Does anyone here watch SUMO?

[gaijinmark]

Leaderboard after day 8:

Y1e Hakuho 8 - 0

O2e Takayasu 7 - 1

M8e Aoiyama 7 - 1

Y1w Harumafuji 6 - 2

M6w Onosho 6 - 2

M10e Chiyotairyu 6 - 2

M13e Takarafuji 6 - 2

Takayasu and Harumafuji the only ones with a realistic chance of beating Hakuho, but he's still solidly in the driver's seat. Btw, I really like Onosho.

[gaijinmark]

New all-time victories leader:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1nxFdHPVU0

They were saying yesterday that he'd gotten this many victories in 98 basho. That means he's AVERAGED almost 11 wins per basho. Pretty amazing.

Or in a little bit better perspective: Harumafuji got his 700th top division win today also. If Harumafuji were to win the next 23 basho undefeated 15-0 everytime and Hakuho not win another bout, at the end of those 23 basho Harumafuji would still be three wins behind Hakuho.

[gaijinmark]

39 and counting for Hakuho.

Y1e Hakuho 14 - 1

M8e Aoiyama 13 - 2

M5w Tochiozan 12 - 3

Y1w Harumafuji 11 - 4

M6w Onosho 10 - 5

M10e Chiyotairyu 10 - 5

M10w Shohozan 10 - 5

Might have been a more interesting basho if Harumafuji hadn't stumbled those first two days. Takayasu went 9 - 6 his first time out as ozeki, but with two yokozuna and one ozeki dropping out it could have been worse.

[gaijinmark]

Back in March they were questioning Hakuho's future, now it looks like he might be the only yokozuna competing in September.

Possible elbow surgery for Harumafuji

Mongolian yokozuna Harumafuji may require left elbow surgery, a move which would not only rule him out of the summer regional tour beginning this weekend, but also the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament in September, his stablemaster said Thursday.

"He has inflammation in his left elbow and can't extend it. Harumafuji is set to miss part of the regional tour but could join up (later on) "depending on how it heals," Isegahama said.

Isegahama, however, also spoke about the possibility of an operation and said Harumafuji "would not make it in time" for the Autumn meet starting on Sept. 10 in Tokyo should he have to go under the knife.

Isegahama was speaking a day after Japan Sumo Association deputy director Tamanoi said three of the four current yokozuna would miss part or all of the summer regional tour.

Kisenosato and Kakuryu are both carrying ankle injuries that forced them to withdraw from the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament. Harumafuji was the only yokozuna other than title winner Hakuho to compete in all 15 days of the Nagoya basho that wrapped up Sunday.

Kisenosato has now pulled out of two straight grand tournaments. In May, a lingering upper-arm injury forced him out. This month, Kisenosato hurt an ankle while not fully recovered from the arm injury suffered in March. His stable master Tagonoura on Wednesday said fans may be able to see the Japan-born grand champion in action if he is able to speed up his recovery.

"He has to get his body into top shape if he wants to take part in the tour. It all depends on how things go," Tagonoura said.

The summer edition of sumo's regional tour, which includes ring-entering ceremonies, matches and sumo-related exhibitions around a sumo ring, starts in Gifu on Sunday and ends Aug. 27 in Tokyo, the 21st stop.

Isegahama also said Thursday that Mongolian ozeki Terunofuji is expected to sit out the entire tour to focus on getting fit in time for the Autumn meet.

Terunofuji has not recovered as well as expected from left--knee surgery he had after May's Summer Grand Sumo Tournament. He pulled out midway through the Nagoya meet and is currently hospitalized.

[gaijinmark]

Haven't heard anything new about Harumafuji but definitely no show for these two:

Kakuryu and Kisenosato withdraw from Fall basho

Yokozuna Kisenosato and Kakuryu have pulled out of the upcoming Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament due to injuries, their respective stablemasters said Thursday.

The announcement of their withdrawal, which came three days before the start of the meet at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo, once again dashed fans' hopes of seeing all four grand champions compete from the start to end of a single basho.

The autumn tournament is the fourth since the top-ranked slots, two each on the east and west sides, were filled at the spring tournament for the first time in 17 years, but in none of the four tournaments have all four yokozuna lasted all 15 days

[gaijinmark]

Didn't see this coming! On the bright side, this will really shake things up, maybe a rank and filer will come out of nowhere and win this thing.

Hakuho withdraws from Fall basho

Hakuho on Friday pulled out of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament getting under way Sunday due to pain in his left knee, becoming the third yokozuna to withdraw from the meet after Kisenosato and Kakuryu.

Based on official records kept by the Japan Sumo Association since the Showa era (1926-1989), it is the first time for three grand champions to miss the opening day of a tourney.

Harumafuji is now the only yokozuna set to compete on the first day of the 15-day meet at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.

[gaijinmark]

Boy, they just don't make them like they used to. Two more bite the dust.

Takayasu and Ura withdraw from Fall basho

Ozeki Takayasu withdrew from the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on Tuesday, joining the mounting casualty list of top makuuchi division wrestlers.

The 27-year-old at sumo's second-highest rank injured his right thigh in Monday's loss against komusubi Tamawashi and has decided to pull out of the 15-day meet at Ryogoku Kokugikan, forfeiting his third-day bout against Hokutofuji.

Fourth-ranked maegashira Ura has also withdrawn citing a knee injury as the casualty list that already includes three yokozuna -- Kisenosato, Kakuryu and Hakuho -- lengthens, with Harumafuji as the only grand champion competing.

It is the second time Takayasu has pulled out of a tournament, the first since the 2015 fall basho. His withdrawal leaves him no choice but to try to fight off demotion as a "kadoban" ozeki at the November meet in Fukuoka.

"He was training hard before the basho, so I'm sure he's more disappointed than anyone else," said Takyasu's stablemaster Tagonoura, who also manages Kisenosato.

"I hope this frustration drives him to make himself even stronger and do well in the next tournament."

Ura, 25, aggravated the right knee injury he sustained at the Nagoya tournament in July during his loss to Takakeisho on Monday. He forfeits Tuesday's scheduled bout against Ichinojo.

His stablemaster Kise was not as sympathetic as Tagonoura, saying the wrestler himself is to blame.

"His injury isn't serious enough to have surgery or anything like that. He lacked training and I'm terribly sorry to the fans," Kise said.

"He has to change his attitude and mechanics because he won't be competent doing what he has been doing until now. It's a good learning experience for him."

The last time three yokozuna and an ozeki pulled out from a single tournament was 18 years ago, when yokozuna Takanohana, Wakanohana and Akebono, and ozeki Chiyotaikai withdrew from the spring tourney.

Five wrestlers had pulled out before this meet got under way Sunday -- two maegashira Sadanoumi and Aoiyama, in addition to the yokozuna trio.

The seven absences here are the most at any one tournament in sumo's top flight since the 2005 Nagoya meet, excluding the six who were scratched from the 2010 basho in Nagoya for their involvement in illegal baseball gambling.

[gaijinmark]

Craziest basho ever???

A maegashira 3 in just his third tournament, alone at the top: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOSJ-vFwQaU

[gaijinmark]

We are now down to one yokozuna and one ozeki.

Terunofuji withdraws from Fall basho

Ozeki Terunofuji withdrew from the ongoing Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on Friday, becoming the eighth makuuchi division wrestler to sit out all or part of the 15-day meet in Tokyo as a result of injury.

It is the first time in 99 years for five wrestlers in the two highest ranks -- three yokozuna and two ozeki -- to pull out of a single tournament, the last time being at the summer tournament in 1918.


And with the crap he pulled on days 3 & 4 I really hope Goeido doesn't win this thing.

[gaijinmark]

Over half way and mixing metaphors, it's anybody's ball game.

O1w Goeido 7 - 1

M3e Onosho 7 - 1

M12e Daishomaru 7 - 1

M3w Chiyotairyu 6 - 2

M9e Takanoiwa 6 - 2

M9w Arawashi 6 - 2

M11e Daieisho 6 - 2

Y1w Harumafuji 5 - 3

M5w Takakeisho 5 - 3

M6e Ichinojo 5 - 3

M7e Chiyonokuni 5 - 3

M8w Takarafuji 5 - 3

M14e Endo 5 - 3

M16e Asanoyama 5 - 3

[gaijinmark]

Goeido almost had this thing wrapped up after day 11 with a 10-1 record, but has crashed and burned the last two days. There are something like 12 guys at 8-5 (Endo must be kicking himself. On day 5 they brought somebody up from Juryo for him to fight, and he lost! He wins that one, he'd be in contention.) who technically have a chance, but here's the top three:

O1w Goeido 10 - 3

Y1w Harumafuji 9 - 4

M16e Asanoyama 9 - 4

Asanoyama in just his first basho, still in the running.

[gaijinmark]

So, do we call this "the cream rises to the top", "what goes around comes around" (especially when you pull two henka):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS99jgVUxww&list=PL556B0EVMUL27DkQ1P7EEsAw_bUoXfuQK&index=74

I prefer "all's well that ends well"(the match starts at around 6 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3hh7EStiKU&feature=youtu.be

[shin2]

Glad Harumafuji was able to win his ninth basho. A class act, the epitome of hinkaku, which is an important characteristic for yokozuna.

Here's a short video which shows he's not your typical pro athlete:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxpl5z8Qc2o

[gaijinmark]

One down already.

Yokozuna Kakuryu withdraws from Kyushu tournament

Kakuryu's career continues to hang by a thread as his stablemaster Izutsu said the Monogolian yokozuna will withdraw from the upcoming Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.

According to Izutsu, the 32-year-old wrestler has been experiencing lower back pain for the last few days in addition to pain in his right ankle from an injury he sustained at the Nagoya tournament in July.

The Fukuoka meet gets under way Sunday at Fukuoka Kokusai Center.

Kakuryu missed the entire Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament in September along with two other yokozuna, Kisenosato and Hakuho, leaving Harumafuji as the only grand champion to compete in the 15-day meet at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.

It is the fourth time in a row that Kakuryu will miss part or all of a tournament, and the fifth time this year.

Kakuryu's career was put at stake when he announced his withdrawal from the last meet, and if he does not return to the raised ring in the next two weeks, a decision to retire from the sport will be delayed until the New Year tournament in January.

"He's still feeling pain, and gets better one day and worse the next. He didn't get enough training time so he rushed his preparations. It would be irresponsible (of him) to compete in his current condition. We're terribly sorry," Izutsu said.

"We'll work hard for the New Year meet in January. He'll get on the dohyo and depending on how he does he'll have to make the call (to retire)," he said.

[gaijinmark]

I've always liked Harumafuji, but after losing the first two days he has withdrawn from the basho. But it looks like he has bigger problems to deal with: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/11/14/national/crime-legal/yokozuna-harumafuji-suspected-assaulting-fellow-wrestler-beer-bottle-report/

[gaijinmark]

As the cliche goes, "The more things change, , , ,"

After day 8, Hakuho alone at the top.

Y1w Hakuho 8 - 0

M4w Ichinojo 7 - 1

M5w Arawashi 7 - 1

M12e Okinoumi 7 - 1

O1e Goeido 6 - 2

M1e Tamawashi 6 - 2

M1w Takakeisho 6 - 2

M3w Hokutofuji 6 - 2

M13w Aminishiki 6 - 2

Everybody else three losses or more.

Kisenosato disappointing at 4-4 and newly minted Komusubi Onosho really struggling at 2-6.

[gaijinmark]

gaijinmark wrote:

Kisenosato disappointing at 4-4.

And has pulled out of the basho.

Kisenosato withdraws from Kyushu tourney

Grand champion Kisenosato has pulled out of the ongoing Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament due to pain in his left ankle and lower back, his stablemaster Tagonoura said Tuesday.

Kisenosato, 31, suffered a third straight loss Monday that left his record at 4-5 in the 15-day meet at Fukuoka Kokusai Center, equaling Musashimaru's all-time record by giving up five "kinboshi," or losses to rank-and-file wrestlers, in a single tournament.

It is the fourth consecutive tournament from which the Japan-born yokozuna has withdrawn and fifth time in his career. He forfeits Tuesday's scheduled bout against fourth-ranked maegashira Chiyonokuni.

Since his yokozuna promotion following victory at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament in January, there has only been one tournament in which Kisenosato competed all 15 days.

"He doesn't have the strength he needs. He was trying to deliver good results but it's not turning out the way he had hoped," Tagonoura said.

"I'm very sorry but we decided there was no option but to withdraw. I hope to find a way to pull through this together," he said.

The Japan Sumo Association received a medical statement saying Kisenosato's injury, which includes ligament damage in his left foot, requires a recovery period of one month.

[gaijinmark]

Hakuho gets his first loss, but he doesn't think so: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoiEcW3Rp1k&t=324s

[gaijinmark]

40!!!

And he clinched it a day early:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg1BZzhcD8M

[gaijinmark]

I always liked Harumafuji, too bad it had to end this way: https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2017/11/77be1aff4663-urgent-grand-champion-harumafuji-to-retire-as-sumo-wrestler.html