💾 Archived View for sdf.org › stug › phlog › 2021 › 20211127.txt captured on 2022-07-16 at 18:54:18.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-
27 November 2021 - Sumo Day 14 Kyushu ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Today was an interesting choice from the organisers. The matches for each day are generally set the day before and there tend to be games played. It is relatively common to try and set up hoards of darwin matches for day 15 for example. It is often about generating the maximum possible excitement. Well the leader board sort of stopped the organisers from setting up a winner takes the yusho style match for day 15. Instead, we got that today. This was due to Abi having a 12-1 record and Terunifuji having a 13-0 record. If Terunofuji won today in a match which was not against Abi, we would not have had the spectacle of the sekitori with the best records fighting one another. So today had to be the day. Abi pushed hard with his long almost orangutan like arms. Terunofuji seemingly didn't understand the onslaught and was pushed back to the bales. His face was not happy at all the slaps at all. Terunofuji ends up on a single leg looking as if he was going to step out of the ring. However, he somehow pivots back in. Abi is not expecting this and ends up going low and somehow falls over. I keep watching the replay to try and work this out. Turns out Terunofuji manages to get one of the gorilla arms into an arm lock and twists. The look on Abi's face when he has hit the clay is one of shock. The crowd errupts and Terunofuji looks like he needs a poo. A little eye brow raise happens as he walks back behind the scenes. What else can you expect from a Yokazuna. It is after all yet another basho this year. Abi did surprisingly well. His dip down the ranks following his 3 basho ban for breaking Covid-19 regulations seems to have given him a long rest. He lost a large amount of pay and is still living at his heya, apart from his wife and young child. I am glad to see Abi again. He is a favourite to watch as he tends to show his personality a bit more. Abi-zumo is chaotic and overly reliant of pushing and thrusting but it makes for some fun matches. Well done Abi on a thrilling match against Terunofuji. It was wonderfully exciting and deserving of a yusho decider.