Friday, August 7, 2009

Behind the Curtain - September 2009

The colors of the leaves have not started to change here in Tokyo, but the Fall Tournament or Aki Basho is here. This tourney we have 5 men stepping out from behind the curtain. There are 3 new faces making their debut to the paid ranks and 2 guys we have seen before in the silk mawashi.

Ms1w Sotairyu 6-1 from Tokitsukaze-Beya is putting on the silk mawashi for the first time this September. He entered the dohyo for the first time back in the summer tourney of 2005. After 4 years, he enters the paid ranks. Sotairyu is also the 10th college wrestler for Tokitsukaze stable.

Sotairyu was the only low-ranker who did not change his shikona in January 2008 after the Tokitsukaze-Beya scandal and remains with the shikona given to him by the former Oyakata. "After the scandal, I was so depressed I couldn't do any sumo. I thought of quitting and even consulted my parents on this". He is 115 kilos light, but "I'll move around furiously and get the fans all excited!" he promised.

Sotairyu joins 4 of his stablemates as sekitori representing Tokitsukaze stable: East Maegashira #7 Toyonoshima, West Maegashira #10 Tokitenku, East Maegashira #14 Shimotori and West Maegashira #14 Tosayutaka.

Ms2w Tokushinho 4-3, from Kise-Beya, must have breathed easier after Dejima’s retirement announcement, which sealed Tokushinho’s promotion to Juryo. He is the first guy from Asahi University to become a sekitori. It will also be his first tournament fighting in a silk mawashi.
Kise Oyakata explained, “I will have you know, young man, that new promotee Tokushinhou weighs 220 kilos.”

Tokishinho shared, "I'd like to see how I measure up today to the guys I did sumo with back in college and could never beat.”

Tokitsukaze Oyakata added, "At first, he couldn't do shiko or teppo or push-ups. He did serious training, but I felt it may take him more time to become a sekitori", said his Oyakata Kise. He is 25 years old and is 1.92 meters tall. "He looks like a tall tree to me", added the awe-yakata, who decided he will use a green mawashi. "I hope he utilizes his outside grip well and does 'big' sumo!", he summed.

It is said that last Basho Yamamotoyama met Tokishinho in the shitakuBeya and called out: "Get up (the ranks) quickly and let's rumble!!"

Ms1e Sagatsukasa 4-3 from Irumagawa-Beya did not need to win his last bout in Nagoya, against, Toyazakura, cause he only needs 4 victories to guarantee his return to the paid ranks, after a one Basho visit behind the curtain.

Ms2e Hoshikaze 4-3 from Oguruma-Beya got his promotion on day 12th in direct exchange bout with an uwatenage win against another Mongolian Hoshihikari. "I want to do strong, forward-moving, my own kind of sumo!" He joined sumo together with Kotooushuu. "Now that I'm closing in on him in the ranks, I'd really like to face him on the dohyo". He is known for having difficulties getting in sync with his opponents at the tachiai because of his over-enthusiasm. "I hope he becomes a rikishi who does a nice tachi-ai", said his Oyakata, Oguruma.

Ms4e Fukuoka 4-3, who is renaming himself to Okinoumi, again, is from Hakkaku-Beya and is our last man stepping out from the curtain, plus along with Sagatsukasa, our 2nd returned to the paid ranks.

With 5 men rising to the Sekitori tier of sumo, and with Deijma opening up one slot, 4 men must fall behind the curtain to make room. J13e Hoshihikari 5-10, J13w Kitazakura 3-12, J14e Kotokuni 1-14 and J14w Kotoyutaka 7-8 will drop to Makushita.