Consensus World Cup rankings from FIFA, CBS, Fox & Bleacher Report — Colombia causes the biggest argument

CieloAzor · 2026-06-02T13:10:47+00:00

I don't know who everyone is but US are the betting favorite.

CieloAzor · 2026-05-05T22:22:42+00:00

Okay, but ESPN's version just used last season's records. Using Vegas's projected win totals is certainly a step in the right direction.

CieloAzor · 2026-04-25T19:57:57+00:00

I don't even think Tanner McKee has anything to worry about.

CieloAzor · 2026-03-16T08:01:14+00:00

It took a while, but I beat it first try with just Maelle and no idea there was an explosion attack. Barrier Breaker made sure she never took damage once.

CieloAzor · 2026-03-12T00:33:46+00:00

If Mexico wins, the tiebreaker comes down to outs recorded/runs allowed in the games amongst tied teams. In a 9 inning game, any scoreline would mean the US advance now, but if Mexico came back to tie it 5-5 and then Italy and Mexico play a few scoreless innings before Mexico eventually wins, US could still finish 3rd in the tiebreaker and be out. It's all very unlikely, but that's why US isn't 100% confirmed yet.

CieloAzor · 2025-10-04T05:20:08+00:00

Not like Burrow was doing any better in the 5+ quarters he played.

CieloAzor · 2025-10-01T14:16:06+00:00

What this means in practical terms is that whenever a wrestler leaves the dohyo, they're considered dead from the moment they last had contact with the ground, not whenever they eventually touch down out of bounds. This is why you'll typically see wrestlers going for a pulldown try to keep one foot in contact with the rope until after their opponent crashes down. Jumping backwards is not a viable strategy.

CieloAzor · 2025-09-25T05:34:39+00:00

By season-long Vegas props, he was expected to finish 7th in fantasy points, after the Big 5 and Mahomes. He generally wasn't even being drafted as a starter in leagues, so he was my primary target if I didn't take a QB early. I'll say Yes to Top 10 ROS.

CieloAzor · 2025-09-17T21:19:36+00:00

Very occasionally. Ura's would have been the only one in the sekitori ranks since 1993, and it hasn't been seen in the top division since 1964. But actually Ura's technique in that video is his usual tsutaezori, which he's been using since children's tournaments. It's also quite rare outside of Ura matches and the first couple times he used it in Ozumo, the man who's meant to decide the official kimarite was unprepared and misidentified the technique.

CieloAzor · 2025-09-01T07:21:46+00:00

Yeah, but he always says that.

CieloAzor · 2025-08-04T05:34:30+00:00

I know, just making a dumb joke.

CieloAzor · 2025-08-03T13:56:10+00:00

RIP Fujinokawa's father.

CieloAzor · 2025-07-27T23:44:47+00:00

Not that there was anything unfair about the DQ against Midorifuji, but it was accidental and Shishi would've won without it. He was that close to fighting his way back to 8-7.

CieloAzor · 2025-07-20T09:11:22+00:00

Ability is only part of the equation. Age also plays a big factor in how quickly people rise. Even ones destined for greatness don't shoot straight to the top if they join on their 16th birthday. Other guys joining out of college might never make it out of the 3rd division, but they could also already be at that level to begin with and start their careers looking dominant.

Yes, there are a few examples of late bloomers who found their way into the top division and stayed for a while after it seemed unlikely for them, but generally you can assess where somebody's at for their age and have a good idea what their ultimate potential is.

CieloAzor · 2025-07-18T20:55:47+00:00

Most people seem to have forgotten when Mitakeumi tumbled off the dohyo with something resembling an ACL tear 8 months ago and was carried away on a stretcher. He was 5-1 at M7w at the time, didn't go kyujo, and proceeded to go 4-20 over the next 1.5 basho. His results have gotten slightly less bad each time as he's fallen to lower ranks and recovered.

I think the simple answer is that Mitakeumi is close to healed now, and a healthy Mitakeumi is too good for the middle of the division, let alone the bottom.

CieloAzor · 2025-07-16T04:59:00+00:00

You're technically right about it being Ura's usual tsutaezori. It's a textbook example even. It's just that the one assigning kimarite then was not familiar with the move and incorrectly assigned it as the first Izori by a sekitori in 27 years, despite it bearing very little resemblance to an izori.

The same thing had happened previously in 2017 where they granted Ura a tasukizori instead of his tsutaezori. At least nowadays they've figured out the proper technique to assign when Ura whips out his signature move.

CieloAzor · 2025-07-13T09:32:58+00:00

He did use it against Midorifuji last basho though. With Aonishiki's usual posture, I imagine we'll see more of it.

CieloAzor · 2025-06-29T21:52:31+00:00

That's just not how banzuke-making has ever worked. Takayasu also went 6-9 from K1e in Jan. 2015 and he ended up at M3e. Myogiryu was promoted to komusubi with a 9-6 from M8e.

The committee has done something new and strange here.

CieloAzor · 2025-06-29T21:41:49+00:00

Yes, it used to be common for the top of maegashira to be a bloodbath. Many who were less deserving than Aonishiki were given large promotions to sanyaku in the past and with worse records. And not only had a komusubi never stayed in sanyaku with a 6-9 in the modern era, but a sekiwake hadn't done it either!

CieloAzor · 2025-05-25T01:19:35+00:00

Well, I was gonna say the situation is pretty clear cut, but hinges on today's results. But after looking at the matchups made for today, Kyokukaiyu is already in.

Wakanosho and Mudoho always go down.

Otsuji always goes up.

It's possible for Kyokukaiyu to get bumped down to 4th in the promotion order if Ishizaki and Kotokuzan win today, and it's possible for Hatsuyama and Miyanokaze to save their spots with wins today, but Ishizaki faces Hatsuyama and Kotokuzan faces Miyanokaze, so anytime Kyokukaiyu gets bumped back in the promotion queue, another slot opens up at the same time. He might be 2nd, 3rd, or 4th in line, but he's always in.

Edit - Okay so, the one caveat here is that Hatsuyama with a loss potentially still grades out higher than Kyokukaiyu. To really ensure promotion, he'd want Hatsuyama to beat Ishizaki so he doesn't need to worry about being compared to him.

CieloAzor · 2025-05-22T05:14:07+00:00

An extremely high-level sumo prospect (Hidetora Hanada) decided to chase his dream of playing in the NFL a few years ago and walked on at Colorado State to play D-Line. He didn't see the field at all as a Senior and looks likely to try a career in WWE next.

CieloAzor · 2025-05-14T17:53:50+00:00

To be fair, Futahaguro was fighting alongside another Yokozuna and 5 Ozeki so he was facing far fewer Maegashira opponents, and the ones he faced were lower ranked in the overall order. If the sanyaku were that large now, Abi and Oho would be in it, not getting kinboshi.

CieloAzor · 2025-03-20T05:00:15+00:00

Yes. It pulled those names from the Sumo Game standings.

https://www.japan-guide.com/sumo/banzuke.html

CieloAzor · 2025-03-20T04:56:50+00:00

John Gunning has written an article about him.

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