Re: Yaocho comment

[Stephen Messer <smesser@hiddenmind.com>]

"William C. Blank" wrote:
> 
> >Knowing Yaocho exists in some form or other, how will this affect your
> >interest in Sumo?
> 
> Does anybody think this actually affects the WINNER of a tournament?  I
> frankly could care less if some maegashira 8 gives a maegashira 6 his
> eighth win on Day 15.
> 
>         -Tetsuonoumi, the proud and emotional sekiwake


I think it affected the winner of the tournament at least once - when
Wakanohana defeated Takanohana in their playoff meeting back in '95.
It certainly looked to many people like Taka threw that match.  He was
at the height of his dominance at the time, yet barely resisted Waka's
charge before crumpling to the dohyo.  One explanation I heard was that
Taka had thrown the match on daddy's orders, in order to give Waka a
yusho.  This match has also been seen as the starting point of the
soured relations between Taka and his father and brother.

Makes sense to me.  I remember watching that match in disbelief, as the
much-hyped 'first playoff between brothers' was anti-climactic, to say
the least.

sjm