Kyushu Basho 2013 Prebasho Report

In a few hours this year’s kyushu basho will begin.  There are more than a few exciting points to cover here, retirements, promotions, possible ozeki; there is the possibility for lots of drama.  Let’s get going down in the lower ranks.  Takanoyama has sunk back down to makushita 2, where, let’s be fair, he continues to struggle.  I love the guy he’s a great wrestler, and i think he’s great for the sport, but if it hadn’t been for the yaocho scandal he never would have made upper juryo, much less makuuchi.  I think he’s more at home here win/loss-wise.   Tochinoshin is going to be absent again this basho, and since he’s scraping the bottom of the juryo barrel after an injury and an entire basho healing up it means he’ll be staring off 2014 in upper makushita.

Kyushu Basho 2012: Day 5

First of all I would like to give out a shout to good ol’Chalmers. I hope your dog is all right, bud.  I had a dog get run over … fortunately yours was able to survive… can’t say the same about my loyal old bastard.  I guess I’ll say another one out to Baruto. We approached you, had smokes with you, joked with you, had our sticks of chicken paid by you, and finally had a good time with you. 

Aki Basho 2012 Day 5

「Rollin’ down Imperial Japan,

With a big red nasty whisky at my side

Shirakami winds blowin hot from the north

And we were born to sweat

Roll up the windows

Turn on d’AC

Crank up Funky Monkey Babys

Don’t let the music stop

We’re gonna sweat it till

We just can’t sweat it no mo’

From the Chokai to Kosaka

From the Westside to the eastside

Everybody’s very sweaty

Cause the sun is shining all damn time

Looks like another humid day

Nagoya Basho 2012 Day 12

So on the eve of a very important day at least for two of the members of this beloved website, de Gama is called to champion the sumo cause by reporting day 12 of the Nagoya basho.  On the wee hours of the morning tomorrow again, de Gama is called with his trusty bedmate Bertrum to wake up at 4 in the morning to strap on a Japanese style loin cloth (fundoshi) and run the streets wild to reach a certain shrine.  There they will combat the evil spirits surrounding while a few Japanese people spray buckets of cold water upon their muscly backs.  This will to their minds purify them and ready them for the events to follow.  As avid sumo fans I, de Gama, must ask you one thing: Are you ready to get wet? Because I am.

Nagoya Basho 2012 Nakabi

Hey sumo fans, it’s your northernmost northern correspondent, Christian Harper filling in on the sumo report. Sorry for the delay on this one. As everyone else participated in the debauched revels of Sendai, I braved the humidity in Nagoya for the basho. I’d like to tell you that I maintained my composure, but

Natsu Basho 2012 Day 10

Another day of sumo and another glass of whisky as the natsu basho rolls along. The whisky for the day is Glenlivet 18 and the sumo for the day isn’t all that bad with a few good matches in the upper ranks. Although I wasn’t scheduled to force my half-coherent opinions upon you all until later in the basho, De Gama’s sheer explosive elation at the Kimi-Yoshi-Take Kaze hattrick yesterday left him withered and incapable of reporting. So buckle up you sunsabitches, you’re stuck with me.

Natsu Basho 2012 Day 7

To our literate readers,

Natsu Basho 2012 Day 2

Ahoy, Mateys!  Welcome back on board for the Summer Basho–a good six weeks before summer officially begins.  As always,

Haru Basho 2012: Day 12

Well, it seems like it was only a couple of days since I last was writing one of these.  And yes it was.  Its been a solid basho… full of ups and downs. Hopes shattering and some yet to shatter.  And as I sit here today wondering if and when the next disappointment is going to be, I think about how already this year of sumo has churned more out of me then the entire year past.  Now let me get a towel to clean myself off  and I’ll dive right in this report with you.

Haru Basho 2012: Day 9

I usually tend to enjoy the day 7 – 10 bouts as people try to get their wins, Lets take a look and see how today shapes up…

Hatsu 2012 Shonichi

And thus begins Heisei 24 in sumo.   Juryo wasn’t a bad watch today, but nothing amazing to report on.  Chiyotairyu picked up his first sekitori win, Sotairyu won in a relatively impressive fashion,  Russian Amuru also snagged sekitori win #1, Takamisakari squeezed one out too.  Most impressive though was Ikoi’s double win over Masunoyama.  1st go round was given to Ikioi then monoii-ed, and round two went again to Ikoi, which seems to be the way with Masunoyama bouts, who with his lung condition is not very effective in torinaoshi situations.

Now for Makuuchi.

Kaisei v Nionoumi – Kaisei had some trouble getting momentum going today, and underdog Nionoumi tried his best to move forward.  After a few failed thrusting attempts Keanau realized that guile might work better.  So he back pedaled a bit and took the win via tsukiotoshi.

Kyushu 2011: Day 6

And as de Gama pulls himself,  let me just slip myself in with a “don’t mind if I do” for day 6.  Usually I like to stock up the pipe with baccy, and pour meself a scotch before I nestle myself in. However, just as I am a bit slow getting it up this morning – and a bit slow to wake up with this fat hangover.  The scotch is replaced by the strongest and finest Yorkshire

Virgil Valentine’s Autumn Basho Top 10

You want the best?  You got the best…from number one to ten!

 

Light up a fine tobacco product of the Caribbean and sit back.  It’s time for the Virgil Valentine’s Autumn Basho Top 10.

Aki Basho 2011: Day 3

Kokkai vs. Kimurayama
The first makuuchi fight of the day was between two M16 fighters with a perfect score after two days. Kimmy stepped slightly to his right at the tachi-ai looking for an advantage. It worked and Kokkai was off balance and Kimura was facing the side of Kokkai but somehow didn’t capitalise on the situation. Horrible sumo followed, Kokkai should have lost at least 3 times, but then he managed to pull Kimura to the ground, with little objection. Not a great start to the day.

Nagoya 2011 Wind-up

Gentlemen, spring is usually a time of change and new beginnings, but as far as Sumo and this website are concerned summer is a time for changes and new beginnings. Your humble writer, has been temporarily banished to the home-country.  So for the next 3 basho I’ll be reporting from quite some distance.  I apologize for the pause in reports and news, but I have been in transit, settling in, and getting my internet sorted.  From here on out I’ll still be keeping the site up to date with reports and news breaks, and with the plethora of time I’ll have on my hands, expect ample whiskey reviews from this guy.  Anyway, down to business.

May Technical Examination Basho: Day 14

With an unexpected loss to Harumafuji yesterday the Yokozuna has left the door open for Tochinoshin and slightly less so for Baruto, Kaisei, Tosayutaka, and Kakuryu. Has the Technical Examination Basho shown or proven that Yaocho is finished in Sumo? I’ll let you be the judge dear readers. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

May Technical Examination Basho: Day 7

I woke up on Saturday morning after having not a single drink the night before, with the intent of spending all day watching sumo.  I don’t usually drink at 9:30 in the morning nor do I smoke that early… but sumo is a damn good excuse.

Jonokuchi: (coffee, Irish, thank you.)  I hate to be the one to say this, because I know he’s just a kid, but christ that first yobidashi of the day has got to be tone deaf.  My acutely trained musician’s ears are burning.

May Technical Examination Basho: Day 3

After an honest day at work, I drive home and naturally my mind dwells upon the the reporting I’m about to write up – particularly as it’s been A WHILE! Tired, at first I give off a long sigh… I sit meself down, get comfortable. Then good Old Taylor decides to pay a visit, and so I have a good chat with him. Conversation done, it’s then time for the sumo. However, a change appears inside as I watch the Juryo. I get excited again, the blood pumps, fists clench and eyes try not to blink as I am awed at some of the bouts. I realise that I have been missing the Sumo more than i thought, and glad that it’s back on the telly.

May Technical Examination Basho: Day 2

Welcome ladies and gentlemen to day two of the Natsu Technical Examinational non-Basho basho.  I must say I’m pretty impressed with the increase in quality to the NHK stream, as well as the addition of commentary.  I agree with Valentine that some replays would be nice, but ah well.  It’s too bad, for those who don’t speak Japanese, that there is no English provided whatsoever, but as that isn’t a problem for me, you guys can read all about it here.

May Technical Examination Basho: Shonichi

Oh, JSA, oh JSA.  There I was back in January, wishing 2011 would be a better year in sumo than the previous year.  Oh, how you never fail to continue failing.  I’ve been with you for many years, if anything, for the love of the sport, and I’m still here today.  I’ve been with you through the good times, the bad times, the awful times, and then there’s now.  Is it fair to say things can only get better at this point?  Or, am I jumping the gun with this presumption?