[sumo] Chiytaikai Match Opinions

[Harold E. Shaver]

=>
=>Not being able to watch the matches, I'm wondering
=>about Chiyotaikai.  He's 6-7, and will be demoted if
=>he doesn't get to 8-7.
=>
=>Some people say the fix is in, and he will get his 8
=>wins, even though he can barely stand on his own
=>because the "Ozeki Back Scratcher's Club" will take
=>care of it. Some say Kotooshu looked surprised at his
=>win vs Chiyotaikai on day 12, as if that wasn't
=>supposed to happen. And that while Chiyo henka'ed on
=>day 13, Kotomitsuki took an obvious dive to help
=>things along. Also, that Chiyotaikai is facing Kaio on
=>day 14, and since Kaio has his KK already (and hasn't
=>won a match since he got there), Chiyo will win
=>(making him 7-7)
=>
=>So what are the opinions of people here who have
=>actually seen the more recent Chiyotaikai matches?
=>Anything fishy going on?
=>
=>
=>Jeanne

[Chisaiyama says:] My impression on the Kotooshu match
was that Kotooshu was out to win it and was not willing
to be a participant in the OBSC.  The surprise I believe
was in the little resistance Chiyotaikai was putting up.
There is also a strong possibility that Taikai's knee
gave out on him at the wrong time or that possibly his
foot slipped.

The Kotomitsuki match could easily be interpreted that
he took a "dive" as that is physically exactly what he
did as Chiyotaikai wasn't there to meet him at the
tachi-ai instead he had leapt to his right and just
slapped Mickey on the back of the head as he went by, a
very desperate, maneuver by a very desperate man.

Logic and history says Kaio will not try to stop
Chiyotaikai tonight either.  Since Hatsu '08 Kaio has
only twice won as many as 9 bouts and on both occasions
it was against an Ozeki that already had their own KK
and I guess he figured what-the-heck why not go for
another win of my own.  In all the other bashos once he
gets his 8 he stops winning.  He wants to nurse his
career through until at least Kyushu this year when he
would break Takamiyama's longevity record of 97
consecutive Makuuchi bashos and of course possibly the
Chiyonofuji most Makuuchi win record as well so he will
not risk his own health in the process of getting there.

Logic says that on day 15 he should meet the less than
spiffy Baruto but while he hasn't been up to snuff he
has looked better these last few days.  And of course it
is no secret of Chiyotaikai's feelings toward gaijin in
sumo.  Of course most of that feeling seems to have been
directed towards the Mongol horde, I'm sure it makes any
gaijin more interested in showing up the old-timer.

The worst case scenario, probably, would be for
Chiyotaikai to face Kisenosato on Day 15 because that is
definitely a Rikishi-on-a-Mission this basho!

Hal "Chisaiyama" Shaver