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March 26, 2006
Looks like 2005 again
Wacky end to the Sumo tournament, but a familiar result: Asashoryu wins his 16th championship.
Kaio came up big and beat Hakuho to get to 8-7 and keep his Sumo career alive. Hakuho dropped to 13-2.
All Asashoryu needed to do was beat Tochiazuma to win the tournament, but amazingly, Tochiazuma managed to beat Asashoryu. Tochiazuma keeps his Yokozuna promotion hopes alive for next tournament (13 wins next tournament will earn him promotion).
And Asashoryu had to face Hakuho in the first all-Mongolian playoff in Sumo history. Asashoryu got his revenge from the loss Hakuho handed him earlier in the tournament and denied Hakuho his first championship. Now, Asashoryu has won 8 of the last 9 tournaments.
This was the tournament of the Mongolians, as Asashoryu won, Hakuho won the Outstanding Performance prize and a Technique prize, Kyokushuzan (11-4) won a Fighting Spirit prize, and Ama (8-7 and heading for promotion to the top ranks) also won a Technique prize.
Or maybe the tournament of the foreigners, as Baruto (the Ivan Drago of Sumo) from Estonia went undefeated, 15-0, in Juryo. He's the first Juryo wrestler to go 15-0 since 1963.
Final Standings:
13-2 Asashoryu, Hakuho
12-3 Tochiazuma
11-4 Wakanosato, Kyokushuzan
10-5 Kisenosato (young Japanese wrestler will be moving up the ranks to take on all the Mongolians)
9-6 Chiyotaikai, Koto'oshu (battling some ankle injury, lost his last 3)
8-7 Kaio
7-8 Takamisakari (another demotion -- Takamisakari getting dangerously close to droppping down to Juryo level)
Next tournament is in Tokyo in May. It will be Asashoryu vs. 5 Ozeki's (including Hakuho after his promotion). And Baruto will be at the bottom of the big leagues, representing for Estonia.
Posted by JoshHornik at March 26, 2006 07:39 AM