Kirishima

[Blaine Erickson <erickson@hawaii.edu>]

I lost the headers when I saved this; my apologies for quoting without
giving proper references.  I think it was from Tito's regular
kaisetsu.

>Kirishima was bulled out in seconds by Kotobeppu, who's one of those
>rikishi whose chances of winning any given bout fall dramatically if
>he fails to win in the first 5 seconds.  Kirishima has lost two in a
>row after getting kachikoshi.  I don't refer to Kirishima
>specifically, or any particular rikishi, but I just looked at the
>standings, including today's results, and the win-loss record for
>those rikishi who've already achieved kachikoshi is 3 wins, 11
>losses.  Veteran sumo observers have, I believe, noted such a trend
>in the past. 

The thing that struck me about this match was Kirishima's pitiful
excuse for trying to get a left-hand uwate.  He had his hand on
Kotobeppu's mawashi *several* times, each time in position to get a
grip, but his hand just slipped off every time.  Although I can't say
for certain that this was yaochoo/chuusha/whatever you want to call it
(Kirishima's getting old, and he doesn't have the technique he used
to), it seems to me that anyone who can't get a grip with his hand in
the position Kirishima's was in is someone who could never become a
rikishi in the first place, much less an Ozeki.

Then again, maybe it was just a bad day for the old man...

Any other comments on the Kyushu home-town boy who lost every match
after his kachikoshi?

Blaine Erickson
erickson@hawaii.edu