How about a sumo thread?

[ursus arctos]

If he beats Takakeisho, I think he gets promoted. If he loses, the "need" is much less stark, and they make him wait.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Sumo db doesn't have the clips linked, but I have a similar recollection.

Hakuho is 21-1 against him, and the 1 was fusen

http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi_opp.aspx?r=1123

Thanks for clearing that up. Little Miss Sumo and I were both flabbergasted that Aoiyama had actually won once and were searching youtube for a clip that might show Danny winning.

Tomorrow is going to be bloody great.

Ordinarily, they'd never give Asanoyama an Ozeki spot even if he won tomorrow. 11 wins might have been enough if at least one of his wins were against a Yokozuna. but desperate times may mean desperate measures.

I am really going to miss sport after tomorrow.

[Wouter D]

Okay, so on senshuraku we get:

- a straight Yokozuna playoff for the yusho
- an Ozeki / wannebe Ozeki playoff
- a whopping eight rikishi on 7-7

[ursus arctos]

Enho beat Daiesho twice

Not the best day for the gyoji

[ursus arctos]

Sumo db doesn't have the clips linked, but I have a similar recollection.

Hakuho is 21-1 against him, and the 1 was fusen

http://sumodb.sumogames.de/Rikishi_opp.aspx?r=1123

[Anton Gramscescu]

If I recall correctly, both of the last two times Aoiyama faced Hakuho it was over in less than two seconds.

[Wouter D]

I get the feeling that this sort of thing is not decided so much on the basis of potential outcomes. The committee seems to have a strong preference for Darwin matches, where direct competitors battle each other. So the ozeki pretender and the barely-hanging on ozeki must battle directly, even if this may result in zero ozeki. I think that this is also why we see a couple of matches today between rikishi who are on 7-5; one of them will get their kachi-koshi today, but they slug it out between each other.

Meanwhile, Aoiyama made a big tactical mistake in trying to make that pull. The yusho race is muddy with a chance of playoffs; the Bulgarian and both yokozuna lead with 11-2, and Asanoyama, Mitakeumi, and Takanosho follow at 10-3. Tomorrow they match up Hakuho with Aoiyama, Kakuryu with Asanoyama, and Mitakeumi with Takanosho. If my math works out, this would still potentially allow for a five-way playoff; a six-way playoff is impossible (Hakuho or Aoiyama will reach their 12th win, and Mitakeumi or Takanosho will be handed their 4th loss tomorrow).

All this yusho run scheduling results in a reprieve for Takakeisho; he is matched up with M5 Onosho tomorrow, and avoids fighting Hakuho in this basho. Mighty convenient if you want to avoid going kadoban.

[Anton Gramscescu]

,,,and Danny loses to Takanosho, so immediate worries over. Kakuryu beats Takakeisho (dude heading for kadoban status), Hakuho beat Asamoyama (who now really needs to win his last two to make Ozeki) so we have ourselves a three-way tie at 11-2 and a great weekend to come.

[Anton Gramscescu]

if the big risk is having zero Ozeki, then you want to *avoid* an Asanoyama-Takakeisho fight, I think. What happens if Tak loses to the 2 Ys (and hence goes kadoban on day 14) and then beats Asanoyama to sink his elevation chances?

[Wouter D]

I think they're going to have the Takakeisho - Asanoyama showdown on Day 15; not only is it the natural thing to do with these ranks in the absence of Aoiyama cinderella stories, but it could also be a playoff between one Ozeki who is about to go kadoban and one Sekiwake who wants to stake a claim to an Ozeki spot.

Feeding Aoiyama to two relative high-flyers should suffice. Shodai and Endo are challenging enough.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Yes, he absolutely could. As with last basho, they have fucked up the schedule again. They didn't think there would be *two* stories they would need to solve in the last weekend - Aoiyama;s and Asanoyama.


Day 13: Asanoyama-Hakuho, Kakuryuu-Takakeisho, Aoiyama-Takanosha
Day 14;?
Day 15: Hakuho-Kakuryuu, ?

Asanoyama is Sekiwake, he pretty much has to fight Kakuryu on day 14. Then who does Hakuho fight on Day 14? Normally, the answer is obvious Takakeisho, but then that would mean Aoiyama could conceivable win the yusho without ever having fought a Yokozuna, And yes, Tokushoryu managed that in January, but that;s because the Ys were both injured. This is deffo ungood.

FWIW, my guess for the macth-ups is

Day 13: Asanoyama-Hakuho, Kakuryuu-Takakeisho, Aoiyama-Takanosho
Day 14; Asanoyama-Kakuryuu, Hakuho-Takakeisho, Aoiyama-Shodai
Day 15: Hakuho-Kakuryuu, Aoiyama - Takakeisho, Asanoyama-some random chump

I mean, Danny could easily choke - that would be par for the course for him. But the idea that he could win without facing Hakuho (who has *murdered* him every time they have fought) is just, I duno...bad for the sport.

[Wouter D]

Could Aoiyama actually win this thing? He looked really good against Mitakeumi today.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Of course every match he loses makes it more likely they promote Asanoyama. He needs to win 4 of his next 5 - with (I think) Hakuho and Kakuryuu over the next two days, I bet they give him chumps for his last two matches.

And c'mon, the Tochinoshin henka was good for a laugh at least.

[ursus arctos]

Man, there were some awful bouts today.

And Takakeisho is completely broken.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Plus a couple of weak performers - Tochinoshin and Nishikigi for instance - are starting to get their shit together. This could be a great finish.

The big worry now, I think, is that Takakeisho is 5-5 and has yet to fight the two yokozuna. A May basho with a single kadoban Ozeki seems to be on the cards unless Asanoyama can go 5-1 the rest of the way (and he too still has to fight the two Yokozuna)

[Wouter D]

Wow, okay, so Onosho of all people blows this yusho race wide open. After ten days, Aoiyama leads with Hakuho at 9-1, followed by Kakuryu, Asanoyama, Mitakeumi, and Takanosho at 8-2.

Ishiura wrecked the side of the dohyo.

[Wouter D]

Normally I am not following the Juryo bouts, but I was pointed at something special that Akua and Wakatakakage served up earlier today.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Both Tochinoshin and Enho had lucky/more than faintly hilarious escapes today. Asanoyma loses to ultra-chump Yutakayama (bad show).

Boss man leads at 8-0, Aoiyama and Takanosho at 7-1

[ursus arctos]

https://twitter.com/blobeecat/status/1239090078418268161

[Wouter D]

That dueling delivery service was amazing indeed. What was Shohozan trying to pull off? It looked like a suicide kimarite: bascially just falling over backwards, pulling your opponent on top of you. I guess that whatever he was trying, was countered well.

Hakuho looks unstoppable.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Saturday sumo was *fantastic*. So many good bouts its hard to keep track, but Tochinoshin's win was particularly wild/hilarious (briefly, the Tochinoshin Delivery Service in reverse). Enho is genuinely out of his league when up against san'yaku. Hakuho starting to look imperious again - I think it will come down to him and Asanoyama (who is looking better every day for getting his 12)

[Anton Gramscescu]

LMS and I laughed out loud at that...

[ursus arctos]

The virtual zabuton that Natto put on the highlights were a particularly nice touch

[Anton Gramscescu]

Still good enough to beat Enho.

Me, discussing the day's bouts with Little Miss Sumo "Hakuho is looking better everyday". LMS: "Hakuho is just looking like himself".

The Ishiura-Tochinoshin bout was seriously embarrassing. It's not just injuries anymore, there's just something mentally wrong with Tochinoshin, like he has forgotten some basic elements of sumo-sense.

Mitakaeumi beating Asanoyama was disappointing.

[ursus arctos]

Tachiai suggests that he reinjured his pectoral with his wave action attack on Day Three, which seems plausible, though there are no external signs