Re: [sumo] Wakanosato- was "Kabu bought. . ."

[GenjiBunch@aol.com]

Josh Reyer wrote:

>Excellent!  I look forward to rooting for the guys from Nishiiwa-beya
>ten years from now.

I take it from this that you are a fan of Wakanosato.   He seems to have 
quite a few fans, and I have to say that it puzzles me.   Originally, when he came 
up the ranks into Makuuchi, I was very impressed with his power and had high 
hopes that he would become a strong Ozeki or even Yokozuna. Then, I believe he 
broke his leg or had some other serious injury and fell down to Juryo or even 
Makushita for a while.   He came back eventually and has certainly regained 
his strength, but in my opinion, he hasn't grown technically at all.   

He approaches each opponent exactly the same way.   He hits them at full 
force (and often with his center of gravity much too high) and then goes for a 
belt hold.   If he gets the hold he wants or his opponent is smaller, weaker or 
less mobile, he can win with a spectacular uwatenage.   But if his opponent is 
a strong pusher-thruster and manages to keep him off the belt or is more 
agile, Wakanosato's poor tachiai, and short list of techniques does him in.   

This "going-my-way at any cost" attitude would be   appropriate if he were an 
Ozeki or a Yokozuna who was so good at his one trick that it only failed him 
a few times a basho.   However, he is a perennial komusubi-sekiwake who gets 
the occasional upset but always loses too many to lower-ranked rikishi whom he 
should beat.   I got so frustrated with his innability to learn from his 
mistakes, his refusal to adjust his style to account for the strengths and 
weaknesses of his opponent, and his frequent lapses of concentration that I eventually 
stopped rooting for him.   

Now, I just enjoy those occasional upsets and don't really pay much attention 
to him otherwise because I think he has very little chance of promotion 
unless he completely changes his mental approach to sumo.   Am I completely wrong?  
 I would like to hear what all those Wakanosato supporters have to say.   
What is it that you see in him?   Do you think he will rise to Ozeki or Yokozuna 
someday?

    - Genji Bunch


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