Re: Takatoriki & Aki-basho banzuke prediction

[abe@kaleida.com (Masumi Abe)]

There are several sumo tornaments sponsored by TV stations and/or newspaper
companies between some hon-basho. Taka and Waka have been in matches
against each other very often in the tornament for the prizes. There are no
yaochou concerns or argument of psychological difficulty by any rikishi
about sumo against rikishi from the same heya in this type of tornaments.

Successful oyakata should not be panished for raising more successful
sekitori. That is their mission and they have been and should be awarded by
their success. When a heya have more sekitori in the higher ranks, the
owner of heya (or stable) will be richer and earn higher rank in the Sumo
Kyokai, such as Kanji and Riji and ultimately and possibly Rijicho.

Without ruin their success, we could solve the problem for good. That is to
allow the sumo match up between rikishi from a same heya.

If people have problems of trusting their sincerelity, Sumo Kyokai could
limit the matches between rikishi from the same heya to for the first 10
days. Traditionally, the exciting matches are planned toward the end of
basho, say, last 5 days. If the matches between rikishi from the same heya
are set during the first 10 days, sumo fans could expect 15 days of
exciting sumo matches.

I can't imagine a situation that a rikishi commit a yaochou on 10th day of
basho or earlier. If a rikishi is 9-0 and the opponent is 8-1 both are very
much in the yusho race on 10th day. Even if the opponent is 7-2, he is
still very much in the race. Besides, he has not earned "kachikoshi", yet. 

I still think ultimate solution is to allow rikishi from a same heya to
match in hon-basho. Torikumi Hensei Kaigi could arrange
Takanohana-Wakanohana match on shonichi (the first day). That would be an
exciting way to start a basho. All four ozeki, including three ozeki from
futagoyama-beya have legitimate chance to be a yokozuna. For yokozuna
promotion, each match is very important, since one win or loss will make
huge difference. Also, sumo fans will see their matches as potential
yaochou matches. They don't want to be criticized as a yaochou rikishi.

I really think it is easier than people might think.

-Masumi

At 10:24 AM 8/16/94 -0700, Yugo Yodogawa wrote:
>> > I think if the sumo-kyokai really is concerned about the problem, couldn't
>> > they force large heya (not just Futagoyama, of course) to break up whether
>>or
>> > not the Oyakata approve of it, explaining that such a move is in the best
>> > interests of sumo?  Furthermore, if there really is such a strong
>>anti-Hanada
>> > feeling among certain Futagoyama rikishi, a breakup would be good for not
>> only
>> > the fans and rikishi of other heya, but for Futagoyama-beya itself.
>> >-- End of excerpt from Yugo Yodogawa
>> 
>> Breaking up large and powerful heya is only attacking the symptom of the
>> problem, not the basic problem. The basic problem is this: As a heya, any
>> heya, becomes stronger, it becomes easier for that heya to dominate the
>> upper ranks because of the lack of inter-heya matches. Its like a law
>> of physics. If Futagoyama is broken up, it is only a matter of time until
>> another heya would dominate.
>> 
>> jsp
>
>What about putting some sort of limit on the number of rikishi, let's say for
>example only 2 or 3 wrestlers allowed in the juryo/makuuchi ranks.
>-yugo
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Masumi Abe                               阿部　加史（あべ　ますみ）
Kaleida Labs, Inc.                              Tel: (415) 966-0824
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