Asashoryu’s 20th yusho in the 2007 Hatsu basho made a big impression on some important people but it wasn’t the kind you might have expected.  In Ozumo, a yokozuna’s 20th yusho is usually a conversation-ender, removing all doubt that the man is a dai-yokozuna, an honorific reserved for a magnificent few. Not this time.  All four living men with this cachet had something to say about it after the yokozuna clinched the title on day 14 (active names used here).  Takanohana was merely tepid, citing his vigor and flexibility but Taiho said fulfilling a yokozuna’s responsibility was more important than the number of yusho, adding that his training had slackened and that he needed to grow spiritually.  Chiyonofuji implied more dedication was needed, while Kitanoumi Rijicho said that under current circumstances, 20 yusho were meaningless because of the awful state of the ozeki contingent.  The passkey to the Dai Y Club is not yet en route to Takasago Beya, and was probably put deeper into storage when the yokozuna failed to bow to M1 Dejima after suffering his only loss of the basho on Day 3.

That – on this special occasion – these icons were more intent on citing Asashoryu’s shortcomings than on praising him is very instructive.  These missives hit the street as soon as yusho #20 was in the bag on Day 14, so you know the reporters who asked the questions and the four men who answered them had flagged this moment beforehand, and had ample time to prepare their questions and answers.  Chiyonofuji added that Asashoryu might eventually claim 50 yusho.  A blow-up of sumo records of that proportion could re-cast the legacies of all prior dai-yokozuna.  It appears those men now believe that outcome is entirely possible. 

This was Asashoryu’s 4th consecutive yusho and the 13th time he’s clinched the Emperor’s Cup prior to senshuraku.  It’s also the 3rd straight basho in which the jun-yusho went to a hiramaku rikishi so the remarks by the Rijicho with respect to the ozeki group – in and of themselves – are well taken.  The hiramaku surprise this time was the stubby M9 Toyonoshima, who didn’t give up the yusho hunt until the 14th day, when he was upended by M4 Ama.  Then, on senshuraku, as if to underline that his feat was no fluke, he embarrassed sekiwake Kotomitsuki by twirling him around and dumping him by katasukashi.  His 12-3 record was all the more astounding when you consider that he has posted nine wins only once before in his makuuchi career.  Since he’ll be at the top of the maegashira ranks in March, I’m afraid just six wins would be impressive enough; although I sense that his sumo has improved due to added weight and stability, and a more aggressive attitude on the dohyo.

Speaking of those maligned ozeki, there were Hakuho and Chiyotaikai with 10-5, Kotooshu 9-6, Kaio winning on the last two days to escape kadoban at 8-7, and Tochiazuma gamely but foolishly struggling to the end at 5-10.  Hakuho looks like sumo’s second best but still looks flummoxed at times when he’s prevented from getting his favored left mae-mitsu at the tachiai.  Also, this time he fought through ring rust after sitting out the Kyusho basho with his injured toe, and that too may impede him for a while.  None of the other four ozeki appear capable of posting eleven wins anymore so in a way it seems almost pointless to talk about them individually, but they do get their 9-10 wins most of the time, which those below them can’t do, so in that sense, they are still ozeki-like.

 Kotooshu continues to frustrate his fans.  Sometimes he appears dispassionate to a fault on the dohyo by neither fighting for a position nor defending against one, but then shows unbridled frustration after a defeat.  The wrap is off his knee now but is he really healed?  The five wins this time by tachiai henka suggest possibly not, but whatever, the in toto image right now is of an unfocused and unconfident malcontent – a hard guy to root for.  Chiyotaikai was off to his usual fast start at 8-2, but again faded to 10-5 as soon as he hit the other top-rankers.  It appears his thrust-pull drill can bring in 9-10 wins for yet many moons, setting a slew of ozeki records in the process – but that’s all.  Kaio can still muscle anyone out if they’ll let him into his position of choice, but that doesn’t happen often now.  It was reported that he gained six kilo since Kyushu, which shows that he can no longer put in the practice time he needs, or that he no longer has the will to prepare – perhaps both.  Tochiazuma had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee about two weeks before Hatsu began and amazed most observers by doing all 15 days, but was in no shape to compete.  He could move only in a forward direction and not for very long at that, but his ozeki-sense and skill did add five wins, and here’s hoping they didn’t cost him many more in the future.  He’ll be kadoban in March for the eighth time. 

For the first time in a year, the Haru banzuke will show a new name at sekiwake, as Miyabiyama just couldn’t stay motivated.  While on the way to 5-10, he remarked that he didn’t have the drive he had during his recent ozeki run.  Turning 30 in July, he’ll be hard pressed to ever regain it.  The other sekiwake, Kotomitsuki, turned in his seventh 8-7 mark in his last eight basho, sinking fast again after another 5-1 start.  Despite his awesome power and ample skill-set, turning 31 later this year, it’s hard to think he can ever be more than he is right now. 

Both komusubi were also huge disappointments.  Most observers thought that since   Kisenosato had rung up three straight 8-7 records at komusubi, he was primed to continue up the banzuke.  But by beating only two higher -rankers, he again had little wiggle room and this time his senshuraku luck ran out with a 7-8 fizzle, so now he’ll have to prove himself again.  Roho remains a mystery man, sinking to 3-12.  Rumor was that he hurt his back during the basho, which might explain it.  Personally, I wasn’t looking for a lot from him anyway because the tachai henka he used to get five of his eight wins in Kyushu were signs that he is not confident in sanyaku to begin with.

Miyabiyama’s sekiwake slot will be filled by the youthful M1 Kotoshogiku, who many thought was ‘cheated’ out of a komusubi position in January.  He surprised me, showing more stability and raw power than ever before, posting a solid 9-6.  The other top-rankers will now surely counter his reliance on gaburi-yori with ottsuke and movement, which could be successful due to his short arms – so he’ll need to widen his range of attack to hold on there.  His quest is easier though because he doesn’t have to face his Sadogatake stable-mates, Kotooshu and Kotomitsuki.  

There are three candidates for the two vacated komusubi spots and M2 Tokitenku will probably take one of them.  This was his third straight basho against the full sanyaku contingent and he usually manages to escape them with three or four wins, so don’t be shocked if he holds onto that rank, especially with Tochiazuma and Kaio struggling.  The other spot will have either M3 Kyokutenho (8-7) or M4 Ama (10-5), neither of whom has shown they can hang in at that level once they get there.

Ama, you will recall, was in mourning throughout the basho, as his father was killed in an auto crash in Mongolia during the week preceding the basho.  He also added a bit more weight since Kyushu, which should help, whether he’s at komusubi or M1 in March.

Rounding out the 10-5 crowd were M6 Asasekiryu and M14 Tamanoshima.  Asasekiryu seems to have found his level of incompetence at around M4 or M5, and is just about as predictable a maegashira rikishi as they come these days.  Tamanoshima should have won more than ten at that level for him, but still looked sluggish, and so the thigh injury that led to his withdrawal during Kyushu probably continues to hinder him.    

M11 Tamakasuga continues to blow hot and cold, but this time all at once, as he bolted to 7-0 and then lurched to 7-6 before finishing off the basho with two wins.  His 9-6 will probably boost him up just high enough to be out of juryo range, should he falter in Haru.  Some considered M15 Ushiomaru more than fortunate just to remain in makuuchi after laying down a 5-10 mark at M12 in Kyushu, so imagine the surprise at seeing him respond with a spiffy 9-6 record this time.  When not forced to move around, his abundant bulk makes him a hard man to move backward, so he may yet survive in the top division.  Also unforeseen was the 9-6 put up by another perennial makuuchi-juryo border-crosser, M13 Kasuganishiki, who will make consecutive appearances in the top division for the first time in a year, come March.

Others eking out an 8-7 kachi-kochi were the M7 duo of Kasugao and Futeno, M8 Takekaze, M9 Kakizoe, M12 Tokitsuumi, M13 Yoshikaze, M14 Hakurozan and M16 Tosanoumi.  Futeno has come full circle since his bolt from obscurity in May 2005, and now seems entrenched in mid-maegashira.  He had to win on the final five days against the division bottom-feeders just to save kachi-kochi, and can no longer be considered a Japanese hope, or any kind of hope.  Takekaze is about where he belongs while top-division returnee Tokitsuumi makes a successful return to makuuchi.  Hakurozan started Hatsu looking about as bad as he did at Kyushu, trying at least three or four slap-down maneuvers in each match, whether he won or lost, seemingly able to win only by tachiai henka or by accident.  The knee he had surgery on four months ago was clearly painful, but he was still strong and sly enough to slip by.  That knee had better improve soon though, or his days behind the curtain are numbered.  Tosanoumi may not reside there for much longer either.

The dark side of the Hatsu ledger was headed by another ominous re-injury of M3 Baruto’s left knee on Day 3 against Kotoshogiku.  He left in a wheelchair and not much is being said about it at this time.  He was off to a 2-0 start at the time, but now his sanyaku debut, and perhaps his career is on hold.  The injury is reportedly to his ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and this type of injury can often require months of rest and rehabilitation.  In the world of sumo, that amount of time is rarely available for a maegashira rikishi, but considering his youth and off-the-chart potential, letting the knee fully heal and starting all over from near bottom should – if that’s what it takes – be a real consideration; if he can take a temporary income hit and find someone to store all his stuff for a few months while he works his way back up.

Probably the most impressive make-koshi was the 7-8 by M4 Homasho, who showed enough at his first showing in upper makuuchi to join the grouping of new Japanese hopefuls.  He took one ozeki scalp, a disputed win over Kotooshu on Day 3, but also beat three others ranked above him.   He’s become more aggressive and now doesn’t predictably settle into an early ottsuke stance.  On the down side, he appears to have a chronic thigh injury, which was manifest in his first makuuchi basho last May.  He wore a substantial wrapping during Hatsu, and was noticeably limping at times toward the end of the basho.  If this can’t be fixed, he’ll struggle to finish basho strongly.   

M5 Takamisakari’s army of fans were highly heartened by his 6-2 start, and possibly had visions of sanyaku dancing in their heads, but alas, a wily banzuke and several doses of reality were in the offing instead.  Partly due to Baruto’s kyujo and that the Sadogatake boys (Kotooshu, Kotomitsuki, Kotoshogiku) couldn’t fight each other, he was pitted against three of the joi-jin and that was enough to spoil his party…he ended at 7-8 and will settle in more familiar environs in Haru.

While Takamisakari’s seven wins might be considered a nice surprise, two other men with that total are approaching washout country.  M5 Kokkai mysteriously showed up for Hatsu minus 13 kilo, and it showed as he was bounced around like never before.  There were encouraging stretches of bouts without all those thoughtless slap-down motions but otherwise his sumo was more or less the same.  Maybe he’s trying to change his game, but into what?  For M10 Iwakiyama, the wheels continue to fly off at breakneck speed.  His own 7-8 mark comes on the heels of the listless 2-13 showing at M1 in Kyushu.  Some say he has a neck injury, but most rikishi are nursing something or other, so this is a real conundrum.  Not too long ago, these two were still being touted as ozeki hopefuls but it’s been regress versus progress for them.

When banzuke luck thrust shin-nyu-maku Kakuryu into a M8 slot in Kyushu, most predictions for him were dire, but he shocked the experts by bolting to a hot start before settling back to 8-7, staying at M8.  This time, the big boys were ready for his helter-skelter game, but his 6-9 offering still paid for at least one more ride in the top division.  Another Mongolian lightweight in the mold of Ama, he’s also young, fast, and creative, but unlike Ama, he needs more moving-forward techniques to go with his side-wheeling maneuvers.

When new boys move onto the joi-jin block (Kotoshogiku, Tokitenku, Homasho), someone must make way and it could be that we’ve seen the last of Aminishiki, Dejima and Tochinonada in that precinct.  M2 Aminishiki is still just 28, but the 4-11 beating he took in Hatsu portends that, with his bum knee, it’s questionable he can challenge for sanyaku again.  M1 Dejima scored the shocker of the basho by stuffing the yokozuna on Day 3, and added wins over Hakuho and Kotomitsuki, but still stumbled to 4-11, so at 33 with those woeful underpinnings, he’s in no shape to keep pace with the new young bucks.  Also hitting age 33, M6 Tochinonada is actually a former joi-jin but his 6-9 at this rank is probably the best he can now hope for.  The ex-giant killer will be fortunate to be seen on the same dohyo with a sanyaku rikishi again.
   
M15 Asofuji’s two-basho run in the top division is now history as he could only muster 4-11.  As he crosses back to juryo, he’ll take M11 Toyozakura (3-12) with him, who is now the senior tour guide for that excursion.  The well-traveled M16 Otsukasa (7-8) will tag along down.  M10 Jumonji (4-11) and M11 Tochinohana (5-10) will probably escape the axe and stay in makuuchi because of the few impressive marks in the upper juryo ranks. 

You’re probably going to think I didn’t look very hard for an Upset of the Basho – and so be it – but it’s gotta be Dejima’s blow-out of Asashoryu on Day 3.  All the rest were lacking in shock value and significance.  This one induced at least one “Holy Toledo” (mine), maintained a mathematical yusho race for a while, and Asashoryu’s ensuing ‘un-bow’ to Dejima helped to fuel the ‘un-praise’ from the Dai Y members.

Lest Kitanoumi Rijicho and the others be seen as Cromwellian Protectorates at worst or tiresome curmudgeons at best for the cool reception afforded Asashoryu on the occasion of his 20th yusho, it must be said that the yokozuna, at this point in his career, does reflect the aura of one who finds his charge to be amusingly easy.  Taken alone, this can’t be faulted, but his naturally evident hubris combined with a diminished presence in his own personal training and in setting examples at degeiko, finally punctuated by withholding proper respect on the dohyo, effectively dumbs down sumo ethos by conveying that champions are born, not made, and that respect is a one-way street.  The glare he directed at Dejima could have come from one who had just lost a yusho by being henka’d.  How can one say, “How dare you?” after being vanquished, fair and square?  On that occasion, looking inward – not outward – is a core quality of sumo.

Speaking just for me – when I first saw sumo, if the torikumi had been served up without the shrill, ornate vocalizations and costumes of the gyoji and yobidashi, along with garnishments such as chikara-mizu, shikiri, dohyo-iri, etc., and all the hinkaku imagery fusing it together, it would have never become more than a transient curiosity for me – certainly nothing to ever stir passion.  If that’s my take, I can imagine how these men must feel about it.  Unlike most kokugi (national sport), sumo not only exudes a culture, but also strives to confirm it.  When the yokozuna, through action and inaction, allowed this quality to be visibly obscured – as the kokugi’s most conspicuous stewards, they felt a public obligation to act with haste.  There are more than personal legacies at stake for these men – there is the legacy of Ozumo itself – and so it wasn’t remarkable that they felt a sense of urgency to respond as they did. 

And so it’s on to Osaka, where hopefully someone may massage Hakuho’s toe and cleanse his mind…or is it the other way around??



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