Yokozuna Comparisons
Joe Kuroda
SFM’s historian, JK, wraps his two-part article on the greatest of the tsuna wearers

Amateur Sumo's Global Aspirations
Courtesy: International Sumo Federation
What exactly is it and furthermore, what does it do? The ISF explain themselves and their purpose in existing

Rikishi of Old
Joe Kuroda
Man or myth? Sumo's first yokozuna comes under the spotlight

Heya Peek
Barbara Ann Klein
Tokitsukaze-beya and its famous find themselves the target of Barbara's peek into life inside the heya

SFM Interview
Mark Buckton
Featuring interviews with amateur sumo's European Sumo Union General Secretary and the President of the newly founded Irish Sumo Federation

Sumo 101
Barbara Ann Klein
Would chanko exist without sumo? What is chanko anyway? Find out in Sumo 101

Photo Bonanza
See the Haru
Basho through the eyes of the fans in the seats as SFM gives the mantle of photographer(s) for this basho to Barbara & Gerald Patten. And don't miss our all-Mongolian Bonanza supplied by our Editor, Barbara Ann Klein

Haru Basho Review
Lon Howard
Lon gives us his Haru Basho summary, along with the henka sightings results

Lower Division Rikishi
Mikko Mattila
Mikko Mattila covers the lower division goings on like nobody else around

Natsu Basho Forecast
Mark Buckton
Mark Buckton glances back to look forward in his ones to look out for come May

Kimarite Focus
Mikko Mattila
Our man Mikko takes us on a tour of his chosen kimarite

Sumo in Print
Mark Buckton
Our gaming thread takes a break for April so we can look at the Spanish language book on the sport not long since released

Kokugi Connections
Todd Lambert
Todd’s bimonthly focus on 3 of the WWW's best sumo sites today

Fan Debate
Facilitator – Lon Howard
April's man VS monkey debate covers the issue of reducing the number of honbasho

SFM Cartoons
Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson
Sit back and enjoy the offerings

Let’s Hear From You
What was it that
made you a sumo fan? Thierry Perran lets us in on his reasons for loving this sport

Readers’ Letters
See what some
See what our featured letter is for this issue

Sumo Quiz
The Quizmaster
Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.

mate Hakuho, who was tied for the lead with Asashoryu at 14-1.

So on senshuraku, fans were greeted with a sumptuous smorgasbord of conflicting and contending motivations: Kaio must beat Hakuho to save ozeki, and perhaps his career. Tochiazuma must beat Asashoryu to keep a yokozuna conversation going in Natsu. Both Hakuho and Asashoryu were tied for the yusho race and neither could afford a loss since the other would probably win. Unfortunately, Hakuho was again a bundle of nerves as he, too, let Kaio get the right uwate and turn him to the side: he was marched straight out. Then with the yusho sitting in his lap, Asashoryu seemed undecided about his own tactics and let Tochiazuma take control, whereupon he also was turned sideways and pushed over the edge. The swift sequence of unlikely consequences flabbergasted most everyone in the building.

Not the least of whom was Hakuho, no doubt watching in the shitaku-beya since being shaken with his own loss. Now, he had to somehow forget all of that and re-direct focus on the looming kettei-sen with the yokozuna. Surprisingly, he
seemed more at ease this time, and when the two finally came together, both he and Asashoryu traded arm throws and push-out attempts that nearly succeeded before Asashoryu finally took advantage of Hakuho's own forward momentum by planting, twisting and throwing the challenger first, and then himself completely off the dohyo to win by shitatenage (underarm throw).

Thus ended the most twisting, stomach-churning superlative-
laden basho to come along in ages. Going out on a limb here, I'll rank the notable outcomes, as I think Japanese fans see them: (1) Tochiazuma remains a yokozuna candidate in Natsu; (2) Kaio retains his ozeki rank and shushes a potentially muddy intai discussion; (3) Hakuho becomes ozeki; (4) Chiyotaikai also stays ozeki with a 9-6 mark; (5) Asashoryu wins his 16th yusho; and, (6) Kotooshu, despite a potentially debilitating knee injury, avoids kadoban by gutting out his own 9-6 performance. I would rank them differently. But I'm trying to put myself in their place. With this, there are so many things to get geared up for in Natsu, I don't know where to start.

Topping the list of other
highlights was the fact that all sekitori – both juryo and makuuchi – finished their 15 days of action on the dohyo. This happened for the first time since 1993. Wasn't it just four basho ago that ten makuuchi men failed to complete the basho? Among other things, this outcome probably means that the jury is still out on whether the abolishment of kosho is a success or failure, or somewhere in between. Truth be told, both Kotooshu and M1 Kokkai

Kokkai




















wouldn't have shown up for a ‘day 16’ – Kokkai being taken the hospital on a wheelchair after a senshuraku knee injury

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