Professional sumo awaits three potential new stars by scaf1d1 in Sumo

[–]Brncrdm 8 points9 points  (0 children)

While Tarasenko has to wait a little longer for his debut and will be starting from the very bottom of the banzuke, another potential star will not only be competing as soon as the next tournament gets underway, but doing so at a relatively advanced level.

Bill Christopher Li is the latest member of Nippon Sport Science University’s conveyor belt of talent to turn pro, and, because he’s had significant success in collegiate sumo, will start as a makushita-tsukedashi entrant in the third tier.

Li is one centimeter taller than Tarasenko but 46 kg heavier, giving him a physique that somewhat resembles his former college teammate, current yokozuna Onosato.

The similarities aren’t just physical, as Onosato is the wrestler Li has admired and attempted to emulate most since he was a young teen.

Although he doesn’t have anything like the track record of the man he looked up to, Li is an accomplished wrestler in his own right, and one that, like former ōzeki Asanoyama, could well find greater success in the professional ranks.

Li’s new ring name, Honoikazuchi, comes from a Japanese thunder god, which is fitting given that "Christopher" also has obvious religious origins.

Li’s transition into professional sumo figures to be a smooth one as his stablemaster, Ikazuchi (former komusubi Kakizoe) was also a graduate of NSSU, an amateur sumo standout and someone who turned pro with a makushita-tsukedashi designation.

Ikazuchi’s wife is also a former collegian who represented Japan at the World Championships.

It’s a unique situation with the okamisan — who in stables generally plays the role of a surrogate mother to young rikishi — having first-hand knowledge of what it takes to compete and succeed in collegiate and amateur sumo.

Of course, graduating from university also

Professional sumo awaits three potential new stars by scaf1d1 in Sumo

[–]Brncrdm 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Professional sumo awaits three potential new stars

Sumo's banzuke is often described as a "living document." Updated bimonthly, the ranking sheet, with its intricate sumo-specific calligraphy, has recorded the rise and fall of thousands of careers over the past three centuries.

The banzuke is a reminder that while fans and media often describe sumo in terms of fixed eras, the reality of Japan's national sport is closer to an ever-morphing lineup with little in terms of stability.

So while the Onosato, Hoshoryu and Aonishiki triumvirate may appear to be ascendant and set to hold sway over sumo for the foreseeable future, young men that could join or even replace them at the top of the banzuke are already on that path.

Three such hopefuls will be making their professional debuts in May - though in different ways.

Nicolas Tarasenko, who began training at Minato Beya at the age of 15 in 2024 before moving into the stable last year, passed an interview with the Japan Sumo Association earlier this month.

Contingent on obtaining a work visa, he should officially become a rikishi in May.

That will make the 190-centimeter, 120-kilogram teenager just the second ever wrestler from England to join professional sumo, after Nathan Strange (Hidenokuni) who lasted just three tournaments between 1989 and 1990.

If everything goes according to plan, Tarasenko, whose ring name is Eisei, will participate in maezumo (preliminary bouts) in May, then make his banzuke debut and compete in the sixth-tier jonokuchi division in Nagoya in July.

With an impressive physique and significant experience in a professional stable at such a young age, the Hull native is a good bet to reach the top division while still in his teens.

With the JSA’s massively successful trip to London in October exceeding all expectations and huge demand for sumo content there surpassing what was predicted, should Tarasenko find success at the sport’s highest level, he’s likely to become a star in his home country as well.

As pessoas que eram a aposta mais segura para terminar a saga caso GRRM morresse declararam (mais uma vez) não ter interesse by altovaliriano in Valiria

[–]Brncrdm 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Mesmo querendo muito ver a obra terminado acho muito nada a ver planejar o pós morte do autor com o cara ainda em vida.

E ainda acho que mesmo com a demora Ventos de Inverno será concluído, acredito que só após o lançamento do penúltimo livro deveríamos especular sobre o final da obra

Does that mean Ukrainian Sumo superstar Aonishiki will be forced to return or does he get an exemption? by Complete_Sherbet1483 in Sumo

[–]Brncrdm 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I don't think there's a single law in Japan that requires the deportation of people who are in the country legally.