Natsu basho 2021

[Amamaniac 2,079]

Listening to the NHK World broadcast today, Murray Johnson sounded like he was speaking from inside a tin can.  I suspect the English commentators have now been relegated to a tiny closed booth as part of Covid protocols... Sigh.

[robnplunder 976]

15 hours ago, Eikokurai said:

I’m wondering if Takayasu can spring a surprise this basho. Not being in the lead is less pressure than last time so it may suit him to keep pace with Terunofuji for now and not move into the lead with him.

I wouldn't be surprised if he takes the yusho.  I think only Terunofuji stands in his way.    Even if Takayasu does not take the yusho by "surprise," he can get back his Ozeki rank after this or the next basho.  

 

[Amamaniac 2,079]

Mitakeumi saw his yusho hopes start to slip away when he lost a close one to rival Takayasu today.  Takayasu stays one loss behind frontrunner, Terunofuji.  But it was sort of refreshing (?) to see Mitakeumi show a little emotion as he walked back to the change room.  Just before he literally threw his facecloth at his tsukebito attendant, he gave out a cry of frustration.  He then checked the replay monitor to see just how close he came (and it definitely was a close finish).

There was a nice pot on that bout (8 kensho going to Takayasu).  All Mitakeumi got was a bloody forehead.

But from his outburst, we can see that he really is trying to focus on another yusho.  But ... (insert same old story).

[WAKATAKE 2,671]

Ura will step foot onto the Makuuchi dohyo for the first time since Aki 2017 as he will be called from Juryo to face Kaisei on day 8

https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/202105150000501.html?cx_testId=66&cx_testVariant=cx_1&cx_artPos=1#cxrecs_s

[since_94 650]

It may be the beers talking, but these twilight days of his career, when I see Shohozan winning one like this at Juryo 6, I get a bit sentimental. Love to see the old guy still givin' 'er, as they say. I will be a Shohozan fan forever.

Addendum: Yes, Ura!

Edited May 15, 2021 by since_94

[Kaninoyama 1,818]

Oguruma oyakata, today's guest commentator on the NHK broadcast, just suggested that Chiyoshoma could become an Ozeki or even Yokozuna if he would only stop henka-ing. 

Might be time to retire him out to pasture. 

 

[since_94 650]

28 minutes ago, Kaninoyama said:

Oguruma oyakata, today's guest commentator on the NHK broadcast, just suggested that Chiyoshoma could become an Ozeki or even Yokozuna if he would only stop henka-ing. 

Might be time to retire him out to pasture. 

 

Or both of them.

[Ichimawashi 573]

Hiro comment of the night: 'he's fighting in one of the headline bouts tomorrow against Meisei,' craftily implying that Meisei is taking on three or four guys on Day 8...hold on, he just told us that the crowd looked like a crowd from the early 2000s, after the end of the Waka Taka era, when Wakatakakage retired....now a soliloquy on why the current crop of Ozeki (except Teru) should cool it and not try for promotion.

Edited May 15, 2021 by Ichimawashi

[Eikokurai 3,437]

Ura visits Makuuchi tomorrow for his first top division matchup since his injury. Kaisei is the opponent.

[Morning 85]

May he not get re-injured.

[Amamaniac 2,079]

1 hour ago, Eikokurai said:

Ura visits Makuuchi tomorrow for his first top division matchup since his injury. Kaisei is the opponent.

If you're going to tantalise us like that, best include a link ... like Wakatake did three hours before you! 

But on a more serious note, I'm liking Ura for the Juryo championship, and even a decent kachikoshi record will probably see him officially part of the Top Division again in July!  I'm not happy with Ura for his role in Enho's injury, but I still like him plenty.  He's about the only rikishi that I've seen who throws literally one grain of salt into the ring before his bouts...  

[Eikokurai 3,437]

5 minutes ago, Amamaniac said:

If you're going to tantalise us like that, best include a link ... like Wakatake did three hours before you! 

Well, I just read the torikumi and used my big boy brain to work out the other bit. No link.  

[Kotogouryuu 131]

11 hours ago, Amamaniac said:

Mitakeumi saw his yusho hopes start to slip away when he lost a close one to rival Takayasu today.  Takayasu stays one loss behind frontrunner, Terunofuji.  But it was sort of refreshing (?) to see Mitakeumi show a little emotion as he walked back to the change room.  Just before he literally threw his facecloth at his tsukebito attendant, he gave out a cry of frustration.  He then checked the replay monitor to see just how close he came (and it definitely was a close finish).

 

I wouldn't call that a close finish, more like an outright robbery. They were out at the same time, should have been a redo.

[Atenzan 1,084]

Hokutofuji's might be the highest quality 1-6 start I've seen. He looks very strong.

[Amamaniac 2,079]

35 minutes ago, Kotogouryuu said:

I wouldn't call that a close finish, more like an outright robbery. They were out at the same time, should have been a redo.

I've almost reached the point where I've stopped letting monoii decisions get to me.  (I did say "almost")  After a while, one realises that there are plenty of "should have been a redo" cases.  And then the equally frustrating cases of bad calls.  I think it was the Asanoyama v. Tochinoshin monoii in May 2019 that left me thoroughly disillusioned.

P.S., I agree that that should have been a redo, ... as does Mitakeumi, and probably even Takayasu! 

[Amamaniac 2,079]

Abi stepped up onto the dohyo and snagged his fourth straight win (that's a kachikoshi in Makushita land).  He's 11-0 since he returned from suspension.  Do I smell a second-straight Makushita championship?  Pretty sure he'll be wearing a silk mawashi come July.

Edited May 15, 2021 by Amamaniac

[Eikokurai 3,437]

Some excellent scraps today!

Tamawashi turned the tables on Tsurigisho, whose bravery hopefully earned him nothing more than the cut on his forehead.

Wakatakakage and Meisei both brought loads of energy, and Onosho and Tobizaru had not one but two entertaining fights. In the first, Tobizaru ate dirt and in the second he joined the third row for a picnic. That was some shove by Onosho.

Asanoyama didn’t look overly comfortable but pulled off one of the strongest sukuinage I’ve seen in a long time. It was even close to a yobimodoshi.

[Seiyashi 4,108]

25 minutes ago, Eikokurai said:

Asanoyama didn’t look overly comfortable but pulled off one of the strongest sukuinage I’ve seen in a long time. It was even close to a yobimodoshi.

He's got to do a lot more than that if he's to get closer to the rope, though. He has the most yokozuna-like sumo of the ozeki quartet but lags far behind Terunofuji and Takakeisho in the ability to assert dominance and the will to win.

[Eikokurai 3,437]

7 minutes ago, Seiyashi said:

He's got to do a lot more than that if he's to get closer to the rope, though. He has the most yokozuna-like sumo of the ozeki quartet but lags far behind Terunofuji and Takakeisho in the ability to assert dominance and the will to win.

Perhaps, but I think occasionally we can just appreciate a well-executed move without worrying ourselves with the bigger picture. :) 

Edited May 15, 2021 by Eikokurai

[Seiyashi 4,108]

8 minutes ago, Eikokurai said:

Perhaps, but I think occasionally we can just appreciate a well-executed move without worrying ourselves with the bigger picture. :) 

Yeah, he's had very nice sumo, to be sure, but it's mildly frustrating that it isn't going anywhere in a hurry because of his own mental hangups. I hope he gets himself out of the starting funk he tends to be in nowadays with that win. It's like, damnit man, you just pulled off a move like that, now can you keep doing it from the get go?

[Koorifuu 1,020]

I feel like Chiyootori's kuroboshi on that zenpai shootout is the final nail in the coffin for him. I expect Sanoyama-oyakata to become active within a couple of weeks after the basho.

[robnplunder 976]

7 hours ago, Atenzan said:

Hokutofuji's might be the highest quality 1-6 start I've seen. He looks very strong.

Yeah, he has been always looked good in losing, seemingly giving all his got.  I hope he goes on a winning run now that he is nearly done facing the sanyukus.

I am hoping Daieisho to slow down Terunofuji today.  That'd make the yusho race a bit more interesting.

Enho .... sigh.   Even his sole win looked pretty bad.  I think he will lose another one today.  In fact, I can't see him winning another match unless he miraculously recovers from his current injuries.  

 

[robnplunder 976]

On 13/05/2021 at 21:01, Kintamayama said:

I suggest we will see an intai after this basho. Okinoumi. I have nothing to go by except my gut feeling. He looks totally disinterested and even seems to be suffering up there. He just doesn't seem to want to be there anymore. The trajectory reminds me of Tochinowaka (the Korean, not the Oyakata) when he suddenly lost interest. 

Okinoumi must have seen your post.  He reeled off a couple of wins since.  To be honest, to me, Okinoumi always looked to be less than enthusiastic.  I suspect he may hang around for a few more years.

[WAKATAKE 2,671]

Kaiju is all about business today, although I picked K'Sho in most of my games to win it all. He's still keeping pace.

Tamawashi looking good, although that throw and Tsurugisho's landing eerily reminded of Hibikiryu.

Tough break for Takayasu, he needs to rebound if he wants to be serious about the rest of the basho, but he could throw a wrench in the race if he can keep his strong record against Teru going.

Can Ura complete the comeback? I think we'll get a good idea come day 8 against Kaisei.

Abi might be completing the comeback if he keeps things up, but I thought he was going to lose until Kaisho couldn't keep his balance.

[Seiyashi 4,108]

25 minutes ago, Koorifuu said:

I feel like Chiyootori's kuroboshi on that zenpai shootout is the final nail in the coffin for him. I expect Sanoyama-oyakata to become active within a couple of weeks after the basho.

He's very young to be retiring though; 28 years of age only. Is he that badly injured that he won't try to come back from the makushita joi?