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<div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">John's article brings up an interesting point. I would think that this would be the first time in history that 4 former Ozeki's were competing in the Makuuchi division at the same time.</div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false"><br></div><div dir="ltr" data-setdir="false">Torideyama</div><div><br></div>
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On Thursday, July 16, 2020, 10:32:33 AM CDT, Jeffrey Anderson <jpaitv@gmail.com> wrote:
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<div><div id="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926"><div dir="ltr">Since it's the Japan Times....<div><br></div><div><h1 style="margin:0.125em 0px;padding:0px;font-family:utopia-std, Georgia, serif;line-height:33.6px;">Upcoming July Basho could be fascinating, unpredictable affair</h1><div id="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-slideshow_and_video" style="margin:16px 0px 20px;padding:0px;"><div class="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-gallery ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-single_block" style="margin:0px 0px 0.875em;padding:0px;">Newly promoted ozeki Asanoyama (right) practices at the Takasago stable on July 9. | JSA / VIA KYODO</div></div><div class="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-padding_block" style="margin:0px auto;padding:0px;width:816.55px;"><h5 class="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-writer" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;text-transform:uppercase;color:rgb(153,153,153);font-weight:200;">BY <a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/author/john-gunning/" title="Posts by John Gunning" class="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-author ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-url ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-fn" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(0,153,204);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JOHN GUNNING</a></h5><p class="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-credit" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;text-transform:uppercase;color:rgb(153,153,153);">CONTRIBUTING WRITER</p></div><div class="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-padding_block" style="margin:0px auto;padding:0px;width:816.55px;color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:Pluto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:16px;background-color:rgb(251,251,251);"><div class="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-meta ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-single_block" style="margin:0.5em 0px 0.875em;padding:0px;width:184.375px;float:right;"><div class="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-section_title ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-single_block ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-small" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; background-image: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: rgb(234, 233, 224); min-height: 0.25em; text-align: center; width: 184.375px;"></div><ul style="margin:0px 0px;padding:0px;list-style-type:none;"><li class="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-post_time" style="margin:0.3125em 0px 0px;padding:0px;list-style-type:none;float:left;width:184.375px;text-align:left;">JUL 16, 2020<div class="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-post_history" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;border-right:none;height:auto;float:none;"><span style="margin:0px;padding:0px;text-transform:uppercase;"><a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2020/07/16/sumo/basho-reports/upcoming-july-basho-fascinating-unpredictable-affair/#article_history" id="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-trigger" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(0,153,204);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ARTICLE HISTORY</a></span></div></li><li style="margin:0px 0.75em 0px 0px;padding:0px;list-style-type:none;float:left;"><a class="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-icon-printer" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;color:rgb(0,153,204);"><span style="margin:0px;padding:0px;">PRINT</span></a></li><li style="margin:0px 0.75em 0px 0px;padding:0px;list-style-type:none;float:left;"><a class="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-addthis_button" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=300&pubid=jtimes" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;text-decoration-line:none;color:rgb(0,153,204);" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-icon-share" style="margin:0px;padding:0px 0px 0px;display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;"></span>SHARE</a></li><li class="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926edit" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;list-style-type:none;float:left;width:184.375px;"></li></ul><div class="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-clearfix" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;"></div></div><div class="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926entry" id="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-jtarticle" style="margin:0px 0px;padding:0px;font-family:utopia-std, Georgia, Mincho serif;width:605.825px;float:left;"><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;">One of the more unusual tournaments of recent times gets underway in Tokyo on Sunday.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;">Sumo returns to the capital for the first time since January, with the intervening six months having seen a spectator-less <em style="margin:0px;padding:0px;">basho </em>in Osaka, a canceled tournament in May and a long period of enforced restriction on wrestlers' training and movements.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;"></p><div class="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-teads-adCall" style="margin:0px;padding:0px;"></div><div class="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-jt_content_ad" id="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail-div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0" style="margin:0px 0px 20px 10px;padding:0px;float:right;"></div><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;">Add to all that the coronavirus related death of 28-year-old veteran Shobushi, and it’s hard to know just what kind of physical or mental condition <em style="margin:0px;padding:0px;">rikishi </em>will be in when things kick off at the Kokugikan on July 19.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;">In terms of the former, it’s almost certain men like Mitakeumi, Onosho and Tamawashi, who train in stables that lack wrestlers of a similar standard, won’t be fully match-fit at the start of the July meet.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;"><em style="margin:0px;padding:0px;">Degeiko </em>(going to other stables to train with tough opponents) has long been a major part of pre-tournament preparation in sumo, and when it hasn’t been possible rikishi have suffered.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;">Those in stables with numerous <em style="margin:0px;padding:0px;">sekitori </em>(wrestlers in the top two divisions) undoubtedly will have a sharpness advantage in the early days of the upcoming tournament.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;">That’s not something that should persist, however. Most of the top division is made up of people on the right side of 30, so bouncing back quickly and working themselves into shape likely won’t be too much of a problem. By the halfway point, everyone should be up to speed.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;">Of course, while a tournament can’t be won in the first week, it most certainly can be lost. Wrestlers who struggle to shut out distractions could find this tournament particularly tough.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;">The strangeness of a silent arena in Osaka clearly affected performances in the early going there, and it’s easy to imagine that a small audience not allowed to shout or cheer will have a similarly discombobulating effect this month.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;">When it comes to the championship race, veterans with previous experience of long layoffs, and in stables with strong opponents, should have an edge.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;">The two <em style="margin:0px;padding:0px;">yokozuna </em>obviously spring to mind.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;">Hakuho of course has history on his side, with the Miyagino stable veteran winning the tournaments that came either side of the canceled March 2011 meet. While he isn’t the all-conquering force he was a decade ago, sumo’s greatest wrestler has to be considered the favorite heading into the July Basho.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;">Kakuryu, at the time a <em style="margin:0px;padding:0px;">komusubi</em>, finished runner-up in May 2011. The Ulaanbaatar native narrowly missed out on a ninth Emperor’s Cup last time out, losing a title-deciding bout to Hakuho on the final day of the March tournament.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;">Now in the Michinoku stable, Kakuryu has up-and-coming Mongolian stablemate Kiribayama to train with daily. In an uncut training video released by the Japan Sumo Association last week, the yokozuna was in dominant form and could well emerge victorious this time out — even if Hakuho is healthy and remains in the tournament.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;">Outside of the two yokozuna, most of the media attention will likely fall on newly promoted <em style="margin:0px;padding:0px;">ozeki </em>Asanoyama. The Kindai University graduate has kicked things up several notches over the past year and looks set to inherit sumo’s throne in the not too distant future</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;">Although he lacks top-level training partners and is the only man in the yokozuna or ozeki ranks who has never experienced a long layoff, Asanoyama has shown an ability to keep a cool head when under pressure, and has continuously improved his sumo since turning professional. The key for the Takasago stable man this time out is the same one needed to take the final step on the sumo ladder – namely dominance against lower rankers.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;">To win a second title and put himself on the path to yokozuna, Asanoyama has to stop dropping bouts to rikishi like Abi and Yutakayama on a regular basis. Losses to Hakuho and Kakuryu will happen, but those need to become title deciding matchups, not fights with nothing at stake for the new ozeki.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;">While the main focus for the July tournament rightly falls on those at the top of the ranking, the lower half of the <em style="margin:0px;padding:0px;">makuuchi </em>division this time out is fascinating. Four former ozeki (Terunofuji, Kotoshogiku, Takayasu and Tochinoshin) will be battling it out with rapidly rising Sadogatake stable youngsters Kotonowaka and Kotoshoho. If one of them catches fire we could see a fourth rank and filer lift the Emperor’s Cup in the space of two years, after just one in the previous 17.</p><p style="margin:0px 0px 0.9375em;padding:0px;">Terunofuji, back in the top tier after falling all the way down to the second-lowest division seems like the best dark horse candidate for the title. The Mongolian veteran won’t fear anyone he could be matched up with over the first ten days. Having already experienced life as an ozeki, and with a championship to his name, the pressure won’t be a factor either.</p></div></div><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="ydp8a7b4d8yiv6874580926gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr">Best regards,<div>Jeffrey Anderson</div><div>Gaijingai</div><div><br></div><div>For of all sad words of tongue or pen,</div><div>The saddest are these:</div><div>It might have been.</div><div>- John Greenleaf Whittier</div></div></div></div></div></div>_______________________________________________<br>Sumo site list<br><a href="mailto:Sumo@webtrek.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sumo@webtrek.com</a><br><a href="http://server.webtrek.com/mailman/listinfo/sumo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://server.webtrek.com/mailman/listinfo/sumo</a></div>
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