Even though there were no fans, the Sumo Gods took over and the final match came down to the two Yokozuna: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbF6FCjKvSk

The video lasts 30 minutes but the match was over in the first five.

Wouldn't surprise me if the next several basho get cancelled: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20200425_15/

^ Sure enough, this is the first one.

Summer Sumo Tournament cancelled

KYODO

The Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, which was scheduled to open later this month, will be canceled due to the new coronavirus pandemic, the sport’s governing body said Monday.

The tournament had been scheduled to take place from May 24 to June 7 at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan after the Japan Sumo Association delayed the opening of the 15-day meet by two weeks in response to the outbreak.

The association had said it was considering holding the Tokyo meet without spectators or canceling it altogether depending on the situation of the pandemic.

As of Sunday, seven people within the JSA have tested positive for the pneumonia-causing virus, including stablemaster Takadagawa, second-tier wrestler Hakuyozan and five lower-ranked wrestlers.

Well, they're gonna try it. I dunno, , , ,

Sumo Association to allow fans in July Tokyo based basho

KYODO

The Japan Sumo Association said Monday it will allow spectators to attend its July grand tournament in Tokyo despite a recent rise in the number of people infected with the coronavirus in the Japanese capital.

The association decided at an extraordinary board meeting to admit about 2,500 fans a day into the tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, set to open on July 19.

The 15-day meet, which was delayed by two weeks from its original schedule, was moved from Nagoya to the capital to limit travel during the pandemic. Many sumo stables are based in Tokyo.

The sumo meet will be the latest sporting event in Japan to be held in front of a crowd. Japan's professional baseball and soccer leagues began permitting a limited number of fans to attend games from Friday in line with government guidelines.

The JSA also decided to move November's Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament from southwestern Fukuoka to Tokyo in response to the virus.

The July basho will be the first sumo tournament held in roughly four months as concerns about the coronavirus prompted the JSA to scrap the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament in May.

The sport's governing body had originally planned to hold the July tournament without spectators, as it did for the March meet. This year's Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka was held behind closed doors for the first time in sumo's history.

Tokyo reported 119 new coronavirus infections on Monday, a day after the capital confirmed 206 coronavirus cases, topping 200 new cases for a record fourth straight day.

The JSA has put in place several measures to prevent the spread of the virus, including prohibiting wrestlers from going outdoors in principle and asking them to refrain from training at different stables.

Antibody tests were also carried out to confirm a history of coronavirus infection for association members who wished to be tested.

Several JSA members have tested positive for COVID-19. In May, a 28-year-old lower-division wrestler died due to the virus.

Terunofuji completes the greatest comeback in the history of ozumo by winning the July basho. A remarkable, highly improbable outcome.

Asanoyama must be kicking himself.

What the hell happened to Onosho?

Four former Ozeki competing at or near the bottom of Makunouchi. You don't see that every day.

Is Abi done for good? What an idiot.

Ura continues his comeback bid by going 6--1 in Makushita. Gambatte!

Yup. If sumo had a Comeback Player of the Year award, he would get it. He's only 28, maybe he can make it all the way back to Ozeki.

Hakuho had his 1,000 match as Yokozuna. Most rikishi would consider they had a great career with 1,000 just in Makuuchi. But he dropped out again with an injury. Have to wonder if at 35, the wear and tear is catching up.

I liked Abi, but the knucklehead has no one to blame but himself.

Update on Abi: He offered to resign, but the JSA suspended him for six months instead.*

Former komusubi Abi was suspended for three tournaments and had his pay halved for five months for breaking guidelines aimed at preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus, the Japan Sumo Association announced Thursday.

The JSA’s board of directors, however, declined to accept the 26-year-old’s resignation over breaking the rules at the recently completed July Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan. Instead, they essentially suspended him for six months.

* Their way of saying, "We need all the good Japanese wrestlers we can get."

shin2 wrote:

What the hell happened to Onosho?

Somebody must have put something in his Chankonabe, after day 8 he's tied for the lead. The problem is, there's eight other guys with him.


O1w Takakeisho 6 - 2

S1e Shodai 6 - 2

M1e Terunofuji 6 - 2

M5e Kiribayama 6 - 2

M6e Takayasu 6 - 2

M8w Wakatakakage 6 - 2

M9w Onosho 6 - 2

M12e Kotoshoho 6 - 2

M14e Tobizaru 6 - 2

If I were a betting man, I'd go with Terunofuji. After those two losses he's won six in a row and has this "Okay, no more fooling around, now I'm serious" attitude about him.

My sentimental favorite would be Takayasu. Never won a basho, even as an Ozeki, it would be great if he finally won as a rank-and-filer.

^ Shows what I know. When he was still Ozeki, there were times when Takayasu looked to have a chance of winning the basho only to crash and burn in week 2. Happened again, lost three in a row eliminating himself from contention. Terunofuji dropped out on day 13 with an injury.

The big news was newcomer Tobizaru hanging in until the last day ending up 11-4. Lots of wresters with names containing Yama, Sho, Taka, Fuji, or Umi, etc. Tobizaru is the first wrestler I can recall with "Saru" (monkey) in his name. Wonder how they came up with that.

Congratulations to Shodai for getting his first basho win.

S1e Shodai 13 - 2

O1w Takakeisho 12 - 3

M8w Wakatakakage 11 - 4

M14e Tobizaru 11 - 4

O1e Asanoyama 10 - 5

M1w Takanosho 10 - 5

M6e Takayasu 10 - 5

M9w Onosho 10 - 5

M12e Kotoshoho 10 - 5

Final basho of the year starts Sunday. For the second time in a row, no Yokozuna: http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13906436

Over halfway. No Yokozuna, two of the three Ozeki dropped out with injuries. Until his loss today Terunofuji, along with Takakeisho looked like men against boys. But I still think it will come down to those two.

O1e Takakeisho 8-0

K1e Terunofuji 7-1

M6e Takarafuji 7-1

M17e Shimanoumi 7-1

S1e Mitakeumi 6-2

M10e Ryuden 6-2

M14e Chiyonokuni 6-2

^ Shows what I know (again). Not only did Terunofuji suffer his second loss on day 9, Flying Monkey came thru and beat previously undefeated Takakeisho: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHS7TCpGJ5k

And, we had a playoff. First, the match that caused the playoff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rje5j4n-1fA

And the playoff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rje5j4n-1fA

Let's hope it's mild and not too severe.

Hakuho tests positive for Covid-19

Yokozuna Hakuho looks unlikely to contest the upcoming New Year Grand Sumo tournament after learning Tuesday he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The Japan Sumo Association said the Mongolian-born grand champion received the positive result from a polymerase chain reaction test taken on Monday.

Hakuho, who has won a record 44 top-division titles, has been preparing for the New Year meet starting Sunday at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.

He is the first wrestler from among sumo's elite ranks atop the first-tier makuuchi division to test positive for the virus.

The 35-year-old underwent the PCR test after noticing something wrong with his sense of smell on Monday.

And Kakuryu will be missing as well:

Injury-hit grand champion Kakuryu's career in the sumo ring inched closer to the precipice Friday, when his stablemaster said he will miss the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament due to lower-back issues.

Over halfway and so far it's been the Daieisho show

M1w Daieisho 8 - 0

O1w Shodai 6 - 2

M7e Meisei 6 - 2

M8w Kiribayama 6 - 2

M16w Akiseyama 6 - 2

Maegashira 1 is usually a pretty tough spot because you get all the san'yaku the first week, but Daieisho has mowed them all down.
He'll get all rank and filers next week so it's looking pretty good for him. Except for shodai the Ozeki have been pretty disappointing. Especially Takakeisho who was being mentioned as the next possible Yokozuna. He's down near the bottom at 2-5. Never mind Yokozuna, he'll probably be kadoban next basho.

And Daieisho wins the Emperor's Cup!

M1w Daieisho 13 - 2

O1w Shodai 11 - 4

O2e Asanoyama 11 - 4

S1e Terunofuji 11 - 4

M15w Kotonowaka 10 - 5

Kakuryu was already out, now another basho with no Yokozuna.

Hakuho withdraws from March basho

Grand champion Hakuho will have surgery for a right knee injury that forced his withdrawal Tuesday from the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.

The 36-year-old yokozuna informed the Japan Sumo Association he needs surgery to treat a damaged right patella and swelling around the joint, followed by a likely two-month rehabilitation.

His stablemaster Miyagino said Hakuho plans to return after recovering from the surgery and will decide whether to continue competing based on the results of his comeback tournament.

"He was told (by a doctor) that he couldn't wrestle in his current condition. He said he will make his final decision at the Nagoya tournament (in July)," Miyagino said.

The procedure, to take place later this month, will be on the same knee on which Hakuho underwent endoscopic surgery last August.

These two should have retired already, but retirement is the hardest decision to make for any athlete. We all wish we could see into the future and pick the right moment to do it. But when we start declining, we're always haunted by the hope of climbing back to the top. Maybe Tokushoryu would have retired after his January 2020 win if he had foreseen his dramatic return to Juryo.

Smile Again wrote:

These two should have retired already, but retirement is the hardest decision to make for any athlete.

Yup. Michael Jordan trying to comeback with Washington is a good example. Maybe if Harumafuji hadn't had his problems he might still be around and we'd have at least on yokozuna.
_________________

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