Kyushu 2023 discussion (results)

[Akinomaki 40,755]

One more for Kotonowaka today: Tamawashi pulled even with him in makuuchi appearances (K.I of course): 9th with 1260 o

[Tigerboy1966 1,473]

6 hours ago, dingo said:

I've seen the future of sumo more clearly than ever today, and its name is Oonosato.

Onosato may be the future of sumo but it would be impossible to tell from today's matchup as Chiyoshoma showed all the ferocity and determination of a pot of yoghurt.

[Bunbukuchagama 770]

22 minutes ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

Onosato may be the future of sumo but it would be impossible to tell from today's matchup as Chiyoshoma showed all the ferocity and determination of a pot of yoghurt.

This is insulting to yoghurtkind. I've had yoghurts that fought for their lives more vigorously when I was eating them.

[Yamanashi 3,903]

13 hours ago, Kaninoyama said:

Is there anyone who finds himself on the losing end of more close, spirited battles than Meisei? 

Not since Tochinoshin retired.

[Yamanashi 3,903]

9 hours ago, Seiyashi said:

Is it some weird opposite basho where all the ōzeki are doing well and the weakest is Hōshōryū? 

Like a time capsule from early 1990's.

[Yamanashi 3,903]

1 hour ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

Onosato may be the future of sumo but it would be impossible to tell from today's matchup as Chiyoshoma showed all the ferocity and determination of a pot of yoghurt.

Shodai: Mmmmmm, yo-ghurt. Aaaaaarghhhhhhh.

[Jakusotsu 6,046]

3 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

All 3 ozeki on the banzuke starting with 3 wins last happened 26 years ago - Kyushu 1997: Musashimaru, Takanonami and Wakanohana

That's a bit of a stretch, because all 4 Ozeki on the banzuke starting with 3 wins last happened less than 8 years ago - Haru 2016.

[Yamanashi 3,903]

Tomorrow something happens which I did not expect would ever happen: Oshoma (J3w, 1-2) opposes his shisho's countryman, Aoiyama (J1e, 1-2)

Edited November 14, 2023 by Yamanashi

[Asojima 2,874]

2 hours ago, Yamanashi said:

Tomorrow something happens which I did not expect would ever happen: Oshoma (J3w, 1-2) opposes his shisho's countryman, Aoiyama (J1e, 1-2)

That has never happened with a Japanese shisho??? 

[Reonito 1,518]

19 hours ago, Bunbukuchagama said:

Wait, Hitoshi  is fine? They said he couldn't walk. 

He's "sumo fine." He was definitely favoring the ankle.

[Reonito 1,518]

4 hours ago, Tigerboy1966 said:

Onosato may be the future of sumo but it would be impossible to tell from today's matchup as Chiyoshoma showed all the ferocity and determination of a pot of yoghurt.

Chiyoshoma jumped early, clearly thought a matta would be called, and stopped fighting as he looked at the shimpan, but nobody budged while Onosato correctly eased him over the bales.

[Akinomaki 40,755]

3 hours ago, Jakusotsu said:

That's a bit of a stretch, because all 4 Ozeki on the banzuke starting with 3 wins last happened less than 8 years ago - Haru 2016.

4 is the unlucky number (of death) and is ignored in Japan

[Bunbukuchagama 770]

29 minutes ago, Reonito said:

He's "sumo fine." He was definitely favoring the ankle.

Well, who ever said you needed the ability to walk to do sumo? 

[Yamanashi 3,903]

1 hour ago, Asojima said:

That has never happened with a Japanese shisho??? 

Well, there are 4.35 squintillion Japanese rikishi in history, and 3 Bulgarians.

[And don't you give me that look, young man, or I'm turning this Forum right around and driving it back home!]

[Jakusotsu 6,046]

1 hour ago, Yamanashi said:

Well, there are 4.35 squintillion Japanese rikishi in history, and 3 Bulgarians.

The "3" made me check - Torakio totally escaped my attention.

[Akinomaki 40,755]

Abema isn't worth to have the sumo broadcast handed to them: while Insosuke is doing the kaobure, they show past torikumi

[Bunbukuchagama 770]

Great defense by Atamifuji, Ryuden really tested him.

[Hankegami 537]

1 minute ago, Bunbukuchagama said:

Great defense by Atamifuji, Ryuden really tested him.

I am absurdly impressed. Ryuden even had a good inside right grip for most of the match but Atamin sidestepped and sidestepped avoiding to get yorikiri'd out. I am almost in disbelief that he managed to pull a win out of that situation.

[Bunbukuchagama 770]

...and Hokuseiho turned into a pumpkin again. 

[rhyen 1,846]

21 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

The last 2 basho Insosuke gave his best, last basho even doing the kaobure on day 2 and 13, now that he has the promotion he's stopped to gambarize - no torikumi announcement from him so far this basho. Bad luck for Tamajiro - we only need 2 tate-gyoji if we have 2 yokozuna.

Speaking of which, I suddenly got a nightmare vision of a Takakeisho yokozuna dohyo-iri

 

21 hours ago, RabidJohn said:

I was wondering if I'd just seen a sloppy utchari from Kotonowaka when they announced it as osakate. That's a new one on me - had to look it up.

Unryu, right? I must have a masochistic streak, because I don't believe being proven completely wrong about him would actually upset me.

And deny us the mirth of watching him try Shiranui?

[since_94 650]

Takakeisho felt that loss acutely, as evidenced by his body language. Feeling it slipping away…

[Seiyashi 4,108]

I was about to say today's sumo was good, then got to the last 2 bouts and saw both Takakeishō and Kirishima lose. 

Still, Ichiyamamoto, Atamifuji, and Tamawashi is an excellent underdog card to root for IMO. 

[Hankegami 537]

My thoughts for Day 4, as usual by order of appearance.

Tamawashi keeps looking good down at M12w. Sadanoumi was not an easy pairing for him, yet he managed to break his left inside grip immediately and strangled him out in his usual style. Tomorrow he's paired against an unimpressive Tomokaze (well, unimpressive for Makuuchi although not really out of place). I can smell a fifth white star.

While the Old Fox thrives, the Young Sloth Oho keeps disappointing me. Today he showed a push-pull strategy against Kotoeko, which backfired spectacularly. This pattern of moves works for Takakeisho, but Oho just does not have his refinery. He should stick on pushing and pushing IMHO.

Going up to M8w, my personal Little Teru Atamifuji keeps filling my hype train with hoards of coal. As I pointed out a few posts up, he impressed me beyond imagination today. Both him and Ryuden went for a grip at the tachi-ai, yet Ryuden managed to break Atamin's grip immediately and I honestly thought it was the end for him. Atamifuji instead sidestepped and pointed his feet against the tawara, and sidestepped and pointed his feet against the tawara, and [repeat] until Ryuden finally lost his balance and fell for a hearty hatakikomi. I couldn't believe my own eyes.

Going further up, two Sekiwake sit at 4-0. Kotonowaka put Abi out of balance and pushed him out in a hurry, while Daieisho made short work of Ura. However, one of them will fall tomorrow because, well, there's Daieisho vs. Kotonowaka on the menu (likely the highlight of the day). They have a much balanced 5-6 record, although Daieisho leads 3-1 in their last four encounters (here). As many here in the forum already know, I am not particularly impressed by Kotonowaka's sumo and I smell a Daieisho victory. But Four Tits could well punish my hybris in due time.

Last line, the Ozeki. Hoshoryu got an easy 4-0 as Tobizaru thought it was a good idea doing a match on the belt. The other two dropped one instead. Kirishima pulled a Tobizaru and went for an oshi match against Takayasu. It didn't go well. Hoshoryu's balance between oshi and yotsu in this basho looks more convincing as a strategy at the moment. Takakeisho just ran out of gas as usual. Kudos for Meisei for resisting the Hamster's first charge despite a vicious redirecting slap from 'Keisho. Takakeisho does actually look good despite his loss, but his problem is that he cannot afford losses for his much stretched Yokozuna run.

23 hours ago, Akinomaki said:

Speaking of which, I suddenly got a nightmare vision of a Takakeisho yokozuna dohyo-iri

22 hours ago, RabidJohn said:

Unryu, right? I must have a masochistic streak, because I don't believe being proven completely wrong about him would actually upset me.

1 hour ago, rhyen said:

And deny us the mirth of watching him try Shiranui?

Unryu for sure, like his shisho Takanohana. I would actually look forward to it just to see whether the Hamster would try to mimic Takanohana's style: high split, down with the chest, right hand parallel to the ground and then going up. Kakuryu also did the same in several performances. His assistants for the ritual will be the oxygen-bearer and the sweat sweeper.

 

Edited November 15, 2023 by Hankegami

[RabidJohn 1,854]

3 minutes ago, Hankegami said:

His assistants for the ritual will be the oxygen-bearer and the sweat sweeper.

I'd just swallowed my coffee, or you'd be getting the bill for a new keyboard!

---

I'll add my share to the general incredulity at Atamifuji's performance today. The taped shoulder concerns me greatly, but the tenacious unbeatability (or unbeatable tenacity if you like) he showed today belongs way higher up the banzuke.

[Koorifuu 1,019]

What's it with young, unexperienced guys adopting the "let's give him exactly what he needs" approach while facing Daishoho?

There's two possible outcomes in battles against Daishoho. You give him frontal yotsu and lose (unless you're amongst the absolute best at it) or make him work for it and win (unless you're sandanme level or worse). We sometimes discuss Mitoryu as a bit of a double-edged sword - very strong in yotsu, extremely weak if forced to oshi, but Daishoho is like that to a much higher degree.

Yet, in quick succession, the trio of Onosato, Shishi and Takahashi was just happy to go for friendly hugs at the start. Onosato is good enough to have just barely overcome that not-so-minor blip after eking out a torinaoshi, but the other two got promptly steamrolled. And I recall that Hakuoho did the exact same, and ended up with a kuroboshi to show for it.

Are these guys just not taught any opponent-specific tactics? Do they just not care until they experience it for themselves?

Edited November 15, 2023 by Koorifuu