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SOS - Shinjinrui on Sumo |
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Chris Gould
Chris sinks his teeth into how sumo can go about pulling in the younger
fans - currently so noticeable by their absence. The first of a
three-part series.
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Sumo World Championships |
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Mark Buckton
Mark Buckton reports from Sakai near Osaka, site of the latest Sumo World Championships.
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Rikishi of Old |
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Joe Kuroda
Joe Kuroda finishes off his look at former yokozuna Minanogawa.
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Sumo 101 / Eric Evaluates |
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Eric Blair
Eric expains sumo fan terminology - with the inevitable twist - for
those just getting into the sport and still subject to the know it alls.
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Age stands still for no man |
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Joe Kuroda
Former ozeki Kiyokuni will retire in November under the compulsory '65
and you are out' rule. JK takes a look at this quiet earth mover.
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Feel the Sumo |
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Eduardo de Paz
Read and feel the renowned Leonishiki's passion for all things sumo at his first live event.
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SFM Interview |
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Mark Buckton
Mark interviews Colin Carroll - again - Irish star of Sakai.
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Photo Bonanza |
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See the Aki Basho bonanza as well as the largest collection of pics you
are likely to see on the Sumo World Championships earlier in October.
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Aki Basho Summary |
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Lon Howard
Lon wraps the September Aki Basho and throws in some henka sighting results for good measure.
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Lower Division Rikishi |
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Mikko Mattila
The lower divisions, their members and results get the once over thanks to Mikko's eye of things 'beneath the curtain'.
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Kimarite Focus |
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Mikko Mattila
Mikko's latest clarification of several of the sport's plethora of kimarite.
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Amateur Angles |
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Howard Gilbert
Howard Gilbert - manager of New Zealand's amateur sumo team takes a look at the approaching Russians.
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Kokugi Konnections |
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Todd Lambert
Click on Todd's bimonthly focus on three of the best sumo sites online.
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Fan Debate |
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Facilitator - Lon Howard
Jesse Lake and Rich Pardoe hammer out their differences on a current furor - promotion criteria.
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SFM Cartoons |
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Benny Loh & Stephen Thompson
In this issue's cartoon bonanza, sit back and enjoy Benny Loh's
offerings and put a caption to Stephen Thompson's picture to win
yourselves a banzuke.
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Sumo Odds ’n’ Ends |
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SFM's interactive elements including Henka Sightings, Elevator Rikishi and Eternal Banzuke!
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Readers' Letters |
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See what our readers had to say since we last hit your screens.
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Sumo Quiz |
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The Quizmaster
Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.
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Lower Division Rikishi
text by Mikko Mattila
photos by Barbara Ann Klein
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other
seven rikishi on that top ten list, only Dewaotori (fourth on the list)
had already gone up to juryo, but “conveniently” dropped down quite low
to makushita after a dismal Aki basho ranked close to the bottom
of juryo. So, Wakanoho
takes his place as the third prospect and has a great opportunity to
gain juryo promotion in Kyushu with a simple kachi-koshi.
Raiko
Burly Kadomoto was sixth on the oyakatas’ list and has maintained his
upward trend. At his career-high rank at Ms8, the 21-year-old achieved
a robust 5-2 record, losing only to Yakigaya’s hatakikomi and Raiko’s
oshitaoshi. He relied a lot on his usual forward going sumo, winning
four bouts with “oshi” techniques. But once, he was in deep trouble
against another upcoming young pusher star, Hokutokuni, and yielded
morozashi, but saved the bout with a well-timed kotenage. One of
Kadomoto’s victims was Mongolian Koryu (22 years of age) who has had
more than
Next |
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The future sekitori generation picked up the pace in makushita and largely
overshadowed the veterans in the yusho race. In Nagoya, we saw
Tochiozan (then Kageyama) leave makushita for better suited heights and
now, his designated rival, Sawai, rampaged through makushita, sweeping
the division with dominating sumo. Wakanoho, Shibuya, Isobe, Daiyuchi,
Tamaasuka, Yakigaya, Koryu, and Kadomoto all made their presence felt
and all have potentially long futures in sumo.
One major difference
between makushita and juryo is that it often happens that the best
makushita rikishi don’t necessarily meet at all during the tournament,
since only rikishi with like records are matched day-by-day. It was the
case again as Sawai, Wakanoho, Shibuya and Kadomoto, for example,
didn’t have any mutual bouts.
Wakanoho
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Sawai had already captured the makushita yusho with a 7-0 record in the 2005 Kyushu basho. September
was reminiscent of that one almost a year ago, as Sawai outclassed his
main foes with fast, strong and skillful sumo. He had hardly any scares
and his wide usage of throws, leg trips, fast drives and even henka
brought him his second 7-0 yusho in makushita and a promotion to
juryo. For the first time in a long time, we will probably see
him facing Tochiozan on an ozumo basho dohyo. Sawai aspires to hone his
fast sumo and not allow his juryo opponents too much time to think.
Wakanoho had slowed down his ascension in recent tournaments but
stepped it up again with a solid 6-1 record at Ms6. He had powerful and
hard-worked wins over good foes like Yakigaya, Shiraishi, Nakanishi and
Raiko, but also avoided meeting Sawai, Shibuya, Koryu or Kadomoto.
Wakanoho’s only defeat came against former makuuchi Tamaasuka who
didn’t give Wakanoho much of a chance with a yorikiri win.
Over a year ago, a group of oyakata evaluated the prospects of young
promising rikishi at the time, and Sawai (who will be Goeido in
Fukuoka) and Kageyama (now Tochiozan) were the top two on their list,
while Wakanoho came in third. Of the
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