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JR Rainer's avatar

I am thoroughly enjoying seeing Takayasu surge in this basho.

I am rooting for Hoshoryu as our new Yokozuna, and as one of my favourite rikishi, but it’s tough for him right now and I can’t see him getting double digit wins.

Aonishiki! What a story! I wonder how far he will go.

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Tim Bissell's avatar

Aonishiki is doing very well for a 20 year-old in his first tournament. He has a great physical profile for his style, very Wakatakakage like. He can really get in close and under people for force outs. I think he's got a chance of being a makuuchi regular, at least.

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JR Rainer's avatar

Agreed! I’m excited to see how he rises up, hopefully he can stay injury free and slowly climb the ranks. Exciting time to be a sumo fan, so many great talents! I’m so happy I discovered the sport.

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Whoopdy Do's avatar

Go, Takayasu!

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D. Foy's avatar

So Tim I’ve taken to scrutinizing the bouts, in your image (you’ve created a monster, friend)! Here’s your closing comment re the Hosh-Taka bout:

“That led to Hoshoryu taking a tumble off the south side of the ring.”

Hosh did take a tumble. And, looking closely you can see him circling fast along the tawara to evade Taka’s thrusting attack. Taka was in fact on him BUT Hosh tripped on the bale! We’ll of course never know what might have happened had he been able to skip for another sec so… Of course it was a mistake that Taka forced… Great bout!

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Tim Bissell's avatar

So many of these bouts end with slips and trips. Unless it comes completely out of nowhere, I think it's worth just crediting the opposing rikishi. Since sumo is so chaotic, more often than not, the other guy has a hand in the other person's trip. It's like when Hosh slipped in the last bout of the Kyushu basho last year to give Kotozakura the yusho. Kotozakura definitely created the circumstance that led to the trip.

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mklip2001's avatar

If you haven't seen it, there was also some crazy action in juryo. Don Don Sumo highlighted a giant slapfest in one of the bouts and another ending with a kirikaeshi, I believe!

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D. Foy's avatar

Don Don is also one I *depend on! A subreddit fan posted a big shout out to him the other day btw… thanks for the heads up!

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Tim Bissell's avatar

LOVE Don Don's videos.

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Tim Bissell's avatar

Juryo has been fun this month. There's some newer competitors down there and a couple deserve some hype (Nabatame, Kusano, Hitoshi). We've also got Roga and Hokutofuji down there trying to get back up to makuuchi.

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Daniel Nickel's avatar

I'm really hoping Kotozakura can get his 8 wins and that Atamifuji grows his side burns back.

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Tim Bissell's avatar

I think that's in play for Kotozakura. If he gets more than 8 wins I'll be surprised, though.

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