News from the infirmary today is that Mitoryu is out, Ichiyamamoto will get the default win. Wakamotoharu is back and will face Hiradoumi. Makuuchi videos from NHK for Day 11 action are available here: Part I and Part II.
In Juryo, Wakatakakage quickly found Endo was pitched too far forward and rotated away for the easy katasukashi victory. Both men are tied with debutant Onokatsu at 10-1. Juryo action is available here: Part I and Part II.
Kakuryu is in the NHK broadcast booth tonight, with Tochiozan as a guest ringside. People forget that when Kyokutenho won his famous yusho, it was in a playoff with Tochiozan. And by “people,” I mean me. I am people. So Tochiozan was very close to his own yusho. He defeated Kakuryu on his path to that playoff.
Pop quiz: You’re not paying attention to the action because you are writing. You get thirsty and wonder if there is time to run to the fridge and grab more tea. Hiradoumi and Wakamotoharu are standing, face-to-face, about to crouch down at the shikirisen. How can you tell if they are about to fight, or if you have time to grab some tea?
The Action
Chiyoshoma (Juryo 9-2) defeated Tsurugisho (3-8). Chiyoshoma walked Tsurugisho straight back and out. Yorikiri. Tsurugisho is now makekoshi and staring at demotion to Juryo.
Tomokaze (2-9) defeated Tokihayate (4-7). Tokihayate allowed Tomokaze’s tsuppari to push him back to the edge. It seemed like he wanted to try a slapdown with his left hand at the edge but when he pivoted, his foot went out. Oshidashi.
Ichiayamamoto (5-6) default, fusen win. Mitoryu (2-9) kyujo. A (2-9-4) record should be enough for a ticket to Juryo in July.
Ryuden (7-4) defeated Kinbozan (6-5). Kinbozan struck out with some strong tsuppari but Ryuden got his preferred left hand over arm grip. He rotated and brought Kinbozan down. Uwatenage.
Shonannoumi (9-2) defeated Takarafuji (8-3). As Takarafuji pressed forward, Shonannoumi slipped to his left and slapped Takarafuji down. Kotenage. Though the kimarite call was kotenage, it was one of those that seem a hair’s breadth from katasukashi or hatakikomi. Shonannoumi is now the lone dark horse in the yusho race. Depending on the outcome of Onosato’s bout, he may be the sole leader or co-leader with Onosato. Speaking of the komusubi, he will face Takarafuji tomorrow while Shonannoumi will face Abi.
Shodai (5-6) defeated Roga (4-7). Smart Shodai hugged Roga with both hands inside and pressed forward but did not get ahead of himself. He paused his forward progress a bit near the bales and adjusted as Roga shifted left along the bales. Shodai applied gentle pressure so as not to fall victim to a slapdown or twisting throw. Yorikiri.
Tamawashi (4-7) defeated Nishikifuji (4-7). Brutal Tamawashi launched out with strong tsuppari. Possibly angry that there were no sponsors, and thus no kensho on the bout. Poor Nishikifuji. Tamawashi battered him until he was safely out of the ring. Oshidashi.
Oshoma (8-3) defeated Kotoshoho (7-4). Kotoshoho started out with strong tsuppari but tired quickly. Oshoma was then able to reach in and get a left-hand over arm grip. Kotoshoho tried to keep Oshoma’s right arm from locking in but Oshoma wrapped him up and drove Kotoshoho back and out. Yorikiri. Oshoma put an end to Kotoshoho’s impressive streak of wins and picked up his kachi-koshi in his debut tournament.
Takanosho (5-6) defeated Hokutofuji (5-6). Takanosho overcame Hokutofuji’s oshi attack by shoving his right arm into Hokutofuji’s jaw, driving Hokutofuji back to the bales. Hokutofuji tried to counter with his own nodowa but Takanosho continued to press forward, sending Hokutofuji over the edge. Oshidashi.
Mitakeumi (8-3) defeated Churanoumi (7-4). Churanoumi pulled and Mitakeumi ran him out. Yorikiri. Safely kachi-koshi, I wonder if kyujo is in the plan to rest his foot since it’s still injured.
Halftime.
Sadanoumi (6-5) defeated Nishikigi (3-8). Nishikigi resisted at the edge but Sadanoumi was too strong and focused. He did not allow Nishikigi to pivot and pressed straight forward. Yorikiri.
Midorifuji (5-6) defeated Tobizaru (4-7). Tobizaru struck out at Midorifuji but Midorifuji slapped him down. Tobizaru nearly touched the clay at the first slapdown but Midorifuji finished him off by forcing him to the floor. Hatakikomi.
Gonoyama (5-6) defeated Oho (4-7). Oho fought well and seems to have improved ring presence. He started with forward sumo into Gonoyama but when he pulled and rotated around the ring, Gonoyama pursued well and shoved him out. Oshidashi.
Daieisho (8-3) defeated Ura (6-5). Ura did well to resist Daieisho’s thrusts and stay in the center of the ring. Daieisho grabbed Ura by the belt and pulled him down while falling backwards. Gunbai Daieisho. No mono-ii. Uwatenage.
Takayasu (5-1-5) defeated Atamifuji (4-7). What a fantastic bout! Takayasu wrapped up Atamifuji and tried to force him over the edge but Atamifuji pressed back and rotated to keep the bout in the center. Takayasu tried again and again to push Atamifuji over. Takayasu worked Atamifuji to the bales again. Perhaps sensing he was near the end, Atamifuji tried to push Takayasu down at the edge but Takayasu maintained excellent footwork and barreled Atamifuji out. Yorikiri.
Sanyaku
Abi (7-4) defeated Onosho (4-7). Basic Abi-zumo drove Onosho back and out. Abi gifted Onosho a faceful of tsuppari. In appreciation, Onosho backed up and attempted a pulldown. Abi followed up with a shoulder blast and knocked Onosho into the crowd. Oshidashi.
Hiradoumi (5-6) defeated Wakamotoharu (3-5-3) Hiradoumi hit Wakamotoharu hard at the tachiai. Wakamotoharu pivoted and tried to throw Hiradoumi twice. On the second attempt, Hiradoumi drove forward into Wakamotoharu and drove him over the edge. Excellent sumo from Hiradoumi. Yoritaoshi.
Kotozakura (8-3) defeated Meisei. Meisei successfully kept Kotozakura off the belt for a good portion of the bout and was able to drive the Ozeki back to the bales, but not out. When Meisei wore out, Kotozakura corralled him and reached in for a belt grip. Then he yanked Meisei forward to the ground. Uwatenage.
Hoshoryu (7-4) defeated Onosato (8-3). Hoshoryu grabbed Onosato’s belt with his right hand and threw him. Such a quick and beautiful move. Shitatenage.
Wrap-up
I am curious where you all feel Hiradoumi will top out. I think he might make sanyaku and may even earn a kachi-koshi record. But do you all think he is a guy like Daieisho/Wakamotoharu who can sustain a decent stretch up there? He’s earning a bit of a reputation and fans with that hard-hitting tachiai of his. I am eager to see how he develops.
Similarly, I wonder if Atamifuji will reach sanyaku. I do not think he will get there this time because he was clearly figured out by a lot of guys who were able to pull him forward. With guys surging to Ozeki and quickly tumbling from the rank, I wonder if guys like these two have what it takes to launch a successful streak like Shodai did. I mean, guys. Shodai was Ozeki. Remember that?
Well, let’s get back to the yusho race. Hoshoryu will not go quietly into that good night. What a fantastic throw to make a complete mess of this yusho. Onosato is now in the significant chase group behind…checks notes…Shonannoumi. Kotozakura leads the pack, looking for his first title. But we have a couple of seasoned yusho winners in the group, Daieisho and Mitakeumi. How is Mitakeumi still here…and in the yusho race? Along with Takarafuji, someone invited Oshoma.
Chaos, I tell you! Hoshoryu brings nothing but Chaos! For us Shodai fans, he is filling a bit of a void that we need at the rank of Ozeki by bringing the chaos. Well, I encourage a little trip down to the beaches of Shonan. Ride the Enoden, check out the Daibutsu, enjoy the sand and the sun. Somehow, I think Shonannoumi’s time here at the top will be short.
His first big test, as I mentioned, is Abi tomorrow. I imagine he’ll face Onosato afterwards? The schedulers are in for quite the debate here. When do you bring Oshoma and Mitakeumi up to fight the likes of Daieisho? Chaos!
I wonder if Mitakeumi is seriously in yusho race anymore. It looks like he has some kind of injury. I would not be surprised if he is absent from tomorrow onwards.
Such beautiful writing, Andy – a great pleasure to read.
Thank you!
Yes, one of the most flawlessly executed Shitatenage from Hoshoryu, and on his 25th Birthday today, no less. When he’s full on in focused beast mode, there is nothing that can stop him, not even rising star Onosato…. Happy Happy Bday Hosh!!!
Yes, happy birthday Hoshoryu! That was a gorgeous move and a delight to watch.
Tea time…gyoji paddle forward = no tea time; paddle facing east/west = time for tea run
Gunbai position AND the gyoji’s foot. If the foot is straight ahead of him, you can run to the fridge. If both feet are to the sides, it’s go time.
I look for the foot because I think there’s a difference in gunbai position based on Shikimori vs Kimura…but I don’t remember the details of that.
Thanks Andy! I will watch the gyoji feet from here on out! Fun factoid!
Oh, interesting!
That’s teatime if the rikishi don’t both jump the gun (fan, gyoji foot) like in a “blast from the past” bout that Kintamayama showed recently, with Shohozan and someone else – they just both decided to go for it and left the gyoji behind.
I’ve heard that under the rules the rikishi can actually start the match before the gyoji turns the gunbai if they mutually consent to, though it never actually happens anymore, so I wouldn’t let that interfere with an important fridge run.
I am following Shonannoumi from Juryo, he fights really good. But never thought of him leading in Makuchi at day 11
Hoshoryu throw was just wow!!
I watched two times but still couldn’t find how he managed that grip so fast for that perfect throw.
Takayasu vs Atamifuji was just the type of bout, which comes to my mind, when I think of Sumo. Both the rikishis trying to dominate each other till the end.
Andy, nice writing!!
Weeeeel, let’s get it straight, Guy with such impressive Physical conditions spends, what, 6 years in Makushita. Never getting to joy before his first successful try ? Something is not right here as he were using only 30-40% of his abilty. Boring style, nothing in offensive and he is almost size of akebono… Will see what will happen with him now , when finally in spotlight.
Hoshoryu has a special throw technique, which you can see in slow motion if you look for it. Onosato might not have noticed either, which would make defending against it more difficult.
Hoshoryu performs the throw, not by hand, but by flipping his opponent with his leg!
Happy Birthday to Hoshoryuzeki! The technician beat the prodigy!!! Chaos indeed, who will bring order? Too bad Papayasu had to miss those days, he’d be the favorite at this point?
I was super disappointed with Onosato today. He has fought Hoshoryu 3times now and all three bouts look exactly the same, a carbon copy of each other. Obviously that was a beautiful throw and there is certainly no shame in losing to Hoshoryu either, but maybe try a different tactic?
That Takayasu vs Atamifuji bout was beautiful. If Atamifuji doesn’t fall flat on his belly, he has some really nice sumo in him.
Oho was another huge disappointment. How many more fights does he need to lose by unnecessarily trying to pull?
Ura is now 6-5. A loss to Daieisho was to be expected, but he really needs to change that momentum again, if he wants to reach a kachikoshi. He has Kotoshoho tomorrow against whom he has a 4-2 record, so that could be a good turning point. He could still face Onosato and Wakamotoharu (against whom he is 1-8).
Mitakeumi is still in the chaser group and I didn’t see him limp today. Maybe that foot is healing fast enough? I don’t think he will go kyujo if there is still a chance for him to get the Yusho.
Shonannoumi is the sole leader now. Not surprised he beat Takarafuji, but that quick pull down is a rather rare way to lose for Takarafuji. Not bad.
Kotoshoho still hasn’t regained the stability from 4years ago and is now 2 behind, probably saving him from some tougher matchups.
Meisei to me had the upper hand for most of the bout, but unfortunately gave Kotozakura a belt grip.
I can’t imagine Shonannoumi to win out, but he is in a good position for a playoff participation now. At this point an 11-4 Yusho feels more likely than 12-3.
As for Atamifuji and Hiradoumi… to me the ceiling for Atamifuji is higher. Hiradoumi relies more on his tachiai and his quickness and that comes with a higher variance. He also lacks versatility compared to Hoshoryu or Kirishima (if ever he finds his sumo again). As long as there is a high number of smaller/lighter rikishi in the top ranks, he can always go on a hot streak.
Atamifuji definitely has the foundation for a Sanyaku stable.
The thing with Oho is that is his brand of sumo. He needs to rebrand. It will take him to the next level. Running backwards will keep him in the Maegashira.
The thing is, he has 230 career victories, 77 Oshidashi, 28 yorikiri, 25 tsukidashi, 23 oshitaoshi. That’s all kimarite that should result from going forward, albeit sometimes weird kimarite are called.
He has 20 hatakikomi, 6 hikiotoshi, 5 katatsukashi, which could result more from going backward. How bad is his coaching, if they can’t hammer into his head, that going backwards isn’t his strength and loses him more bout than it wins.
It would be interesting to break down his losses. I’ll see what I can do.
As for Mitakeumi, I think the injured foot is the left and the injury would have been more evident if he had to move laterally in the opposite direction.
I was very much hoping for Hoshoryu to do exactly what he did, and he didn’t disappoint. Sheer awesomeness. Pity he most likely did someone else a favour, beacause he already has one loss too many – mathematically he can still win but with so many ahead of him, a lot of things would have to go down exactly the right way for him to overtake them all. (Nothing against Onosato, but he looks like someone with multiple yusho in his future so he might as well wait a bit. And of course it might still be him in the end, but now it’s more “excite”, as Natto would put it :)
Tea/beer break – gyoji’s feet and gumbai change, plus if the sweat towels are proffered in the corner it’s play time.
The evil nephew – I do not like him but he has some magnificent sumo in him.
I live in the Shonan area near the Enoden and would love to support our boy – but something is lacking….just cannot generate much interest/enthusiasm….
I have been a keen sumo fan since Chiyonofuji days – but have never seen such a topsy turvey basho as this one.
Shodai – we call him Wakanai Shodai. Some days he can be very good, but mostly it looks like he doesn’t know what day of the week it is! What is with his fans holding giant daikons?
Hiro – everyday comes out guns blazing, smokes the commentary for the big W as we all hit the dirt. That’s all she wrote 😂😤
Shodai (and former Yutakayama) went to the Tokyo University of Agriculture. The daikon is a symbol of the school. There’s a dance. There’s video of Yutakayama doing the dance with a bunch of other guys.
Shonannoumi can do four losses from now, and I’m afraid he will do at least some of them.
He had a lousy hatsu basho and then haru opponents were rather easy for him. Yes, he is quite a giant and his sumo seems calm and intelligent, but I don‘t really believe in him.
Funny to see Hoshoryus dark eyes even darker with a huge dash of adrenaline after that airy and curly shitatenage for the annoying rival.
I just love reading Andy’s review and wrap-up everyday, and the second best thing are all the terrific comments and observations that the Tachiai crowd write in about! As soon as we watch the sumo for the day, I can’t wait to come here and read wisdom and wit of everyone. Thanks to you Andy and all the Tachiai participants!
Thank you! That’s very kind.
Same here! Except I watch sumo alone, and have no-one in my entire social circle to discuss it with, so I really like the write-ups and the comments section to process the day’s events. (Whenever I meet new people I try to weave my love of sumo into the conversation in the hopes that someone will say “Really? Me too!”, but so far, no luck…) For me the biggest negative in Natto getting banished to increasingly obscure corners of the internet is the loss of the lively comments section that used to exist under his youtube videos. But there seem to be more people commenting over here lately. :)
I had the same feeling when I started the blog. It’s always awesome to watch with others. I’ve met a lot of awesome people through the blog. It was awesome to watch sumo with Jason and Heather. It is a totally different experience, especially on a big screen TV in a custom izakaya with legit okonomiyaki and snacks. I wish I could open a little sumo-themed bar here. #PowerballDreams