Edit: it really seems like, if there's an opportunity to apply the shini-tai rule, they'll only apply it in a way that benefits the great Japanese Yokozuna.
Yeah, you know... if you pause it, it does kinda look like the back of Ura's foot was touching the ground at around the same time as Onosato was falling... I think the rematch mighta been the right call.
I was stealth watching at work and I even I could see that while only having an image on my phone. It's crazy how much he seems to get favourable judge calls whenever it needs to be made. It's annoying because he doesn't need it. He's clearly a true Yokozuna.
Edit: saw a rematch just now and you could even make the argument that Onosato was pulling Ura's hair at one point during the first match. Crazy reffing there.
Hmm.... very interesting... it doesn't look good....
If I had to guess, from the frames before and after, Onosato was just pushing Ura by the back/top of the head, rather than grasping the hair itself. Maybe I'm just projecting, but Onosato doesn't seem like the kind of guy who'd pull hair.
However, I'm a bit spicy bc last year my fave Shishi was given a loss for pulling hair and I'm pretty sure it was not intentional.
See the HD stream on NHK. He grabs the head for a slap down, fails, goes for it again and clearly grabs the hair on the back (not top, if that matters) of Ura's head.
Beautiful kinboshi by Yoshinofuji as well. Crazy that this is his first win as well for this basho. Seeing the replay does make it seem that Hoshoryu is feeling his knee injury. In slow mo you can see his knee "twang" in a way that isn't going to feel good if it's already injured. Than the slide down on that leg too makes me think I wouldn't be surprised if he pulls out if he gets another loss.
Crazy that this is his first win as well for this basho.
Yeah, that's the "joy" of being M1, Yoshinofuji starts the tourney with the two Ozekis and now he's doing the two Yokozunas! It's very impressive that he's even got that one victory; this time last year he was down in Makushita, I'm totally cheering for him.
Aonishiki - Ichiyamamoto was a perfect example of what Ao is going for with that head-under-chin position. Grabs the belt and pushes his head up so he's more vertical and easy to push out.
::: spoiler spoiler Ura was robbed! :::
He totally was. His opponent knew it too, he looked all disappointed.
I guess they needed a rematch because he didn't fly out of the dohyo doing a somersault.
every time Onosato loses, it's a rematch 🤷
Seems that way.
Edit: it really seems like, if there's an opportunity to apply the shini-tai rule, they'll only apply it in a way that benefits the great Japanese Yokozuna.
The NHK commentary mentioned that his heel touches the dirt at around the same time.
Yeah, you know... if you pause it, it does kinda look like the back of Ura's foot was touching the ground at around the same time as Onosato was falling... I think the rematch mighta been the right call.
Despite the hair pulling?
Edit: and surely Onosato was shini-tai before Ura was.
See my other reply / pic here, I don't think Onosato was hair pulling, tho it's hard to tell from the video streams we have.
I was stealth watching at work and I even I could see that while only having an image on my phone. It's crazy how much he seems to get favourable judge calls whenever it needs to be made. It's annoying because he doesn't need it. He's clearly a true Yokozuna.
Edit: saw a rematch just now and you could even make the argument that Onosato was pulling Ura's hair at one point during the first match. Crazy reffing there.
Hmm.... very interesting... it doesn't look good....
If I had to guess, from the frames before and after, Onosato was just pushing Ura by the back/top of the head, rather than grasping the hair itself. Maybe I'm just projecting, but Onosato doesn't seem like the kind of guy who'd pull hair.
However, I'm a bit spicy bc last year my fave Shishi was given a loss for pulling hair and I'm pretty sure it was not intentional.
See the HD stream on NHK. He grabs the head for a slap down, fails, goes for it again and clearly grabs the hair on the back (not top, if that matters) of Ura's head.
Beautiful kinboshi by Yoshinofuji as well. Crazy that this is his first win as well for this basho. Seeing the replay does make it seem that Hoshoryu is feeling his knee injury. In slow mo you can see his knee "twang" in a way that isn't going to feel good if it's already injured. Than the slide down on that leg too makes me think I wouldn't be surprised if he pulls out if he gets another loss.
Yeah, that's the "joy" of being M1, Yoshinofuji starts the tourney with the two Ozekis and now he's doing the two Yokozunas! It's very impressive that he's even got that one victory; this time last year he was down in Makushita, I'm totally cheering for him.
That Kirishima Hakunofuji rematch i still couldn't tell who won until they announced it.
Aonishiki - Ichiyamamoto was a perfect example of what Ao is going for with that head-under-chin position. Grabs the belt and pushes his head up so he's more vertical and easy to push out.