With all of the chaos in the top divisions, Makuuchi AND Juryo, it’s often nice to remember there’s a whole slew of other bouts among the junior divisions. Yes, I’m clutching at straws here but I need something to look forward to now that the Hakuho/Takayasu bout won’t happen. My man Kaisei is facing Juryo…my man Ikioi is facing Makushita…and as Uncle Sumo…しかし!
Jonokuchi
Herouth has been keeping us on top of the yusho races down here and Naruto Oyakata, the dashing former Kotooshu, has certainly gotten himself a bumper crop of youngsters dominating the Jonokuchi yusho. Marusho leads the division as he had his sixth bout last night, winning against Minami of Tatsunami beya. Sadly, I have not been able to find the bout.
As wrestlers from the same heya (or father) cannot face each other during the tournament until the playoff, schedulers can’t have Sakurai face-off against Motobayashi tonight and then have the winner battle Marusho.
Jonidan
Homarefuji has a great chance at winning the Jonidan yusho with a dominating win over Hitenryu. He sure has the poise and confidence of a sekitori, even just going through his prebout routine in this video from the Japan Sumo Channel. But when the time comes to put the fists to the ground, he nearly bowls Hitenryu straight over backwards.
One of the men he may need to face in the coming days is Adachi, on the right in the montage below, picking up his sixth win against Ooba.
Sandanme
In SandanmeI only have the end of Wakaichiro’s bout for us. With the oshidashi victory, Wakaichiro is 3-3 and will be fighting for his kachi-koshi.
Makushita
In Makushita, Hoshoryu faced Oguruma beya’s Nogami, both 3-2 coming in and fighting for kachi-koshi. Nogami engaged directly, and effectively, using that extra mass to drive Hoshoryu to the edge. Hoshoryu arrests their backward movement with his left foot on the bales but he is high and tries to reach over Nogami’s back with the right hand.
Nogami prefers a yotsu bout and locks the dragon up with both hands inside. Once that left hand came in and secured a belt grip, he pretty much lifted Hoshoryu up and out. Yoritaoshi. With the win, Nogami is looking to secure himself a spot in the Makushita joi.
Hoshoryu will need to win his next one to have any hope of snagging a vacant spot in Juryo. His opportunity may have slammed shut as Seiro has already locked up one slot and Irodori will be eyeing another. Seiro picked up that kachi koshi today against Kaisho. Kaisho went far too low, allowing Seiro time to grab the mawashi with his right hand as he backed away, finishing with an uwatenage. With the poll position at Ms1, Seiro’s promotion is a lock for picking up the position Akiseyama will leave behind.
Akua got a taste of Juryo last year and wants to return. Coming into today, he was a solid 5-0 and had his own designs on a coveted position in the makushita joi. However, he was shown the door by Tsurubayashi who used one of my favorite kimarite. This okuritaoshi had a shokkiri routine feel to it the way Akua tumbled out, head over heels, and Tsurubayashi’s right leg comes up…perfectly aimed to give him the old boot. But it’s probably a good thing for that restraint as the fall was a hard one.
And let us pause now and thank Herouth. :)
And then let’s thank her again for adding this about the Terunofuji/Roga bout. I swear I meant to do it. Cross my heart…
Thanks for covering for me!
But… but… how could you skip the Terunofuji vs. Roga bout!
Roga sure would have wished that Futagoyama oyakata had skipped it, though. His master gave him a public shaming on Twitter today for this bout.
Today Roga from my heya had a match with former Ozeki Terunofuji. Terunofuji’s physical fitness is still far from perfect, but Roga was utterly beaten, and his sumo was bad at that. Well, that’s Roga’s actual power at the moment. Guys who were in the same year in school with him are in the banzuke joi. It was pointless to have taken him with me for degeiko. If he keeps this up I have zero expectations of him.
Thank you, Herouth!
Thanks for covering for me!
But… but… how could you skip the Terunofuji vs. Roga bout!
Roga sure would have wished that Futagoyama oyakata had skipped it, though. His master gave him a public shaming on Twitter today for this bout.
😰
Oh crap! I knew there was something! My neighbor came over to take the kids to the pool just as I was finishing up…Mike Ditka! I couldn’t find the kids’ swimsuits either. I’m bummed.
Why would you say that about your student essentially. How does that kind of attitude reflect on someone who’s looking for your guidance?
I guess it beats being beaten with shovels or beer bottles. Basically, “work harder to avoid the humiliation”. It’s the same oyakata who revoked Raiga’s shikona – also publicly on Twitter.
Brutal. I understand it’s the sport, I guess but still. Poor kids. At the end of the day that’s what they are.
Is it actually possible for rikishi to transfer to a different heya? ;)
Terunofuji has moved other guys out by Kimedashi before, including Toyonoshima 3 times ;)
No, you can’t transfer to another heya unless your original one gets closed, and then you don’t have a say about where you transfer.
…or if you join to stay with someone who will create their own…like those who will follow Hakuho. I forgot the term. Then again, my English is barely fluent.
Uchi-deshi.
That’s the one. :) Thank you. You had just used it like yesterday but I have the longterm memory of a goldfish.
I bet his oyakata has trouble recruiting.
Seems like the stereotypical old-style American football coach…but with a Twitter account so it’s broadcast to the world and not just on the field or in the locker room.
It seem like it’s Terunofuji’s game plan to give up the morozashi and then employ the double arm lock to lift out his opponents. 🤔
Mmm. That “game plan” cost him the only loss he had. In fact, in this match with Roga, the kid didn’t have a morozashi at first. He barely had any sashi. Terunofuji pincered his arms before he could do much with them.
Also on Day 11 was the “Showdown on the Low Down’ featuring the last two winless rikishi in Jonokuchi. I won’t spoil it here.