How about a sumo thread?

[Ray de Galles]

Is there any sumo on in Tokyo next week , actually?

[Anton Gramscescu]

Ok, hands up everyone who had Tsurugisho in the yusho race on day 13.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Aaaand Takakeisho disposes of Tochinoshin, and the latter falls to 5-6. Occurs to me Tochi's best chance really lies in Goeido getting 8 wins and going kyujo before day 15 (unlikely).

[Anton Gramscescu]

OK, not actually all that funny but good win for E nonetheless. One win away from kachi-koshi.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Enho v Kotoshogiku tomorrow and it's possible I will die laughing. I cannot imagine how K will deal with this.

[Anton Gramscescu]

How many more opponents are going to let him get a hand on their belt? Hope I am wrong, but this all seems like false hope. Really don't think he's going to beat Goeido, deffo not going to beat Takakeisho...so can he go 3-for-3 against Mitakaeumi and two rank-and-filers (Aioyama and Ryuden, most likely)? Not impossible, but I wouldn't lay money on it.

[Wouter D]

Tochinoshin is done though.

When you wrote that, I would have agreed with you, but after today's display, I'm not so sure anymore. He looked good.

Home stretch won't be dull indeed.

[Anton Gramscescu]

If I were looking at an outside flutter, I'd have to say Endo looks good.

Obviously I meant Takakeisho.

Well, this may be a crap basho in many ways, but a five-way tie for first place with five days to go means the home stretch won't be dull.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Okinoumi at 8-0 and Meisei at 7-1 has to be some kind of cosmic joke. This last week is going to be outstanding. Tochinoshin is done though. Even with both Yokozuna out, I don't think he can get the five more wins he needs to hang on.

If I were looking at an outside flutter, I'd have to say Endo looks good.

[Wouter D]

Time to put a cheeky bet on Enho winning the whole thing, perhaps?

Egg, meet face.

[Wouter D]

Kakuryu has started leaking kinboshi all over the place, opening up the yusho race to basically anyone. Okinoumi is the only unbeaten rikishi after day 6, with seven competitors on 5-1.

The ranks of the leading pack must be historically low. We have no yokozuna and ozeki in the top-eight. We do have two sekiwake, one komusubi, and then five maegashira of ranks M6, M8, M10, M11, and M15. Time to put a cheeky bet on Enho winning the whole thing, perhaps?

[ursus arctos]

Correct

[Wouter D]

Tochinoshin got robbed.

To me, it felt more like he accidentally robbed himself through unfortunate hand placement.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Day 4 here. The Endoh-Asanoyama and Enho-Shohozan matches were the highlights today - both fantastic. Tochinoshin got robbed. Starting to think this basho is going to be a Takakeisho-Kakuryuu duel.

[Wouter D]

So much going on that it's hard to know where to start. Enho's escape dance on the boundary on day 3 was bested by the Endo-Goeido bout on the same day. Kakuryu relatively easily dispatches all opponents so far, but he hasn't met anyone in form yet. Takakeisho, for instance, looks unstoppable.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Ah, no, I'm wrong. Hakuho broke a finger on the way off the dohyo yesterday apparently.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Hmmm. Did you notice yesterday against Hokutofuji he lead with the slap to the face? He's been told not to do that before, and (I think) he only does it when he's feeling a bit low on power. Wonder if he is having toe problems again.

Occurs to me he may only have started this basho so he could be sure of just once having his ideal dohyo-iri set-up with Ishiura and Enho.

[ursus arctos]

And Hakuho goes kyujo

[Anton Gramscescu]

Also, Tomokaze is the next Ozeki. The man's record is unbelievable.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Day 1 here. Enho is God. Takakeisho's knee looked OK, Tochinoshin's did not. Asanoyama bulldozed Mitakaeumi. Hakuho...well, see for yourself.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Takaysau is kyujo. Goeido seems OK.. Tochinoshin is in but still has a dodgy knee. Takakeisho....he's going to start but he really seems unlikely to finish. More from Chris Gould here

[Anton Gramscescu]

I thought he deserved at least one rank higher. Maybe they want to go easy on him on his first climb up the ranks. Conversely, I thought Ryuden got off easy

I'm hearing it's possible that none of the three Ozeki nor Takakeisho actually take to the dohyo this time out. Which would make this basho...interesting.

[Wouter D]

Banzuke is out

Terutsuyoshi got robbed.

Idunno, from M16 to M9 is a decent promotion.

[Anton Gramscescu]

Banzuke is out

Terutsuyoshi got robbed.

[Wouter D]

Lots to enjoy on that final day. How Endo managed to stay in that fight with Kotoshogiku was unreal. Abi's henka did the trick for him, and the Yokozuna fight made for a fitting finale.