09/13/2024
Takerufuji. The guy is incredible in this tournament so far, right? He shows impressively that his victory in March was no fluke. Can he do anything other than win? 🙂💪💮
If he continues like this and manages to stay uninjured (!!!), he will soon be fighting in Makuuchi again. I really hope so! It‘s such a pleasure to see him.
And what do you think of his almost black kesho-mawashi that he wears at Juryo Dohyo-Iri? That looks really classy. I like that!
Fun fact: His Excellency Yokozuna Terunofuji himself ensures that Takerufji stays down to earth and doesn't overestimate himself despite his success. The two are not only stable mates and training partners, but also good friends and from what I heard, Terunofuji scolds him kindly when he notices that his young friend is becoming too confident of victory.
Nikkansports published a nice article about Takerufuji, that I would like to share with you. It appeared already yesterday (September 11th), but I only discovered it today. And that statement is still true, now even more, after he won again today. You just have to add 1 to his winning streak. Tomokaze was already yesterday, today (September 12th) it was Hakuyozan who was fed to him and had no chance.
I just hope this post doesn't jinx Takerufuji. A few days ago I "spoke" very highly of Onokatsu and since then the boy has a losing streak (but he's still another one of my favorites).
But now put an end to the superstition.
Here is the article mentioned!
[Presented by Nikkansports; September 11, 2024, 20:19 Japanese time. Original Text and Photo © Nikkansports. I will quote the article (but translated to English) and paste the link into first comment.]
[Article]
Since winning the Spring Tournament for the first time in 110 years as a new makuuchi wrestler, Takerufuji (25, Isegahama stable), ranked 11th in the west juryo division, has won four straight matches. He defeated Tomokaze, who has a track record of two gold stars. He maintained his undefeated streak in the juryo division, which now stands at three. Excluding losses due to withdrawals during the tournament, Takerufuji has only lost ten times since his debut in the Autumn Tournament in 2022. His lifetime win rate of 88.2%, which is higher than that of many famous yokozuna, is likely to continue to rise.
It was not the usual start with sharp thrusts. However, this, on the contrary, highlighted Takerufuji’s growth and strength. He watched Tomokaze's thrusts carefully, blocked them from below, and timed it perfectly. His opponent, leaning forward, was knocked flat on his face. He did not step back and pull back, but blocked them to the side to regain his balance, but it was an extraordinary display of sumo, blowing his opponent away with the power of his muscular body.
"I was cautious at the start of the match. I had the image of him swatting, so I tried to stay calm and attack without getting too aggressive. He's a strong thrusting and pushing opponent." Even though he was facing a new opponent with a proven track record, he couldn't afford to let anything slip away. He now has a wide range of options, being able to choose a slightly more cautious start while still maintaining his natural speed.
This brings his winning percentage, excluding forfeits, since his debut to an astonishing 88.2%. His winning percentage is outstanding even when compared to the six former yokozuna who have won at least 20 times and are often referred to as "great yokozuna." The winning percentages of the "great yokozuna," in order, are Taiho at 83.44%, Hakuho at 83.36%, Asashoryu at 79.8%, Takanohana at 75.7%, Kitanoumi at 73.5%, and Chiyonofuji at 70.9%. Even Onosato, who is from the same generation and also rose to fame at a rapid pace, had a winning percentage of 75%, so this shows how outstanding he (Takerufuji) is.
He has such momentum that it is hard to imagine him suffering his 11th defeat on the dohyo, even if he returns to the lower ranks of the makuuchi division next time around, let alone during this tournament. With 15 consecutive wins from the fifth day, he has a good chance of reaching a 90% winning percentage.
Even with his fourth consecutive win, he said, "I'll just keep on doing my best with a youthful attitude." "Am I revving up my engine from here? No, I don't have an engine (laughs)." He is beginning to possess such explosive strength that the analogy of an engine doesn't really do it justice.
[original article in Nikkansports written by Takada Bunta]