Re: Takanohana

[abe@kaleida.com (Masumi Abe)]

>Well, after reading some of the posts lately, and also the Japan Times,
>it looks like Taka won't get to be Yokozuna this week, which is to be
>expected.  He was touted in the media as having to start all over in
>his quest (this was prior to the Natsu Basho).  So even if he went all
>the way to zen-sho yusho, he would still have to kick booty in July in
>Nagoya.

Sumo Kyokai (and probably Japanese Sport media) has only a short memory.
They could only remember the record of two previous basho. For them,
Takanohana has 11-4 and 14-1 records. This is called "Futabayama (or Kitao)
Shock". In a sense, being conservative in creating a yokozuna is plausible
move. To keep yokozuna as a "devine" position, they could not afford to put
11-4 rikishi into yokozuna. But I still think, for their business, put a
heavy rope around Takanohana now and keep Akebono in the hospital to heal
his knee completely is the best decision Kyokai could have made.

>Clyde Newton wrote in the Japan Times that Taka should need
>13 wins in Nagoya to make it.  Really, I still think 12 will do the
>job.  What the hell, he's already done better at Ozeki than a lot of
>rikishi did as Yokozuna.
>
The consensus best all-history rikishi Raiden "Thunder-Lightning" Tameemon
from Edo Era never been promoted to Yokozuna. His winning percentage was
somewhere above .950. He was too strong and was restricted from using
tsuppari or harite. In those days, yukozuna was basically for ceremonial
and promotional (to attract curiou-seekers to come and "see" the living
giants). Ozeki was the highest rank for active rikishi.

>The J.T. report said Akebono is being treated at a Nagoya hospital, 
>and should be out be the middle of June.  His knee condition isn't
>really so serious, according to Clyde.  The big guy definitely has
>to watch the weight and get down to around 205-210 kg, IMO.

Without fixing the problematic knee, Akebono to try to come back in Nagoya
is the way Kyokai try to eliminate any doubt about promoting Takanohana to
yokozuna after the next basho. Takanohana has a chance to win Nagoya-basho
with actually beating Yokozuna Akebono (with a weak knee). If this case
happens at Nagoya, no one in the world will write that the promotion is
only based on Kyokai's business-oriented mind.

I really think there is a good chance for Takanohana to will them all in
Nagoya. Who could challenge him? If Akebono is healthy, he could win
convincingly, but who else? I think 13-2 requirement is easy for Takanohana
in Nagoya.

-Masumi
>
>Mata nee....
> 
>David
>riley@hachi.hi-tech.ac.jp

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Masumi Abe                                      Tel: (415) 966-0824
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