Hatsu 2020 Basho Discussion (SPOILERS)

[Godango 984]

11 minutes ago, Rainoyama said:

Tokushoryu's yusho full Interview, I did my best but far from perfect...

He comes across as such a genuine, down-to-earth guy. I'd never really rated him in the past (I picked him to post the lowest score of the tournament in a workplace sumo game), but his personality and grit has definitely won me over. Couldn't be happier for him.

EDIT: And of course, thank you for the translation!

Edited January 26, 2020 by Houmanumi

[Kaninoyama 1,787]

I'm really glad the matchmakers paired him against Takakeisho.

Until the last match his whole performance felt like a bizarre fluke, but beating the Ozeki in the final match for the yusho completely validated that he was the deserving winner. 

I'm still in awe. 

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

 

[RabidJohn 1,787]

Wow! I was rooting for Takakeisho to force a play-off, of course, but Tokushoryu beat him emphatically, and thoroughly deserves his hatsu yusho. His immediate emotional reaction to winning brought a lump to my throat, too. What a fantastic start to the year.

[Morty 1,495]

That. Was. Awesome.

Tokoshoryu's reaction after winning was so genuine - he cried, his Dad cried, I nearly cried. And he earned it by making Takakeisho look kind of silly in that final bout. Fabulous.

[Philioyamfugi 378]

It really was a thrilling finish. Congrats !! Dreams do come true !!

[Sumo_da 34]

Three things:

Shodai looked so strong against Mitakeumi and to me he was the strongest of all contenders this basho. Let's hope he can show similar performances in the months to come.

Takakeisho lost again today but it looks to me like he is really going for the belt or throws in some matches. He is clearly trying to show that he can win in other ways than Oshi dashi and I think he is on a good way.

And lastly, I almost cried with Tokushoryu today... I don't think any rikishi in history could have beaten him today. For him this title win is the ultimate achievement and I think it's impossible to describe how much it means to him. He was going to be just another rikishi who's name will be forgotten in a few years but today he made is mark on sumo history. 

[Kaninoyama 1,787]

22 minutes ago, Sumo_da said:

Takakeisho lost again today but it looks to me like he is really going for the belt or throws in some matches. He is clearly trying to show that he can win in other ways than Oshi dashi and I think he is on a good way.

The thing about this is that in an interview just prior to hatsu basho, he explicitly stated that he was going to STOP trying to do anything other than oshi-zumo. 

My view is that when he gets into belt situations like today, it is a reflection that his oshi game is off. 

His kotenage throw of Tochinoshin the other day was spectacular, but every time he gets in a grappling situation it feels like another bad injury waiting to happen. 

Edited January 26, 2020 by Kaninoyama

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

Proud and joyful Kise oyakata is moved as well. Those two shots of chikara-mizu did the trick.

Edited January 26, 2020 by Otokonoyama

[shumitto 418]

Content-wise Shodai was probably the best rikishi this basho. With some aggressive sumo for the second basho in a row now, he is finally showing he can deliver. In fact, last basho looked more like the strong showing one has when the opposition is not so stiff, but his January record has put things into another perspective. 

When Tokushoryu was something like 4-1 I said out loud "Tokushoryu YUSHO". Everybody home laughed. I did the same with Okinoumi a few months ago so that doesn't really count much.

Anyway, Tokushoryu somehow found a counter-attacking sumo that worked. He moved forward as he used to when some 20, 30kg lighter, and when it failed - and it didn't against Takakeisho(!) - , he used his foe's momentum to thrust him down. Soon they will get his number, but by then he will already be a Yusho winner.

He was not simply an unlikely Yusho winner, he was very unlikely kachikoshi "getter" as his last two kachi-koshi in Juryo were far from convincing.

I am still surprised and happy for this guy !

 

[Otokonoyama 2,735]

The celebratory red snapper has been raised. Kitanoumi looks on.

Edited January 26, 2020 by Otokonoyama

[YoungSumo 93]

I really hope Takashoryu can keep this form up. Those wins against Kagayaki, Yutakayama, Shodai and Takakeisho weren't just flukes.

[Kaninoyama 1,787]

21 minutes ago, YoungSumo said:

I really hope Takashoryu can keep this form up. Those wins against Kagayaki, Yutakayama, Shodai and Takakeisho weren't just flukes.

It would be great if he could. 

However, his elevated position on the banzuke plus the attention and pressure that will surely come from being a newly minted Grand Champion will present new challenges that may be hard to overcome. 

Take a look at what happened to Kyokutenho the following basho after his own unexpected yusho. 

Edited January 26, 2020 by Kaninoyama

[shumitto 418]

4 minutes ago, Kaninoyama said:

Take a look at what happened to Kyokutenho the following basho after his own unexpected yusho. 

Kyokutenho was considerably older but had lots of san'yaku experience on his side.

The last one to clinch the Yusho from "Makujiri" (Makuuchi's last rank)before Tokushoryu was Takatoriki, who was 32 at that time, and as a former Sekiwake also had plenty of experience close to the top, but he too bombed after the Yusho.

http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi.aspx?r=18

[Nantonoyama 252]

Tokushoryu post-bout reaction was very moving, and fully deserves the yusho after this magnificent win over an ozeki. I am very happy for the guy

Out of the 42, he would be #41 (courtesy of Kotoyuki) if I had to rank the guys with yusho winning odds prior to the tournament, and it is truely refreshing to see that this can happen in sumo.

He is having the spotlight time of his career, I hope he will enjoy the celebrations as much as he can.

Besides that, I still think he will never make it to sanyaku, and this yusho might me his better card to get a kabu.

Well done, big guy

[Tsubame 361]

When does the Tokushoryu-Next-Ozeki-Hypetrain depart?

[Koorifuu 999]

6 minutes ago, Tsubame said:

When does the Tokushoryu-Next-Ozeki-Hypetrain depart?

I think you just threw the signal. 

Alright, I wasn't too happy at the start, but his emotional reaction won me.

[Catalin B 13]

Amazing end to this basho! I hope Tokushoryu does well in the higher M ranks, but who cares if he doesn't? Well deserved win, really good interview and moments for him and sumo fans to cherish for years to come.

Other things I would note:

Tsurugisho seems magically healed since yesterday and actually got 3 wins since getting wheeled out, securing his place in makuuchi. Not sure how to feel about this, as it serves to shut down criticism of rikishi fighting through injury.

Not the first time Onosho has a solid basho in spite of a poor run of results, 8 wins in the last 10 matches.

Takayasu finally avoided dropping further down the joi ranks and he might do more than stick around for a while if he can keep bringing whatever he brought in these last few days.

[Amamaniac 2,079]

M13e Kotoshogiku rallied in the last three days of this tournament.  He had what looked like a career-busting 4-8 record, but with three straight wins at the end, he walks away with a not too shabby 7-8 record, essentially saving himself from demotion to Juryo in March.  But more importantly, his win on the final day tied him with the great Takanohana with 701 Top Division wins (i.e., 9th place)!

He is now within striking distance of the records held by Musashimaru (706), Harumafuji (712), and Kisenosato (714).  However, moving past Kisenosato will probably take him at least two tournaments.

[Kintamayama 45,117]

Terunofuji, second loss and the Makuuchi promotion chances a bit dimmer : "When I lost yesterday I felt inside that my Makuuchi promotion would not happen. These two losses were caused by something within me, and not my opponents ."

Kotonowaka, son of Sadogatake Oyakata gets his kachikoshi from his highest rank, Juryo 2: "I faced rikishi with high-ranking experience. The fact that I did my own sumo and got those eight wins is huge. The quality was better than last basho when I had 10 wins.."

Kotoshougiku, ties Takanohana's record of 701 wins in Makuuchi: " I am thankful, and from here it feels like a prize for me to be able to face my next bouts one by one"

Kaisei, the only one to beat Tokushouryuu this basho: "Don't I get some prize for being the only one to beat the yusho guy?"

Ishiura, getting into a brawl during keiko before the basho:  "I felt thankful for being allowed to do sumo and continue training. I feel reborn and wish to return to my original intentions.."

Mitakeumi, second straight makekoshi, losing to Shoudai: "My tachiai was strong. Someone who is in the yusho race is different.. I'd like to get over this as quickly as possible and aim upwards!"

Shouhouzan, trying to get both hands on the belt, but failing and losing: "My hands were overextended quickly and they slipped out. I am a pusher-thruster so that happens sometimes. It's not that i'm doing half-hearted sumo, I'm losing doing my best."

Ounoshou, beating Goueidou for his ninth win: "It was exciting, and i was able to go about it calmly. During the first half of the basho I was wondering what will become of me but the last few days (4 straight wins) my results became better!"

 

Edited January 26, 2020 by Kintamayama

[Yamanashi 3,840]

6 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

It was neither matta nor a clean tachi-ai - it was a very bad and late tachi-ai by Enho and that immediately lost him the bout

He has gotten the benefit of the doubt before when he didn't have both hands down.  Now he gets clocked after having only one hand down.  Maybe someone is sending a message?

[The Fat Cyclist 31]

10 minutes ago, Kintamayama said:

 

Kaisei, the only one to beat Tokushouryuu this basho: "Don't I get some prize for being the only one to beat the yusho guy?"

 

That's funny.  If I were Tokushouryuu I'd send a good bottle of sake around.

[Yamanashi 3,840]

4 minutes ago, The Fat Cyclist said:

That's funny.  If I were Tokushouryuu I'd send a good bottle of sake around.

This is the ultimate irony of the basho:  Kaisei, Mr. "I march my opponent to the bales and get thrown", beats the guy who threw everybody else at the bales.  Sumo is the greatest!

[Akinomaki 40,487]

1 hour ago, Yamanashi said:

This is the ultimate irony of the basho:  Kaisei, Mr. "I march my opponent to the bales and get thrown", beats the guy who threw everybody else at the bales.  Sumo is the greatest!

Tsurugi.shoRYU underestimated Kaisei - all other times he knew that he was the one to be underestimated and won all those bouts. And for Kaisei - you don't get a shukun-sho if the winner you had beaten is lower ranked than you - than that one gets the shukun-sho himself, for beating all odds against him.

Edited January 26, 2020 by Akinomaki

[Gernobono 466]

2 hours ago, YoungSumo said:

 Those wins against Kagayaki, Yutakayama, Shodai and Takakeisho weren't just flukes.

I think, they were 

Can't see any bright future ahead for tokushoryu