Day 11 in the books, Hakuho still perfect, Aoiyama, Kotooshu, and Kaisei next at 9-2, Harumafuji again disappointing at 7-4. The only question is will Hakuho go undefeated: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdG-yTxj_Q0

(Current streak at 41)

Day 14, Hakuho clinched yesterday but his current streak (43) ended today: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkfVNPfMKf0

Edit, here is the final match of the last day between Hakuho and Harumafuji, not much of a match, Hakuho got injured on day 13 when he clinched and obviously it was affecting him, hope he's okay by September: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YX6eFqB_Ng&feature=c4-overview&list=UUjEHJ_fQxC3wgXcIazGWt3Q

I was watching NHK "Sports Japan" today and they said Harumafuji has received a "letter of encouragement" from the sumo association. Which is a nice way of saying, "shape up or ship out". If I can find a link I'll add it.

Found this which I thought was interesting because they have a couple recipes for good old chanko nabe: http://banzuke.com/chanko-nabe/

First day of the Fall Basho, couldn't find any video highlights but their were no surprises, Hakuho, Harumafuji and Kisenosato all won: http://www.sumo.or.jp/en/honbasho/main/torikumi?day=1&rank=1

Baruto announced his retirement earlier, guess he's going back to Estonia and be a farmer.

Ack! Day two and Harumafuji suffers his first loss: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrBbUOsWW_c&feature=c4-overview&list=UUpOmy6iy-dJHMXvvA_Ok19g

gaijinmark wrote:

First day of the Fall Basho, couldn't find any video highlights but their were no surprises, Hakuho, Harumafuji and Kisenosato all won: http://www.sumo.or.jp/en/honbasho/main/torikumi?day=1&rank=1 Baruto announced his retirement earlier, guess he's going back to Estonia and be a farmer.

Baruto, despite his success, never really looked comfortable in the sumo world. I remember a match where he was obviously asked to engage in yaocho; he looked so clueless in throwing the bout I think everyone was embarrassed for him.

The only surprise of day three Kisenosato loses to Okinoumi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J67Gw_wWn_4&feature=c4-overview&list=UUpOmy6iy-dJHMXvvA_Ok19g

To paraphrase the Soup Nazi from 'Seinfeld': "No Yokozuna for you!!"

Harumafuji now 2-2 losing to previously winless Aoiyama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0yvWU3k0lw&feature=c4-overview&list=UUpOmy6iy-dJHMXvvA_Ok19g

Day 8 in the books, over half way Hakuho alone at the top 8-0, Kisenosato next at 7-1 and then a big log jam of 8 guys at 6-2 led by Harumafuji.

So looks like it's not anybody's tournament to win so much as its Hakuho's to lose. All those 6-2 guys will match up and eliminate each other, unless one of them (cough, 'Harumafuji' cough) can come out of the pack looks like Kisenosato is the only guy with a realistic shot at catching Hakuho.

gaijinmark wrote:

looks like Kisenosato is the only guy with a realistic shot at catching Hakuho.

Or not. Kisenosato loses to Chiyotairyu dropping him to 7-2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41a-EBT-JVI&list=PL3oHIWgGXp--Q0ov_y-LAU0DGhYMYuOF_&index=135

Well, we may have a tournament after all. Hakuho upset by Goeido: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGvmIM_Uq88&feature=c4-overview&list=UUpOmy6iy-dJHMXvvA_Ok19g.

Harumafuji, Kisenosato, and Homasho all one behind at 8-2.

Day 12, coming down the stretch. Kisenosato vs. Harumafuji, pretty good match. Kisenosato prevails to stay just one behind Hakuho:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e95yb45VGbw&feature=c4-overview&list=UUpOmy6iy-dJHMXvvA_Ok19g

"Please do not throw the zabuton."

And Kisenosato proceeds to lose to Goeido: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DU4gXT6CXDY&feature=c4-overview&list=UUpOmy6iy-dJHMXvvA_Ok19g



Hakuho now 2 wins ahead with 2 to go. Another Emperor's Cup to add to the collection. Except for his loss to Harumafuji, Goeido has had a pretty good tournament, beat Hakuho and Kisenosato. Good comeback for him after two mediocre showings 7-8 at the Natsu basho and 8-7 at the Nagoya basho.

Goeido and Kisenosato both seem to have the same problem. They struggle against the guys they're supposed to beat.

Day 14, Hakuho vs. Kisenosato. A bit of gamesmanship before the match. Did Kisenosato really think he could psych out Hakuho? There was some discussion after the match if Hakuho pulled Kisenosato's hair, they decided he hadn't. Looks like Hakuho got a cut below his left eye hopefully this won't affect him tomorrow against Harumafuji: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttiZeEBVgZM&feature=c4-overview&list=UUpOmy6iy-dJHMXvvA_Ok19g

gaijinmark wrote:

Looks like Hakuho got a cut below his left eye hopefully this won't affect him tomorrow against Harumafuji

It didn't: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkdKDdoiZ4A&feature=c4-overview&list=UUpOmy6iy-dJHMXvvA_Ok19g

Hakuho ends up 14-1,probably kicking himself over that one loss to Goeido. Kisenosato and Goeido next at 11-4, another 10-5 basho for Harumafuji. I expect they'll be rumblings that Harumafuji should step down. Anyway, onwards to Kyushu.

gaijinmark wrote:

It didn't: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkdKDdoiZ4A&feature=c4-overview&list=UUpOmy6iy-dJHMXvvA_Ok19g Hakuho ends up 14-1,probably kicking himself over that one loss to Goeido. Kisenosato and Goeido next at 11-4, another 10-5 basho for Harumafuji. I expect they'll be rumblings that Harumafuji should step down. Anyway, onwards to Kyushu.

It'll only be a matter of time before Hakuho breaks the all-time record for yusho (32 championships by the late great Taiho). It's a shame that he is competing in an era where his competition is mediocre at best.

As far as Harumafuji's lack of yokozunaness, it now seems that the JSA's hopes that a second yokozuna would make for a more competitive situation has crashed and burned. Where are the Hawaiians when you need 'em!

They did a feature on this guy on this weeks' edition of 'Sports Japan'. The next 'great Japanese hope': http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endo_Shota

His match against Kyokutenho is the one that woke everybody up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERcwPFbs_e4

Btw, that's a typo on his Fall Basho results. He went 9-5-1, missed his final match with a sprained ankle.

gaijinmark wrote:

They did a feature on this guy on this weeks' edition of 'Sports Japan'. The next 'great Japanese hope': http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endo_Shota His match against Kyokutenho is the one that woke everybody up: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERcwPFbs_e4 Btw, that's a typo on his Fall Basho results. He went 9-5-1, missed his final match with a sprained ankle.

The guy hasn't been in professional sumo long enough to have his hair grow out so he can have a chonmage.

Seems to have had a stellar collegiate career, but that doesn't mean much anymore. For at least the last couple of decades the better Japanese athletes avoid sumo like the plague. That's why, both in terms of quality and quantity, homegrown sumo talent has dried up considerably.

Egyptian promoted to sumo's top division

Osunaarashi was named as the first wrestler from Africa to enter the elite makuuchi division when the sumo rankings were announced on Monday for the upcoming Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.

The 21-year-old Egyptian, whose real name is Abdelrahman Ahmed Shaalan, went 10-5 in his two tournaments at the juryo level and will wrestle as a 15th-ranked maegashira when the 15-day tournament begins at Fukuoka Kokusai Center on Nov. 10. Since his March 2012 debut, Osunaarashi has needed 10 tournaments to reach the top division, the second fewest after maegashira Jokoryu.

At the top of the makuuchi mountain, Mongolian yokozuna Hakuho will be going for his 28th career championship after going 14-1 in September. His total currently trails only Chiyonofuji�fs 31 titles and the legendary Taiho�fs 32. Hakuho�fs hard-pressed rival, compatriot and fellow yokozuna Harumafuji, is coming off a 10-5 record in which he was dogged by injuries.

Kotooshu is in danger of losing his ozeki ranking if he fails to win a majority of his bouts in Fukuoka. The Bulgarian hurt his hamstring on the fifth day of the Autumn Basho and was forced to sit out starting from the eighth day. This will be his seventh tournament as a kadoban ozeki.

After the ozeki quartet of Kotooshu, Kisenosato, Kotoshogiku and Kakuryu, Goeido moves from west sekiwake to the more prestigious east side, while Tochiozan has been bumped back to sekiwake for the first time since July 2012 after going 8-7 in September as a komusubi.

For Goeido, it is his 10th straight tournament at sekiwake.

Shohozan and Okinoumi complete the sanyaku ranks in the two komusubi slots.