Takakeisho will not compete on Day 12. Readers have been eyeing possible injuries since Day 10. Citing discomfort in his left knee, Takakeisho will withdraw, handing Daieisho his second fusen win of the tournament and his kachi-koshi.
With Daieisho’s win over Hakuho on day 11, the race for the Yusho has broadened quite a bit. I am not surprised to see Hakuho and Asanoyama now in a tie for the lead. But also in the 1 loss crowd is.. Terunofuji? Why yes, the former Ozeki is at 10-1, and appears to be ready to run up the score. Word from the scheduling team is that if he wins his day 12 match against M9e Tamawashi (a 8 rank banzuke gap), he will start to take on San’yaku opponents starting day 13. As exciting as it sounds to have the resurgent former Ozeki, and sometimes Kaiju, stomping through the upper ranks, we fear his sumo and his knees may benefit from a slower climb.
Elsewhere, it seems to my eye that an amazing block of rikishi are headed straight toward day 15 7-7 “Darwin” matches. Our mock Natsu basho was thick with them as well, and for newcomers to the world of sumo, they are a head to head match between two 7-7 rikishi, where the winner exits with a kachi-koshi, and the loser a make-koshi.
Leaders (10-1) – Hakuho, Asanoyama, Terunofuji
Hunt Group (8-3) – Takakeisho, Shodai, Mitakeumi, Tamawashi, Kotoshogiku, Kotoeko
4 Matches Remain
Tobizaru vs Chiyomaru – I have been hoping for some time that Tobizaru would finally put together enough sumo to make a pay for the top division, and now from Juryo 2, he may finally have a shot. He comes it at 6-5 to face already make-koshi Chiyomaru. If the flying monkey (Tobizaru) can find 2 more wins, he stands a decent chance for making his top division debut in the next tournament.
Nishikigi vs Wakatakakage – Wakatakakage is looking for win #8 today, and I have to compliment his stamina and form during this, his top division debut. Nishikigi, at 5-6, is part of that crowd that I think are headed into Darwin territory for day 15.
Shohozan vs Tochinoshin – Also in the Darwin lane is dear former Ozeki Tochinoshin. The time without contact practice, Jungyo or even test matches seems to have given some strength back to his damaged knee. Dare we hope that maybe he might be able to rally one more time? His opponent, Shohozan, is probably feeling every one of his 36 years, more than half of which has been spent getting bashed in the head, body and legs every day.
Kaisei vs Sadanoumi – Both of these guys are also clearly on the Darwin path. It’s going to be brutal if we end up with 4 or 5 head to head 7-7s, but it seems to be endemic now, as the field in lower to mid Makuuchi is very evenly balanced between new talent finding the next level of power in their sumo, an fading legends and mainstays working through the decline.
Kotoshogiku vs Myogiryu – Twenty Five (25 / 13-12) career matches between these two. Kotoshogiku already having his 8th win, and Myogiryu looking for his kachi-koshi today, I have a hunch that we may see the Kyushu Bulldozer suffer a loss. Like Tochinoshin, the time with light, or individual practice seems to have benefited Kotoshogiku’s damaged undercarriage, and he is fighting better this tournament than he has in about a year.
Tamawashi vs Terunofuji – The big question mark match. These two have 10 prior matches, and have split them 5-5. Both are kachi-koshi, and will be moving up the banzuke for September. I have faith that Tamawashi will be giving Terunofuji every ounce of fighting spirit today, so expect fireworks. I expect Tamawashi to “hit and shift” and Terunofuji to go for a mawashi grip. Who gets the first offensive move to connect will have advantage.
Takayasu vs Ikioi – Also in grave risk of a day 15 Darwin match is former Ozeki Takayasu. Given how many injuries and miseries Ikioi has endured, I am going to be curious to see if he attacks Takayasu’s left elbow like half of his opponents have this basho. Their career record of 13-6 means little today, as both of these rikishi are a fraction of their proper power and strength.
Ishiura vs Kotoyuki – While Ishiura is one loss away from make-koshi, Kotoyuki is part of that broad group of men who are headed into Darwin territory. Ishiura has not really been able to find his sumo, and he has only managed to win 2 of his last 5. I would love to see him get his edge back, and dominate with aggressive small-man sumo, leaving some of the stunts and henka aside.
Shimanoumi vs Chiyotairyu – Shimanoumi already make-koshi, Chiyotairyu on a clear course for a 7-7 day 14 score and a lovely slot in a brutal match with only one survivor. Is it me, or has Chiyotairyu seemed to have dropped some of his belly-mass?
Terutsuyoshi vs Kotoshoho – Newcomer Kotoshoho looks to be on track to score at least 8 wins in his first top division tournament. He has shown some great sumo, and tons of energy this July. Hopefully if he can stay healthy and focused, he can be a mainstay of the next generation of rikishi. Terutsuyoshi – yeah, another likely Darwin candidate.
Kotoeko vs Tokushoryu – I am genuinely pleased that Kotoeko has 8 wins with time and sumo to spare. This will likely be his best finish since last July when he turned in a respectable 9-6 in the sweat stadium of Nagoya. I am also enjoying the fact that we see Tokushoryu going to his tsukiotoshi trademark move quite a lot this basho. I know everyone expects it, but he does it with such flair.
Takanosho vs Ryuden – If ever there were two rikishi who seemed to be “Darwin Match” poster boys, it would be these two. Takanosho is really struggling at this rank, which is good. He is strong enough, and his sumo is good enough, that he was able to work up to the rank where he is truly challenged now. He’s young, personable and hard working, so I expect we will be enjoying his sumo quite a bit for years to come.
Aoiyama vs Onosho – As a shameless Onosho booster, its a shame to look at his 0-11 record, and realize that it has the possibility of wrecking his mental sumo for a long time to come. I hope he at least has some kind of injury or problem that gives him a reason to get himself over this dread terrible record. He’s going against Aoiyama today, and while I would love for him to have his first win (Shonichi!), it’s tough to win against Aoiyama unless your balance is perfect, and it’s clear that for this July, Onosho’s is not.
Endo vs Takarafuji – Our mock basho in May had Endo with a 7-7 heading into day 15, and it looks like the simulation may have gotten that one right. Endo and Takarafuji have an even 8-8 career record, and both seem to be suffering from the lack of full power training matches with rikishi from other heya in the days leading up to the start of the tournament.
Kiribayama vs Yutakayama – Only slightly less grim that Onosho’s 0-11 is Yutakayama’s 1-10, with that lonely white star being against hapless Onosho. Kiribayama has won their 2 prior matches, and needs to do what he can to stave off make-koshi for another day.
Kagayaki vs Okinoumi – Another one of my “up and coming” rikishi, Kagayaki, has run out of genki power early and stayed less than awesome for the past 11 days. This is an odd basho in so many ways, and its tough to know if the problem is lack of training, or just too many distractions for some of these athletes. Okinoumi at 6-5 as been fighting a bit better than normal, and given that he is 35 and has to contend with a chronic lower abdominal injury, he is doing quite well. They are tied 4-4 over their career, but I would give the edge to Okinoumi for day 12.
Shodai vs Enho – Shodai takes no crazy stuff from Enho. The power pixie of Miyagino has yet to find a winning formula to overcome Shodai and his uncanny cartoon sumo. I have faith that there is a way to apply the same kind of technique that worked so well on day 11 against Takanosho to Shodai as well.
Takakeisho vs Daieisho – I breathed a sign of relief when Takakeisho hit his 8th win. I know many sumo fans were less than happy with the ruling coming from the mono-ii, but he has cleared kadoban. Daieisho is fresh from beating Hakuho, and one win from his own kachi-koshi. So I am expecting full throttle Daieisho today.
Hokutofuji vs Asanoyama – Asanoyama holds a 5-2 career advantage, but I watch for Hokutofuji to do the unexpected. He seems to have finally gotten back in touch with his sumo, and has won 3 of the last 4. In spite of his prior yusho experience (from Maegashira 8..), the pressure of waiting for that match against Hakuho may be eating away at his focus. Much of sumo is mental, and it will be interesting to watch Asanoyama in the final 4 days of this basho.
Hakuho vs Mitakeumi – The Boss is bound to be disappointed in his day 11 loss, which put him in a 3 way tie for the cup. He gets to try and take out his frustration on Mitakeumi, who has suffered a bit of his traditional week 2 fade. If Mitakeumi wants to start any kind of Ozeki bid, he doing to go have to win 2 of his last 4 match. Good luck, original tadpole!
As Bruce would say, Act Three is upon us. It’s been a long time coming but we are now in the final stages of the July tournament. We’ve got quite the horse race with Secretariat Hakuho out in front chased by Asanoyama and Terunofuji. Terunofuji’s early success here reminds me of Ichinojo’s debut run. I’m eager to see how far he can take it. Asanoyama’s form, with the one weak performance against Mitakeumi, has been excellent. The three champions start Day 11 in fine form.
Nishikigi (4-6) defeated Chiyoshoma: Chiyoshoma-induced matta meant a henka was coming. Nishikigi snuffed it out but appeared to go down first as Chiyoshoma pulled while Nishikigi dove into Chiyoshoma. Mono-ii. Nishikigi was shown to be driving Chiyoshoma out and Chiyoshoma touched down outside. Oshidashi. This is the rule set we’re used to.
Wakatakakage (6-4) defeated Chiyomaru (3-7): Chiyomaru-induced matta Wakatakakage drove Chiyomaru back immediately. Chiyomaru tried a trip at the bales but missed. Wakatakakage continued to apply pressure to Chiyomaru’s shoulders, and drove him up and over the bales. Yorikiri.
Terunofuji (9-1) defeated Tochinoshin (6-4): Dramatic staredown, and immediate engagement on the belt at the tachiai for both men. A stalemate at the center of the ring as each man’s attempts to get momentum started was met with fierce resistance. Tochinoshin applied Sky Crane power and backed Terunofuji half-way to the tawara before Terunofuji could stop their progress. Tochinoshin let go with the left to try a throw at the edge but Terunofuji pivoted, maintained pressure on Tochinoshin and walked an exhausted Tochinoshin over the bales. Yorikiri. What else?
Shimanoumi (3-8) defeated Shohozan (2-9): Shohozan kept Shimanoumi off the belt but Shimanoumi continued to advance, ushering Shohozan over the tawara and out. Shohozan was perhaps a bit preoccupied with trying to mold Shimanoumi’s face like Play-Doh rather than actually advancing his position. Oshidashi.
Kotoyuki (5-6) defeated Myogiryu (7-4): Kotoyuki advanced from the tachiai, Myogiryu in retreat. Myogiryu continued to rotate to his right but Kotoyuki stayed right with him, paddling Myogiryu over the edge. Tsukidashi.
Kotoeko (8-3) defeated Ikioi (2-9): Ikioi solid on the tachiai, drove Kotoeko back a step but Kotoeko applied pressure to Ikioi shoving Ikioi to the edge. As soon as Kotoeko got a hand on Ikioi’s belt, he was able to get the leverage to raise Ikioi over the edge. Yorikiri.
Tamawashi (8-3) defeated Kotoshoho (7-4): Kotoshoho abandoned any attempt at a yotsu battle, engaging in a slapfest, and advancing to the edge. An ill-timed pull attempt from Kotoshoho. Tamawashi followed, driving forward through the Sadogatake beya youngster. Tsukitaoshi.
Takayasu (6-5) defeated Chiyotairyu (5-6): Takayasu with a shoulder blast at the tachiai, tried once to grab Chiyotairyu’s belt with the left but was denied. A powerful blast to the face from the former Ozeki sent Chiyotairyu into reverse. Takayasu pursued, driving Chiyotairyu over the bales. Tsukidashi.
Sadanoumi (5-6) defeated Ishiura (4-7): Sadanoumi off-balance, matta. Sadanoumi strong with the tachiai, slid Ishiura back. A well timed pull, with the right-handed force down on Ishiura’s traps forced Sadanoumi to the floor. Hatakikomi.
Kaisei (5-6) defeated Tokushoryu (6-5): Superior balance from Kaisei today. Tokushoryu advanced only to attempt pulls but Kaisei was wise to Tokushoryu’s strategy so he maintained his balance during each attack. Tokushoryu tired after a few laps around the ring and Kaisei was able to drive Tokushoryu out. Yorikiri.
Kotoshogiku (8-3) defeated Terutsuyoshi (5-6): Terutsuyoshi met Kotoshogiku head on but Kotoshogiku overwhelmed Terutsuyoshi with his power. He pivoted Terutsuyoshi north and drove through. No gabburi needed, just solid footwork. One foot in front of the other bulldozed Terutsuyoshi until he was over the edge. Yorikiri.
Ryuden (5-6) defeated Onosho (0-11): Onosho woke up, with a strong tachiai bloodies Ryuden’s nose and forced him back. Ryuden shifts a bit to his left but Onosho maintained pressure moving forward. As soon as Ryuden reached the bales, Onosho attempted a throw. This was a huge mistake as it allowed Ryuden to come back to the center of the ring. Ryuden with a forceful pull of his own, hands shoved on the back of Onosho’s head, and drove Onosho to the dirt. Hatakikomi.
Enho (5-6) defeated Takanosho (5-6): Matta from Takanosho. Enho got the jump after the reset, catching Takanosho unprepared. He drove his shoulder into Takanosho and thought about a belt grip but didn’t need it. With his leverage from below, he drove Takanosho up and out of balance. Once Tananosho’s momentum was in reverse, he could not get a solid grip on the dohyo, Enho shoving Takanosho out. Oshidashi.
Aoiyama (4-7) defeated Yutakayama (1-10): What? Aoiyama on the belt — voluntarily? What the hell was that? Yutakayama had the advantage at the tachiai. Powerful thrusts forced Aoiyama back to the bales but get this. Aoiyama secured a solid left-hand grip on Yutakayama’s belt, and with a right forearm in Yutakayama’s chest drove Yutakayama back. Aoiyama has lost more than twice as many yorikiri bouts as he’s won. But he’s got a solid yotsu win here. Do that from now on! Yorikiri.
Endo (5-6) defeated Kiribayama (4-7): A shift by Kiribayama but Endo stayed upright and pursued Kiribayama. Kiribayama drove forward into Endo, Endo sliding back, halfway to the tawara. But sensing Kiribayama is out of control, Endo thrusts down hard on Kiribayama’s back, once, twice, thrice, and Kiribayama is down. Endo wins an oshi battle with Kiribayama. Am I still asleep? It’s 4:30am here so it’s quite possible I’m still dreaming but I’ll roll with it. Tsukitotoshi.
Okinoumi (6-5) defeated Takarafuji (4-7): Okinoumi with a strong tachiai, got Takarafuji back a step. Both men with solid holds of their opponent. Takarafuji with a right-hand grip on the belt while Okinoumi has his right firmly on Takarafuji’s torso. Takarafuji drove forward and a well-timed pull from Okinoumi paired with a strong shove down sent Takarafuji to the clay. Tsukiotoshi.
Hokutofuji (7-4) defeated Shodai (8-3): Hokutofuji’s strong charge into Shodai who’s back to his less-than-impressive tachiai. Shodai drove forward with Hokutofuji circling in retreat to his right, with his left elbow connecting with Shodai’s head as he pulled. Shodai driven down by Hokutofuji as he reached the edge, trying to force out Hokutofuji. But Hokutofuji was still standing in the dohyo when Shodai went down. Tsukiotoshi.
Asanoyama (10-1) defeated Kagayaki (4-7): Kagayaki thrust his right arm into Asanoyama’s face but the Ozeki powered forward. He secured his left arm under Kagayaki’s right arm pit and got Kagayaki going back to the Ozeki’s right. Once Asanoyama got his right arm in there, too, Kagayaki was toast. Yorikiri.
Takakeisho (8-3) defeated Mitakeumi (8-3): Mitakeumi was ready but Takakeisho rolling his head around didn’t want to go yet. Takakeisho drove forward, Mitakeumi in retreat pushing down on Takakeisho’s back. No mono-ii? The version of the rule book omitting the bit about “first one to touch down loses”, is still apparently in the officials’ hands. Takakeisho benefits from it, yet again. Mitakeumi was dead when he jumped back, despite the fact that he was simultaneously forcing Takakeisho’s head down. Oshidashi.
Daieisho (7-4) defeated Hakuho (10-1): Hakuho is mortal. Hakuho wanted to pull, going for a hatakikomi at the tachiai but his right foot looked a bit out of control, splayed out far from his body as he nearly slipped. He recovered and drove forward into Daieisho, securing (momentarily) a right-hand belt grip under Daieisho’s mawashi but Daieisho deftly rolled his left shoulder and stepped back, slipping behind the boss. Uh-oh. The Yokozuna circled back around to try to regain the offensive but Daieisho had pounced, driving Hakuho back and out. Oshidashi.
A wry smile from Hakuho and he stopped by the video monitors on the way out to see the replay. He will not want to make the same mistake as we now have a three-man race for the title: Hakuho, Asanoyama & Terunofuji. Three popular champions will duke it out in Act Three. And I’m sure we’ll have more to discuss about dead men.
We’re entering the final third of this truly interesting basho! Let’s see if day 11 can bring us a few surprises…
Nishikigi v Chiyoshoma. After a difficult start, Nishikigi is starting to settle down and has piled up some wins. He’s still far from safe, though, and has succumbed many times to Chiyoshoma’s oshi zumo: the Mongolian leads the matchups 6 to 2.
Chiyomaru v Wakatakakage. His Roundness is another rikishi in great danger, but with some recent improvement on his record. He is unbeaten against Wakatakakage, whom he faced thrice. Still, the pixie is on a good run, and I tend to believe he’ll manage to break the curse against Chiyomaru this time.
Terunofuji v Tochinoshin. Now, this will be an exciting battle. Two former ozeki with serious knee issues, and with the same yotsu zumo style, are set to collide. Both men have welcomed the long sumo break to heal, and Tochinoshin is on his way to a first kachi koshi after five losing records in a row. I think the Georgian will have the edge on that battle of the fragile knees.
Shimanoumi v Shohozan. Neither men, already make koshi, are looking good this basho. If Shohozan has been caught by Terunofuji’s tachi-ai trickery today, Shimanoumi isn’t delivering at all. Perhaps Shohozan will emerge with a meagre advantage here.
Kotoyuki v Myogiryu. The bottom banzuke is rebelling ! Kotoyuki, too, has improved after a disastrous 1-6 start, and has now won three in a row. Defeating in form Myogiryu won’t be an easy task. Interestingly, Kotoyuki has an excellent record (11-3) against Myogiryu, both favoring oshi zumo.
Kotoeko v Ikioi. Kotoeko is perfoming consistently well here, having won a good bout against Meisei, today’s juryo visitor. Ikioi, on the other head, is crumbling and lost his last five bouts. I twill prove quite difficult for him to overcome Kotoeko’s ultra dynamic sumo.
Tamawashi v Kotoshoho. Both men are on the verge of getting their kachi koshi here, but fatigue seems to grow for both – they lost half of their ten combined bouts. Hence, I tend to favour Tamawashi’s experience over his young opponent.
Takayasu v Chiyotairyu. Both rikishi have a decent basho, being 5-5. If Takayasu has a considerable advantage over his opponent (eleven wins to just three losses), and won the last six bouts between them, all these wins came as Takayasu was still an ozeki. Can Chiyotairyu benefit from the precarious physical condition of his opponent ?
Ishiura v Sadanoumi.Sadanoumi seems to be a rikishi Ishiura likes to face, with eight win to the latter’s credit. If Ishiura had a slow start, there’s still hope for him to get his eight wins, as Sadanoumi is struggling, too, at 4-6.
Kaisei v Tokushoryu. Kaisei is having a so so tournament, being 4-6. If the maegashira 2 rank, righter after his surprise yusho, proved a bit too high for Tokushoryu, he settled down quite well at maegashira 7. He’s having a good 6-4 basho, and will look to overcome his negative record against Kaisei (4-9).
Terutsuyoshi v Kotoshogiku. Salt bae’s three win streak has come to an end, having succumbed to Tamawashi’s very efficient thrusts. He might feel more comfortable trying to avoid the former ozeki’s trademark gaburi sumo. He did so twice, having lost just once to Giku. He might well grab another win tomorrow, but Kotoshogiku’s form is undeniable, currently having a 7-3 record.
Ryuden v Onosho. Ryuden is having a forgettable basho so far with a 4-6 record, but will relish the opportunity to win over the sorry Onosho, who is still zenpai after ten days. It looks like the twenty four years old could wrestle for years without getting a win; I dare not predict a shonichi against his experienced opponent.
Takanosho v Enho. Enho had unfortunately entered his trademark mid yusho crisis, having lost three in a row. He will have to find solutions against Takanosho, who can still hope for a winning record at his career best maegashira 2.
Aoiyama v Yutakayama. Sadly, one could believe Yutakayama won the duel of the winless against Onosho, simply because someone had to win that one. He unfortunately returned to losing habits today. Yutakayama has produced a great amount of energy during his bouts, though, and it cannot be said he succumbed without putting up a fight. Aoiyama will however relish the opportunity to face Yutakayama, after having met three san’yaku opponents during the last days.
Endo v Kiribayama. Both men share a 4-6 record, despite not having given the same impression at all. Endo is on the rise after a miserable start, while Kiribayama continues to learn against impressive opposition. He has shown an appreciable ability to adapt his strategy depending on his opponents, and he may well come with a plan to counter Endo’s straight yotsu zumo style.
Takarafuji v Okinoumi.That should be a tactical battle on the mawashi between these two, who still have quite some work to produce in order to get a winning record. Their matchups gives Takarafuji a slender advantage – eleven victories to nine losses, which does not help us guessing who will emerge victorious.
Shodai v Hokutofuji. Having just found the dust for the second time, Shodai is probably out of the yusho race now. He can still set his sights on an ozeki run, though. He’s facing another oshi wrestler, Hokutofuji, who is yet to defeat Shodai before their sixth meeting.
Kagayaki v Asanoyama. Asanoyama finally suffered his first loss as an ozeki! Mitakeumi’s challenge, to be true, was strong, and there is no reason to doubt about the ozeki’s overall form. Furthermore, he does not know Mitakeumi’s usual mid basho crumble. I expect him to keep the yusho race running, much to Kagayaki’s expense.
Takakeisho v Mitakeumi. Mitakeumi is still on alternative mode, having lost twice in a row before rebouncing nicely with a win over the basho’s other ozeki. What he’s going to show tomorrow remains a mystery, perhaps even to himself. Takakeisho, on the other hand, has a clear strategy : get an eighth win as soon as possible, in order to erase his kadoban status.
Hakuho v Daieisho. The yokozuna will be pleased to find himself once again as the basho’s sole leader, and it’s really hard imagining him giving away the advantage so soon after having gotten it. Not that Daieisho isn’t a threat – he managed to defeat the GOAT in November of last year.