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2014 Haru Post-basho Report (Page 2)
Sekiwake Goeido ended up at 12-3 for the simple
reason that they were fighting this thing in Osaka, and they need something to
keep the fans excited about when the Mongolians are running away with the
shooting match. I'm calling BS on the majority of his wins, and it just doesn't
make sense that he can go 12-3 like this and then barely scrape together 7 or 8
wins when something real is on the line. There is no use breaking down Goeido's
sumo beyond what we've done in the daily comments because this run was the
result of mukiryoku sumo. Due to all of the hype surrounding the new Yokozuna,
talk of Goeido being up for Ozeki promotion pending his results at the Natsu
basho has been scarce, but let's wait and see what the headlines are when the
Natsu basho banzuke is released at the end of April. With Kakuryu having vacated
the Ozeki ranks, that leaves two: Kisenosato and Kotoshogiku, but that really is
a sorry pair'a Ozeki the NSK has on their hands, so don't be surprised if Goeido
and Tochiohzan occupy the rank by the end of the year.
Speaking of Tochiohzan, he had a very solid basho ending up at 9-6 with solid
wins over Goeido, Yoshikaze, Endoh, and Kotoshogiku, and then he even stopped
Chiyotairyu's win streak on senshuraku although it required a lotta luck. I
stand by my frequent statements throughout the basho that Tochiohzan is the best
Japanese rikishi on the board. He's got great size and strength, and he's about
the only one that doesn't leave himself wide open at the tachi-ai.
I already talked about Sekiwake Kotooshu in my day 12 comments, so let's move
on.
Komusubi Toyonoshima blew it in week two after a great 4-4 start to the basho.
Remember, Komusubi have brutal week one schedules, so to come out of that fray
even steven was an accomplishment, but his 1-6 finish against weaker competition
was below average. Toyonoshima must get moro-zashi to win in this division, but
he isn't quick enough or feisty enough to do it anymore, and that's why he'll
continue to struggle this high up.
I appreciated Komusubi Shohozan's basho even though he finished up just 5-10. I
thought he gave all of his opponents really good fights and made them earn their
wins. Sometimes you'll get an Okinoumi in this rank who just stands there like a
practice dummy and gets his ass kicked, but Shohozan brought it this basho and
fought well including nice wins over Kotoshogiku and Tochiohzan. Nothing to be
ashamed of with his 5-10 performance.
The only positive about the strange ending to this basho and Kakuryu's
yusho/promotion was that it took the focus off of M1 Endoh. I thought his 6-9
finish was a good indication of where he's at right now in this division. Prior
to the basho, we learned that Endoh's stable master finally let him go out for
de-geiko, which was a smart move, but the reasoning for keeping him home until
now was for him to work on his body (karada wo tsukuru). Endoh's got
serious game, but he's like a middleweight fighter trying to make it in the
heavyweight ranks. It doesn't mean that he can't get stronger, but when Musoyama
was in this same position, dude was already a heavyweight and could push people
around. Endoh can't push anyone around. He can finesse his way into solid
positions at the belt or capitalize on his sweet sumo instincts to counter at
the edge and win, but a bruiser he ain't. Endoh's body kind of reminds me of
Yokozuna Asashoryu's only Endoh is about five kilos lighter than the former
Yokozuna. If dude can put on five kilos of muscle, he'll be a player in the
division, but for now, he's got to outsmart his opponents instead of
out-physical them. Still, the kid turned in a decent performance, and I think
anything beyond this would have been overachieving.
I thought M1 Tamawashi forced his opponents to beat him this basho along the
lines of Shohozan instead of just giving up like a few others we know, but there
is no way he can survive this high in the ranks and it showed with a 5-10 finish
aided by a fusen win over Kotooshu on day 11.
When I talk about guys who just give up, I'm fingering M2 Okinoumi who finished
4-11. At times, Okinoumi has actually tried among the jo'i, but there was no
effort there from him in Osaka. Being outdone by Tamawashi? D'oh! Of course, the
dude may have been about garnering cash this basho as his senshuraku bout
against Terunofuji was clearly yaocho. You have a rookie in Terunofuji who
struggled all basho at 7-7; they hook up in yotsu-zumo where Okinoumi has the
outer grip while the rookie has none; and then Okinoumi chooses to hop along
cassidy on one foot just waiting for Terunofuji to beat him by yori-kiri. It was
a totally improbable win, and I think it was such obvious yaocho as this bout
that really turned me off.
Counterpart M2 Tochinowaka was in the same boat as Okinoumi in terms of giving
no effort with Bruised Lee finishing 4-11 himself. The problem with the
SleepWaka is exactly that...he's just standing around waiting for things to
happen instead of creating his openings. I still like the kid for some reason,
but he's a useless jo'i rikishi.
No real comment on the M3's Kaisei (6-9) and Takayasu (5-10) other than I think
it's apparent that Takayasu is not a jo'i mainstay. The kid could actually get
on a roll now and then and score a legitimate kin-boshi against those other two
Yokozuna, but he's just not cut out for the sanyaku.
M4 Yoshikaze did exactly what a rikishi on the edge of the jo'i needs to do,
which is to clean up against rikishi around your own rank and pick off a few of
the top guys. Furthermore, I actually think the dude had a more impressive basho
than Kakuryu in terms of sumo content. Yoshikaze didn't exactly blow is
opponents up from the tachi-ai, but Kakuryu didn't either. You know a small guy
like Cafe is going to cat and mouse you a bit, but his list of kimari-te is
better than Kakuryu's. It doesn't mean he's a better rikishi than Kakuryu; he's
not even close. It means Kakuryu was just average for himself this basho while
Yoshikaze really extended himself...not that Kakuryu couldn't do that if he
wanted. Regardless, Yoshikaze's 10-5 all but guarantees him a spot in the
sanyaku for May as a Komusubi, a rank he has yet to achieve.
No real comments on his counterpart, Ikioi who finished 7-8 with two four-bout
losing streaks in each week that sealed his fate. Ikioi just didn't have it this
basho. Either that or everyone forgot he was from Osaka and failed to cooperate.
With the poor performances of the rikishi ranked from Komusubi down through M3,
it's likely that M5 Chiyootori will slip into that final Komusubi slot. Dude
manhandled Toyonoshima on senshuraku to earn that decisive ninth win, which
signals a changing of the guard with this new upstart in comparison to the run
down Tugboat. Chiyootori has so much upside and knows how to get to the inside
of his opponents, and I think he can win 40% of his bouts next basho against the
Japanese rikishi ranked sanyaku or above.
Counterpart Aoiyama also finished 9-6 and still has too much pull sumo in his
arsenal for my liking. Yeah, it worked not having to fight anyone with actual
game (unlike Chiyootori who faced Kisenosato and Tochiohzan), so we'll see how
Aoiyama's retreating ways work from the M1 slot.
Let's skip down to M7 Chiyotairyu who put together a week 2 run of 7-0 to clinch
kachi-koshi. There is nothing to add here that wasn't said daily in my comments.
He pulls he loses. You'll notice during that 7-0 run it was all straight-up,
smash mouth sumo that was beautiful to behold.
A notch down at M8, Kyokutenho turned in yet another 9-6 performance, and he did
that fighting 11 guys who kachi-koshi'ed. Still, the majority of his wins were
when guys settled for yotsu-zumo. When his opponents were determined to just
take it to the old timer from the tachi-ai, he was beat pretty soundly. Tenho
better hope that he doesn't break back into the jo'i for May as this level is
clearly his comfort zone.
Let's hop down to the M10 rank where Myogiryu filled in the East slot and barely
pulled a kachi-koshi out of his arse with a 7-2 finish capped by a 4-0 run.
Someone who can get inside so easily at the tachi-ai would have had more success
had he been 100%, but you could see Myogiryu hesitant early on starting from his
day 1 bout against Terunofuji where he had moro-zashi but couldn't drive with
the lower body to capitalize. The best thing for Myogiryu right now is to take
it easy at the upcoming exhibitions and come back hard at the Natsu basho.
Across the aisle is said Terunofuji, whose basho really resembled that of
Takanoiwa last basho. Terunofuji is a much better rikishi than he showed here,
and while he didn't deserve all eight wins, I expect him to turn it around just
like Takanoiwa did here in Osaka. Terunofuji has excellent yotsu skills and a
great sumo body, and remember, he was taken out of his rhythm on day 2 when
Tokushoryu henka'd him and nearly ripped his elbow apart, and you could see that
hesitation in his sumo for about a week after. He needs to really come hard in
May, and I expect him to do so after gaining the valuable Makuuchi experience
this go-around.
For all intents and purposes, M11 Osunaarashi was 7-1 this basho before an
injury against Endoh on day 8 really took him out of his game. At such a young
age, he should overcome that high thigh injury no problem, and if he's 100% at
the Natsu basho, he's easily got 12 wins in him. The Sumo Association has to be
thinking, 'why is it that all of the young up-and-comers are foreign rikishi?'
but we've had that discussion before.
I thought M11 Tokushoryu had a decent basho despite that classless henka against
Terunofuji. He henka'd less as the basho wore on and focused on a more bruising
tachi-ai and quick force-out of his opponent, and I think he was tough matchup
this basho for his opponents. It was a good 9-6 effort.
It's a crying shame that Japan is so shallow that they're putting all of their
eggs into Endoh's basket, especially when you have newbies like M12
Chiyomaru...emphasis on maru. After clinching kachi-koshi on day 12, I
thought he let up against Terunofuji the next day, and then two losses the final
two days kept him at 8-7, but dude did just fine. I love these two brothers and
how they seem fearless regardless of their opponents, and it's so nice when you
see a guy who can establish an identity with his sumo as Chiyomaru did here with
his oshi attack.
Let's finish up with M16 Satoyama who was really a one-hit wonder last basho.
Like Takanoyama, it didn't take long for the bottom dwellers to figure him out,
and I'd be surprised to see him back in the division. I mean, when was the
last time we saw Takanoyama? Before I go, let's just quickly review the
newly announced Juryo rikishi for May...Ichinojo...the only newcomer...should be
great to watch...Tosayutaka...haven't seen him in awhile...Sakigake...and then
finally...oh bloody hell, it's Takanoyama!
In all seriousness, that's a wrap on the wild and crazy Haru basho that was wild
and crazy this time around for mostly the wrong reasons. It will be interesting
to see what the headlines are heading into May. I haven't heard that anyone is
officially up for a promotion, and Endoh was tamed with his 0-3 finish, but
there's no way that the three Yokozuna are going to be allowed to run roughshod
at the top of the ranks. Stay tuned.