Kyushu 2026: Day Seven

Andy Kyushu 2026, Kyushu Basho , , ,

Day Seven in Fukuoka.

Wakatakakage and Tamashoho continue to tear things up in Juryo with Enho and Asahifuji lapping at their heels. Here, we have Asahifuji using an armbar to drag fellow debutant, Ryuho, to ground. He appears to wince a bit after the win.

It looks like Fujinokawa’s brother, Ikarigata, will be moving up to Juryo in 2027. From the second rung of Makushita, he’s the only one among the joi still undefeated and really the only one making any sort of moves for promotion. I’d had high hopes for Inami and Tenshoyama there at the top rung but both are 1-3, in danger of sliding back down the banzuke.

Down in Jonokuchi, Sunamusashi won his Day 7 bout, picking up his kachi-koshi, but Eisei lost in Jonidan, falling to 3-1. Hikarumusashi defeated Zuitenryu to improve to 2-2. Sunamusashi is one of three undefeated men in Jonokuchi. Wakaonehara is also 4-0 and Hirose is 3-0 and will fight for kachi-koshi tomorrow. From then, we’ll be following the yusho races.

NHK videos are here. Along with the sumo action, there’s a little feature video about Ajigawa’s presence in Kurume city in Fukuoka Prefecture.

Makuuchi Action

Kitanowaka (3-4) defeated Tobizaru (5-2). Hidari-yotsu. Tobizaru got a strong right hand grip, planted his left foot and yanked Kitanowaka down with a forceful uwatenage. Gunbai Tobizaru. Mono-ii. Unfortunately, when Tobizaru planted his foot along the bales, his toes wrapped over the tawara and touched outside the ring. The initial call was reversed and Kitanowaka was awarded the win. Yorikiri.

Daiseizan (2-5) defeated Dewanoryu (5-2). Migi-yotsu. Dewanoryu charged ahead but at the bales Daiseizan pivoted and swung Dewanoryu over the edge. Sukuinage.

Kyokukaiyu (4-3) defeated Tokihayate (2-5). Kyokukaiyu used his footwork to cut off the dohyo and force Tokihayate to the edge, then press him over. Yorikiri.

Arashifuji (6-1) defeated Asasuiryu (3-4). After a lengthy migi-yotsu grapple, Arashifuji charged ahead and shoved Asasuiryu over the edge. Oshidashi.

Tamawashi (4-3) defeated Toshinofuji (2-5). Tamawashi’s powerful tsuppari bulldozed Toshinofuji backward and forced him out. Oshitaoshi.

Abi (2-5) defeated Oho (4-3). Abi displayed his old sumo style, hitting Oho with tsuppari to the face and shoving him out. Oho appeared to try to twist at the edge but really did nothing to stop Abi’s advance. Oshidashi.

Asahakuryu (6-1) defeated Shishi (0-7). Migi-yotsu. Shishi planted his left foot and twisted, pulling Asahakuryu to the edge. But he couldn’t advance from there. Asahakuryu dug in and forced the hapless lion cub back and out. Yorikiri.

Ichiyamamoto (4-3) defeated Asakoryu (1-6). Ichiyamamoto’s tsuppari pressured Asakoryu back to the edge. Asakoryu tried to shift left along the edge but Ichiyamamoto adjusted easily and shoved Asakoryu out. Oshidashi.

Oshoma (5-2) defeated Takanosho (5-2). Oshoma henka. A rare JFK henka. Oshoma jumped “back and to the left,” grabbing Takanosho by the back of the head and dropping him to the clay. Hatakikomi.

Nishikifuji (4-3) defeated Kotoshoho (4-3). Nishikifuji’s tsuppari and nodowa drove Kotoshoho out. Oshidashi.

Roga (4-3) defeated Gonoyama (3-4). Roga got his left hand uwate grip on Gonoyama’s belt. As Gonoyama chugged forward, Roga pulled and yanked him down. Uwatedashinage.

Halftime

Kinbozan (6-1) defeated Hiradoumi (2-5). Hiradoumi charged into Kinbozan but Kinbozan pivoted at the edge and pulled Hiradoumi forward and to the ground with his right hand inside. The yo-yo sekitori is having a great tournament, setting himself up for a rebound into the makuuchi joi for Hatsubasho. Shitatenage.

Wakamotoharu (6-1) defeated Daieisho (2-5). Wakamotoharu chased Daieisho around the ring and shoved him out. Where Kinbozan seems to yo-yo up and down the banzuke, like Ura, Wakamotoharu just seems to be getting his grove back after injury forced him to drop down the rankings for a few tournaments. Stella usually has some staying power up in sanyaku and wants a comeback. Oshidashi.

Takayasu (2-5) defeated Takerufuji (2-5). Takayasu did not look great in this bout. Takerufuji did a good job of standing him up and forcing him back. With the bales at his heels, though, Takayasu shifted left and thrust Takerufuji down. Tsukiotoshi.

Sanyaku

Atamifuji (6-1) defeated Fujiryoga (4-3). Fujiryoga had no solution to Atamifuji’s size. Atamifuji got his left-hand inside and steamrolled to another win. Yorikiri.

Asanoyama (3-4) defeated Fujinokawa (2-5). Asanoyama chased and corralled the energetic Fujinokawa and forced him to the edge before shoving him to fall back over the tawara. The momentum of Asanoyama’s final thrust forced him off balance. Rather than land on top of Fujinokawa, Asanoyama extended his damaged left leg to catch his fall from the dohyo. That looked painful. He crumpled at the base of the dohyo, looking like my kids after a nice hot shower, curled up on the floor. He took some time to get up but managed to get up, accept his winnings and walk back down the hanamichi under his own power. Oshitaoshi.

Kirishima (6-1) defeated Hakunofuji (2-5). Migi-yotsu. Kirishima got a strong left-hand uwate and bulldozed Hakunofuji out. I’m not convinced Hakunofuji could put a lot of weight on his right foot. Yorikiri.

Kotozakura (5-2) defeated Ura (1-6). Kotozakura is picking up the wins he’s supposed to win. This is great. He was patient to wrangle Ura at the center of the ring, pivot and shove Ura out. Ura the yo-yo is getting brutalized by his sanyaku opponents. He’s probably looking forward to his lighter Week Two schedule. Oshidashi.

Fujiseiun (4-3) defeated Aonishiki (4-3). Fujiseiun drove Aonishiki to the bales. Aonishiki had his favored left-hand grip but not a lot of room to do anything with it. He tried to shuffle along the bales but Fujiseiun stuck with him and drove him over the edge. Uwatenage.

Hoshoryu (4-3) defeated Yoshinofuji (4-3). Yoshinofuji had his left hand uwate grip and started to drag the Yokozuna back for an uwatenage. But what’s this? Hoshoryu’s right foot wrapped around Yoshinofuji’s left leg? That’s not good for Yoshinofuji, is it? Nope. Down goes Yoshinofuji. Beautiful, patient work from the Yokozuna. Sotogake.

Onosato (6-1) defeated Churanoumi (1-6). Churanoumi tried to get his left-hand hold at the front of Onosato’s belt but Onosato shoved him backward, hard. Onosato pursued and easily shoved Churanoumi out. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up

There are seven guys with one loss, lead by Onosato, Kirishima, and Atamifuji. Kotozakura’s one off-pace. It would be great if his name is still in the conversation next weekend. But we’ve got a long way to go before we get there, don’t we? Nakabi is tomorrow and is will set the tone for Week Two.

Hoshoryu will fight Hakunofuji, Onosato will take on Takayasu, Kotozakura will fight Kirishima (already?), and Aonishiki will fight Fujinokawa. Atamifuji will fight Fujiseiun, Yoshinofuji faces Asanoyama and Churanoumi will take on Fujiryoga. Churanoumi’s been really chewed up by his sanyaku opponents and will be eager for this rank-and-file bout. But Fujiryoga ain’t exactly a Beard Papa crème puff, is he?

I used to love the smell of the Beard Papa stand in Yokohama station. I’m actually not a fan of choux, so I really don’t like crème puffs but they do smell nice. But I digress. See you tomorrow!

Kyushu 2026: Day Six

Andy Kyushu 2026, Kyushu Basho , ,

Day Six in Fukuoka

I had missed an item yesterday. Hitoshi had returned from kyujo. You may remember the broken eye bones and bleeding in the eye stuff after his Day One win against Tanji. Well, yesterday he lost to Ryuden and today he lost to Wakatakakage after trying a henka.

Wakatakakage still leads and Tamashoho is still right there with him at 6-0. Tamashoho has been fighting aggressively and very quick. Good to see. Today, Tamashoho faced Tomokaze and quickly shoved him out. Right behind the two leaders, Asahifuji, Enho and Tobizaru all won their Day Six bouts to remain one loss back at 5-1. We’ll see later if Kazekeno can stay in the group as he will fight Arashifuji during the top division bouts.

One of the benefits of firing up the VPN to watch the early action is that you not only get to watch Eisei win his third bout of the tournament but you also get to watch both of the Yokozuna dohyo-iri and feel especially awkward with Ura as Hoshoryu’s tachimochi.

NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Arashifuji (5-1) defeated Kazekeno (4-2). Arashifuji used his speed to shift left and shove Kazekeno toward the bales. The misdirection caused Kazekeno to stumble off-balance. Arashifuji blasted him from the dohyo as he tried to recover. Oshitaoshi.

Kitanowaka (2-4) defeated Tamawashi (3-3). After the initial clash, Kitanowaka used the same misdirection tactic to beat Tamawashi. He shifted left, grabbed Tamawashi’s belt and bowled him off the dohyo. He scored a strike as he blasted old Tom right into Kimura Asanosuke. Oshidashi.

Toshinofuji (2-4) defeated Kyokukaiyu (3-3). The risk of staying low to the ground is that your hands are very close to the ground. At the start of his brawl with Toshinofuji, Kyokukaiyu lost his balance and touched the ground with his hand. Asanosuke caught it and ended the bout. You know he’s awake now! Tsukite.

Asasuiryu (3-3) defeated Daiseizan (1-5). Daiseizan tried to trap Asasuiryu’s left arm and really bear down to force Asasuiryu to release his belt grip and set up a potential kotenage. Asasuiryu extracted his arm, but reached right back in to get that left hand on the front of Daiseizan’s belt, and force him out. Yorikiri.

Dewanoryu (5-1) defeated Abi (1-5). Dewanoryu’s tsuppari was stronger than Abi’s. He forced Abi back and out. Oshidashi.

Asahakuryu (5-1) defeated Tokihayate (2-4). This was an exciting migi-yotsu grapple where the advantage went back-and-forth. Tokihayate had Asahakuryu bent backward at the edge but Asahakuryu saved it and eventually wore Tokihayate down. Asahakuryu ended it by laying Tokihayate down, slowly, and gently as any gentleman treats a lady. Joking aside, Asahakuryu probably saved Tokihayate from some damage to that left knee. Yorikiri.

Oho (4-2) defeated Ichiyamamoto (3-3). These guys love to use their heads as a third weapon when trading volleys of tsuppari. Lead with the forehead and follow by throwing hands. While sizing up my fellow Metro commuters, as you do, I’ve often wondered how effective this approach would be in a street fight. I think it would definitely catch the opponent off guard. “This dude’s crazy!” I’m usually not thinking of this pair of wrestlers as my inspiration, though. I’m usually thinking of Kagayaki, followed by Ryuden. But the staid bureaucrat, Ichiyamamoto, is definitely a practitioner. So, is Oho when he’s in a forward moving mood, as he was today. In the fourth or fifth charge, Ichiyamamoto bulled forward but Oho wisely shifted left to avoid the oncoming headbutt and Ichi’s momentum brought himself down. Hikiotoshi.

Takanosho (5-1) defeated Asakoryu (1-5). Asakoryu henka! Takanosho recovered just in time to re-engage. Asakoryu pulled again and tried a slapdown but Takanosho stuck with Asakoryu and rode him down into the crowd. Gunbai Takanosho. No mono-ii. Yorikiri.

Roga (3-3) defeated Shishi (0-6). Roga seemed to invite Shishi to force him to the bales. He had both hands firmly gripping Shishi’s belt and was giving just enough resistance to wear Shishi down. At the edge, Roga began to rotate as if he were going to execute a shitatenage. I think Shishi saw his life flash before his eyes and he knew he was going over, so he pulled to avoid it. Roga then used Shishi’s momentum and forced him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Wakamotoharu (5-1) defeated Nishikifuji (3-3). Hidari-yotsu battle. When Wakamotoharu finally firmed up that left hand grip, paired with the right-hand over-arm hold, he pulled up and bulldozed Nishikifuji through the dohyo. Yoritaoshi.

Kinbozan (5-1) defeated Oshoma (4-2). Kinbozan’s arm cannons laid waste to Oshoma. Tsukidashi.

Halftime

Hiradoumi (2-4) defeated Gonoyama (3-3). Hiradoumi blitzed Gonoyama and drove him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Kotoshoho (4-2) defeated Daieisho (2-4). Kotoshoho tried to block as many incoming tsuppari as he could but he definitely took some headshots. Nevertheless, he also pursued Daieisho when Daieisho would try to slip away. Kotoshoho got in some blows of his own, that’s for sure. He cut down the dohyo, cornered Daieisho and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Fujiseiun (3-3) defeated Takerufuji (2-4). Hidari-yotsu grapple. Takerufuji hefted Fujiseiun and tried to get him over the bales. But Fujiseiun drove back into the center and toppled Takerufuji with a fierce uwatenage.

Sanyaku

Fujinokawa (2-4) defeated Ura (1-5). Fujinokawa repeatedly blasted Ura, forcing him to the edge where Ura would try to shift direction and catch Fujinokawa with a throw. Fujinokawa wasn’t having any of it, though, and kept blasting away, eventually blasting him clear from the fighting surface. Oshidashi.

Asanoyama (2-4) defeated Atamifuji (5-1). Asanoyama flowed downhill like a ferocious landslide, decimating the sleepy town of Atami. Atamifuji came into this bout with no plan, apparently; just counting on his size, as a few of you have noted in the comments. Well, landslides don’t abide the lazy. BTW, if you’re new to sumo, you may have seen the viral video from a few years ago and not known that’s Atamifuji’s hometown. Search it up. I’ll wait. Yorikiri.

Yoshinofuji (4-2) defeated Kotozakura (4-2). Kotozakura impressed me again, today but Yoshinofuji was just better. Kotozakura tried to pin Yoshinofuji’s right arm with an armbar but Yoshi quickly pulled away. Kotozakura still pressed forward and held Yoshinofuji, trying to work him back. Yoshinofuji wasn’t going back, though and pressed into the Ozeki, forcing him back to the edge. Kotozakura tried a shitatenage but Yoshinofuji’s left-arm uwate won the day. Uwatenage.

Aonishiki (4-2) defeated Churanoumi (1-5). Churanoumi’s tsuppari and ottsuke was intended to keep Aonishiki’s left hand from getting inside. Job done. But, Aonishiki decided to grab Churanoumi’s belt with his left-hand outside, instead. Aonishiki then slammed Churanoumi to the ground. Uwatenage.

Kirishima (5-1) defeated Fujiryoga (4-2). This was a great bout. An energetic, aggressive Fujiryoga charged at the Ozeki. Kirishima tried to shuffle left and bring Fujiryoga down with a throw but Fujiryoga. In American football, they talk about edge containment. It’s similar here where the opponent is trying to shift one way and allow your momentum to carry you past. To avoid it, you have to not only move with the flow but even get ahead of it to contain it. Fujiryoga did that and avoided Kirishima’s early throw. However, as the pair settled in the center of the dohyo, Kirishima began to drive into Fujiryoga, forcing him to the edge. It was now Fujiryoga’s turn to try to shift left but Kirishima contained him and slammed him to the ground. Yoritaoshi.

Onosato (5-1) defeated Hakunofuji (2-4). While Hakunofuji fumbled for a left-hand inside grip, Onosato moved forward to the edge. Then, at the edge, Onosato shoved Hakunofuji with both hands and sent him sprawling off the dohyo. Oshitaoshi.

Hoshoryu (3-3) defeated Takayasu (1-5). Takayasu just got beat. Not pretty and it’s not going to settle the bigger debate around whether Hoshoryu should go kyujo or not. Hoshoryu charged ahead and forced Takayasu over the edge as Takayasu futilely tried to escape along the tawara. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up

With Atamifuji’s loss, no one remains undefeated. The field is wide open as we approach the middle weekend. Onosato will fight Churanoumi in the musubi-no-ichiban. Does anyone doubt that Hoshoryu will be back tomorrow? Is anyone more concerned about his fight against Yoshinofuji tomorrow than Papa Bear today? Good, we’re on the same page.

As far as the Ozeki go, they’re still there. Aonishiki will fight Fujiseiun, Kotozakura will fight Ura, and Kirishima will take on Hakunofuji. Fujinokawa will fight Asanoyama and it will be Atamifuji’s turn to battle Fujiryoga. That’s certainly a lot of great action which will surely keep me up tomorrow. Thank God for coffee.

As a bonus for those in Japan (or with VPNs going) in the lower division action Sunamusashi will fight Matsunosato and Eisei will be back to fight Tochihayate, all with an early kachi-koshi on the line.

Kyushu 2026: Day Five

Andy Kyushu 2026, Kyushu Basho , ,

Day Five in Fukuoka

Wakatakakage and Tamashoho, of all people, continue to run things in Juryo. Asahifuji handled Tomokaze with ease today. It’s bouts like this which make me wonder how Tomokaze is still sekitori when he’s not just a one trick pony. He’s a one trick pony with no knees. He got blasted to the edge and then tries a pathetic slapdown attempt from about a foot in front of the tawara. They might be harsh words but it’s painful to watch him fight and I don’t like fights where it’s painful to watch them. We’ll have a few of them today.

As an aside, if you’re new to sumo and curious about how a gyoji can manage to prevent a wardrobe malfunction, watch the Tobizaru fight. Kazuma’s mawashi came loose so the gyoji made them freeze while he fixed it.

If there’s a real marathon bout that lasts four minutes, they stop the fight like this, too. Except in that case the gyoji will mark where their feet are in the clay and the wrestlers will go down and get some water before coming back to resume the action, in the manner done here. Tobizaru quickly took advantage of the restart and threw Kazuma.

Down in Makushita, Ikarigata is making a strong case for promotion to Juryo. He picked up his third win and remains undefeated. Omori is the buff guy, the “ikemen” who’s making the sujo swoon with his sukuinage win over Sazanami today.

Down in Jonokuchi, Sunamusashi got his third straight win. Let’s see him pick up his kachi-koshi before we start thinking about yusho. Today, he beat Chiyoshinzan. Even though Chiyoshinzan appeared to jump a bit early, Sunamusashi quickly dispatched him. Chiyoshinzan seemed more focused on where he was going to land than tactics.

Your NHK videos are here. As y’all asked in the comments, I am curious if the NHK ever looks at their referral traffic and sees us. We’re probably too small of a website but many of you do go and click through to watch the videos there. I still think they’re great but it was better when they had all of the Juryo fights, too. At least Abema shares a lot of those on Twitter.

Makuuchi Action

Kyokukaiyu (3-2) defeated Onokatsu (1-4). Onokatsu visited from Juryo. His early slapdown attempt failed and moved him a bit closer to the edge. Kyokukaiyu wrapped him up and forced him back to the edge. Onokatsu shuffled along the bales desperately trying an uwatenage but Kyokukaiyu’s grip and footwork were solid as he forced Onokatsu out. Yorikiri.

Daiseizan (1-4) defeated Kitanowaka (1-4). Kitanowaka’s right ankle was taped and he couldn’t put any pressure on it. Daiseizan grabbed Kitanowaka’s belt and easily forced Kitanowaka back and out as Kitanowaka hopped around on the one healthy foot. Another broken rikishi who needs to go kyujo. If that’s what it took for Daiseizan to get his first win, frankly he’s probably broken, too, and maybe hiding a back injury or something. Yorikiri.

Arashifuji (4-1) defeated Tamawashi (3-2). Arashifuji shifted to the left at the tachiai, trying to pull Tamawashi’s arm. Tamawashi adjusted well but Arashifuji went on the attack and shoved Tamawashi out. Oshidashi.

Dewanoryu (4-1) defeated Tokihayate (2-3). Dewanoryu’s right hand ottsuke and left arm inside grip kept Tokihayate from getting his own hold. Dewanoryu chugged ahead and forced Tokihayate out. Yorikikiri.

Ichiyamamoto (3-2) defeated Asasuiryu (2-3). Asasuiryu went low, and apparently too low. It looked like he slid his right leg out to brace against the tawara, which were farther away than expected. Ichiyamamoto slapped him down as he slipped. Hatakikomi.

Asahakuryu (4-1) defeated Toshinofuji (1-4). Hidari-yotsu lean fest. No one could get an advantage so Asahakuryu decided to switch things up and forced a grip change to migi-yotsu. Toshinofuji tried a pull, but it failed. He then tried a trip, but Asahakuryu’s footwork was solid. The trip attempt actually gave Asahakuryu an opening and he forced Toshinofuji back and out. Yorikiri.

Takanosho (4-1) defeated Abi (1-4). Takanosho shoved Abi back and out. Abi looks terrible. He could not generate an offense today. He’s throwing hands but his opponents are just moving through them. Oshidashi.

Oshoma (4-1) defeated Oho (3-2). Oshoma used his left hand uwate to drag Oho around the ring. Oho kept his balance until Oshoma pressed forward. This forced Oho to stand up a bit, and forced him back. When they got close to the edge, Oshoma pulled again on that uwatenage, now with more leverage and Oho off-balance and he successfully threw Oho. Uwatenage.

Nishikifuji (3-2) defeated Shishi (0-5). Shishi had a great hold of Nishikifuji and tried to topple him at the edge. But at the last second Nishikifuji broke Shishi’s left hand grip and threw him over the edge. Shishi’s best fight of the tournament, in my opinion. He was competitive but never really close to a win. Uwatenage.

Roga (2-3) defeated Asakoryu (1-4). Roga just overpowered Asakoryu, drove him back and out. Asakoryu pulled, attempting to brace with his right foot and throw Roga. Roga just plowed through. The reason it was so easy was apparent by the way Asakoryu limped back up the hanamichi. His taped right knee is acting up. Why was he trying to brace with the right foot when his right knee can barely handle his own weight? Another broken rikishi who should probably be on the couch for a few days. Kimedashi.

Kinbozan (4-1) defeated Kotoshoho (3-2). Kotoshoho pulled so Kinbozan drove forward and forced Kotoshoho out. Kotoshoho’s twist at the edge was ineffective. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Wakamotoharu (4-1) defeated Hiradoumi (1-4). Hiradoumi charged ahead but Wakamotoharu shuffled to the left at the edge and slapped Hiradoumi down. Hatakikomi.

Gonoyama (3-2) defeated Daieisho (2-3). Daieisho blasted Gonoyama but tired. It looked like he tried to wrap Gonoyama up with a kubinage but the move allowed Gonoyama to rotate Daieisho so his back was to the edge. With Daieisho high, up around Gonoyama’s neck, Gonoyama got low and inside and shoved Daieisho back. Oshidashi.

Fujiryoga (4-1) defeated Takerufuji (2-3). Takerufuji used his right hand uwate grip to pull and drag Fujiryoga back. However, Fujiryoga bulldozed through Takerufuji and blasted him off the dohyo, nearly taking out Atamifuji in the process. Thomas asked on Twitter whether Fujiryoga is the real deal. We won’t really find out until he faces this sanyaku competition on a regular basis. It’s clear you have to have durability as well as power and skill. Yoritaoshi.

Sanyaku

Yoshinofuji (3-2) defeated Churanoumi (1-4). Churanoumi drove into Yoshinofuji and forced him back. However, Yoshinofuji sidestepped left at the edge and pulled Churanoumi forward over the bales. I like Shikimori Kandayu’s robes. The autumn leaves looked like flames to me at first. A few of the earlier gyoji had their Pokeball robes on, so I was initially thinking this was another Pokemon-themed outfit. But a closer view allows you to see the leaves. Then there’s the softer sakura on the other side. Yorikiri.

Atamifuji (5-0) defeated Fujinokawa (1-4). Both men stood at the tachiai. Fujinokawa reached in for a leg pick but Atamifuji quickly wrapped his arms around Fujinokawa and pulled him up. Atamifuji plowed forward and forced Fujinokawa back and crushed him out. Yoritaoshi.

Aonishiki (3-2) defeated Hakunofuji (2-3). The return of the left hand. Aonishiki got his left-hand inside grip, rotated, and chucked Hakunofuji into the front row. Shitatenage.

Kirishima (4-1) defeated Asanoyama (1-4). Kirishima’s patience paid off. Asanoyama had a strong right-hand inside grip. But he wanted to get that left-hand inside. When he tried to switch grips, Kirishima took advantage of the improved leverage and dragged him over the edge, trying an uwatenage. Asanoyama kept his footing but Kirishima continued to pressure him until he forced Asanoyama out. Yorikiri.

Kotozakura (4-1) defeated Takayasu (1-4). Takayasu got a right hand inside grip of Kotozakura’s belt but Kotozakura squared him up and drove him back, regardless. Powerful work from the current Ozeki. Yorikiri.

Fujiseiun (2-3) defeated Hoshoryu (2-3). Fujiseiun overpowered the Yokozuna. Like I said the other day. Hoshoryu is a Kinboshi-flavored Pez dispenser. From what I understand, base on the ancient texts at Ekoin Temple, Kinboshi-flavor is kind of like pineapple. Yorikiri.

Onosato (4-1) defeated Ura (1-4). Onosato pulled and slammed Ura into the ground. Not the prettiest win, not exactly great footwork or overwhelming power but a win is a win. Hatakikomi.

Wrap-up

Tatsunami-oyakata has a goose that lays a golden egg. His preferred method for managing this resource is to open a yakitori restaurant and serve him up until the last of the meat is exhausted. Yes, a Yokozuna’s job is to get out there and win. Hoshoryu’s doing half of it. He’s getting out there. Let’s hope he can win enough to get a kachi-koshi. Tatsunami-oyakata can talk a big game but he’s either going to force Hoshoryu into retirement here in Kyushu or face the music that the knee is not ready and needs rest.

Tomorrow, Hoshoryu is scheduled to face Takayasu in the musubi-no-ichiban. Onosato will fight Hakunofuji. Kirishima will take on the sensation that is Fujiryoga. Aonishiki will fight Churanoumi, Kotozakura will fight Yoshinofuji, Atamifuji will fight Asanoyama, and Fujinokawa will fight Ura. That’s a lot of great looking match-ups, capped off with a pre-retirement party. May the least damaged rikishi win.

Kyushu 2026: Day Four

Andy Kyushu 2026, Kyushu Basho , ,

Day Four in Fukuoka.

No news from the infirmary. I’m not entirely convinced that’s a good thing.

As a general sumo coverage note, Sumosquirrel was right. JME is shutting down on 3/31/2027 and announced it on various Social Media accounts. JME points to Sling, Dish, and Toober (Canada) as alternatives for the North American markets affected.

In Juryo, Wakatakakage and Tamashoho won their bouts to remain undefeated. Asahifuji defeated Wakanosho for his third win. The real surprise is Shodai finally woke up from his slumber and threw poor Tobizaru off the dohyo. I couldn’t believe it, myself, so I posted the evidence below.

Down in Jonidan, Eisei defeated Terutaka (clip below). In Jonokuchi, Sunamusashi beat Kotoryu. Both men improved to 2-0.

Today’s NHK videos are here and include an interview and feature celebrating sumo’s Iron Man, Tamawashi.

Makuuchi Action

Chiyoshoma (1-3) defeated Daiseizan (0-4). Chiyoshoma visited from Juryo. He grabbed Daiseizan’s belt with his left hand, pivoted, and bowled the youngster across the clay. Shitatenage.

Tamawashi (3-1) defeated Kyokukaiyu (2-2). Kyokykaiyu threw an errant right hand thrust that Tamawashi batted to the side, spinning Kyokukaiyu. This exposed Kyokukaiyu’s back so Tamawashi quickly ushered Kyokukaiyu through the ring but Kyokukaiyu put on the brakes at the edge. Wasting no time, Tamawashi slammed into Kyokukaiyu’s chest, toppling him onto his back. Yoritaoshi.

Tokihayate (2-2) defeated Kitanowaka (1-3). Tokihayate had a strong right-hand over arm grip. He tried to drive Kitanowaka back and force him over the bales. Kitanowaka planted his feet on the tawara and refused to back out so Tokihayate pulled with that right hand and rolled Kitanowaka to the ground. Uwatedashinage.

Arashifuji (3-1) defeated Dewanoryu (3-1). Arashifuji repeatedly slammed into Dewanoryu, shoving him back and over the edge. Oshidashi.

Toshinofuji (1-3) defeated Asasuiryu (2-2). Asasuiryu charged low into Toshinofuji but this allowed Toshinofuji to grab the back of Asasuiryu’s belt with his left hand. At the bales, Toshinofuji swung Asasuiryu down to the ground and over the edge. Lots of throws so far today. Uwatenage.

Ichiyamamoto (2-2) defeated Abi (1-3). Abi’s tsuppari dispenser was out-of-order so he pulled three times, each time trying to slap Ichi down while edging closer to the bales. On the third pull, Ichiyamamoto shoved Abi back and out. Oshidashi.

Asahakuryu defeated Takanosho. Takanosho hit Asahakuryu with tsuppari to drive him back but Asahakuryu ducked low and got inside, grabbing Takanosho’s belt. Takanosho pulled and Asahakuryu took advantage, using Takanosho’s momentum to drive him back and out. Yorikiri.

Oho (3-1) defeated Shishi (0-4). Oho slammed into Shishi and reached his right hand inside. When Oho grabbed Shishi’s belt, Shishi pulled. Oho used the momentum to help drive Shishi back and out. Shishi is having a terrible basho. Yorikiri.

Oshoma (3-1) defeated Asakoryu (1-3). Asakoryu ducked inside and got a left-hand inside grip. Oshoma swiftly locked onto Asakoryu’s arm and dragged him, trying a kotenage. Asakoryu stayed up but decided to let go of Oshoma’s belt. He then drove forward with an oshi attack but Oshoma slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

NIshikifuji (2-2) defeated Roga (1-3). Nishikifuji got his right-hand inside and hoisted Roga up and back, off-balance. Nishikifuji kept Roga moving back and forced him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Wakamotoharu (3-1) defeated Kinbozan (3-1). Strong tachiai from Wakamotoharu, stunning Kinbozan. Kinbozan dropped to a knee. The way Kinbozan dropped alarmed Wakamotoharu who immediately checked in on Kinbozan. Good to see that. Kinbozan was fine, though. Just stunned. Tsukiotoshi.

Halftime

Kotoshoho (3-1) defeated Takerufuji (2-2). Kotoshoho used his tsuppari and footwork to thrust Takerufuji over the edge. It looked like a run of the mill Oshidashi to me but they called it a Tsukidashi.

Daieisho (2-2) defeated Hiradoumi (1-3). Daieisho did his thing. Forceful tsuppari followed by a pull. When the pull failed, he slammed into Hiradoumi with such force it staggered Hiradoumi and Hiradoumi stumbled back over the edge. Now THAT’s a Tsukidashi.

Gonoyama (2-2) defeated Hakunofuji (2-2). Hakunofuji chose to pull, basically jumping on to the tawara. Cue my confused, “¿Que?” face. He might have been trying for misdirection but ended up with virtual capitulation. Gonoyama followed and slammed into Hakunofuji, shoving him over the bales. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Fujinokawa (1-3) defeated Yoshinofuji (2-2). Yoshinofuji grabbed Fujinokawa at the tachiai and drove him back to the bales. At the edge, Fujinokawa escaped to his left, pivoted and thrust Yoshinofuji to the ground. Tsukiotoshi.

Atamifuji (4-0) defeated Churanoumi (1-3). Churanoumi squared up to Atamifuji but Atamifuji wrapped him up and drove him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Kirishima (3-1) defeated Takayasu (1-3). Throughout the bout, Kirishima was focused on corralling Takayasu’s left arm. Takayasu tried to lock on Kirishima’s right and drag him over the edge but he rotated too far, exposing his back to the Ozeki. Kirishima got Takayasu turned and shoved him back from behind. Okuridashi.

Kotozakura (3-1) defeated Asanoyama (1-3). Chest-to-chest, Kotozakura bulled Asanoyama back and over the edge. Let that sink in. The words just don’t seem to fit together that way, do they? It’s so unusual, I’m not entirely convinced that I’m awake. These bizarre dreams are quite unsettling. Yorikiri.

Fujiryoga (3-1) defeated Aonishiki (2-2). Aonishiki got his left hand inside but Fujiryoga did not go quietly over those straw bales. Instead, he piled the pressure on the Ozeki with his own right arm uwate hold, forced him back and crushed him out. Cue fierce Fuji face. He looks like Popeye when he does that. It’s not quite like Kotozakura’s pre-bout Popeye face but close. Uwatenage.

Onosato (3-1) defeated Fujiseiun (1-3). Onosato locked on quickly with his right hand inside. Fujiseiun was in trouble but seemed to have limited options. Onosato started driving back and even briefly managed to get his left hand inside, too. Fujiseiun tried a last gasp throw by shuffling to his left and rotating. Onosato shuffled right with him, though, and dropped Fujiseiun over the edge. Sukuinage.

Ura (1-3) defeated Hoshoryu (2-2). Hoshoryu tried to pull and slap Ura down. Ura justed pressed forward and forced the Yokozuna over the bales. Kinboshi Numero Dos. Hoshoryu’s become a Pez Dispenser. Oshidashi.

Wrap-up

Atamifuji leads the field, alone. Obviously, there’s a whole host of guys at 3-1 but Atamifuji is our lone undefeated rikishi in the top division. I agree with several of y’all who commented on the topic that Atamifuji likely isn’t even the best rikishi in Isegahama but for now he’s got the best record.

Hoshoryu will need to recover quickly. He will face Fujiseiun tomorrow. Onosato will take his turn against Ura. Kotozakura will fight Takayasu, Kirishima will fight Asanoyama, and Aonishiki will take on Hakunofuji. Rounding out Sanyaku, the Sekiwake pair of Atamifuji and Fujinokawa will face off and the Komusubi will take each other on, Yoshinofuji vs Churanoumi.

Hoo Boy. Umm… Is Tatsunami-oyakata looking for a deal on a barber? How quickly the sense of relief after Day One has faded.