Haru 2025 discussion (results)

[Kaninoyama 1,817]

I was surprised at how fluent in Japanese Aonishiki seemed to be during his interview despite only being in Japan for a couple years.

The small group of Japanese sumo fans I interact with during the basho are impressed with Aonishiki but can't stand Shishi due to his annoying tachi-ai mannerisms. 

[nagora 88]

15 hours ago, Sumo Spiffy said:

A 13-2 will give Onosato more 13-win performances (top division) than Hoshoryu, and as many 12+. That's in eight bashos vs. twenty-eight. You may not think it should be the start of a rope run, but Hoshoryu's quick promotion isn't a good reason to be against it.

I don't honestly think either of them are quite ready for the rope yet, even if one of them actually has it.

[warusawa 9]

6 minutes ago, nagora said:

I don't honestly think either of them are quite ready for the rope yet, even if one of them actually has it.

Onosato seems to be more ready than Hoshoryu.

[Sue 520]

20 hours ago, Sue said:

I still want to see a Takayasu yusho, but mostly at this point, I'm wondering exactly how and when he's going to choke.

Well. That answers that.

[Seiyashi 4,108]

The wheels are really coming off this basho, aren't they. 

[lackmaker 438]

He is still joint leader and his main rivals face off tomorrow. 

But if he loses to Oho.....well.

As it stands there's plenty to look forward to

[Bunbukuchagama 770]

2 hours ago, lackmaker said:

But if he loses to Oho.....well.

I don't believe he will; it wouldn't be dramatic enough.

I expect a loss to Takerufuji on the last day and/or a playoff loss.

Takayasu knows how to entertain his fans!

[Jakusotsu 6,045]

2 minutes ago, Bunbukuchagama said:

I don't believe he will; it wouldn't be dramatic enough.

I expect a loss to Takerufuji on the last day and/or a playoff loss.

Takayasu knows how to entertain his fans! 

The Takayasu I know will lose to Churanoumi...

[Bunbukuchagama 770]

7 hours ago, junsan said:

I think Onosato (and Takerufuji eventually) will make really good yokozuna. They have something that Hoshoryu lacks: consistency.

Actually, Hoshoryu is very consistent, just not on the expected Yokozuna level.

So, the right way to put it is: he is not good enough.

[Bunbukuchagama 770]

1 minute ago, Jakusotsu said:

The Takayasu I know will lose to Churanoumi...

He might not get a chance. 

[Chartorenji 243]

2 hours ago, Seiyashi said:

The wheels are really coming off this basho, aren't they. 

Daieisho the only one exceeding expectations right now lol. This should be the basho his Ozeki run falls off, but he is setting himself up to only need 11 or 12 wins next tournament if all goes well. 

[hakutorizakura 643]

So, is Takayasu consistent? 

[Bunbukuchagama 770]

3 minutes ago, hakutorizakura said:

So, is Takayasu consistent? 

Yes, he is consistent in his inconsistency. 

[Sumo Spiffy 579]

6 hours ago, RabidJohn said:

If yokozuna promotion was about the number of wins, I'd agree, but it's about winning yusho.

Announcing Hoshoryu as tsunatori on the strength of a 13-2J left them no option when he put in a worse performance but won the following yusho.

Few would be happier than me to see Onosato promoted, but IMHO only a yusho should start an officially announced run.
They can always do a day 14 "yusho = promotion" announcement at the next basho, like they did with his shisho.

They absolutely had the option to not promote Hoshoryu after he won in January, and a lot of the judges were going in that exact direction. The fact certain folks threw their weight behind it and made it happen, if anything, shows how real that option was, because they had to work to get what they wanted (a new yokozuna). 

If a 13-2J/D can be part of a rope run, not announcing it is just optics. Anyone paying attention knows full well that a 13+ yusho would essentially guarantee promotion, just like it would have for Hoshoryu.

Besides, if they don't announce it, it might look real bad for their newly minted golden boy, because it would throw him directly under every wheel of the bus. 

But big man's gotta get his wins before we have reason to think about any of that.

[Reonito 1,518]

13 hours ago, Jakusotsu said:

Too bad you don't play GKA anymore...

The crystal ball still works 

[Joaoiyama 313]

This has been a very bizarre basho full of nonsense results. 

[Bunbukuchagama 770]

3 minutes ago, Joaoiyama said:

This has been a very bizarre basho full of nonsense results. 

Isn't it true for almost every basho?

[Reonito 1,518]

15 hours ago, Katooshu said:

Didn't have the best angle but I thought Fukuzaki was a bit unlucky not to have the first Kawazoe bout go his way. Did not see the foot go out until Kawazoe was already down.

He went airborne at about the same time, would have been tough to overrule the call.

[Bunbukuchagama 770]

1 hour ago, Sumo Spiffy said:

They absolutely had the option to not promote Hoshoryu after he won in January,

Many of us underestimated the sumo establishment's fear of a Yokozuna-less void, it seems. They appreciate Yokozuna's ceremonial role way more than we do; it is also confimed by their lenient treatment of Terunofuji as long as he was willing to do his dohyo-iri at jungyo.

And the upcoming London koen was just adding to the pressure; Hoshoryu was just lucky enough to peak at the right moment to fill the dreaded void. But the downside showed itself immediately.

Almost everyone: We want a fresh Yokozuna!

[Reonito 1,518]

8 hours ago, RabidJohn said:

If yokozuna promotion was about the number of wins, I'd agree, but it's about winning yusho.

Announcing Hoshoryu as tsunatori on the strength of a 13-2J left them no option when he put in a worse performance but won the following yusho.

Few would be happier than me to see Onosato promoted, but IMHO only a yusho should start an officially announced run.
They can always do a day 14 "yusho = promotion" announcement at the next basho, like they did with his shisho.

13-2 ain't going to be a J this time, though: at worst it's going to be a D, but even that wouldn't convince me to announce a run if I were Hakkaku.

Yesterday there was a chance that a 13-2 could have been a J, but I don't think they would have considered it an equivalent: finishing behind a maegashira who beat you in regulation is very different from losing to a fellow ozeki with the same 13-1 record on the final day. It's not just about the number of wins and the J.

[Akinomaki 40,753]

Only 2 more for Aonishiki to the newcomer kantosho.

Another win tomorrow for Kusano to be the sole all time leader in best start results as new juryo: with 11-0 today he pulled even with later yokozuna Musashiyama, who had the best result so far - but that was an 11-0 zensho yusho in 1929, in the 15 bout era Kusano is the best now.

Edited March 19 by Akinomaki

[Koorifuu 1,019]

The following went through my head within 10 seconds today:

- Oh, Mishima is next, nice! Let's go.
- Oh... he's facing a tsukedashi.
- Well f#(=, it's Goshima.
- Yeah, figures.

[Octofuji 368]

There was a funny moment in the Kusano v Tsurugisho bout in juryo.

Tsurugisho gave up at the edge but either out of kindness or misjudgement, Kusano stopped his bumpety-bump at the exact same time, leaving the big man standing there like a lemon inside the doyho. He had no option but to smoothly take one more step back and surrender the bout for the second time.

[dingo 1,293]

16 minutes ago, Octofuji said:

There was a funny moment in the Kusano v Tsurugisho bout in juryo.

Tsurugisho gave up at the edge but either out of kindness or misjudgement, Kusano stopped his bumpety-bump at the exact same time, leaving the big man standing there like a lemon inside the doyho. He had no option but to smoothly take one more step back and surrender the bout for the second time.

I noticed that too and thought it was really polite from Tsurugishou  That was one of the the most obvious admissions of defeat I've ever seen in sumo. 

[dingo 1,293]

Day 11 turned out really interesting. 

One could really feel the desperation in Mitakeumi's last ditch throwing attempt. Like he felt that's the throw that decides his fate in makuuchi, or even sumo. I'm being overly dramatic but I do believe everyone who says Mitakeumi will not stay around for juryo. We will soon see who's right.

Disappointing second half of the basho by Hakuoho. He can still get his kachikoshi but at the beginning his energy felt like he was going for double digits for sure. Now that has waned and instead it feels like the energy of someone trying to keep up with exciting newcomers. Not much success there today. 

All the officials at the ring were collectively sleeping for Hiradoumi's match with Nishikigi. I know Nishikigi is not the most exciting rikishi but come on... 

Daieisho means business. In fact he still has the yusho in his reach with only one win behind the leaders and together with an ozeki promotion attempt there's plenty for him to fight for. He's doing it really well too, calm and effective. It's turning out to be an exciting last few days!