As we warned you, eventually the new beta YouTube studio would stop misbehaving and we would have our 48 minute festival of September Sumo ready for your eyes. Now you can enjoy watching us discuss the upcoming Aki tournament in all of our splendid glory. Yes, for reasons beyond explanation, Bruce is not wearing a Tachiai shirt, or drinking from a Tachiai mug. Someone fire that guy.
But do watch us predict things that will never happen, and that we will forever regret.
Speaking of Youtube, the TBS documentary on Hakuho’s last 12 months is finally up. Just copy and paste 白鵬この一年 in the Youtube search box and it should come up. Unfortunately, it’s only available in Japanese, but I suppose it’s a good opportunity to practice.
Highlights include:
-Hakuho discussing his harite and kachiage, and stating that he’s no longer able to reliably win with the straight forward sumo style of his younger days.
-Hakuho’s relationship with his deceased father.
-Hakuho’s relationship with Asashoryu.
-Hakuho’s latest struggles with toe and knee injuries.
-Hakuho’s plans to obtain Japanese citizenship and become an oyakata.
-Hakuho’s continued desire to remain an active yokozuna until the 2020 olympics.
If your Japanese is up to date, it’s well worth a watch. These TBS documentaries are admittedly a little bit of PR for the dai-yokozuna, but Hakuho is very forthright in his answers. It’s a valuable insight into the mind of the great man.
I’m kind of puzzled that you guys consider Takayasu to be genkier than Tochinoshin, given that Takayasu has been kyujo through the end of the Jungyo while Tochinoshin came back, and did keiko and bouts.
Mostly because Tochinoshin is telling people he’s kind of out of it. Where as I think Takayasu can soldier through the basho.
Who’s “you guys” ;) Pretty sure you and I were on the same page there!!!
Great podcast guys! Yusho race looks wide open this time, pick a name
Goeido??!
I would be delighted if the SuperGoeido showed up and just pounded everyone into the clay.
Let’s hope so. At least from what we know he’s relatively injury free, unlike the other Ozeki and Yokozuna.
Otherwise I could see Mitakeumi coming out of his jungyo impulse power mode and going back to back
If Mitakeumi doubles up it will be the first time ever for a rikishi ranked below ozeki; the closeset thing to it is the record of Ryogoku who in 1914 won the juryo yusho from J2e (7-0-1d, not sure what the d means) and then the makuuchi yusho from M14e (9-0-1d, the d is for draw, the kind of result that today would result in a water-break and resumption). That victory was one of those bottom-of-the-banzuke flukes that occur occasionally; Ryogoku’s highest ranked opponent was a komusubi. The jun-yusho was won by yokozuna Tachiyama with a record of 8-0-1-1a (the a is for azukari, the kind of too-close-to-call outcome that today would result in a torinaoshi).
oops, I did figure out what the d means