Hakuhou Ozeki run?

[Kintamayama 45,137]

According to Kitanoumi Rijicho, yes.. 12+ 11+10 wins are actually enough for the 33 win criteria, but the fact that the first 12 were at Maegashira 1 is problematic somewhat.

The unwritten rule is "three basho in sanyaku with 33 wins minimum". "It's a good first step", said Kitanoumi, causing speculation that an Ozeki promotion will be possible after Haru.

Edited January 23, 2005 by Kintamayama

[Mattjila 0]

Well, I think I spy with my little eye what the "zero ozeki"-style speculative thread of next basho will be.

[Jakusotsu 5,969]

A (jun-)yusho in Haru won't be likely to go without promotion, I think.

[sumofan 6]

No offense, but if you see how the last x O or Y runs turned out, wouldn't it be wise to just wait and see what happens, instead of making wild guesses?

Edit: this is my 100th post. yaaaay :-O (Blowing horn...)

Edited January 24, 2005 by sumofan

[Doitsuyama 1,185]

No offense, but if you see how the last x O or Y runs turned out, wouldn't it be wise to just wait and see what happens, instead of making wild guesses?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm making the guess that it's fun to make wild guesses. Wild, huh? :-O

But on-topic, I'd say Hakuho pretty obviously is quite different from the last x runs. He didn't exactly show any tendency to choke in crucial moments. He is just 19 years old, and next basho is his second basho in Sanyaku, and sixth in Makuuchi. He has four double-digit scores in five Makuuchi basho. This isn't just another remote possibility for Ozeki promotion, but very real. So, it's ok to discuss this. (Sign of approval)

[Araiguma_Rascal 0]

But on-topic, I'd say Hakuho pretty obviously is quite different from the last x runs. He didn't exactly show any tendency to choke in crucial moments. He is just 19 years old, and next basho is his second basho in Sanyaku, and sixth in Makuuchi. He has four double-digit scores in five Makuuchi basho. This isn't just another remote possibility for Ozeki promotion, but very real. So, it's ok to discuss this.  (Sign of approval)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I actually think Hakuho's youth makes him feel less pressure than the older rikishis, so I also think he will be less likely to melt under the pressure. Obviously he will have plenty of chances in the future, so he will not feel so much pressure. Kaio and Wakanosato probably both felt enormous weights on their shoulders. Maybe they practiced too hard and became exhausted or were too tense ao their bodies did not move well.

I think the same thing may have happened with that Japanese judouka in the Olympics, Inoue I think his name was. Some say that he practiced so much and so hard that his body couldn't take it.

If I may venture off topic, from what I've heard about the way the Japanese army trained in World War II, I think they may have trained too hard for their own good. Because if you are too short on sleep, your brain may become dull. Similarly in baseball, some foreign ballplayers from the US have complained about how hard the Japanese teams train. It's not the quantity of training, but the quality that matters, I think. Does anyone think this is true of the Japanese in general? I am sure there are exceptions, but I seem to sense that this is very often true.

[Asashosakari 19,331]

A (jun-)yusho in Haru won't be likely to go without promotion, I think.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Incidentally, that would make him the first new Ozeki who won at least jun-yusho in all three basho before promotion.

[Itachi 396]

I like to see a new ozeki every now and then to shake things up. It seems like Hakuho will be less disappointing than most recent ozeki promotions so why not push him on?

The only drawback I see is that the proportion of non-Japanese contenders is getting pretty high. I think it is vital that some Japanese rikishi get their act together and make a show of competing with all these outstandiong foreigners.

I'm not giving up on Wakanosato but he has suffered a big setback. It may be a year before he gets this close to ozeki promotion again and he's just an injury away from never having the opportunity again.

Other than the obvious Hakuko, who else could take a run at Ozeki promotion in the near future?

I don't think either Kotomitsuki or Miyabiyama will do it. Kotooshu and Kokkai don't seem ready to me (ok, maybe Kotooshu). Perhaps there isn't anyone on the horizon. Kaio and Chiyotaikai are fairly shaky. We could have a pretty sparse upper sanyaku for a while.

[Naifuzan 1]

Other than the obvious Hakuko, who else could take a run at Ozeki promotion in the near future?

I don't think it will be any of the currently established rikishis, but another from the young guard coming up. Kotooshu sounds like a pretty reasonable guess. Or maybe someone lower in the ranks on their way up. I, at least, don't see much ozeki material in the "oldbies" like wakanosato or miyabiyama. It's too late for them.

[aderechelsea 125]

the only one that sounds reasonable now would be Kotooshu but he still needs to convince more with his sumo.After the appropriate experience he should be ready for big things.

Mickey,Sato,Miyabiyama,Kokkai,Roho,Tenho, etc don't look good enough to maintain an Ozeki form for more than one basho...

Personally i want Iwakiyama to rise up to a level of Ozeki performances but he only showed glimpses of that possibility during his career ... i hope he proves me wrong.

[Jakusotsu 5,969]

The young aren't ready yet, and the "old geezers" will have a tough....

[eek! what's that twitch behind my ears? aaahh! the pain! no! go away! no! nooooooo!!!]

...buzz... (Sigh...)

Tochinonada for Yokozuna!

[Kashunowaka 300]

Personally i want Iwakiyama to rise up to a level of Ozeki performances but he only showed glimpses of that possibility during his career ... i hope he proves me wrong.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That would be nothing short of sensational. I am happy that he has managed to establish himself in the joi-jin and I think he has proved that he can become a sanyaku regular, like Kyokutenho or Tosanoumi. I don't think we should set our hopes higher than kachi-koshi next time.

[aderechelsea 125]

I don't think we should set our hopes higher than kachi-koshi next time.

exactly my feelings ... i just hope he could more like "Wakanosato" regular in sanyaku.

[sumofan 6]

It's not the quantity of training, but the quality that matters, I think.

you are sounding almost like the soccer players in europe.

they play 2 hours 3 or 4 times a week and think that they have to work hard. (Bleh!)

then -if they lose the WK or EK again on penalties - the coach says something like: we practised penalties for 3 weeks. after each training, each player would shoot 2 penalties. what more can we do? (Punk rocker...)

GET REAL (Hitting with chair...) . if you want to be good, you practise each day for 4 hours.

quality is obviously important, but there also has to be quantity in order to be of effect.

for those who might not have guessed: i HATE soccer. it is Belgiums national sport, and passtime no1, but to me it is just 20 grossly overpayed, underperforming primma donnas chasing after a ball, trying to get it into the goals that are guarded by 2 people doing nothing much during the entire game.

[QttP 0]

Oh, that can be said about any sport (except sumo, of course). ;-)

[sumofan 6]

Oh, that can be said about any sport (except sumo, of course). (Whistling...)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

for one thing, i like individual sports better than team sports. always been that way.

not only for watching, but also for doing.

if you win, it's because you are better. if you lose. it's because you're not.

no possibility to blame the team.

apart from that, games should not take too long.

men's tennis finale: 3.5 hours

soccer finale: 1.5 hours + overtime.

sumo yusho bout: 20 seconds.

[Doitsuyama 1,185]

for one thing, i like individual sports better than team sports. always been that way.

not only for watching, but also for doing.

if you win, it's because you are better. if you lose. it's because you're not.

no possibility to blame the team.

How romantic! And naive... Do really believe the better boxer and ice skater always wins? I don't... I still remember Roy Jones against a Korean 1988 in Seoul. On the other hand you could argue that Roy Jones had to come up against a team. (Whistling...) Edited February 3, 2005 by Doitsuyama

[sumofan 6]

for one thing, i like individual sports better than team sports. always been that way.

not only for watching, but also for doing.

if you win, it's because you are better. if you lose. it's because you're not.

no possibility to blame the team.

How romantic! And naive... Do really believe the better boxer and ice skater always wins? I don't... I still remember Roy Jones against a Korean 1988 in Seoul. On the other hand you could argue that Roy Jones had to come up against a team. (Whistling...)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

there are always exceptions, and there will always be wrong decisions.

during the last K1 finale, the fight was between Bojansky (dutch) and musashi (japanese).

now the only reason musashi ever wins because he has the ability to get hit with a sledgehammer and not go down.

after the 3 normal rounds, the jury couldn't decide, and there was a 4th round, and bojansky kicked the crap out of musashi. the guy was taking kicks and hits for 3 minutes straight, and still the japanese jury decided that it was a draw, so they needed a fifth round. even though it was clear to everyone that bojansky deserved the win. luckily he won the fifth round.

so you are right about that, but in the majority of the cases, things will be OK.

i am not naive, but just speaking about averages.

on average, the best man wins.

on average, the best team also wins. it is just that you can play the game of your life and not win because the others on the team suck.

[Zeokage 0]

That was a good fight though...

[sumofan 6]

That was a good fight though...

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

it was not bad, but kaoklai against might moe featured a very beautiful knockout.

kaoklai kicked him on the side of the head with a flying side kick.

in one of the matches before that, mighty moe punched a russian guy knokout with his right. that russian dude was literally lifted from the ground by a punch that almost beheaded him.

while this kind of fight is exciting to watch, it hurts like hell, and you will have a splitting headache after a knockout.

i have major respect for those fighters, because i would not have the courage to stand there and have my head kicked in from time to time.

martial arts can be exciting and satisfying, but prize fighting is a whole other sport.

[Naganoyama 5,911]

you can play the game of your life and not win because the others on the team suck.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes. It must be tough for Brian Lara, one of the best cricketers of all time, who nearly always ends up on the losing side. :'-(

He should be invited to captain Australia. :-D

[Zeokage 0]

After hearing my gran's brother (from Barbados) talk about the WI cricket team, it seems that the fault is mainly on Lara's captaining ability as well as the players.