November 2021 Basho--DAY 5--NOVEMBER 18, 2021
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November (Kyushu) Basho
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Day 5--November 18, 2021
Day 6 Schedule (Sumo Reference)
Day 5 Recap and statistics
Video: Note: NHK videos will be available on demand until 2 weeks after the end of the Basho (Tournament). After that, they will be removed from the site. They are usually available for on demand viewing about 1 day after the matches. Note that "highlights" means complete full match video of all daily Makuuchi matches.
NHK match highlights (condensed, all matches in their entirety, the highlights are 27 minutes long).
Note that "Live" 50 minute final segments from Day 1, 8, and 15 are also made available on demand at this site. These "live" videos give new fans an opportunity to see the pace of the matches, and the Rikishi (wrestlers) before match activities, which some Sumo fans maintain are as important as the matches themselves.
JSA Youtube offers selected full matches on its Youtube and Website channel. They are usually Makuuchi (Top Division) bouts, but sometimes there are Juryo (2nd Division) bouts as well.
Takanosho is trying to get back to san'yaku (Top Rank) after a four Basho stay from November 2020 to May 2021. He jumped directly from Maegashira 1w to Sekiwake without going to Komusubi first. He was 25-20 in his first three san'yaku Basho, but then the wheels came off with a 5-10 May Tournament which dropped him back to Maegashira. He has split 30 matches since then, but has a high enough rank that an excellent score could promote him back to the Top Rank. And a Kinboshi (Gold Star win by a Maegashira over a Yokozuna) would certainly help. The 10 plus year veteran has never won a Gold Star. Will today be the day? As for Terunofuji, it seems someone is looking for a possible career altering win against him every day.
This turned out to be a great confidence building match for Wakatakakage. He saved himself at the tawara (straw bales) 3 times before turning it around. Look at the expression on his face when it was over. This match improved his record to 2-3 v san'yaku. He has beaten both Sekiwake and lost to both Ozeki and the Yokozuna so far. He has two more matches against Komusubi. The rest of his matches are almost all against opponents lower ranked than he. A good score in this Basho will almost certainly guarantee a re-promotion to san'yaku after only a short time out.
This is a match that style connoisseurs of the sport love to watch. These two are very innovative and any match they are in is unpredictable. They are both crafty veterans of the sport, with 6 (Ura) and 11 1/2 (Chiyoshoma) years of experience. Ura's injury history was discussed in the Day 2 Blog Post. Chiyoshoma was a career 0-5 against Ura going into this match, but he has been fighting very well in this Basho. Recently he has been criticized for his overuse of "Henka" (a side step at the Tachiai--initial charge--designed to avoid contact and get the opponent off balance). The move is perfectly legal but frowned upon as "undignified" at this level. Lately though, he has become more orthodox and shown that he can win without it. His high point in this Basho was on Opening Day when he did use a Henka but followed it up with a very stylish tossing out of the Dohyo (ring) of Kotoeko (M8e) by his mawashi (belt) knot. As for Ura, he is a master of all sorts of techniques, including some very rarely used, like Kubihineri (Head Twisting Throw), Izori (Backwards Body Drop) and Tottari (Arm Bar Throw), which makes him intrinsically fun to watch, in my opinion.
Abi isn't the only Rikishi who precipitously dropped in rank because of suspension. (His tribulations are discussed in the Day 3 Blog Post). Ryuden, a long time staple in Makuuchi (January 2018-March 2021) was recently suspended for conduct unbecoming a Rikishi and was demoted to Makushita (3rd Division--no salary) Ms47w. And of course the "big one", Asanoyama (Ozeki) was also recently suspended for repeated violations of Pandemic restrictions and then lying about them. He too will most likely end up in Makushita. I would not want to be his first opponent there. When Abi is going well, he uses his long arms like an out of control agricultural implement and can match up with anyone. Akua is a career grinder who has missed 4 matches in the 549 he has been scheduled since beginning his career in January 2011. It took him almost 8 years to reach Makuuchi. He has great motivation to stay there. He has been on the yo-yo string between Top and 2nd Division twice this year and only a winning score, from his rank, will keep him from falling again.
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Notable:
Terunofuji marched on today, but not, as usual, without a fight. This time it was Takanosho that had him at a disadvantage for a while, until the Yokozuna turned the tables. He is now 5-0 and has already clinched most wins for a calendar year with 67. Hakuho has the record with 86 (out of a possible 90), which he accomplished twice, in 2009 and 2010. To recap, Terunofuji's scores have been 11-4, 12-3, 12-3, 14-1, 13-2,and 5-0. He has won 3 Yusho (Championships), 2 Jun-Yusho (Second Place) and 2 special prizes. Quite a Resume for one who had to fight his way back up from Jonidan (Division 5--no salary) after severe injuries and illness. His knees tell the story. As long as they hold up, he should be dominant.
As for the Ozeki, Takakeisho (O1w) won, improving his score to 5-0, but Shodai (O1e) was upset by long time veteran Okinoumi (M3e), leaving him at 4-1. Okinoumi has had a solid and durable career. At age 36 he is one of the three oldest Rikishi in the Basho. He began his career in March 2005 and reached Makuuchi in March of 2010. Since then he has only been demoted to 2nd Division once, on account of injury, and was only in Juryo for one Basho before coming back to the Top to stay in November of 2010. He has a career winning record, and has 2 Makuuchi Jun-Yusho (2nd Place), won 8 Special Prizes and claimed 4 Kinboshi, He has missed 18 matches since he returned, 11 of them in the Basho in which he reached his highest ranking (Sekiwake).
As of today Terunofuji, Takakeisho, and Abi (M15w) are the only undefeated Rikishi. Six Rikishi have one loss.
There were 9 Kimarite (finishing moves) today. For the basho there have been 20. In September, after 5 Days, there were 16.
Total match time for this Basho after 5 Days: 24 minutes 10.5 seconds (99) matches. In September, after 5 Days (97 matches): 19 minutes 25.8 seconds.
The Maegashira (Rank and Filers) finally broke into the "win" column against the san'yaku (Top Rankers). They were 3-2 on the day, and so they are now, Day by Day, 1-4. Their total record is 8-17 (.320). In September, after 5 Days, Maegashira had won two of the days (4-1, 4-1) and lost the other three (1-4, 1-4, 0-5), for a total record of 10-15 (.400).
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Quotable:
"I think it was good. I was calm."
Terunofuji, a man of few words, dissecting his win (in a match that looked anything but calm) over Takanosho (Google English Translate from Nikkan Sports Japanese article.)
Various Quotes from various sources compiled in English by a member of Sumo Forum
Note: "Gambarize" means "do my best."
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Condensed results (20 matches)
Key: Time of Match--s=seconds; Rank; Winner; Basho Record; Finishing Move; Rank; Loser; Basho Record
Day 5 Condensed results
Partial or complete absences from this Basho
Wins-Losses-Absences
M10w---Asanoyama (0-0-15)
M13w--Tochinoshin (1-1-3) (including 1 forfeit)
06.1s M15w Abi (5-0) oshitaoshi M16e Akua (2-3)
05.1s M15e Chiyomaru (2-3) oshidashi M17w Shohozan (1-4)
06.4s M14w Chiyonokuni (2-3) yorikiri M16w Sadanoumi (4-1)
13.4s M13w Tochinoshin (1-1-3) yorikiri M14e Kagayaki (2-3)
11.6s M17e Kaisei (2-3) yorikiri M13e Yutakayama (2-3)
02.3s M10e Chiyotairyu (3-2) oshidashi M12w Hakutofuji (4-1)
05.9s M9w Hidenoumi (3-2) okuridashi M12e Ishiura (2-3)
60.3s M11w Terutsuyoshi (3-2) shitatenage M9e Aoiyama (3-2)
01.5s M8w Tobizaru (3-2) oshidashi M11e Kotonowaka (1-4)
09.8s M7e Ura (4-1) tottari M7w Chiyoshoma (3-2)
03.7s M6w Tamawashi (4-1) oshidashi M8e Kotoeko (0-5)
10.2s M5e Takayasu (4-1) yorikiri M5w Hoshoryu (1-4)
04.1s M4w Endo (3-2) hatakikomi M6e Shimanoumi (0-5)
04.0s M4e Takarafuji (3-2) tsukiotoshi M2e Onosho (0-5)
07.7s M1e Daieisho (2-3) oshidashi K1e Ichinojo (2-3)
06.5s S1w Meisei (3-2) oshitaoshi K1w Kiribayama (0-5)
26.7s M1w Wakatakakage (2-3) yorikiri S1e Mitakeumi (4-1)
04.7s O1w Takakeisho (5-0) oshidashi M3w Myogiryu (2-3)
06.0s M3e Okinoumi (2-3) yorikiri O1e Shodai (3-2)
12.9s Y1e Terunofuji (5-0) uwatenage M2w Takanosho (2-3)
Source: Sumo Reference (text results) and Nikkansports.com length of bouts data (see result sources below)
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Finishing Moves (20 matches--100 total) Note: finishing move links below link to short NHK videos demonstrating the technique.
Frontal Push Out (Oshidashi).................6(24)
Frontal Force Out (Yorikiri).................6(23)
Frontal Push Down (Oshitaoshi)...............2(4)
Slap Down (Hatakikomi).......................1(6)
Rear Push Out (Okuridashi)...................1(3)
Under Arm Throw (Shitatenage)................1(3)
Thrust Down (Tsukiotoshi)....................1(10)
Over Arm Throw (Uwatenage)...................1(3)
Totals for Basho
Frontal Thrust Out (Tsukidashi)..............6
Hand Pull Down (Hikiotoshi)..................4