As we announced last weekend, the 44th Annual Grand Sumo Tournament is being held this Sunday, covered on Fuji TV. The Makuuchi and Juryo brackets have been released. Pride + $100,000 purse is on the line!

Since this is not a honbasho, there are unique rules in place for this event. It is a single day tournament with a knock-out structure. Also, there is no prohibition against stablemates fighting. That quirk is of particular interest this go round because if Enho and Hakuho win their first bouts, they will face each other. Giddy Up!

Aside from the bouts, you can sample chanko and there are several events that will make for an entertaining afternoon. They’ve lined up a shokkiri routine and a few exhibition bouts between retired wrestlers, including former Aminishiki, Kotooshu, and Kyokutenho.

Makuuchi Bracket

The tournament uses the Hatsubasho banzuke for its seeding, so wrestlers who were in makuuchi will participate in the makuuchi bracket, regardless of their performance in January. Yusho winner Tokushoryu will face Ikioi in the first round. The winner of that bout will face Takarafuji in the second round. For the Enho/Hakuho bout to happen, Hakuho will have to beat Meisei, who had a terrible January, going kyujo for the last week after a 1-6 start. Enho will have beat the winner of the Kotoeko/Sadanoumi bout.

For those unfamiliar with the kanji, I’ve paired the shikona with the numbers used in the brackets.

1	Sadanoumi	15	Azumaryu	28	Takayasu
2	Kotoeko	16	Shimanoumi	29	Takakeisho
3	Chiyomaru	17	Hakuho	30	Tamawashi
4	Tochiozan	18	Meisei	31	Hokutofuji
5	Tsurugisho	19	Enho	32	Aoiyama
6	Kaisei	20	Onosho	33	Ryuden
7	Ikioi	21	Okinoumi	34	Endo
8	Tokushoryu	22	Daieisho	35	Asanoyama
9	Kiribayama	23	Abi	36	Takanosho
10	Ishiura	24	Tochinoshin	37	Mitakeumi
11	Chiyotairyu	25	Shodai	38	Myogiryu
12	Kagayaki	26	Takarafuji	39	Shohozan
13	Terutsuyoshi	27	Yutakayama	40	Kakuryu
14	Kotoshogiku

Juryo Bracket

On the Juryo side of the house, the two kyujo wrestlers are Tomokaze and Irodori, meaning there are only two “play-in” bouts for the first round. Terunofuji is in one of those play-in bouts against Sakigake who will be heading back to Makushita in Osaka. Ichinojo is participating and may face Terunofuji in the third round.

1	Chiyootori	10	Mitoryu	19	Churanoumi
2	Hoshoryu	11	Daishomaru	20	Akua
3	Terunofuji	12	Kotonowaka	21	Yago
4	Sakigake	13	Nishikigi	22	Daishoho
5	Kizakiumi	14	Chiyoshoma	23	Kotoshoho
6	Kyokushuho	15	Kyokutaisei	24	Ichinojo
7	Daiamami	16	Takagenji	25	Wakatakakage
8	Toyonoshima	17	Asagyokusei	26	Tobizaru
9	Sokokurai	18	Hidenoumi

Take a look at the brackets and see if there are any bouts (or possible bouts) you’d like to see. Endo against Daishoho will be cool but isn’t likely as they’d have to make the finals. A third round Shohozan/Myogiryu bout could be very entertaining. I would like to see Ichinojo against Terunofuji but I’m not entirely confident Ichinojo will escape his first bout against Wakatakakage, despite winning during the Hatsubasho.