We are now live on Fantasizr for the Nagoya basho. The actual sumo begins on July 14th, so you have until 9 PM Pacific Time on the 13th to pick your lineup for Day One. May you have an enjoyable thirteen days, free of fretting about the health of your team.
The Banzuke is presented below in Fantasy Basho format, with the associated budget. Remember, you will have 50 points to pick four wrestlers. It is up to you if you want to pick and ride it out for all fifteen days or choose a new quartet each day of the basho. Alongside the Banzuke are some initial notes.
Kotozakura is the top Ozeki! Takakeisho is Kadoban and needs a winning record to stay at Ozeki! Onosato makes his Sekiwake debut! Kirishima is Ozekiwake, and needs 10 wins to return to Ozeki! Hiradoumi makes his Sanyaku debut! Despite all of those exciting individual moments at the top of the Banzuke, the joi-jin is somewhat familiar. Ura is the 17th ranked rikishi at Maegashira #4 West, so he and everyone above him will face each other, in theory. This gets complicated due to stablemates being unable to face each other and the inevitable injuries to the top of the Banzuke. (See the recent records of Terunofuji, Takakeisho, and Kirishima.) Add in Onosho and this is mostly familiar matchups, except for Mitakeumi's recent sojourn into mid-Maegashira.
This leaves Shonannoumi as the newbie storming into the upper Banzuke. Except that he isn't that new and is only at Maegashira #5 West. His success at that spot is probably dependent on just how many Sanyaku members he will face in Nagoya.
What does it mean that Asanoyama is at Maegashira #12? Is he healthy? Those two questions are connected, and mostly unanswerable until Day One. If he is 100%, he should torch everyone around him. Yet he had a knee injury and is back after just one basho out. The state of his lower body will probably be a question all fifteend ays. (presumably, wait until the Day One Torikumi to be certain. He could miss the start of the basho again. Really, who knows?)
The Juryo promotees are an odd lot. The quintet is Wakatakakage, Endo, Chiyoshoma, Kagayaki, and Bushozan. All five have been in the top division before, although their time away is a little different. Chiyoshoma looked like a veteran who would never come back to Makuuchi. Endo needed a 12-3 one-shot to rebound back from a Juryo demotion. Kagayaki and Bushozan seem to be in the current yo-yo drop. But it's Wakatakakage that is exciting. He is back from an injury that sent him from Sekiwake to Makushita. And if you're wondering how he's doing, he went 14-1 for a Juryo Yusho in May. He may be positioned to dominate lower Maegashira through the first week.
Two weeks to live action. Check back here for a few more pieces, including the Rikishi Preview, Power Rankings, and more.
Comentários