7-7 WRESTLER'S PREDICTED WIN PERCENTAGE AGAINST 8-6 OPPONENT: 48.7 7-7 WRESTLER'S ACTUAL WIN PERCENTAGE AGAINST 8-6 OPPONENT: 79.6
So the 7-7 wrestler, based on past outcomes, was expected to win just less than half the time. This makes
sense; their records in this tournament indicate that the 8-6 wrestler is slightly better. But in actuality, the
wrestler on the bubble won almost eight out of ten matches against his 8-6 opponent. Wrestlers on the
bubble also do astonishingly well against 9-5 opponents:
7-7 WRESTLER'S PREDICTED WIN PERCENTAGE AGAINST 9-5 OPPONENT: 47.2
7-7 WRESTLER'S ACTUAL WIN PERCENTAGE AGAINST 9-5 OPPONENT: 73.4
The authors use the statistics in this excerpt to
O describe the complexity of sumo scorekeeping.
O explain in detail the intricacies of sumo wrestling.
O make a case for the idea that sumo wrestling is rigged.
o show the similarities in Japanese sumo and American wrestling.