Natsu 2026: Day Seven

Andy Natsu 2026, Natsu Basho , ,

Asakoryu is kyujo beginning today. Hakunofuji will receive the default win. With a 3-4 record, if he does not return this tournament he’s likely to just miss the barge to Juryo and end up in the bottom rungs of the division.

Speaking of injured folks, Nikkan Sports reports that Aonishiki is not going to return to the tournament. I had mentioned this on social media but I can expand upon it here. They report that Aonishiki’s ankle injury is still not healed so he will not compete in this tournament. That means he will drop back to Sekiwake. (**Update: SEKIWAKE, not Juryo, Andy.**)

They make a point that it’s tied for the second shortest run at Ozeki for a shin-Ozeki…but they neglect mentioning the shortest was Takakeisho with only two basho. Aonishiki had not hit a ceiling in his career until Ozeki. The likelihood is high that he will be able to get the 10 wins required in Nagoya to immediately reclaim the rank of Ozeki in September. Even if he doesn’t, Kirishima shows a longer path back is possible.

What Nikkan Sports also pointed out was that Aonishiki will plan to participate in June events, such as the retirement ceremonies for Hokutofuji and Takarafuji (no relation) and the big Paris shindig. Since those events will happen before the Nagoya banzuke comes out, he will participate as Ozeki Aonishiki.

Now, let’s turn back to the tournament at hand. Enho dropped another bout, this one to Hitoshi. As the last guy on the bottom rung of Juryo, he will need 8 wins to be safe. Any more wins are obviously gravy and help him earn some breathing space. He’ll fight Kayo tomorrow and I expect a “W” here.

Kazekeno still leads the yusho race. He will fight Toshinofuji tomorrow. Daiseizan trails at 6-1 and will fight Kyokukaiyu. With a win and kachi-koshi, he’ll likely earn promotion to the top division. Speaking of kachi-koshi, Makushita Tsukedashi wrestler Omori took down Gonosho for his all-important fourth win. And in Sandanme Asahifuji threw Hinataryu and stays on the path to join the 21-win club.

Let’s get to the action.

Your NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Roga (4-3) defeated Fujiryoga (5-2). Roga quickly got his left hand up front of Fujiryoga’s belt and rushed him out. Oshidashi.

Ryuden (2-5) defeated Mitakeumi (3-4). Ryuden made Mitakeumi look like he’s the one who needs a trip on the barge. Yorikiri.

Kotoeiho (6-1) defeated Wakanosho (4-3). Somewhere in this brawl, Kotoeiho grabbed Wakanosho’s arm and pulled him forward to a knee. Hikiotoshi.

Tobizaru (6-1) defeated Shishi (2-5). As punishment for the slow-ass kachiage, Tobizaru quickly got a right hand over-arm grip, pivoted, and pulled Shishi down. Uwatedashinage.

Kinbozan (4-3) defeated Oshoumi (1-6). JME coverage started here because there was some gymnastics competition. Don’t they know sumo is more important? Anyway, Kinbozan used his tsupppari to thrust Oshoumi out. Tsukidashi.

Ura (5-2) defeated Tamawashi (0-7). Ura charged Tamawashi and drove him out. Oshidashi.

Tokihayate (2-5) defeated Asanoyama (4-3). Asanoyama charged forward, forcing Tokihayate to the bales but yielding a morozashi, double-inside grip. At the bales, Tokihayate found the leverage he needed to counter Asanoyama. With that double-inside grip he was able to charge ahead and force Asanoyama across the dohyo to the other side. When Asanoyama tried to brace himself at the bales, Tokihayate continued to press forward, forcing Asanoyama to fall backward out of the ring. Yoritaoshi.

Hakunofuji default win over Asakoryu.

Chiyoshoma (4-3) defeated Nishikifuji (1-6). Chiyoshoma pulled and quickly slapped Nishikifuji down. Hatakikomi.

Fujiseiun (5-2) defeated Asahakuryu (2-5). Asahakuryu put his head down and charged forward. Fujiseiun absorbed the attack and shifted to his right while reaching inside and grabbing Asahakuryu’s belt with both hands. When Asahakuryu’s back was to the tawara, Fujiseiun reversed gears and bulldozed ahead, shoving Asahakuryu out. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Churanoumi (5-2) defeated Abi (3-4). Abi launched into his usual attack but Churanoumi was ready for it. Churanoumi avoided the slapdown and took advantage of Abi’s change in direction to shove Abi out. Oshidashi.

Oshoma (5-2) defeated Shodai (2-5). Shodai got Oshoma to back up a few steps but he had come in too high, as usual. So Oshoma drove forward and sent Shodai back from whence he came. Oshoma then strolled back to collect his kensho like, “Don’t come at me with that weak ish, Okay man? Making me get dressed and get my hair done and come all the way down here for what? That?” Oshidashi.

Yoshinofuji (4-3) defeated Gonoyama (5-2). Gonoyama wanted to dislodge Yoshinofuji’s head from his neck but when it didn’t pop off, he backed straight up for a slapdown…only to be standing well outside the ring before Yoshinofuji came down. Oshidashi.

Fujinokawa (4-3) defeated Takanosho (3-4). Fujinokawa with a socially distant henka. Hands up like, “I’m not touching that.” Poor Takanosho. Hikiotoshi.

Sanyaku

Wakatakakage (6-1) defeated Ichiyamamoto (2-5). Wakatakakage blitzed Ichiyamamoto. Ichi half-tried a pull but it was too little, too late. Oshidashi.

Kotoshoho (4-3) defeated Hiradoumi (3-4). So, Hiradoumi grabbed Kotoshoho’s arm and pulled him forward. Kotoshoho then did this dramatic, “Be gone!” motion with his arms and Hiradoumi fell backwards. Oshitaoshi.

Atamifuji (3-4) defeated Wakamotoharu (2-5). The Atamidozer came out of nowhere and rolled right through the dohyo. Wakamotoharu had no chance. Oshidashi.

Kirishima (7-0) defeated Daieisho (2-5). Daieisho with another terribly executed pull. Kirishima easily drove him out. Oshidashi.

Oho (3-4) defeated Kotozakura (2-5). La piece de resistance. Oho pressed forward. After all, why would he be intimidated in the slightest by this Stay-Puffed Sakura character? Oho forced Kotozakura back. The pair got two feet from the edge and Kotozakura thought he would try to spring an uwatenage. No. Then a sukuinage. No. Then, he stepped out and with his right foot square on the outermost tawara, a yard outside the ring, he grabbed Oho’s head and pulled him forward. The beautiful bit was the way he tried to sneak his feet back onto the inside set of tawara to act like, “What? I was inside the whole time!” I cannot wait for him to collect his umpteenth kadoban. He’s earning it. Oshidashi.

Wrap-Up

Enjoy the video piece about Chiyoshoma. It’s a great montage found at the bottom of the page which shows him as a young recruit under the tutelage of the great Chiyonofuji, and now under the Ozeki Chiyotaikai. He put in a lot of work learning Japanese as he climbed the ranks.

He was promoted to Juryo and Chiyonofuji travelled to Mongolia to visit with Chiyoshoma’s folks a few months before he died (10 years ago this July). Chiyoshoma also shares the last texts he received from The Wolf in the weeks before. We see more footage of him training more recently with his current shisho, Chiyotaikai, we meet his family, watch him collect his kinboshi from Hoshoryu…it’s really a nice video. Please check it out.

Getting back to the tournament at hand, Kirishima will fight Gonoyama on nakabi. He’ll have a chance to pick up his kachi-koshi. Now that I’ve had some time to process the day, I’ve cooled off and am not quite so steaming mad at Kotozakura. He’ll fight Daieisho tomorrow. Kotoshoho will take on Wakamotoharu. Atamifuji will take on Shodai. Wakatakakage will face Oho.

Natsu 2026: Day Six

Andy Natsu 2026, Natsu Basho

No new kyujo to report among the sekitori, coming into the day’s action. Enho suffered his first loss of the tournament. He dropped this bout to Tohakuryu. Daiseizan and Toshinofuji also dropped their bouts, leaving Kazekeno as sole leader at 6-0. Down in sandanme, Enho and Toshinofuji’s stablemate Asahifuji had no problems dispatching Okinohama. Asahifuji just pressed forward and forced Okinohama back and out.

I’m pretty confident I saw one of the US Embassy 250 kensho banners during the Oshoma/Fujiseiun pre-bout. I’ll try to find pictures. It was dark blue with the US seal and “250” emblazoned beneath.

NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Tobizaru (5-1) defeated Wakanosho (4-2). Henka! Tobizaru defeats the shin-nyumaku wrestler by leaping to the side and letting the kid fall on his face. Tsukiotoshi.

Mitakeumi (3-3) defeated Oshoumi (1-5). Mitakeumi grabbed Oshoumi in a bear hug, twisted and dropped Oshoumi in the middle of the ring. While going down, he rolled his right ankle. Sukuinage.

Ryuden (1-5) defeated Roga (3-3). Ryuden got both hands on Roga’s belt early, his left-hand uwate. He got low, driving his head into Roga’s chin, and slowly worked Roga to the edge and over. It’s not clear to me what Roga’s defense or counter attack was. Yorikiri.

Fujiryoga (5-1) defeated Tamawashi (0-6). After trading nodowa and tsuppari, Tamawashi sprung forward in attack, Fujiryoga pulled and slapped Tamawashi down. Hatakikomi.

Ura (4-2) defeated Kotoeiho (5-1). Ura did a good job of keeping Kotoeiho’s left hand from getting on his belt. Meanwhile, Ura grabbed Kotoeiho’s belt with his right hand uwate and immediately rotated while driving Kotoeiho’s head down with his left hand. Both men tumbled into the crowd. Gunbai Ura. No mono-ii. Kotoeiho suffers his first defeat of the tournament. Uwatenage.

Asanoyama (4-2) defeated Shishi (2-4). Asanoyama got his right arm under Shishi’s left and rotated, throwing Shishi off balance and forcing him to stumble toward the bales. Asanoyama followed up with a shove to send him over. Oshidashi.

Hakunofuji (4-2) defeated Tokihayate (1-5). Both men got their left hand inside but Hakunofuji established his right hand uwate hold of Tokihayate’s belt quickly and began to drive forward. Hakunofuji patiently worked Tokihayate to the side and over the bales. Hakunofuji snaps the East-side streak. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (3-3) defeated Nishikifuji (1-5). Kinbozan rotated and used his left handed uwate grip to throw Nishikifuji over the edge. Uwatenage.

Chiyoshoma (3-3) defeated Abi (3-3). Chiyoshoma seemed to be operating at 2x speed. He pulled on Abi’s arms, drawing him forward and off-balance. Chiyoshoma then slapped Abi down to finish him off. Hatakikomi.

Churanoumi (4-2) defeated Asahakuryu (2-4). Churanoumi planted his head into Asahakuryu’s shoulder and pressed forward so Asahakuryu resisted with forward pressure. Churanoumi suddenly snapped and pulled, then used his left hand inside grip to pull Asahakuryu forward. The sudden shift caused Asahakuryu to stumble all the way across the ring and out. Yorikiri? OK. I imagine that’s one of three or four reasonable calls on the kimarite.

Halftime

Oshoma (4-2) defeated Fujiseiun (4-2). Oshoma grabbed Fujiseiun’s left arm and pulled him forward. This allowed him to get behind as Fujiseiun resisted. Oshoma then shoved Fujiseiun toward the bales from behind. There was a healthy stack of kensho on this bout. Okuridashi.

Shodai (2-4) defeated Asakoryu (3-3). Shodai went high and wrapped up Asakoryu with both hands overarm in a kimedashi grip. He couldn’t quite get leverage to move forward. So, Shodai pulled and slapped Asakoryu down. Asakoryu seems to have rolled his right ankle as he had difficulty getting up and limped up the hanamichi with the support of his tsukebito. Slap some more tape on there and I’m sure he’ll be back tomorrow. Tsukiotoshi.

Wakamotoharu (2-4) defeated Ichiyamamoto (2-4). Wakamotoharu shifted right and deflected Ichiyamamoto’s attack to the right. As Ichiyamamoto struggled to re-orient himself, Wakamotoharu attacked again and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Yoshinofuji (3-3) defeated Takanosho (3-3). Takanosho charged forward while Yoshinofuji rotated and pulled Takanosho down with his left hand uwate. Gunbai Takanosho. Mono-ii. After a rather lengthy review the judges decided that we needed a rematch. I thought it was rather obvious on the replay that Takanosho touched down first but here we are. On the replay, Yoshinofuji left no doubt as he wrapped his arm around Takanosho’s neck, rotated, and threw Takanosho over the edge while staying standing. Kubinage.

Sanyaku

Wakatakakage (5-1) defeated Fujinokawa (3-3). Wakatakakage used his left hand overarm grip (uwate) to bull his way forward and eject Fujinokawa from the dohyo. Despite all of the kyujo, we’re seeing great action. Yorikiri.

Gonoyama (5-1) defeated Atamifuji (2-4). Gonoyama pressed forward and plain overpowered Atamifuji. Oshidashi.

Kotoshoho (3-3) defeated Daieisho (2-4). Kotoshoho did his best Daieisho impression while Daieisho’s big guns went quiet. Kotoshoho battered Daieisho and shoved him over the edge. I don’t think Daieisho threw a single volley of his usual tsuppari. Oshidashi.

Hiradoumi (3-3) defeated Kotozakura (2-4). On about his third try, Hiradoumi finally overpowered the Ozeki and forced him over the edge. Not a lot of offense from Kotozakura. Yorikiri.

Kirishima (6-0) defeated Oho (2-4). Oho forced Kirishima to the very edge but couldn’t quite get him over. Kirishima struggled with Oho’s loose belt but finally snapped Oho forward with a quick lunge and then ran Oho out of the ring. Yorikiri.

Wrap-Up

From the bottom of the banzuke moving up, Ryuden (1-5), Oshoumi (1-5), Tamawashi (0-6) and Tokihayate (1-5) are all looking for seats on the barge to Juryo.

With Kotoeiho’s loss, Kirishima is the sole leader with a clean, unblemished record. Tomorrow, he will fight Daieisho. Kotozakura will try to turn things around against Oho. Atamifuji will fight Wakamotoharu, Kotoshoho will face Hiradoumi, and Wakatakakage will fight Ichiyamamoto. We’ll see you tomorrow!

Natsu 2026: Day Five

Andy Natsu 2026, Natsu Basho

No new kyujo to report today. My secondary dohyo matsuri appears to be holding. But there was a bit of drama as Hakunofuji was summoned by the Kyokai and given a stern warning for neglecting to do the “hand katana” gesture when collecting his kensho. Tempest, meet teacup.

Back on the doyho, Enho defeated Tamashoho to move his winning streak to five bouts. It looks like Tamashoho nearly had it today, though. Enho remains in the leadership group with Daiseizan, Toshinofuji, and Kazekeno. Down in Makushita, the highly touted Tsukedashi debutant picked up his third win of the basho against Goseizan.

Videos of top division action are here.

Makuuchi Action

Fujiryoga (4-1) defeated Oshoumi (1-4). The two men traded shoves and tsuppari until Fujiryoga slammed his right hand into Oshoumi’s left shoulder. This staggered Oshoumi so Fujiryoga followed up quickly and shoved Oshoumi out. Oshidashi.

Tobizaru (4-1) defeated Ryuden (0-5). Tobizaru slammed into Ryuden and drove him back and out of the ring. Oshidashi.

Wakanosho (4-1) defeated Tamawashi (0-5). We got a spark from Tamawashi as he bulldozed Wakanosho, driving him back to the edge of the dohyo. Wakanosho slipped to his right and shoved Tamawashi from the left side to turn the tables. He followed up with a strong shove to force Tamawashi to step back and out. Oshidashi.

Kotoeiho (5-0) defeated Roga (3-2). Roga was a mere blocking sled today as Kotoeiho chugged forward and forced Roga back and out. Yorikiri.

Mitakeumi (2-3) defeated Tokihayate (1-4). Mitakeumi blocked Tokihayate’s attempt to get inside at his belt. He charged forward and thrust Tokihayate out. Tsukidashi.

Shishi (2-3) defeated Hakunofuji (3-2). This time Shishi went for the misdirection and it paid off. He slipped right and tried a slapdown. Hakunofuji stumbled forward. Shishi re-engaged and drove Hakunofuji back around the ring with his left hand inside and a firm right hand outside belt grip. At the bales, Shishi crushed Hakunofuji backwards. Yoritaoshi.

Asanoyama (3-2) defeated Kinbozan (2-3) Asanoyama kept the West Side streak alive as he grabbed Kinbozan with a right hand inside and left hand outside hold. Asanoyama used the leveraged to hold Kinbozan up and drive him back and out. Yorikiri.

Abi (3-2) defeated Nishikifuji (1-4). Abi pulled and pivoted as he neared the edge, slapping Nishikifuji down. Hatakikomi.

Ura (3-2) defeated Asahakuryu (2-3). Asahakuryu appeared to overpower Ura and force him backward. Ura slipped out to the right and grabbed Asahakuryu’s left arm, pulling him forward. Ura got in behind and finished Asahakuryu off with a shove. Okuridashi.

Oshoma (3-2) defeated Chiyoshoma (2-3). Oshoma finally broke The West Side’s winning streak when he grabbed Chiyoshoma’s belt with a left hand over arm grip, pulled Chiyoshoma forward and used his right hand to shove Chiyoshoma down. Uwatenage.

Halftime

Asakoryu (3-2) defeated Churanoumi (3-2). Asakoryu blitzed Churanoumi and drove him out quickly. Oshidashi.

Fujiseiun (4-1) defeated Wakamotoharu (1-4). Wakamotoharu drove Fujiseiun toward the bales but Fujiseiun pivoted and used his right arm, which was tucked under WMH’s armpit, to throw Wakamotoharu over the edge. Sukuinage.

Gonoyama (4-1) defeated Shodai (1-4). Gonoyama used his nodowa well and forced Shodai back to the edge. Shodai could not execute an escape. With the looming trial of Acme Corporation, I wonder if Shodai’s had trouble acquiring anything for his own back of tricks. Oshidashi.

Yoshinofuji (2-3) defeated Daieisho (2-3). Yoshinofuji did well to get inside Daieisho’s barrage and put him into a bear hug. He found the back of Daieisho’s belt, pivoted, and shoved Daieisho forward. Yoshinofuji then finished Daieisho off with a shove from behind. Okuridashi.

Sanyaku

Takanosho (3-2) defeated Wakatakakage (4-1). Takanosho pulled and slapped Wakatakakage down. Hatakikomi.

Kotoshoho (2-3) defeated Oho (2-3). Oho did well to move forward during this bout but he got turned by a well-timed shove from Kotoshoho. Kotoshoho seized the opening and drove Oho out. Okuridashi.

Atamifuji (2-3) defeated Fujinokawa (3-2). Atamifuji enveloped the frisky Fujinokawa and gently guided him to the edge of the dohyo and sat him on the salt pile. That pile will not be good for his piles, that’s for sure. Yoritaoshi.

Kirishima (5-0) defeated Hiradoumi (2-3). Who blitzed whom? Kirishima was instantly on offense. He charged forward aggressively, forcing Hiradoumi to retreat along the bales. Kirishima grabbed Hiradoumi’s belt and shoved the off-balance Hiradoumi to the edge before finishing him off. Sukuinage.

Ichiyamamoto defeated Kotozakura. Kotozakura had the early edge, attacking Ichiyamamoto from an angle and shoving him to the bales. But Ichiyamamoto was not intimidated. He came in and stuck with his game plan, counter-attacking with his fierce tsuppari. As he pounded away, the Ozeki slid back to the tawara and then over the edge. Oshidashi.

Wrap-Up

Kirishima still holds, undefeated. He had an impressive win today and will fight Oho tomorrow. Kotozakura is shaken. How long will he be able to hold on to his rank? Forget ever competing for yusho, he’s going to be struggling to meet that 8-wins. He will face Hiradoumi tomorrow.

Sadogatake-beya stablemate, Kotoshoho, will fight Daieisho. Atamifuji will fight Gonoyama and Wakatakakage will fight Fujinokawa. The other Sadogatake-beya stablemate, Kotoeiho, will take on Ura. I’m also watching that Yoshinofuji/Takanosho bout and Wakamotoharu versus Ichiyamamoto.

Natsu 2026: Day Four

Andy Natsu 2026, Natsu Basho , ,

Takayasu kyujo. They’re dropping like flies in sanyaku. At this rate, by Senshuraku, Shodai will be in the musubi-no-ichiban. If you’ll recall, Takayasu took a tumble into the crowd yesterday and is unfortunately another casualty of this Natsu Basho.

Down in Juryo, Enho’s charge continues as he picked up his fourth straight win. He joins Kazekeno, Toshinofuji, and Kyokukaiyu as early leaders in the second division. Way to go, Enho!

I want to highlight that former Makushita “up-and-comer” Yoshii has taken a proper shikona and today picked up his first win against Hanaoka. Rather than fighting under his real name, Yoshii Ko, he is now Tokifudo Ko. Tokifudo is now 1-1.

Anyway, I say former “up-and-comer” because he’s been toiling in Makushita since we were in lockdown. He’s a grizzled vet by now. Can he make a charge for promotion this year?

Top division NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Daiseizan (4-0 Juryo) defeated Ryuden (0-4). Daiseizan got his left-hand inside belt grip and quickly drove Ryuden back and out of the ring. Ryuden is being just plain beat by these youngsters. He feels ready for a seat on the barge. Yorikiri.

Fujiryoga (3-1) defeated Tobizaru (3-1). Tobizaru pulled and tried to shuffle laterally along the tawara but Fujiryoga gave chase and pushed him down. Oshitaoshi.

Wakanosho (3-1) defeated Mitakeumi (1-3). Mitakeumi charged forward into Wakanosho. Wakanosho hit Mitakeumi with tsuppari to the face as he retreated. As the pair reached the bales, Wakanosho grabbed Mitakeumi’s left arm and pulled him forward, then shoved him from behind to send him out. Okuridashi.

Roga (3-1) defeated Oshoumi (1-3). The two tussled with their left-hand inside belt grips when suddenly Roga yanked Oshoumi over with a spectacular and powerful shitatenage. The crowd liked that one.

Tokihayate (1-3) defeated Tamawashi (0-4). Tamawashi’s struggles continue. Despite a 43-kg size advantage, Tokihayate was able to grab Tamawashi’s belt and steer him toward the edge like a big rig. At the bales, Tamawashi stopped his momentum and began to charge forward but Tokihayate slipped to the side and let Tamawashi rush forward. Tokihayate then came up from behind and pushed Tamawashi out. Okuridashi.

Ura (2-2) defeated Shishi (1-3). Shishi got the best of the tachiai and charged forward to finish Ura off but Ura shifted left, grabbed Shishi’s belt and shoved him out. Shitatenage.

Kotoeiho (4-0) defeated Kinbozan (2-2). Kinbozan pulled Kotoeiho up by his belt and drove him toward the bales. Kotoeiho braced his left foot on the tawara and used the leverage to hoist Kinbozan over. Shitatenage.

Abi (2-2) defeated Asanoyama (2-2). Abi blasted Asanoyama with tsuppari and drove him back over the bales. Oshidashi.

Oshoma (2-2) defeated Nishikifuji (1-3). As Nishikifuji charged forward, Oshoma grabbed Nishikifuji’s left arm and pulled him forward to the bales. Nishikifuji spun away but Oshoma was in hot pursuit and shoved Nishikifuji out. Oshidashi.

Hakunofuji (3-1) defeated Asahakuryu (2-2). Asahakuryu wrapped his arms around Hakunofuji’s and forced Hakunofuji back to the edge. Hakunofuji dug in at the tawara and would not go over. When Asahakuryu relented, Hakunofuji was able to grab his belt with both hands, turn him around and drive him out. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Fujiseiun (3-1) defeated Asakoryu (2-2). Asakoryu blitzed Fujiseiun at the tachiai and drove him back to the bales. At the bales, Fujiseiun shifted to his right and twisted, dragging Asakoryu forward to the edge. He then shoved him over to finish him off. Tsukiotoshi.  

Churanoumi (3-1) defeated Wakamotoharu (1-3). Churanoumi stayed calm in the face of Wakamotoharu’s fierce attack and steadily pressed Wakamotoharu away from the center of the ring. Churanoumi stayed low and shoved Wakamotoharu back and out. Oshidashi.

Chiyoshoma (2-2) defeated Shodai (1-3). Shodai charged forward but Chiyoshoma slipped to his left and slapped Shodai down. Shodai was completely out of his element as the aggressor, bulldozing through the ring in pursuit of Chiyoshoma. Despite the loss, I really like this development. Katasukashi.

Gonoyama (3-1) defeated Hiradoumi (2-2). Hiradoumi had Gonoyama at the edge but Gonoyama used the bales to brace himself, charged forward to give himself a little room, then pivoted to his right and slapped Hiradoumi down. Notice Gonoyama didn’t need much room for his slapdown since he pivoted instead of backing up. I’m thinking of Asanoyama’s bout with Hakunofuji earlier this basho where Asanoyama backed himself out of the ring. PIVOT!!!! Thank you, Gonoyama. Hikiotoshi.

Sanyaku

Wakatakakage (4-0) defeated Daieisho (2-2). After taking multiple blows from Daieisho, Wakatakakage shifted right and hit Daieisho from the side. This disrupted Daieisho’s attack. Wakatakakage then drove his hands into Daieisho’s armpits, blasting him toward the edge. He followed up with a nodowa and cast Daieisho into the crowd. Oshidashi.

Oho (2-2) default win over Takayasu (2-2).

Takanosho (2-2) defeated Atamifuji (1-3). Takanosho tried the slapdown, that didn’t work. So he quickly adjusted to throwing a flurry of tsuppari. As Atamifuji resisted, Takanosho grabbed his left arm and pulled him forward. This allowed Takanosho to get in behind and dig out Atamifuji’s thong. Takanosho gave Atamifuji a wedgie and drove him over the bales. Hopefully he washed his hands after soon after. Oshidashi.

Fujinokawa (3-1) defeated Kotoshoho (1-3). Solid tachiai but Fujinokawa quickly backed away to his left. Kotoshoho charged forward into the void. Fujinokawa finished him off with a shove. Tsukiotoshi.

Kotozakura (2-2) defeated Yoshinofuji (1-3). Kotozakura must have eaten at the same ramen shop as Shodai. Somehow they’re both super aggressive today. Kotozakura steamrolled through Yoshinofuji, blasting him with tsuppari and shoving him out of the ring. More of this Kotozakura, please. Oshidashi.

Kirishima defeated Ichiyamamoto. Kirishima tried for an early sukuinage but Ichiyamamoto continued to charge forward, head first. Kirishima backed up to the bales and slapped Ichi down. “Andy, shut up about the pivoting. I don’t need to.” Hatakikomi.

Wrap-up

We’ve only got five sanyaku bouts tomorrow. Wakatakakage will start things off and fight Takanosho, Oho will then take on Kotoshoho, Atamifuji will fight Fujinokawa. Kirishima will then take on Hiradoumi and Kotozakura will close things out against Ichiyamamoto. It will also be worth checking out if Kotoeiho can throw Roga.

Meanwhile, I’m going to dig around here for some chestnuts, sake, salt and squid to see if I can’t get my own dohyo matsuri going. Something must have gone awry with the one in Tokyo. Maybe they mistook sugar for salt or used the wrong variety of chestnut. The kami are picky and vengeful when it’s not as they like it, apparently. We’ll see if we can appease them. I was never quite successful at appeasing the golf gods, though, so this might go sideways. But at least I’ll have some good sake.