I’m starting with a bit of a rant today, so if you want to skip down a few paragraphs to the action, feel free.

Fire up the VPNs. There’s significant rain in Yamagata prefecture so several bouts were preempted by coverage of the flooding. Last tournament it was the Tokyo Derby on senshuraku. This basho it’s rain. It would be nice if BS1 or another channel were included in the Jme service to ensure continuity of coverage. Then the coverage cut out during the Kirishima/Atamifuji bout.

It will be an uphill slog for Jme to pull folks from the illicit sumo streams with technical snafus and competing priorities. Sumo fans want reliable sumo coverage, they want more sumo coverage, and they want the community that has grown up along the various platforms. I will personally keep my subscription but keep pressing for improvements and expansion of coverage. (Also, my wife is hooked on some Tiger Lady show and I prefer the NHK news to the absolute garbage they call news over here.) Anyway, I continue to believe that if we subvert the official outlets in favor of mostly free-riding on the illicit platforms, the change will be much slower coming and complaints will largely be ignored. I think it’s more powerful to be a dissatisfied paying customer than a silent lurker on Twitch…especially if we are a large number of vocal dissatisfied paying customers. /rant

Back to the action on the dohyo. In Juryo, we learned that Tomokaze is kyujo. He was limping yesterday after his bout and probably tweaked that right ankle. With five wins and Juryo 7, he is safe from demotion so we will probably see him at Aki.

Meanwhile, the yusho race is heating up with Kitanowaka’s defeat of Shirokuma. Shirokuma is joined by Shishi and Shimazuumi with three losses. Hidenoumi, Fujiseiun and Hakuoho picked up their kachikoshi are thus one loss behind the leaders. Day 13 will see Shirokuma fight Asakoryu, Shishi will battle Tsurugisho, and Shimazuumi will square up against a super-motivated Kayo.

Makuuchi Action

Roga (6-6) defeated Onokatsu (Juryo 7-5). Onokatsu overcommitted and Roga quickly slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

Endo (8-4) defeated Hokutofuji (5-7). Old Hokutofuji came out blasting Endo with a headbutt followed by powerful tsuppari. At the edge, though, Endo escaped by batting Hokutofuji’s arms away and slipping to Hokutofuji’s right along the edge. He then reached back and grabbed Hokutofuji’s mawashi by the thong and whipped him around. An emotive Endo expressed his happiness in his kachikoshi interview. Okuridashi.

Churanoumi (9-3) defeated Bushozan (6-6). Churanoumi got shoved out by Bushozan but on the edge, Churanoumi shoved Bushozan down. Gunbai Churanoumi? Mono-ii. As far as who touched down/out first, it was too close to call so the shimpan quickly decided on a rematch. In the rematch, Churanoumi quickly slapped Bushozan down after the tachiai. Hatakikomi.

Ichiyamamoto (6-6) defeated Wakatakakage (8-4). Wakatakakage drove Ichiayamamoto back, powering through Ichi’s tsuppari. At the edge, Ichiyamamoto slipped left like Endo, reached behind WTK and pulled him forward. Uwatenage.

Ichiyamamoto will fight Bushozan.

Oshoma (7-5) defeated Kagayaki (7-5). Oshoma shifted right at the tachiai. Kagayaki caught it and shifted with him. He put his head down and bulled forward. Oshoma then shifted left at the bales and slapped Kagayaki down at the edge. Hatakikomi.

Oshoma will fight Hokutofuji on Lucky Day 13.

Tamawashi (6-6) defeated Nishikifuji (5-7). Tamawashi was not in the mood for any brawling or tsuppari today. Instead, he and Nishikifuji locked in on the belt. Nishikifuji seemed to have the early advantage. But then Tamawashi yanked Nishikifuji around to the edge and hoisted him clean from the ground and plopped him outside the ring. Tsuridashi.

Tamawashi will fight Roga tomorrow.

Takarafuji (5-7) defeated Ryuden (3-9). Takarafuji reached in deep with his left hand. The extension helped him keep his own belt away from Ryuden’s grasp. Ryuden had a grip with the left but kept reaching out, seeking that right hand grip. Suddenly, Takarafuji twisted and whipped Ryuden around to the groun. Shitatenage.

Ryuden will fight Endo tomorrow. Will New Endo show up?

Chiyoshoma (4-3-5) defeated Kinbozan (3-9). Chiyoshoma tried to keep the no-yorikiri/oshidashi streak going by trying a quick hit-and-shift followed by a throw but Kinbozan resisted at the edge. Chiyoshoma was stronger on the belt, though, and forced Kinbozan over the tawara. Yorikiri.

Chiyoshoma will be challenged by Daiamami from Juryo tomorrow. Kinbozan drew Takarafuji.

Shodai (8-4) defeated Kotoshoho (6-6). Kotoshoho pressed forward, Shodai relied on his edge antics to push Kotoshoho down while being shoved out. Gunbai Kotoshoho. Mono-ii. After review, both men were dead at the same time. More bonus sumo! Shodai was not going to leave it to chance the second time. He wrapped up Kotoshoho and heaved him around. Beautiful throw. Uwatenage.

Shodai will fight Kagayaki.

Nishikigi (3-9) defeated Sadanoumi (4-8). Sadanoumi wanted to keep the excitement going with another great throw but Nishikigi bulled forward casting Sadanoumi into the crowd. Oshidashi.

Nishikigi will fight Nishikifuji tomorrow.

Halftime

Oho (7-5) defeated Midorifuji (7-5). My words will be insufficient to describe the greatness of this bout and the effort of both competitors. Midorifuji gave it his all but Oho’s footwork was flawless. Once Midorifuji wore out, Oho finally wrapped up Midorifuji’s arms, charged forward and forced Midorifuji out. Maybe bout of the day. Just…Wow. Kimedashi.

#名古屋場所2024十二日目
翠富士ー王鵬
極め出しで王鵬！七勝目☆ pic.twitter.com/KERXkVIMOG

— Lulit (@OneLoveLulit) July 25, 2024

Midorifuji will fight Sadanoumi.

Takanosho (9-3) defeated Ura (4-8). Ura tried his best to avoid Takanosho’s tachiai but Takanosho slammed forward and blasted Ura out. Oshidashi.

Ura will hope to dodge Kotoshoho on Day 13.

Tobizaru (7-5) defeated Wakamotoharu (4-8). Tobizaru pressed forward then released and shfted. This propelled Wakamotoharu forward across the ring. Tobizaru then rang WMH’s bell as he slammed him out of the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Tobizaru will fight Oho.

Meisei (4-8) defeated Shonannoumi (6-6). Shonannoumi tried to slap Meisei down a few times but then Meisei demonstrated the proper form. Hatakikomi.

Sanyaku

Mitakeumi (5-7) defeated Daieisho (7-5). Mitakeumi weathered the torrent of tsuppari produced by Tropical Storm Daieisho. He pivoted at the edge to stay in then charged forward and forced Daieisho over the bales. Oshidashi.

Mitakeumi will fight Wakamotoharu. Daieisho takes on Churanoumi.

Hiradoumi (8-4) defeated Gonoyama (3-9). Gonoyama charged forward at the tachiai but that just pissed Hiradoumi off. He charged forward like a honey badger, taking no prisoners. Oshidashi.

Hiradoumi will fight Wakatakakage. Gonoyama will face Shonannoumi.

Kirishima (7-5) defeated Atamifuji (4-8). I wish I had seen this bout in realtime. Instead we got “buffering” from Jme.tv as they again worked on the audio feeds switching from Japanese to English. Yorikiri, so they say.

Kirishima will fight Takanosho, whom he has only beaten once in eleven tries.合い口が悪い. Atamifuji will take on Meisei.

Hoshoryu (9-3) finally defeated Kotozakura (8-4). Hoshoryu wrapped his right arm around Kotozakura’s neck while using his right leg to lever Kotozakura’s weight over. Kubinage.

Onosato (7-5) defeated Takakeisho (5-7). Takakeisho drove forward into the young upstart. At the edge, Onosato slipped to the side, grabbed Takakeisho’s belt and tugged him over the bales. Uwatenage.

Onosato will fight Hoshoryu.

Terunofuji (11-1) defeated Abi (6-6). Terunofuji was unfazed by Abi’s patty-cake tsuppari. He wrapped Abi up, charged forward and forced Abi over the edge. Yorikiri.

Terunofuji will fight Takakeisho and Abi will fight Kotozakura.

Wrap-up

After so many dud bouts yesterday, we sure got a full slate of exciting sumo today. Like a playlist of 90’s Grunge, Indie and hip-hop music, this torikumi was banger-after-banger. The Midorifuji bout was today’s “Bittersweet Symphony.”

Takakeisho is up against the wall, along with Kirishima. Neither man can lose now. It will be a tough final three days. Takakeisho will have to go through Terunofuji who famously put an end to Kotoshogiku’s Ozeki rank. I’m sorry, but if Terunofuji henkas Takakeisho I will personally buy him a beer when I am in Japan next week. Purely out of appreciation of such cheek.

Onosato is pressing ahead, one win away from his all-important kachikoshi. Hoshoryu swapped places with Kotozakura as the Ozeki “challenger” in this cup race, although he, Churanoumi, and Takanosho are two losses off pace.