sumo

Kisenosato pulls out of summer tourney due to lingering injuries

7 Comments

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7 Comments
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Maybe for the best. Sumo is a brutal sport and he is only going to get worst. Rest up and get ready for July.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

He was rush-promoted because the powers-that-be desperately want a Japanese wrestler at the topmost level. He isn't as good as the likes of Hakuho.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

If he was rush-promoted, then there was precedent for it. Kakuryu was also promoted after a single yusho. And he didn't win his second title until his 9th tourney as yokozuna. I'm no fan of Kise but he fought valiantly this past tournament as well as for 10 days in this one. Again, that's 6 days longer than Kakuryu, who quite after 3 losses in 4 days even though he appeared to be fine, merely terrible, as usual.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Isn't a yokozuna supposed to resign if they can't keep up to a certain standard? Seeing that there a quite a few of them, at least one of them will have to go soon. So, in a way, his promotion does seem a but rushed, but then again he's a local.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Yokuzuna will resign if their level of sumo continues to drop over the period of 3 or 4 tournaments. It is VERY typical for them to remove themselves from any tournament if they suffer 3 or 4 losses over the course of the first week or into the second week of any given 15 day tournament.

Because they are Yokozuna, they can not have even the smallest chance of finishing a tournament with a losing record, and that is EXACTLY what Kisenosato faced in the upcoming bouts with the upper ranks of wrestlers.

If he had continued, odds are very high he would have finished 7-8 or worse, and then would be forced to retire, close to disgrace, so while his stable master says one thing, the ruling body of sumo had (more than likely) a bigger hand in "telling" him to remove himself from the current tournament.

Kisenosato, age included here, is not going to last long as a Yokozuna, if you notice the body-types of recent Yokozuna, the one's who have lasted any length of time, there is a noticeable difference, and Kisenosato has the body type that is more prone to injury, particularly with his weight.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

There was an interesting article here on Japan Today about Kisenosato coming back to fight in this tournament, and the pressures that were being put on him. First, was the money he could get from the advertisers who were lining up to have their flag paraded around the ring. Next was from the Sumo association, as they wanted to prove their decision was correct to promote him. Third was from NHK who sees a marked jump in viewers whenever he wrestles.

The man has only missed one tournament in his career, and now the head of the Sumo Association is talking about how he has to toughen up! I feel bad for the guy. He should have sat out and healed completely.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

i agree both Kisenosato and kakuryu were rush-promoted. They dont make em like they used to but that's true all round.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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