The Sumo Thread - HAKKEYOI!!!

[The Un-Clit]

Looks like I'm slow. I was gonna say Sumo Highlights has a good recap of the matches here:

 

[SITHRAK!]

Looks like I'm slow.

You and me both. I’ve been repairing 3D resin printers and only just logged in to post that exact video LOL.

One of the best things about the second round in the video is this chick:

She spends most of each bout looking like Mr Buzzy just kicked in. I think we’ve found one of the near-mythical ‘female fat admirers’…

 

[Uncle Bass]

You and me both. I’ve been repairing 3D resin printers and only just logged in to post that exact video LOL.

One of the best things about the second round in the video is this chick:
Wyświetl załącznik 9147824
She spends most of each bout looking like Mr Buzzy just kicked in. I think we’ve found one of the near-mythical ‘female fat admirers’…

Near mythical outside of Japan. Have you seen the wives these guys pull?

 

[The Un-Clit]

WHAT a finale for day 2! Kotozakura was clearly pissed off at going kadoban in May, and he's showing he's back with authority! Papa Bear looked damn impressive too, when that brutal tsuppari is rolling, rikishi get their shit rocked. Hoshoryu only beat him by a whisker.

I'm a little worried about Aonishiki. He's clearly saving himself for Nagoya, but to lose to a maegashira 15 wrestler is kinda cringe for a guy looking to recover his own ozeki ranking. Still, Paris has been very interesting to watch!

 

[SITHRAK!]

to lose to a maegashira 15 wrestler is kinda cringe

I don’t know whether it was because the dohyo surface was looser- certainly in the first round a lot of the rikishi seemed to lack the power they displayed - or it being an ‘exhibition’ rather than a formal basho- but Paris 2026 seemed to be a bit less spectacular than normal to me.

The first round in particular seemed to have a few matches which felt like “I showed up, what more do you want?”. The uwatenage throws of the first two rounds (Kotoeiho/Tokihayate and Fujiryoga/Oshoma) were especially bloodless.

That said it was interesting watching Yokozuna Hoshoryu giving away gold stars to Fujinokawa and Takayasu. Do I think it was fixed? No. Do I think everyone involved was dedicated to top performance? Also no. It’s only, what, three weeks until the Nagoya basho? Unsurprising that the looser clay of the Paris dohyo and a desire to not get hurt might cause some of the rikishi to perform at less than their personal peak.

 

[22 Rimfire]

It's 100% a show, not a competition. Which makes perfect sense in context - This is basically outreach or fanservice, not canon. Performance here doesn't contribute to a rishiki's ranking, and given the high rate of injury/risk when competing for real it's in everyone's interest to dumb it down and play nice. So that's what you get, a performance that merely mimics competition. You could see the exact same thing at London last year. The lack of power is choice, not an environmental problem.

 

[PopularMediaToaster]

What are the chances Onosato comes back and doesn't hideously embarass himself? Nothing would make me happier than him coming back and just dominating this tournament, but based on how he's performed this year, I can't say I can come up for any reason to believe that will happen

 

[The Un-Clit]

What are the chances Onosato comes back and doesn't hideously embarass himself? Nothing would make me happier than him coming back and just dominating this tournament, but based on how he's performed this year, I can't say I can come up for any reason to believe that will happen

He's had plenty of time to rest and heal his shoulder by now, and although he hasn't shown it lately he IS a skilled and strong rikishi, you don't get to Yokozuna rank off of mid performances ( except maybe Hoshoryu) so I think he's going to come back kicking some ass this time.

I hope to see the same from Aonishiki, though his confidence is likely somewhat shaken still being so young and so recently humbled after climing so high so fast.

 

[This Machine Milks Cows]

I didn't even know this place had a sumo thread.

Sad to see Tamawashi fall so far down the banzuke. Juryo 7 is a long way down and it will be hard to get back to the top division from there. We already have one struggling Yokozuna and I really don't think that Kirishima is quite strong enough. He is also 30 and with a fairly extensive injury record. Maybe he would have been strong enough had he not suffered his shoulder injuries in 2024. I think that Hoshoryu would not have been promoted to Yokozuna had Terunofuji not been near retirement at the same time.

 

[The Un-Clit]

I didn't even know this place had a sumo thread.

Sad to see Tamawashi fall so far down the banzuke. Juryo 7 is a long way down and it will be hard to get back to the top division from there. We already have one struggling Yokozuna and I really don't think that Kirishima is quite strong enough. He is also 30 and with a fairly extensive injury record. Maybe he would have been strong enough had he not suffered his shoulder injuries in 2024. I think that Hoshoryu would not have been promoted to Yokozuna had Terunofuji not been near retirement at the same time.

Don't worry, neither did I until fairly recently!

Yeah it's hard sad fall for Tamawashi, but I really don't feel he has slowed down enough to stay at Juryo very long. 2 solid bashos will see him back in the Maegashira ranks after showing those young whippersnappers what's what. Kirishima's in no way a Yokozuna prospect. He's too inconsistant and injury prone to be able to make the required 2 consecutive yushos or jun-yushos and even then that's only a 'MAY' be promoted, not a 'must' be promoted and I don't think the JSA have long-term faith in him, and as noted they look to have jumped the gun once already with Hoshoryu and I don't think they're eager to make that risk again.

I think the only one right now with realistic Yokozuna potential is Aonishiki....IF he can prove that his recent fall from Ozeki was due purely to injury and he recovers his rank this basho. Even if he dosen't pull off the 10+ wins required, he's so young and so skilled that another Ozeki run will in the cards soon if he stays healthy.

One way or another I feel he will be a Yokozuna before the decade turns.

 

[Officer Barbrady]

I think the only one right now with realistic Yokozuna potential is Aonishiki....IF he can prove that his recent fall from Ozeki was due purely to injury and he recovers his rank this basho. Even if he dosen't pull off the 10+ wins required, he's so young and so skilled that another Ozeki run will in the cards soon if he stays healthy.

One way or another I feel he will be a Yokozuna before the decade turns.

I was just racking my brain to think of who is arguably the toughest rikishi to beat right now and I'd agree with Aonishiki when he's on his game. I just hope his dominant period wasn't a flash in the pan scenario and he'll get back there again.

I do find the current crop of rikishi exciting when they're all fit but I wouldn't say any of them are close to the type of Yokozuna that everyone wants to see. I never got to follow Hakuho's reign sadly and I don't expect them to reach those heights at all, but I do hope we get to see another Terunofuji (when fit) type of rikishi soon.

 

[This Machine Milks Cows]

He's too inconsistant and injury prone to be able to make the required 2 consecutive yushos or jun-yushos and even then that's only a 'MAY' be promoted, not a 'must' be promoted and I don't think the JSA have long-term faith in him, and as noted they look to have jumped the gun once already with Hoshoryu and I don't think they're eager to make that risk again.

I think the only one right now with realistic Yokozuna potential is Aonishiki....IF he can prove that his recent fall from

Yes, they certainly don't want another Kisenosato. Kirishima is talented and is probably the third (maybe even second) best wrestler right now but is not good enough for Yokozuna in my opinion.

I reckon Aonishiki has at least a 50% chance of making Yokozuna by 2030. Some of the other wrestlers with a chance of that are Fujiryoga and Fujinokawa. Fujinokawa is small but he is probably the most exciting wrestler around now. Ama/Harumafuji made it to Yokozuna and he was less than 100kg when he first got to Makunouchi. After those two, there is Hakunofuji (though he already seems to be having injury problems) and the Makushita Tsukedashi Omori.

The level of injury problems that the top wrestlers are having really seems to be increasing. The wrestlers are just getting bigger and bigger and bigger.

 

[The Un-Clit]

Yes, they certainly don't want another Kisenosato. Kirishima is talented and is probably the third (maybe even second) best wrestler right now but is not good enough for Yokozuna in my opinion.

I reckon Aonishiki has at least a 50% chance of making Yokozuna by 2030. Some of the other wrestlers with a chance of that are Fujiryoga and Fujinokawa. Fujinokawa is small but he is probably the most exciting wrestler around now. Ama/Harumafuji made it to Yokozuna and he was less than 100kg when he first got to Makunouchi. After those two, there is Hakunofuji (though he already seems to be having injury problems) and the Makushita Tsukedashi Omori.

The level of injury problems that the top wrestlers are having really seems to be increasing. The wrestlers are just getting bigger and bigger and bigger.

I love the buff baby, but I don't think Fujinokawa can hang at a Yokozuna level at the current era. Everyone else is just too damn big. 50-60 years ago he would have become a Taiho legendary level Yokozuna with his skill and speed, but now you need to have more bulk to not get steamrolled sometimes. I bet he sticks around the sanyaku for as long as he is healthy tho! Yoshinofuji is another rikishi with the talent and size to get there too, but not yet I don't think.

Size is definately sometimes hampering the rikishi as much as helping. Kotozakura is a perfect example of that. I bet he dosen't clear kadoban if his injured back acts up again. And Atamifuji is so damn big it slows him down and gives him too much inertia. Both of those guys would be so much better 20-30kg lighter.