Andy, Josh and Bruce have once again taken to YouTube to discuss an upcoming basho. Join us for 45 minutes of pure sumo fandom as we discuss who we think is genki, our “Ones to Watch”, and our always regrettable predictions.
With the Kyushu basho just a few days away, this is the preview that sumo fans can use to justify the next 3 weeks. Grab some sake, and spend some quality time with us. Onwards to Kyushu!
Ah yes, daylight savings will be changing the times for some (maybe all?) of Australia too. Thanks for the reminder. (And nice teacup).
There wasn’t enough Tochinoshin in this podcast. Mind you if you devoted 90% of the time to him I’d still say that. My yusho pick is either Tochi or Goeido and as always, I predict a big showing from Chiyoshoma (one of these days he’s gonna show ya… or maybe not). The lower division wrestler I will be following with most interest is the makushita debutant Tsukahara, he’s big, strong,young and upwardly mobile.
We changed back to GMT last week.
If I’m being honest, I felt my contribution in the previous podcast to this one really overindexed on Tochinoshin! That was something I was a little concerned about, so wanted to talk about some other guys. But certainly, while I think he might be the unlikeliest of the three on current form, I’d include him in my “ozeki yusho” prediction :)
With the maegashira ranks turned upside down there’s got to be scope for someone who’s been demoted below their talent level to come through and challenge. Yutakayama looks the most likely if fit. Chiyonokuni also capable of smashing up the lower ranks. And then I’ve been thinking Onosho must be about to do likewise for a couple of tournaments but injuries keep getting the better of him.
Can’t believe the transformation in Endo considering the excitement about him making sanyaku at the start of the year.
The Endo thing, for me, all goes back to him inexplicably returning to action mid-tournament following his arm injury earlier this year when he was Komusubi. It made no sense, and everyone else wiped the floor with him the rest of the tournament. I know people want to see him and it would have been disappointing but I am pretty sure I was at that comeback match and I would have been less disappointed not to see that.
We’re all big fans of Yutakayama. Chiyonokuni’s a good shout, I just worry about his consistency.
Re: “Ura was at maegashira 4, where he faced people like Harumafuji, who threw him around like a rag doll”: Ura famously scored his one kinboshi to date against Harumafuji in the only time the two faced off ;)