[sumo] SUMO SCRIBBLINGS and Musashimaru News

[Wayne, Emmett CIV JCCS Crew Lead]

Patrick,

Thank you for you insightful reporting spiced with colorful commentary.
Thank you especially for the part about Musashimaru.  I still miss
seeing the big guy. 


EMMETT WAYNE
Torideyama
Camp Victory, Baghdad
-----Original Message-----
From: sumo-bounces at webtrek.com [mailto:sumo-bounces at webtrek.com] On
Behalf Of Patrick Bal
Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2008 07:34
To: 'Sumo Mailing List'
Subject: [sumo] SUMO SCRIBBLINGS and Musashimaru News

By MARK BUCKTON
Special to The Japan Times Online 


A little over a week ago, the Nihon Sumo Kyokai announced its rankings
for the upcoming Haru Basho in Osaka.

As expected, Hakuho retained his slot on the slightly more prestigious
eastern side of the banzuke, while fellow Mongolian Asashoryu headed the
western rankings.

Rightly or wrongly, yokozuna shenanigans linked to Asashoryu continue to
dominate the sport - aided by reports that he told a Japanese reporter
to "go die." He was photographed traveling back to Japan in a Hawaiian
aloha shirt and shorts, a cultural no-no for a man supposed to appear in
kimono when traveling or on official business.

Hakuho, meanwhile, can do no wrong, speaks little, behaves discreetly as
a good sumotori should, and it appears the only thing he is missing in
recent media pics is a white steed rearing on its hind legs.

As far as Osaka goes then, the stage is set for a battle between the
Prince of Darkness and the Prince of Light, the ill-mannered Asashoryu
versus the well-mannered Hakuho.

Both are looking sharp in pre-tourney practice sessions down in Osaka,
Asashoryu particularly so, but with Hakuho going after his third
consecutive title and second in a row in Osaka, he remains the man to
beat. Should Asashoryu fail to take home the silverware, he will have
gone winless in four successive yusho races - something we haven't seen
since 2002, when he was a sekiwake.

Fans the world over will be hoping for another senshuraku (final day)
showdown.

Out to spoil the fun will be a group of lower sanyaku and upper
maegashira men more than capable of beating either of the Grand
Champions. Of particular note are the "K" men, Kotoshogiku and
Kisenosato: solid rikishi with another decade in the gas tanks if they
can avoid serious injury.

Twenty-four-year-old Kotoshogiku, who is returning to sekiwake after
being boosted a rank on the back of an excellent 9-4-2 finish (including
time missed in the second week due to injury) as a komusubi in January,
was last at the rank for the same tournament 12 months ago when he went
7-8. This is a different year, however, and Kotoshogiku appears to be a
different man of late, with enough experience under his belt that an 8-7
or perhaps even a
9-6 would be something of a disappointment.

Young Kisenosato, the 21-year-old from Naruto Beya, finished with a
dismal
6-9 record last March. However, having knocked off Asashoryu in January
of this year on his way to a solid 10-5 record, he will be aiming for a
new career high of sekiwake come May.

Both wrestlers, in addition to fellow promising twentysomethings in the
upper maegashira and lower sanyaku slots, Ama (sekiwake) and Kakuryu
(maegashira 1), are honing up their skills in anticipation of an ozeki
slot becoming available. These are all still occupied by either tired
old men past their use-by dates (Chiyotaikai, Kaio and Kotomitsuki) or
Kotooshu, the one-time media darling from Bulgaria for whom the required
ozeki double figures have materialized in just two of the past 12
tournaments - once with the help of an automatic win in which his
opponent failed to appear.

Appearing lower down the division will be a trio that could soon be
snapping at the heels of the "K" men: Goeido (m8), Tochiozan (m12) and
Sakaizawa (m15). Goeido will be going into his "home" Osaka basho out to
make up for his 5-10 in January. He was clearly ranked too high then,
with it being only his third outing in makunouchi, at m3. This time
should be different.
Tochiozan had a brilliant 11-4 at Osaka Basho 2007 - his first
makunouchi basho - but he's had a tough year since. Hopefully his
gritty, hard-fought
8-7 in January will mark the proverbial turning of the corner.
Meanwhile, Sakaizawa has jonokuchi, makushita and juryo titles to his
name and has won a shade under 80 percent of his bouts. He has hit the
big time, and it'fs time to be tested.

Also keep an eye on Tosayutaka, who will be making his first-ever
appearance in the sekitori ranks as a juryo rikishi. The Tokitsukaze
Beya man is sitting in exactly the same "juryo 12 west" spot on the
banzuke as a January Hatsu Basho juryo debutant - Tochinoshin - the man
who would win the division in his first try. Will history repeat itself?
Given Tosayutaka's
32-3 win/loss record to date, which includes 30 consecutive white
circles indicating a victory, and the speed with which he has made the
salaried ranks (just five basho), it very well could.* * * * *


In other sumo news: Former yokozuna Musashimaru, last seen on the dohyo
in November 2003, indicated recently that he will not be opening his own
stable. The winner of 12 titles, Maru is apparently uninterested in all
the responsibility such a move would entail and would rather remain a
coach - a slot he currently fills at Musashigawa Beya.

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