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The old thread can be found here. Welcome to the sumo thread! Sumo wrestling is a fantastic spectator sport, quick to pick up and full of physical spectacle. It's also an ancient sport rich in ceremony and steeped in Japanese culture.* Besides all that there's plenty of melodrama, gossip, and inside baseball. We've got a large and active group of sumo fanatics in this thread, so hop in and join us! This post will cover sumo basics, while current tournament information will be in the next post. *It's complicated, see below for historical nerd poo poo What is sumo Sumo is a high-impact grappling sport with lots of colorful characters and a very active international fan base. It's very similar to a number of folk wrestling styles, especially East Asian and Turkic styles that involve staying upright and throwing your opponent. In this thread we mostly talk about professional sumo, i.e. Grand Sumo, i.e. ozumo. There are also amateur leagues around the world, and if you know about such things please share! Grand sumo tournaments are held 6 times a year, about midway through each odd-numbered month. They last 15 days, and each wrestler fights once per day. Bouts take place in a special clay ring called the dohyo. Wrestlers wear a special belt/loincloth called a mawashi. The wrestler with the most wins after 15 days wins the tournament, possibly subject to a playoff. The results of each tournament determine each wrestler's rank in the next tournament. Ranking in sumo is everything. Note: wrestlers are called, in order of my personal preference, rikishi ("powerful gentlemen"), wrestlers, or sumotori ("sumo-doers"). The top two ranks are called sekitori. Under no circumstances should they ever be refered to as "sumos".  Rules of sumo There are only really 2 rules in sumo. Don't step out of the ring, and don't touch the ground with anything but the bottoms of your feet. There are a few disqualifying moves, such as kicking above the belt, hitting with a closed fist, grabbing the hair or groin, choking, or poking the eyes. Open-handed slaps, trips, and forearm shivers are legal, and you can grip the mawashi or any bodypart that isn't the groin or neck (you can shove the neck with an open hand). An important thing in ozumo is that there are no weight classes. That means that you get some big boys in the ring, especially in the last few decades. A normal-sized top-division wrestler weighs around 300 lbs, and is usually around 6 ft. tall. There are a few small firecrackers, like Midorifuji and Terutsuyoshi, but "small" in this case means 5'8" and 250 lbs. The big boys are 6'+ and weigh over 400lbs. Rankings and the banzuke Ranks in sumo determine everything, from who you face in the ring, to how much money you have, to what sort of hairstyle you get to wear. There's a brutally Darwinian system of promotion and relegation: if you post more wins than losses in a tournament, your rank goes up. More losses than wins, your rank goes down. Due to the highly-regimented life in the sumo association, higher ranks are not only associated with more pay, but with greater privileges and freedom in the sumo lifestyle. The highest ranks, ozeki and yokozuna, have special requirements for promotion, and wrestlers at those ranks have some protection from demotion, as well as facing specal scrutiny of their personal behavior and fighting style. Ranks are recorded on a document called a banzuke, which is a literal piece of paper with wrestlers' names on a chart in a sumo-specific calligraphy. A wrestler's rank is often referred to as his "position on the banzuke". Each new banzuke is released 2 weeks before the upcoming tournament, and sort of marks the beginning of the sumo season for that tournament. Copies of the banzuke are a popular collector's item.  How do I watch sumo if I'm not in Japan? If you're not in Japan there are basically 3 options: 1) Official broadcast streams/recordings 2) Bootleg streams (subject to getting shut down) 3) Youtube compilations that upload within a few hours of action The easiest way to start is with the compilations, but there is something genuinely thrilling about watching live. In addition to the actual bouts, there's a good amount of other sumo content available, from blogs to podcasts to Youtube channels to forums. I'll cover all of these sumo resources in a subsequent post.  Important wrestlers Because the top division only has 42 dudes you can get a real sense for their individual styles and personalities, which is one of the most fun parts of sumo. Below is a list of a few important rikishi. Note: wrestlers adopt a ring name, or shikona, when they enter sumo. Occasionally a wrestler will change their ring name, usually either to commemorate a career benchmark, or to break a streak of bad luck. There are various ring-naming conventions in the different stables, usually to honor the stablemaster or a prominent former wrestler. That's why there are a bunch of Kotos and Chiyos running around. Shikona usually have some meaning, referencing mountains and wind and power and stuff. Terunofuji - a beastly Mongolian with an incredible comeback story and no knees at all. The current yokozuna (i.e. top-ranked rikishi), but who knows for how long. Takakeisho - a spherical Japanese wrestler who's been ozeki since 2019, and who is perhaps the most perfect exemplar of pusher-thruster sumo. Takayasu - Sumo's heartbreaker. With 7 tournament runner-up results but no championships, the friendly bear from Ibaraki is looking to finally win one (and maybe regain ozeki!) this year. Wakatakakage - A skilled all-round wrestler who missed his ozeki chance earlier this year but is still fighting great at the top of the card. Kotonowaka, Hoshoryu, and Oho - Three wrestlers descended from sumo royalty, dubbed by Tachiai Blog "the young princes", all three have been making a splash in the top division lately, especially Hoshoryu. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtUfdZb0grw&t=300s Other important wrestlers to watch (I could write bios for almost everyone but that gets excessive). Tobizaru - Chaotic and fun Ura - Another beloved injury/recovery story Tamawashi - 38 year old iron man Abi - Spider-legged bro idiot (I love him) Mitakeumi and Shodai - Two hapless former ozeki When you're starting out it's hard to tell all the massive men in diapers apart. The color of the mawashi can help, and certain guys are easy (Takayasu's hairy back, Ura's winning smile). Eventually you'll be able to tell them apart, but no one can remember what Shimanoumi or Hidenoumi look like. Don't sweat it.  Sumo history and nerd poo poo Feel free to skip this portion if you're not particularly interested in the anthropological and sociological backgrounds of big man fighting Sumo has very ancient origins in Shinto spiritual practice; according to legend the gods Takemikazuchi and Takeminakata engaged in a grappling match to determine the fate of the Japanese archipelago. Shades of that tradition are present in the pre-bout rituals of salt-throwing (to purify the ring) and stomping (to frighten off unfriendly spirits). Very early sumo was probably an agricultural ritual to ensure good harvests. The first historically verified bout happened in 642, and was organized by the empress to entertain a Korean delegation. As sumo transformed into a sporting spectacle it was initially incredibly violent, with deaths in the ring being far from uncommon. Throughout the next 1000 years sumo was organized in a variety of ways. Initially an imperial court ritual, after the power of the emperor declined the sport was sponsored by various daimyos and shoguns, starting as a sort of military exercize and then becoming popular entertainment. In the 17th century, during the Edo period, "street sumo" had become very raucous, and was banned as a menace to public safety. Thereafter the only permitted sumo competitions were "kanjin-zumo", used to raise money for temples and public works. The groups that organized these fundraising drives and tournaments eventually developed into the modern sumo associations in Osaka and Tokyo. In the late 18th century a number of renowned wrestlers emerged, including the first yokozuna, and the overall modern structure of ranks and stables etc. was essentially established. In 1927 the competing Osaka and Tokyo sumo associations merged, and then (after being briefly banned following WWII) the truly modern form of sumo was established in 1958, with 15 day tournaments, 6 tournaments per year, and basically all of the current rules. Almost all sumo records are reckoned from 1958 for this reason. An interesting note about sumo is that its current status as a bedrock symbol of Japanese culture is largely due to the interest of two emperors, Meiji in the late 19th century and Showa in the 20th. Meiji supported sumo during a period when Western culture was ascendent in Japan, organizing a tournament in 1884, which probably saved the sport from being discarded as old-fashioned in an era where Western culture was all the rage. Showa loved sumo (he established the Emperor's Cup, originally the Prince Regent's Cup), and his support for it after WWII really helped solidify it as emblematic of Japanese nationhood in an era where the militaristic nationalism of the imperial period was no longer viable. As a result of all of this intermixing of culture, nationalism, and sport, sumo occupies an unusual and sometimes uncomfortable position as both a modern sporting association and also a living piece of cultural heritage. The ramifications of these tensions are nearly as interesting as the huge men themselves, and make for quite a bit of conversational grist between tournaments. Hmu in the thread if you wanna go to town on this. Hopefully it's not too gauche to quote some ruminations I had in the last thread: Kenning posted:The YDC's relationship with Hakuho is the example par excellence of the fundamental tension in sumo between sport and cultural heritage. The fact that modern sumo is tied up with the Imperial family points clearly to the fact that, like the Imperial family, sumo has been a tool used to create and understand Japanese nationhood, especially in the modern period. This is a weird thing for any sporting association to be, because athletes are rarely the sort of literary and philosophical types who discourse on the meaning of national identity, but the issue really started to heat up in the 90s when non-Japanese nationals began to ascend to the heights of sumo. What could Akebono possibly care about how the Way of Sumo expresses and reinforces certain cultural values that are important to the way Japan conceives of itself? He was an athlete, and a remarkable one, and that was mostly it. bessantj posted:I know it's clipping a short bit of your very interesting post but do you really think it rattled Terunofuji? I always feel that he's a bit more self confident than that and probably thought 'that'll get a reaction' that rattled him. The big problem is we don't get to see a lot of who the wrestlers really are, certainly not through post bout interviews so you could be absolutely on the money. Kenning posted:He's definitely confident, I'm not disputing that. I also suspect he was studying tape and thinking about what Hakuho was likely to use against him. If you're psyching yourself up for a whole tournament to face Hakuho and on day 14 he does something he's never done before I feel like it would at least plant some doubt. The thing is, whether or not his weird tachi-ai rattled Terunofuji, Hakuho created the possibility that it could do so, which is in line with what my basic argument is about him being a perfect athlete. He never stops trying to create an advantage. I think that's part of what annoys the YDC, who just want him to be a stoic cliff standing against the sea as the waves crash into him. Maybe some former yokozuna were like that, but probably not. Kenning posted:The thing about sumo being rigid and unchanging and hyper-traditional is a weird bit of kayfabe. They change stuff all the time. The kosho seido system (allowing rank protection for one basho in the case of injury) was abolished in 2003, after having been established in 1972. The number of basho was set at 6 in 1958, the number of days in a basho was set at 15 in 1949, the roof of the dohyo was suspended from the ceiling (rather than being on pillars) in 1952. The size of the dohyo was increased in 1931, and the shikiri-sen were added in 1928, shortly after the modern sumo association was formed in 1927 when the Osaka and Tokyo associations merged. They're fine making changes. In conclusion,  Hakkeyoi! Kenning fucked around with this message at 10:34 on Sep 14, 2023 |
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 This post contains information about the current or upcoming tournament, as well as Goon Fantasy Sumo. Next basho: Hatsu 2023, January 8th - 22nd, Ryogoku Kokogikan Current banzuke: code:The san'yaku Terunofuji got surgery and is currently recovering and won't be competing. At 31 he's definitely in retirement age, and it seems his health problems are catching up to him again. I bet he could win another yusho, but it's gonna be hard. Takakeisho looking pretty decent at ozeki lately, but Shodai and Mitakeumi are both doneskies. Shodai could come back with 10 wins, and his chaos energy wants him to, but I doubt it will happen. Takayasu is currently sitting at 23 wins the last two tournaments, although he was ranked in the maegashira for both. If he had a commanding victory he could possibly regain ozeki, but it'd be a tough sell. Maybe in Haru? Hoshoryu arguably on an ozeki run with 11 wins last tournament. Also, Kotonowaka and Wakamotoharu both making their san'yaku debut! Maegashira Mitakeumi is down in the maegashira for the first time since Hatsu 2020. Hope he can find his sumo again, he's been looking terrible lately. Two more Isegahama rikishi, Nishikifuji and Midorifuji, are both offering credible showings in the joi, while Oho seems to have found his stride in the top division. Tochinoshin continues to struggle it out, as does Takarafuji, now at the bottom of the division. These are two likely intai candidates this year. Juryo and below Asanoyama is back in juryo, and would sure like to be back up in makuuchi. He'll have to contend with quite a card of up-and-comers, including Kazakh Kinbozan, Mongolian Oshoma, Russian Roga, and Japanese Atamifuji and Hokuseiho. These are all really exciting prospects that people have been following for a few years, so it's likely to be a brawl down there. Kawazoe is at Ms7e, so it's not super likely he'll be in juryo in Haru, but we could possibly see him in the top division by year's end if he keeps fighting well. Miyagino's Otani and Nishonoseki's Takahashi both jumped divisions with 6-1 results last basho, to makushita and sandanme respectively, so they continue to look good. Some real fun stuff down the banzuke lately!  Goonzuke: code:We've lost two goonzeki, captainblastum and the stalwart GoatSeeGuy, who has held the rank since Hatsu 2021, the first to achieve it in the modern era (which started in January of 2020). The ozeki ranks were fortified somewhat by Thauros, who got the nod after a commanding record at sekiwake and lots of consistency the last few basho. No one is on much of an ozeki run in Hatsu, but GoatSeeGuy and captainblastum could get the automatic re-promotion with a sufficiently strong record. We've got a bit of a log jam at the top of the maegashira, which is the reason for the truly heinous number of san'yaku. Netsky just moved over to the east side with their winning record, while Tochiazuma didn't move at all. They're joined by Fluffdaddy rocketing up from M15w on the back of their huge yusho. On the juryo-maegashira exchange, we've got Teddybear, Liquid Communism, Pakled, Neodoomium, Kuros, and Brut jumping up, and Saturnine Aberrance, whats for dinner, Gaghskull, LlamaTrauma, S.W.O.R.D. Agent, and ratmosphere getting relegated. The weird spread of results and the overburdened san'yaku lead to much more exchange than usual. I hope you will all gambarize in time for Hatsu! 
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Jan 2, 2023 06:30
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Sumo resources: Live streams Official NHK stream - great cameras and English-language commentary. Unfortunately usually only broadcasts the second half of the day's bouts on the free online stream Midnight Sumo and Karla_Sumoist - two Twitch streamers who broadcast the Abema feed, which has somewhat lower quality video than NHK and no English commentary. If I can't find a streamer doing the full NHK broadcast I'll often start with one of these and then switch to the official NHK stream at the midway. If you know about bootleg streamers who broadcast NHK please let us know during the basho! I would give anything to be able to pay for an official live stream that I didn't have to bootleg, but currently there's not really a way to do that without subscribing to all of NHK World afaik. Youtube channels (tournament broadcasts) Jason's All-Sumo Channel - This is the best for true newbies. Jason is a dorky but charming American in Japan who loves sumo, and who provides his own commentary and explains the rules and personalities very well. He usually only covers the last few bouts of the day, but those are high-rankers who it's good to learn, and you get to watch all the pre-bout action that is very fun. Kintamayama - A venerable online sumo legend, Kinta offers an aggressively-edited daily compliation of all the top-division bouts along with occasional lower-division highlights. Often has pithy and hilarious captions on the bouts. Basically the only way to watch daily sumo in less than 20 minutes. My personal go-to. Natto Sumo - Relatively new on the scene, Natto's compliations are a bit longer than Kinta's (he doesn't edit out long pauses when the wrestlers are just leaning on each other, for example), and he includes ridiculously comprehensive stats as a bout is about to start. Has a bad habit of trying to monetize in-platform and getting shut down (the other guys just have like PayPal tip jars). Youtube channels (other content) Sumo Prime Time - an official JSA English-language channel featuring Hiro Morita, one of the NHK commentators. He's not a popular commentator, but the channel has some great content, including rikishi interviews, behind-the-scenes video at stables and backstage at tournaments, and lots of other sumo content. Great for a new fan! Sumostew - a sumo fan with a very adorable voiceover voice and a knack for making really fun and interesting videos about various odd angles in sumo (such as the history of Nishikigi's fairly obscure Shikona). She's wonderful, and all of her videos are top-notch. Chris Sumo - usually attends every day of a basho, he gets angles that other official cameras don't, and does a good job breaking down storylines during a tournament. His between-basho content can be a little tiresome, since he engages with a some dumb sumo conspiracy stuff. Some people hate him, but I think he's good to check out while the basho is on. Podcasts Grand Sumo Breakdown - a podcast by 4 American sumo fans, they do 3 episodes per tournament (preview, midway, recap), as well as banzuke predictions and bonus episodes on specific topics. I always listen. Sumo Mainichi - delightful podcast run by Dave and Amy from Australia, who used to do hour-long episodes every day during the tournament (which is insane), they're now doing a more reasonable banzuke/preview/midway/recap format. Captures the vibe of just sitting around with friends and lightheartedly bullshitting about sumo. Sumo Kaboom - another lighthearted pod run by two sisters from Texas. Laurie and Leslie typically do a group recap episode every three or four days of the tournament, but they also run content non-stop between tournaments. They’ve snagged some pretty impressive guests (John Gunning, Konishiki) for live interviews, and they do theme episodes discussing various aspects of Sumo or things sumo-adjacent. Sumo websites and forums Sumo on Wikipedia - genuinely very good and useful. The glossary of sumo terms is also a great reference. Just click around on various sumo-related topics for lots of great information. Sumo DB - an obsessively-compiled repository of sumo stats in English. Crucial reference source. Tachiai Blog - great day-by-day coverage during tournaments, and good analysis in between. Pretty fun sports writing. Heya A-Z - A wonderful guide to all of the personnel in sumo in all of the heyas, not only wrestlers but also gyoji, tokoyama, and yobidashi. There are photos from every year they're active, so you can watch Hakuho grow up! Sumo Forum - as full of pedantic nerd poo poo as you can expect from a niche web forum, it's also a good source for sumo news translated into English. I've never really read it but I know a few people here check in. r/sumomemes - exactly what it sounds like. Get your meme on. @sumofollower on Twitter - Really good at getting sumo news out in English quickly. For the real heads, you can follow people like Hakuho and Asashoryu and the former Orora on Twitter and Instagram. Unfortunately active rikishi don't get to have social media accounts at the moment (because of Abi, obviously), but hopefully they backtrack that rule soon. h/t to Bentai, net work error, Log082, Lid, Thauros, pseudodragon, some kinda jackal, Elissimpark, GoatSeeGuy, and Shiroc for helping compile this list! Kenning fucked around with this message at 08:30 on Jan 16, 2024 |
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Jan 2, 2023 06:31
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 Fantasy Sumo We have a fantasy sumo tournament alongside every sumo tournament. In short, you pick wrestlers for your team, and get points for their performance, just like any other sport. Fantasy is a great way to get to know more wrestlers, especially guys lower down on the banzuke, and it makes it so even bouts that have no impact on the yusho race are still exciting. Drafting You'll have 5 wrestlers on your team, each from a different rank set: 1 from the yokozuna/ozeki ranks 1 from the sekiwake/komusubi ranks 1 from maegashira 1-5 1 from maegashira 6-10 1 from maegashira 11+ Multiple people can have the same wrestler, but there are limits to keep it interesting. Therefore, when submitting your picks, choose 3 guys from each set. An example draft from a previous tournament: Y/O: Terunofuji / Asanoyama / Takakeisho S/K: Takayasu / Daiesho / Takanosho M1-M5: Wakatakakage / Hokutofuji / Meisei M6-M10: Tsurugisho / Tamawashi / Ichinojo M11+: Kotonowaka / Chiyoshoma / Kaisei We do a snake draft and have a running draft wire, but that's not too important for players to keep track of. Wrestlers can also be traded during the first week. Scoring Points will be granted in the following ways: 1 pt. for each win 5 pts. for the championship or yusho 3 pts for the runner-up, or jun-yusho 3 pts for a special prize, or sansho 2 pts for a gold star victory, or kinboshi 1 pt. for a winning record, or kachi-koshi -.5 pt. for a losing record, or make-koshi -.5 pt. for your second trade -1 pt. for every trade beyond the first 2 There are a couple of special rules in scoring. You get the make-koshi penalty for a wrestler even if you traded them away. You only get the kachi-koshi score from a wrestler who is in your stable at the end of the tournament. You only get the kinboshi score from a wrestler if they scored the kinboshi while they were in your stable AND if you still have them at the end of the tournament. The jun-yusho points will not be awarded if 3 or more wrestlers are tied for second place in terms of their record. Here are the tie-breakers, in order: Yusho Jun-yusho Total Sansho Total Kinboshi Total kachi-koshi Fewest trades Trading In case of injury or plain underperformance, wrestlers can be traded out during the first week. No trades are accepted after middle Sunday, or nakabi*. Players can trade once per day. The wrestlers must belong to the same rank set, and the new wrestler needs to be available (i.e. not held by too many other players already). Conflicts are resolved by postion on the draft wire, and trading places you at the bottom of the wire. Trades must be submitted before the top-division bouts start that day. *Extremely fine-grained kyujo auto-trading rules This is for the real heads: there's no reason to read this if you just wanna play fantasy. Official Fantasy rule: Kyujo auto-trading In the event of a kyujo, the following auto-trading rules are in place: Week 1 - Days 1-7 (trading open): If a wrestler goes kyujo 1) Any player with that wrestler can request a trade on the day of the kyujo announcement, which will be registered for the next day as a normal trade. 2) Any player with that wrestler who does not request a trade on the day of the kyujo announcement will get an auto-trade down their initial draft picks, registered for the day after the fusen loss. 3) Any player whose draft picks and wire position mean they cannot get an auto-replacement is boned until they request a specific alternative. 4) Any player who does not wish to make an auto-trade must request so before the auto-trade is made. 5) Any trades (normal or auto-) still result in losing position in the draft wire. 6) In the event of multiple simultaneous kyujo on a single day on a single team, auto-trades will be processed on subsequent days for ranks in descending order, unless otherwise requested by the player. Week 2 - Days 8-15 (trading closed): If a wrestler goes kyujo: 1) All auto-trades will use the initial draft wire, but will suffer the fusen penalty first. No trade requests are available in week 2. If a given wrestler on the wire is unavailable the player is, alas, boned. 2) If a player made week 1 trade requests that differ from the initial draft picks these will be followed instead of the initial draft request, if possible. 3) If a kyujo wrestler returns to action after the auto-trades have gone through, a player can request to return to their original wrestler, which will count as a trading, including all trading penalties (point deductions, loss of wire position, etc. apply). The auto-traded rikishi remains as having been on the team for purposes of registering a MK (if applicable). This rule is not applicable if the wrestler went kyujo in week 1 and was actively traded away, only for auto-trades. This rule is a formalization of the rule we developed in Aki 2021, with thanks to Khizan for thoughts on the details, and Saturnine Aberrance for suggesting the #3 proviso regarding returning kyujo. The Goonzuke Based on their performance, players in Fantasy get ranked on the Goonzuke, which is our own banzuke. See the OP for current rankings. Kenning fucked around with this message at 22:41 on Jan 27, 2024 |
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Jan 2, 2023 06:31
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Let me be the first to say: Shodai.
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Jan 2, 2023 06:48
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Woo!
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Jan 2, 2023 06:58
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Shodai.
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Jan 2, 2023 07:01
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I got a good feeling about this year and I'm investing heavily in Shodai stock.
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Jan 2, 2023 07:13
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poo poo I should have included a Shodai poll with only one option.
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Jan 2, 2023 07:15
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SHODAI
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Jan 2, 2023 07:29
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The previous iteration of this thread has gotten me to start following sumo. I'm keen to see what the January basho brings us.
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Jan 2, 2023 07:31
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Delighted to have made it up to fantasy Komusubi. I will continue to work to show my style of fantasy sumo.
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Jan 2, 2023 07:34
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I'm so excited for the upcoming basho, fantasy sumo and the new thread. Excellent first post, Kenning.
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Jan 2, 2023 07:47
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I think Shodai can do it this year.
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Jan 2, 2023 07:58
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Shodai will certainly do something this year. Maybe. SHODAI
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Jan 2, 2023 08:03
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I think the last time I followed sumo closely was when Takanoyama was still around and a quick look-up tells me he retired in 2014.  A new thread and new year might mean it's time to get back into it.
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Jan 2, 2023 08:13
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Another year of giving my energy to Takayasu
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Jan 2, 2023 08:14
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Hoping my relegation to fantasy juryo isn't indicative of a career ending posting injury  Excellent OP! Looking forward to another year watching sumo with everyone
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Jan 2, 2023 08:33
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Superb OP and information! Thanks as always Kenning! In for Ura and in for Shodai.
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Jan 2, 2023 08:34
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Shodai e: also, i am excited to return and show my brand of fantasy sumo. j17w is not my peak! Spokes fucked around with this message at 08:49 on Jan 2, 2023 |
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Jan 2, 2023 08:44
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I believe in Shodai. I don't, to be clear, believe that he will do any specific thing, like winning, or not winning, or even showing up to the basho. I just believe in Shodai in a general sense. Shodai.
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Jan 2, 2023 09:32
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I personally believe with my whole heart and soul that Shodai will show up if he wants to.
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Jan 2, 2023 09:38
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To divert a little bit, who do you all think is the most likely next ozeki: 1) Shodai 2) Takayasu 3) Wakatakakage 4) Hoshoryu 5) Kotonowaka 6) Wakamotoharu 7) other Personally I don't think Takayasu can maintain his level of competition for the next two basho (I don't think they'll give it to him after Hatsu without something crazy). I could see Hoshoryu getting the nod after Haru, he's coming off an 11-4 and hasn't had a make-koshi since Kyushu 2021. If WTK won with a 14-1 or a 15-0 I could see him getting it as well. Comedy option is Shodai goes 11-4 for a repromotion. I'm betting on Hoshoryu and Wakatakakage to be next in line.
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Jan 2, 2023 10:38
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Is it good luck to post about hoping Takayasu does well, or bad luck to post about hoping Takayasu does well? Because this post is either about hoping Takayasu does well or not about hoping Takayasu does well at all, depending on how that falls out…
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Jan 2, 2023 12:18
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Kenning posted:To divert a little bit, who do you all think is the most likely next ozeki: It's gotta be Wakatakakage, he's looked solid the past few basho and has the type of demeanor they'd probably like an ozeki to have.
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Jan 2, 2023 14:00
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I am guessing that the old men would like it to be Wakatakakage but it will actually be Hoshoryu.
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Jan 2, 2023 14:19
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NHK posted a year-in-review video, where they interviewed Hakuho about the 2022 tournament results. Very insightful commentary from the retired GOAT! https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/ondemand/video/2067035/
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Jan 2, 2023 14:41
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It's easy remembering what Hidenoumi looks like, if you remember him as the rikishi who so generously turned down all of the good-looks genes so his younger brother Tobizaru could inherit them all.
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Jan 2, 2023 15:42
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I could see Yokozuna Takakeisho with Ozekis Hoshoryu and Wakatakakage by the end of 2023. Heck, maybe even mid 2023.
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Jan 2, 2023 15:50
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Mode 7 posted:I am guessing that the old men would like it to be Wakatakakage but it will actually be Hoshoryu. Yeah that's what I'm thinking too, though it might just end up being both of them, I'd like that. I don't think Wakamotoharu will be able to make it to the rank, but I'd be even happier if he proves me wrong, Ozeki brothers would be rad.
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Jan 2, 2023 16:14
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What a nice shiny new thread.
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Jan 2, 2023 16:49
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Looking forward to this chaos basho. How has every basho for the last year been more chaos than the last? I'm not complaining, its been great for everything except my spot on the goonzuke.
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Jan 2, 2023 17:02
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Brut posted:I don't think Wakamotoharu will be able to make it to the rank, but I'd be even happier if he proves me wrong, Ozeki brothers would be rad. I want this to happen so I can use up the term Brozeki.
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Jan 2, 2023 17:26
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Kenning posted:To divert a little bit, who do you all think is the most likely next ozeki: I feel like Wakatakakage has the best chance but he hasn't put together a decent enough string of basho to really be a front-runner to it. Takayasu probably could do it and I could absolutely see Kotonowaka upping his game to power himself in there. In the end, though, there is only S H O D A I
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Jan 2, 2023 17:46
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Let's see how things are going with my favorite wrestlers... Status: Terutsuyoshi = Dead Tochinoshin = Dying Ichinojo = Now dead to me Shohozan = Still alive in my heart. Forever dead on the Banzuke. While I have been relegated to Juryo, I will continue face the sunset with Tochi! Edit: Can we submit our pics yet? Takakeisho / Terunofuji Wakatakakage / Hoshoryu / Wakamotoharu Tamawashi / Abi / Sadanoumi Oho / Aoiyama / Hiradoumi Tochinoshin / Takarafuji / Kotoeko S.W.O.R.D. Agent fucked around with this message at 17:58 on Jan 2, 2023 |
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Jan 2, 2023 17:53
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Hirayuki posted:It's easy remembering what Hidenoumi looks like, if you remember him as the rikishi who so generously turned down all of the good-looks genes so his younger brother Tobizaru could inherit them all. It's easy remembering what Hidenoumi looks like because you just think back to the time you thought to yourself "who let Dan Aykroyd onto the dohyo??"
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Jan 2, 2023 19:01
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S.W.O.R.D. Agent posted:Let's see how things are going with my favorite wrestlers... Oh please do you saucy minx!
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Jan 2, 2023 20:52
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Lovely new thread! SHODAI
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Jan 2, 2023 23:18
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People keep posting SHODAI but I keep reading it as SHODAN
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Jan 3, 2023 00:13
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| # ? Apr 26, 2024 05:31 |
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ilmucche posted:People keep posting SHODAI but I keep reading it as SHODAN  "My whims will become lightning bolts that raze the mounds of humanity."
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Jan 3, 2023 00:34
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