Sumo March Haru Basho Day 15

Sumo March Haru Basho Day 15

J9w Tokushinho (6-8) vs J8w Takanoyama (6-8)

Takanoyama really tried here and almost pulled it off with leg sweeps but it was no good. His opponent was literally twice his size and he got over powered for the loss.


M16w Wakanosato (8-6) vs M11w Jokoryu (9-5)

This was mostly a stalemate until Wakanosato got a hip throw in. Jokoryu just had no grip while Waka did and got the easy win.
M7e Okinoumi (10-4) vs M2w Myogiryu (8-6)

Oki had good defense here which Myo could not crack. Oki then overpowered him out of there.

K1e Tochiozan (9-5) vs M4e Toyonoshima (7-7)

Toyonoshima had no balance here and got put out rather easily.

S1e  Goeido (9-5)  vs M4w Shohozan (7-7)

Goeido got behind Shohozan's head quick and put him down.

S1w Baruto (8-6) vs O2w  Kotoshogiku (8-6)

This was mostly a stalling match with Baruto winning. Koto made a drive near the end and Baruto used it against him for the throw.
O1e Kisenosato (9-5) vs O2e Kakuryu (8-6)

Kisenosato got the win here and just overpowered Kakuryu. It wasn't much of a match at all and was certainly questionable.
Y1e Harumafuji (9-5) vs Y1w Hakuho (14-0)

Hakuho won here by putting out Harumafuji. Good match here. This was very intense and both men really fought. The crowd was into it and Hakuho survived an early scare to take the win. Really good stuff here.
Rankings:
15-0: Hakuho - Haru Basho 2013 Champion

12-3: Kyokushuho and Azumaryu (both from Juryo)

11-4: Okinoumi(fighting spirit award) and Takarafuji

10-5: Kisenosato, Goeido, Tochiozan and Kitataiki

9-6: Harumafuji, Baruto, Aoiyama, Takekaze, Yoshikaze, Jokoryu, Sadanofuji and Wakanosato

8-7: Kakuryu, Kotoshogiku,  Myogiryu, Aran, Fujiazuma, Shotenro and Daido

All wrestlers below this line will get a demotion

7-8: Aminishiki, Tochinoshin, Shohozan, Kyokutenho, Masunoyama and Chiyonokuni

6-9: Toyohibiki and Takanoyama from Juryo

5-10: Takayasu, Tokienku, Gagamaru and Oiwato

4-11: Ikioi, Tamawashi and Sotairyu

3-12: Kaisei

Overall thoughts: I really enjoyed this basho. There was a big upset everyday and there was a lot of interesting stuff going on. I know some people didn't like Hakuho going undefeated but he was excellent and virtually flawless this basho.

Harumafuji is surely going to have more criticism coming his way. It is really amazing how he can go 15-0 one tournament and then go 9-6 the next one. He just didn't look strong out there and maybe he had some kind of injury. Either way, this was a weakened tournament minus Hakuho and he really should have gotten a few more wins.

Going down the rankings, the Ozeki were not really impressive. Kotoshogiku probably looked the best out of all of them. Kisenosato didn't show alot, Kakuryu looked really bad near the end and Kotooshu looked like he should be fooling around in the Maegashira ranks. JoshI and myself have been ripping them apart for most of the tournament and honestly, it was well deserved. None of the Ozeki appear to be challenging for Yokozuna anytime soon and most of their performances were disappointing. Next tournament will be interesting as Kotooshu could be getting a demotion if he cannot get a winning record.

Baruto looked really good this basho and I think he will be a force to be reckoned with for the future. If a one legged Baruto can go 9-6, a full strength Baruto should be able to get 11 without a problem.

Goeido had a good 10-5 record but he didn't really look that great. Still though, Sekiwake is a tough rank and no one is going to remember how he got each win in the future. However, he could have desperately used another win or two to make a possible run at Ozeki in the future. He had 10 this time, so another 10 or so would put him in the right direction.

Moving on down, Aminishiki looked decent early but mostly fell apart. Myogiryu didn't look too bad and he atleast he made 8 wins. Ikioi looked bad and Tokitenku rightfully got exposed.

Toyonoshima has my sympathies. He fought hard and seemed like a lock to get to 8 wins but he had too many stupid losses. He did knock down a Yokozuna and two Ozeki though, so credit to him. I genuinely do feel bad for him and felt he deserved 8 wins. This tournament should give him more confidence though.

Shohozan, poor Shohozan. He really fell apart in the last half of the basho. He got almost all of his losses starting with day 7. He couldn't take out anyone ranked above him which hurt him. I really like Shohozan but his size is always going to be a problem for him.

Takarafuji looked great at 11-4, but it must be noted that he fought no one at K or above. His toughest opponent was Kaisei, atleast in rank, which really isn't saying much. So an 11-4 with no K, S, O or Y wins really isn't much to be impressed with. They really should have given him some tougher competition and it is amazing how he squeaked out with easier opponents. However, he's had 3 basho's now with 9+ wins and those are going to look good for him.

Jokoryu was at 9-6 but should have had more wins. Don't get me wrong, he looked great and had a nice record but he didn't get to fight above M6 Kitatiki. I would have liked to have seen him get a higher ranked match in to see what he can really do. Good basho though for him and he should be around an M8/M9 ranking next time, since those are his best wins. He will surely be one to watch.

Tochinowaka was embarassing to watch and I wasn't really thrilled with him pulling out for an arm injury. That still doesn't explain a lot of those losses and I expect him to be put back down in Juryo.

Takanoyama started off strong but then looked like a one trick pony near the end. His Day 15 match showed some promise but he has to get more creative and gain weight. Get him some peanut butter about 6 times a day and I promise he will gain weight. Other than that, he's going to continue having records around the 7 or 8 win mark and that is all.

Osunaarashi looked like a force to be reckoned with. He needs to learn how to use the rest of his body and he needs to learn more techniques. He is strong, aggressive, vicious and no one to fool around with. He should have a higher Makushita ranking next time around and he really needs to get an undefeated win to fast track him. We will be seeing a lot of him in the future and I think he's going to tear a lot of lazy and complacent wrestlers up in the future.

Kyokutaisei should be getting a promotion as well and he looks mostly ready. His size will be a problem in the future but he has some confidence and skills. Atleast he doesn't have problems gaining weight.

Thanks for following(or tolerating) my reviews of the Haru Basho 2013. Stay tuned for the next tournament in May!