Welcome to the second Sunday of the 15-day tournament. Since it’s the middle day, it’s known in Japanese as Nakabi (中日).
Kinbozan returns from his whiplash-induced kyujo but surprisingly Shirokuma, down in Juryo, was added to the absent rikishi list. I will check to find out why. He won yesterday and did not have any obvious injury.
At the end of the first week of action, Takerufuji and Onosato are forging ahead, leading the pack. Eleven guys are right there, though, with 2 losses. That list includes several guys from sanyaku, including all of the Ozeki not named Kirishima. Abi is there too, along with Wakamotoharu (who will face Kotonowaka today), Onosho, Takayasu, Mitakeumi, Sadanoumi, Shonannoumi, and Nishikifuji. Did I miss anyone? It is interesting to see two former Ozeki there in that list, doing well in the lower ranks.
Well, let’s not dawdle. Let’s get to the action.
Makuuchi Action
Mitoryu (Juryo 6-2) defeated Roga (4-4). Mitoryu made the most of his makuuchi moment. After a long tussle with Roga for grip and position, Mitoryu decided he didn’t actually need a grip of Roga’s belt. H had wrapped up Roga’s arm and dragged him down with it. Kotenage.
Takerufuji (8-0) defeated Ryuden (4-4). Takerufuji hit Ryuden hard at the tachiai and forced him high. He quickly grabbed Ryuden’s mawashi with a right-hand over arm, meaning Ryuden did not get that double over-arm grip which had been so successful earlier this tournament. Takerufuji kept up the pressure, Ryuden back-pedaling, and fiercely shoved Ryuden out. Oshidashi. Takerufuji Kachi-koshi.
Churanoumi (4-4) defeated Myogiryu (3-5). Churanoumi withstood an early assault from Myogiryu and earned a left-hand belt grip for his troubles. With that grip he dragged Myogiryu to-and-fro, from one end of the dohyo to the other. On Myogiryu’s third trip across the dohyo, Churanoumi found himself behind Myogiryu and shoved him out from the back. Okuridashi.
Shonannoumi (6-2) defeated Kitanowaka (1-7). Shonannoumi grabbed Kitanowaka’s arm and tried to yank him down with it but Kitanowaka escaped and retreated. Shonnanoumi kept up the pressure, though, churning his legs forward. Forward-moving sumo wins! Oshidashi.
Ichiyamamoto (4-4) defeated Endo (2-6). Ichiyamamoto with some Abi-zumo here. The fierce tsuppari at the tachiai, followed by a pulldown. Hatakikomi.
Daiamami (4-4) defeated Shodai (4-4). Daiamami made great use of his girth and Shodai’s usual lackluster tachiai by moving forward, securing a left-hand belt grip, and disrupting Shodai’s own attack. He pressed forward and kept Shodai in front of him when Shodai attempted to slip to the side at the bales. Yorikiri.
Mitakeumi (6-2) defeated Nishikifuji (5-3). Mitakeumi hit Nishikifuji hard at the tachiai, forcing him into reverse. A pleasant-looking stiffarm to the face helped Nishikifuji find the tawara and move him in that direction. Mitakeumi continued to drive forward and forced Nishikifuji to tumble over the straw bales. Oshitaoshi.
Sadanoumi (6-2) defeated Hokutofuji (1-7). Hokutofuji tried to keep Sadanoumi off his belt but with one, deft move, Sadanoumi’s failed kotenage allowed him to slip behind the hard-charging Hokutofuji. This gave his left hand access to Hokutofuji’s belt. While Hokutofuji was focused on keeping Sadanoumi’s right arm away, Sadanoumi wrenched him around and threw him off the dohyo. Uwatenage.
Kotoshoho (3-5) defeated Onosho (5-3). Fresh off his determined win over Onosato, Onosho slammed forward fiercely into Kotoshoho. Kotoshoho met him head on…and hands on. Kotoshoho’s hands came up quickly behind Onosho’s head. As he brought his arms down on Onosho’s head, his feet moved to the right, giving Onosho plenty of room to fall on his belly. The disappointment on Onosho’s face made one wonder if he was near tears. It’s like he could taste it. Sumo is a head game, after all. Hatakikomi.
Gonoyama (5-3) defeated Takayasu (5-3). Takayasu charged hard at the young Gonoyama. As he did, Gonoyama pulled Takayasu down. Kandayu’s gunbai to Gonoyama. Gonoyama’s right foot teetered on the bales during the move so a mono-ii was called to verify whether Takayasu was down before Gonoyama was out. Hatakikomi.
Halftime
Kinbozan (2-4-2) defeated Midorifuji (3-5). Midorifuji tried a henka but he kind of gave up the goat at the tachiai by flinching. Kinbozan was alert and easily shoved Midorifuji out for the win. Oshidashi
Onosato (7-1) defeated Tamawashi (2-6). Tamawashi sure did not make it easy. Rough as ever, he used both hands, over and over, to shove Onosato’s head back — hard. Onosato weathered the assault and pressed Tamawashi backwards and off the dohyo.
Meisei (3-5) defeated Hiradoumi (4-4). Wow. Meisei’s tachiai today blew Hiradoumi out of the water. Two powerful shoves and Hiradoumi was cast from the dohyo. Oshidashi.
Sanyaku
Abi (6-2) defeated Ura (3-5). Instead of blasting Ura with the body at the tachiai, Abi took a few swipes at his face and followed up with tsuppari. I wonder if this attack was chosen to “henka-proof” his initial charge? Ura in full retreat, Abi pounced with repeated shoves. His final shove, with Ura right up against the bales, blasted Ura into the third row. The brown-vest crew were blessed with some impromtu fansa from their hometown hero. Oshidashi.
Asanoyama (4-4) defeated Nishikigi (1-7). Solid tachiai from both men and they quickly wrapped each other up with matching left-hand inside, right-hand outside grips. Asanoyama used his belt grip to spin Nishikigi around and press forward. Nishikigi tried twice to throw Asanoyama but the former Ozeki maintained his balance and his focus and forced Nishikigi back over the tawara. Yorikiri.
Daieisho (4-4) defeated Atamifuji (4-4). Atamifuji tried to outlast Daieisho’s tsuppari. He cycled back to the edge and attempted a slapdown. Daieisho was alert, though, and dragged Atamifuji down to his belly. Hikiotoshi.
Takakeisho (6-2) defeated Oho (3-5). Takakeisho repeatedly slammed into Oho and drove Oho back to the tawara. Oho tried a last ditch pull on the tawara but it failed and the Ozeki shoved him out. It seems like it has been a while since Takakeisho has used this repeated blasting technique though it often seems successful. It is definitely more powerful and effective than the rapid-fire tsuppari attack but I wonder if it aggravates his neck issues. Oshidashi.
Hoshoryu (6-2) defeated Onosho (3-5). Takanosho did well to force Hoshoryu back to the bales. Unfortunately, he couldn’t get Hoshoryu over. Hoshoryu needed to brace both of his legs against the tawara where he quickly spun Takanosho around. Takanosho tried to move Hoshoryu forward again but could not budge him. Hoshoryu plowed forward and thrust Takanosho from the dohyo. Was Takanosho’s initial success all a risky feint on Hoshoryu’s part? “Get me to the edge so I can launch my attack!” Oshidashi.
Tobizaru (5-3) defeated Kirishima (2-6). The alarm bells in Kirishima camp have morphed into DEFCON-5 air-raid sirens and horns. Kirishima has the strength. One tsuppari had enough force to send Tobizaru back about four feet into his half of the ring. He even made some forward progress today. The two settled into the center of the ring as they battled for a grip. Kirishima made the fatal mistake of reaching over Tobizaru for a grip at the back of his mawashi. This means you’re too high, Ozeki! Tobizaru immediately launched forward and forced Kirishima off the dohyo. Yorikiri.
Kotonowaka (6-2) defeated Wakamotoharu (5-3). Forceful tsuppari from Kotonowaka forced Wakamotoharu to the bales. Wakamotoharu resisted but Kotonowaka maintained the pressure. WMH nearly slipped to the side as he danced along the tawara but Kotonowaka just barely kept his balance. Oshidashi.
Wrap-up
Where to start? Well, let’s start with this great debut by Takerufuji. The newbie made his entry to the division known by securing his kachi-koshi on nakabi. Onosato didn’t do that. Ichinojo didn’t do that. Hakuho didn’t do that. Takakeisho lost his first four top division bouts. Asanoyama lost three of his first six. Taiho did it, as did Washuyama, Sadanoumi (no, not that one), and Kaisei (yes, that one).
Frankly, I’m tempted to exclude Kaisei from the list on a technicality. His debut tournament was not an official tournament, it was the technical examination tournament in May 2011 after the yaocho scandal. One might consider that to be worthy of at least an asterisk due to the kyujo/retirements and the implications of it not being a normal tournament. Regardless, these four guys all won 10 or more bouts during their debut tournament and won the Kanto-sho. Two did even better and claimed Jun-Yusho. Where will Takerufuji end up? I’m eager to find out, too.
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I first encountered sumo on tv in 2016, and only officially started following it in January 2017 (ah, Kisenosato, our time together was all too brief), so I never knew the May 2011 basho wasn’t full-fledged. In fact, for a long time I thought the March 2011 cancellation I saw on everyone’s career record was because of the Great Tohoku Quaketsunamimeltdown. I still don’t think I really get the impact of the match-fixing scandal, but even knowing it happened affects how I view the sport.
Match-fixing, which always is connected to gambling, is incredibly corrosive to a sport, and the authorities are right to go scorched-earth when it is found. When people complain that Pete Rose is still banned from the Hall of Fame while miscreants like Ty Cobb are in, my response is that from baseball’s perspective gambling on one’s own team is rightly seen as worse than being a belligerent racist.
I can see what you mean that the Association must protect the integrity of the sport itself before all else. The infamy of the Black Sox lives on today. With more gambling on sports going mainstream it will be a bigger issue. It crept up in the NBA last week. Boxing has been dirty for ages and the Tyson/Paul show will be silliness.
I expected Onosato to win this basho unless Terunofuji was as strong as in January.
The Yokozuna is out of the way now, but I still wouldn’t bet much on Onosato now.
Firstly, the JSA reduced his big advantage of not yet belonging to the joi by pairing him with a Sekiwake on day 9 already (instead of on day 11, which seemed to be the usual procedure until two bashos ago).
And secondly he wasn’t very convincing in his bouts against Meisei, Onosho and struggling
Tamawashi. So maybe he isn‘t ready for the strongest rikishi yet? Of course I still hope he is.
I haven’t seen the highlights yet, but I caught the end of nakabi live, and the look on Kirishima’s face after he lost is not to be forgotten. I don’t know what’s going on, but he’s in some serious distress. (It’s a tough rule that the loser of the penultimate bout has to sit ringside for the conclusion of the action.)
Shirokuma has what’s been described as a mild lower back strain; he’s day-to-day.
Nakabi greetings!
Here‘s to all of you, especially to Andy, Josh and lksumo, our wonderful, ingenious, highly committed blog creators and some other very nice and heartwarming persons:
https://youtu.be/Ol0bPWQXG0s?feature=shared
About Kirishima: when you gave a real huge disappointment to people you know they love you and count on you, it can reach very deep, and it‘s hard to get over it.
I guess there‘s no one more disappointed than Kirishima himself!
Maybe the heya situation is bothering him very much?
Silencing all hard-bitten doubters on this channel, Chris Sumo has an excellent piece on the Kirishima woes. He translates some words from an interview with the ex Kakaryu who basically says: something is seriously missing he needs to address. It’s important he works through this. Hint: where are his legs? Bigger issue: his quality of heart.
I still think the closing of his stable, the retirement of his master, pressure to get to yokozuna, and the absence of his key coach and mentor (Kakaryu) for the last two basho are leading to those air raid sirens.
In other news: we have the most exciting match schedule tomorrow! And in Juryo, pleasing our sense of poetics, Akua will be seeing if he can kakenage Wakatakakage.
Pretty sure that Kakuryu interview is the one where he says that he hasn’t spoken with Kirishima this week. Face it, that interview was the same kind of tabloid speculation that seems popular in certain areas of the web. Hopefully, it won’t be here.
A question to experienced pundits on this channel: can anyone remember a senior wrestler living through the retirement of his master and the closing of his stable? Is this very common?
Living through the retirement is more frequent but often there’s someone to inherit…like Miyagino or Takasago. But Ikazuchi sprung out of Irumagawa and Oguruma closed with some wrestlers moving with Takekaze to Oshiogawa and others went with Yoshikaze to Nishonoseki. So yeah, I would say it’s pretty common.
The closure of the previous Oshima-beya in 2012 comes to mind, which resulted in three sekitori transferring to Tomozuna.
BTW, Sumoforum has a thread covering rikishi moves that resulted from heya closures going back some 20 years: http://www.sumoforum.net/forums/topic/29246-survivors-of-closed-heya/?tab=comments#comment-216147
Oh, that’s an excellent page. And I’d forgotten that Terunofuji, himself, is an example coming from Magaki.
That’s fantastic, thank you.