Natsu 2022: Jonokuchi Match Day 7

Andy Natsu Basho 2022,

Alright. Since Kazekeno has win #7 and the Jonokuchi yusho locked-up, let’s move right into the exciting Joni–

What’s that you say? Yamato isn’t a puffcake? Well, I know that but as forcefully as he was blown away in his last match, surely Kazekeno has this in the bag. No? Exactly. That’s why they play the game. Yamato was not going to go down without a fight, that’s for sure.

The leg grab had been working for Yamato in his early bouts, so why not go back to it? In those bouts his opponents, like Hitoshi, were so freaked out that they practically ran away. This time, Yamato got his ashitori win. At the tachiai, Kazekeno appeared to miss with his thrust down attempt and that was a critical mistake. Yamato got a lock on Kazekeno’s right leg, turned with his opponent, and drove forward sending Kazekeno off the dohyo to his first loss.

This means we will get a thrilling four-way playoff on senshuraku for the Jonokuchi yusho. With Yamato’s win this brings Tanji and Arise back into the yusho picture. For those intimidated with their Japanese studies, this tweet below may bolster your confidence because you can probably read the whole thing. If nothing else, it should give a good lesson in the use of “の”. Usually, that’s a possessive character so just think apostrophe S. The rest are pretty much proper nouns.

“Jonokuchi’s 6 wins, 1 loss, Dewanoumi beya’s Yamato, Arashio beya’s Tanji, Tokitsukaze beya’s Arise, Oshiogawa beya’s Kazekeno Yusho playoff (lit. deciding battle) on senshuraku.” You already know pretty much all of that vocab. Remembering the characters is definitely difficult, though.

OK. Back to the sumo. The Jonidan yusho will also be determined in a ketteisen (決定戦), or play-off, but that was already known. Coming into Match Day 7 there were four undefeated wrestlers. This meant that the winners of Hanafusa/Toseiryu and Kototebakari/Daiseizan would get fight on senshuraku. Toseiryu had handed Yamato his first loss the other day, could he avenge his Jonokuchi loss and beat Hanafusa?

Toseiryu gave it a valiant effort but Hanafusa’s sumo fundamentals are solid. Hanafusa kept his feet firm beneath his mass and swatted away Toseiryu’s slaps. Then, by moving forward (imagine that!) Hanafusa corralled his opponent and sent him over the edge.

Kototebakari came into this tournament “the-man-to-watch.” As the Jonokuchi yusho holder and the younger brother of Kotoshoho, he’s clearly the favorite. Would there be another lower division upset?

Nope. Kototebakari doesn’t just have the solid fundamentals. He’s clearly working on more advanced curriculum. At the tachiai he met Daiseizan head on, but stayed low and pushed Daiseizan upwards. At the same time, watch that right leg snake inside Daiseizan’s left. With Daiseizan pulling Kototebakari to the same side, he basically sealed his own fate and Kototebakari won by sotogake.

There you have it, Kototebakari will go into senshuraku the heavy favorite to claim his second consecutive lower division yusho against Hanafusa. And then in Jonokuchi we’ll get three bouts as Kazekeno, Yamato, Arise, and Tanji will fight in a single elimination round-robin. The last man standing will walk away with his first yusho…while the others plot their revenge in Nagoya. Anyway, if you’re getting tired of Ozeki losing, at least there’s light in the lower divisions.

3 thoughts on “Natsu 2022: Jonokuchi Match Day 7”

  2. I Like Yamato too! In other posts, he is referred to as the “stick insect” – I agree he has LOADS of talent!

    Again, thanks for posting this Andy!

    Reply

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