March basho 2021

[Eikokurai 3,437]

Fantastic sumo from Wakatakakage. He shut down Takakeisho's attack and never let him in. 

I know three days isn't much to go off, but it's looking tight at the top, with one Sekiwake at 3-0, and all three Ozeki, one Sekiwake and one Komusubi at 2-1. Only Daieisho is yet to get off the mark and that's because he's lost to the other sanyaku and Hakuho.

Edited March 16, 2021 by Eikokurai

[since_94 650]

Wa-ka-ta-ka-ka-ge! Wa-ka-ta-ka-ka-ge! Wa-ka-ta-ka-ka-ge! Excellent stand up sumo against”the wave”. That was awesome.

[Jakusotsu 5,876]

Rooting for a Kaisei Yusho now.

[pricklypomegranate 730]

Wakatakakage, you absolute genius. Last time he met with Takakeisho, it was a monoii decision I believe. He shows that his ability to put the Ozeki on the ropes is absolutely no fluke. Stellar sumo from him today. 

[Tigerboy1966 1,417]

Takakeisho looks a lot healthier now he's got rid of some bulk, but as we saw today he has the sameold problem: no Plan B.

[hakutorizakura 609]

50 minutes ago, Jakusotsu said:

Rooting for a Kaisei Yusho now.

Where is the ridiculous prediction thread when you need it 

[Seregost 130]

Some "important" changes in the aesthetics. Chiyotairyu's sideburns have disappeared, and the blue mountain it's now...green? I thought that would never happen. Hakuho's withdrawal is such a pity. Of course we had great tournaments lately without  the GOAT, but I really missed him anyway. I love his killer look before the bouts... and usually the bouts themselves. 

[Hakuryuho 334]

Of my four favourite rikishi Kakuryu never even showed up, Hakuho went kyujo today, Hoshoryu lost, Takakeisho lost.
Can this day get any worse?
What's next, the roof of the Kokugikan caving in and the tournament being stopped or what?  

 

[Philioyamfugi 378]

24 minutes ago, Hakuryuho said:

Of my four favourite rikishi Kakuryu never even showed up, Hakuho went kyujo today, Hoshoryu lost, Takakeisho lost.
Can this day get any worse?
What's next, the roof of the Kokugikan caving in and the tournament being stopped or what?  

 

And Akiseyama lost :( 

[Tigerboy1966 1,417]

Looking down the wrong end of the telescope, Terunofuji needs to lose five times to avoid being promoted to ozeki. If he tries really hard he might drop a bout to Takayasu and just possibly Ichinojo, but I can't see were the other three losses are going to come from.

[Seiyashi 4,072]

17 minutes ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

Looking down the wrong end of the telescope, Terunofuji needs to lose five times to avoid being promoted to ozeki. If he tries really hard he might drop a bout to Takayasu and just possibly Ichinojo, but I can't see were the other three losses are going to come from.

Takakeisho could be good for an upset. And while history is against him, Asanoyama might too: his sumo this basho hasn't outwardly impressed, but Asanoyama seems to have gone all Kisenosato and surly with much better defences. The ultimate test will be against Terunofuji, and I'm sure Asanoyama will want to break the duck. 

[Rocks 1,807]

No love for Ichinojo? Always too early to predict much for him but it doesn't look like he'll be facing any really little guys this basho which are the ones he gets lazy against. Still, looking at the makeup of upper maegashira I like his chances to have a very good basho. 

[Tigerboy1966 1,417]

1 hour ago, Seiyashi said:

Asanoyama might too: his sumo this basho hasn't outwardly impressed

No kidding. Asanoyama has looked bloody awful so far. Takarafuji just charged in low and fell down on day 1, and today Hokutofuji looked to be completely dominating before he... err...  fell down. With that kind of luck Asanoyama might beat Terunofuji but I can't see lightning striking the same spot again. Asanoyama just breaks my heart, he is 100% my kind of wrestler, and I bought a first-class ticket for the "next Yokozuna" train, but he has been so disappointing since his promotion.

Edited March 16, 2021 by Tigerboy1966
typo

[Tigerboy1966 1,417]

14 minutes ago, Rocks said:

No love for Ichinojo? Always too early to predict much for him but it doesn't look like he'll be facing any really little guys this basho which are the ones he gets lazy against. Still, looking at the makeup of upper maegashira I like his chances to have a very good basho. 

Ichinojo won't have to face any of the top men either unless he gets to something like 10-0 or 9-1. At his very best there are only three men who are better than him and two of them have already gone kyujo. Today against a bang-in-form Kagayaki he looked quick and nimble: when those adjectives appear in an Ichinojo match report you'd better watch out.

[Amamaniac 2,078]

2 hours ago, Philioyamfugi said:

And Akiseyama lost :( 

That definitely belongs on the list of Day 3 disappointments!

I know little things should not affect professionals, but I feel that part of the blame for that loss lies on the West-side yobidashi.  He looked away while Akiseyama was using his facecloth prior to the tachiai.  So when Akiseyama wanted to hand the cloth back, the yobidashi was not paying attention.  In all the time that I've been following oozumo, I have never seen such a lapse in duty.

Small things like that are enough to throw off the concentration of a professional sportsman, and sadly Akiseyama ended up losing.  I'm not saying that Akiseyama deserved to win.  All I am saying is that the yobidashi did not do his job properly, and should be reprimanded.

Edited March 16, 2021 by Amamaniac

[Rocks 1,807]

9 minutes ago, Amamaniac said:

I know little things should not affect professionals, but I feel that part of the blame for that loss lies on the West-side yobidashi.  He looked away while Akiseyama was using his facecloth prior to the tachiai.  So when Akiseyama wanted to hand the cloth back, the yobidashi was not paying attention.  In all the time that I've been following oozumo, I have never seen such a lapse in duty.

It's not his fault. It usually takes Akiseyama much longer to wipe down that blob of a body he has. 

[Yamanashi 3,779]

11 minutes ago, Rocks said:

It's not his fault. It usually takes Akiseyama much longer to wipe down that blob of a body he has. 

Mr. Sniffy:  Heavens, if we are going to fat-shame rikishi, what is this world coming to?

[Seiyashi 4,072]

1 hour ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

1 hour ago, Seiyashi said:

Asanoyama might too: his sumo this basho hasn't outwardly impressed

No kidding. Asanoyama has looked bloody awful so far. Takarafuji just charged in low and fell down on day 1, and today Hokutofuji looked to be completely dominating before he... err...  fell down. With that kind of luck Asanoyama might beat Terunofuji but I can't lightning striking the same spot again. Asanoyama just breaks my heart, he is 100% my kind of wrestler, and I bought a first-class ticket for the "next Yokozuna" train, but he has been so disappointing since his promotion.

That's a bit harsh to Asanoyama, methinks. His demeanour appears totally different this basho, and I'm theorising that he's trying a different style of sumo that's more Kakuryu-esque and reactive (of course two won bouts doesn't make a trend, not yet at least). Opponents of the class of the two -fuji's don't just simply "fall down", especially not someone with as general good footwork as Hokutofuji (if it had been Onosho, that's a different story altogether). If that's the case, it's certainly far better defensively than his old sumo used to be, even if he doesn't appear to be going on the initiative.

The final proof is in Asanoyama's bout against Terunofuji. He doesn't necessarily need to win, just needs to actually trouble Terunofuji way more than he has in their past two meetings.

Edited March 16, 2021 by Seiyashi
thanks @dada78641

[dada78641 884]

36 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

That's a bit harsh to Asanoyama, methinks. His demeanour appears totally different this basho, and I'm theorising that he's trying a different style of sumo that's more Kakuryu-esque and reactionary

I think you mean 'reactive', reactionary is something very different

Super sad about Hakuho dropping out. But yeah, if you watched the documentary you see how bad it is when they extract a whole syringe worth of fluid from his right knee. I really just want him to have one more good basho in him, one where he's at at least 80% of his ability. I'd rather have that than 10 basho where he's at 50%, so I'm OK with him dropping out today even though I was really looking forward to his matches.

[Akinomaki 40,098]

Hakuho's personal trainer explained that the knee got worse after the Corona infection. http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/20210316/sum21031615450009-n1.html

[Tigerboy1966 1,417]

1 hour ago, Seiyashi said:

The final proof is in Asanoyama's bout against Terunofuji. He doesn't necessarily need to win, just needs to actually trouble Terunofuji way more than he has in their past two meetings.

It's a topsy-turvy world when an ozeki can prove himself by being able to "trouble" a sekiwake!

[Seiyashi 4,072]

5 minutes ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

1 hour ago, Seiyashi said:

The final proof is in Asanoyama's bout against Terunofuji. He doesn't necessarily need to win, just needs to actually trouble Terunofuji way more than he has in their past two meetings.

It's a topsy-turvy world when an ozeki can prove himself by being able to "trouble" a sekiwake!

Not when it's arguably the weakest current ozeki against the strongest sekiwake soon to be ozeki!

That sounds like a title for a really weird drama...

[robnplunder 975]

2 hours ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

Ichinojo won't have to face any of the top men either unless he gets to something like 10-0 or 9-1. At his very best there are only three men who are better than him and two of them have already gone kyujo. Today against a bang-in-form Kagayaki he looked quick and nimble: when those adjectives appear in an Ichinojo match report you'd better watch out.

His back will likely tweak before he reaches the 10th win.  

Only the COVID closure will stop Terunofuji from earning his Ozeki rank in this basho.  Takaekisho will surely get the KK he needs to retain his rank.

[robnplunder 975]

6 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

Not when it's arguably the weakest current ozeki against the strongest sekiwake soon to be ozeki!

That sounds like a title for a really weird drama...

K-Drama title translated in English sounds like that sometimes.

And the sumo has been always topsy-turvey since the disbanding of the Hak-Kak-Kise-Haruma Yokozuna fellowship.   It has been yusho winner by committee with several M17s getting in the act as well.   Topsy-Turvey indeed.

Edited March 16, 2021 by robnplunder

[Kintamayama 44,658]

20 minutes ago, pricklypomegranate said:

Big news. We were expecting it, but still a bombshell. 

According to Grand Sumo International, Miyagino-oyakata reveals that Hakuho stated, "Nagoya will be my last." Oyakata also reveals that Hakuho's rehab will take two months post-op, so he is a definite no show for Natsu. 

Though Mainoumi has been very critical about Hakuho's sudden kyujo on Day 2, preferring instead if he had pulled out from the beginning, Hakkaku struck a more sympathetic tone, "I do not know the details of the surgery itself, but I do know that he does this for the purpose of continuing. I think he feel it can't end this way." 

Good luck, Hakuho. 

If they are quoting the Nikkan article, Hakuhou said no such thing. He said shintai, not intai. Miyagino Oyakata said Hakuhou  will decide his course of action in July. He did not say Nagoya will be his last basho, at least in this article. It can be interpreted that maybe he intends to retire, but Miyagino did not say that in as many words. Unless they are quoting a different source. I doubt any oyakata will tell anyone his Yokozuna (or anyone else, for that matter) is going to retire in 4 months, even if he knows.

Edited March 16, 2021 by Kintamayama