29 posts tagged “kotooshu”
Well, the biggest news today was that I had my first perfect 10-0 day in the Sumo pool. Need it all, as I won 10-9, which sadly only got Kunitachi to 5-3 after I lost a bad one yesterday.
Meanwhile, in actual Sumo, it's Asashoryu leading the tournament all by himself. He hasn't dominated quite as much as he had been in the last couple days, but he's still winning.
After Hakuho lost his first on day 6, Koto'oshu (in black) lost to Kakuryu (in blue) on day 7:
Koto'oshu followed that up with this match today vs. Toyonoshima:
Then, today, Kotomitsuki was beaten by Kisenosato and that left Asashoryu alone at 8-0.
Kakuryu (now 7-1) and Kisenosato (5-3) both look like the real deal. Kakuryu is a little guy who wins with speed and Kisenosato is a big guy who wins with power, but both are young, with lots of skill, and could be Ozekis some day.
Also looking like the real deal this tournament: Baruto. He's still only lost to the two Yokozunas and looks as healthy as ever. Here's his match from today against fellow 400-pounder Miyabiyama (in purple):
As for Hakuho, he's won both his matches since his loss, but he got all he could handle from the lowly 1-7 Tamanoshima today. Maybe this just isn't his tournament. (Or maybe he'll win every match from now on and beat Asashoryu on the last day to win it all.)
Chiyotaikai lost to Kaio today to drop to 2-6, and he faces Asashoryu tomorrow. He may be dropping out of this tournament very soon.
8-0: Asashoryu
7-1: Hakuho, Koto'oshu, Kotomitsuki, Kakuryu
6-2: Baruto, Hokutoriki, Masatsukasa
5-3: Harumafuji, Kaio, Kisenosato, Tochiozan (one of my fav's, who's looking good this tournament), Kunitachi
4-4: Takamisakari
3-5: Futeno
2-6: Chiyotaikai
Big matches tomorrow: Hakuho vs. Kisenosato; Kotomitsuki vs. Kakuryu
After three days, no big surprises in the Sumo tournament.
Hakuho is as dominant as ever, 3-0.
Asashoryu sure doesn't look like he's got a knee injury. On the first day, despite my bold prediction, he not only beat giant Baruto, he did it by grabbing him and lifting him up completely and shoving him a mile. Do you think facing Asashoryu is intimidating? By beating Tochinoshin on Day 2, Asashoryu ran his winning streak when facing someone for the first time to 33! He should extend it to 34 tomorrow when Shotenro gets his first match with the Yokozuna.
Slightly surprising is the fact that Koto'oshu is wrestling just as well as he did last tournament. He's 3-0 and he's looked strong and confident. Also slightly surprising is Kotomitsuki's 3-0 start, as well as Kaio's relatively strong (for him) 2-1 start.
Not surprising: Chiyotaikai is 1-2. However, one of those losses was to Baruto, and he looks like he's all the way back in form. He didn't put up much fight to Asashoryu on Day 1, but came up strong with wins over Ozekis Harumafuji (2-1) and Chiyotaikai the next two days. He'll look to keep up the streak vs. Ozekis tomorrow against Kaio.
Sekiwakes Kisenosato and Kotoshogiku are both 2-1.
Tochinoshin, as expected, isn't handling the tough competition at the top of the rankings very well. He's 0-3, though he's had a tough schedule vs. both Yokozunas and Kotomitsuki.
Kakuryu's precipitous drop in the standings after a tough July has set him up for a good tournament at a lower rank, and he's started out looking very solid at 3-0. Also starting 3-0: Iwakiyama, Kakizoe, and Masatsukasa. (Don't expect any 2nd-week competition from those three.)
Takamisakari is 2-1, but Futeno seems to be hurt and has dropped his first 3 matches at the bottom of the rankings. He looks to be headed back down to the minors in November.
Kunitachi has started well, 2-1 after losing a tough one on a tiebreaker on Day 2. I picked 9 of 10 right on Day 1 and 8 of 10 on Day 3, and need to keep it up and try to get 11 or more wins this time to step up the promotion.
It all came down to the last match between Hakuho and Asashoryu and the fans got a good one:
With that win, Hakuho nailed down the championship, the 11th of his career. That puts him in a tie for 9th all-time with Akebono (but still more than 10 titles behind Asashoryu, who's in 4th). Hakuho finished 14-1 with only a day 11 loss to Kotomitsuki. It's his 2nd tournament win this year and ran his record for the year to an amazing 57-3 (with a very real chance of breaking Asashoryu's record of 84 wins in a year.)
Tournament Winners:
Koto'oshu - 13-2 -- An impressive tournament for Koto'oshu just missed a playoff by 1 win. He beat everyone he had to (including Asashoryu on day 14 and Harumafuji, very easily, on day 15) except he couldn't beat Hakuho. Still, it's nice to see he can compete every so often.
Kotomitsuki - 12-3 -- Kotomitsuki beat all the other Ozekis (he doesn't face Koto'oshu because they're on the same team) and he was the only one to beat Hakuho, but he lost to Asashoryu and he lost one he should have won to Aminishiki, which took him out of contention. Hopefully, he can keep up the momentum, though. 3 competitive Ozekis would be great.
Kisenosato - 9-6 -- He faded at the end, losing 4 of his last 6, but he beat 3 Ozekis and he beat Asashoryu and finished with a good 9-6 record at the highest rank below Ozeki. He won't be pushing for Ozeki promotion in September, but maybe by early next year.
Baruto - 11-4 -- Baruto had been getting stronger and stronger and hanging in at Sekiwake up until last tournament, when he got hurt and stumbled to a 4-11 record, dropping him to Maegashira #3 for this tournament. All he did was take advantage of the weaker competition and march to an 11-4 record (though he did lose to all three Ozekis he faced). He should move back up to the top ranks, probably Komusubi, though possibly even back to his old rank in September.
Aminishiki - 11-4 -- Aminishiki had a great tournament in the middle of the Maegashira ranks, going 11-4 and winning the Technique Prize (for the 4th time). He'll move up to the top of the Maegashira in September and have to face all the Ozekis and Yokozunas.
Shotenro - 11-4 -- Shotenro is a young Mongolian wrestler who was fighting in the 3rd division a year ago, but quickly moved his way up and through the minors. This was his 3rd tournament in the bigs, and he got his form back, winning 11 and earning the Fighting Spirit Prize. He's got good skill and good size (339 pounds) and should be able to hang with the tougher competition as he moves up next tournament.
Tosayutaka - 8-7 -- Tosayutaka was the only rookie who got a winning record. Mokonami went 6-9, but he was way up the rankings, so he should stay in the majors, but Wakakoyu will drop back to the minors.
Homasho - 10-5 -- Once again, Homasho drops to the bottom of the rankings and comes up big to move back up (where he will probably fail again and head back down).
Wakanosato - 14-1 -- Wakanosato dropped down to the minors after last tournament, but not for very long, going 14-1 and winning the Juryo division championship. He'll be back to the majors in September.
Kunitachi - 9-6 -- I just missed my 10th win today, losing 8-to-7. I had a pretty mediocre tournament, only averaging 6.4 right each day in an easy tournament, but still got 9 wins and should move up decently in September. My goal of reaching Juryo by next March may be in danger, though.
Tournament Losers
Asashoryu - 10-5 -- Five losses is not very good for Asashoryu (especially after starting 7-0) and losing to both Kaio and Chiyotaikai is inexcusable. He put up a good fight against Hakuho on the last day, but it doesn't look like he'll be competing with him for tournaments very often in the future. Still, he only needs 1 more to tie for 3rd most all time, and he should be able to get one in the next 4 or 5 tournaments.
Kaio and Chiyotaikai - 8-7 -- Sigh. Another mediocre tournament for both of them again, but just enough to get a winning record and keep their Ozeki ranks for a while longer.
Kakuryu - 5-10 -- Kakuryu was promoted to his highest rank yet, Sekiwake, and couldn't quite stand up to the competition there. He'll drop way down next tournament, and, if he's healthy, should do fine and make his way back.
Aran - 4-11 -- Not a good tournament for the young Russian, still in his first year in the majors. He was way up at Maegashira #1 and failed miserably against the top wrestlers. Chalk it up to a learning experience. He'll be back in a few tournaments.
Takamisakari - 6-9 -- Everyone's favorite looked like he had a chance to creep up to the higher ranks and the big competition, but instead he dropped 5 out of 6 to end the tournament and will go back down to the middle of the Maegashira, where he belongs.
Yamamotoyama - 4-7-4 -- The man-mountain was in the middle of a poor tournament when he had to drop out due to a knee injury. (Not surprising, considering he weighs 560 pounds and has to constantly squat.) He may hang on to the bottom of the majors, but if he isn't healthy in September, he'll be dropped to the minors.
Futeno - 6-9 -- My personal favorite won his first 3, then lost it completely. He was near the bottom of the rankings, so there's a good chance he'll be back in the minors in September (the good news being, maybe he'll win it all down there and I'll get to hear another interview).
That's all for now. The next tournament starts September 13 in Tokyo.
It's been another exciting sumo tournament, coming down to the very last match of the last day for the championship.
Today's important matches went like this:
Aminishiki beat youngster Tochinoshin, to go to 11-3 and keep hope alive for a chance at a playoff.
Kotomitsuki beat Kakuryu to also go to 11-3 and stay alive. Kakuryu dropped to 5-9 at Sekiwake, so he'll be dropping all the way out of the top ranks in September.
The 2nd-to-last match of the day was Hakuho vs. Harumafuji. Harumafuji got a good push on the faceoff but Hakuho fought it off and shoved him out pretty easily. That took Hakuho to 13-1, and it officially ended the chances for Aminishiki and Kotomitsuki, and Asashoryu before he even wrestled.
In the last match of the day, Koto'oshu put his tournament life on the line vs. Asashoryu. A loss meant a championship for Hakuho. Instead, Koto'oshu got a good grip on Asa's belt at the faceoff, tried a throw that didn't take Asashoryu down but off balance enough for Koto'oshu to push him out for the win. Koto'oshu went to 12-2. Asashoryu dropped down to 10-4.
So it all comes down to the last two matches tomorrow. First, Koto'oshu will face Harumafuji (9-5). If he wins, the pressure will be on Hakuho. Hakuho faces Asashoryu in the last match (unless Koto'oshu wins and he loses, then there would be a playoff). Hakuho is 9-12 lifetime vs. Asashoryu, but he's beaten him on the last day of the last 3 tournaments. (Harumafuji and Koto'oshu are dead even 10-10 career, but Harumafuji's won 5 of their last 6 matchups.)
And in the biggest match of them all today, Kunitachi defeated the previously unbeaten Canapayama in the sumo pool, ending his hopes of the first ever 15-0 championship in the sumo pool. I only picked 6 out of 10 right, but it was good enough to beat him and raise my record to 9-5, just one win away from my 10-win goal. Tomorrow's match vs. 7-7 Ishinostuyoihito (who beat me in the last tournament) will decide it.
While Hakuho continued his domination, getting one step away from the championship with a win over Koto'oshu, Asashoryu reminded me why I loved him and why he's possibly the best I've ever seen...
With Asashoryu, especially in his prime, you never knew what he might pull out of his hat. That move there (a "yagura-nage", using both his arms plus 1 leg to hurl his opponent Harumafuji) hadn't been seen in a sumo match since 1975. Incredible strength, skill, and timing. Later, he joked that that move is totally normal in Mongolian sumo. That win put Asashoryu at 9-3, two wins behind Hakuho but hanging onto a slim chance at a comeback playoff win.
To win it all, he'll need Hakuho to lose tomorrow (and against him on Sunday), because Hakuho beat Koto'oshu in the battle of leaders, to go to 11-1. Hakuho could win it all tomorrow with a win over Harumafuji and a Koto'oshu loss to Kaio. (If Harumafuji beats Hakuho, and Asashoryu wins out, those two (and maybe more) will finish in a tie.)
Koto'oshu dropped to 10-2. He's definitely still alive, because all he needs is Hakuho to lose one (and win both of his matches) to force a tiebreaker.
Also still alive: Aminishiki, who sidestepped Kotomitsuki at the faceoff and got an easy win to go to 9-3. Kotomitsuki is also 9-3. Both of them could also win out and, in the same scenario as Asashoryu's, make a playoff. (Five-man playoff? That would be amazing.)
In another exciting match today, Baruto pulled out one of his favorite moves, but this time in maybe his most spectacular style yet (Note: his opponent weighs 319 pounds):
Results so far:
12-1: Hakuho
11-2: Koto'oshu
10-3: Asashoryu, Kotomitsuki, Aminishiki
9-4: Harumafuji, Baruto, Shotenro
8-5: Kisenosato (will stay at Sekiwake in September), Tochinoshin
7-6: Kunitachi (lost 3 in a row, no 10-win tourney this time, just hoping for 8 wins and promotion in Sep. UPDATE: Just looked, and I actually won yesterday, 5-4, and got to 8-5. Got my promotion for next tournament, plus still have a chance at 10 wins!), Kaio, Chiyotaikai
6-7: Takamisakari
0-13: Tochiozan
Matches of the day tomorrow: Hakuho vs. Harumafuji; Asashoryu vs. Koto'oshu; Kunitachi vs. Canapayama (I go up against the guy who already won the tournament in my division. He's 13-0 and no one's ever gone 15-0 in the sumo pool. Huge challenge to keep 10-win hope alive.)
On day 12, Hakuho had a bigger fight than expected but beat Kaio, Koto'oshu didn't have too much trouble with Miyabiyama, and Asashoryu sent a message by beating the other contender Kotomitsuki.
11-1: Hakuho, Koto'oshu
10-2: Kotomitsuki
9-3: Aminishiki (lost one he should have won to drop out of contention)
So it comes down to tomorrow's match between Hakuho and Koto'oshu to see who goes to 12-1. (Actually, it doesn't totally, because then each of them has to face Asashoryu before the tournament ends, so neither can easily win out. Kotomitsuki could even get himself back into a tiebreaker by winning his last three -- 3-man playoff, anyone?)
Crazy day of upsets in Nagoya today.
The biggest of them all was this EPIC BATTLE between Hakuho (in brown) and Kotomitsuki (in blue):
That dropped Hakuho to 10-1 for the tournament.
That would have been a great opportunity for Koto'oshu, except he had already lost to Chiyotaikai.
The combination of those two would have been a great opportunity for Asashoryu, just as I had described in yesterday's post. If only he had beaten Kaio. But he didn't.
Put it all together and there's now a 3-way tie for the lead.
10-1: Hakuho, Kotomitsuki, Koto'oshu
9-2: Aminishiki (low-ranked wrestler who, believe it or not, actually has a chance of squeezing into a victory with the top 3 all fighting each other in the last 4 days)
8-3 (and basically out of it): Asashoryu, Harumafuji, Tochinoshin, Shotenro
Match of the day tomorrow: Kotomitsuki vs. Asashoryu (Hakuho and Koto'oshu get relatively easy matches vs. Kaio and Miyabiyam, respectively.)
It's getting hot in Nagoya, as witnessed by the multitude of fans being waved by the audience at the Sumo tournament. But Hakuho has kept his cool...
10-0:
Amazing stat of the day: Hakuho has won 95 of his last 100 matches! Unbelievable. He hasn't looked in danger this whole tournament. He still has to face Koto'oshu, Harumafuji and Asashoryu, but a 15-0 tournament looks likely. He faces another contender, Kotomitsuki, tomorrow in the big match of the day.
Koto'oshu hasn't looked as dominant, but he hasn't made a single mistake. In his first real test today, he beat Kisenosato to stay undefeated and pretty much knock Kisenosato out of the chase. He ought to beat Chiyotaikai tomorrow, but he still has to face Kotomitsuki, Harumafuji, and both Yokozunas.
9-1:
Kotomitsuki beat Harumafuji and Baruto in his last 2 matches, so he's shown he's for real this tournament. His only loss was to Kisenosato on Day 6. If he can pull off the upset of Hakuho tomorrow, he'll have a strong chance of reaching a playoff for the championship.
8-2:
Asashoryu went 7-0, then lost on consecutive days to Kisenosato (understandable) and Chiyotaikai (really pathetic). He is pretty much out of the race for the championship, but he could play spoiler with upcoming matches against Koto'oshu, Kotomitsuki, and Hakuho. (Actually, if Kotomitsuki beats Hakuho tomorrow, then Asashoryu would make a playoff at worst by winning out, but that's a stretch.)
Aminishiki is at Maegashira #5 and having a great tournament. He beat Baruto early, but hasn't faced any real competition.
Shotenro had big expectations when he reached the majors in March after winning 2 straight tournaments in the minors. He didn't do too much in his first 2 tournaments in the majors, but he's looking good this time and should move up nicely in September.
7-3:
I've won 5 straight matches in the Sumo pool and Kunitachi is now up to 7-3 (and 3 wins away from my 3rd straight double-digit win tournament).
Harumafuji lost to Kotomitsuki yesterday to drop to 3 losses, so he won't be making Yokozuna any time soon, but he could still figure in the championship race, with a big upset or two.
Kisenosato also dropped out of the race with his loss today to Koto'oshu, but he did beat 3 Ozekis and one Yokozuna in the tournament and should finish strong and place himself well for future Ozeki promtion consideration.
Baruto has proved that last tournament's poor record was due to an injury or just a fluke. Having dropped down to Maegashira #3, he's gotten right back to his usual strong tournament (though, definitely, poor competition has supported his record this time.) 2 of his 3 losses are the two matches against Ozekis he's had. He has another chance to prove his mettle with a match against Harumafuji tomorrow.
A strong tournament for the Georgian Tochinoshin, who, at 21, still has time to live up to great expectations.
5-5:
The two old, lame Ozekis, Kaio and Chiyotaikai, are struggling along with 5-5 records. Unfortunately, the closer they get to the end of the tournament and near 8 wins, the more likely they are to make deals with other wrestlers to throw matches so they can keep their Ozeki rankings. Yes, it's true -- Freakonomics was right.
Takamisakari started terribly, but has won 4 of 5 to even his record at 5-5. I'm sure everyone would love to see him with a winning record and a promotion that would mean matches against Yokozunas and Ozekis in September (even though he'd probably end up 5-10 or worse against that level of competition).
Tosayutaka is putting up the best tournament among the rookies, though at 5-5, that doesn't say much.
4-6:
The 550-pound man-mountain Yamamotoyama's looking about as weak as a 550-pound man-mountain can look.
My man Futeno won his first 3, but he's 1-6 since then. Sigh -- no interviews for him this tournament.
3-7:
Not a good tournament for Kakuryu in his highest ranking ever of Sekiwake. He'll lose 8 or more and drop out of the top ranks (to be replaced by Baruto, probably).
2-8:
Dejima is a 35-year old, one-time Ozeki who just doesn't have it anymore. This is looking like his last tournament, as he's already announced he'll retire, rather than accept a demotion to the minors. At Maegashira #13 (5 from the bottom of the majors), with 8 losses already, this looks pretty likely. Must admit, I will not miss Dejima. I wish some other aging Ozekis would follow his lead.
1-9:
Ouch. The young Russian Aran clearly wasn't ready to be so high in the rankings (Maegashira #1) and to face all the top wrestlers. He'll drop way down in September, but probably start working his way back and hopefully do better when he makes it back up here.
Finally, in the Juryo minor division, the leaders are Hokutoriki and Wakanosato at 9-1. They're both ex-major leaguers who've done badly and been dropped to the minors. In other words, boring...
It seems every 14 months like clockwork Koto'oshu competes for a championship. In May '08, he won his first 7 matches en route to his one and only trophy. Now he's got the 7-0 start again, and has even looked very good doing it (though he's faced a very easy schedule), so maybe he'll compete all the way to the end.
The two other leaders are familiar: Yokozunas Hakuho and Asashoryu. Of course. Hakuho continues to look unbeatable. He faced a true test today, facing off against the up-and-coming Sekiwake Kisenosato, and winning pretty easily. He has his record for 2009 up to 50-2 (not including 2 playoff losses) and they're already talking about the possibility of his breaking Asashoryu's record (84) for wins in 1 year. That would be truly amazing, considering he actually has some competition.
Asashoryu, meanwhile, seems to have steadied the early shakiness and is back to his typical style -- not looking dominant like Hakuho, but never really in danger of losing. Tomorrow, he'll be the one tested by facing Kisenosato, who's now 5-2 with losses to Harumafuji and Hakuho.
Contending at 6-1 are Kotomitsuki and Baruto. Kotomitsuki finally lost on day 6 to Kisenosato, but has looked very good in the rest of his matches and could pull off a couple upsets late. Baruto, who was a Sekiwake in his last few tournaments but must have been injured last tournament and dropped down, looks back to normal again. He's been winning with some serious strength, either grabbing his opponent's belt and picking him up or tossing him down, or just shoving him out of the ring with his giant wingspan. He's probably not up to contending with the Yokozunas yet, but he'll get a good record and head back up where he was before. We'll get a good idea tomorrow when he faces the 7-0 Koto'oshu.
Barely hanging in contention are Kisenosato and Yokozuna-wannabe Harumafuji, both 5-2. Harumafuji lost a 2nd match to Aran on Day 5, which pretty much ended his hopes of a Yokozuna promotion this time around, but he could hang around near the top and set himself up for another attempt at promotion after September's tournament. Kisenosato is setting himself up now for talk of promotion to Ozeki.
The two old Ozekis, Kaio and Chiyotaikai, are barely surviving so far at 4-3.
Takamisakari is weathering the storm at a high ranking (for him) and stands at 3-4 and might be able to eke out 8 wins (which would move him up to way out of his league). Man-mountain Yamamotoyama looked very bad, losing 3 of his first 4, but has found his strength again and won 3 in a row to reach 4-3.
The rookies aren't looking too good. Mokonami and Tosayutaka are 3-4, while Wakakoyu is 2-5. But Shotenro, who got promoted to the majors in March after just 2 tourneys in the Juryo division, is finally living up to expectations, at 5-2.
Meanwhile, in the Sumo pool, Kunitachi also struggled early, but has won 4 of 5 (3 by tiebreakers), to get back on the positive side at 4-3. I'm averaging 6.6 out of 10 right each day, my best tournament yet, but everyone else is doing better, too. I need to win 6 of the next 8 to keep my 10-win streak alive and keep hope alive for Juryo promotion by next March.
The Summer tournament starts in Tokyo this Sunday. Here's everything you need to know to be ready for it:
Hakuho won his 10th tournament in March, at 15-0. I think he's won 19 matches in a row going back to January's tournament. He is obviously the favorite to win again this time.
Asashoryu won in January and he won't just step aside and let Hakuho have the tournament. Although he faded in the last third of the March tournament, he should be strong again this time, and he's always liked the Tokyo tournaments, so look for him to compete with Hakuho until the final day.
Expect the Ozeki team to be non-factors again. Unless Koto'oshu can gain strength from his just-announced engagement, or Kotomitsuki from his marriage (see pics). Or unless Harumafuji can finally put it together and return to his pre-Ozeki form. Or unless Chiyotaikai is inspired by the fact that he is in danger of demotion if he doesn't win 8 this time (for the 13th time in his career of mediocrity).
Baruto has been fighting like an Ozeki (i.e. average) lately, without quite making it to the Ozeki level. He'll be in his 4th straight tournament at the Sekiwake rank just below Ozeki, but hasn't even sniffed a promotion. There is hope, though. The last guy to stay at Sekiwake for 4 tournaments in a row was Asashoryu.
There is a new Sekiwake joining Baruto. It's Great Japanese Hope Goeido, who made it up to Sekiwake in the 9th-fastest time in history, just behind Hakuho but just ahead of Baruto. But if Baruto can't take the next step to move up to Ozeki, I certainly don't expect Goeido to do it any time soon.
At the next rank down, Komusubi, there are two newcomers: Kakuryu and Tochiozan. Both are small, scrappy wrestlers with good skills. Kakuryu is the 8th Mongolian to reach the sanyaku (top 3 ranks). Not sure if either has what it takes to stay at that high a ranking.
There are no rookies, first-timers up to the majors, this tournament. (Not even any rookies in the Juryo, 2nd division.)
So we will have to watch old favorites like Futeno and Takamisakari, dropped way down after multiple bad tournaments, to #10 and #12, respectively. And we'll have to watch up-and-coming youngsters, like Aran, the 25-year old Russian in his 4th tournament in the majors, fighting at #4. And the man-mountain himself, Yamamotoyama, the 546-pound Japanese (who shares a birthday with Herbert Peduddy), wrestling at #9 in his 3rd tournament in the majors.
Meanwhile, my alter-ego Kunitachi moved up just 7 spots to #57 in the low minors in the Sumo pool. Though this should be a tough tournament to predict, I'll be looking for another double-digit-win tournament to move up into the top 50 of the low minors in July.
