Hatsu Basho 2019 Discussion [SPOILERS]

[itchyknee 60]

Just now, Asojima said:

For match making purposes, the east side is ranked higher on odd days, and west is higher on even days.

Thanks!  I've run out of reactions for the day or you'd get a like.

[Sakura 1,480]

Through Day 5, Kotoeko will have faced rikishi from only 2 different heya.

[robnplunder 975]

For a big guy, Yago can move.  That was a good win against Chiyonokuni.   Who thought Yago wasn't good enough to get promoted to Makuuchi two bashos ago when he was 8-7 at J2?

 

OMG, Endo.   That must count as 3 wins.  Wow!

Edited January 17, 2019 by robnplunder

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Sadanoumi showing his frustration after getting pancaked, Kaisei A in the building, and the polka-dot gyoji. 

[dingo 1,212]

9 hours ago, Bumpkin said:

From the sumo glossary: Tsukiotoshi, thrust down, kimarite in which the attacker will drive his aite down into the clay with a thrusting motion after placing his open hand on the aite's upper rib cage or at his shoulder. Often used as a last ditch effort at the tawara.

There was next to no thrusting by Hakuho and he did not "drive" Hokutofuji down. The only commonality with this description is that it happened at the tawara. Hakuho didn't manage to stay in the ring longer than Hokutofuji either. You know as well as I do that kimarite are sometimes applied even when what happened does not resemble the description at all, simply because a kimarite has to be announced. 

9 hours ago, Asojima said:

That sounds like enough to me.  Hakuho still had a foot on the sand inside the dohyo when Hokutofuji was fully airborne and outside the ring.

As I mentioned, they went out at the same time and a torinaoshi would've been completely justified. 

This is not a one-off thing, Hakuho has gotten away with similar situations before and the only explanation I can find is that simply because he's Hakuho. Whether the shimpan think that it's beneath a dai-Yokozuna to be subjected to the humiliation of a torinaoshi or because they don't want to deal with Hakuho's complaining later (there's a precedent for that as well), but it does recur from time to time. 

[Eikokurai 3,437]

21 minutes ago, dingo said:

There was next to no thrusting by Hakuho and he did not "drive" Hokutofuji down. The only commonality with this description is that it happened at the tawara. Hakuho didn't manage to stay in the ring longer than Hokutofuji either. You know as well as I do that kimarite are sometimes applied even when what happened does not resemble the description at all, simply because a kimarite has to be announced. 

As I mentioned, they went out at the same time and a torinaoshi would've been completely justified. 

This is not a one-off thing, Hakuho has gotten away with similar situations before and the only explanation I can find is that simply because he's Hakuho. Whether the shimpan think that it's beneath a dai-Yokozuna to be subjected to the humiliation of a torinaoshi or because they don't want to deal with Hakuho's complaining later (there's a precedent for that as well), but it does recur from time to time. 

If you slow it down, you can see that Hokutofuji was airborne while Hakuho was still on the tawara (thus qualifying as shinitai) and then his left knee touches down while the instep of Hakuho’s right foot is still inbounds anyway. I think it was a fair call.

I tried uploading two screenshots but they’re too large.

Edited January 17, 2019 by Eikokurai

[robnplunder 975]

Meanwhile, Mita keeps trucking on.  He's 5-0.  He hasn't let up so far which is a good sign for his 2nd half performance.  Is this Mita's basho ... again?   

Takakeisho is keeping up at 4-1 and his Ozeki promotion seems to be looming large, very large.  

Shocking.  An Ozeki wins.  Goeido gets his 1st win.  Despite his 1st win, I think he will MK.

 

Edited January 17, 2019 by robnplunder

[Eikokurai 3,437]

Well, there goes Goeido’s zenpai yusho.

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

3 minutes ago, Eikokurai said:

Well, there goes Goeido’s zenpai yusho.

Tochiozan has been a rival since their elementary school days.

[Akinomaki 40,096]

Fujishima is the only flawless head shimpan

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

And Mattaho wins in the end.

[robnplunder 975]

Hak is not the same as before.  He's 5-0 but could have been 2-3 just as easily.   I think Mita & Takakeisho have a good chance of beating him in this basho.  

[Jabbamaru 166]

I don't like them both...but Sada-Endo was niiiice....

Yay Kaisei! Mini-Zensho!

Ichi is looking good. And Kaks kiujo is coming...

OMG! You better keep your MF* butts on the zabuton! Totally insane bout. Poor Nishikigi!

[Philioyamfugi 378]

I thought Niksiki had him...hakahou foot was still although sliding the ground, while Hokotojuji was in the air yesterday. 

 

[robnplunder 975]

2 minutes ago, Philioyamfugi said:

I thought Niksiki had him...hakahou foot was still although sliding the ground, while Hokotojuji was in the air yesterday. 

 

Hak will get the nod on most monoii just being Hak.  So, if a rikishi needs to beat Hak, he needs to beat him clearly .   

[SumpaX 23]

20 minutes ago, robnplunder said:

Hak is not the same as before.  He's 5-0 but could have been 2-3 just as easily.   I think Mita & Takakeisho have a good chance of beating him in this basho.  

I remember him being like this before, I think it was right after or during an injury.. he was fighting very similar to this... not yokozuna like and even resorting to an henka in one of the last bouts. Might it be another injury?

[Amamaniac 2,078]

4 hours ago, itchyknee said:

I thought that might be the case, but Yutakayama is higher ranked than Chiyoshoma, and yet the Ishiura/Chiyoshoma bout is listed as #2 for day 6.

This was puzzling for me to.  Fortunately, Asojima came through with the explanation ... (before I could finish my post).

Edited January 17, 2019 by Amamaniac

[Eikokurai 3,437]

Excluding Hakuho, who sat out the Kyushu basho, Onosho now has the longest current win streak in the top division with seven, and only four defeats in his last 20 bouts. He’s definitely back on form.

[Amamaniac 2,078]

48 minutes ago, Eikokurai said:

Well, there goes Goeido’s zenpai yusho.

Don't worry.  Yoshikaze may just take up the slack...

Yoshi is looking like he might repeat (or better) his 2018 Nagano performance.  Sigh.  He's 36, and seems to have lost his desire to win.  Is an Intai in his near future?  

[Eikokurai 3,437]

5 minutes ago, Amamaniac said:

Don't worry.  Yoshikaze may just take up the slack...

Yoshi is looking like he might repeat (or better) his 2018 Nagano performance.  Sigh.  He's 36, and seems to have lost his desire to win.  Is an Intai in his near future?  

It should be. He’s looked out of it for a while now. He has a kabu so he’s set for retirement.

[robnplunder 975]

4 minutes ago, Amamaniac said:

Yoshi is looking like he might repeat (or better) his 2018 Nagano performance.  Sigh.  He's 36, and seems to have lost his desire to win.  Is an Intai in his near future?  

At that age in this rough and tough sport, the little guy's body is failing much more rapidly than his desire.   Aminishiki, Yoshikaze, Takakaze are all intai candidates.   

[Akōgyokuseki 227]

It's nice to see abema give some camera time to the Juryo yobidashi and gyoji. Rikinojo is awesome, that guy is like, my alarm clock (the basho are streamed really early in UK)

And speaking of Juryo, my bout of the day has to go to super かわいい Enho♥....put up a great fight...

.....from MISELET

Edited January 17, 2019 by Akōgyokuseki

[Morty 1,483]

Endo vs. Sadnoumi was titanic. Great bout.

But the whole Hak vs. Nishikigi circus was EPIC. Brilliant theatre. Hak definitely looking mortal these days. Nishikigi took the moral victory from all that for mine and if Hak goes zensho he can thank the Shimpan for at least two…

[Morty 1,483]

1 hour ago, robnplunder said:

At that age in this rough and tough sport, the little guy's body is failing much more rapidly than his desire.   Aminishiki, Yoshikaze, Takakaze are all intai candidates.   

It's his head more than his body. He took a couple of head shots on day one and has looked bad ever since. I have had a theory for a while that he's really punchy and it doesn't take much to ring his bell. And when you get like that it takes days to recover, rather than going out and fighting again for the next 14 days... I want him to retire purely because he will end up a cabbage otherwise.

[Akōgyokuseki 227]

Oops almost forgot!

Hoshoryu won his bout,...nice work again.

from Japan Sumo channel

No Ura today, he scheduled for tomorrow...let's hope he can make it a win also.