visitor_22 28 Posted January 20 (edited) Leaders so far: Kinbo 9—0 Chiyoshoma 8—1 Edited January 20 by visitor_22 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gospodin 191 Posted January 20 (edited) Well...perhaps next basho, if he can reach 12 wins in this. Edited January 20 by Gospodin clarification Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Akinomaki 40,481 Posted January 20 No sanyaku 2 behind the leader now - could be Onosato in the end to get to top ozeki next basho - and next yokozuna, if he manages to become more consistent (esp. no slump at regional basho). To have a yokozuna after Aki, an ozeki yusho/excellent runner-up result till Nagoya with a similar followup is needed - else there is no y-dohyo-iri for London. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
RabidJohn 1,786 Posted January 20 Unlikely hatsu yusho at the Hatsu basho was a thing for a few years, but the torikumi makers don't want it coming back and they aren't hanging about trying to prevent it: 9-0 Kinbozan gets Abi tomorrow, and 8-1 Chiyoshoma gets Kirishima. It'll be interesting to see how many sanyaku scalps they can pick up. It won't be none. Excellent sumo on show today in makuuchi, unfortunately not from the two tsunatori ozeki. Ah well... Hoshoryu can probably still finish with a decent ozeki score - and he is a decent ozeki. Kotozakura, though, will likely be kadoban. Fingers crossed it's not the curse (which is getting really tedious) and he can reset in March. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hankegami 537 Posted January 20 (edited) Ok, folks, we can officially panic. The Nephew lost it. He managed to be matador'ed by an underwhelming Hiradoumi, and we cannot even blame a henka for that - Hoshoryu just overextended himself on his second attack, what Hirado boy was supposed to do, be nice and take it? Most amusingly, now he's in pair with a surging Onosato, you know, the kid who was "doing bad" by Yokozuna promotion standards. Of course, who's actually doing bad is Kotozakura. I love Ura, but he's not the kind of foe he is supposed to lose against in a hug-based weight contest. But let's talk of the basho - there's still one ongoing, I am told. Kinbozan is terrific. He won a spirited bout against Takerufuji while staying most of the time on the defensive. Pivotal, I think, was Takerufuji's failed makikae thanks to Kinbozan's ottsuke, which let Kinbo free to upset him with a masterful kotenage. Considering how good is Takerufuji himself, I wonder how many people can put this Kinbozan down. He also has a huge gap on the other contenders. Chiyoshoma is the only one just one loss behind, but he looks much more beatable at the moment. He just beat Takerufuji, while Oho is waiting from his M3w seat. All the rest are three losses behind him. I admit it now: Kinbozan can pull this off. The tournament will enter in a new stage tomorrow anyway. Sole leader Kinbozan will be tested by Abi, while Chiyoshoma will have to deal with Kirishima. This is a most interesting pairing because their opponents belong to their same specialization as sumo wrestlers. For the rest, Oho will face an already fading Tamawashi (bad loss today, perhaps he ran out of gas), while Takerufuji gets a genki Ichiyamamoto. It will be interesting to see how things will fold out. Edited January 20 by Hankegami 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dingo 1,263 Posted January 20 19 hours ago, Asashosakari said: All aboard, please, the Daieisho 13-2 yusho train is departing shortly. Seems like the hype train was already derailed by a huge boulder... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dingo 1,263 Posted January 20 Shonannoumi basically shoulderblasted Tokihayate out. I don't think I've seen this kind of winning maneuver recently, quite fascinating. Shonannoumi's body weight certainly helps to use it successfully. Wow, Kinbozan is in an amazing shape this basho as he defends everything Takerufuji can throw at him and goes on to win confidently. 9 wins in a row... Just hope he can actually stay in the running and doesn't end up like Midorifuji in Osaka 2023 when he got ten wins in ten days and then lost the last five. Speaking of Midorifuji, he finally has something to show for his effort today as he hurls Mitakeumi down with a stunning throw. 2 wins on day nine is still pretty disappointing for him but this bout is something Midorifuji should be proud of. Tamawashi made it too easy for Endo. He's not kachikoshi yet so he should be more careful with his movement. Perhaps the tiredness is beginning to set in as he looked a bit sluggish. Shodai kept some of the inspiration from yesterday's bout with Hoshoryu. Although he seemed slightly less intense, he did enough to outpush Gonoyama. As always the mystery with Shodai is if he's starting another late basho kachikoshi run or is it just a short blip. Maybe he saw his ozeki glory days in a dream or something and decided to act on it. Oho with a great response to Atamifuji's belt grip! I'm glad to see that after two losses to the ozeki he wasn't disheartened and goes back to winning as if nothing happened. Did Kirishima have an itchy mawashi for the first three days or something like that? The way he's demolishing opposition confidently for the last six days in a row is staggering compared to what he looked like in the beginning. Too bad he already had his bout with Hoshoryu, I would really like to see this Kirishima fight the ozeki. Oh my Hiradoumi what did you do! Seems like we are heading for a yokozunaless Osaka basho as getting dropped by a maegashira 5 is not what an aspiring yokozuna should do. Is it a lapse of focus or pressure getting to him, but Hoshoryu is suddenly looking quite beatable. Meanwhile Hiradoumi is putting together a decent basho after a slow start. I noticed today that he did a quick forearm kachiage in Hoshoryu's face after the tachiai. Although it didn't seem to faze Hoshoryu, perhaps it helped to distract him enough for a pulldown. Ura throwing Kotozakura is not something you see often. The whole basho Kotozakura has looked light and easily moved by opponents. If he has a physical issue he should go kadoban seeing as at this rate he'll arrive there soon anyway. I don't even know who to tip for the yusho anymore. Both Kinbozan and Chiyoshoma seem unlikely so maybe between Oho and Takerufuji one will step up? A 12-3 yusho with a possible playoff seems quite likely. (after this prediction I'm certain Kinbozan will get a zensho). 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrGrumpyGills 133 Posted January 20 Lots of nice throws today Ura, doing non-acrobatic sumo for a change, walking away like a boss after casually throwing Kotazakura gave me a good chuckle. Love the guy! I also wanted to mention that I enjoy Hiradoumi's fierceness/scrappiness, he reminds me of Yoshikaze whom I miss quite a bit (among several other retired veterans). As for the next yokozuna - I'm actually hoping for a regular, straightforward 2 yusho back-to-back run. IMHO it doesn't matter that much that there isn't a yokozuna right now and the powers that be shouldn't be rushing to promote Hōshōryū, who still might not be ready or consistent enough yet. His run is pretty much over anyway after today's loss, right? 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Koorifuu 994 Posted January 20 (edited) 5 hours ago, Akinomaki said: No sanyaku 2 behind the leader now - could be Onosato in the end to get to top ozeki next basho - and next yokozuna, if he manages to become more consistent (esp. no slump at regional basho). To have a yokozuna after Aki, an ozeki yusho/excellent runner-up result till Nagoya with a similar followup is needed - else there is no y-dohyo-iri for London. Very possibly no Kitanowaka either, so that's a bad omen for their statements towards the '2nd Grand Tournament to ever be held outside Japan'. That aside... what a bout between Kotokenryu and Tochimusashi. It got to a mizu-iri, then a very competitive torinaoshi, which ended with evil being vanquished! Edited January 20 by Koorifuu 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gospodin 191 Posted January 20 54 minutes ago, MrGrumpyGills said: His run is pretty much over anyway after today's loss, right? Kisenosato was promoted on 12-3J / 14-1Y and the tiny difference of another 11 jun-yusho. So yes, especially how Hoshoryu was manhandled the last two days, I think is pretty safe to say it´s over for this time. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yamanashi 3,840 Posted January 20 Not to jinx anybody, but the three Ozeki at least have the advantage that they are uninjured. Terunofuji had a heart of gold, but he was in disastrous physical condition even when he was dominant. On the positive side, getting one or two of these guys up to Yokozuna might preclude the "will he go kyujo after day 3" worry. On the negative side, it's much more embarrassing (to the Yokozuna and to Ozumo) if one of them pulls a 1-5 and has to make up some sort of injury ("neuralgia, yeah, that's it, neuralgia!") instead of going 3-12 and turning into a kinboshi-mill. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kishinoyama 595 Posted January 20 After Kinbozan won against Takerufuji, the expression on Takerufuji’s face was priceless. Takerufuji thought he was going to win until Kinbozan got the arm and pulled him down. I hope Takerufuji keeps winning. I want to see him among the joi. The same goes for Hakuoho. I hope they can both get healthy and stay healthy. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Octofuji 357 Posted January 20 4 hours ago, dingo said: don't even know who to tip for the yusho anymore. Both Kinbozan and Chiyoshoma seem unlikely so maybe between Oho and Takerufuji one will step up? A 12-3 yusho with a possible playoff seems quite likely. (after this prediction I'm certain Kinbozan will get a zensho). Kinbozan doesn't seem that unlikely to me on current form, depending on how he copes mentally with the new situation. I'd love to see a ridiculous Kirishima 12-3 yusho, but I think it could be 13-2 to Kinbozan. Yusho talk aside, there were so many fantastic bouts today! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hankegami 537 Posted January 20 (edited) 1 hour ago, Yamanashi said: Not to jinx anybody, but the three Ozeki at least have the advantage that they are uninjured. Terunofuji had a heart of gold, but he was in disastrous physical condition even when he was dominant. On the positive side, getting one or two of these guys up to Yokozuna might preclude the "will he go kyujo after day 3" worry. On the negative side, it's much more embarrassing (to the Yokozuna and to Ozumo) if one of them pulls a 1-5 and has to make up some sort of injury ("neuralgia, yeah, that's it, neuralgia!") instead of going 3-12 and turning into a kinboshi-mill. As you argued yourself, getting those guys as they are now would become a charade of bogus injury-caused withdrawals (Kotozakura this basho), or kinboshi high season (Hoshoryu and Onosato again this basho). A Yokozuna is to be victorious, that's the most basic job requirement since the early 1900s (the first confirmed instance of this that I can find is Yokozuna Ozutsu explaining that Umegatani I advised him to withdraw rather than losing a bout). That's why they have withdrawal privileges. I mean, Terunofuji collected more Yusho than the three Ozeki combined while showing up just occasionally. I think we have to be patient (we must, anyway). The main issue with the current situation is that there is no generational change at the top. The end career of most Yokozuna is marked by withdrawals and poor showings until retirement sets in, but the void is always filled soon by a new generation. Also, the presence of more Yokozuna often masks the situation. Hakuho, Kakuryu, and Kisenosato all began start withdrawing from tournaments around the same time (2017-2021), but especially the first two often showed up at different occasions and took the Cup. This helped greatly to mask the proliferation of "surprise" Yushos in this period, until Terunofuji came back and took the main stage. That's just not happening now. Why did it happen? Some argued that the field has become more even than before. Other that new talents are avoiding Ozumo, and what we are left with is a relatively mediocre bunch of sumo nerds. My take is that yes, surely less talent are joining Ozumo, but also than many of them are going through college first. Until now, most Yokozuna came from either junior high school background (Hakuho, Harumafuji, Kakuryu, Kisenosato) or high school background (Akebono, Asashoryu, Terunofuji). They started young and sometimes also hit the top young. Now, our most promising perspectives are Nittidai graduate Onosato (24) and fellow record-breaker, Nichidai graduate Takerufuji (25). They entered Ozumo some 5 years later than Terunofuji did in his generation, which would explain the void at the top. I'm not saying that Hoshoryu or Kotozakura cannot become Yokozuna, but they're hardly the grand champions of their generation or would have already got the rope long ago. Edited January 20 by Hankegami 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yamanashi 3,840 Posted January 20 29 minutes ago, Hankegami said: Now, our most promising perspectives are Nittidai graduate Onosato (24) and fellow record-breaker, Nichidai graduate Takerufuji (25). IIRC, Hoshoryu and Oshoma came over on the same plane from Mongolia. Oshoma took the college route and did well, but hasn't reached the same level as Hoshoryu. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sue 508 Posted January 20 How many tsuna runs have ended in kadoban? Wow. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reonito 1,457 Posted January 20 10 minutes ago, Sue said: How many tsuna runs have ended in kadoban? Wow. Well, Takakeisho alone did it twice. 4 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kaioshoryu 63 Posted January 20 Kinbozan or Chiyoshoma yusho? That's about as far away from my hopes as humanly possible Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reonito 1,457 Posted January 20 In the 15-day era, only 11 men started 6-3 and won the Makuuchi yusho. It says something about the current state of sumo that 3 of them came in the last 3 years. The only instance of a 6-3 rikishi chasing down a 9-0 leader is Haru 2023, when Kiribayama won after Midorifuji started 10-0 and finished 10-5. Similar Day 9 arasoi, too: a 9-0 leader, one rikishi at 8-1, and three at 7-2. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Asashosakari 19,320 Posted January 20 (edited) 7 hours ago, dingo said: Seems like the hype train was already derailed by a huge boulder... Switching smoothly to a 12-3 Onosato yusho prediction! (He was my pre-basho pick for the best-scoring ozeki...) Not that it's hugely likely: Yusho winners who had at least 3 losses by Day 5 Edit: Heh, sorta the same idea that Reonito just posted about. Edited January 20 by Asashosakari 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
just_some_guy 278 Posted January 20 I have never seen someone care so little whether he wins or not as Mitoryu did in his match vs Shishi. What a monster that dude would be if he tried. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Katooshu 3,221 Posted January 20 (edited) The Hoshozuna hype seemed premature to me. Only ozeki not to yusho last year (since July 2023 in fact, in a 12-3 playoff), and he's going to be yokozuna in January of this year? Admittedly, I know there's more to promotions than that, but it felt like a weak case at best. He's really good, showing this time and time again with his long KK streak and regular double digit wins. His technical skills are the best in sumo right now. I definitely think the yokozuna potential is serious, even for a succesful run later this year. But January 2025 just never felt the right time to me, even if he delivered a stronger record than is now possible. Now, if rikishi got extra points for winning in style, he would no doubt be yokozuna already, but that's not how it works. Edited January 20 by Katooshu 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fashiritētā 181 Posted January 20 Mitoryu loaded up and failed on a throw, twice from the same spot , and just gave up after that, Shishi wasnt gonna fall for it a third time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Benihana 1,929 Posted January 20 (edited) Ach leck mich doch am Arsch. Es macht langsam echt keinen Spaß mehr, nur noch Lappen die zu blöd sind sich selber die Schuhe zuzubinden. Da kriegen die beiden die Tsuna schon auf dem Silbertablett serviert und verkacken so dermaßen, meine Herrn... Simplified version in english: Kiss my hairy ass. It's starting to be no fun any more, only wimps left, too stupid to tie their own shoes. Hoshoryu and Kotozakura get the tsuna served on a silver platter and ef it up royally, good lord... Sorry, not to be sorry, i'm pissed. Edited January 20 by Benihana 1 2 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reonito 1,457 Posted January 20 3 minutes ago, just_some_guy said: I have never seen someone care so little whether he wins or not as Mitoryu did in his match vs Shishi. What a monster that dude would be if he tried. He was ready to give up early in that bout, but Shishi didn't finish him, so he was like, I guess I better fight some more. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
