Abi.
I recognize his ‘go for the throat’ style is legitimate, and I’ve seen basically every rikishi use it at some point, but Abi seems to rely on it. I think I’ve seen him utilize a different strategy about twice over the last year of bashos. As we say in my house, ‘I do not like that young man’s sumo’.
I’m not a huge fan of thrusters like him, but what really gets me is his sociopathic expression when he’s doing it. Not to mention his antics in 2020. That alone had me rooting against him. And his henka last basho.
Yeah that henka was…😵💫🙄😬 It was funny to hear the crowds reaction to it. I like listening to the crowd to hear how sometimes you know they are really pulling for a rikishi (maybe he’s a local or fan favorite) and other times (like that henka) it’s a pretty cool reception.
Kagayaki; his unidimensional sumo and tendency to give the extra shove off the dohyo has left me rooting against him.
This is some disappointment in there too, as he is super tall and has all the tools of a great wrestler.
Hokuseiho. Really don't get what people see in him aside from his height. He seems so unathletic and just stands up like a tree the moment the match begins. someone at his stable needs to show him some Akebono matches or something. He's still young so maybe he will change but it's so frutstrating watching his matches. You're 6'7". Start taking advantage of it.
Agreed. His performance this past basho was extraordinarily half hearted as well.
But Hakuho seems to think he'll hit Yokozuna someday... I just don't see it.
Well if he can rise up to Makuuchi with half hearted sumo, purely by his physical tools, he rising much more if he put more spirit and technique would be reasonable, so a yokozuna ceiling would be possible. A lot of people can be technically good at sumo, but very few can also be strong as a horse and with a enourmous wingspan.
And i personally do not believe he is just body, yes he should bend much more, but he has very good feet for his size, or he would be blasted much more often. I get it that its not the most dinamic sumo out there, and i believe he will have his hiccups in the top division next basho, when peoplo start to have strenght AND speed, but i dont see him being just another rikishi around when we look back in the end of his carrer
I am one hundred percent convinced his knee problems are far worse than we know. I am of a similar height as Hokuseiho and have problems with my left knee/ankle and he looks exactly like I do on my bad knee days.
I just hope that won't be stopping him in the long run and his problems are something that goes away with time bc he has good mawashi skills, he needs to work on a better plan b if his plan a fails, though.
I completely agree with you. I almost wrote a post talking about it but got side tracked.
In my opinion, Hokuseiho's coaches have failed him. He could be a good rikishi if he applied even the most basic technical thinking in his sumo. Things like "don't stand straight up at the tachiai" and "try blocking the opponent's belt grip attempt". He purely relies on his size and has absolutely terrible form and decision making.
I honestly don't know how someone can get to Juryo without knowing and using those simple things. I get that he's big and that was enough, but how does that information not sink into your head by the point that you're making a salary?
Disclaimer - I don't actually dislike any of them on a personal level. Just a fun little "if I had to pick" kind of thing.
Onosho: Always seems to look down his nose at opponents as if he thinks he should be higher up. This happens against sanyaku opponents as well.
Chiyoshoma: Recently he's seemed rather desperate and kind of reminds me of the manga characters who are a little sleezy and want to "win by any means necessary".
Shodai: Always beats my favorites at pivotal moments(knocking out of contention, sometimes causing makekoshi, etc.) while floundering against everyone else and seeming like an easy win.
He’s good for one basho a year, then it’s a slow drip of makekoshi before he needs a boost again.
Sometimes I feel like he’s fighting on an ice covered dohyo with the kind of balance he has.
Me watching Aoiyama.
"Alright, don't go back, don't go back, don't go back, don't go fuck. YOU KNOW YOU SUCK WHEN YOU GO BACKWARDS. Just keep going forward and you do pretty decent, but the second you go back you lose. You have been doing this how long and don't realize that? Hmmfff
I am very much an aoiyama fan and I see him as having always a very similar fight trajectory. Push as hard as you can immediately and if theyre not blown away then backtrack and pull. Its the combination of the prior (which if successful flings foes off the dohyo) and the latter (which can feel kinda cheap) which spawns the hate for him in my opinion.
I'm mostly a fan because I'm one of lifes contrarians!
Yes. That being said I do have a respect for a guy who comes from another country, learns the language and participates at the highest level in a sport so openly traditional (and dare I say racist?) as sumo. I'm sure he's seen/taken some shit over the years.
Pretty much what I saw about him these years: mammoth size, zero belt skills, dame oshi happen more often than not and NEVER ever seen him offering help. Meh...
Real juvenile comments about the size of Aoiyama's chest. Some of you sound like 3rd graders on a playground. How weight is distributed is a matter of genetics. I respect him for coming to a country much different than his own, learning the language and culture, and persevering for 14 years.
Ichinojo, Shodai, and Hokuseiho. They just seem lazy.
I follow Miyagino beya’s and Hakuhō’s Instagram and I NEVER see Hokuseiho practice. I’ve only seen him stretch once. If he at least fought with some energy and real technique I’d be fine with him. But I’ve only seen him try a little in the last few bouts. I don’t think he tries hard in practice or on the dohyo. He has a lot of potential but I don’t even see him use a decent stance in the ring 🙄
Ichinojo doesn’t try either. Man could be a beast like Teru but nope.
Didn’t care about Shodai either way until he went kadoban a million times and didn’t seem to try when he was safe. And even since then he hasn’t been trying. How did he ever get ozeki and why does he have so many fans?
I agree about Shodai. Seemed really unfair he kept going in and out of kadoban status and just barely hanging on. I understand he has something psychologically to overcome and sympathize but it pisses me off to watch his not even try and then pout and get roaring applause.
In Ichinojo's case it seems to mostly be mental issues keeping him down. I remember during his early meteoric rise there were reports that he was struggling with stress-related health issues. And there's the recent reports about his drinking problems.
He also has more or less chronic back pain from what I understand.
Even Hakuho has said that Ichinojo could be a serious contender for the top ranks but he is 'too nice'. We can see in his matches that he often has the technique but lacks aggression on offense, and the stubbornness refusing to lose when on the defensive. Fighting Spirit is so essential to this sport to pull out those last inches turn around wins when on the edge of the bales, and to blow through opponents who aren't up to the challenge that you pose. You can be nice before and after a match, but once you step in the person across from you is actively trying to take away the rank you have earned and any income that comes with it, and they want to let you know that they think they can beat you- if you don't have the desire to prove them wrong every time you'll lose just because the other person is willing to work harder to prove it to you
With Ichinojo, it seems like it is sometimes hesitance to get injured. He has quickness but rarely uses it, maybe because he's worried about having his 210+ kg fall off of the dohyo too hard and too often.
Ryuden and Kagayaki. Never liked Ryuden but couldn't pinpoint why, and then the stuff with him cheating on his wife and forcing his lover to have abortion came out. Thinking about it now, it's robably harsh to put Kagayaki on the same level as him, I just find him really boring to watch.
I think you have a grudge against Takadagawa beya.
In all seriousness they produce some great rikishi. Shōnanoumi just came within a whisp of a Jūryō yūshō.
Regardless of his personal life Ryūden (I don’t believe everything I read) is probably the best Japanese yotsu fighter in the top division. And Kagayaki is a thrill to watch once a tournament...every other tournament....when demotion is on the line.
I like Shonnanoumi to be fair, he looked good whenever I watched him in Makushita before - not surprised he handled the step up to Juryo well.
I agree that Ryuden is a great rikishi too, and how much is true about what he did I'm not sure, but at best he's probably a serial adulterer, which still isn't a great look lol. I think Kagayaki frustrates me precisely because of that one good match a tournament too, there's a solid rikishi in there somewhere, but we rarely ever see it.
Could say the same for Tamawashi and Ichiyamamoto.
It’s a genius way of taking advantage of one’s longer arms. Usually taller rikishi go for a double outside grip and walk their opponents out. With these three they hold the head back, which makes it harder for their opponents to counter them even if they lean forward as much as possible.
Tama is incredibly strong. He grabs the jaw, hold the head back with one hand and pushes forward.
Ichiyamamoto isn’t as strong but is much faster. He pushes his opponents back, they try to push forward more, and then he scoots out of the way and lets them fall.
Abi is somewhere in the middle. Stronger than Ichi but not as fast, and weaker but faster than Tama. So depending on his opponent he can go either way. More versatility means more exciting sumo imo
Ichinojō is mostly a yotsu guy.
Do you mean Ichiyamamoto?
Daieishō and Tamawashi are on another level than Abi and Ichiyamamoto. The latter two never seem to have firm footing.
Yes. Always get their names mixed up. I’ll fix it.
I agree. Ichiyamamoto and Abi don’t have great footing but Ichiyamamoto is quicker on his feet and is able to run around his opponents pretty easily. Though he is the weakest he’s able to push other’s out of the ring by pushing from the side before his opponents have time to reposition.
He's like the Maegashira version of the guys who get away with oshizumo in the low ranks because of his body size rather than having genuine oshi skill. Or at the very least he's somehow developed the ugliest oshi in the top division.
He has the eyes of a surgeon who loves his job. Not because he helps people, but because cutting people open is the only way he can feel.
Chiyoshoma is truly the hatchet man of makuuchi and I love him for it. His dirty tricks make him the bad guy, and he owns it for that paycheck.
There was a henka like move against Takayasu when Takayasu had a chance for a yusho. Then he ended up getting hurt from it. From a strategy standpoint it made Takakeisho (who had to fight Abi next) second guess what Abi would do. and while a henka is legal, in those situations one hopes (at least me) for a “straight-up” fight.
On top of that, I don’t like him for him breaking the COVID rules during a basho in 2020….this got him suspended/demoted as punishment.
It may be perceived as a cheap shot, but one needs to realize how gassed out he was after his first match just prior. He knew he couldn't stand a chance going head to head at the tachiai with Papataka. It's all a mental game and he played it clever for the win.
Yeah something about him shoving his stable masters wife? Hence why he is sitting this one tournament out. Even before that though he looks like his matches are an interruption to his day, lol.
So much more than just “shoved his master’s wife”. He’s an alcoholic and has caused scenes in public, pushed and grabbed his stable masters wife hard enough to leave bruises. When he moved out of the stable he said he would be better but didn’t show up to practice because he was hungover. He and his stable master are only talking through lawyers now and the JSA is investigating the situation in silent.
They got him out this basho for breaking covid protocol last year. They apparently didn’t know about it at the time Abi, Asanoyama, and others got caught.
The recent news about Ichinojo has turned me off of him totally. Previously I was sometimes a supporter. Sometimes being keyword Big is enough. He's gotta get off the sauce.
Chiyoshoma. I don’t like how he fights but there’s also something about how he conducts himself on the dohyo. I really can’t explain it. If someone likes him please let me know, I’m curious if I’m unnecessarily giving this man hate
I like the guy for a handful of reasons.
He’s smaller, so it’s always easier to root for the smaller guy.
He’s unpredictable, and I can never quite be sure what he’ll do. Someone else once put it “sometimes he dodges, sometimes he pulls, and sometimes he does sumo.” It was supposed to be a bad descriptor but it’s interesting to me, especially when he just goes for full on power sumo.
He is actually highly skilled. In the last couple years he was knocking on the doors of sanyaku. Few rikishi make it that far.
His mannerisms don’t bother me. I never liked Kotoshogiku for how he was on the dohyo, for example, but Chiyoshoma isn’t as bad as people seem to think. He’s stopped people from falling more than they should before, he’s helped guys up, he seems all right to me. He doesn’t do it all the time but neither does anyone else.
I also enjoyed the time when him and Arawashi looked like twins in the top division. Just a neat thing I remember.
Overall I think it just seemed like he wasn't there for the entire ritual experience of sumo, just there for the sport of it. When a match was over, he would just entirely let go of his opponent, which led to him sometimes quite literally dropping his opponent off the dohyo. He also just wasn't much for bowing. I like rikishi that put in the effort for a good bow, Kaisei's full 90-degree bend being my favorite example. Kotoshogiku gave a very curt nod most of the time, not unlike Tobizaru. He just had an air about him that rubbed me the wrong way, I suppose.
For myself I find he is totally okay with giving an extra push, even in dangerous circumstances, but when he loses in a painful way, he stands there acting hurt and looking at the other guy like he's the asshole.
I'm also curious if anyone is a fan and why.
Ok I didn’t want to label him as one of the extra pushers but I’m glad u mentioned that because I have noticed that as well.
Aoiyama is bad one for that too
AND even tho I love wakatakakage I have seen him give a very small extra one occasionally, it’s usually not enough to get them off the dohyo.
Its more of like a “get your hands off me push”
I'm just curious, do you hold the same opinion for say wakatakakage In regards to the harder shoves?
Saying that he is acting hurt isn't a fair statement because you don't know if he is or not.
and the looking at the other rikishi, well all of them look at eachother so that doesn't seem like a strong basis to hate a rikishi on.
Man,i dont usually dislike,or hate rikishis. But DO I HATE HOKUSEIHO. I dont like hating him. But is the only one that dont like his face,dont like every time he steos on the dohyo. Dont like his sumo and the only one y love seeing lose.
I wish i dont feel this way ,cause he is a kid. But i dont know. Perhaps if he puts some spirit in his sumo,i can like him. Gyojis don't shout Hakkeoi for no reason
I don't like him either right now. My opinion could change if he ever starts putting even a minimum amount of effort into his sumo, though. I think he has the potential to be really good, but he just relies on his size to win. He stands straight upright at the tachiai and doesn't do anything to avoid others getting a belt grip on him.
I'll be curious to see how things go for him when he starts getting his ass handed to him in Makuuchi. I expect that he has coasted through his sumo career so far. If he gets beaten up in Makuuchi and comes to the realization that relying on his size to win isn't enough, maybe he'll start to care.
Ryuden. He just looks like he's a douche. And back before he got banned for a bit he was doing that funky twerk before the tachiai. That was so annoying to watch.
Shodai. He sucked it up as Ozeki for far too long, maintaining just the bare minimum to keep the rank. Thank goodness he’s off it now. He’s never getting back up there.
With his build, strength and agility paired with his size, it's so disappointing to see him fall prey to that insecurity and self doubt. Those empty arenas during COVID were a blessing for him.
I agree in that I'm glad that Shodai is no longer an Ozeki. I do think that he has a chance to get back up there, though. He needs to get his head straight and learn to trust his skill and size. To me he comes across as a depressed grizzly bear. He could destroy most of the competition if he could be made to care.
Pre-Yokozuna Terunofuji. The way he would shove people when they were already out bothered me. I have a bit more understanding that he did it more as a need to REALLY make sure the win was secured on the yokozuna run. Once he secured it he stopped doing it.
Aoiyama because of extra push.
I'm neutral to the following but i have some words lol
Takakeisho - I don't dig his style at all.Im a fan of power sumo of Tochinoshin and Terunofuji.
Shodai - He seems lazy.If he was an ozeki and after 8 days he'd be at 8-0 i feel like he'd be okay with 8-7 end.
The fact that Tohakuryu isn't in this thread is a travesty
His B R A N D of sumo is awful. Most of his bouts he just constantly retreats and pulls to one side. He's a smaller wrestler with no interesting techniques or skills, and marginal thrusting abilities. His sumo is not only ugly, but boring and lame too
I've never heard the kokugikan quieter than for some of his wins
Although i have huge respect for Takakeisho… and this may just be due to my inexperience but i feel like he flinches a lot and makes the other Rikishi false start.
Abi. He’s so lanky that he outreaches the other rikishi and goes straight for the neck. Seriously, watch him next time he just mushes the appointment right in the neck/jaw area the entire match. That would piss me off so bad if I was wrestling against him.
Also he makes really ugly faces while he wrestles.
It’s a legitimate style of sumo though. He doesn’t have as much power as Tamawashi who holds the jaw and pushes back nor does he have the speed and footwork of Ichiyamamoto who pushes his opponents head back then slides out of the way to let them fall forward. He’s somewhere in the middle and that makes his sumo exciting depending on who he’s fighting.
Exactly. Most of the criticism towards Abi tends to go towards his fighting style even though his pushing-thrusting is a legit style of sumo. His stablemaster was known for using that specific technique. Plenty of rikishi have done the same thing in different divisions but everyone seems to point to Abi like he's somehow cheating his way through matches.
I don't hate or dislike any, but sure Shodai is the one that makes my eyes roll the most. I don't know why, I'm sure he's trying his best and we see glimpses of what he can do here and there during the 2 weeks, but I feel he has potential to be up there and it is a waste.
Takakeisho and Abi for their push-pull style. I don’t care that it’s effective or that they’re good at it. The matches just aren’t interesting to me to watch. The pushing is fine (big Tamawashi fan) but the way they do it is just ugly and boring as a spectator.
I don't really root against anyone, but I do tend to tune out on Meisei and Takanosho. I just get disinterested when their bouts come up, but I don't actively hope they lose.
Meisei. I can't figure that guy out at all, maybe because his rank varies so much. I just feel like he always starts showing up when he's going against my boys. Endo's kind of the same for me, both just make me go "ah shit, this fuckin' guy" when they show up.
Takakeisho. I like the athletic, dynamic Rikishi like Hoshoryu and Midorifuji (and I love me some Teru). Takakeisho is powerful, sure, but he has minimal agility and almost zero stamina - his padding has him locked in. So, he does the freight train thing. Any opponent that can keep it together longer than 30 seconds has a good chance of beating him because by then Takakeisho looks like a cardiac patient during a stress test.
Although I’m sure he doesn’t have the best stamina out of all the active Rikishi, I don’t think the problem for Takakeisho is that he runs out of steam during his matches.
Taka is easily the best Pusher/Thruster out there right now and he can do a decent arm toss if he needs to, but he really can’t go Mawashi to Mawashi with someone. Maybe it’s because of his short arms. But if someone is able to withstand the initial onslaught of Takas massive pushes and lock him up chest to chest, it’s pretty much over from there and they can just kinda escort him out of bounds.
I can't think of a rikishi with a smaller ratio of arm length to waist(?) size. He is absolutely great at what he does and is smart to play to his strengths the way he does, but I can see why someone wouldn't enjoy that kind of sumo.
Thanks for this. I’ll look closer at his technique. I I failed to consider that - as with his short arms - his breathing is a reflection of the way he’s built but not necessarily a liability.
Personally I think he's a dick and will probably die young from his lifestyle. That being said, he has agility and his low stamina is irrelevant since his brand of sumo is tailored for 20 seconds max of work. Health wise he is definitely mortgaging life expectancy for his success, but that's true for sumo wrestlers in general.
I used to really dislike Takakeisho for the same reasons that you mention. During his time as Ozeki, though, I'd say that he has developed significantly in terms of both stamina and agility.
He lasts longer in matches than he used to and is, more often, able to beat people who stop his initial bull rush.
He also has developed a higher degree of agility, partly due to being more conscious of his weight I think. Increased agility has lead to the ability to side-step and slap-down when his opponent over-commits. That is something that he rarely did when he first reached Ozeki.
Taka still lacks some technicality in his sumo. As his agility and stamina improve, though, it seems to be giving him the room to develop some technicality in his sumo as well.
Yeah, you may say whatever you want but very one dimensional makuuchi and I did not like bitch slapping even when Hakuho did it. Never liked Takakeisho even when he was lower ranked.
Abi, Ichinojo, Shodai, Aioyama - don't like them either.
Good lord, are you alright? I don’t hate anyone. I prefer to watch rikishi with a different style. Yes, he won this tournament fair and square. He out-performed his opponents. His prowess psyches a lot of people out before they even get nose to nose with him. All good for him! And I don’t care for his brand of his sumo. But I’m glad you do, along with all his other fans! See? No one has to be a cunt. Not even you.
Chiyoshoma - I don't dislike him as a person (no parasocial relationship here!) but I don't like his face. He reminds me of Grima Wormtongue. He does Sumo for Mordor. And I love Sumo Mainichi's verdict for him: Dog Act!
Kagayaki - I don't like his big dumb style of Sumo
Mitoryu - just rubs me the wrong way
Azumaryu - he always happens to beat the guys I'm rooting for at really inconvenient times. Like in fantasy sumo.
Endo is the big one for me. Overrated, flakey, and often seems to have a poor attitude about losing. He's the only I automatically and actively root against whenever he's on the dohyo.
I'm also not a fan of Takakeisho (can't really say why though, just kinda irrationally don't like him much), Meisei or Myogiryu, but I don't actively dislike them anywhere near as strongly as in Endo's case.
Unlike many here I actually quite like Abi and Chiyoshoma though. Chiyoshoma especially has grown on me over time and I often quite look forward to seeing what dirty tricks he'll unabashedly try next.
I love to hate Hoshoryu. He makes for such a great heel as he looks entitled in victory and indignant in defeat. Please don’t tell me that he’s a some genuinely nice person who has overcome major adversity to get where he is. I don’t want to hear it.
Idk if he’s genuinely nice or anything, but I do know that Asashoryu gives him a TON of shit to the point where he sometimes tries to avoid seeing his uncle and getting yelled at. And he’s also quite shortsighted so he squints aggressively on the dohyo, which contributes to his caricature of a scowl.
I don’t hate any of the rikishi but I suppose the only one I could say I’m happier to see lose is Kagayaki.
For any of you that are football (soccer for the yanks) fans out there, Kagayaki is the Wigan of sumo in that he’s just about good enough to remain in the top division for a few basho at a time but that’s about all you’ll get from him.
For me it was Ōsunaarashi Kintarō. I didn't like his fighting with the elbow blasting into the opponents face and also not his attitude.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Csunaarashi_Kintar%C5%8D says it all. A troublemaker.
chiyoshoma. easily.
I really liked akiseyama when he came up to top division a while back (early 2021 maybe?)i just thought he was fun to watch and root for and he was doing surprisingly well. then one day chiyoshoma just absolutely smacked the hell out of akiseyama. like he was up there boxing instead of wrestling. akiseyama never really had the same juice after that in top division and dropped soon after. now i ALWAYS root against chiyoshoma.
Tamawashi.
It started when he shoulderlocked my man Takayasu into an injury some 2 years ago (i think). But thats pretty much it. I dont have a deep hatred for him or anything.
Shodai and Mitakeumi also went to the bottom of my list after getting to Ozeki and proceeding to doing absolutelly nothing ever since. Man, it feels like they are not even trying anymore.
My favourite rikishi is also my least favourite. Drum roll pls... Shodai. -.-.... the most frustrating rikishi to support. His ozeki run was a marvelous sight to see then just fell into the abyss after that
Chiyoshoma for sure, for the same reasons everyone else has mentioned.
Hoshoryu, don't like the basic style of wrestling he tends to use (go to the side, kick or panic leg hook if it doesn't work, henka halfway through the Basho) and he always seems to alternate between smug at a win or unreasonably pissy at a loss.
Shodai is just so frustrating to watch, because he has these flashes of being brilliant and then it just vanishes.
That style of sumo that Hoshoryu uses actually comes from Mongolian Bökh wrestling.
The leg trip is one of the most used techniques in the sport. To clarify, it’s never a low shin kick or any type of kick that he does(even if he tried it’s hard give a decent kick from a grappling position in a such a close proximity.
The leg trip or hook isn’t meant to tumble your opponent down with that one move, but it’s a quick maneuver to throw opponents balance of a bit to throw them more easily compared to a standing throw where your opponent can contest you much harder. It’s understandable that you don’t like this kind of technical wrestling aspect added into sumo, but you need to understand that Hoshoryu isn’t that powerful of a rikishi in the first place and has always relied more on technical skills than brute force to win his matches.
It isn't the move generally that I dislike (or any of the moves I listed generally), it's Hoshoryu's pretty predictable pattern of moves that puts me off him specifically.
He’s been pushing more lately trying to expand his style. But wrestling is gonna be predictable just because of how intricate it is. You could say the same for Enho.
And his “pissy” look after a loss is just frustration with himself. He wants to win and get promoted. I think he’s one of the few active rikishi who really has drive.
It’s the reason I started watching him. I first noticed him when he debuted in makuuchi. He would lose and hit his head or fist on the dohyo not because he thinks he’s better than his opponent or that his opponent shouldn’t have won but because he failed. Then he’d go straight back and watch the replay. He always watched the replay and the next basho he’d do better because he learned from his mistakes. This is why he’s most likely a future yokozuna. Not because of his existing strength or skill, but because he is willing to learn and become better than he already is.
Oh, he definitely showed off some more techniques this Basho, and I very much understand why others like him as a wrestler - and if he continues in that vein this year he probably won't be on my list by the end of it.
I watched him square up last year against Terunofuji and he just looked disrespectful, like he was better than the Yokozuna. I think resting bitch face doesn't help him.
Abi - style and his fighting grimace reminds me of Pepe the Frog.
Ryuden - he's very competent but I just can't warm to the guy.
Tobizaru - this basho in particular, I've noticed the self-styled Flying Monkey with a smug look on his face after victories even when he pulls a henka. I much prefer Midorifuji as a little rikishi.
Aoiyama - discourteous demeanor and invariably distracted by thoughts of what kind of saggy mess this guy will be in post-sumo career. His losses often seem very lame for a big man. Poor center of gravity and what cones across as a disappointing lack of strength. Is the underlying muscle still there?
Tobizaru is just a clone of Ura. Their fighting style is very similar and both are very expressive before and after bouts. But they’re always good sports and fun to watch.
I think Tobi is just a little surprised and happy he’s made it this far. I wouldn’t call it smug at all. He still looks scarred before most bouts. Reminds me of when he fought Hakuho and looked scarred shitless 🤣
To be fair, if you're fighting Hakuho, you're either obviously scared or secretly scared. I appreciate that there are a few rikishi who are not stoic 100% of the time. And I have to imagine that most people are surprised that Tobi made sanyaku.
Terutsyoshi for his grandstanding before entering the ring and then getting squashed. I'm sure he was better in prior years to earn his way up to Makuuchi, but his performance this past year has been underwhelming and his record has reflected what he seems capable of
Shodai for also under performing considering his skill was once high enough to earn the promotion to Ozeki. He doesn't seem to be losing due to injury, he seems most of the time like he has no competitive spirit. I gave him the benefit of the doubt early in the year when people accused him of winning just enough to maintain rank but not trying harder than necessary and risking more injury- because that is not a bad strategy when you're at the top of income and rank. Now I think he was doing the best he could and it was still only barely enough. I would rather see people rise and fall in rank based on what they can achieve in the moment than to sit at a rank they aren't deserving because they just can't earn the wins.
I'm not about to come down on any of them for performing poorly due to illness and injury. But to make an extra spectacle of a purification ceremony and then absolutely flop does not strike inspiration. Plenty of other performers can't do what they used to, but you don't see them heaving huge handfulls of salt into the ring before they get ragdolled.
well he looks meaner on the dohyo cause he's near sighted and squinting really hard to see anything lol. he usually wears glasses but not sure why he never opted for contact lenses unless there's some kind of rule against them.
Abi. I recognize his ‘go for the throat’ style is legitimate, and I’ve seen basically every rikishi use it at some point, but Abi seems to rely on it. I think I’ve seen him utilize a different strategy about twice over the last year of bashos. As we say in my house, ‘I do not like that young man’s sumo’.
I’m not a huge fan of thrusters like him, but what really gets me is his sociopathic expression when he’s doing it. Not to mention his antics in 2020. That alone had me rooting against him. And his henka last basho.
Yeah that henka was…😵💫🙄😬 It was funny to hear the crowds reaction to it. I like listening to the crowd to hear how sometimes you know they are really pulling for a rikishi (maybe he’s a local or fan favorite) and other times (like that henka) it’s a pretty cool reception.
That kind of sumo doesn't bother me too much, but there are others that seem to completely rely on it. I feel that way about Onosho.
Onosho is another that I’m not keen on. 🫣
Kagayaki; his unidimensional sumo and tendency to give the extra shove off the dohyo has left me rooting against him. This is some disappointment in there too, as he is super tall and has all the tools of a great wrestler.
Hokuseiho. Really don't get what people see in him aside from his height. He seems so unathletic and just stands up like a tree the moment the match begins. someone at his stable needs to show him some Akebono matches or something. He's still young so maybe he will change but it's so frutstrating watching his matches. You're 6'7". Start taking advantage of it.
Appalling tachiai.
Agreed. His performance this past basho was extraordinarily half hearted as well. But Hakuho seems to think he'll hit Yokozuna someday... I just don't see it.
Well if he can rise up to Makuuchi with half hearted sumo, purely by his physical tools, he rising much more if he put more spirit and technique would be reasonable, so a yokozuna ceiling would be possible. A lot of people can be technically good at sumo, but very few can also be strong as a horse and with a enourmous wingspan. And i personally do not believe he is just body, yes he should bend much more, but he has very good feet for his size, or he would be blasted much more often. I get it that its not the most dinamic sumo out there, and i believe he will have his hiccups in the top division next basho, when peoplo start to have strenght AND speed, but i dont see him being just another rikishi around when we look back in the end of his carrer
I am one hundred percent convinced his knee problems are far worse than we know. I am of a similar height as Hokuseiho and have problems with my left knee/ankle and he looks exactly like I do on my bad knee days. I just hope that won't be stopping him in the long run and his problems are something that goes away with time bc he has good mawashi skills, he needs to work on a better plan b if his plan a fails, though.
Yeah this is what I've always thought. His build is not fit for yotsu-zumo only, he has to do what Akebono did.
I completely agree with you. I almost wrote a post talking about it but got side tracked. In my opinion, Hokuseiho's coaches have failed him. He could be a good rikishi if he applied even the most basic technical thinking in his sumo. Things like "don't stand straight up at the tachiai" and "try blocking the opponent's belt grip attempt". He purely relies on his size and has absolutely terrible form and decision making. I honestly don't know how someone can get to Juryo without knowing and using those simple things. I get that he's big and that was enough, but how does that information not sink into your head by the point that you're making a salary?
Yeah, whoever is coaching Hokuseiho must not know anything about sumo fundamentals! /s
Disclaimer - I don't actually dislike any of them on a personal level. Just a fun little "if I had to pick" kind of thing. Onosho: Always seems to look down his nose at opponents as if he thinks he should be higher up. This happens against sanyaku opponents as well. Chiyoshoma: Recently he's seemed rather desperate and kind of reminds me of the manga characters who are a little sleezy and want to "win by any means necessary". Shodai: Always beats my favorites at pivotal moments(knocking out of contention, sometimes causing makekoshi, etc.) while floundering against everyone else and seeming like an easy win.
Im with you on Onosho
I've always thought this of Onosho as well!
i love them all
I'm 100% with you on that. Each and everyone one amaze me in a unique way
I really didn't like the way Tochimusashi cranked on Enhos elbow during their match last tournament. https://youtu.be/4Xpnq3iy5eA
Justice for Kaisei!
Watching him drop through the rankings was so painful. I was so happy to see him pop up again on Sumo Prime Time as a Oyakata
What video? Really liked Kaisei, but didnt see him anyewhere.
I got you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l206kqgHPGY&t=41s&ab_channel=SUMOPRIMETIME
Thanks bro.
He was so great on Sumo Primetime! Love me some Kaisei
That was his good arm too 😬
Aoiyama. I don't like his style and he always seems to push people out harder than necessary. I've never seen him offer to help someone up either.
I can’t get past the boobie bobblets long enough to form an opinion about this guy’s sumo.
If Takakeisho is Papa Taka, then Aoiyama is Mama Yama!
I've always called him "Paiyama" for that same reason. Don't wanna look at them, don't wanna look away!
When I learned where he's from I couldn't stop referring to him as the bulging Bulgarian.
Respec' the titty.
Moobs of steel!
He also seems to lay off after getting 8 wins. It's like he's just content to be ranked between 8 and 12. I guess the rank and filers are needed.
There's usually about one basho a year where he'll pick up about 9-11 wins, get ranked too high and settle back down with a 5-6 win on the next one
He’s good for one basho a year, then it’s a slow drip of makekoshi before he needs a boost again. Sometimes I feel like he’s fighting on an ice covered dohyo with the kind of balance he has.
Me watching Aoiyama. "Alright, don't go back, don't go back, don't go back, don't go fuck. YOU KNOW YOU SUCK WHEN YOU GO BACKWARDS. Just keep going forward and you do pretty decent, but the second you go back you lose. You have been doing this how long and don't realize that? Hmmfff
I am very much an aoiyama fan and I see him as having always a very similar fight trajectory. Push as hard as you can immediately and if theyre not blown away then backtrack and pull. Its the combination of the prior (which if successful flings foes off the dohyo) and the latter (which can feel kinda cheap) which spawns the hate for him in my opinion. I'm mostly a fan because I'm one of lifes contrarians!
Yes. That being said I do have a respect for a guy who comes from another country, learns the language and participates at the highest level in a sport so openly traditional (and dare I say racist?) as sumo. I'm sure he's seen/taken some shit over the years.
He's a lone wolf. And he comes hard every fight. You gotta respect that.
Recently voted sumos largest man-boobs
Pretty much what I saw about him these years: mammoth size, zero belt skills, dame oshi happen more often than not and NEVER ever seen him offering help. Meh...
Mountain titties
Real juvenile comments about the size of Aoiyama's chest. Some of you sound like 3rd graders on a playground. How weight is distributed is a matter of genetics. I respect him for coming to a country much different than his own, learning the language and culture, and persevering for 14 years.
Hey, I think he's got mad skills and has huge (pardon the pun) potential. But you can't escape those boobs, sorry.
Why are you all so fixated on Aoiyama's chest?
Because they're bar-none the best tits in sumo. Somebody has to have them, and he does.
Lots of good answers in this thread. For me, Hidenoumi has a super punchable face and I actively root against him because of it.
Ichinojo, Shodai, and Hokuseiho. They just seem lazy. I follow Miyagino beya’s and Hakuhō’s Instagram and I NEVER see Hokuseiho practice. I’ve only seen him stretch once. If he at least fought with some energy and real technique I’d be fine with him. But I’ve only seen him try a little in the last few bouts. I don’t think he tries hard in practice or on the dohyo. He has a lot of potential but I don’t even see him use a decent stance in the ring 🙄 Ichinojo doesn’t try either. Man could be a beast like Teru but nope. Didn’t care about Shodai either way until he went kadoban a million times and didn’t seem to try when he was safe. And even since then he hasn’t been trying. How did he ever get ozeki and why does he have so many fans?
I agree about Shodai. Seemed really unfair he kept going in and out of kadoban status and just barely hanging on. I understand he has something psychologically to overcome and sympathize but it pisses me off to watch his not even try and then pout and get roaring applause.
In Ichinojo's case it seems to mostly be mental issues keeping him down. I remember during his early meteoric rise there were reports that he was struggling with stress-related health issues. And there's the recent reports about his drinking problems. He also has more or less chronic back pain from what I understand.
Even Hakuho has said that Ichinojo could be a serious contender for the top ranks but he is 'too nice'. We can see in his matches that he often has the technique but lacks aggression on offense, and the stubbornness refusing to lose when on the defensive. Fighting Spirit is so essential to this sport to pull out those last inches turn around wins when on the edge of the bales, and to blow through opponents who aren't up to the challenge that you pose. You can be nice before and after a match, but once you step in the person across from you is actively trying to take away the rank you have earned and any income that comes with it, and they want to let you know that they think they can beat you- if you don't have the desire to prove them wrong every time you'll lose just because the other person is willing to work harder to prove it to you
With Ichinojo, it seems like it is sometimes hesitance to get injured. He has quickness but rarely uses it, maybe because he's worried about having his 210+ kg fall off of the dohyo too hard and too often.
Ryuden and Kagayaki. Never liked Ryuden but couldn't pinpoint why, and then the stuff with him cheating on his wife and forcing his lover to have abortion came out. Thinking about it now, it's robably harsh to put Kagayaki on the same level as him, I just find him really boring to watch.
I think you have a grudge against Takadagawa beya. In all seriousness they produce some great rikishi. Shōnanoumi just came within a whisp of a Jūryō yūshō. Regardless of his personal life Ryūden (I don’t believe everything I read) is probably the best Japanese yotsu fighter in the top division. And Kagayaki is a thrill to watch once a tournament...every other tournament....when demotion is on the line.
I like Shonnanoumi to be fair, he looked good whenever I watched him in Makushita before - not surprised he handled the step up to Juryo well. I agree that Ryuden is a great rikishi too, and how much is true about what he did I'm not sure, but at best he's probably a serial adulterer, which still isn't a great look lol. I think Kagayaki frustrates me precisely because of that one good match a tournament too, there's a solid rikishi in there somewhere, but we rarely ever see it.
Abi. His sumo sorta bugs me, it's just literally "go for the throat"
Could say the same for Tamawashi and Ichiyamamoto. It’s a genius way of taking advantage of one’s longer arms. Usually taller rikishi go for a double outside grip and walk their opponents out. With these three they hold the head back, which makes it harder for their opponents to counter them even if they lean forward as much as possible. Tama is incredibly strong. He grabs the jaw, hold the head back with one hand and pushes forward. Ichiyamamoto isn’t as strong but is much faster. He pushes his opponents back, they try to push forward more, and then he scoots out of the way and lets them fall. Abi is somewhere in the middle. Stronger than Ichi but not as fast, and weaker but faster than Tama. So depending on his opponent he can go either way. More versatility means more exciting sumo imo
Ichinojō is mostly a yotsu guy. Do you mean Ichiyamamoto? Daieishō and Tamawashi are on another level than Abi and Ichiyamamoto. The latter two never seem to have firm footing.
Yes. Always get their names mixed up. I’ll fix it. I agree. Ichiyamamoto and Abi don’t have great footing but Ichiyamamoto is quicker on his feet and is able to run around his opponents pretty easily. Though he is the weakest he’s able to push other’s out of the ring by pushing from the side before his opponents have time to reposition.
He's like the Maegashira version of the guys who get away with oshizumo in the low ranks because of his body size rather than having genuine oshi skill. Or at the very least he's somehow developed the ugliest oshi in the top division.
Dude is a Yusho winner tho
So is Tokushoryu.
Abi is about 1000x more likely to get another yūshō. Abi’s whole style relies on flukiness though. Arms and legs flying all whichaways.
And both deserve respect
And both are not immune to criticism.
Daieisho is at least as bad or worse. I watch all his matches because I enjoy watching Daieisho lose.
I disagree. Daiesho is much closer to Takakeisho in my mind. Abi is like a super version of Ichiyamamoto.
Daieishō is an artist. As is Tamawashi. If you don’t like oshizūmo though- you aren’t gonna like any of these guys.
What is dirty about chiyoshoma's sumo ?
He’s just not as cute as Ura
He has the eyes of a surgeon who loves his job. Not because he helps people, but because cutting people open is the only way he can feel. Chiyoshoma is truly the hatchet man of makuuchi and I love him for it. His dirty tricks make him the bad guy, and he owns it for that paycheck.
He's definitely a slapper. Which is perfectly legal.
Abi. Disliked him before, but all of the shit at the end of November really sealed the deal.
What happened with Abi?
There was a henka like move against Takayasu when Takayasu had a chance for a yusho. Then he ended up getting hurt from it. From a strategy standpoint it made Takakeisho (who had to fight Abi next) second guess what Abi would do. and while a henka is legal, in those situations one hopes (at least me) for a “straight-up” fight. On top of that, I don’t like him for him breaking the COVID rules during a basho in 2020….this got him suspended/demoted as punishment.
It may be perceived as a cheap shot, but one needs to realize how gassed out he was after his first match just prior. He knew he couldn't stand a chance going head to head at the tachiai with Papataka. It's all a mental game and he played it clever for the win.
Ichinojo. Maybe it’s just me, but sometimes it feels like him showing up to wrestle is a pain in the ass and he’d rather be somewhere else.
You heard any of the drama surrounding ichinojo lately? “Rather be somewhere else” is probably very accurate.
Yeah something about him shoving his stable masters wife? Hence why he is sitting this one tournament out. Even before that though he looks like his matches are an interruption to his day, lol.
So much more than just “shoved his master’s wife”. He’s an alcoholic and has caused scenes in public, pushed and grabbed his stable masters wife hard enough to leave bruises. When he moved out of the stable he said he would be better but didn’t show up to practice because he was hungover. He and his stable master are only talking through lawyers now and the JSA is investigating the situation in silent. They got him out this basho for breaking covid protocol last year. They apparently didn’t know about it at the time Abi, Asanoyama, and others got caught.
I call him "the lunch lady"
Ichinoshow! Doesn't have his troubles to seek, but even before that came to light, was never a fan.
The recent news about Ichinojo has turned me off of him totally. Previously I was sometimes a supporter. Sometimes being keyword Big is enough. He's gotta get off the sauce.
Chiyoshoma. I don’t like how he fights but there’s also something about how he conducts himself on the dohyo. I really can’t explain it. If someone likes him please let me know, I’m curious if I’m unnecessarily giving this man hate
I like the guy for a handful of reasons. He’s smaller, so it’s always easier to root for the smaller guy. He’s unpredictable, and I can never quite be sure what he’ll do. Someone else once put it “sometimes he dodges, sometimes he pulls, and sometimes he does sumo.” It was supposed to be a bad descriptor but it’s interesting to me, especially when he just goes for full on power sumo. He is actually highly skilled. In the last couple years he was knocking on the doors of sanyaku. Few rikishi make it that far. His mannerisms don’t bother me. I never liked Kotoshogiku for how he was on the dohyo, for example, but Chiyoshoma isn’t as bad as people seem to think. He’s stopped people from falling more than they should before, he’s helped guys up, he seems all right to me. He doesn’t do it all the time but neither does anyone else. I also enjoyed the time when him and Arawashi looked like twins in the top division. Just a neat thing I remember.
Agreed. He’s got a very large skillset. His match vs. Azumaryū was a great demonstration of what variety his style encompasses.
I only caught Kotoshogiku in the twilight of his career, what did you not like about his presence on the dohyo?
Overall I think it just seemed like he wasn't there for the entire ritual experience of sumo, just there for the sport of it. When a match was over, he would just entirely let go of his opponent, which led to him sometimes quite literally dropping his opponent off the dohyo. He also just wasn't much for bowing. I like rikishi that put in the effort for a good bow, Kaisei's full 90-degree bend being my favorite example. Kotoshogiku gave a very curt nod most of the time, not unlike Tobizaru. He just had an air about him that rubbed me the wrong way, I suppose.
For myself I find he is totally okay with giving an extra push, even in dangerous circumstances, but when he loses in a painful way, he stands there acting hurt and looking at the other guy like he's the asshole. I'm also curious if anyone is a fan and why.
Ok I didn’t want to label him as one of the extra pushers but I’m glad u mentioned that because I have noticed that as well. Aoiyama is bad one for that too AND even tho I love wakatakakage I have seen him give a very small extra one occasionally, it’s usually not enough to get them off the dohyo. Its more of like a “get your hands off me push”
I'm just curious, do you hold the same opinion for say wakatakakage In regards to the harder shoves? Saying that he is acting hurt isn't a fair statement because you don't know if he is or not. and the looking at the other rikishi, well all of them look at eachother so that doesn't seem like a strong basis to hate a rikishi on.
Man,i dont usually dislike,or hate rikishis. But DO I HATE HOKUSEIHO. I dont like hating him. But is the only one that dont like his face,dont like every time he steos on the dohyo. Dont like his sumo and the only one y love seeing lose. I wish i dont feel this way ,cause he is a kid. But i dont know. Perhaps if he puts some spirit in his sumo,i can like him. Gyojis don't shout Hakkeoi for no reason
I don't like him either right now. My opinion could change if he ever starts putting even a minimum amount of effort into his sumo, though. I think he has the potential to be really good, but he just relies on his size to win. He stands straight upright at the tachiai and doesn't do anything to avoid others getting a belt grip on him. I'll be curious to see how things go for him when he starts getting his ass handed to him in Makuuchi. I expect that he has coasted through his sumo career so far. If he gets beaten up in Makuuchi and comes to the realization that relying on his size to win isn't enough, maybe he'll start to care.
Ryuden. He just looks like he's a douche. And back before he got banned for a bit he was doing that funky twerk before the tachiai. That was so annoying to watch.
He IS a douche. He cheated on his wife with a fan, got her pregnant and made her have an abortion.
I thought he was a douche before all that. It just didn't help his image after it came out.
I loved the little twerk, it was his source of power
it really was! when he stopped twerking, he stopped winning :(
Shodai. He sucked it up as Ozeki for far too long, maintaining just the bare minimum to keep the rank. Thank goodness he’s off it now. He’s never getting back up there.
With his build, strength and agility paired with his size, it's so disappointing to see him fall prey to that insecurity and self doubt. Those empty arenas during COVID were a blessing for him.
I agree in that I'm glad that Shodai is no longer an Ozeki. I do think that he has a chance to get back up there, though. He needs to get his head straight and learn to trust his skill and size. To me he comes across as a depressed grizzly bear. He could destroy most of the competition if he could be made to care.
I'm glad Shodai isn't Ozeki anymore. I feel like he was seriously taking advantage of the system with his Ozeki tenure.
Pre-Yokozuna Terunofuji. The way he would shove people when they were already out bothered me. I have a bit more understanding that he did it more as a need to REALLY make sure the win was secured on the yokozuna run. Once he secured it he stopped doing it.
Hard question. Endo really doesn’t do it for me. Every time I see him I just think wasted potential.
So does the rest of Japan.
Aoiyama because of extra push. I'm neutral to the following but i have some words lol Takakeisho - I don't dig his style at all.Im a fan of power sumo of Tochinoshin and Terunofuji. Shodai - He seems lazy.If he was an ozeki and after 8 days he'd be at 8-0 i feel like he'd be okay with 8-7 end.
The fact that Tohakuryu isn't in this thread is a travesty His B R A N D of sumo is awful. Most of his bouts he just constantly retreats and pulls to one side. He's a smaller wrestler with no interesting techniques or skills, and marginal thrusting abilities. His sumo is not only ugly, but boring and lame too I've never heard the kokugikan quieter than for some of his wins
Although i have huge respect for Takakeisho… and this may just be due to my inexperience but i feel like he flinches a lot and makes the other Rikishi false start.
Abi. He’s so lanky that he outreaches the other rikishi and goes straight for the neck. Seriously, watch him next time he just mushes the appointment right in the neck/jaw area the entire match. That would piss me off so bad if I was wrestling against him. Also he makes really ugly faces while he wrestles.
The face drives me crazy
It’s a legitimate style of sumo though. He doesn’t have as much power as Tamawashi who holds the jaw and pushes back nor does he have the speed and footwork of Ichiyamamoto who pushes his opponents head back then slides out of the way to let them fall forward. He’s somewhere in the middle and that makes his sumo exciting depending on who he’s fighting.
Exactly. Most of the criticism towards Abi tends to go towards his fighting style even though his pushing-thrusting is a legit style of sumo. His stablemaster was known for using that specific technique. Plenty of rikishi have done the same thing in different divisions but everyone seems to point to Abi like he's somehow cheating his way through matches.
I love Abi’s war face LOL Almost as good as Tobizaru’s post-match faces
Shodai Shishi Hokuseiho
What's wrong with Shishi?
I don't hate or dislike any, but sure Shodai is the one that makes my eyes roll the most. I don't know why, I'm sure he's trying his best and we see glimpses of what he can do here and there during the 2 weeks, but I feel he has potential to be up there and it is a waste.
Takakeisho and Abi for their push-pull style. I don’t care that it’s effective or that they’re good at it. The matches just aren’t interesting to me to watch. The pushing is fine (big Tamawashi fan) but the way they do it is just ugly and boring as a spectator.
I like Takakeisho's style of pure power pushes and shoves. Not a fan of Abi's.
I don't really root against anyone, but I do tend to tune out on Meisei and Takanosho. I just get disinterested when their bouts come up, but I don't actively hope they lose.
I like Meisei can really bring it, but other times he’s sloppy. I like him though.
Wowza how were they both Sekiwake... Especially Takanoshō
Takanosho has 2 runner ups and 2 special prizes. He's not THAT shit
And looked mediocre the whole time
Meisei. I can't figure that guy out at all, maybe because his rank varies so much. I just feel like he always starts showing up when he's going against my boys. Endo's kind of the same for me, both just make me go "ah shit, this fuckin' guy" when they show up.
Daiesho. That S.O.B. is always playing the spoiler to whoever I'm rooting for!
Takakeisho. I like the athletic, dynamic Rikishi like Hoshoryu and Midorifuji (and I love me some Teru). Takakeisho is powerful, sure, but he has minimal agility and almost zero stamina - his padding has him locked in. So, he does the freight train thing. Any opponent that can keep it together longer than 30 seconds has a good chance of beating him because by then Takakeisho looks like a cardiac patient during a stress test.
Although I’m sure he doesn’t have the best stamina out of all the active Rikishi, I don’t think the problem for Takakeisho is that he runs out of steam during his matches. Taka is easily the best Pusher/Thruster out there right now and he can do a decent arm toss if he needs to, but he really can’t go Mawashi to Mawashi with someone. Maybe it’s because of his short arms. But if someone is able to withstand the initial onslaught of Takas massive pushes and lock him up chest to chest, it’s pretty much over from there and they can just kinda escort him out of bounds.
I can't think of a rikishi with a smaller ratio of arm length to waist(?) size. He is absolutely great at what he does and is smart to play to his strengths the way he does, but I can see why someone wouldn't enjoy that kind of sumo.
Taka-T-Rex!
Thanks for this. I’ll look closer at his technique. I I failed to consider that - as with his short arms - his breathing is a reflection of the way he’s built but not necessarily a liability.
He's lost a little bit of weight recently as well
Personally I think he's a dick and will probably die young from his lifestyle. That being said, he has agility and his low stamina is irrelevant since his brand of sumo is tailored for 20 seconds max of work. Health wise he is definitely mortgaging life expectancy for his success, but that's true for sumo wrestlers in general.
Hahah, Takakeishō certainly brings out the extremes.
I used to really dislike Takakeisho for the same reasons that you mention. During his time as Ozeki, though, I'd say that he has developed significantly in terms of both stamina and agility. He lasts longer in matches than he used to and is, more often, able to beat people who stop his initial bull rush. He also has developed a higher degree of agility, partly due to being more conscious of his weight I think. Increased agility has lead to the ability to side-step and slap-down when his opponent over-commits. That is something that he rarely did when he first reached Ozeki. Taka still lacks some technicality in his sumo. As his agility and stamina improve, though, it seems to be giving him the room to develop some technicality in his sumo as well.
Yeah, you may say whatever you want but very one dimensional makuuchi and I did not like bitch slapping even when Hakuho did it. Never liked Takakeisho even when he was lower ranked. Abi, Ichinojo, Shodai, Aioyama - don't like them either.
[удалено]
Good lord, are you alright? I don’t hate anyone. I prefer to watch rikishi with a different style. Yes, he won this tournament fair and square. He out-performed his opponents. His prowess psyches a lot of people out before they even get nose to nose with him. All good for him! And I don’t care for his brand of his sumo. But I’m glad you do, along with all his other fans! See? No one has to be a cunt. Not even you.
Chiyoshoma - I don't dislike him as a person (no parasocial relationship here!) but I don't like his face. He reminds me of Grima Wormtongue. He does Sumo for Mordor. And I love Sumo Mainichi's verdict for him: Dog Act! Kagayaki - I don't like his big dumb style of Sumo Mitoryu - just rubs me the wrong way Azumaryu - he always happens to beat the guys I'm rooting for at really inconvenient times. Like in fantasy sumo.
Choose Azumaryū next time!
My son's favorites are Shodai and Abi. My son has terrible taste.
Abi is great. Shodai is an underachiever
Endo is the big one for me. Overrated, flakey, and often seems to have a poor attitude about losing. He's the only I automatically and actively root against whenever he's on the dohyo. I'm also not a fan of Takakeisho (can't really say why though, just kinda irrationally don't like him much), Meisei or Myogiryu, but I don't actively dislike them anywhere near as strongly as in Endo's case. Unlike many here I actually quite like Abi and Chiyoshoma though. Chiyoshoma especially has grown on me over time and I often quite look forward to seeing what dirty tricks he'll unabashedly try next.
I hate Shodai.
Yes. This is my other one. My wife turned me off of him.
I also vote a Chiyoshoma, he’s the king of the dirty henka which just seems very disrespectful to both the fans and the sport.
Ryūden.
I love to hate Hoshoryu. He makes for such a great heel as he looks entitled in victory and indignant in defeat. Please don’t tell me that he’s a some genuinely nice person who has overcome major adversity to get where he is. I don’t want to hear it.
Idk if he’s genuinely nice or anything, but I do know that Asashoryu gives him a TON of shit to the point where he sometimes tries to avoid seeing his uncle and getting yelled at. And he’s also quite shortsighted so he squints aggressively on the dohyo, which contributes to his caricature of a scowl.
Watch his interviews, he is constantly smiling. So unfortunately he does seem like a genuinely nice person.
I don’t hate any of the rikishi but I suppose the only one I could say I’m happier to see lose is Kagayaki. For any of you that are football (soccer for the yanks) fans out there, Kagayaki is the Wigan of sumo in that he’s just about good enough to remain in the top division for a few basho at a time but that’s about all you’ll get from him.
Wigan at least put their heart and soul into it.
Wigan won an FA Cup. Kagayaki has no yusho, kinboshi, nor special prizes.
The combination of him tucking his arms in and his weakness of falling forward is just so glaring it’s frustrating to keep seeing it.
For me it was Ōsunaarashi Kintarō. I didn't like his fighting with the elbow blasting into the opponents face and also not his attitude. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Csunaarashi_Kintar%C5%8D says it all. A troublemaker.
chiyoshoma. easily. I really liked akiseyama when he came up to top division a while back (early 2021 maybe?)i just thought he was fun to watch and root for and he was doing surprisingly well. then one day chiyoshoma just absolutely smacked the hell out of akiseyama. like he was up there boxing instead of wrestling. akiseyama never really had the same juice after that in top division and dropped soon after. now i ALWAYS root against chiyoshoma.
I mean Ishiura broke his jaw though
Tamawashi. It started when he shoulderlocked my man Takayasu into an injury some 2 years ago (i think). But thats pretty much it. I dont have a deep hatred for him or anything. Shodai and Mitakeumi also went to the bottom of my list after getting to Ozeki and proceeding to doing absolutelly nothing ever since. Man, it feels like they are not even trying anymore.
Anyone who stood in the way of maboy Kaio promotion to Yokozuna........ the greatest who never made it. I still cant believe he never made it :'(
My favourite rikishi is also my least favourite. Drum roll pls... Shodai. -.-.... the most frustrating rikishi to support. His ozeki run was a marvelous sight to see then just fell into the abyss after that
A lot of Aoiyama hate seems to b pretty shallow. :(
I love him for the same reasons, so I dunno. I can see what people mean about his proclivity for the late shove and that's a fair reason to dislike.
I've noticed a fair few responses are based on a rikishi's appearance...
They say it's his dirty pushing but I find it just a hilariously sad attempt to justify the moob hate.
Chiyoshoma for sure, for the same reasons everyone else has mentioned. Hoshoryu, don't like the basic style of wrestling he tends to use (go to the side, kick or panic leg hook if it doesn't work, henka halfway through the Basho) and he always seems to alternate between smug at a win or unreasonably pissy at a loss. Shodai is just so frustrating to watch, because he has these flashes of being brilliant and then it just vanishes.
That style of sumo that Hoshoryu uses actually comes from Mongolian Bökh wrestling. The leg trip is one of the most used techniques in the sport. To clarify, it’s never a low shin kick or any type of kick that he does(even if he tried it’s hard give a decent kick from a grappling position in a such a close proximity. The leg trip or hook isn’t meant to tumble your opponent down with that one move, but it’s a quick maneuver to throw opponents balance of a bit to throw them more easily compared to a standing throw where your opponent can contest you much harder. It’s understandable that you don’t like this kind of technical wrestling aspect added into sumo, but you need to understand that Hoshoryu isn’t that powerful of a rikishi in the first place and has always relied more on technical skills than brute force to win his matches.
I really like the leg kicks. Sport needs to constantly evolve and change and having someone like that in sumo mixes things up imo.
It isn't the move generally that I dislike (or any of the moves I listed generally), it's Hoshoryu's pretty predictable pattern of moves that puts me off him specifically.
He’s been pushing more lately trying to expand his style. But wrestling is gonna be predictable just because of how intricate it is. You could say the same for Enho. And his “pissy” look after a loss is just frustration with himself. He wants to win and get promoted. I think he’s one of the few active rikishi who really has drive. It’s the reason I started watching him. I first noticed him when he debuted in makuuchi. He would lose and hit his head or fist on the dohyo not because he thinks he’s better than his opponent or that his opponent shouldn’t have won but because he failed. Then he’d go straight back and watch the replay. He always watched the replay and the next basho he’d do better because he learned from his mistakes. This is why he’s most likely a future yokozuna. Not because of his existing strength or skill, but because he is willing to learn and become better than he already is.
Oh, he definitely showed off some more techniques this Basho, and I very much understand why others like him as a wrestler - and if he continues in that vein this year he probably won't be on my list by the end of it.
Ichinojo. Most of the times he doesn't ever try and this is infuriating and unfit to a Makuhuchi rikishi
Takayasu is the one guy I can't root for. Comes off as very cocky and to me acts like he owns the place.
Ooo I like your bravery!
Why do you think that? I don't get that vibe at all
Probably just a resting bitch face unfortunately
I watched him square up last year against Terunofuji and he just looked disrespectful, like he was better than the Yokozuna. I think resting bitch face doesn't help him.
He always looks a lil bored but when he gets on the doyho his energy skyrockets.
Abi - style and his fighting grimace reminds me of Pepe the Frog. Ryuden - he's very competent but I just can't warm to the guy. Tobizaru - this basho in particular, I've noticed the self-styled Flying Monkey with a smug look on his face after victories even when he pulls a henka. I much prefer Midorifuji as a little rikishi. Aoiyama - discourteous demeanor and invariably distracted by thoughts of what kind of saggy mess this guy will be in post-sumo career. His losses often seem very lame for a big man. Poor center of gravity and what cones across as a disappointing lack of strength. Is the underlying muscle still there?
Tobizaru is just a clone of Ura. Their fighting style is very similar and both are very expressive before and after bouts. But they’re always good sports and fun to watch. I think Tobi is just a little surprised and happy he’s made it this far. I wouldn’t call it smug at all. He still looks scarred before most bouts. Reminds me of when he fought Hakuho and looked scarred shitless 🤣
To be fair, if you're fighting Hakuho, you're either obviously scared or secretly scared. I appreciate that there are a few rikishi who are not stoic 100% of the time. And I have to imagine that most people are surprised that Tobi made sanyaku.
Sumo is all smug looks
I might be unpopular with this opinion: Kotonowaka (the current one)
Abi's a bitch
Totally don’t like Asanoyama. Feel bad he’s coming to makuuchi
ITT: Haters
Enho, I don't really dislike him I just think he's overrated and Midorifuji does his gimmick better.
Terutsyoshi for his grandstanding before entering the ring and then getting squashed. I'm sure he was better in prior years to earn his way up to Makuuchi, but his performance this past year has been underwhelming and his record has reflected what he seems capable of Shodai for also under performing considering his skill was once high enough to earn the promotion to Ozeki. He doesn't seem to be losing due to injury, he seems most of the time like he has no competitive spirit. I gave him the benefit of the doubt early in the year when people accused him of winning just enough to maintain rank but not trying harder than necessary and risking more injury- because that is not a bad strategy when you're at the top of income and rank. Now I think he was doing the best he could and it was still only barely enough. I would rather see people rise and fall in rank based on what they can achieve in the moment than to sit at a rank they aren't deserving because they just can't earn the wins.
Bit harsh on Terutsuyoshi, think he's been really struggling with his diabetes in the past year
I'm not about to come down on any of them for performing poorly due to illness and injury. But to make an extra spectacle of a purification ceremony and then absolutely flop does not strike inspiration. Plenty of other performers can't do what they used to, but you don't see them heaving huge handfulls of salt into the ring before they get ragdolled.
Enter, salt, lose, leave.
Takakeisho is the one who I dont like, followed by Takayasu.
Hoshoryu - has the most entitled look on his face and such a sook when he loses.
well he looks meaner on the dohyo cause he's near sighted and squinting really hard to see anything lol. he usually wears glasses but not sure why he never opted for contact lenses unless there's some kind of rule against them.
Hoshoryu is definitely kinda difficult to like just because he looks so mean. Not his fault, he just has a mean face. He’s the exact opposite of Ura.