Kyushu 2026: Day Three

Andy Kyujo (休場), Kyushu 2026, Kyushu Basho , , ,

Day Three in Fukuoka.

This usually means the start of maezumo but there will not be maezumo at this tournament. There were only four participants in the entrance exam before the basho and two of them were foreigners. The foreigners have to wait for their visas to come through, which will likely be January. One of them is Anatoli, a recruit from Estonia who will join Hidenoyama beya.

As Justin mentioned in the replies, the two Japanese recruits are going to join the same heya and there won’t be any injured rikishi coming back who would participate in maezumo again. So, no maezumo.

We do have a new report from the infirmary today. Kotoeiho is kyujo due to a neck injury that led to numbness in his right hand. Apparently, he’s got a herniated disc in his neck. Yikes. NHK says he’s out for four weeks. Kinbozan will receive the default victory.

Speaking of NHK, your videos are here. Today’s videos include a nice little interview with Shinkomusubi Churanoumi that features his work promoting sumo with kids.

Before we hop to the top division action, let’s check in on our former makuuchi wrestlers in Juryo. Wakatakakage and Tobizaru continue to fight for their return, joined by Kayo, Enho, and Tamashoho at 3-0. Enho is always dangerous with his leg picks as Sadanoumi discovered today.

In Makushita, Fujinokawa’s brother, Ikarigata Chugo is making a case for rapid promotion. He tood down Asahifuji’s old nemesis, Tenshoyama, today. Ikazuchido picked up his first win of the tournament against Kyokumizuno and Kaki got his second win. Naya picked off Kiryuko. Hikarumusashi won his first bout of the basho against Ryutsukasa. Eisei and Sunamusashi had the day off. Apologies for the truncated early division action but there’s a lot of great action to focus on in Makuuchi today.

Makuuchi Action

Kyokukaiyu (2-1) defeated Arashifuji (2-1). Solid tachiai from Kyokuakiyu. As Kyokukaiyu recoiled, Arashifuji stumbled forward and touched the clay with his hand. Kimura Shozaburo didn’t see, so he tried to play it off and the fight continued briefly before Kokonoe-oyakata, the head shimpan, alerted the gyoji. “Yo, Arashifuji touched, dude.” That’s an awesome name, “Shou-ZA-buro.” I could say that all day. Tsukite.

Tamawashi (2-1) defeated Daiseizan (0-3). Daiseizan has not looked ready for this tournament. Tamawashi blasted into him at the tachiai, leading with a fierce clash of heads. Tamawashi followed with tsuppari and drove Daiseizan out. Oshidashi.

Dewanoryu (3-0) defeated Kitanowaka (1-2). Kitanowaka tried to use his right hand ottsuke to displace Dewanoryu’s left-hand inside grip. He briefly broke Dewanoryu’s hold but Dewanoryu quickly locked back on again. He used that strong hidari-yotsu hold and dragged Kitanowaka over to the edge, pivoted and threw Kitanowaka to the ground with his right-hand overarm grip. After my Day One snafu with his shikona, Dewanoryu’s message to Andy is, “Learn my name, Dude.” Yes, sir. He’s been fighting really well to start this tournament and looks like he belongs in the division. Kitanowaka, Toshinofuji, and Daiseizan are not quite as persuasive here. Uwatedashinage.

Tokihayate (1-2) defeated Toshinofuji (0-3). While Toshinofuji leaned over Tokihayate’s back and fumbled for a belt grip, Tokihayate charged into Toshinofuji and blasted him from the ring. Oshidashi.

Asasuiryu (2-1) defeated Abi (1-2). Abi’s back, ankle wrapped up with about sixty feet of tape there. Asasuiryu did not take it easy on him and bulldozed Abi back and out. Will he grind it out and pray for leniency from the Banzuke committee? Oshidashi.

Takanosho (3-0) defeated Ichiyamamoto (1-2). The men traded tsuppari, Ichiyamamoto advancing steadily. As Takanosho reached the edge of the dohyo, he shifted left and slapped Ichiyamamoto down. Hatakikomi.

Oho (2-1) defeated Asahakuryu (2-1). Oho moved forward! He forced Asahakuryu back to the edge where Asahakuryu tried to shift right and thrust Oho down to the side. But Oho had his wits about him, adjusted to Asahakuryu’s shift and plowed ahead. “Call Mr. Plow. That’s my name. That name again is Mr. Plow.” I like this version of Oho. Yorikiri.

Oshoma (2-1) defeated Shishi (0-3). Shishi tried to lumber forward and get in for his left hand grip but Oshoma kept shoving him away. Eventually, Shishi grew so tired (or bored) that he fell asleep and flopped into the middle of the ring. YAWN. Again, terrible footwork from Shishi. He’s stumbling all over. And Oshoma demonstrated the less creativity than a kindergarden art class. Hatakikomi.

Nishikifuji (1-2) defeated Asakoryu (1-2). Nishikifuji’s tachiai woke me up. He hit Asakoryu with a shoulder blast and followed with steady thrusts. Asakoryu barely had time to try any counter attack before he was being driven over the bales. Yorikiri.

Wakamotoharu (2-1) defeated Roga (1-2). Wakamotoharu got a left-hand grip deep at the back of Roga’s mawashi. He drove ahead and forced Roga out quickly. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (3-0) default win over Kotoeiho (1-2).

Halftime

Kotoshoho (2-1) defeated Hiradoumi (1-2). Kotoshoho battered Hiradoumi with head shots out the gate. Hiradoumi shifted to avoid and tried to re-engage from the side but Kotoshoho slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

Takerufuji (2-1) defeated Gonoyama (1-2). Gonoyama charged ahead but Takerufuji slid to the left and pulled Gonoyama down. Tsukiotoshi.

Hakunofuji (2-1) defeated Takayasu (1-2). Hakunofuji reminded me of a weatherman assigned to hurricane duty. He withstood a shoulder blast tachiai followed by a torrent of tsuppari from Takayasu. The only respite came from wrapping his arms around a tree (Takayasu) and waiting for the storm to die down. Hakunofuji then pressed forward and forced Takayasu out with an extra shove to make sure Papayasu was good and out. Yorikiri.

Sanyaku

Atamifuji (3-0) defeated Daieisho (1-2). Atamifuji read the brief. He blocked as much of Daieisho’s incoming blasts as he could and watched out for Daieisho’s sudden shifts. Daieisho eventually shifted himself too close to the edge and Atamifuji charged ahead. Daieisho tried to run away and shift again but shifted himself out. Oshidashi.

Churanoumi (1-2) defeated Fujinokawa (0-3). Fujinokawa was on edge and jumped the gun twice. Churanoumi got a strong left-arm uwate and dragged Fujinokawa down with a forceful throw. I’m sorry, did Churanoumi pull a tooth out, all nonchalant-like, while walking back down the hanamichi? I hope that was just some broccoli. Uwatenage.

Kotozakura (2-1) defeated Fujiseiun (1-2). Now this was Ozeki zumo. Kotozakura forced his way forward until he got that big left-hand grip at the back of Fujiseiun’s belt. Then, he pivoted and dragged Fujiseiun down. Fight like this from now on, Zakura-seki! Can I call you, Zack? No? Wise choice. Uwatenage.

Aonishiki (2-1) defeated Ura (0-3). I didn’t know what Ura had planned and Aonishiki likely didn’t either. We all knew what Aonishiki had planned. Left-hand inside. Ura, it turns out, let him go for that because he was counting on it. He bum-rushed the Ozeki and drove forward, seizing Aonishiki’s belt with his right hand outside as the Ozeki got his favored hold. Ura then suddenly pulled and tried a forceful uwatenage. It would have been a spectacular move but Aonishiki maintained his composure and used his excellent footwork to move inside, wrapping up Ura with both arms and forcing him back and out. Excellent sumo from both men. Good try, Ura-zeki. Yorikiri.

Yoshinofuji (2-1) defeated Kirishima (2-1). Yoshinofuji got his right hand uwate early. Kirishima tried to use his left-hand inside hold to throw Yoshinofuji. Yoshinofuji countered by wrapping his leg around Kirishima and using the added leverage to make his overarm throw work. Fantastic move! Kirishima had a wry smile of appreciation as he got himself back up from the ground. Uwatenage.

Fujiryoga (2-1) defeated Hoshoryu (2-1). Fujiryoga exposed the vulnerability of Hoshoryu’s knee. Hatsu-kinboshi. Hoshoryu pivoted and pulled, clutching for that right hand uwate. It never came. Fujiryoga recovered and charged at the Yokozuna, forcing him back to the edge and then bull-rushing him back onto his ass. “Das ist nicht gut.” Oshitaoshi.

Onosato (2-1) defeated Asanoyama (1-2). Asanoyama got his left-hand uwate but could not quite get that right arm inside. Undeterred, he planted his foot and pulled hard on the Yokozuna’s belt, dragging him toward the edge. Onosato used his footwork and his own solid inside belt grip to keep Asanoyama centered, crushing the former Ozeki backward and out. Asanoyama may have lost but he left his mark. Onosato got up with a bloodied mouth. I’m not sure if it was from the fierce tachiai or the fall. I wouldn’t be surprised if Onosato will be looking for some late-night dental work. Yoritaoshi.

Wrap-up

I’ve got a serious question. Who is better, Yoshinofuji or Atamifuji? Which Isegahama wrestler is destined for higher office, more accolades, more titles, more hardware? Right now, Atamifuji has the Heyagashira title. I mean, it’s staggering to think of Hakunofuji and Takerufuji as the “B-Team” at Isegahama-beya but here we are.

Now, turning to the Fujishima Boys, Fujiryoga draws first blood, claiming his first kinboshi. Both of these guys have burst onto the scene and are becoming quite the duo. I look forward to seeing these guys develop. Fujiseiun will get his chance at a kinboshi tomorrow as he will fight Onosato. Fujiryoga will take on Aonishiki and both are first-time meets.

Hoshoryu looked shaky today on that knee. He will fight Ura tomorrow. We’ll see how he recovers from today’s loss. It will be very important to pick up these early wins. He can’t be scrambling for a kachi-koshi in the final days, or we’ll see his final days on the dohyo sooner rather than later.

Asanoyama will fight Kotozakura, whom he leads in the rivalry with a 3-0 record. However, their first head-to-head was more than 10 years ago, way back in Sandanme and both were fighting under their real names: Ishibashi vs. Koto-Kamatani. They would fight again two years ago when Asanoyama was making his first comeback. We’ll see how it goes this time. With Kotozakura fighting well, this could actually be a really good bout.

Kirishima will fight Takayasu in yet another highlight bout. Atamifuji will fight Churanoumi and Fujinokawa will take on Yoshinofuji. It’s amazing Fujinokawa is still winless. Can he turn this around and save his potential Ozeki run? Or will it wither on the vine? Yoshinofuji leads the head-to-head with a 6-1 advantage.

Kyushu 2026: Day Two

Andy Kyushu 2026, Kyushu Basho ,

Day Two in Fukuoka.

Hitoshi is kyujo with a broken eye socket and bleeding in his eye, injuries suffered in his Day One bout against Tanji. He will likely join Shirokuma in Makushita in January. Brutal sport.

It will be a while before we have a yusho race to follow in Juryo but Tobizaru and Wakatakakage are making an early case for their return to the top division. Wakatakakage defeated Nabatame and Tobizaru took out Onokatsu. Shodai gave it his all against Kayo (that was sarcasm, he basically gave up) and Enho wrangled Tomokaze. Asahifuji got his first win, and so did Eisei, down in Jonidan. Unfortunately, Hikarumusashi couldn’t outmaneuver Ikazuchihayate in Sandanme.

I am gutted to see the comment from sumosquirrel that JME will shutter in the spring of 2027. Sorry I didn’t notice that first; must’ve been asleep at the wheel but I’ll see if I can find more details. Sumosquirrel pointed to Sling as an option. I don’t mean to rant but I hate cable with a passion and I see Sling as another iteration of cable. These silly packages charge for things which are free, over-the-air, and/or just lame as hell. I wasn’t just watching sumo on JME. I’d watch news, documentaries, Japanese dramas, etc. So, I am sad to see it coming to an end.

It looks like the base Sling package is ESPN, Disney, and some worthless freebies. Grit? I’ve got that free with my digital antenna and it’s only worth watching when A Fistful of Dollars happens to be on. You still have to put up with five minutes of ads for gold and reverse mortgages for every 10 minutes of actual programming. And I’m not going to subsidize the talking heads on Cable TV. We won’t get into the reasons I think they’re the worst thing to happen to Western Civilization since Autotune.

Say what you will about NHK, I actually really respect the quality of their news when compared to what we have in the States. They actually cover the world and don’t waste time with silly viral videos and irrelevant garbage or “human interest.” Anyway, I hope I’ll be able to find a new service and I’ll keep you all up-to-date on my search. /Rant

NHK videos are here. Today’s videos include interviews with our newly promoted tate-gyoji pair, Shonosuke and Inosuke.

Makuuchi Action

Arashifuji (2-0) defeated Daiseizan (0-2). Forward sumo defeated Backward sumo. Both men attacked each other with tsuppari. However, Arashifuji advanced behind his blasts while Daiseizan tried to pull and use side-to-side shifting to catch Arashifuji off guard. The storm was never caught off-guard. Oshidashi.

Kitanowaka (1-1) defeated Kyokukaiyu (1-1). Kyokukaiyu tried to duck under Kitanowaka’s blasts to get inside. Eventually, he could only wrap him up with a desperate kubinage. Then he tried Bill Murray’s love-making move from the movie Scrooged, wrapping his leg around Kitanowaka. Kyokukaiyu’s awkward position allowed Kitanowaka to get behind him and blast him off the dohyo and into the third row. Okuridashi.

Tamawashi (1-1) defeated Tokihayate (0-2). Good Old Tom O’Washi brawled with Tokihayate and battered the poor lad until he kicked him out the pub. With the win, Tamawashi moves ahead of Kisenosato into seventh place, three wins behind Kotoshogiku on the all-time makuuchi win list. Tsukidashi.

Dewanoryu (2-0) defeated Asasuiryu (1-1). Play silly games, win silly prizes. Asasuiryu tried to play with Dewanoryu before the tachiai as if he were Hoshoryu. Dewanoryu quickly wrapped him up and rushed him out. Yorikiri.

Ichiyamamoto (1-1) defeated Toshinofuji (0-2). Ichiyamamoto caught Toshinofuji when Toshinofuji tried to pull. Ichiyamamoto blasted forward with tsuppari and shoved him out. I must say, these opening bouts have been much more entertaining than yesterday’s.  Oshidashi.

Asahakuryu (2-0) defeated Abi (1-1). Well, this wasn’t entertaining and was actually quite concerning. Abi may have rolled his right ankle as he braced against the tawara. He crumpled awkwardly under pressure from Asahakuryu, had difficulty getting up and limped his way back up the hanamichi. He’s now on kyujo watch. At this rank, he would be Barge Captain. Oshitaoshi.

Takanosho (2-0) defeated Shishi (0-2). Takanosho’s tsuppari attack was too powerful for Shishi but in all honesty Shishi’s footwork was terrible. He staggered all over the edge of the ring as if he’d been out late with Good Ole Tom. I don’t know how he didn’t break his ankles. Yorikiri.

Oho (1-1) defeated Asakoryu (1-1). Oho used his mass to stop Asakoryu’s initial charge. As Asakoryu pressed forward, Oho quickly slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

Roga (1-1) defeated Oshoma (1-1). Oshoma got a good left-hand overarm grip and tried to pull Roga over the edge. Roga was able to resist the uwatenage and forced action back to the center of the ring. Oshoma decided to pull and Roga took advantage, forcing him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (2-0) defeated Nishikifuji (0-2). Another half-assed pull attempt gone wrong. Nishikifuji tried to pull and shift but Kinbozan kept him well-centered and shoved him off the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Kotoeiho (1-1) defeated Gonoyama (1-1). Kotoeiho got his left-hand inside and Gonoyama freaked out, rearing backward. That wasn’t wise as Kotoeiho shuffled with Gonoyama’s momentum and forced him out. Yorikiri.

Takerufuji (1-1) defeated Daieisho (1-1). Takerufuji didn’t get caught leaning too far forward today. He weathered Daieisho’s initial advance and pressed forward when Daieisho reverted to his “reverse” mode. Oshidashi.

Hakunofuji (1-1) defeated Hiradoumi (1-1). Hakunofuji stood up to Hiradoumi, drove him back and powered him out. Hiradoumi tried the pull-and-shift out of desperation but Hakunofuji rode him out. Yorikiri.

Sanyaku

Takayasu (1-1) defeated Fujinokawa (0-2). Takayasu got Fujinokawa’s right arm and did not let go until Fujinokawa was flying off the dohyo. Kimedashi.

Atamifuji (2-0) defeated Ura (0-2). Ura just stood up instead of charging forward. He tried to figure out a way to sneak inside on Atamifuji but Atamifuji drove Ura back to the edge. Ura planted his feet in the bales and wouldn’t go over. So Atamifuji backed across the ring and pulled Ura down. Gunbai Atamifuji. No mono-ii. Ura looked around hoping Atamifuji had stepped out and the judges would confer but they made the right call. Ura was down. Kotenage.

Aonishiki (1-1) defeated Yoshinofuji (1-1). It’s back! It’s been a while since we’ve seen this move from Aonishiki. He last did it here in Fukuoka last year against Kotozakura on his way to the yusho. Aonishiki got his left-hand grip and then chopped at Yoshinofuji’s forward left knee with his right hand while pulling with the left. Uchimuso.

Kirishima (2-0) defeated Fujiseiun (1-1). I wouldn’t allow an Ozeki to get both hands inside. Unfortunately for Fujiseiun, that’s exactly what he did. Kirishima wrapped him up and forced him out. Elementary. Yorikiri.

Kotozakura (1-1) defeated Churanoumi (0-2). Kotozakura shifted left as Churanoumi was pressing forward and that was all she wrote as Churanoumi’s momentum forced him to flop to the clay, with some help from Kotozakura’s slapdown. Hatakikomi.

Onosato (1-1) defeated Fujiryoga (1-1). STOP RUNNING AWAY! Oh, yay, he stopped. Now he’s pressing forward and easily forcing Fujiryoga out. The Yokozuna pressed forward, hooked his arms inside Fujiryoga’s arms and bodied him out. Yorikiri.

Hoshoryu (2-0) defeated Asanoyama (1-1). Not only do these guys have matching knee braces and foot wraps, they have matching orange budgies. Damn. Hoshoryu seized Asanoyama’s belt with his right hand inside, swung him around to the edge and then slammed him back on his butt. Yoritaoshi.

Wrap-up

No more yelling from me today. And I swear, no more griping about cable tv or autotune. I’ve got that out of my system, so thank you for indulging me. But I will fill you all in on whatever I find as an alternative over the course of the next few months.

As we turn to tomorrow’s bouts, we’ve got some real barnstormers. Onosato will fight Asanoyama in the musubi-no-ichiban and Hoshoryu will fight Fujiryoga. Both are first time match-ups, if you believe it.

As we turn to the Ozeki, Kirishima will fight Yoshinofuji, Aonishiki will fight Ura, and Kotozakura will take on Fujiseiun. To close out sanyaku pairings, Fujinokawa will fight Churanoumi and Atamifuji will battle Daieisho.

Kyushu 2026: Shonichi

Andy Kyushu 2026, Kyushu Basho , , , ,

Day One in Fukuoka. Before action started, media reported Shirokuma will be kyujo. He tore a ligament in his right ankle. Mitakeumi received the default win. That’s a tough break for the Number Two guy at Nishinoseki-beya.

In Jonokuchi, Sunamusashi kicked the tournament off with a win. His shusshin is officially Tokyo, but he was raised in Hawaii. Good luck! Hopefully he and Hikarumusashi can learn from each other and steadily climb the banzuke. We look forward to following his career. Eisei will fight Banju in early Jonidan action tomorrow. Lots to cover in Juryo so let’s get moving.

Wakatakakage, naked of any braces or wraps on his knee, overwhelmed Ryuden to pick up his first win. He might be the favorite for the Juryo title after Asahifuji fell to…checks notes…Tamashoho? Really? Wow. The quick slapdown and Asahifuji is stunned. It’s a long tournament and he’ll have an even longer career but an auspicious start, certainly. Ryuho, the other Juryo debutant, won his first bout against Hatsuyama. Enho defeated Wakanosho by first trying a leg grab on Wakanosho’s weak right knee. Wakanosho then chased Enho around the ring and battered him a bit but Enho got that leg and forced Wakanosho out. Meisei lost to Tokifudo.

NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Kyokukaiyu defeated Daiseizan. Kyokukaiyu established a left-hand belt grip and chugged forward, easing Daiseizan over the tawara. Yorikiri.

Arashifuji defeated Kitanowaka. Arashifuji used his big right hand ottsuke to keep Kitanowaka from getting a left hand grip AND to drive Kitanowaka back. Oshidashi.

Dewanoryu defeated Tamawashi. Tamawashi used his powerful left-hand nodowa to force Dewanoryu back to the edge. However, Dewanoryu managed to get inside and get a right-hand belt grip. “Get him off me! Get him off me!” Tamawashi tried to shove his arms away but by now Dewanoryu worked both arms in there for a firm morozashi. Yorikiri.

Asasuiryu defeated Tokihayate. A great back-and-forth here but Asasuiryu finally corralled Tokihayate and rushed him out of the ring. Yorikiri.

Abi defeated Toshinofuji. Toshinofuji charged into Abi and drove him back to the edge. But Abi shifted left at the edge and slapped Toshinofuji down to the clay. Hatakikomi.

Asahakuryu defeated Ichiyamamoto. Ichiyamamoto pulled and Asahakuryu bulldozed him back easily. Terrible start for Ichiyamamoto fans. Oshidashi.

Takanosho defeated Oho. Oho got some initial penetration into Takanosho’s side of the dohyo as a result of a strong tachiai. However, he yielded it right back to Takanosho as he pulled and Takanosho shoved him back and out. Oshidashi.

Asakoryu defeated Shishi. Shishi tried to get his left hand on Asakoryu’s belt but Asakoryu forced Shishi back and over the edge. Impressive strength from Mighty Mouse. Yorikiri.

Oshoma defeated Nishikifuji. Nishikifuji had just locked on with his left hand when Oshoma shoved Nishikifuji violently to the right and shifted to his left. Nishikifuiji’s momentum helped Oshoma drive him to the ground. Tsukiotoshi.

Kinbozan defeated Roga. One-way bout here as Kinbozan overpowered Roga and quickly forced him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Wakamotoharu defeated Kotoeiho. Wakamotoharu forced Kotoeiho back and out. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Gonoyama defeated Kotoshoho. Gonoyama did not come to play around. He obliterated Kotoshoho with powerful thrusts. Oshidashi.

Hiradoumi defeated Takerufuji. Takerufuji’s torso got out way in front of his feet. It looked hilarious as he tried to slap Hiradoumi down only to bring himself to the clay. Hikiotoshi.

Daieisho defeated Hakunofuji. Daieisho welcomed Hakunofuji to Fukuoka in the traditional manner: Aggravated Assault. Hakunofuji was just trying to buy some salt from the nice guy with the magic water and before he knew what was happening, this brute came out of nowhere and started battering him then thrust him out of the store. Tsukidashi.

Sanyaku

Atamifuji defeated Takayasu. Takayasu tried to spin away from Atamifuji but Atamifuji charged forward with perfect timing and shoved Takayasu out from behind. Okuridashi.

Fujiseiun defeated Fujinokawa. Fujiseiun attacked Fujinokawa and drove him to the edge. As Fujinokawa tried to shift along the bales, Fujiseiun worked to establish firm grips on Fujinokawa’s belt. With his steady footwork, he didn’t allow any openings for Fujinokawa to counter attack and he patiently drove Fujinokawa out. Yorikiri.

Kirishima defeated Ura. When Kirishima charged forward, Ura pivoted and tried to escape to the left. Ura forgot to tell his feet what he was planning, though, and he tripped and rolled across the ring. Yoritaoshi.

Fujiryoga defeated Kotonanahachi. Somehow, I knew this was going to happen and I’m confident that you all did, too. Kotohachinana pulled and Fujiryoga chased him out of the ring by virtue of his steady footwork and solid tsuppari. No need to worry about a tracking any “rope runs” with this Ozeki. Oshidashi.

Asanoyama defeated Aonishiki. I did NOT see this one coming, though. Aonishiki got his left-hand grip. But he couldn’t pull Asanoyama over. Asanoyama wasted no time and went on the offense, with both arms tucked up under Aonishiki’s armpits. He drove into Aonishiki and methodically broke him down. Aonishiki tried to spin away but Asanoyama wrapped him up and used his own left-hand grip to haul Aonishiki to the clay, outside the ring. Yoritaoshi.

Hoshoryu defeated Churanoumi. Churanoumi wanted the left hand maemitsu grip and he had it for a second. Hoshoryu immediately shifted right and slapped Churanoumi’s hand away. Churanoumi then went for the nodowa but Hoshoryu doesn’t have a neck anymore so that attack didn’t really go anywhere. Hoshoryu, for his part, just tried to stay in the ring and on his feet He succeeded. He shifted right and left, baiting Churanoumi into the attack. Churanoumi charged forward and Hoshoryu slipped away again, this time following up with a shove, sending Churanoumi off balance, stumbling over the bales. After collecting his kensho, Hoshoryu looked upward and gave a sigh of relief. One down. Fourteen to go. Oshidashi.

Yoshinofuji defeated Onosato. Onosato charged ahead, boldly forcing Yoshinofuji back to the edge. Yoshinofuji pivoted on the straw bales and let the Yokozuna fall forward. Gunbai Yoshinofuji. Mono-ii. Did Onosato’s finger touch the tawara as he flailed around? Yes, his hand touched. Tsukiotoshi.

Wrap-up

Hopefully, Hakunofuji will realize he’s at a sumo tournament. He will need to as he’s scheduled to fight a the high-octane Hiradoumi tomorrow. Fujinokawa will fight Takayasu. Atamifuji and takes on Ura. Takayasu and Ura need to get their heads in the game, too. Both had rather sloppy Day One losses.

Aonishiki will fight Yoshinofuji, Kirishima will take on Fujiseiun, and Kotozakura will fight Churanoumi. Onosato will try to regroup against Fujiryoga and Hoshoryu will face a massive test with Asanoyama.

I think I’m going to see how much mileage I can get out of comparing the Fujishima-beya Boys to the Duke Brothers. Just a couple of working-class guys from a small, humble heya, fighting The Man and taking it one day at a time. If that’s the case, who’s Uncle Jesse? Maybe Takayasu. More importantly, who’s Daisy? Kotozak…no. He’s Sheriff Roscoe P Coltrane, surely, since Onosato seems to want to be Boss Hogg. We still need a Daisy, though. Oh well, maybe this is where the analogy dies.

It’s great to be back with y’all. As Onosato and Kotozakura stumbled out of the gate, Hoshoryu can finally breathe. However, it’s a long tournament and Hoshoryu was not exactly using great sumo here today. Long tournament? In two weeks I’m going to be lamenting, AGAIN, how quickly the action passed.

Kyushu 2026: Shonichi Preview

Andy Kyushu 2026, Kyushu Basho , , ,

Day One in the historic Hakata district of Fukuoka. Fresh off his victory in September, Yokozuna Onosato will look to win a title in Kyushu for the first time. It is fitting that his first bout this tournament will be against Yoshinofuji, whom he finally managed to beat on his path to that title. Prior to Aki, Yoshinofuji appeared to have access to Onosato’s kryptonite, winning their first three bouts. So, this will be a very tough challenge but with that first win, Onosato might feel like he’s broken the curse, gotten the monkey off his back. It won’t be an easy fight but he can go into it with a clear mind.

On the other hand, Hoshoryu has the weight of his rank on his back. He returns from knee surgery and has been working it out on tour and in practice. But this is a hon-basho. Is he “production ready?” The pressure to perform is not just coming from the press, who constantly reminds fans that he has yet to win a title as Yokozuna; his shisho is looking for nothing less than a yusho. Churanoumi will be a difficult opponent but one to whom Hoshoryu has never lost. Churanoumi will be motivated to represent Okinawans as he is now the highest ranked Okinawan sumo wrestler, ever. These are the most dangerous matchups, in my mind. It’s probably good, then, that I will not be up on that dohyo.

Aonishiki will fight Asanoyama in a first-time meeting (初顔合わせ). It’s rather astonishing to me that these guys haven’t fought yet. But here we are. Asanoyama, the former Ozeki still has hopes of returning to his former rank. There are many new fans will not recall the drama of his sudden fall from grace or even his first comeback. Asanoyama has clawed his way back, again, to the top of the rank and file. Can he make it back into sanyaku? Before the scandal, there had been murmurs of Yokozuna, as there are now for his opponent, Aonishiki. Frankly, I just want to see these guys stay healthy for a while. They will undoubtedly give it all they have. It should be a highlight bout.

Rounding out the Ozeki ranks, Kotozakura will fight Fujiryoga and Kirishima will take on Ura. At Sekiwake, we have Fujinokawa fighting Fujiseiun and Atamifuji battling Takayasu. There are some great rank-and-file matchups, too, like Daieisho versus Hakunofuji, Takerufuji against Hiradoumi and Kotoshoho versus Gonoyama. Wakamotoharu will fight Kotoeiho as he works his way back toward the joi.

I’m also watching Takanosho versus Oho. These guys could easily be fighting each other in the joi or sanyaku. In fact, that’s usually where they face each other. Their performances here toward the lower third of the banzuke could tell us a lot about their condition and prospects for moving back up…or sliding down into Juryo. Similarly, Ichiyamamoto will fight Asahakuryu and Abi will take on Toshinofuji.

American readers in particular, though, will be firing up the VPNs tonight to catch early action Sunamusashi will kick off the action tonight. He completed maezumo in September. He was raised in Hawaii and is the son of former Juryo wrestler, Sunahama. Sunahama was fighting in Juryo back when music was good. (Western Civilization peaked in the 1990s. Autotune ruined everything. I will not accept debate on this issue. But feel free to debate anything else in the comments section.)