Rikishi Talk Day 12 Kyushu Basho 2003

Rikishi Talk Day 12 Kyushu Basho
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Kaio (vs Kyokushuzan)
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(Escaping from his fifth Kadoban purgatory) 
"I must admit this has been the hardest ever. Normally
I would have gone on kyujo for sure. I talked to the
shisho prior to the basho, that I had 
to do whatever I could and if it didn't work out, well
at least I gave it my best shot. Every time I was
asked about retirement, I started thinking a lot of
things. Actually I almost gave up earlier but I just
did not want to leave here that way. But now I feel
much better. "

Tomozuna oyakata
----------------
"I've been telling him there was no need to put out
200 or 300 kg power every time. The reason he gets
hurt all the time is because he tries to go out with
everything every time. I appreciate that is his good
side but it's about the time he becomes a little
wiser."

Kokonoe oyakata, Chief Dohyo Judge
----------------------------------
"This isn't the time to talk about kachikoshi or
whatever.  Now we got a vacancy spot in Yokozuna. He
needds to seize the moment." 

Takamisakari (vs Tochiazuma)
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(Now getting a makekoshi)
"Well what can I say? I am just a weakling to begin
with, there is nothing I could have done."  

Tochiazuma (vs Takamisakari)
----------------------------
(Getting a win after a mono-ii discussion on whether
or not his toe touched outside the dohyo ring. 
Avoiding consecutive loss and clean shaven to toot.)
"So you think I am better looking now? Anyway I
believe my foot was floating above but I wasn't really
sure. I never expected to have the mono-ii. It 
was a relief getting the win."
"All I am trying to do is to go one step forward and
then another. One day at a time. Now we have three
more days. I just want to get good sumo in even if I
lose." 

Asashoryu (vs Musoyama)
----------------------
(Pushed around by Musoyama)
"Well since I had his mawashi, I wasn't concerned. As
well I am moving well..." 
-Any risk of getting over-confident?
"None."
-About groin injury?
"I feel no pain to speak of."

Musoyama (vs Asashoryu)
-----------------------
"I've done all I could do today. Even then he could
hang on and on so it means he is really stronger than
me."

Chiyotaikai (vs Tosanoumi)
--------------------------
"I pulled him in and got pushed. But I can turn in a
decent sumo this basho. As bad as I am physically I
still have nine wins. All I need to do now is to take
each bout with care the next three days." 

Tosanoumi (vs Chiyotaikai)
---------------------------
"I went for tsuki-otoshi but that just brought him
into me."

Miyabiyama (vs Wakanosato)
--------------------------
"When I slapped him, I felt him buckle down. I figured
I just might as well do one more. Hey, as rotten as I
am now, I was once an Ozeki, remember." 

Wakanosato (vs Miyabiyama)
--------------
(Now his seventh loss, his Ozeki hunting back to
zero.)
-Couldn't move?
"Perhaps...."

Takekaze (vs Asasekiryu)
-------------------------
(Winning by penalty)
"Even if he didn't pull the mage, I would have lost
it. This win is really huge. I was really lucky."

Asasekiryu (vs Takekaze)
------------------------
(Penalized after pulling Takekaze's mage)
"My finger got into his mage. I thought I was OK as I
let it go. But then I guess I pulled it so it's all my
fault."
(His junior heya mate Sandanme Asahanada today won his
bout by the same penalty as his mage was also pulled
down by his opponent).  

A Dohyo Judge
-------------
"I think the reason we are seeing more of this
mage-pulling is there are too many slap downs (hataki)
going on. And another thing, we saw both Kokkai and
Takekaze gesturing to us how their hair was pulled.
It's really a shameless behavior. After all there are
five of us judges observing the bouts. We intend to
send an advisory to their respective oyakata through
the Chief Judge."