How about a sumo thread?

[Anton Gramscescu]

I have a feeling if he loses to Ichinojo today, it's over. But I've been wrong before.

On the off-chance anyone wants to watch live, juryo and makuuchi boutts are available here, from (roughly) 5:15 AM to 9 AM London time. Commentary is Japanese but It's worth it to get a flavour of the rhythm and sounds of a basho. Also, very good for learning how to pronounce names like "Wakatakatage"

[Anton Gramscescu]

Absolute carnage at the top again today. Takayasu was awarded a very iffy win. Hakuho's win was almost completely undeserved and the other four lost. Kisenosato's loss will generate the headline, but Tochinoshin's was frankly incredibl - he had Nishikigi in his left hand grip, both feet iun the air and somehow the maegashira managed to get a foot down, pivot and throw T out of the ring.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Lunacy. all three Ozeki lose again, making them a collective 1-8 after three days. Nishikigi - Nishi-fucking-kigi, FFS - gets his first-ever kinboshi in his first-ever fight against a Yokozuna, defeating kakuryuu and is suddenly co-leader at 3-0, which is absolutely preposterous. Hakuho won against Ichinojo, which means at least some things are right with the world. Kisenosato is now 0-3 after a loss to Tochiozan. That's nine consecutive losses going back to the end of the September basho, a record for a yokozuna. This has to be the end, it has to be.

[ursus arctos]

This has been quite ridiculous.

Hakuho is the only one of the top six to do anything so far, and even he admits that he was lucky yesterday (he was better today, having to deal with the massive bulk of Ichinojo). Tochinoshin is clearly hurt, but the other guys just seem to be grievously out of form.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Takayasu has flu apparently. Or did on opening day.

Great piece here on the mood inside the Kokugikan yesterday. No word yet on whether Kisenosato will fight Nishikigi tomorrow.

[ursus arctos]

And yet he is the one Ozeki to have won.

Excellent piece. You can sense the crowd's tension even on the highlights. I can only imagine what it is like live.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Finally.

[ursus arctos]

Very sad, but surely the right choice. I wonder if we will ever know the full story of why he didn’t have an operation to repair the pectoral tear (and guess that we will not).


I recommend this video for those who never got to see him at his best.

[ursus arctos]

The final bout today was the closest to a dead heat/draw that I've seen so far. I can't help but think that Hakuho got the edge due to his rank.

Takayasu seems to be over his flu, but the other two Ozeki are shadows of themselves. I don't think that Tochinoshin is going to make it to the last day; his thigh injury is too obvious and easy to exploit.

Outside the top six, Abi (Maegashira #10) has been very impressive so far.

[Kevin S]

Very sad, but surely the right choice. I wonder if we will ever know the full story of why he didn’t have an operation to repair the pectoral tear (and guess that we will not).


I recommend this video for those who never got to see him at his best.

That's great, cheers UA.

[Anton Gramscescu]

The final bout today was the closest to a dead heat/draw that I've seen so far. I can't help but think that Hakuho got the edge due to his rank.

Watch Nishikigi-Kakuryuu from Day 3 again. Very similar but the decision went the other way. I think in case where it looks like a dead draw, rule of thumb is it goes to the one who was more in control of his body at the time tends to get the win. Hokutofuji was horizontal and in mid-air while Hakuho was almost inhumanly in control and doing pirouettes on the bales so the latter got the nod.

Abi is great when he is on his game and his opponent is prepared to engage in a slapfest with him (as was the case today); too often its not the case. He needs a belt game.

[ursus arctos]

Yes, having seen it three more times, it was clearly the right call for that reason, though I don't know if it was officially a "dead body" ruling (seems not, from what I've read).

Hakuho's speed and (especially) agility are staggering in a man of that size.

[Anton Gramscescu]

I watched this "learn Sumo with Hakuho" video awhile back. Go to about 1:45 to get a sense of how unbelievably flexible he is.

[ursus arctos]

That’s ridiculous.

ive tried the stomping move. It didn’t go well.

[Anton Gramscescu]

The stomping is called "shiko" It's a Shinto thing. I think it has to do with driving evil spirits out of the ring. If you're going to be an Abi fan, you have to appreciate good shiko - his is by far the most impressive in the top division.

Also: Tochinoshin is now officially kyujo

[Anton Gramscescu]

Nishikigi beating Hakuho is a sign of the apocalypse.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Oh no, wait, hang on: re-match. Hakuho not quite dead enough in the air when they both went out.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Nishikigi had hakuho on the back foot in the re-match, but Mongolian pivots and *just* throws him out before landing himself. H is 5-0 along wth Onosho, Kaisei, and Mitakaeumi. Six guys, including Takakeisho, Ichinojo and Nishikigi, trailing at 4-1

[ursus arctos]

A number of good bouts today, while Abi proved just how right you are about his need for a Plan B.

Do you have a sense of how current the weights assigned to the rikishi are? Some of these guys look to me to be larger than reported.

[Anton Gramscescu]

some *fantastic* bouts today. Great day of sumo. Really liked Endoh's win, too. Full highlights here. (endoh is at about 4:25).

The weigh-ins should be current - they do them the week before each of the Tokyo bashos, IIRC (but not before the ones outside Tokyo - so, once every four months). But my understanding is that with their diets they can add up to five kilos in the week between weigh-in and the tournament.

[ursus arctos]

Yes, the Endou bout was epic, as was the Gyoji's self-designed outfit.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Kakuryuu kyujo.

[ursus arctos]

And yet he still put up more of a fight than Daishomaru.

All in all, a much less satisfying set of matches than yesterday. One gets the sense that a number of guys have resigned themselves to a losing record and are looking to avoid injury. Speaking of injury, Mitakeumi looked to have done his knee jumping off the dohyō , and as one who suffered a catastrophic knee injury in a roughly analogous situation, I'm now surprised that doesn't happen more often, given the forces involved.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Happens about every second basho, I`d say. Mitakaeumi is kyujo, obviously. Goeido is hanging in there, somehow. after a few days of excellent Ichinojo, crap Ichinojo was back today. I don;t know what has to happen to that guy, mentally, for him to have 15 genuinely good days in a row. Takayasu beat Nishikigi, but again N put up a very good fight. With Mitakaeumi now certain to be demoted through injury, If Takakeisho makes Ozeki that means there will be at least two San`yaku spots open (three if Miyogiryu doesn`t get his act in gear). Nishikigi, at 4-2 with all of his fights against the Ozekis and Yokozunas out of the way, now has to be a pretty good bet to fill one of those spots. Amazing stuff.

Hakuho and Onosho at 6-0. Aioyama, Chiyonokuni, Kaisei and the rookie Yago all at 5-1. Hard to see how anything but an injury is going to derail a Hakuho yusho at this point.

[Anton Gramscescu]

It is truly remarkable how many matches Shoudai wins despite having flat-out the worst tachiai in the top division. He is slow and terrible but somehow is always in the upper half of the Maegashira ranks. He is the Everton of Sumo.

This Basho feels pretty much done, unfortunately. Hakuho undefeated at 9-0. M15 Chiyonokuni at 8-1. Kaisei, Yago, Takakeisho and Tamawashi at 7-2. Nishikigi's cinderella story now seems well and truly over; the post-monoii loss to Hakuho sparked a run of 5 straight losses and he is 4-5. All three Ozeki are in machikoshi territory (Tochinoshin kyujo, Takayasu 4-5, and Goeido 3-6, both with truly execrable losses today). Unless the Boss gets hit by a bus, this is done. Minor drama about whether Takakeisho makes Ozeki (4 wins to go, you'd think this is wrapped up), whether either remaining Ozeki can make 8 wins and whether H can make it two zenshos in a row, I suppose, but that's about it.