Podcasts – Tachiai (立合い)

Josh, Andy and Bruce are back to discuss the Nagoya banzuke, and dig into the story lines of the July tournament. Can Hakuho return to dominance? Can Terunofuji take his second yusho and punch his ticket to become a Yokozuna? Can Endo spoil it all? It’s another 20 minutes of nonstop sumo fandom, plus our … Continue reading Nagoya Basho Podcast – Banzuke Discussion And Predictions

Andy, Josh and Bruce take to the podcast once again to discuss the upcoming Nagoya basho, the first time sumo will be seen outside of Tokyo since March 2020. Topics we discuss include keeping Dolphins Arena safe and the return of tournaments outside of Tokyo, the start of the “Golden Age” of sumo stables with … Continue reading Nagoya Basho Podcast – Sumo News And Topics

Andy, Josh and Bruce return to review the May banzuke, and pick out their favorites for a bit of examination. We cover Wakatakakage, Tobizaru, the “redemption” wave from Terunofuji, Ura and Murata, and we discuss if Chiyonokuni will actually start this tournament following his kyujo in March. We round out the show with our always … Continue reading Tachiai Natsu Podcast – Banzuke And Predictions

Josh, Andy and Bruce cover sumo topics and news around the Natsu basho, now just days away. We discuss the 4 Ozeki banzuke, and wonder if it’s an omen of approach doom, the hard-chargers in the top Maegashira ranks, the battle Royale at the top of Makushita, Hakuho’s snub with the ichidai-toshiyori, and the terrible … Continue reading Tachiai Natsu Podcast – News And Events

Andy, Josh and Bruce discuss the day 13 Sandanme match that may have left Hibikiryu paralyzed. Sumo is a combat sport, and inherently dangerous, but could the Sumo Association take safety and injury response more seriously? We look at how the Oyakata and Yobidashi reacted to the injury, and what could have been done better. … Continue reading Tachiai News Update – Hibikiryu’s Gristly Injury (Audio)

Andy, Josh and Bruce discuss Yokozuna Hakuho’s latest knee surgery, and look into how he has forever changed sumo. What does the future hold for him? Will he be able to return ready to fight in July? Can he keep his body together long enough to be a part of the delayed Tokyo Olympic Games? … Continue reading Tachiai News Update – Yokozuna Hakuho’s Knee Surgery

Josh, Andy and Bruce discuss the retirement of Yokozuna Kakuryu in March, and what it means for his future as an Oyakata and the Izutsu kabu. In fact, we spend a fair amount of time speculating what is to become of Kakuryu’s former stablemaster’s elder stock, and run down a list of who might be … Continue reading Tachiai News Update (Audio) – Yokozuna Kakuryu Retires

It’s in-between basho, so Andy, Josh and Bruce gathered to discuss Terunofuji’s re-promotion to Ozeki. Will it motivate the rest of the Ozeki to step up their performance? How long will his knees last? It’s 15 minutes of sumo fans talking about perhaps the greatest comeback in sports history! Video edition coming to YouTube shortly….

Josh and Bruce discuss the Haru basho, held this year in Tokyo. We take a look back at the spooky 2020 Haru held without fans, discuss the chances of another new Ozeki, and the possible return of the Yokozuna. Are we at the apex of the transitional era? With the Yokozuna follow the pattern of … Continue reading Tachiai Haru 2021 Preview Podcast (Audio)

Andy, Josh and Bruce dive into the Hatsu genki report, and take a look at what is sure to be an explosive basho where 4 of the top 5 athletes in sumo MUST win 8 or more matches. We follow that with our Baku-Hatsubasho regrettable predictions, where Bruce sets a new record for regret: his … Continue reading Tachiai 2021 Hatsu Preview Podcast – Part 2