2019 Kyushu Basho Discussion (spoiler alert)

[Morty 1,495]

I wonder of part of the reason for four Komosubi this basho (apart from the fact that performances demanded it) was the injury status of most of the rest of the Sanyaku? Knowing that all of the Ozeki, one Yokozuna and one Sekiwake were going in with serious injuries and were likely to drop out might have helped them make that decision, so they would have enough people in the Sanyaku ranks to allow a reasonable schedule to be maintained in the second week.

[Eikokurai 3,437]

2 hours ago, Morty said:

I wonder of part of the reason for four Komosubi this basho (apart from the fact that performances demanded it) was the injury status of most of the rest of the Sanyaku? Knowing that all of the Ozeki, one Yokozuna and one Sekiwake were going in with serious injuries and were likely to drop out might have helped them make that decision, so they would have enough people in the Sanyaku ranks to allow a reasonable schedule to be maintained in the second week.

Yes, I have that feeling too. I’m looking forward to the all-sanyaku basho of the future.

[Dapeng 235]

21 minutes ago, Eikokurai said:

Yes, I have that feeling too. I’m looking forward to the all-sanyaku basho of the future.

The reason for so many injured rikishi, I think, is that the NSK does not let rikishi to rest between bashos. The NSK definitely should reduce the between-basho exhibitions. 

[cyclonicleo 19]

A couple of random thoughts:

* Mitakuemi is concussed. He has to be. There's no other reason I can think of that sees him perform so poorly after a knock on the head. He really needs to go kyujo now because the more blows he takes, damage far worse the damage will be to his brain long term.

* Terutsuyoshi needs to stop throwing so much damn salt! It's no wonder that he's not getting any grip in the dohyo - he's slipping on his own salt!

* Watching Takayasu fight and favor his left side is heartbreaking to see. I give him credit for wanting to save his rank but he's going to have someone yank on that left arm and tear the pec even more.

* Is it me or is Shohozan engaging more in boxing matches than actual bouts now. Those slaps pack some power and he's had a couple of rikishi virtually knocked out on their feet already.

* Takakeisho - what has happened to him? Where is his vigor?

[Kaninoyama 1,797]

6 minutes ago, cyclonicleo said:

* Takakeisho - what has happened to him? Where is his vigor?

Not fully recovered from his injury + unable to train fully leading up to the tourney. If he secures his eight wins it'll be a successful basho for him. 

[robnplunder 975]

7 minutes ago, cyclonicleo said:

* Terutsuyoshi needs to stop throwing so much damn salt! It's no wonder that he's not getting any grip in the dohyo - he's slipping on his own salt!
 

I think his family is in salt business ....    Ura just grabs a few pinch and spreads just in front of his feet.  Enho does a bit more, perhaps about half a dozen pinch.   But I agree that the salt may make things worse.   

[Morty 1,495]

26 minutes ago, cyclonicleo said:

* Terutsuyoshi needs to stop throwing so much damn salt! It's no wonder that he's not getting any grip in the dohyo - he's slipping on his own salt!

 

Frankly this is one of my absolute favourite bits of each basho. I love the guys who throw the big handfuls of salt. And both he and his opponent have to deal with it.

[robnplunder 975]

1 hour ago, Morty said:

Frankly this is one of my absolute favourite bits of each basho. I love the guys who throw the big handfuls of salt. And both he and his opponent have to deal with it.

It was fun for the 1st few times I've seen it.   I can't wait to see Terutsuyoshi vs Ura salt throwing scene.   For that to happen, Ura must climb up the ladder.

Edited November 16, 2019 by robnplunder

[Akinomaki 40,594]

21 hours ago, Nantonoyama said:

Yes, that is what happened in Aki 1981.

But if for some reason the yokozuna retire as well and there is only 1 (Y+O) remaining, I wonder what they will do... promote to ozeki the next-in-line? The best-of-the-other-guys?

The rule states that there have to be 2 in every sanyaku rank (yokozuna technically is just an ozeki with extra privileges), so, who would be sekiwake east on the next banzuke, if there were 2 in the ranks above, automatically becomes ozeki west - but they might have a few options for the one they want to put into that virtual sekiwake east position.

Edit: with not being on the torikumi of day 8, now Tochinoshin officially can't reach 10 wins anymore and his drop from ozeki is permanent - likewise the kadoban of Goeido next basho

Edited November 16, 2019 by Akinomaki

[Akinomaki 40,594]

On 15/11/2019 at 07:49, Akinomaki said:

The spectators were mean to Shikimori Kindayu: they applauded way into his "nakairi" call for the final juryo bout, the highlight for a low makuuchi gyoji in juryo and the first time I saw him do it. But after Kindayu finished the nakairi call he got nearly none of the customary applause - they applauded just for Ikioi

Today Kindayu got the applause he deserves for the nakairi fure - and he was much better at it than yesterday: there his voice nearly faltered - seemed like the nervousness at a new experience, but he is Kindayu and makuuchi gyoji since Hatsu 2014 and from Tsubota-sensei's fure page above apparently has done it before - maybe years ago.

Edited November 16, 2019 by Akinomaki

[robnplunder 975]

Mitakeumi wins!   I think he can take care of Aoiyama to square his record tomorrow.

 

Wow, that's what I call a roll over!   Good win by Takayasu.   He still looks to have no lower body strength.

Edited November 16, 2019 by robnplunder

[Kaninoyama 1,797]

Takayasu looking more like his normal self with a convincing win over Tamawashi. Takakeisho likewise.

Edited November 16, 2019 by Kaninoyama

[Morty 1,495]

Both Takayasu and Hakuho pretty fired up today. 

The Endo - Ryuden bout was really down to which got the best of the head clash at the start. Both seeing stars after that.

And shout out to the journeymen rikishi who sit in the M1-M8 range for basho after basho after basho, year after year, with the occasional trip into the lower sanyaku or the bottom of the Maegashira ranks, but generally they just hold their spot and provide a decent contest for whoever they are facing - Shohozan, Okinoumi, Myogiryu, and Takarafuji turn up basho after basho and work like true professionals and always provide a decent contest. The young guns come up and go past them, the top guys lose their mojo and go down past them, but they keep keeping on. Kudos to all of them.

[Eikokurai 3,437]

I fell asleep at my computer and missed the second half today. Just caught up. 

Okinoumi showed good sumo in defeat again. I hope he manages a final record that reflects the effort he’s been putting in.

Daieisho looked completely untroubled dealing with Hokutofuji. I’m starting to wonder how high he can go.

Good to see Takayasu get a win, though his post-victory teabagging of Tamawashi was unnecessary. 

Takakeisho blasted Myogiryu off in two hits, wrapping up a positive day for the two Ozeki.

The final bout was another of those frustrating ones where Hakuho’s opponent makes the great man work, only to hand him a simple win by going down to a straightforward slap. It irks me to see someone go toe-to-toe with him, hold their own and then anti-climatically throw it away.

Anyway, it looks like we’re sleepwalking towards a Hakuho yusho. I suppose it’s been a while so it shouldn’t bother me too much, but I’ve been enjoying the unpredictability of the past year. I don’t see the rest of the sanyaku causing him much grief (Hokutofuji and Asanoyama have already lost to him) and it’s unlikely the chasing hiramaku will get the chance to close the gap by fighting him themselves. We’ll see though!

[serge_gva 52]

On 15/11/2019 at 06:19, Asashosakari said:

The main issue people frequently don't acknowledge is that sumotori are hitting the ground outside the dohyo in many different ways, which makes it different from any other sport I can think of that uses protective padding. Rikishi falling down flat on their backs, rikishi somersaulting and landing on their head/neck, rikishi jumping down with one or both feet, rikishi running off the dohyo with speed... I'm struggling to think of any specific type of padding that wouldn't merely result in some injuries getting reduced while others become more frequent. The minimum consensus might be those relatively sturdy mats they use for Olympic gymnastics, but I suspect those would do far less than people like to imagine.

When you say other injuries may become more frequent with a padding, at what kind of fall are you thinking about?

[lackmaker 437]

2 hours ago, Eikokurai said:

The final bout was another of those frustrating ones where Hakuho’s opponent makes the great man work, only to hand him a simple win by going down to a straightforward slap. It irks me to see someone go toe-to-toe with him, hold their own and then anti-climatically throw it away.

I would suggest it's a psychological thing. Even when doing well opponents are aware of just who they face and what he's capable of. Their advantage can simply evaporate as they realise the possibility of victory.

[Gabriel 13]

I would request some opinions about Toyonoshima. I Have just been watching sumo for a few months, but It seems to me that, first, he is very fat but looks surprisingly healthy, second, he si a great technician. Thanks.

[Churaumi 743]

He was one of those journeyman maegashira regulars for a long time, even making sekiwake. But he ruptured his Achilles a couple years ago, and coupled with advancing age, he’s not what he was. He has always looked like that, however. He used to be surprisingly nimble for his body type, but the injury took a lot of that away.

[rhyen 1,842]

9 hours ago, robnplunder said:

It was fun for the 1st few times I've seen it.   I can't wait to see Terutsuyoshi vs Ura salt throwing scene.   For that to happen, Ura must climb up the ladder.

Obviously, you missed Ura vs Asahisho in their a Juryo days. 

[Dwale 419]

Good defensive sumo from Sadanoumi, similar to the Enho/Takarafuji match last basho. People are figuring him out. Of course, some rikishi are so one-dimensional that they couldn't put on a defensive display if their lives depended on it...

Honestly did not expect Takayasu to take that match, and certainly not a last minute reversal of fortunes like that. I'm glad for him, though. 5 more...

Takakeisho definitely ate his wheaties this morning, holy crap! That was like Akebono power, but from a decidedly un-Akebono body.

[Kotogouryuu 131]

Enho jumping straight back up looked like there was a glitch in the animation engine.

[Yubinhaad 11,710]

9 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

Today Kindayu got the applause he deserves for the nakairi fure - and he was much better at it than yesterday: there his voice nearly faltered - seemed like the nervousness at a new experience, but he is Kindayu and makuuchi gyoji since Hatsu 2014 and from Tsubota-sensei's fure page above apparently has done it before - maybe years ago.

He's done it quite a few times, this one from 2015 Aki is the earliest I can find footage of but he probably did it before then.

[Obana 331]

I am disappointed in Hakuho's post bout swipe at Takarafuji.  Not yokozuna like behavior.

[Benihana 1,929]

1 minute ago, Obana said:

I am disappointed in Hakuho's post bout swipe at Takarafuji.  Not yokozuna like behavior.

Hakuho does that gesture quite often. Neither did he intend to hit Takarafuji, nor did he hit him.

[Dwale 419]

32 minutes ago, Obana said:

I am disappointed in Hakuho's post bout swipe at Takarafuji.  Not yokozuna like behavior.

I never hesitate to call out Hakuho when he errs (which is often), but he was simply engaging in a self-congratulatory motion after a well-fought belt battle. And that was quite obvious. Just like he does with his sumo, when Hakuho wants to misbehave, he doesn't do it halfway.