2019 Kyushu Basho Discussion (spoiler alert)

[lackmaker 437]

4 hours ago, robnplunder said:

I think he had too many parties after the last yusho.   No Ozeki for Mitakeumi anytime soon, if ever.   

Well he could be still on a run next basho. And its not the usual tough second week for him. But he certainly looks below par this time out.

[lackmaker 437]

The early drop outs have left us with no all sanyaku bouts tomorrow.

[ryafuji 815]

What a sorry bunch of ozeki (and ex-ozeki) we have. Seemingly always injured. Worst ever?

[dingo 1,265]

3 minutes ago, ryafuji said:

What a sorry bunch of ozeki (and ex-ozeki) we have. Seemingly always injured. Worst ever?

Well it's not their fault that they're injured. I'd love to see fully healthy Takayasu, Takakeisho, Tochinoshin and Goeido kicking ass this basho as they are capable of. Unfortunately the injury reaper seems to be particularly merciless these days... 

[Dwale 419]

10 hours ago, Morty said:

Isn't he the Japanese bench press record holder or something? (I'm sure I remember reading that he was a power lifting champion as well as a sekitori). Regardless, I love his fighting style of just standing and absorbing whatever his aite throws at him until they slip up. One of my faves.

I recall someone saying he can bench more than twice his body weight. I don't know if that's true, but I do remember seeing him lift out Kaisei once, so he's definitely got power.

[Gospodin 191]

10 hours ago, robnplunder said:

I don't see any sign of that.   He's feeling his age for sure though.   In his 1st 4 losses, he just doesn't seem to have the strength to finish off the "bump."     He is still good enough to hang around in Makuuchi for a year or two.  That is my opinion.

hmmm...six months, maybe one year.

[Kaminariyuki 499]

17 hours ago, Eikokurai said:

You’ll find it less stressful if you only do that for the bouts he’s actually competing in.

Hai, so desu ne?

But, it appears he's starting to compete in this basho! Sometimes it takes us old-timers a bit to get going... 

[Yamanashi 3,854]

I'm starting to see the "dohyo degradation" on days 5 and 6; a lot of what Kintamayama calls "slippiotoshi".  And it looks like Terutsuyoshi slipped on his own salt yesterday.

 

[Benevolance 2,501]

Srsly Asanoyama? Couldn't step over the low bar of Endo? That match looked like a butsgari demo. Push, push, push, roll! 

[robnplunder 975]

3 hours ago, dingo said:

Well it's not their fault that they're injured. I'd love to see fully healthy Takayasu, Takakeisho, Tochinoshin and Goeido kicking ass this basho as they are capable of. Unfortunately the injury reaper seems to be particularly merciless these days... 

Other than Takakeisho, they won't get better as they are past their prime.  Even Takayasu is 29 years old.   It will get hard for any of them to stay on Ozeki rank.

[Ichimawashi 573]

On the topic of doing something to prevent the injuries, a new idea: extend the dohyo's basic shape so that it is a square overlaid by a circle that ensures 0.5m between the tawara and the edge of the dohyo.  Many of the injuries we have seen result because a rikishi is faced with a sudden drop on the spot where there is almost no space between tawara and ring edge, and there is insufficient time to make a good decision on whether trying to land on one foot is wise.  This would mean a little more space taken away from the front row and the side judges might need to move a bit closer to the north end to get closer to the dohyo, but would prevent many situations where injuries have often occurred if the bout could end without someone jumping off the dohyo to an uncertain landing. 

[robnplunder 975]

Why not put a metal cage around the ring?  Make it electrical wires so that lethal current runs through them.   That will teach rikishi to start and end their match in the middle of the ring.    Seriously, the current ring structure should be reviewed and modified to help reduce injuries.    IMO, Tomokaze's injury was purely caused by him landing on his leg off the ring.  I have no specific suggestions.   Just saying.

[Gabriel 13]

51 minutes ago, robnplunder said:

Why not put a metal cage around the ring?  Make it electrical wires so that lethal current runs through them.   That will teach rikishi to start and end their match in the middle of the ring.    Seriously, the current ring structure should be reviewed and modified to help reduce injuries.    IMO, Tomokaze's injury was purely caused by him landing on his leg off the ring.  I have no specific suggestions.   Just saying.

Mi posiiton is this: Leave it as it is now.

[Benihana 1,929]

14 hours ago, Eikokurai said:

Why not just have the rikishi wear the padding? They can be wrapped in soft foam or something.

Brilliant idea.

 

THE SPLIT. Who does it better? Enho or Van Damme?

[Kaminariyuki 499]

12 hours ago, Kaninoyama said:

This basho is turning into a slaughter for the Ozeki and those recently ranked as such.

Goeido is kyujo as is newly demoted Tochinoshin. Takayasu is staring demotion in the face. Takakeisho looks like he's going to struggle to get his eight wins.

There's a scenario, albeit unlikely, where there could be no Ozeki after next year's Hatsu basho. 

 

And maybe eight komusubi?

[Amamaniac 2,079]

While everyone was focused on Wakatakakage who was having a stellar debut until..., Takanosho was struggling with three straight losses.  But I am starting to respect the 25-year-old.  He as brought his record up to 3-3, which keeps him in the hunt for a KK.

But what I respect the most about him is that he is continuing to serve as Takakeisho's tsukebito in this tournament.  Normally, reaching the Top Division precludes having to be at a higher-ranked sekitori's beck and call.  But despite getting promoted up to Makuuchi, Takanosho is remaining as the main man supporting the star of Chiganoura Stable (i.e., Takakeisho), who is both younger than he is and hasn't technically been in Chiganoura Stable as long as he has.

Something tells me that Chiganoura oyakata doesn't want to risk giving Takakeisho a less-experienced and less well-behaved tsukebito for fear that it might negatively impact Takakeisho's performance (which sadly, hasn't been all that good this tournament).

Props to Takanosho for trying to help Takakeisho and his stable! 

[Yamanashi 3,854]

3 minutes ago, Amamaniac said:

But what I respect the most about him is that he is continuing to serve as Takakeisho's tsukebito in this tournament

What a great story!  But who is Takanosho's tsukebito?

[Amamaniac 2,079]

2 minutes ago, Yamanashi said:

What a great story!  But who is Takanosho's tsukebito?

I'm keeping my eyes open.  The only way that I can determine that is by seeing who is by his side before he walks down the hanamichi.  But NHK doesn't tend to show the rank-and-filers as they prepare to enter the stadium/approach the dohyo.  But perhaps Forum members with inside information might be able to answer that question.

[Kaminariyuki 499]

Nice recovery by Shohozan. I thought Enho was going to take him right after the tachiai when he was off balance, but he was fast to get turned and squared off to Enho's continuing attack. Would have been two Myagino boys on top otherwise.

Man, I'd like to see Ura's Jonidan matches...

[Katooshu 3,246]

27 minutes ago, Kaminariyuki said:

Nice recovery by Shohozan. I thought Enho was going to take him right after the tachiai when he was off balance, but he was fast to get turned and squared off to Enho's continuing attack. Would have been two Myagino boys on top otherwise.

Man, I'd like to see Ura's Jonidan matches...

Day 6 (wrong names on the screen, but that is Ura)

Day 3

 

Day 1

 

Edited November 15, 2019 by Katooshu

[Amamaniac 2,079]

On the NHK broadcast today, Murray Johnson rhymed off a Hakuho statistic of having the most straight wins against first-time opponents. According to him, Hakuho had 37 straight such victories from January 2006 to July 2016.  

However, I am pretty sure that Shotenro defeated Hakuho on their first meeting in September 2009.  Is MJ's data wrong, or am I sorely mistaken?

[Benevolance 2,501]

Hakuho beat him in their first meeting...in May 2003, long before Shotenro was Shotenro. 

[Amamaniac 2,079]

19 minutes ago, Benevolance said:

Hakuho beat him in their first meeting...in May 2003, long before Shotenro was Shotenro. 

Thanks for that info.  However, I always assumed that first meeting meant "hatsu kaoawase" in the Top Division since that is how records seem to be kept...  I guess that doesn't qualify in this case.

[Eikokurai 3,437]

2 hours ago, Benihana said:

Brilliant idea.

 

THE SPLIT. Who does it better? Enho or Van Damme?

Yotsuzumo is officially dead.

[Kaninoyama 1,797]

8 hours ago, Dwale said:

I recall someone saying he can bench more than twice his body weight. I don't know if that's true, but I do remember seeing him lift out Kaisei once, so he's definitely got power.

Having had opportunity to watch him train close up (like reach-out-and-touch-him-close-up) for the past four years, I can confirm that he is a beast of a man even among other beasts of men. A tall, rock-solid mass of muscle, and not at all fleshy like a typical rikishi.

Unfortunately, he moves how you think someone of his physique would move--stiffly--which limits what he is capable of, but yeah, he's not someone you'd like to make angry. 

Edited November 15, 2019 by Kaninoyama