Act Two has come to a close, and while Tokyo is freezing over, action at the Ryogoku Kokugikan continues to heat up! The third and final act of the 2018 Hatsu Basho begins tomorrow, and what an act it is shaking up to be. Over the next five days, dreams will come true, aspirations will be crushed, and a new champion will be crowned. The rikishi are ready, the Emperors Cup has been polished and the giant macaroon baked. Without further adieu, here is everything you need to know going into Act Three!

Yusho Race

After ten days of sumo, the Yusho race has boiled down to just one name: Kakuryu. With a spotless 10-0 record coming into Act Two, the Yokozuna is firmly in the driver’s seat this Basho and the Emperors Cup is now his to lose. However, he’s not home free yet, as Maegashira 3 Tochinoshin is just one win behind, and a slip up by Kakuryu will put him back into contention. Kakuryu will begin to face his stiffest competition yet over the next coming days and will have to weather the storm if he wants to hoist the cup come Sunday.

Kachi Koshi and Make Koshi

Despite several rikishi sitting halfway to their kachi koshi after Act One, only three men were able to achieve a winning record during Act Two. Tochinoshin secured his kachi koshi on Day 9 in a herculean effort against Mitakeumi. Daieisho picked his up with a win over Tochiozan on Day 10. While Kakuryu had eight wins by Day 8, he obtained his Yokozuna kachi koshi of ten wins on Day 10. Grandpa Bullfrog Takekaze, Terunofuji, Ikioi and Hokutofuji are the only rikishi entering Act Two with make koshi records, as each only pick up two wins after ten days. Hokutofuji’s make koshi is especially unfortunate as the young rikishi was looking stellar coming into Hatsu and high hopes were surrounding him. Looks like the curse of the NHK special strikes again. As for Terunojuji, he recieved his losing record from the sidelines after missing a week of the Basho due to illness. Everyone else will have their fate decided in Act Three. For an excellent break down of the promotion and demotion implications for March, please see lksumo’s post here.

Kinboshi

With Kakuryu firing on all cylinders, there weren’t any kinboshi gold stars handed during the Act Two. Now that Onosho has pulled out, Kakuryu’s projected final opponents will change, giving one more Maegashira a chance to put dirt on the Yokozuna. Endo will likely be the one chosen to square off against the Yokozuna on Day 12.

Kyujo

Act One saw us lose Kisenosato, Hakuho, Terunofuji, and Aminishiki. That list has since shortened, as Aminishiki made his return on Day 10 and Terunofuji will be coming back from kyujo tomorrow. In their place is Onosho, who pulled out on Day 10 due to a ligament injury in his right knee, and will lose his Komusubi spot for the Haru Basho in March.

While the conclusion of this Basho may seem clear, if there is one thing I’ve learned about sumo is that it is very unpredictable. So much can happen over the next five days, and Act Three of the 2018 Hatsu Basho is shaping up to be the best act yet! Raise the curtain, let’s begin!