What Will Become of the Dynasty?
Brian Lewin
The Hanada Dynasty – past or present?
Rikishi of Old
Joe Kuroda
A look at a rikishi of yesteryear with Tenryu our man for August.
Heya Peek
John Gunning
John attends a chanko session at Chiganoura Beya.
Photo Bonanza
For a glimpse at some of the sights you won't see on TV.
July Basho Review
Lon Howard & John Gunning
Lon gives us his Nagoya Basho summary and his take on upset of the tournament while John chips in with his ‘gem’ of the basho.
Lower Division Rikishi
Mikko Mattila takes a break and Eric Blair covers the lower divisions in his own ‘unique’ way.
Aki Basho Forecast
Pierre Wohlleben & Mark Buckton
Pierre predicts the Aki Basho banzuke while Mark previews the ones to watch next time out.
Sumo 101
Barbara Ann Klein
Gyoji goings on and several things you never knew about the ones officiating.
Kimarite Focus
Mikko Mattila
Mikko walks us through his 2 chosen kimarite.
Minusha
John McTague
John's unique view of news from outside the dohyo.
Boletín de Sumo en Español
Eduardo de Paz Gútiez
An article on sumo’s very first fan mag – Boletin de Sumo en Espanol
Online Gaming
Jezz Sterling
Hear from the founder of Bench Sumo of one of sumo's most popular games.
Kokugi Connections
Todd Lambert
Todd’s focus on 3 of the most interesting online sumo sites today.
Fan Debate
Henka – good, bad or ugly? See what our debaters think.
Let’s Hear From You
What was it that made you a sumo fan – the Petros Zachos story.
Ngozi on the Road
Ngozi T. Robinson
NTR visits an amasumo event in the north-east U.S. and tells us what it was like.
Sumo Quiz
The Quizmaster
Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho's banzuke.
Lower Division Rikishi
Eric Blair
But, and this is one guy we can take nothing away from – Baruto – the Estonian Viking, is set for sekitorihood in September and those standing in his way look like they will simply be put to the sword. Pun intended!
After whizzing up the banzuke over the past year and a half or so, he has now made it to the lower juryo ranks and will hopefully stay put as a paid pro. Many see him shooting up to makuuchi very soon and perhaps he will. Yet, while all the fans and even the NSK debate what to do with his non-conforming hair colour, as the famed kesho mawashi shop in the Senju area of Tokyo prepare his Viking design kesho, undoubtedly a first in sumo, the question remains – when will he hit the wall? When, indeed? Sooner than Hakuho did? Same time as Ama? Never? The questions are endless, but good luck to the young man and may he plunder and pillage on through the ranks all the way to the top.
That said, what, honestly speaking, was going on in the 4
Next Home
For one issue only, with our main lower division rikishi man, Mikko Mattila temporarily out of action, Eric Blair, in his own unique way, will be filling the big man’s mawashi and offering his unique coverage of the lower divisions and their goings on in Nagoya. Who did what? Who got hurt? Who is just that little bit special at the moment and, of course, who is destined for greater glory? Here goes.
Hello folks – Eric Blair here – standing in for Mikko as our Finnish friend spends some time in the land of the rising sun as part of his real life.
Well, well, well, how to wrap up all the intrigue of the lower divisions, to cover the ins and outs of who performed with distinction against his fellow rikishi? How to mention the one you all watched and generate the desire in yourselves to read further? Hmmmmmm? (imagine me scratching my chin here) Hmmmmm some more.
Baruto.
The end!
I mean, come on, what else is there to mention this time out? Yes, Sawai was one that many kept an eye on and his sumo looked even more impressive than in May. Yes, he looks a guaranteed sekitori come this time next year – if not sooner.
Photograph by Barbara Ann Klein
Shibuya of Tamanoi, fave of our Ed-in-Chief, secured a good kachi-koshi to climb the makushita ladder just a tad more. A good few foreign rikishi making their way up the ranks didn’t look bad – some of the Mongolians in particular. Hungarian Masutoo of Chiganoura-beya (covered by John Gunning in his Heya Peek piece) looked a bit weary and ended up with a make-koshi, going kyujo after his fifth bout; perhaps foretold in the fact that
