How about a sumo thread?

[ursus arctos]

Perhaps it is only because the Emperor was in attendance yesterday, but I see parallels between the Throne and the National Sport.

Each is in an officially acknowledged period of transition, yet while the timing of that transition is known (there will be a new Emperor in May and the banzuke for that month’s tournament is almost certain to look quite different from this one), lots of details are still being worked out (including the name of the new era).

Barring injury, it looks to me as if Hakuho is odds on to string a number of titles together while a new set of challengers find their feet.

[Anton Gramscescu]

That's a big if, though. Hakuho has only competed in six of the last twelve bashos (and the four he missed or withdrew from last year was equal to the number he had missed in the entire rest of his career). Increasingly, he is staying at the top of his game by exercizing the Yokozuna's privilege of non-attendance fairly liberally.

(but otherwise yes, reasonable analogy).

Mitakaeumi has indicated he is well enough to return tomorrow (day 11). As a reward, the schedulers have put him up against Hakuho. Down in juryo, Takekaze has announced his retirement.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Chiyonukui lost to Ikoi and went down clutching his knee. It does not look good -judging from the replay, it's an MCL injury. In the very next match, Kotoyoki falls awkwardly off the dohyo and lies motionless for a minute before being removed in a wheelchair. Can't tell if it is knee or hip, but that seems to be two sekitori we won't see tomorrow.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Chiyonokuni almost certainly done for the basho. Kaisei, Yago and Takakeisho all lose. So it's Hakuho 10-0, Tamawashi 8-2 and absent the hypothetical bus, that's all she wrote.

[Anton Gramscescu]

One effect of so many people going kyujo is that the broadcasts run a bit short and NHK has time left over at to show the Yumitori Shiki live. (short video explainer here) One of those uber-Japanese ceremonies that makes sumo so great to watch live.

[ursus arctos]

I've often wished the highlight videos would include the Yumitori Shiki.

All in all a more engaging day at the top level, notwithstanding the unwanted prominence of the giant wheelchair. As we get to the final few days, there is a palpable increase in urgency and commitment among those who are not yet sure of having a winning or losing record. Bouts involving these guys are where the real action will be from now on, given Hakuho's absolute dominance of what is left of the field.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Kintamayama actually included the yumitori shiki today (start at 15:40)!

[ursus arctos]

Ah!

I've been watching the Natto Sumo roundups, in part because I welcome the opportunity to practice my Kana reading on the graphics and to guess the identity of their "special guests" (they had a pair of twins/sisters of a certain age the other day).

I see that Ura also re-injured his knee in Makushita and required the massive wheelchair. Not at all a good basho for knees.

[ursus arctos]

Mitakaeumi wins and the cushions fly!

Hakuho clearly wasn't expecting him to be a threat.

[Anton Gramscescu]

No indeed. It was a bit like his loss to Abi last May: if you can launch yourself at him just so and get him moving backward right at the tachiai he has difficulty recovering. Hakuho faces Tamawashi tomorrow in what looks like the basho's most decisive single match: - if he loses, we have a tie at 10-2. If he wins, he's back to a 2-win lead with three days to go.

Ura's knee injury sounds career-ending, unfortunately.

[ursus arctos]

A number of good angles of the bout in this video by Chris Gould (starting at about 6:05).

[Anton Gramscescu]

Holy moley, we have ourselves a yusho race. Hakuho finds himself turned around in more or less the way he did against Tochiozan on day 2, only this time Tamawashi didn't let him off the hook. Both now 10-2, with Tamawashi having the nominally easier run-in (H has yet to fight Goeido or Takayasu, which normally would matter but both are deeply mediocre at the moment so who knows?); Endo, Kaisei and Takakeisho now improbably all back in the mix at 9-3.

[ursus arctos]

That was quite remarkable.

Hakuho clearly thought that he had him out of the ring, but Tamawashi managed to pirouette and catch his opponent completely off balance.

This has turned from a procession into a dogfight, with a playoff now looking rather likely.

Mitakaeumi continues to be ridiculously effective on one leg, and Takakeisho's energy has yet to fade.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Takakeisho is a beast. Still has a tough run-in (Hakuho, Goeido, and one chump, probably Okinoumi) in which he can only really afford one more loss to make ozeki. He fights H tomorrow, and that will be something to watch - if anyone left in the basho can repeat what Mitakaeumi did to H, it`s Takakeisho.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Mitakaeumi winning three straight matches, including v. Hakuho, on what is essentially just one knee, is one of the most amazing things I've seen in this sport. He is now kachkoshi and will regain his sekiwake spot (assuming Takakeisho moves up to ozeki - if he doesn't, it gets complicated as banzuke-makers really don't like adding a third sekiwake spot).

Endo and Kaisei both lost, reducing the chase group to just Takakeisho. In the intra-Ozeki match, Goeido beat Takayasu, both now 7-6

And...we have a new leader! Tamawashi won a nothing fight against Hokutofuji to go 11-2. In the final match, it was Hakuho v. Takakeisho, the winners of the last two yushos against one another. Hakuho simply leaned over too far and fell on his face. Tamawashi 11-2, Hakuho & Takakeisho at 10-3.

Hakuho has lost three in a row a few times before (though this is the first time since 2015) but has only lost four in a row twice, the last time almost 14 years ago.

[ursus arctos]

Completely agree about Mitakaeumi. Just a remarkable performance that has the crowd very much on his side.

Whatever magic Hakuho had summoned to avoid defeat in his early bouts has completely abandoned him.

[ursus arctos]

Well, Hakuho withdraws with both knee and ankle injuries, which means that his countryman Tamawashi can win his first major title at age 34 by winning out.

He won rather easily against Aoyiama on Day 14 and will be a large favourite against what is likely to be a modest opponent tomorrow. Hakuho's withdrawal gives Goeido his kashi koshi, and Takayasu did the same as Mitakaeumi finally looked as injured as he is. So both Ozeki save their tournaments after very dodgy starts. Takakeisho won impressively, but needs Tamawashi to falter in order to get a playoff.

[ursus arctos]

So much for what I know.

Tamawashi got Endo on the final day, who has a chance.

[Anton Gramscescu]

It was always going to be either Endo or Abi for Tamawashi's last day. They're the only genki ones left he hasn't fought and you can't let a guy become champion on a walkover. Takakeisho v. Goeido is interesting. I have my doubts G will go full-out having already got his kachikoshi; often what he does in this situation is henka (speaking of - Chiyoshoma had a beautiful henka today. Obvioulsy you don't want to see them too often, but his was a thing of beauty).

[ursus arctos]

Yes, that was extremely artfully done. He even masked its essential henka-ness a bit.

I think Endo can pose more problems. Abi remains rather one dimensional.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Komusbi and upper maegashiara ranks are going to be a total mess next time out. There are two K spots open. One sekiwake promoted, one staying put. Here's what the upper ranks look like:


K Myogiryu 5-10 Mitakaeumi (promoted)
M1 Tochiozan 6-9 Ichinojo 6-9
M2 Nishikigi 7-8 Hokutofuji 9-6
M3 Shodai 7-8 Shohozan 5-10
M4 Kotoshogiku 6-9 Okinoumi 7-8
M5 Aioyama 7-8 Yoshikaze 3-12
M6 Chiyotariyu 8-7 Onosho 8-7

So, two empty K spots and only 1 rikishi above M5 eligibie for promotion with a winning record. So Hokutofuji goes immediately to Komusubi, but what happends to the other spot? So you a) let Myogiryu off incredibly easy and only demote him a half-spot despite a 5-10? Or do you elevate Sumo Elvis 6 whole ranks based on an 8-7 record? (My guess: it's Sumo Elvis)

Assuming that's the case, then the rest of the joi probably looks like this:

M1 Onosho Daieisho
M2 Myogiryu Nishikigi
M3 Tochiozan Ichinojo

(but really, those four are pretty interchangeable. All we know is that Nishikigi won't be at M2E and Ichinoj will be below Tochiozan)

M4 Endo Abi
M5 Shodai Takarafuji

Ok, on to the important stuff. Tamawashi about to fight.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Endo falls over. Tamawashi gets the win, the traditional quiver of white arrows, and the yusho.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Takayasu bests Kaisei in the Battle of the Large Dudes With Quite Hairy Backs. Takakeisho, the soon-to-be-Ozeki, loses to a surprisingly up-for-it Goeido.

[Anton Gramscescu]

And...the Sumo Association have now declared that they are NOT going to promote Takakeisho despite a yusho and 33 wins over three tournaments. I guess the view was that 9 wins in the first of those three wasn't actually a good enough showing. He'll need to wait two more months and put in a double-digit performance in Osaka. So forget some of what I said above re: promotions. Takakeisho staying put means Mitakaeumi can't be promoted (stays at K).

[ursus arctos]

Another victory for transparency (not)