The eventual highlight bout between Kyokutaisei and Takerufuji will likely be all she wrote for this yusho race, hence the scope creep for my posts this tournament.
Andy
The past 10 days were just the warm-ups for today’s bout between Kyokutaisei and Takerufuji. To recap, Kyokutaisei is a former Makuuchi wrestler who has fallen into the bottom division due to a knee injury. Takerufuji is a new recruit to the storied Isegahama stable, with solid high school and University experience. However, since he did not secure those all important tournament wins and a privileged sandanme or makushita debut, his professional sumo career has to go through maezumo and start here in Jonokuchi.
Both men tore through their early competition in distinctly different manner. Takerufuji has seemed to have something to prove with an aggressive, take-no-prisoners style. Kyokutaisei, on the other hand, has known that his skill out classes those of his Jonokuchi and Jonidan competitors and has been a bit gentler with his opponents to date. He’s been getting the job done but without the need to destroy.
Today was no different. Takerufuji charged out of the blocks like a defensive tackle and blasted Kyokutaisei backwards. As Kyokutaisei recovered, Takerufuji brought his arms down hard about the Oshima-beya veteran’s shoulders, trying for a quick hatakikomi. Kyokutaisei resisted but as Takerufuji charged forward again, Kyokutaisei’s left knee seemed unable to withstand the force and he stepped back over the tawara, oshidashi.
Takerufuji’s now in the driver’s seat for the lowest division yusho. One more win, and it’s his. He might face a 5-1 opponent or another 6-0 opponent from the lower reaches of Jonidan. If Kyokutaisei wins his next bout and Takerufuji were to get upset, there could be a rematch in a playoff but that Takerufuji loss is unlikely. I would think a Kyokutaisei kyujo would be more likely (though still unlikely) since he may have tweaked that knee and his promotion to Jonidan is already assured.
Now, Takerufuji is plainly not the average Jonokuchi wrestler. He could probably be dropped in upper Sandanme or lower Makushita and compete for a kachi-koshi. Kyokutaisei’s knee will hold up against Jonokuchi and Jonidan competition with no problems and he’ll rise back into Sandanme in time for Osaka. It would be nice, but probably a bit optimistic, to see both men up in the Makushita promotion zone in late 2023 or early 2024. There’s a slew of talent there so I think we’ll see a lot of great action in the basho to come.
Ready or not, act 3 here we come. Act 3 is all about the yusho race, and sorting everyone into make-koshi and kachi-koshi. One of the first jobs of act 3 is to take the two men at the top of the leader board, and try to get them dirty. An additional loss each would add a lot of interest to the rest of the tournament, though a fresh face hoisting the Emperor’s Cup is always a possibility. Only one rikishi with prior yusho experience, Takakeisho, is even in the race, and he is 2 wins behind the leaders. Possible, but unlikely.
On the Ozeki subject, Shodai is 2 losses away from following Mitakeumi into the purgatory of Ozekiwake, leaving only one Ozeki (Takakeisho) still competing in the sport. Given that Shodai does not seem to be able to summon his “good” sumo for any reason now, I think this outcome is increasingly likely. The bright spot is that Wakatakakage can still rally and get to double digits, keeping his Ozeki hopes alive.
Kyushu Leaderboard
While we have what passes for a leader board, the overwhelming bulk of the rikishi corps are struggling in the middle of the score range. It’s possible there could be a Darwin list of almost biblical proportions on Sunday.
Kotoeko vs Ichiyamamoto – After having a good start, Kotoeko (5-5) has lost 3 of the last 4, and is squarely on the line between winning and losing. He’s got 6-4 Ichiyamamoto, who is himself close to the center-line for November. They have had 3 prior matches this year, and Kotoeko won 2 of them.
Azumaryu vs Kotoshoho – Another pair who are straddling the line between winning and losing. It’s 6-4 Azumaryu, who is looking for his first ever kachi-koshi in the top division, if he can just find 2 more wins. He’s got a 2-4 career deficit against 5-5 Kotoshoho, who has lost his last 2 matches.
Onosho vs Hiradoumi – A first every match, and the door is open for 7-3 Hiradoumi to pick up his kachi-koshi, his first ever in the top division. He needs to overcome 6-4 Onosho’s big forward power thrusts, which are brutally effective so long as he can keep his feet.
Kagayaki vs Chiyoshoma – These two have a 20 match career history which favors 7-3 Kagayaki by 12-8. Chiyoshoma has not been fighting well, and at only 4-6 he is likewise close the the win/lose line, needing 4 wins out of the final 5 to achieve a winning record. A Kagayaki win today would be kachi-koshi.
Oho vs Abi – A big match for the day, as 7-3 Abi has won both prior matches against 9-1 Oho. An Oho loss today would likely knock him out of the leader group, and either leave Hoshoryu alone at the front of the yusho race, or possible allow Takayasu or Nishikifuji to enter the fray.
Takanosho vs Terutsuyoshi – Terutsuyoshi is still on course for the incredibly rare zenpai finish (perfect 0-15), but has a 5-1 career advantage over 3-7 Takanosho. Takanosho is well motivated, as his next loss will be his 8th, and a make-koshi for November.
Atamifuji vs Tochinoshin – Likewise in the 3-7 camp is newcomer Atamifuji, who has his first ever match against 4-6 Tochinoshin. We did get to see Tochinoshin lift and carry Terutsuyoshi on day 10, but I think it’s asking too much for Atamifuji to receive the sky-cane treatment today.
Takarafuji vs Okinoumi – Also in the running for a rare zenpai is 0-10 Takarafuji. He faces 5-5 Okinoumi, who really could use the win. I have to wonder, if you have two rikishi with zensho scores at the end of 15 days, they have a final match to determine who comes out on top. Will they do the same if Terutsuyoshi and Takarafuji both finish 0-15?
Aoiyama vs Sadanoumi – A pair of 4-6 rikishi face off today, with one being pushed to the brink of make-koshi. Aoiyama holds a narrow 11-9 lead across their 20 match career record, but he is not anything close to his normal power and intensity. So this is going to come down to Sadanoumi being able to withstand the bashing Big Dan will deliver long enough to get inside, get a grip, and control the match.
Wakamotoharu vs Myogiryu – Yet another match at the win/lose center line. We have Wakamotoharu at 5-5, who has had some very good matches this month, against 6-4 Myogiryu. Wakamotoharu has never lost to Myogiryu, so I think he will come into this fight with a distinct edge.
Ura vs Endo – I would not be surprised if Ura (2-8) does not get another win this tournament. He’s not fighting at anything close to his normal ability, and so he is struggling quite a bit. In addition, I think Endo (4-6) is less damaged than Ura is, and could really use the win.
Ichinojo vs Kotonowaka – Sadly, 2-8 Ichinojo is having another terrible tournament, and he’s not had much success (1-5) winning against Kotonowaka, so I am looking for the top man in Sadogatake to pick up his 7th win today.
Takayasu vs Nishikifuji – This is one way to shape the leader board. Take both men in second place with 8-2 records, and have them compete to leave just one to challenge. Should Oho lose today, it would give me great delight to see him fight either of these men tomorrow. This is their first ever match, and I doubt Nishikifuji can adequately train would be to stand outside the Isegahama stable while the okamisan drove a mini-truck into him repeatedly for an hour.
Ryuden vs Kiribayama – I have no doubt that 6-4 Kiribayama will get his 8 wins this November. I think this is one of those tournaments where he just needs to hold tight and focus on improving his sumo. He’s not won against 7-3 Ryuden in two attempts, though he may be able to break through today and score his 7th win. A Ryuden victory would be kachi-koshi for him.
Tamawashi vs Nishikigi – High time for 3-7 Tamawashi to rally. He’s never lost to 4-6 Nishikigi, who’s deliberate yotsu-zumo makes him an easy mark for Tamawashi. I think an early thrusting attack followed by a nodowa and a quick run out of the ring for today.
Meisei vs Daieisho – Another match of two rikishi squarely in the middle band of scores with Meisei at 6-4, and Daieisho at 4-6. Daieisho has the overwhelming lead in the series, at 10-2, so I am going to assume he will take the win today, and keep himself closer to the win/loss center line.
Tobizaru vs Midorifuji – Two rikishi at 5-5, and it’s a wonderful match up between two high energy, high mobility rikishi. Midorifuji is on a 3 match winning streak, so he may have a bit of an edge today, in addition to his narrow 2-1 career lead.
Mitakeumi vs Hoshoryu – A bigger match than it might seem, given 4-6 Mitakeumi has lost any chance to regain his Ozeki rank. But he can still play spoiler if he can muster enough energy to give co-leader Hoshoryu (9-1) the business today. He has won 3 of their 4 matches on the clay, and although Mitakeumi only seems to be operating at about 80% of his normal power, I would like to think he could win this one.
Wakatakakage vs Shodai – Another match that is actually bigger than it might appear. With Ozeki hopeful Wakatakakage at 6-4, and kadoban Ozeki Shodai at 4-6, who wins and who loses this match will determine much for 2023. A Shodai loss puts him one away from giving up his Ozeki rank, while at the same time advancing Wakatakakage’s bid to take up that same rank. I know Shodai is capable of winning this match, as their career record favors him 6-4, but something is wrong with him, and there is no telling what.
Takakeisho vs Hokutofuji – Amazingly these two have fought 23 times going back to 2016 when Takakeisho (7-3) was Sato and Hokutofuji (6-4) was Daiki. In spite of the fact one became an Ozeki and the other has never been ranked higher than Komusubi, Takakeisho only holds a 13-10 career lead. They are both oshi-zumo practitioners, so this match could feature a lot big hits and painful impacts.
With five days remaining, let’s take a look at how many wins rikishi still need to hold rank.
San’yaku
O1e Takakeisho (7-3) needs one more win for kachi-koshi.
O1w Shodai (4-6) needs 4 wins to save his rank; anything less and he’ll be Sekiwake.
S1e Wakatakakage (6-4) needs two more wins to hold rank, and 3-4 to carry over his Ozeki run.
S1w Hoshoryu (9-1) will be Sekiwake in January and has probably started his own Ozeki run.
S2w Mitakeumi (4-6) will not be returning to Ozeki and is in danger of dropping to maegashira unless he wins at least 3 more bouts.
Among the Komusubi quartet, Tamawashi (3-7) must win out to hold rank, Daieisho (4-6) needs 4 wins, Tobizaru (5-5) needs 3, while Kiribayama (6-4) needs 2. M1e Takayasu (8-2) is set to return to san’yaku; if there’s additional room, M1w Kotonowaka and M2e Meisei, both 6-4, are currently next in line.
Makuuchi to Juryo
Chiyotairyu’s retirement opens up one slot in the top division. M16e Terutsuyoshi (0-10) will be vacating another. The other two incumbents in trouble are M15w Atamifuji (3-7) and M8e Takarafuji (0-10). All three are from Isegahama beya. Atamifuji can probably afford only one more loss, and Takarafuji at most two. The current ranked list of promotion contenders is as follows: 1. Tsurugisho, 2. Akua, 3. Bushozan, 4. Chiyomaru, 5. Mitoryu, 6. Hokuseiho.
Two more rikishi picked up their kachi-koshi today, as the bulk of the top division remains somewhere between 4-6 and 6-4. Solid sumo today, with the standout fights being Tamawashi’s win over Wakamotoharu, and Ura finally finding his second white star.
At the end of act 2, we can now say that Mitakeumi will not be Ozeki in January. He was unable to handle Midorifuji, and hit the clay in under 15 seconds during the second half of sumo in Fukuoka. I had always thought that Mitakeumi would hold Ozeki for a good while, as his performance had been rather consistent for over 2 years. But then came July of 2022, and he went kyujo in the middle of the COVID disrupted Nagoya basho, and he has not been the same since. His Ozeki tenure was only 4 tournaments long. To further the Ozekipocalypse story line, Shodai lost his 6th match today when he could find no answer to Horshoryu’s overwhelming initial attack. All around, a rough day in the named ranks.
Highlight Matches
Azumaryu defeats Kotoeko – Kotoeko had a tough time setting up offense today, Azumaryu kept him moving, which it turns out is the right thing to do. A pull attempt by Azumaryu fails, but gets Kotoeko off balance enough that he can shove him out. Azumaryu now 6-4.
Onosho defeats Ichiyamamoto – Onosho gets a good attack from below against Ichiyamamoto’s arms, breaking his double arm pushing attack train. In response it seems Ichiyamamoto loses his cool and pulls against Onosho. Many times this is a safe play, but Onosho had contact, and following Ichiyamamoto, running him out in a hurry to pick up the win. Both end the day 6-4.
Hiradoumi defeats Kotoshoho – Hiradoumi continues to over perform, he deflects Kotoshoho’s tachiai, then boosts Kotoshoho’s forward momentum with a grab on Kotoshoho’s right arm and a swift rotation. They called it tsukiotoshi, but maybe that was not quite right. Any way you call it, Hiradoumi now 7-3.
Oho defeats Aoiyama – Oho was able to avoid the opening blows from Aoiyama, and immediately went into a right hand outside yotsu position. Within moments Oho had both hands on Aoiyama’s belt, and the proceeded to take advantage of Big Dan’s bad knees, walking him back and quickly out. Oho improves to an impressive 9-0.
Okinoumi defeats Takanosho – Takanosho had a great start. He was able to get inside hand placement, he was pushing well and moving Okinoumi back. But his feet were aligned, and a quick pivot by Okinoumi was all it took to drop Takanosho to the clay for his 7th loss. Okinoumi up to 5-5.
Chiyoshoma defeats Takarafuji – Not sure if that was a henka, or a flying mawashi grab by Chiyoshoma to start the match. He gets his deep right hand hold on Takarafuji’s mawashi, and the two go chest to chest. The two exchange probing attacks, and frankly this is a second day in a row where things are trying to line up to give him a win. But Chiyoshoma gets him off balance, rotates and throws him to the clay. Chiyoshoma now 4-6 as Takarafuji is 0-10.
Tochinoshin defeats Terutsuyoshi – The second half of the daily Isegahama defeat double header. Tochinoshin traps him low at the tachiai, and he’s more or less done at that point. He tries to grab Tochinoshin’s leg, but it’s only a matter of time before Tochinoshin picks him and carries him out for the win. Tochinoshin at 4-6.
Endo defeats Atamifuji – For all of the fan enthusiasm around Atamifuji, he has turned out to be not quite ready for the top division. Endo gets a right hand inside, and rides that hold all the way to a win, locking in Atamifuji’s arm, lifting with his back and running him out. Endo picks up a much needed win and is 4-6.
Kagayaki defeats Myogiryu – A simple match that featured Myogiryu getting too far in front of his feet, and Kagayaki reading the situation and letting him fall. My compliments to Kagayaki for keeping his eyes on his opponents, and he is now 7-3.
Ryuden defeats Abi – Abi’s sumo is quite potent, but its very narrow. As soon as his double arm thrusting train is disrupted, he’s an easy mark. Ryuden is able to get off axis against Abi’s attacks, and returns the favor from Abi’s left side. A quick turn and push out from behind, and Ryuden picks up his 7th win. Both are now 7-3.
Ura defeats Nishikigi – I am delighted to see Ura get his second win. It came down to his right hand outside grip that gave him enough control of Nishikigi’s body to prevent Nishikigi from setting up any offense. A quick forward, turn and throw, and Nishikigi hits the clay. Ura advances to 2-8.
Meisei defeats Hokutofuji – Hokutofuji does not maintain contact with Meisei, allowing him to back off and rush forward multiple times. This was the key to disrupting Hokutofuji’s balance, and opened the door to the hikkake that won the match. Both men end the day at 6-4.
Nishikifuji defeats Ichinojo – Ichinojo tries to leverage his height advantage to attack Nishikifuji from above, but Nishikifuji seems to not care one bit. He puts the pressure on against Ichinojo’s chest and moves him back. A last minute attempt to pull Nishikifuji falls short, and Ichinojo is out. Nishikifuji takes his 8th win and is kachi-koshi, while Ichinojo is now make-koshi at 2-8.
Tamawashi defeats Wakamotoharu – It looks to me that Wakamotoharu was so disrupted by Tamawashi’s nodowa attack, that he decided to attempt a pull. This was never likely to work, and only served to set his balance to the rear, and Tamawashi escorted him out, advancing to 3-7.
Kotonowaka defeats Daieisho – Daieisho got his massive pushing attack combo, and succeeded in getting Kotonowaka on the move. But he did not mind his location well, and found Kotonowaka stepping to the side as Daieisho moved to finish pushing him out of the ring. Daieisho takes a fall and Kotonowaka picks up his 6th win to finish the day 6-4.
Takayasu defeats Tobizaru – Takayasu’s mission today – keep Tobizaru from getting mobile and starting to launch his combo attacks. In this case, his big forearm hit at the tachiai worked well, and Takayasu launches a combo of his own that ends in a right hand pull down that hits will full effect against Tobizaru’s neck. He’s on the clay and Takayasu is kachi-koshi at 8-2.
Midorifuji defeats Mitakeumi – Mitakeumi put as much as he could muster into today’s fight, but was unable to protect his body from Midorifuji’s reach in grip attempt. Midorifuji eventually was able to get both hands inside and on Mitakeumi’s belt, and the two locked up in the center of the dohyo. Mitakeumi eventually breaks Midorifuji’s grip, but Midorifuji has his hands inside and pushes hard to move Mitakeumi out. That’s the end of Mitakeumi’s Ozeki chances, and he is down to 4-6. Midorifuji improves to 5-5.
Wakatakakage defeats Sadanoumi – Wakatakakage keeps his Ozeki hopes alive, he traps Sadanoumi’s hands at the tachiai, and immediately puts his lower body to work running Sadanoumi out. It’s quick, it’s effective and it’s done. Wakatakakage up to 6-4.
Takakeisho defeats Kiribayama – Kiribayama twice tried to get a hold of Takakeisho’ and missed both times. Each time, Takakeisho gained a bit of advantage, and the match ended with Takakeisho’s hands clear and inside, applying overwhelming force to Kiribayama’s body. Takakeisho improves to 7-3.
Hoshoryu defeats Shodai – Shodai does a solid job of blocking Hoshoryu’s first attempt at hand placement, but Hoshoryu is just too fast, and gets his hands inside, and immediately pushes forward. Shodai is immediately in trouble, and as he is being rushed out of the ring, he tries to rotate into a rescue throw, but it’s too little too late, and Shodai lands next to the dohyo. Hoshoryu now 9-1.
