PDA

View Full Version : The Kyushu Sumo Basho is just around the bend!



jonpalombi
2nd July 2007, 02:19
So, the Kyushu Basho starts next Saturday, July 8th! The new Yokozuna Hakuho will be making his debut as the second Mongolian Grand Champion. What rivalries will dawning this time out? I can't wait to see! What do you think, will Asashoyu rally to dominate the Banzuke?

Josh Reyer
2nd July 2007, 05:48
The Kyushu Basho is in November. It's the Nagoya Basho that starts next weekend.

jonpalombi
3rd July 2007, 04:19
I realized this embarrassing fact today, at the post office, when I received my July TV Japan guide. I was hoping to be the first one to chastise myself for the error. You beat me to the punch, brother. Sorry if I offended you. You see, I have an abscessed molar and need to have a root canal, when the swelling goes down. I looked like I caught one of Asashoryu's slaps across the left side of my face. Remember when Joe Frazier fought Muhammad Ali the first time? That's the sad picture of my infection. Unfortunately, I have been forced to take percocet for the intense pain. Sunday night Furinkazan is on and one MUST be in the appropriate spirit. Hence, the sake floweth in opulence. Bad idea? Yup. Wrong time to start a new thread? Yup. Somewhere in the mix, I must have been a bit confused. Yup. You'd think after 12 years of unbroken viewing, I would know better...

Anyway, I can hardly wait to see the mighty Titans, once more, enter upon the dohyo! Who will be the first to challenge for Ozeki promotion? Things are starting to cook in the Makuuchi division. "If wishes were fishes..." Chiotaikai would become the next dominant force in the Ozeki ranks. Let's wish him an injury-free tournament! And the new Ozeki Hakuho? Three cheers for an outstanding performance on his part! His cool, precise and technical aproach to the sport are a fantastic complement to Asashoryu's explosive and powerful machismo. Now we've got a classic rivalry. I am at the edge of my seat (hopefully I don't fall off of it) with anticipation for 3:00 AM, on Sunday morning. Here we go again!

Yours in Martial Spirit, Jon Palombi

Josh Reyer
3rd July 2007, 07:04
Sorry if I offended you.

The day I get offended at someone getting the name of a basho wrong is the day I throw in the towel on human society and go live in the icy reaches of northernmost Hokkaido. :)


And the new Ozeki Hakuho?

Man, I hope that abcess gets better quick!

Rikishi to look out for:
Baruto - Back in reasonable health, and should dominate the lower makuuchi ranks.
Toyonoshima - Got four wins and put up a hell of a fight on only one leg. Imagine how he'll do if he's healthy, with the drop in rank.
Homasho - Getting better and better every basho.
Kotomitsuki - Eligible for Ozeki promotion if he can do really well this basho.

It's getting crowded in the top ranks. Previously, the Ozeki and near-Ozeki picked each other off while Asashoryu was able to maintain his pace through an entire basho. Now, with Hakuho moving up to Yokozuna and Tochiazuma retired, anyone can jump out to an early lead. Asashoryu's sumo the past few basho has been strong and fast, but technically lacking, and it hasn't seemed as invincible lately as in the past.

Josh Reyer

jonpalombi
5th July 2007, 01:11
[QUOTE=Josh Reyer] Now, with Hakuho moving up to Yokozuna and Tochiazuma retired, anyone can jump out to an early lead. Asashoryu's sumo the past few basho has been strong and fast, but technically lacking, and it hasn't seemed as invincible lately as in the past.


Thank you for your kind concerns for my health. I'm feeling a bit more clear-headed tonight. I agree with you, the invulnerable spell Asashoryu cast on the other contending rikishis seems to have vanished. Now that newly appointed Yokozuna Hakuho (not to mention Aminishiki, Chiyotaikai and Kaio!) has recently shown that Asashoryu can be defeated, everyone else is likely to give him their best effort. While Asashoryu is still quite young, his reign of complete domination is definitely over. Much like Mike Tyson (former World Heavyweight Boxing Champion) once the spell of invincibility is dispelled, everyone wants to take your head. Complete invincibility seems to be fleeting... why, just look at Wakanohana's tremendous rise to Yokozuna. He dominated, arguably, the very finest line-up in Sumo history (including his brother Takanohana) to win the Basho which would promote him to the rank of Grand Champion. Sadly, he fell quickly into a disastrous downward spiral. While Asashoryu has been much more consistent in his career, he will never regain the psychological edge he once held over the rest of his competitors. It reminds me of an open-style swordsmanship tournament I attended in Burlington, Vermont. It was on a radically less exalted level (of course!) but the point is, there was a undefeated fellow who intimidated everybody else. He had won the previous two tournaments. A couple of matches into the competition, he left himself open to an upward slashing cut, got hit and only narrowly won the match. Suddenly, this guy sitting next to me bursts out "If he can be hit, he can be beaten!" Which, in fact, he did get beaten by two of us. This example is only minor league stuff but you see it on every level of martial competition. On a radically grander scale, in regards to the Great Grand Champion Asashoryu, how far has the mighty one fallen? Perhaps this upcoming tourney will answer all of these questions. Now we've got something cooking! Who needs 4th of July fireworks when we have this to look forward to? I can hardly wait for day #1. of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Basho! What say you, John McCulloch? We haven't heard from you for a little while. Who are you rooting for? Will it be the brute force and explosive fury of Asashoryu or the cool finesse and technical skill of Hakuho, that prevails?

Later, Jon

Elmar
5th July 2007, 21:01
Is there anyway to watch any part of the basho from in the US? Sumo Digest went away from ESPN2, iirc, and I don't know of any internet feeds...

jonpalombi
7th July 2007, 01:42
Is there anyway to watch any part of the basho from in the US? Sumo Digest went away from ESPN2, iirc, and I don't know of any internet feeds...


First of all, you can get Dish Network satellite TV or Comcast cable TV. TV Japan is $25.00 a month plus access fee of $5.00 for the receiver box. I recommend getting the DVR receiver for $10.00 a month. It's so much easier to watch with hard-drive technology. Not only do you get 180 hours of Sumo a year, you get to see the Saturday Taiga Drama, with English subtitles, on Saturday night. The current drama is called Furinkazan, about the life of the 16th century military strategist Yamamoto Kansuke. He was one of Takeda Shingen's most valued advisers. Plus, there's the Friday Night Samurai Drama, no subtitles, which is pretty cool. Not to mention the World Kendo Championships and the All Japan Kendo Championships. For a less than a dollar a day, you can't beat it! No, I don't work for TV Japan.

Barring this option, I believe you can watch daily matches online, either on the Nihon Sumo Kyokai website http://www.sumo.or.jp/eng/ or the Goo Sumo website http://sumo.goo.ne.jp/eng/ Check it out.

Thirdly, you could get someone to burn the daily matches onto discs off of their DVR recorder. If someone would do it for free ( minus disc & jacket costs plus shipping fees, of course. ) you could get the set for about $20.00 shipped to your doorstep. If you can't achieve the first two possibilities, I could help you out on the third option, on a zero-profit basis.

Good luck on your quest. Anyone out there have any other advice?

Ciao, Jon

Earl Hartman
7th July 2007, 01:58
I'm sort of waiting for the day there will be a native-born Japanese yokozuna again. I wonder how long I'll have to wait?

It looks like the entire thing is going to be dominated by Mongols for a while. Where is the kamikaze when Japan really needs it? It sank the Mongol fleet 600 years ago, but I guess those days are over.

I'm also looking forward to the day there is a European yokozuna. I don't think Kotooshuu has got it in him, though. I'd like Kokkai to succeed, just because I think it is really cool for a Georgian sumotori to have the name "Black Sea". Whoever came up with that name was brilliant. But so far, I don't see it happening.

John McCulloch
9th July 2007, 03:57
What say you, John McCulloch? We haven't heard from you for a little while. Who are you rooting for?

Hi Jon,

Been out of computer and NHK range for a little bit and I haven't seen my day 1 tape yet.

So, at the risk of being out of date, I think Hakuho will win the basho if he stays healthy (I think that's his Achilles Heel). Also, it remains to be seen just how banged up Asashoryu was after the last outing - his elbow seemed pretty bad.

If Baruto gets mean he could go far, but if he stays half asleep he won't.

I reckon the sun is setting on Chiyotaikai, Kaio, Kotomitsuki and Dejima. Ama and Toyonoshima will play an ever increasing role. Homasho is good technically but I think he lacks the edge that a Grand Champion needs.

My prediction: Nagoya Champion = Hakuho with 14 wins

All the best dohyo squad!

John

John McCulloch
23rd July 2007, 21:09
All my predictions were wrong!

Oops! :karatekid

John McCulloch