Okinoumi

Nagoya Day 3 Highlights

Bruce H Chiyonokuni (千代の国), Gōeidō (豪栄道), Hakuho (白鵬), Harumafuji (日馬富士), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Ikioi (勢), Ishiura (石浦), Kakuryu (鶴竜), Kisenosato (稀勢の里), Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Nagoya Basho 2017, Shōdai (正代直也), Takayasu (高安), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Terunofuji (照ノ富士), Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Ura (宇良), Yoshikaze (嘉風) , , , , ,

Hokotofuji

The Ozeki Recover.

The Nagoya basho has a reputation for being a wild and bumpy ride. With the large number of young rikishi in the top half of Makuuchi for the first time, each day’s torikumi is loaded with potential. Only 3 days into the tournament, the amount of upsets and unexpected results continues to climb. It makes for a huge amount of fan interest because we literally do not know what to expect. I love it.

One thing that is starting to become clear is that some of the Yokozuna and Ozeki remain injured and are not up to the level of performance that they would want. But even so, they are still giving everything they have. In some past basho, you could expect Hakuho to steam-roll everyone, and whoever was injured could gamberize and get by. This works best when the rikishi know each other fairly well, and can assume what kind of sumo they will bring to each match.

Today was the first time that Kisenosato saw purple rain. In his loss in the final match of the day, the fans threw their zabuton at the dohyo. During the basho in Tokyo, Kisenosato racked up several losses, but the fans did not send their cushions sailing. Perhaps it was because they understood how banged up he still was. That consideration seems to be over, and his loss triggered a flurry of purple zabuton floating skyward. Interior decorating choices aside, Kisenosato has little hope of ever recovering to Yokozuna level without surgery on his pectoral. The sooner they get him under the knife the better. Even then, it’s not a sure thing that he will ever be back.

Selected Matches

Nishikigi defeats Chiyomaru – Nishikigi remains undefeated. He has really found his motivation after his demotion to Juryo. This rikishi has a lot of potential, and I am glad to see him engaged and winning.

Chiyonokuni defeats Okinoumi – Chiyonokuni finally wins one against hapless Okinoumi. For this first time this basho, Chiyonokuni actually looked solid and on his game.

Aoiyama defeats Ishiura – Ishiura continues to look lost and helpless, which is amazing given the strength of his debut basho in January. Aoiyama seems to be at a nearly perfect rank this basho, where his ponderous bulk allows him to slap his way to victory most of the time.

Onosho defeats Ichinojo – Ichinojo is looking really lack luster again this basho, and Onosho seems hungry and aggressive. The match was quick and very one sided, Onosho just moved Inchinojo out in a hurry.

Kagayaki defeats Ura – This was all Kagayaki, and he countered Ura quite well. Ura seemed to have not really found his footing from the tachiai on. Kagayaki finally picks up his first win.

Yoshikaze defeats Tamawashi – This is the best I have seen Yoshikaze fight since Nagoya last year. In his day 3 match against Tamawashi, the big Mongolian came on strong, and had Yoshikaze off balance for a moment but could not finish him. Yoshikaze battled back fiercely and was able to lock up Tamawashi’s belt. From there, Yoshikaze took charge and won.

Goeido defeats Mitakeumi – Great to see Goeido back in a 2.0 boot up again. Also Mitakeumi seems to have decided he stepped out and accepted defeat perhaps a moment early. Either way, Goeido finally gets his first win.

Terunofuji defeats Ikioi – Monster effort here by Ikioi, and it’s clear as glass that Terunofuji is injured once more. In spite of this, and Ikioi’s fantastic sumo today, Terunofuji found a way to pick up his first win. Frankly it could have gone either way.

Takayasu defeats Kotoshogiku – It’s really sad to watch a former great like the Kyushu Bulldozer go 0-3. But Ojisan Kotoshogiku seems to have nothing left of his legs, which was the heart of his sumo.

Harumafuji defeats Takakeisho – Very happy that Harumafuji was able to finally pick up his first win, though for a moment Takakeisho had him on one leg and in perilous position. Harumafuji recovered well and took over effectively.

Hakuho defeats Shodai – Now at 1039 wins, Hakuho dispatched Shodai to remain unbeaten. Hakuho delivered a slap at the tachiai, and it seemed to make Shodai collapse. Not sure what happened there.

Hokutofuji defeats Kakuryu – Big K started strong, but an amazing rally from Hokutofuji results in his first kinboshi for his very first match with a Yokozuna. We keep seeing really impressive sumo from Hokutofuji, and he will be a big deal in the not too distant future.

Tochinoshin defeats Kisenosato – Kisenosato is still quite injured, and not performing well. It’s sad, it’s depressing, the NSK would rather nobody notice, but it’s there for all to witness. Prior to his injury, Kisenosato went left, always. Now with his injury, he seems to have no power on his left, and is almost helpless on the dohyo. Please, Great Pumpkin, only medical intervention has a chance at putting you back together. Kinboshi for Tochinoshin.

The Post Natsu Break

Bruce H Gōeidō (豪栄道), Harumafuji (日馬富士), injury, Kisenosato (稀勢の里), Natsubasho 2017, Osunaarashi (大砂嵐), Terunofuji (照ノ富士), Tochinoshin (栃ノ心)

Kisenosato-Injury

What, No Jungyo?

Sumo fans may note that after most basho, there is a tour of regional cities by a cadre of available sumotori. They demonstrate their practice techniques, some of the culture and activities around sumo, and even sing songs! We have written on this in the past, and it’s known as Jungyo, literally “Making the rounds”.

But after Natsu, there is no Jungyo. The rikishi have 6 weeks to train with intensity, to undergo medical care, fly home to wherever that may be, or just take care of business. There are a handful of Makuuchi rikishi I am going to scan the press for daily, in hopes of catching some news:

  • Kisenosato – This guy needs surgical help. If he goes under the knife now, he could be back in fighting form in time for Aki. I really want him to be able to perform, as he would make such an awesome counterbalance to the resurgent Hakuho. The cultural counterpoint between the brash, enthusiastic Mongolian showman vs the quiet, almost bookish, but overflowing with confidence and strength Japanese master craftsman would be such a wonderful story arc.
  • Harumafuji – Not sure there is much that can fix his chronic undercarriage problems. He plays, perhaps, the most critical role in sumo right now. That of “the Hammer”. On any given day he can wipe out even Hakuho. He is explosive, relentless and driven to succeed. No one can advance to or survive San’yaku unless they can face him on the dohyo and put up a decent fight. As such, I hope there is something that can be done to get him well. I don’t see anyone in Makuuchi that might be able to take over this role.
  • Goeido – This guy is still not 100%, and frankly I don’t know if he ever can be once he had his ankle rebuilt out of lego and superglue. I would be delighted if he never went Kadoban again.
  • Terunofuji – The knee-less wonder somehow managed to keep on the offensive during Hatsu, even though it was clear to everyone that each day the pain in his knees became worse. When he is healthy he is an unstoppable beast of an Ozeki, and that’s very good news for sumo. Surgical knee treatment is very much hit or miss, so I don’t blame Terunofuji for seeing if there is some way to avoid it.
  • Okinoumi – This guy has been competing in spite of a very serious personal injury that would require surgery and about 4 weeks hospitalization to resolve. Would he still be able to compete once they are done with him? I don’t know. But it’s brutal to watch him mount the dohyo and get pummeled daily. I can’t imagine how brutal it is for him.
  • Tochinoshin – He’s in the same boat at Terunofuji. That knee has been his bane for a while now. With it working and healthy, he fights at at least upper Maegashira level. Hurt he’s day by day between upper Juryo and mid Maegashira. It would be great to see him return healthy and not face any further leg and foot problems.
  • Osunaarashi – I wish we could pull this guy out of sumo for a few months and let him get healthy. He’s another dauntless competitor whose spirit won’t give up, but his body seems to be failing him. But such a move would likely end his career effectively. But out of everyone on this list, he seems to possibly be the most in need. He has not been healthy for several basho now.

As always, we accept tips in the comments section if you read something that helps us know and share with the world how these or any rikishi are faring over the next 6 weeks before we start Nagoya basho.

Natsu Day 10 Preview

Bruce H Hakuho (白鵬), Harumafuji (日馬富士), Kisenosato (稀勢の里), Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Kyujo (休場), Natsubasho 2017, Takayasu (高安), Terunofuji (照ノ富士), Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tochiozan (栃煌山), Ura (宇良), Yoshikaze (嘉風) , , , , , , , ,

bow-twirling

Closing Out The Second Act.

Hard to believe, but we are about to complete the middle ⅓ of Natsu. Hakuho and Harumafuji are the leaders, with no one really able to even give either of them a decent fight so far. There is a lot of interest in Takayasu vs Hakuho, which is the final match of the day. Frankly I don’t think it will be much of a contest, and I say this as a hard core Takayasu fan. Right now Hakuho is back to his old amazing ways, and the only people who could possibly challenge him are Harumafuji, or a healthy Kisenosato. Sadly no chance for a healthy Kisenosato.

Harumafuji appears to have at least mildly injured his right knee in his dive off the dohyo defeating Tamawashi. If this is something the trainers can work, or another performance limiting injury, we should be able to tell tomorrow when Harumafuji faces a surprisingly resurgent Tochiozan. Tochiozan made very easy work of Kisenosato on day 9, and it brings up a really tricky question.

If Kisenosato, is having a sub-par (for him) basho, everyone knows it’s because he is more or less a one armed Yokozuna. Everyone gets it, and frankly we are all amazed that he is still competitive in this condition. But given that the press and the YDC are very critical of Yokozuna with sub-par performance, are they going to make a point of admonishing him? Are they just going to keep quiet because he is the Japanese golden boy? This is very ugly territory. Don’t be surprised if at some point this week, Kisenosato goes Kyujo. No one in their right mind would blame him. In my opinion he should be recovering from surgery right now, but he is too dedicated to sumo, and the dignity of his Yokozuna rank.

Natsu Leader board

Leaders – Harumafuji, Hakuho
Hunt Group – Takayasu
Chasers – Terunofuji, Shodai, Tochinoshin, Ura

6 Matches Remain

Apologies, but the match previews will be brief, jet-lag is crushing me today.

Matches We Like

Tochinoshin vs Daishomaru – Both of these rikishi are exceeding their baseline for the last 3 basho. Daishomaru is coming in with 6-3, and Tochinoshin has an outstanding 7-2, and if he wins would clinch his kachi-koshi. In their 3 prior bouts, Tochinoshin won them all.

Kaisei vs Ura – The fans love a big vs little bout. It will be really interesting to see if Ura’s gymnastics work against the meat mountain that is Kaisei. This is their first match ever.

Okinoumi vs Daieisho – both of these men are 1-8. This is the saddest match in sumo. Both are already make-koshi. Both are facing significant demotion.

Terunofuji vs Yoshikaze – While I love me some Yoshikaze, Terunofuji is clearly Kaiju positive right now, and if he gets frustrated using his technique to defeat you, he just picks you up and carries you to the curb like this week’s non-burnable trash. I am going to be curious to see what if anything Yoshikaze does to try and counter this. Career record of 6-5 in favor of Terunofuji, so they are, at times, evenly matched.

Harumafuji vs Tochiozan – Previewed above, the prior 32 matches have been mostly won by Harumafuji (24-8), but Harumafuji may have hurt himself day 9, and Tochiozan is looking surprisingly good, especially coming off of his kinboshi against Kisenosato day 9.

Kisenosato vs Kotoshogiku – This should be a Kisenosato win. I expect that Kisenosato will go kyujo as soon as he secures his kachi-koshi, which could come day 11. But interestingly enough, Kotoshogiku holds a slight 33-31 career edge over Kisenosato. Both of them are operating at a fraction of their typical capabilities, so who knows where this one is going.

Takayasu vs Hakuho – This one has everyone excited, but I am calling my bet for Hakuho. Their career record is 14-2 in favor of the Michael Jordan of sumo. Takayasu is a man on a mission, and is looking good, but Hakuho is more or less his old self right now, and that means beating him requires speed, strength and a large amount of luck.

Natsu Day 4 Results

Bruce H Chiyonokuni (千代の国), Endo (遠藤), Gyōji (行司), Gōeidō (豪栄道), Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Ikioi (勢), Kakuryu (鶴竜), Kisenosato (稀勢の里), Kokugikan, Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Natsubasho 2017, Takarafuji (宝富士), Takayasu (高安), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Terunofuji (照ノ富士), Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tochiozan (栃煌山), Ura (宇良), Yoshikaze (嘉風) , , , , , ,

Day 3

Apologies For a Lack Of Preview!

As feared, connectivity in Japan has been hit-or-miss, and it has greatly impacted my ability to post, upload photos and video and a host of other things. But fear not, dear readers! The day 5 results from the Kokugikan are here!

It seems today was “Salaryman Day” or something of the sort. A few minutes before the Makuuchi dohyo-iri, a few thousand salarymen began streaming into the upper deck stadium seats at the Kokugikan. I am sure it’s perfectly normal, but to this sumo fan, it seemed a bit surreal. They were followed by ushers carrying huge flats of beer cans, which were passed around the crowd of business men.

There was some massive, raucous action on day 4, so I strongly encourage all to watch the matches on NHK, or better yet, Jason’s all sumo channel.

Selected Highlights

Onosho defeats Myogiryu – There was a huge amount of effort in this bout, and it featured competing throw attempts that ended at the edge. It was a great way to start Makuuchi.

Kaisei defeats Chiyotairyu – Kaisei won – yes, by moving forward. He has the bulk and the leg strength, but it seems he needs to put away the pulling technique and take a page from Kisenosato’s book – 蜻蛉 (Tonbo)

Tochinoshin defeats Ura – There were so many things wrong in this bout, it took a rather lengthy monoii to try and put a fig leaf on it. First of all, there should have been a matta at the start, but sure, whatever. Then there was an excellent raging battle between size and strength vs speed. It ended with some fantastic acrobatics at the tawara, and it looked to me like the Gyoji said “screw it” and pointed his gumbai in a random direction. Without the benefit or replay, I can only go by what my eyes saw, but it seemed Ura’s win.

Takakeisho defeats Ichinojo – Slow motion sumo match. I left 30 minutes after the final bout, and Ichinojo had yet to reach the clay.

Ikioi defeats Tochiozan – Big ugly slap fest the Ikioi managed to win. I would expect Tochiozan’s hot streak to continue past today, even though Ikioi racked up a win.

Shodai defeats Takarafuji – Great strength match, polite of Takarafuji to take advantage of Shodai’s consistently sloppy tachiai.

Takayasu defeats Mitakeumi – Probably the match of the day, and they both put everything into it. Takayasu is displaying almost unthinkable strength and determination this week, and even a really aggressive highly motivated Mitakeumi could not defeat him. Takayasu now needs 6 wins, and certainly looks like Ozeki material

Kotoshogiku defeats Tamawashi – So happy that Kotoshogiku got a win and was able to deploy his hug-n-chug. He is headed towards a hard, brutal make-koshi, most likely. I am grateful I had a chance to see him operate when he was healthy.

Terunofuji defeats Chiyoshoma – Terunofuji looking somewhat better, I am staring to hope that he will put forth a strong effort this time and avoid more kadoban nonsense.

Goeido defeats Daieisho – Future Sekiwake Goeido pretzeled up Daieisho, who must be wondering what the hell happened an how he ended up in this living sumo hell, and why the schedulers hate him so much.

Harumafuji defeats Chiyonokuni – Harumafuji’s back! In person it was clear he was trying for Chiyonokuni’s mawashi, and I was hoping to see the spin cycle today. Instead he had to settle for launching Chiyonokuni into a handy Shimpan landing zone.

Yoshikaze defeats Kakuryu – The Berserker is on fire right now, and it’s tough to stand up to him. Kakuryu is in deep ugly trouble now, his reactive sumo is not working this time, and he will have to endure calls for his retirement.

Endo defeats Kisenosato – Kisenosato gives up his first kinboshi, he is clearly still hurt in a very performance limiting way. Hell, a left handed Yokozuna loses use of his left upper body, but still manages to win half his matches. I expect him to somehow swallow (for him) a bitter pill and go kyujo on the weekend.

Hakuho defeats Okinoumi – I honestly feel sorry for Okinoumi. Hakuho is clearly back in fighting form, and he’s just going to crumple and fold everyone for the next 11 days.