2019 Aki Basho Discussion (spoiler alert!)

[Dwale 419]

Wow, Shodai's tachi-ai was bad even by his standards. Sometimes he looks good. Too often, he looks like he's in the wrong division. *sigh* 

3 hours ago, Morty said:

I've thought this for a while now but I think Asanoyama will be the next Ozeki and probably the next Yokozuna (the only one who will beat him to the latter is Takakeisho).

Also, is Aoiyama carrying an injury or is he just not doing very well?

Also, also, Endo 4-1 in Sanyaku... finally healthy and learned how to win tough.

 

You might be right. The first step is having the right attitude, and everything I've seen suggests to me that he has this. Time will tell.

Aoiyama tends to crumple against the sanyaku, but it wouldn't surprise me if he's got an old injury acting up on top of that.

[Raishu 207]

2 hours ago, Eikokurai said:

Enho aside, he’s arguably the most accomplished grappler among the young Japanese hopefuls right now [...]

I won't deny that.

Quote

 [...] and time-honoured wisdom suggests one needs a decent yotsu game to make Yokozuna.

I won't deny that, either.

Quote

That gives him an edge. Moreover, he only needs to be better than his peers, and let’s face it the competition isn’t that spectacular. 

Does it? You can be the best migi-yotsu guy around, but when the oshi-specialist denies you to get your game going, all these grappling techniques are of no avail.

Fair enough, the good ones, who make it to the top, probably know how to handle their opponents.

Concerning the competition: well, let us wait and see how he will do, when the top talents born between '97-'00 (Kotonowaka, Naya, Kototebakari, Tsukahara, Tochikamiyama, Hoshoryu among them) have reached the top.

Edited September 12, 2019 by Raishu

[Tochinofuji 377]

1 hour ago, nelimw said:

2. I've been noticing the crowd at these events has a great ratio of women to men. I can't think of any other sport that has a spectator ratio of women to men as even as Sumo. Has Sumo always been this way? 

Don't know about always, but there is at least a history of female sumo fans, particularly when there are promising and attractive rikishi (see: Chiyonofuji, Endo, etc.). For a recent article on the phenomenon:

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/01/02/national/sumo-gets-boost-avid-female-fans/#.XXpbplNlAwA

[Kaminariyuki 498]

8 hours ago, robnplunder said:

Takakiesho is 5-0.  Who'd have thought that start?    He's half way to getting his Ozeki rank back.   With Takayasu & Hak out, Takakeisho may just do it.   100 yen says he gets at least 10 wins.

Yusho, baby. At least he's my favorite at the 1/3 mark.

Although it's hard for me to count out, Goeido and Kakuryu, and yes, I've not yet written off my mid-Megashira boy, Enho. I'll squeal with the girls if Enho were to actually pull off that miracle.

[dada78641 884]

Just a pic of the zabuton flying after Asanoyama got his first kinboshi:

[Sumo_da 34]

Even if Taka leads 9-0 as the sole leader I will still not be joining the yusho talk. To me the only thing that matters is that he gets 10 wins, everything else will be the cherry on top.
Goeido and Kakuryu have slipped once but they still look very sharp so far, the latter is still the one I'd put my money on.

[Rainoyama 1,157]

7 hours ago, Jakusotsu said:

Takakeisho heavier than Hokutofuji?? Not in my world...

Edit: Ok, I've just checked on NattoSumo's video where Takakeisho is listed at 169kg and Hokutofuji at 161kg. Still not my world...

I only translated on the fly what he said and just like you I went to check. I knew Takakeisho was heavier but I expected an even bigger difference because of that quote. The thing is he was not only talking just the weight but also about the impact and power as well. Hokutofuji is lively but lacks raw power sometimes and Takakeisho always hits hard.

On that particular topic, I didn't have the time to translate it but Oguruma oyakata also analysed one of Takakeisho's bout (sadly I can't remember if it was the same bout against Hokutofuji today or the one against Tomokaze) and explained why Takakeisho's oshi was much better. He said that Takakeisho's oshi attack consists on powerful strikes with the palms of his hands and with the arms only going forward while the overpowered opponent's oshi strikes were coming from the sides and therefore were far less effective.

[Kaninoyama 1,713]

3 hours ago, Rainoyama said:

I only translated on the fly what he said and just like you I went to check. I knew Takakeisho was heavier but I expected an even bigger difference because of that quote. The thing is he was not only talking just the weight but also about the impact and power as well. Hokutofuji is lively but lacks raw power sometimes and Takakeisho always hits hard.

On that particular topic, I didn't have the time to translate it but Oguruma oyakata also analysed one of Takakeisho's bout (sadly I can't remember if it was the same bout against Hokutofuji today or the one against Tomokaze) and explained why Takakeisho's oshi was much better. He said that Takakeisho's oshi attack consists on powerful strikes with the palms of his hands and with the arms only going forward while the overpowered opponent's oshi strikes were coming from the sides and therefore were far less effective.

It was the Tomokaze bout, on the day he was doing the NHK broadcast. I believe he was speaking about the difference between the two's oshi in general, but also specifically about the actual bout. In their match, Takakeisho got the early jump at tachiai and dominated Tomokaze with powerful thrusts. Tomokaze tried to counter, but in the slow motion replay analysis, Ogurama pointed out that Tomo could only ineffectively flail from side to side. 

[Ack! 453]

10 hours ago, Dwale said:

Aoiyama tends to crumple against the sanyaku, but it wouldn't surprise me if he's got an old injury acting up on top of that.

If Aoiyama is nursing an injury, does that him Owie-yama?

Not so bold prediction: Okinoumi will NOT take the yusho.

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

4 hours ago, Ack! said:

If Aoiyama is nursing an injury, does that him Owie-yama?

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Now 3-0 Chiyotori easily overpowers 2-1 Hoshoryu. Naya (1-2) finally gets that elusive first win.

Edited September 13, 2019 by Otokonoyama

[Rainoyama 1,157]

Kaisei won today but his injury is not healing at all, no surprise there as he is still showing up every day aggravating it even more. He is 4-2  but I think the end of the line is close for him.

[Eikokurai 3,437]

This is awesome. My wife dragged me to some town outside Shanghai for the weekend. Nothing to do, but they’ve got the Japanese NHK, not NHK World, on the TV in my hotel, so I’m chilling on the bed about to watch Onosho against Daishoho. This might turn out a better trip than I expected! Enho is up next. 

Update: My wife has now watched her first sumo bout and I think she’s now an Enho fan. Great introduction to the sport! She even shows an aptitude for bout analysis, which surprises me. 

Edited September 13, 2019 by Eikokurai

[Kaninoyama 1,713]

Enho the whirling dervish does it again.

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Just now, Kaninoyama said:

Enho the whirling dervish does it again.

[Akinomaki 40,098]

9 wins more for each and we have the Enho-Ishiura bout

- assuming they'd both face the now 5-0/ 4-1 to have them end at 13-2 or less - else the 2 might drop out in the ketteisen before meeting each other

 

[Kaninoyama 1,713]

Meisei quietly putting together an impressive basho. Almost daily on the NHK broadcasts, the announcers have been commenting that he was a standout during Natsu jungyo, and that even some of the other rikishi have remarked that Meisei is a guy to watch out for this basho. 

[Rainoyama 1,157]

Tomokaze's three wins so far are all via Hatakikomi, actually 7 of his 8 most recent wins are... With his body you'd think he'd do forward sumo more often but no he's just turning into Takekaze but bigger.

[Taikoubana 143]

Looks like Mita's finally finding the pep in his step again. If that spirit lasts through the second half of the basho I'll be surprised, but pleasantly so.

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

3 minutes ago, Taikoubana said:

Looks like Mita's finally finding the pep in his step again. If that spirit lasts through the second half of the basho I'll be surprised, but pleasantly so.

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

3 hours ago, Otokonoyama said:

Now 3-0 Chiyotori easily overpowers 2-1 Hoshoryu. Naya (1-2) finally gets that elusive first win.

 

[rhyen 1,823]

Did anyone just see Tamajiro fall off the dohyo?

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Gyoji down, took a nosedive off the dohyo running and looking over his shoulder...

[Kaninoyama 1,713]

1 minute ago, rhyen said:

Did anyone just see Tamajiro fall off the dohyo?

Yet he got up and kept his eyes on the match till the end like a true pro.

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Shikimori Inosuke stepped up to cover the call...

Then stepped back down as Tamajiro rushed back to call the winner.

Edited September 13, 2019 by Otokonoyama