Sumo: A turning point?

Well, that was incredible. The man who was only recently so strong was completely outclassed and even outmuscled by a smaller opponent today.

やっぱり今日信じられない事あったね. 最近までめちゃ強い力士は小さい力士簡単に負けた. 把瑠都は鶴竜から超圧倒されましたね. 今日の完璧な相撲をみると鶴竜は優勝すると想像しやすい.

I am writing of course about giant Estonian Baruto who spent the five minutes after his bout looking sullen-faced at the floor. Today's defeat hurt him both physically and mentally. Kakuryu beat him worse today than ever before: so easily, do quickly, so brutally. And on that showing the little Mongolian muscleman must be favorite for the May championship, much as I dislike to say it.

横綱はボーッとしているみたい. 自分の相撲が通れなくて集中も出来ない気がする. 今日関脇豪栄道に負けて3敗になりました. 横綱になってから白鵬は休場一回もした事がないんです. あす初めてかなぁ?

Hakuho is in no man's land right now. There is no focus to his sumo at all. Perhaps it was the shell shock of losing to Toyohibiki for the first time yesterday? Or maybe it is a case of the powers that be having told him that they desperately want an ozeki to win the yusho this time, nudge, nudge, wink, wink? Either way, his defeat today gives him 3 losses already and thus no chance of the championship. He may actually drop out!

琴奨菊は今日活発な豊響を投げて左の膝をちょっとダメにしたみたい. 琴奨菊は四年前ケガの影響で数日休んでそして土俵上に戻って変化で勝ち越しました. 今回7勝1敗だからケガで辞めるのは本当に残念な事になっちゃう.
Kotoshogiku did well to throw down buoyant Toyohibiki today but injured himself in the process and may have to pull out if his left knee doesn't recover. Four years ago he famously continued despite injuring his knee and got kachi-koshi with two henka! Kisenosato also looked strong today, moving to 7-1, but the man who beat him and two other ozeki this week - Myogiryu - lost against lower-ranked opposition. The Japanese media lined up on droves to take his picture - just as they do with anyone who suddenly looks like becoming famous. Myogiryu won't, just yet.

大関に強い妙義龍は今日負けました. 彼はまだまだですね. 今のところは高望みしなくていい. とりあえず大関対戦の一番強い力士は優勝する.


The yusho race this now depends on how the Ozeki fare against each other. Hakuho is absent from this picture, in both body and mind.