It’s in-between basho, so Andy, Josh and Bruce gathered to discuss Terunofuji’s re-promotion to Ozeki. Will it motivate the rest of the Ozeki to step up their performance? How long will his knees last? It’s 15 minutes of sumo fans talking about perhaps the greatest comeback in sports history!
Video edition coming to YouTube shortly….
Since his return to the top division, he has losing records to four rikishi – Takayasu 0-4, Onosho 1-3, Takanosho 1-2 and Takakeisho 1-2 (including their playoff bout). In contrast, he is 3-1 against Shodai and 5-0 against Asanoyama. The only other rikishi he has lost to are Daieisho, 2-2, Shimanoumi, 1-1 and Mitakeumi 2-1.
Knees aside, this suggests that he might need to improve against certain rikishi if he is going to win two consecutive yusho. Figuring out a way to beat Takayasu would be a good start!
Incredible comeback – yes indeed. Greatest in sports history – not really even close.
Niki Lauda almost burned to death in his Ferrari but came back to win two more championships.
A shark bites Bethany Hamilton’s arm off and she comes back to win the national surfing title.
Greg LeMond gets blasted with a shotgun and comes back to win two Tours de France.
Ben Hogan gets crushed by a bus in an accident then wins three majors in 1953.
Monica Seles is stabbed on court, beats both mental and physical trauma to win the 1996 Australian open.
Alex Smith has 17 surgeries and a year in an external fixation device and comes back to start in the NFL.
Muhammad Ali is suspended from fighting at the peak of his career and comes back to be the champion.
And love him or hate him, Lance Armstrong comes back from stage 3 testicular cancer and wins the hardest sporting event in the world seven years in a row against a similarly doped field.
Terunofuji – awesome, inspiring comeback? Certainly. Love to see it? Certainly. Stories like this are part of what makes sport inspiring. Best ever? Take a look at pictures of Niki Lauda burning and then choosing to put the fear aside and get back in a race car before going that far.
The cool thing is these conversations are all subjective with no right answer, so we all get to weigh in our favourite moments. Thank you for sharing some of yours!
The devil’s advocate could turn right around and say, many – not all – of those stories came from people who overcame whatever struggle it is they had and competed right again immediately at the highest level. Fans of Terunofuji will point to the fact that unlike them, he had to once again earn that right.
So, there is a lot of context in all examples that doesn’t diminish any of the achievements, but I think as sumo fans it’s cool to be proud of an achievement within the sport that even merits discussion of what it means to be an “all timer” :)
Hello my beloved sumo fans
To general zod.
I see your point and thanks for putting the other players out.
But Lauda was sitting in a car, sure sweating and shifting and it is a demanding sport in all cases.
But to come back to grand sumo and fight each fight on (bad wheels) ~legs.. a hard, grueling battle of 2 very big men smashing each other. Is borderline insanity they are heavy and he will likely not walk (much) by 45-50. Show me a combat sport comeback like the ones we sometimes see in in sumo. I dont see them. There are some, bit apart but not often.
And all are hard earned.
Of course mixing in mental trauma stirs the pot a bit. He wasnt molested or stabbed( that we know of.. i wouldnt want a piece of that pie :) ) so yea mental trauma can be much harder and in case of the shark attack getting back in the water must have been hard.
But all in all for what my opinion is worth (not much), strictly sumo speaking it is the comeback of the universe. The level of concentration and skill to make it back to the top of banzule is unheard of. And not really recored before. The rivality and competition is up there in the higher ranks.
Ok I may be a bit biased as I always loved his renegade, take no prisoners sumo(xcept that one henka), but its a bit difficult to judge what the greatest comeback in the history of sport is.. maybe there are many. In each sport. Cheers :)