Simon Siddall 

Kyushu Roundtable Report
Welcome, warlords, to my wrap-up of the Kyushu Basho. This was a basho of records. Asashoryu broke three biggies - you know the ones - and Kotooshu won the right to become the first European Ozeki. In yet another sure sign that sumo is entering an era of dominance by foreign rikishi, the willowy Bulgarian got to the (second) top in record time, nineteen basho since his dohyo debut.

Now, those of you who bother to read my reports (all four of you – thanks, by the way) will be aware that I see talking about records as a total waste of time in real terms. Nevertheless, in the minds of the rikishi themselves, beating any record in such an old and difficult sport is no doubt exhilarating. Asashoryu has said that he doesn't think about records, and he may well be telling the truth about that, but I think if you offered him a choice between being the top banana on paper and not being so, I think he'd take the former option faster than a germ at a sneezing competition. I think Kotooshu is most likely brimming with pride at getting up there at hyper velocity as well, but he probably wouldn't talk too much about it, being the extremely likeable chap that he is. The point is, we have two very happy little pandas post-Kyushu, and it don't matter one jot to them that the records don't matter. Know what I'm saying?

The Yokozuna looked as dominating this basho as I've ever seen him, despite losing THAT tachiai to Kotooshu on day 13. Back in January I predicted he would get all six yusho this year, as did many others, and the fact that so many would make such an outrageous prediction clearly shows first that Asashoryu really is peerless at this time, and second that the competition is just not there. Expect the Yokozuna to keep on winning in 2006 but I am less confident about saying he'll do another sweep this time. He now has someone there in Kotooshu who, while not yet a head-to-head rival, has shown he can consistently rack up the wins against the same competition. Asashoryu will relish this challenge and will no doubt put his usual pre-basho psychological tactics to good use against the Bulgarian in early January. Well, right after he kicks Hakuho's arse for that day one insult anyway.

As for the soon-to-be shin-Ozeki Kotooshu, the goal for 2006 will surely be yusho, especially against a healthy Asashoryu. If he can pick up one or two of them, it will do his confidence the world of good and hopefully put to bed all those nasty insinuations about his mental strength at the big moments. He is the only rikishi right now who I see as capable of beating everyone consistently. Yes, I know he lost to three Maegashira rikishi this time but the Kakizoe one was probably nerves and he let up too soon in the Tamanoshima bout, a mistake he will hopefully learn from. It was only against the still-learning-the-ropes Kisenosato that he got well and truly murdered. I won't count the loss to Kaio against him as that was an Ozeki who is obviously capable of beating anyone on his day. The point is that he isn't going to lose to Kakizoe or Tamanoshima very often so there really is not too much to worry about. He can rack up those wins and keep in the yusho hunt until the very end, and this is something that sumo desperately needs at this time. A perceived rival to Asashoryu will not fill the stadiums by any means, but neither will it do any harm to attendance levels, which, let's face it, are pretty damn worrying. Overall, there is no doubt now in my mind that Kotooshu deserves his promotion and I think he will do very well as he grows mentally into the role. It really is about time that we had new blood up there.

Let's have a swift look at the Ozeki trio. Kaio was the most impressive by far but some lifeless sumo in the first week hurt him badly. He did as well as could be expected when you take his injuries and age into consideration and I thought beating Kotooshu on senshuraku was a nice touch, a message to his fans, and probably to Kotooshu as well, that Kaio is not a goner yet. Chiyotaikai showed some awful sumo but it wasn't all bad. We had a bit of everything: some of the old magic against Kisenosato, ballet against Kotomitsuki and a nasty henka on Kaio. He usually comes out fighting like a giant manic squirrel, a good thing, just like the old days, but as soon as he decides the tsuppari isn't working (quite often), he pulls out the shenanigans. This proves that he comes into bouts wanting to do his own sumo (a lot of the time) and tries the pull-downs when it isn't working. We've gone over this a million times: at this time, Chiyotaikai is an Ozeki in name only, but I honestly don't think he is finished yet. The lad might have something left in the tank. In the last two basho he has shown flashes of his former glory so I don't think it is at all certain that he will be demoted in 2006. One thing you can be certain of: if his injuries clear up, he will try his hardest to show good sumo because it is obvious that he is embarrassed by the tactics he has been forced to use in the last year and more. Tochiazuma will be our token kadoban Ozeki in January after being forced to pull out with an injury.

Sekiwake Kotomitsuki showed everyone why I predicted (as a joke, for those very few humour-challenged among you) that he would pick up between four and twelve wins...or was it eleven? Who cares? Certainly not me. Kotomitsuki is inconsistency incarnate. He looked indifferent in the first two days despite winning on both, and then the quality of his sumo improved and he looked almost as good as he did while on that 13-win streak in the Natsu Basho. Then he remembered his name and totally lost momentum in the second week. I just shake my head in sadness every time I see Kotomitsuki; coulda, shoulda, woulda.

In the Komusubi ranks we had Kyokutenho. Did we? I didn't notice. Well, I did spot him ensuring his survival in the sanyaku ranks by pulling that nice little henka on senshuraku against the hapless Kotomitsuki who was obviously a total idiot for walking into that one. Yes, Kotomitsuki, you damned fool you! Enough said. Hakuho, on the other hand just bemuses me. He oozes class and talent. I just wish his list of attributes included commitment but it doesn't at this time. A healthy vicious streak a la Asashoryu would not do this lad any harm at all. And he only has himself to blame for losing to Kotooshu, his erstwhile Ozeki promotion rival. How the hell he lost that bout I will never know. I think it was a combination of Kotooshu being a fine technician and Hakuho being complacent. Hakuho, folks, is a future Ozeki, if not Yokozuna, but he is his own worst enemy at the moment. We need from him a lot more of the focus that Kotooshu has displayed.

Overall sanyaku was lackluster this basho, the kachi-koshi clean sweep notwithstanding (injured rikishi excluded). Let's hope they all make New Year's resolutions to kick ass in 2006. Don't hold your breath.

Let's take a brief stroll into Maegashira territory. M1 Tamanoshima surprised me with a solid display, finishing with a deserved 8-7 and taking the scalps of Kaio, Kotooshu and Hakuho along the way. I know Mike likes this guy and would probably make him a nice sandwich and a cup of tea if he visited La Maison de Mike one day, but until this basho I've always seen him as an average rikishi. Still, I must concede that he looked pretty good this time around. M1 Hokutoriki only bothered to come out of his basho-long sulk to pummel an injured man (Futenoh). I don't think I've ever seen such a poor display of sumo, and what makes it worse is this is the man who guaranteed his place in the record books by stopping Asashoryu's run of 35 straight wins back in May 2004. We know he can fight like a dervish so what the hell went wrong here?

I want to congratulate M4 Miyabiyama for surprising me greatly and actually showing decent sumo for once. It all goes to show what happens when you play to your strengths. He has just the right sort of build and size for morote attacks, which are hell to get around when they're done effectively. Just ask Hakuho. They had an epic battle, one of my favourite bouts of the tournament, and Hakuho was almost dead on his feet after trying his utmost to find a way around Miyabiyama's outstretched arms. The former Ozeki is like a giant zombie, the kind of rikishi you might have nightmares about chasing you down dark corridors. As a side note, if you do have nightmares like that, you'd better go and see a doctor. The only down side for me was the inevitable henka (he just has to do it, doesn't he?) against Tokitenku on day 11. The good news was this: he lost that bout. Hope it teaches him a lesson.

Two of my favourite rikishi fought at M5 this basho. Kisenosato showed real balls to take everyone on straight up and I don't doubt he will come back with real verve in January despite his losing record. The make-koshi was expected by most observers but he won't forget the fact that he gave some big names a run for their money. He will probably be disappointed that he didn't prove spoiler for Kotooshu but there is no doubt whatsoever that he will be back to screw his big rival up in future yusho races. Being Kotooshu's bogey man from Maegashira is definitely something to write home about, especially when you're only nineteen years of age. Other M5 Ama is just great to watch. Forget the size; he takes on all-comers and gives them his best shot. It was great to see him pawing Iwakiyama into submission on day seven, not to mention spectacularly turning round what looked a lost cause on the first day against Kokkai. I reckon Ama will one day squeak his way into sanyaku but he needs twenty more kilos to stay there. If he can garner those twenty kilograms of muscle while keeping his body balanced, what you will have is a VERY dangerous rikishi in the mix. Go Ama.

M6 Kokkai is obviously trying to mix up that tsuppari attack, going for one-handed lunges as well as his familiar double-barreled thrusts, and the tactic generally worked against the lower opposition. He'll be at or around M3 next basho and I just don't see him getting a winning record up there. The top lads know how to get onto his belt, which generally means sayonara for the big Georgian.

M7 Tokitenku gets my nod for most improved rikishi after a fine display that was rightly rewarded with the coveted Ginosho. He will be under the sledgehammer in January along with Kokkai near the top of Maegashira but I think he has the tools to beat at least one of the leading ladies. Like Asashoryu did, Tokitenku has executed an effective change of style and it will do him no harm at all to have all the options on the table when a bout doesn't go as expected in the future. He can fight just fine with tsuppari as well as on the belt. I see him picking up a ginboshi (silver star – win over an Ozeki) next basho.

M8 Roho picked up the ten wins he was expected to at this ridiculously low rank. As usual, when he did his own sumo, he looked imperious, but when he went for the pull-down (as he still does far too often), it wasn't a pretty sight. M10 Kyokushuzan's 7-8 didn't surprise me at all because he did what he so often (not always) does – gave up once he was out of the yusho hunt. How else do you explain a five-day winning streak followed by a six-day losing one, which came suspiciously straight after he knew he was out of the running? No, he just wants to be around this rank for January so he can have another crack at yusho. When Kyokushuzan tries, he can be an impressive performer, so we should see him start strongly in January. I think he still has the ability to do just fine at this rank but it was plainly obvious that he just wasn't trying in the second week.

M13 Hakurozan finally gave us a glimpse of his quality this basho and I see him catching up with his big brother sometime soon. He also showed us that he still has that awful habit of going for pull-downs when he just doesn't need to. Don't believe me? Go watch the bout with Tokitenku on day 14 again. He was murdering the Ginosho winner with blistering tsuppari and then, inexplicably, he went for a pull-down. He just about survived allowing Tokitenku back into the bout, recovered well, went for tsuppari and got Tokitenku on the ropes again, and then unbelievably made the same mistake again, eventually losing. If Hakurozan can stop all this bull, he has the potential to make sanyaku.

M14 Tochinohana was a pleasure to watch and it will be nice to see the veteran up in mid-Maegashira putting that wily technique to good use. He deserved a sansho and I think he only missed out on the Ginosho because Tokitenku (rightly) got it instead. Still, the Kantosho will do nicely. And finally, I was sad to see M17 Tochinonada get a losing record as this means he is now a Juryo rikishi, which is patently absurd for a man of his ability. Put your money on him for the Juryo yusho in January and a slingshot back up the ranks closer to where he belongs: in and around sanyaku. How in hell he lost to Kitazakura on the last day I will never know. A shocker.

So there we have it. Apart from the first and then the final four days, I felt the actual sumo quality was generally poor, as has been the case in much of 2005. However, we had plenty of talking points to tide us over. Let's just keep in mind over the break that Asashoryu is now well and truly up there in the ranks of the greats, and that he gave the Kyushu faithful a practically flawless display to get there. For me 2005 was the year that Asashoryu really matured into his role as the sole Yokozuna and finally won the grudging respect of the Japanese sumo fans. Respect, not affection. That's the way it goes. And we also have a new Ozeki to consider.  What will Kotooshu bring to the mix?

Going into January the obvious talking point is Kotooshu's performance as shin-Ozeki. Will he do as Tochiazuma did and get his hatsu yusho as a shin-Ozeki? Why not? There's a big wall called Asashoryu in the way, but why the hell not?

See you in January.�@

Kyushu Pre-Basho Report
A (drunk) acquaintance once informed me that there is no shortage of red-hot potential in Kyushu. Although I doubt he was pointing me in the direction of sumo action, his words came back to me with prophetic resonance as I began to write this report. If Yokozuna Asashoryu can dig just one more yusho out of the bag, we are looking at history in the making.

Naturally, you wouldn't know it if you rely on the Japanese media outlets for your news intake. For them, there is only one story: the possible promotion of Kotooshu to Ozeki. Of course, the majority of editors couldn't care less about his promotion.  They just want his face plastered all over their magazines and newspapers to hype him up for sale to the public at large.  I have just one word for all you chief editors out there: PRESSTITUTION. It is not surprising that circulation figures of newspapers all over the world are in freefall when editors insult the intelligence of their readers with this kind of tripe. If any of you editors are reading this, I hope you realize that you deserve everything you get. It's not just sumo either but let's not stray too far from the topic at hand.

To the big story, then. Asashoryu can break three big records in Kyushu if he takes the yusho with 13 or more wins: the first rikishi ever to win seven straight tournaments; the first to win six yusho in one calendar year; and the first to take more than eighty-two wins out of ninety in a calendar year. If he is successful, the sky is the limit - the big records after that are Taiho's main ones: 32 career yusho and 8 zensho yusho. Make no mistake – the Mongolian master wants the lot, and he will further want to ensure that his name rings down through eternity by making his records unassailable. The big thing to avoid is injury, something he has been particularly adept at keeping at bay so far. In a sport as inherently violent as sumo, however, bad luck can strike at any time. Barring that, there is no one around who can really challenge him, except, perhaps Kotooshu, but head-to-head the Bulgarian is no match for the Yokozuna. In terms of putting up big numbers, Kotooshu's great strength is his ability to be elusive. More on that later. Back to the main man, you have to say that Asashoryu is the odds-on favourite to break all three records. Expect a 13 or 14-win yusho, and don't be surprised to see a zensho (15-0) as you can be sure that the Yokozuna will want to make history in fitting style.

The second major story going into Kyushu concerns Sekiwake Kotooshu's bid to reach Ozeki. Unofficially, he needs ten wins to be promoted. As many readers will know, Kotooshu already has 25 wins from the last two basho (12-3 at Komusubi in July and 13-2 at Sekiwake in September) so he actually needs only eight wins to fulfill the first main requirement of Ozeki promotion – 33 wins over three basho in sanyaku (the three ranks below Yokozuna). However, as eight wins would not be considered a record worthy of an Ozeki, he is going to need ten, which is considered the bare minimum for a rikishi of that exalted rank. This should be no problem for Kotooshu as he has mastered the art of being very difficult to beat. He is so lithe and acrobatic that he can regularly wriggle out of death-holds at the edge, and he often uses his superior height to reach over opponents and grab their belts from the back. That in itself gives the man a devastating advantage over his smaller foes. Most rikishi can at least attempt to block opponents who go for the belt from the front but it is pretty tricky stopping them going via the North Pole. All this adds up to plenty of weapons in the Bulgarian's armoury.

On the other hand, his weak points are pretty clear. Looking back on his five losses over the last two basho, two were due to him choking in big bouts (Wakanosato in Nagoya and Kisenosato in Aki), one was a surprise win by susoharai by Chiyotaikai, one was a straight-up loss to Hakuho (who is equally tricky to beat) in Nagoya and then the really big ones were the losses on days 13 and 15 in Aki to Asashoryu. Yes, I know that's six losses but the day 15 one was the yusho play-off, which is not counted officially. Judging by the way he capitulated in these bouts, we can see that Kotooshu really does not like fighting someone he sees as a threat to him. Asashoryu is obviously always a threat but Wakanosato and Kisenosato were standing in the way of glory and were therefore temporary demons. He either panics (Asashoryu and Kisenosato on Aki days 13 and 14) or meekly throws in the towel (Wakanosato on Nagoya day 15 and Asashoryu on Aki day 15). If Kotooshu can get his mental act together, he is going to be a formidable force. It should be noted, by the way, that although Kotooshu has actually beaten Asashoryu once (in Nagoya), that was only on the eighth day when the basho was still wide open and therefore the pressure was not really on. He has yet to prove himself when the chips are down. Let's see what this basho holds in store.

Another obstacle for Kotooshu's Ozeki promotion is his sometimes negative approach to bouts, using tachiai henka and going backwards, not dominating the dohyo as any Ozeki should. There is only one really bad thing for an Ozeki in sumo (well, two, actually, but the Kyokai don't allow sheep on the dohyo) and this is it. Whatever your opinion is of the henka, it won't hold water with the Kyokai if he tries any of that crap (now you know my opinion) this time round. He is going to have to show good forward sumo in Kyushu and this, in my opinion, could be where things might unravel. In his urgency to show forward sumo, he may no longer be able to control the bout unless he has sufficient strength, and this will leave him vulnerable to counter moves. There are more than a few rikishi capable of surprising opponents when they come straight forward at them. It will be interesting to see how he copes with this conundrum.

Kotooshu is still developing and with time and experience mental fortitude will no doubt come to him and that will be half the battle won. He has not been around for very long and is only 22 so I suggest we all give him time to develop. It is inevitable that he will make Ozeki one day, even if he doesn't make it this time around, and his chances of making Yokozuna are higher than 50/50 in my opinion. The numbers he has put up during his rocket-ride to sanyaku are eloquent reminders of his potential and there is no denying his technical proficiency. Just remember that he made his debut right at the bottom of the pile only three years ago...in Kyushu! That's a phenomenal rise up the ranks.

Let's mosey on down to Ozeki-ville. Imagine a dusty frontier town with a few (three) mangy dogs lying limp in the noon sun, waiting to be put out of their misery. There you have the Ozeki trio. Tochiazuma is ranked highest at Ozeki East after a run-of-the-mill 10-5 outing in September. He will want to efface the memory of that embarrassing loss to the Yokozuna on senshuraku with a more fiery performance this time. Tochiazuma is not the rikishi he once was. He is just so ordinary these days. I used to be such a huge fan of him - I still am, of course, but that's just loyalty speaking. There was a time when Tochiazuma was one of the most exciting rikishi around. Now he seems to excel only at wars of attrition, absorbing blows and staying on his feet with the best of them. Maybe it is old age but he is a lot more cautious than he used to be. We rarely see him go all out these days from the tachiai. I would love to see him bring the sparkling talent he possesses out of the dusty cupboard and combine it with a little viciousness a la Asashoryu. He might lose a couple of bouts (and limbs) along the way but so what? He loses more than a couple along the way anyway by boring us all to tears. Come on lad! None of this will happen, of course. Chalk up another workman-like ten wins for Tochiazuma.

Regarding Chiyotaikai I will borrow from the words of lethal gibbon-in-chief, GW Bush: "There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." Wise words. They apply here because every time I predict Chiyotaikai will do well, he screws up, and vice-versa. After losing his bouts on days one and two last time out, he went on to win ten out of the next eleven. Some were pretty suspicious, particularly that THROW of Futenoh and the defeat of Kyokushuzan (to secure kachi-koshi), but on some of those days he looked almost like his old self and it really was a pleasure to see it. I hope he can bring that attitude to Kyushu but I fear that he dislikes fighting away from Tokyo. Since and including the last Kyushu Basho, he has had a make-koshi in every honbasho away from the capital. I can't get fooled again so I say make-koshi for the big fella and the inevitable taking-on of the kadoban mantle in January. Shame on you.

Poor Kaio could well be on his last legs. He knows he needs eight wins to keep his rank and he will need to drive his increasingly creaky body to extremes to keep up with the pace. We will probably see a difficult start from a rusty Ozeki but if he can keep going, he should rally after the first couple of days to capture at least eight wins. At this time it is unclear how bad his injuries are – Mike's report next week will no doubt touch on that in detail – so I cannot confidently give a prediction here. I hope he gets eight, though, because he may well decide he has had enough if he is demoted to Sekiwake. Although I am all for new blood coming through, the world of sumo will miss this charismatic old campaigner when he goes, so I am hoping he can postpone the sad day for a little longer. If his injuries force a withdrawal in the first week, we could well be looking at an intai (retirement) announcement.

Looking through the rest of sanyaku...Sekiwake West Kotomitsuki was lacklustre last basho by his own admission and he will want to put on a better show this time. He is the king of erratic sumo so I will not even attempt to predict his performance. As always, anywhere between four and twelve wins. He has said that he does better when he doesn't think too much about his sumo and just follows his instincts. His recent failed Ozeki bid bears that assessment out. Let's hope he follows his own advice.

Komusubi East Kyokutenho makes a return to sanyaku after a decent 10-5 showing in September, where he picked up some notable scalps: Chiyotaikai, Hakuho, Futenoh and a real schooling of Kisenosato. He has not had much luck in the top ranks in the past, only once managing a kachi-koshi (10-5 in Natsu 2003) at Komusubi. I don't see him having the quality to do all that much at this level...he has not improved on two years ago, although he has shown some signs of getting back to his best. Seven wins at the most. Komusubi counterpart Hakuho is a class act and is only down this 'low' because of his dodgy ankle. He still went 9-6 at M1 in September and looked agile and steady despite the injury. If he is back to his best, Hakuho has the potential of being a dark horse for the yusho. I'll say at least ten wins for him, injured or not.

Now it's time for our usual trip through the ones to watch in the Maegashira ranks. M1 Tamanoshima kicked arse in September with a nice 11-4 but he is going to find the going much harder at this rank. He has looked more solid of late so I give him a reasonable chance of getting eight but my gut says seven at best. M2 Futenoh will be desperate for proceedings to get underway so he can consign his disappointing sanyaku debut performance to the forgotten past. He should have no trouble getting eight wins and could easily get nine or ten.

Combative imp M2 Kakizoe is always feisty and up for it, and he has won my respect for his fighting spirit. He will probably do his usual trick of losing to all the top rikishi while quietly racking up seven wins against lesser mortals.  M3 Wakanosato should storm to at least ten wins if he has recovered from that nasty-looking injury he sustained in September. That type of injury takes around six weeks to heal so his only problem is making sure he gets back in decent shape to fight the top lads. He will no doubt be practicing against top sekitori in keiko to ensure his bout-readiness. M5 Kisenosato will have the hopeful eyes of Japan's tortured fans on him as he takes on the top rikishi regularly for the first time. At this rank, he may or may not face the Yokozuna but my money is on them meeting because one of the Ozeki is bound to pull out at some point, creating a vacuum on death row, where the condemned meat is lined up for Asashoryu's convenience. In other words, he may be put up the order a bit if someone is forced to withdraw. I see Kisenosato struggling quite a bit due to inexperience but he will put up a real fight, win or lose. I want to predict eight but I'll say six or seven for the talented youngster. A couple of basho from now, I confidently predict he will be picking up kachi-koshi easily at this level, but it might be a little too soon yet.

M6 Kokkai has a serious problem on his shovel-like hands: tachiai. He has to think of some way of being a far more vicious animal (more cornered badger than slightly concerned squirrel) or he will be massacred by the rikishi who have sussed him. Let's face it - last basho proved that he has been worked out by most of the top rikishi. All they have to do is absorb that first thrust and then get inside that gargantuan reach. When that is accomplished, it is usually game over for the big European, as the air force come in and shoot him on the roof of the building he climbed. M9 Takamisakari, now vying with Kotooshu for the newly-introduced sumo popularity prize (only joking), should have a lot more joy at this rank. He looked woefully out of his depth in September against decent rikishi but he has proved in the past that he can more than hold his own against the less fearsome opponents in the lower half of the division. Nine or ten wins. M10 Kyokushuzan is another so-called elevator rikishi who really should make mincemeat of everyone at this level. At least nine for him, I reckon.

The M11 rank is interesting because the two likeable veterans (Tosanoumi and Kotonowaka) have made of it their abode. Both are definitely over the hill but they also have the quality to pull upsets this low down. With Tosanoumi, it's that well-documented balance problem. With Kotonowaka, it's those old knees he has to worry about. Whatever else you say about Kotonowaka, you have to agree that he has the finest breasts in sumo. Both should get at least six wins and eight is not impossible.

At M15 we have Tamaasuka who really disappointed me with his poor 4-11 record last basho because he showed flashes of real ability at times. I am hoping he will turn things around and get eight or nine this time around. And finally, I congratulate the Kyokai on having the good sense to allow M17 Tochinonada to survive in the top divison and have one more chance at kick-starting his career after that excruciating injury in Nagoya. If his condition is good, he will stroll through the bouts at this rank and should easily rack up ten or eleven. He is still one of my favourite active rikishi and he deserves a second chance after that battling 7-8 in September.

On to possible villains: as always, rely on M4 Miyabiyama to pull a few henka and generally fill everyone with apocalyptic dismay. M8 Roho and M13 Hakurozan have given us ample evidence that uninspiring sumo and surly demeanour runs in families. The bad sumo part should not be happening, however, as they both (particularly Roho) have quality. Regarding demeanour, perhaps a nosegay dotted here and there around the dohyo would cheer them (and everyone else) up a bit.

That's it from me. Iron Mike Wesemann, fresh and funky, will be reporting in the run-up to shonichi (first day of the basho). Be sure to read his report as it will have all sorts of info about pre-basho keiko and other stuff. I will be reporting with the usual crew over the course of the basho. See you in a couple of weeks.

Predictions

Yusho: Asashoryu (14-1)

Ginosho: Kotooshu

Kantosho: Ama

Shukunsho: Hakuho

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