First off, news from the infirmary. Hoshoryu kyujo. He was injured yesterday in his bout with Kotozakura. Onosato will receive the fusen win.
Today NHK preempted the first bout to talk about the large scale, coordinated vandalism and arson attacks on France’s TGV. No one killed, no one hurt. Footage of an increased security presence and breathless coverage of people with suitcases loitering around the train station. And again at half-time coverage was interrupted for a second day in a row with a needless interview and footage of bored people huddled around arrival and departure screens. The flood was legit news. Yamagata got hit pretty bad. But this?
Miffed is putting it lightly. At least they showed the replay immediately after the bout ended. I had seen it live, though, because I had fired up the old, illicit sources. I switched over as soon as the coverage came back because I do prefer the NHK coverage but come on, man. They are shooting themselves in the foot here. The breaking news coverage needs to be about Hoshoryu or the lower division yusho races. Speaking of which…
Day 13 action decided all of the lower-division yusho races. Congratulations to Daiseizan. Arashio-oyakata’s nephew won the Makushita yusho. He had likely secured Juryo promotion earlier in the tournament and it is a certainty now. With the undefeated record he will likely climb a bit higher on the banzuke, giving him some important breathing room.
Down in Sandanme, Inami won the Sandanme yusho. Hakuho’s protégé, Seihakuho, claimed the Jonidan yusho. In Jonokuchi, Shimizuumi, who defeated Enho on Day 1, claimed the Jonokuchi yusho. Watch this space because I am sure we will see these names on a more regular basis in the future.
Makuuchi Action
Chiyoshoma (5-3-5) defeated Daiamami (5-8). Yorikiri.
Nishikigi (4-9) defeated Nishikifuji (5-8). Nishikifuji hit Nishikigi hard at the tachiai and drove him back but Nishikigi wrapped up Nishikifuji’s arms and drove him back across the ring and out. Yorikiri.
Bushozan (7-6) defeated Ichiyamamoto (6-7). In spite of Ichiyamamoto’s tsuppari and shifts of direction, Bushozan did a great job of keeping up with Ichiyamamoto. Then when Ichi pulled, Bushozan put his head down and leveled him. Oshidashi.
Ichiyamamoto will fight Chiyoshoma on Day 14.
Kagayaki (8-5) defeated Shodai (8-5). Shodai was not able to make any forward progress in his battle with Kagayaki. When he pulled, Kakayaki kept him centered and shoved Shodai out. Kagayaki kachikoshi. Oshidashi.
Roga (7-6) defeated Tamawashi (6-7). Tamawashi tried everything he could at the edge, twisting left and right. But Roga remained calm through all of it and pressed forward. Yorikiri.
Hokutofuji (6-7) defeated Oshoma (7-6). Turnabout is fair play. Oshoma shifted at the tachiai and tried to slap Hokutofuji down. But Hokutofuji’s shift at the edge saved him from Oshoma’s follow-up attack as the over-eager Oshoma stumbled past and out of the ring. Hatakikomi.
Kinbozan (4-9) defeated Takarafuji (5-8). Takarafuji could not get any attack started as Kinbozan wrapped him up with a bear hug, both hands inside Takarafuji’s arms and quickly drove him out.
Kinbozan will fight Roga on Day 14. Takarafuji will take on Shodai.
Endo (9-4) defeated Ryuden (3-10). Henka! Well met by Ryuden. But Endo followed up with solid yotsu. First, he had to fight to get Ryuden off his belt. Once that was accomplished, he wrapped up Ryuden, forced him to the edge and over. Endo is doing great! Yorikiri.
Endo will fight Tamawashi. Ryuden will fight Nishikigi.
Sadanoumi (5-8) defeated Midorifuji (7-6). Great battle. In the end, Sadanoumi got a hold of Midorifuji’s belt and threw him forward, out of the ring as he also fell out. Gunbai Sadanoumi, no mono-ii. Uwatenage.
Sadanoumi will fight Bushozan. Midorifuji will take on Kagayaki. But SHHHH! Don’t say Kagayaki too loud. If NHK are reminded of highspeed passenger rail, they might cut back over to the bored travelers in Paris.
Kotoshoho (7-6) defeated Ura (4-9). Kotoshoho’s tsuppari kept Ura at bay and his quick pull drove Ura into the clay. That looked uncomfortable. I hope Ura did not tweak his neck there. Hatakikomi.
Kotoshoho will fight Hokutofuji. Ura will fight Nishikifuji.
Halftime
Oho (8-5) defeated Tobizaru (7-6). Oho kept a laser focus on Tobizaru as the saru flew around the ring. Oho pursued well and when he caught him he blasted him from the ring, catapulting him from the dohyo. Oho kachikoshi. Oshidashi.
Tobizaru will fight Oshoma.
Gonoyama (4-9) defeated Shonannoumi (6-7). Straightforward win here from Gonoyama. He blasted Shonannoumi back and out. Oshidashi.
Mitakeumi (6-7) defeated Wakamotoharu (4-9). Mitakeumi stayed upright through Wakamotoharu’s slapdown attempt. Oshidashi.
Atamifuji (5-8) defeated Meisei (4-9). Meisei had the upper-hand here but was not strong enough to force Atamifuji over the bales. When he tired, Atamifuji whipped Meisei around to the bales and drove him back and over. Yorikiri.
Atamifuji will fight Gonoyama. Meisei will fight Wakamotoharu.
Sanyaku
Wakatakakage (9-4) defeated Hiradoumi (8-5). Wakatakakage’s ottsuke with his left hand kept Hiradoumi from securing a quick belt grip. Hiradoumi got frustrated and pulled. But that was a mistake. Wakatakakage charged forward and forced Hiradoumi out of the ring. Oshidashi. I look forward to seeing more of this rivalry. I get the sense that Wakatakakage wanted to say, “I should be ranked where you are, or higher. So get out of my way.”
Wakatakakage will fight Oho. Hiradoumi will square off against Mitakeumi on Day 14.
Churanoumi (10-3) defeated Daieisho (7-6). Churanoumi did not go quietly into that good night. He did his homework and knew just how to handle Daieisho. Churanoumi went toe-to-toe blast-for-blast. When Daieisho slipped to the side, Churanoumi stayed with him. Churanoumi executed his own shift and when Daieisho stumbled forward, Churanoumi closed to finish him off from behind. Okuridashi.
Daieisho will face Shonannoumi.
Takanosho (10-3) defeated Kirishima (7-6). With that, Kirishima will have to start from scratch if he hopes to regain the rank of Ozeki. As Kirishima charged forward, Takanosho pulled and tried to slap Kirishima down. Kirishima stayed on his feet but Takanosho swiftly transitioned from pull-mode to push-mode. One forceful blast and Kirishima might be gone. Will Kiribayama rise from the ashes?
Onosato (8-5) default win. Hoshoryu (9-4) kyujo. Onosato will face Churanoumi tomorrow.
Abi (7-6) defeated Kotozakura (8-5). Abi’s pull caught Kotozakura completely off-guard. Abi did not let up, either. He pursued and drove Kotozakura out. Someone get Kotozakura some freaking coffee tomorrow and wake his ass up. Yorikiri.
Abi will fight Kirishima.
Terunofuji (12-1) defeated Takakeisho (5-8). Takakeisho shifted left and tried a slapdown but Terunofuji executed his version better. Takakeisho belly-flopped down to sekiwake.
Terunofuji will fight Takanosho. Takakeisho will fight Kotozakura.
Yes, NHK, now you get to go back to talking about trains.
Wrap-up
The Ozeki are in disarray. Hoshoryu is out, injured. He was looking great this tournament, too. Kotozakura had some bright moments during the tournament but looked lethargic today. Takakeisho’s bellyflop was embarrassing and Kirishima got absolutely butchered by…checks notes…Takanosho.
I bet Takanosho wants to be Top Dog at Tokiwayama-beya. I had noticed how some of his bouts go without kensho. Meanwhile, the cash rolls in for Takakeisho. With ‘Keisho’s demotion and shaky performances, there might be some new fire in ‘Nosho’s belly.
I am curious about Kirishima’s shikona. When he was promoted we were heady off the exuberance of his rapid success and ready to anoint him Yokozuna. Not six months later his Ozeki status is gone but so is his Michinoku beya and Michinoku oyakata. He is with Kakuryu now. Will there be a fresh start with a new shikona?
Oh, right, the yusho race. Terunofuji would have to collapse in the final days for anyone else to win this. Hoshoryu, probably the biggest threat, is out injured. As we saw, he will face Takanosho tomorrow. Will they pit him against Churanoumi on senshuraku if Takanosho wins and Churanoumi upsets Onosato? Get your head out of the clouds, Andy. Terunofuji has had a solid tournament and he will put away Takanosho just like he did Takakeisho. Meanwhile, Endo is thankful for the extra loss he picked up before going on his own winning run.
Discover more from Tachiai (立合い)
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
I’ll catch the highlights in a few hours, but I’m struck by the expressions of derision and disbelief on the faces of the fans in the photo of the yokozuna’s slap down of Takakeisho on the Mainichi site:
https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20240726/p2g/00m/0sp/051000c
Well, if it’s any consolation, I learned about the large-scale vandalism of the TGV from tachiai.org. Keep up the good work, I guess
And yes, Hoshoryu. He looked ok. Any idea what is supposedly wrong w/him? Couldn’t be he was the next bout for Terunofuji, could it. And no, I was not a follower of “that other channel,” the one that thought everything was fixed. But there was something about this one, and the fact that the LDP, sorry er, the Kyokai I’m sure has decided it’s been too long since a Yokozuna won a tournament. And there is a gap right now, but the next Yokozunas will come, and in the meantime, tournaments without them are often more entertaining. But not for the LDP, er Kyokai (the correct Japanese?).
I think Hoshoryu is too competitive to just bow out of a yusho race if he wasn’t really injured. I also think he’s smart. Too smart to risk worsening an injury and future career over a slim chance at a yusho now? Just because we don’t notice an injury doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
Hip injury according to Sumo Forum (lower back? groin?). Watching the replay, you can see him do an awkward split at the end, and he’s slow to get up and has an uncomfortable expression.
This yusho has abruptly lost a lot of its suspense for me, as a Hoshoryu/Kirishima fan. I can still cheer on the Waka brothers, although it seems like there’s a rule that only one of them can do well at a time. :-)
Teru is 10-0 or so vs. Hoshoryu. It’s not like Hoshoryu looked any more competitive in his matches against the Yokozuna than Kirishima. Teru is just too heavy for their style of sumo, making it a very bad matchup. There is no need for any conspiracy here.
Very true. I hate this recent trend to conspiracy theories here. Please leave that negativity to Sumo Talk! I mean Terunofuji falling on his knees to hand a win to Onosato; much more stupidity by the Yokozuna could hardly be imagined…
Agreed. I need to zip my lip.
Please don’t zip your lip, Andy, it would be a great pity!
I don‘t think U started that Onosato controversy anyway.
And righteous criticism belongs here, too, like „a day of bad sumo“.
My fear is only that a poisonous spirit is beginning to spread here as in the comments who started this discussion. That would be a shame.
We are not shy about moderating comments here, and I for one would be fine nuking ones of that flavor.
NHK sees itself as a news organization, so news is always their highest priority. I think disgruntled customers should complain directly to NHK. Not that it will make any difference, but at least they can’t say everyone is ok with it.
The big story for me this basho has been Takanosho. He’s one of those rikishi who’s hard to pin down. He had a jun-yusho in 2020 and another in 2022. He had several basho at sekiwake. I remember him being John Gunning’s preview pick a couple of years ago. Then he faded into mid-Maegashira mediocrity. Now he isn’t just winning, he’s blowing people away. It’s as if he’s discovered the sacred spring of Sumo power water. I have no idea where he goes from here. Although the Yokozuna should win their bout tomorrow, I would not be surprised if Takanosho does.
I agree. But they also produce television dramas and comedies. Sumo seems to be the only sport they actually show. I always laugh at the highlights packages they produce about other sports because at least in the US it just comes out as still images with audio of the actual highlight.
Absolutely agree that Takanosho has come out of nowhere. As you said, he was there in sanyaku for a while but just never took it to the next level. I wonder if he sees this as his chance with Takakeisho fading. I mean, Takakeisho could finish 7-8 if he’s lucky but he could just as easily slide to 5-10.
I think Takanosho got some injury around the time he dropped from Sanyaku. Same like with Mitakeumi, his bouts felt like he was only running at 80% of his original power/strength. Looks like he is finally healthy again and has regained trust in his body.
Crystal ball time — No changes in the names in Sanyaku for Aki, just where they will be ranked.
I do not envy those who, like myself, do the Guess the Banzuke. the Maegashira ranks will be a real mess to figure out.
Terunofuji is still the best when at least 75%. Yusho #10 is in the bag, even if Takanosho can pull off an upset for his 3rd kinboshi.
Hokutofuji’s match had me in disbelief as to how he managed the win. Blue mawashi magic!
Takakeisho will drop to Sekiwake. That will be a change. Not sure if Kirishima will remain, either. He still needs a win to remain Sekiwake.
I dunno, at least with the Day 13 W-L’s the banzuke would come together pretty easily. Overpromotions and underdemotions all the way, but nothing out of the ordinary, no massive gaps or crunches. That could still change over the final two days, but I don’t think it’s that likely that it’s going to end up messy.
Sad for Kirishima. He started strong, but then had this 3 loss stretch when he was a bit hurt l think. He has been overall a positive surprise, as it seems he finally is mostly healthy again and able to perform his sumo. This unnecessary loss to Takakeisho doomed him, but he beat the two remaining Ozeki, so I’m looking forward for him to start a new run. He has two very bad matchups in a Teru and Onosato ( especially once the later stops doing all those newbie mistakes), but otherwise it looked like he can compete with everyone this basho. Will be interesting to see him against Wakatakakage.
Kotozakura is the huge disappointment this basho. He has 8 wins, but at least half of those were lucky escapes. In Almost all bouts he looks lethargic and passive. He needs to work on that if he wants to stay an Ozeki. Size only carries you so long.
Abi is another luck escape artist, but at least you can’t say that he isn’t aggressive. That fusen might be his kachikoshi in the end. Still a possibility that he switches places with Daieisho.
Atamifuji started the tournament strong, but then really lost it. Not all bad fights, but if I look at his fight card, I also can’t pin down the bouts he should have won. Maybe that means he isn’t Sanyaku material yet.
Hiradoumi is always fun to watch. He lost today, but a kachikoshi in his Sanyaku debut. Very positive surprise. He might still go 5-10 next basho not fighting any different, but I love watching him.
Oho secured kachikoshi today with his first win against Tobizaru by not going backwards or pulling one more time. Is there finally a learning curve showing?
I always liked Endo. He is a joy to watch at the belt, when his body actually supports his sumo. Glad that he is having a good tournament.
Onokatsu struggled a bit after a good start, but secured promotion with his 8th win now I think.