🌐 Location: Kitakyushu, Fukuoka
I hope you will forgive this newsreel for having less content than usual. Today the Tottori police finally handed Harumafuji’s case to the prosecution, and after a few days of having some actual Jungyo news, the press and the media once again focused on the scandal rather than on Sumo.
So, everything today has been picked from Twitter.
First, our sources inform us that there was a clay malfunction today! The dohyo in the Jungyo is made, it turns out, from beer crates, fixed in place, and covered with planks and clay. Somehow something moved, and the clay broke, and morning keiko had to be suspended for quite a while – with fans watching – to do the repairs:
Don’t worry, the rikishi got plenty of workouts. Take this aerobics lesson:
みんなでトレーニング #北九州場所 pic.twitter.com/oZPIl8ixYs
— わ～ちゃん (@wakya33) December 11, 2017
Somebody there is visibly skipping leg day.
Also, weight lifting:
Apparently, Homarefuji wants to join the Isegahama elite no-knees club, currently including Aminishiki, Terunofuji and Terutsuyoshi. So he opted for lifting Mutsukaze, who weighs above 140kg.
Mutsukaze is a member of the Jinku team, by the way. That, and those face hugging sideburns, make him much more worthy of the title “Sumo Elvis” than Chiyotairyu has ever been!
Once keiko resumed, our sources caught a glimpse of Onosho and Takakeisho in a moshi-age (winner invites next opponent) bout:
朝稽古のふてぶてボーイズ #北九州場所 pic.twitter.com/QXF7RiVIOE
— えり (@teru_tatan418) December 11, 2017
In the shitaku-beya, rikishi were taking naps. Take a look at these two:
This photo was actually taken by Amakaze. Apparently, these two lovebirds stole his zabuton, his pillow and his favorite elephant blanket, which Ryuden held hostage:
竜ちゃんやんちゃ！(;゜∇゜)
錦木パイセンチラ見寝( ・∇・)
結果かわゆい(*´∇｀*) pic.twitter.com/u72NRGbdB4— 天風 健人 (@AmakaZe_K) December 11, 2017
Sorry for the neck ache. That’s what happens when you let a rikishi use a camera (yeah, that’s actually Amakaze filming, and desperately shouting at Ryuden “Don’t spill it!”, “Wait, don’t, don’t!”).
To end the entertainment part of this slightly wacky newsreel, here is what Satonofuji looks like when he is not holding a bow:
Now here are a few bouts.
Enho vs. Terao, who still tries tsuppari…
炎鵬vs寺尾 #北九州場所 pic.twitter.com/Zu9y8cHkr2
— わ～ちゃん (@wakya33) December 11, 2017
Takagenji vs. Osunaarashi:
貴源治vs大砂嵐 #北九州場所 pic.twitter.com/nGWwX88jHh
— わ～ちゃん (@wakya33) December 11, 2017
Edit: The Musubi-no-ichiban finally materialized!
Hakuho 5 – Kakuryu 3. The tie is finally broken.
Tomorrow the Jungyo is on hiatus, and then everybody is going to Okinawa!
I am loving these Enho v Terao matches hahaha
Those sideburns are an absolutely phenomenon
Apparently, Ryuden is a bit of a prankster! Hahahaha! It’s also good to see Osunaarashi moving well too. Perhaps he’s over his injuries and will climb the banzuke again?
A wild Dragon-CHAN appears! (thanks Twitter goofy translate) Poor Amakaze, that does look like a comfy blanket. I am looking forward to Ryuden fighting with the big boys next year.
I think Satonofuji and Aminishiki could start a Youtube book club channel after retirement with their scholarly good looks.
Also none of these kids can challenge the true king of sideburns, Takamiyama. :)
Is that terao as in terao from the 80s/90s? (when they showed Sumo on free to air TV in the uk)
No, no, different Terao. there have been three “Terao” (same kanji – 寺尾). This one is Terao Tsunayoshi from Shikoroyama beya, who is a member of Kakuryu’s tsukebito team. The one from the 90s is Terao Tsunefumi from Izutsu beya, who retired in 2002. He is actually the current Terao’s stablemaster (Shikoroyama oyakata).
I didn’t realise they recycled names thanks. Yes, it seemed improbable that he’d grown about 5 inches and put on an extra 40kg!
Ahhh memories of Sumo on Channel 4. “Typhoon” Terao, “Saltshaker” Mitoizumi, “Mighty Oak” Tochinowaka, “Dump Truck” Konishiki,and the mighty Chiyonofuji, with commentary from the knowledgeable, reverential, but slightly odd scientist Lyall Watson. That’s when I was first bitten by the sumo bug. And after two seasons Channel 4 cancelled the show and replaced it with… KABADDI! If you don’t know what Kabaddi is, it’s like dodgeball without a ball (with points for breath control) and if that doesn’t make sense to you, it didn’t make sense to me either.
So that meant that I had to wait fifteen years for someone to invent youtube before I could watch sumo again.
Kabaddi was pretty awesome though – I think it’s been jazzed up IPL style and on is on Sky now.
Thank you for these articles, really interesting!
Anyone knows how rigorously they apply the sacred “no baldies” rule?
Oosunarashi is on his way to complete lack of hair for a chonmage soon!
Sentoryu:
Kuniazuma:
With all the horse kesho mawashi out there, I had never seen a Clydesdale one until today!
Taikomaru:
Still no sight of Takanoiwa.Could it be possible that Takanohana ate him?
Takanoiwa, although he lost his parents, has an older brother. The Japanese media spoke to that brother over the phone and he informed them that Takanoiwa is in a Tokyo hospital since before the Kyushu basho. He was supposed to have been released yesterday or today.
Bear in mind that the Japanese word for “hospital” (“byoin”) doesn’t necessarily mean what we mean in the west. It can refer to any type of clinic or health facility.
So this whole thing is an elaborate cover story to hide the fact that Takanoiwa is in a secret government clinic getting experimental bionic knee implants and a neck removal procedure. Takanohana will do anything to get the next yokozuna in his stable. /conspiracy