close to intai. Terunofuji blasted out by the lowest ranked rikishi in Makuuchi, Daiamami.

Kotoyuki got injured again so he's winning now. How shocking. 

[Amamaniac 2,079]

3 hours ago, Kaninoyama said:

Was at the Kokugikan yesterday. The support for Tochinoshin was electric both prior to and following his match. And when Endo finally came through in a huge moment and flipped this basho upside down,  the eruption of cushions, including my own (which came close to grazing Endo's nose), was spectacular.

In other bouts, as noted Ichinojo just completely flattened Yoshikaze and looks every bit like the "kaibutsu" he was when he first arrived on the makuuchi scene. Takayasu also appears to be back in form with a decisive win over fellow Ozeki Goeido, and while he probably has one too many loses to have any reasonable shot at a yuusho this time, I love his chances moving forward.

Takayasu has completely dominated "fellow Ozeki Goeido" this past year (2017).  Goeido has only managed one fusen win in November.  Of the two Ozeki, Takayasu should be in the top slot more often than Goeido.

P.S., Totally jealous that you were able to take in the electricity first hand!

P.P.S., The zabuton cushions should be directed at the Yokozuna who fails to defeat a lower-ranked opponent, not the opponent who upset him be left in your seating box.  Heaven forbid that you actually hit a crowd favourite like Endo.

[Morty 1,495]

Tochinoshin has the wood on Ichinojo. Head to head they are 9-5, but the key to that is how many won when healthy. After Tochinoshin plummeted down the banzuke due to injury he ended up at the same place as the up and coming Inchinojo, and they rose back up the banzuke together, having a great lower division rivalry for three or four bashos in a row. Tochinoshin beat Ichinojo most times during that period, including for the Juryo yusho. Most of those were belt battles. The database link is sending me to a 404 error page right now so I can't get exact details, but I suspect most of the 5 losses were later after Tochinoshin reinjured himself. The question today is whether Ichinojo has learned anything new since those battles, and whether Tochinoshin's knee is up to yorikiri-ing 215kg of Ichinojo? Because I reckon that's how it finishes - Tochinoshin by yorikiri. 

The bigger question for me is whether Tochinoshin can keep it together mentally for the next three days, because if he can I think he takes the basho. I just wish Hakuho hadn't dropped out, because Tochinoshin may finally have won one against him.

Edit: now I can access the database again I see that 12 of their 14 bouts have been won by Yorikiri, and that my memory was slightly wrong - they had that one Juryo basho together where they fought twice on Senshuraku, and Tochinoshin won twice, then won five out six match-ups in 2015. Ichinojo only won twice against Tochinoshin in their first ten bouts

Edited January 26, 2018 by Morty

[WAKATAKE 2,660]

If Tochinoshin were to pull this off it would be the first hiramaku yusho since Kyokutenho in 2012!

[Yukiarashi 195]

Shohozan-Tochinoshin Day 14

Abi all the way up to Kotoshogiku

[Tiger Tanaka 225]

All in rooting for Tochinoshin now! Was rooting for him, Kakuryu, and my fav Mitakeumi this basho. Now that it's so close, it would be amazing to see Tochinoshin get his first yusho. Kakuryu has prolonged his career with his results so far, I'd like to see him get 1 or 2 more wins to make it a very strong KK. Mitakeumi... just hoping for a KK at this point, which is no guarantee. Crazy to think after the 7-0 start. 

[Rocks 1,809]

41 minutes ago, Yukiarashi said:

Abi all the way up to Kotoshogiku

I don't get that pairing at all.  An 8-4 rookie against a former Ozek ranked 12 slots higher who may be going for his KK in their match? Seems off to me unless they are already thinking of giving Abe a sansho if he gets 10 wins and want him to earn it. 

[rhyen 1,842]

2 hours ago, Amamaniac said:

 

P.P.S., The zabuton cushions should be directed at the Yokozuna who fails to defeat a lower-ranked opponent, not the opponent who upset him be left in your seating box.  Heaven forbid that you actually hit a crowd favourite like Endo.

Or Kotooshu, or Kisenosato

[PawnSums 59]

If kotoshogiku loses to abi. he would retire.

[Katooshu 3,247]

3 hours ago, Yukiarashi said:

Shohozan-Tochinoshin Day 14

Abi all the way up to Kotoshogiku

10-5 for Tochinoshin vs Shohozan, but Mr. Slappy has won the last 2, including a basho where Tochinoshin went 12-3, albeit at a low rank. Tochinoshin is also 1-3 vs Endo (a possible day 15 opponent?), so still some banana skins even if he beats Ichinojo today.

And why do I feel a big old henka coming in Abi-Kotoshogiku 

Edited January 26, 2018 by Katooshu

[maorencze 144]

9 hours ago, Asashosakari said:

I don't know if they're gonna be able to get Baruto on such short notice.

They may be, but question is ruleset and ring-type. Is Tochinoshin familiar with gloves and ground fighting?

[maorencze 144]

6 hours ago, Burajirotono said:

Caralho! Ichinojo what was that? You should not do that with an old man.

 

Seemed like back at school - Yoshikaze just wouldn't let go of his lunch money

[Akinomaki 40,604]

Yamashina is giving a hilarious explanation again - he not even remembers Aminishiki's name and where the gyoji pointed to

Edited January 26, 2018 by Akinomaki

[Rocks 1,809]

Poor Ikioi. Good win for Aminishiki.  I think Kaisei was putting out more effort sitting next to the dohyo then when he was on it.

[Rocks 1,809]

Way to go Tochinoshin! Ichinojo lost his grip and it was over.

[Munjeezy 60]

9 minutes ago, Rocks said:

Way to go Tochinoshin! Ichinojo lost his grip and it was over.

I was thinking more that Tochi’s yorikiri push was what broke it more than him losing it, either way great chest to chest sumo.

[Munjeezy 60]

That might be the hardest tachiai Arawashi has ever felt

[Munjeezy 60]

Oshidashi Mitakeumi!

[Rocks 1,809]

Kakuryu won't even get the Jun yusho at this rate. Put the sea bream on ice guys and get the sake ready. Add a bit of caviar too. 

[Akinomaki 40,604]

Mitakeumi told he also wanted to help Tochinoshin on his way to the yusho  - same ichimon and he trained with him, learning from him

Edited January 26, 2018 by Akinomaki