💾 Archived View for sdf.org › stug › sumo › 2021_natsu_lead.txt captured on 2021-12-03 at 14:04:38.
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1st May 2021 So there are just 8 days until the Natsu tournament. The lead up to each tournament is always an exciting time. There are updates galore with which rikishi (wrestler) are looking genki (at their best) during the various training sessions, who will be kyujo (injured) and the various other dramas going on. There is also the excitement of the Banzuke, a list of rikishi rankings, appearing 2 weeks before the tournament starts. At the moment, I have not heard of any one being kyujo other than Hakuho. It is yet another tournament without a Yokozuna (highest rank in osumu) seeing as Kakuryu retired and Hakuho was injured. So we look to the Ozeki (second highest rank in osumu) to keep the hungry Sekiwake, Komusubi and Maegashira on their toes. New Ozeki Terunofuji will be a force to watch out for. He managed to regain his rank after serious injury and falling far into the unsalaried ranks. He is the only rikishi to have the drive and stamina to achieve this. Hopefully, he manages to avoid injury on the road to Yokozuna. Shodai is kadoban (at risk of demotion if he gains a losing record) and that normally produces some great drama. I am not sure what Shodai's chances are but hopefully he finds the strength to remain an Ozeki. With the Sekiwake and Komusubi, we see little change. Hopefully there is some movement as the top Maegashira have suffered greatly from no slots being available and so not being promoted. Takayasu did well for the first half of the March tournament but lost focus as the tournament progressed. Poor papa bear! It would be great for him to be able to regain Ozeki and finally win a tournament. In the Maegashira ranks, I will be keenly watching Wakatakakage, Tobizaru and Terutsuyoshi (the grand salt thrower). I have a weakness for the shorter rikishi as they tend to produce some fantastic sumo. Unfortunately Enho is still in Juryo (division below Makuuchi) and I will miss his antics. He is ranked East #1 so he should be back in Maegashira if he has a winning record. Ura could be back in Maegashira again as well after suffering significant injury and falling pretty far down the banzuke. Kotoshoho, another favourite, seemed to have suffered harshly on falling down to Juryo East #5 from Maegashira West #11. That is a huge fall of 20 ranks or so. He did have a stinker of a March tournament though only wining once out of the 7 bouts he was not kyujo for. Hopefully, he is back on form and starts wining again. It feels like Juryo is the more exciting of the 2 seikitori (paid wrestler) divisions for Natsu but I am sure there will be plenty of drama and excitement with Makuuchi. We need some new Yokozuna but I cannot see Shodai or Asanoyama pushing hard enough to get it. Takakeisho might but I think he will struggle to get the 2 yusho (tournament wins) necessary to get there. Terunofuji has the fighting spirit necessary but will his knees withstand the struggle? We shall see amidst the excitement of Hatsu! I shall be watching using NattoSumo's fantastic videos on Youtube and I am considering writing about my impressions on most days. Who knows what the schedule will allow for.