Month: July 2024

Nagoya 2024: Nakabi Highlights

Andy Aki Basho 2022

Takerufuji came back from kyujo and beat Onokatsu on one leg. Shishi now has sole possession of the lead. He will fight Fujiseiun, who is 6-2. I wonder how many days he will fight? Aside from his return, there are no further updates on kyujo, so let’s turn to Makuuchi.

Nakabi Makuuchi Action

Endo (4-4) defeated Asakoryu (Juryo 4-4): Strong, forward moving oshi-zumo from Endo. That’s rare to see these days. Oshidashi.

Roga (5-3) defeated Hokutofuji (3-5): Roga charged forward and locked in with his left-hand inside. Hokutofuji needs to work on his ottsuke. He was still fumbling around for a belt grip while Roga secured his quickly. Hokutofuji’s makikae shift, bringing his right arm inside of Roga, was far too late to help. Yorikiri

Bushozan (5-3) defeated Takarafuji (2-6): Bushozan pressed forward while Takarafuji was in full-on retreat mode. As Takarafuji turned back toward center, Bushozan pulled down on his arm forcing him to lose his balance and fall forward. It just seems like the Takarabune has been rigged improperly this basho, everything in reverse. Hikiotoshi

Churanoumi (6-2) defeated Nishikifuji (3-5): Churanoumi shoved Nishikifuji to the side in order to get a better line of attack and secure that left paw on Nishikifuji’s belt. Once secured, Churanoumi pressed forward and ushered Nishikifuji out. Powerful yotsu. Might we see Churanoumi further up the banzuke in the future? Or is this more evidence Nishikifuji is rightly in line for Juryo? Yorikiri

Ichiyamamoto (4-4) defeated Kagayaki (4-4): Ichiyamamoto put his head down and drove Kagayaki backward and out. Yorikiri? There was a lot of oshi shoving there but right at the end Ichiyamamoto had wrapped his arms inside Kagayaki’s own to bear hug him over the bales. So yes, yorikiri.

Chiyoshoma (3-0-5) defeated Nishikigi (0-8): Chiyoshoma bested Nishikigi in this belt battle with a nice throw in the middle of the ring. Nishikigi had tried to throw Chiyoshoma at the edge by rocking to his right. Chiyoshoma said “not so fast,” and rocked Nishikigi back the other way and down. Shitatenage

Shodai (6-2) defeated Wakatakakage (5-3): This whole bout was a wild tussle for the best belt grip. Each man would land a grip and the other would knock it off or slip away. Shodai slipped inside to get a brief morozashi, but Wakatakakage released and spun Shodai around. As he followed up to shove Shodai over, Shodai shifted to Wakatakakage’s right. Wakatakakage’s knee did not appear to want to move laterally, so he moved down to the ground. Tsukiotoshi

Midorifuji (5-3) defeated Ryuden (2-6): A long grapple. Ryuden could not get low enough to really get inside Midorifuji. He was far too high and when Midorifuji pressed forward, Ryuden lost his balance and slid. Midorifuji then pulled him down with his left hand. Shitatenage

Kinbozan (3-5) defeated Kotoshoho (5-3): Kotoshoho tried to over power Kinbozan and drive him out but Kinbozan pivoted at the bales, twisted, and brought down Kotoshoho. Nice throw. Uwatenage

Sadanoumi (3-5) defeated Tamawashi (4-4): Tamawashi gave Sadanoumi the full-frontal treatment. He plowed in high with a hand to the face, forcing Sadanoumi to the bales. But Sadanoumi arched his back and rotated, bringing Tamawashi down. How the tables do turn with startling regularity in this sport. Ain’t it great?! Tsukiotoshi

Halftime

Oho (5-3) defeated Oshoma (4-4): Oho moved forward. Good things happened. Pretty simple this win. Yorikiri

Takanosho (5-3) defeated Mitakeumi (3-5): Takanosho, head down, slammed into Mitakeumi and drove him backwards. Mitakeumi shifted direction but Takanosho redoubled his efforts and plowed through the dohyo. Yorikiri

Atamifuji (3-5) defeated Wakamotoharu (4-4): Atamifuji locked in with the left hand and used the right to bat Wakamotoharu’s hand away. He pressed forward with all of his weight and might and forced Wakamotoharu from the dohyo. Yorikiri

Sanyaku

Hiradoumi (5-3) defeated Meisei (2-6): A good brawl here from Hiradoumi as he battered Meisei. Once he got inside and secured a belt grip, he easily walked Meisei out. Hiradoumi’s tachiai and brawler mode make me think of Yoshikaze. Yorikiri

Abi (4-4) defeated Gonoyama (2-6): Abi is finding new ways to win. He used his reach and a slight lateral movement to quickly lock on to Gonoyama with his left hand. Then the attack started by rotating backwards, yanking powerfully on with the left while using the right hand to shove Gonoyama down. Uwatenage.

Onosato (5-3) defeated Tobizaru (4-4): Henka. Tobizaru shifted left at the tachiai and kicked out. Onosato pursued well, kept Tobizaru in his sights and cast him off the fighting surface. Oshidashi

Kotozakura (6-2) defeated Ura (3-5): Ura may have been gassed from yesterday’s battle with the Yokozuna. He tried to shift but Kotozakura stayed with him. As Ura reversed, Kotozakura helped him find the exit by bowling him through the gap between the time-keeper and waiting gyoji. Tsukidashi

Takakeisho (3-5) defeated Kirishima (4-4): The least battered of the two was Takakeisho. Kirishima tried to execute a pull down at the tachiai but it did not work. Takakeisho rolled forward and Kirishima is likely not long for the sanyaku ranks. Oshidashi

Hoshoryu (5-3) defeated Daieisho (5-3): Hoshoryu exploited Daieisho’s weakness with such efficiency and effectiveness. Daieisho is known for being powerful but for falling forward. So two seconds into their bout, Hoshoryu planted his left hand behind Daieisho’s head and pulled down. As Daieisho tried to plow forward, Hoshoryu moved laterally and used his right hand on Daieisho’s right shoulder to drive him into the tawara. Three seconds from launch to landing. Hatakikomi

Terunofuji (8-0) defeated Shonannoumi (5-3): Terunofuji locked up Shonannoumi quickly at the tachiai. Shonannoumi rotated around the ring, gears stuck in reverse. But Terunofuji stayed with him, mostly pressing ahead with his right leg. I wonder if Shonannoumi could have flipped this by rotating the opposite direction? Oshidashi

Wrap-up

Terunofuji secured his kachi-koshi with ease. Great news as the bulk of his sanyaku-packed schedule is ahead of him. This will be a tough week. Takakeisho and Kirishima are probably the only easy wins this week. Abi and Hokutofuji are finding a certain amount of success this tournament by getting outside of their usual box and evolving their styles. This Abi might even pose a challenge for Terunofuji down the stretch. But the Yokozuna will face Daieisho tomorrow to culminate a day of great matchups as things heat up.

Mitakeumi will fight Takakeisho, Kotozakura will face Hiradoumi and Tobizaru fights Hoshoryu. Kirishima will fight Meisei. And Abi will take on Ura. Onosato will get the sanyaku fights started, though, against Gonoyama. Onosato has been able to quietly turn things around and is suddenly in a position where he might still manage double digits. It will be difficult but he has proven to be up to the challenge before.

Nagoya 2024: Day Seven Highlights

Andy Nagoya 2024, Nagoya Basho ,

No changes in attendance today but we have news that Takerufuji will show up on Day 8. He will fight Onokatsu on Day 1. Geez, no relief for the weary!

Down in Juryo, Onokatsu and Shishi lead the pack at 6-1. So, Takerufuji is being immediately injected into the second division yusho race by fighting one of the leaders.

In retirement news, we do have an announcement that Asabenkei, a former Juryo-level wrestler from Takasago-beya, is throwing in the towel. He has battled injury over the past few years. We wish him well in his next career.

On to the action. NHK videos available here.

Day 7 Makuuchi Action

Chiyoshoma(2-0-5) defeated Mitoryu (3-4). Chiyoshoma slammed into Mitoryu and dictated the pace of action. He grabbed Mitoryu’s right arm and rolled the big man down to the floor. Tottari.

Wakatakakage (5-2) defeated Nishikifuji (3-4). Wakatakakage hit Nishikifuji hard and drove him back to the bales. Nishikifuji tried to lose Wakatakakage by shifting left along the bales but Wakatakakage was not fooled and rotated with him. Yorikiri.

Kagayaki (4-3) defeated Takarafuji (2-5). Kagayaki planted his big paw in Takarafuji’s chest and shoved him backwards to the tawara. He followed up with another shove to send Takarafuji over. Oshidashi.

Bushozan (4-3) defeated Hokutofuji (3-4). Hokutofuji brought both arms up behind Bushozan’s head and tried to shove him down. Bushozan kept his balance and moved forward, forcing Hokutofuji from the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Bushozan will face Takarafuji. At this stage, Takarafuji appears to be the one who should have stayed in Juryo.

Endo (3-4) defeated Nishikigi (0-7). Endo executed the slowest shift ever at the tachiai, popping Nishikigi right in the head with his head. Nishikigi shifted with him and pressed forward. Endo shoved down on Nishikigi’s arms and brought him down. Hikiotoshi.

Asakoryu will visit from Juryo to face Endo. Nishikigi will face Chiyoshoma. If Chiyonoshoma has any sense of mercy, he might want to dust off his henka-ing boots.

Roga (4-3) defeated Ichiyamamoto (3-4). Roga shifted left at the tachiai and grabbed at Ichiyamamoto’s upper body as Ichi ran past. Roga then twisted and yanked Ichi down by his shoulder. Sukuinage.

Roga will fight Hokutofuji. Ichiyamamoto will square up against Kagayaki.

Churanoumi (5-2) defeated Midorifuji (4-3). A wild brawl. Churanoumi pulled Midorifuji down. Hatakikomi.

Churanoumi will face Nishikifuji on Nakabi.

Shodai (5-2) defeated Sadanoumi (2-5). Shodai got inside Sadanoumi and pursued well as Sadanoumi rotated and retreated. Sadanoumi ran out of space and Shodai forced him over the bales and off the dohyo. Yorikiri.

Shodai will fight Wakatakakage as the Kyokai seek to whittle down the challenger group.

Kotoshoho (5-2) defeated Ryuden (2-5). Ryuden’s power has been absent this basho and he has not been able to find his usual belt grip. Today, Kotoshoho grabbed the front of Ryuden’s belt with his right hand and rotated, dragging Ryuden to the floor. Shitatedashinage.

Ryuden will fight Midorifuji.

Oho (4-3) defeated Tamawashi (4-3). Oho got his hand into Tamawashi’s armpit and shoved upward. Moving forward, Oho drove Tamawashi from the ring. Oshidashi.

Tamawashi will fight Sadanoumi.

Halftime

Kinbozan (2-5) defeated Takanosho (4-3). This bout had three phases. In the first phase, both men tussled for a belt grip. Kinbozan drove forward during the tussle, forcingin Takanosho to the edge. At the edge, Takanosho planted his foot and seized Kinbozan’s belt, stopping Kinobozan’s forward progress and starting Phase Two. In Phase Two, Takanosho asserted more pressure and both men were locked in a Yotsu position. Takanosho pulled up and drove Kinbozan backwards. Kinbozan was able to stop Takanosho at the edge and shift toward Phase Three. In Phase Three, Kinbozan reasserted his control and pressed forward, forcing Takanosho out. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan will fight Kotoshoho.

Shonannoumi (5-2) defeated Oshoma (4-3). Shonannoumi punished Oshoma for his henka by grabbing him and driving him into the ground. Hatakikomi.

Oshoma will face Oho.

Wakamotoharu (4-3) defeated Gonoyama (2-5). Wakamotoharu fought aggressively today. Hi hit Gonoyama with a kachiage at the tachiai and pressed forward with a fierce nodowa and tsuppari. Gonoyama resisted at the bales but Wakamotoharu reset by seizing Gonoyama’s belt. He hoisted upward, pivoted, and drove Gonoyama from the ring. Yorikiri.

Sanyaku

Daieisho (5-2) defeated Meisei (2-5). Blast and pivot, blast and pivot. Meisei tried a slapdown but missed. Daieisho drove forward and caught Meisei with a finishing blast as he was changing direction. Oshitaoshi.

Onosato (4-3) defeated Atamifuji (2-5). Onosato tried hard to keep Atamifuji’s right arm off his belt but to no avail. Atamifuji was able to lock on with both hands. However, he was not able to use the grip to generate offense. Instead, Onosato churned forward with his right arm inside and left arm shoving hard into Atamifuji. It was almost a half-yotsu, half-oshi attack as he pressed forward and drove Atamifuji from the ring. Yorikiri.

Atamifuji will fight Wakamotoharu on Nakabi.

Abi (3-4) defeated Mitakeumi (3-4). Brutal nodowa from Abi and he put all of his weight and drive into it. At the edge, Mitakeumi twisted and threw him to the side but the counter attack was too late as both tumbled into the crowd. Abi had won. Oshidashi.

Abi will fight Gonoyama and Mitakeumi will take on Takanosho.

Hiradoumi (4-3) defeated Takakeisho (2-5). Takakeisho opened with his Old Faithful: the wave action. It was completely without power. As if Takakeisho was playing patty-cake, Hiradoumi generated forward pressure and drove into Takakeisho. The Ozeki switched things up, swinging with wild haymakers, then turning in retreat. He tried to lose Hiradoumi but Hiradoumi followed well. As Takakeisho tired at the edge, Hiradoumi wrapped him up and drove the Ozeki from the ring. Yorikiri.

Hiradoumi versus Meisei could be a great brawl.

Kirishima (4-3) defeated Hoshoryu (4-3). A quick shift and pulldown from Kirishima and Hoshoryu fell forward. Hikiotoshi.

Kirishima will fight Takakeisho. WOW. Must win for each. Hoshoryu will face Daieisho.

Kotozakura (5-2) defeated Tobizaru (4-3). Tobizaru pulled and Kotozakura pressed forward. Both fell and the gunbai went to the forward-moving rikishi. No mono-ii. Meanwhile Tobizaru fell into and destroyed the Yobidashi station, knocking his bucket over and chair away. My old “Office of Safety”-hat comes out of me as I am reminded of the tripping hazards everywhere. Oshidashi.

Kotozakura will face Ura. Tobizaru gets Onosato.

Terunofuji (7-0) defeated Ura (3-4). The crowd applauded and gave an appreciative “ooh” as yobidashi bring more and more banners onto the dohyo. The crowd applauded and yelled much louder after the action on the dohyo. What a bout! Ura took it to the Yokozuna. He had one of those fancy things called, “a game plan.” That plan was to grab Terunofuji’s arm and drag him down. It nearly worked, too! Ura had Terunofuji on the edge but the Yokozuna kept his balance. As he regrouped, Ura launched another attack, and another. Each attack was progressively less powerful and Terunofuji began to assert his size advantage, eventually succeeding in wrapping up Ura at the edge. One can imagine a quiet plea from the condemned, “I’m tired. Be gentle,” as Terunofuji eased Ura over the bales. Yorikiri.

Terunofuji will fight…checks notes…Shonannoumi. Interesting. This bout should not be interesting, though. Should be one-sided. We’ll see how it works out.

Wrap-up

It is always a good day when the musubi-no-ichiban brings us the bout-of-the-day. Terunofuji showed both his vulnerability and his strength in that bout as he remains undefeated. Pretty much the entire field is in a small band between 2 and 5 wins; Terunofuji alone on top and Nishikigi on the other end with no wins. Tomorrow, on Nakabi, Terunofuji can be the first in the division to secure kachi-koshi while Nishikigi is heading for Juryo with Asanoyama. If he keeps up this pace, he will be at the front of the line. I put together a quick little graphic to show just how tightly distributed the field is here, with a ton of guys on 4 wins. This is sumo, so that might actually be a couple of tons of guys at 4 wins, to be honest.

Kirishima won today but still looks shaky and has a long road ahead. Takakeisho’s road seems even longer now and the pair will be pitted against each other tomorrow. If folks are scratching their heads about how Terunofuji got paired with Shonannoumi, this should be the lowest-ranked fighter to take on the Yokozuna this tournament. Takayasu and Onosho are kyujo and Atamifuji is from the same stable. From here in, the Yokozuna will start churning through sanyaku competition as the title race heats up in Week Two.

Nagoya 2024: Day Six Highlights

Andy Nagoya 2024, Nagoya Basho

A quiet day in the infirmary today. YAY!

Day 6 Makuuchi Action.

Kitanowaka (Juryo 3-3) defeated Roga (3-3). Really solid yotsu from Kitanowaka here. He nearly had a beautiful uwatenage but Roga fought hard to stay on his feet and inbounds. But from there Kitanowaka just shoved him out. Yorikiri.

Kagayaki (3-3) defeated Wakatakakage (4-2). Wakatakakage charged forward and won a belt grip. Kagayaki wrenched himself free and held WTK at bay with his elbow. Wakatakakage charged forward nonetheless. Kagayaki deftly slipped to the left and Wakatakakage stumbled forward at the dohyogiwa. From there it was a simple shove for Kagayaki to finish him off. What an upset! Oshidashi.

Endo (2-4) defeated Bushozan (3-3). Endo actually making forward progress? What bizarre alternate universe have I fallen into? The oshi shoves did not really faze Bushozan until Endo started leading with the elbow. From there he backed Bushozan out. Oshidashi.

Hokutofuji (3-3) defeated Nishikifuji (3-3). Hokutofuji was even on the belt for a bit in this match. As others have noted in the comments, his sumo is evolving away from using his noggin so much. That’s a very good thing. Nishikifuji worked him to the edge today but Hokutofuji wrapped up Nishikifuji’s left arm and threw him forward. Kotenage.

Chiyoshoma (1-0-5) defeated Takarafuji (2-4). I think Takarafuji was hedging his bets about a henka because he kind of stood up at the tachiai. Chiyoshoma drove forward aggressively and with Takarafuji’s high position, he was able to use his advantage to force Takarafuji back. Takarafuji tried to circle around the edge but ‘Shoma stayed with him. Oshidashi.

Churanoumi (4-2) defeated Ichiyamamoto (3-3). Churanoumi was not affected by Ichiyamamoto’s tsuppari and Ichiyamamoto’s slapdowns were never a threat. Churanoumi kept up the tsuppari and eventually drove Ichiyamamoto out. Oshidashi.

Midorifuji (4-2) defeated Nishikigi (0-6). Nishikigi turned Midorifuji’s usual inside grip into a trap as he squeezed Midorifuji’s left arm and used it to drag Midorifuji around the ring. Midorifuji extracted his arm in time and took on Nishikigi with effective tsuppari. He nearly spun Nishikigi around but still shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Shodai (4-2) defeated Oshoma (4-2). This one looked easy for Shodai. Oshoma tried to pull but Shodai does not really move fast enough to lose that way. As Shodai was moving forward and not in reverse, as Oshoma was today, it was really a solid win for him. Oshidashi.

Kotoshoho (4-2) defeated Tamawashi (4-2). This was a great, wild brawl that saw Kotoshoho get spun around. Tamawashi could not take advantage, though. Kotoshoho recovered and drove Tamawashi back to the edge and over. Oshidashi.

Takanosho (4-2) defeated Sadanoumi (2-4). Takanosho kept Sadanoumi at bay with a thrust to the head at the tachiai. This asserted an oshi-style bout as the two traded tsuppari. Takanosho landed a slap and ducked out of the way as Sadanoumi charged forward for revenge. Takanosho then finished Sadanoumi off with a shove. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Ryuden (2-4) defeated Oho (3-3). Ryuden did not fight hard to get a belt grip. Instead, he fought an oshi bout which should favor Oho. Oho was also moving forward and not retreating, which should favor Oho. However, Ryuden caught Oho with a well-timed, well-executed slapdown. Both hands to the back of the head and with a sidestep, rather than the backwards pull which catches so many guys out of bounds. Hatakikomi.

Kinbozan (1-5) defeated Shonannoumi (4-2). Kinbozan finally gets one in the win column, despite looking like a mess. His footwork was terrible at the tachiai. I do not know how he stayed up. Shonannoumi would try to sneak to the side for a belt grip but spent most of the bout in retreat. Kinbozan just pressed ahead and eventually caught up with Shonannoumi and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Mitakeumi (3-3) defeated Atamifuji (2-4). Atamifuji tried hard to keep Mitakeumi’s left arm from getting inside but not hard enough. The pressure from his ottsuke lessened for a moment and Mitakeumi wormed his arm inside for a morozashi. Mitakeumi’s legs kept churning forward and he drove Atamifuji over the bales. Sanyaku Mitakeumi is back? Yorikiri.

Onosato (3-3) defeated Meisei (2-4). Onosato landed a right-hand grip fairly quickly. But like Mitakeumi, he wanted both hands inside. He tried a slapdown attempt that went nowhere and then slipped his left hand inside. Once he got that morozashi, Meisei was toast. He drove Meisei over the edge. Yorikiri.

Daieisho (4-2) defeated Abi (2-4). Daieisho’s brand of oshi was more powerful than Abi-zumo. Abi launched the first several volleys of tsuppari and Daieisho just took the punishment. When Daieisho started his attack, he quickly bulled Abi through the ring and over the side. Oshidashi.

Hiradoumi (3-3) defeated Kirishima (3-3). Hiradoumi’s timing was off but his power was unstoppable. Kirishima hit Hiradoumi hard at the tachiai and tried to brawl but he was headed in the wrong direction pretty quickly. Hiradoumi charged forward and drove the Ozeki from the ring with relative ease. I wonder if Kirishima had been able to bait Hiradoumi into the initial two matta in order to force Hiradoumi to wait a beat at the tachiai, giving Kirishima the advantage there. But Hiradoumi erased whatever advantage Kirishima won rather quickly there. Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu (4-2) defeated Ura (3-3). Ura drove Hoshoryu back and down. Gunbai Hoshoryu? What the hell? Thank God a shimpan raised his hand because I did not know how Ura had lost that. Oh, somehow Hoshoryu’s slight lateral movement and his right foot flex deflected Ura’s foot out. Mono-ii. Shimpan decided both were done at the same time, so a rematch was in order: torinaoshi. This time, Hoshoryu launched himself forward and propelled Ura into Robocop with powerful tsuppari. Tsukidashi.

Kotozakura (4-2) defeated Gonoyama (2-4). Gonoyama’s aggressiveness had the Ozeki in trouble quickly and back against the bales. Kotozakura shifted to the side at the edge and used his big right hand on Gonoyama’s shoulder to force Gonoyama forward. Tsukiotoshi.

Wakamotoharu (3-3) defeated Takakeisho (2-4). Wakamotoharu recovered from Takakeisho’s slapdown attempt, locked his right arm on Takakeisho’s mawashi and spun him around. Now behind the Ozeki, it was easy to bowl Takakeisho forward from behind. Okuridashi.

Terunofuji (6-0) defeated Tobizaru (4-2). Terunofuji was just too powerful. Oshidashi.

Wrap-up

Terunofuji leads, undefeated. He’s even building separation between himself and the field as his closest competitors are 2-wins back. It’s still far too early to look at yusho races but if he stays healthy upright, he should be a force in the eventual yusho race next week.

Takakeisho is out of it, though, and Kirishima is looking increasingly shaky. For a change, no one is over-performing. I somehow doubt this will end up a runaway yusho for Terunofuji but he has been fundamentally steady + fierce. Who will challenge him?

Nagoya 2024: Day Five Highlights

Andy Nagoya 2024, Nagoya Basho

Despite our fears of numerous kyujo resulting from yesterday’s bruising action, only Asanoyama is officially out of the tournament due to his knee injury. It sounds like we will not see him again until he falls into Sandanme. According to Kyodo, that would be a March return. Takasago Oyakata thinks it would take that considerable time to return to the dohyo.

Chiyoshoma will return from kyujo tomorrow.

In the second division, Nabatame showed up and hit Hakuoho with a solid tachiai but Hakuoho slapped him down.

NHK videos here. Juryo Part I and Part II. Makuuchi Part I and Part II.

Day 5 Makuuchi Action

Bushozan (3-2) defeated Daiamami (0-5). Bushozan’s attack is to hit the opponent with a body blast and hold that right arm nodowa. Daiamami tried to put an end to it by bear hugging him. A buttered Bushozan slipped to the side and Daiamami tumbled to the floor. Tsukiotoshi.

Nishikifuji (3-2) defeated Endo (1-4). Endo hit out hard at the tachiai but everyone in the stadium knew he would start moving backwards. Nishikifuji let him back out and even offered a kind hand to stop him from falling into the crowd. Endo, how did you get back to Makuuchi? Oshidashi.

Endo will fight Bushozan on Day 6.

Roga (3-2) defeated Takarafuji (2-3). Takarafuji fought hard to get a two-handed grip on Roga’s belt and it paid off. He had Roga on the ropes. But both hands were over-arm. This meant Roga had a firm morozashi. “Oh, no, I can’t give up a morozashi. Forget all that hard work and this great position, I gotta makikae.” Takarafuji released with his left hand to work it inside. That’s when Roga drove forward and crushed Takarafuji to the ground. Yoritaoshi.

Roga will take on Juryo-visitor, Kitanowaka, on the ‘morrow. Takarafuji will face Chiyoshoma

Hokutofuji (2-3) defeated Kagayaki (2-3). Hokutofuji is an Oshi-/Tsuki- man. Imagine his confusion when he has a firm double inside hold of Kagayaki. “What’s this? So, this is the morozashi everyone talks about. It’s nice. I could get used to this. I can move him at will. Let’s go to the bales. Oh, wait, he’s getting all sweaty. Time to let go and press forward with my head as usual. There, that’s better.” Oshidashi.

Hokutofuji will face Nishikifuji.

Wakatakakage (4-1) defeated Churanoumi (3-2). Lightning tachiai from WTK. Churanoumi tried to keep Wakatakakage at bay but the man just kept coming. As he advanced, he wrapped up Churanoumi and walked him out. Yorikiri.

Wakatakakage will battle the bullet train, Kagayaki, on Day 6.

Midorifuji (3-2) default win over Asanoyama (3-1-11). Insert teary-eyed emoji here.

Shodai (3-2) defeated Nishikigi (0-5). Shodai quickly walked Nishikigi back and out. At this point, Nishikigi is looking at a 0-15 performance. I am not sure why he is not kyujo. Yorikiri.

Nishikigi will have another tough day against Midorifuji tomorrow.

Tamawashi (4-1) defeated Ichiyamamoto (3-2). Wily Tamawashi did not henka Ichiyamamoto but his inashi attack was just as hilariously effective. He met him firmly at the tachiai. Immediately after the tachiai, he slipped to the side and Ichiyamamoto ran right past, clear off the dohyo. As Ichiyamamoto climbed back to the dohyo, Tamawashi gave him this look, “What you in such a hurry for, kid?” Tsukiotoshi.

Ichiyamamoto will fight Churanoumi.

Oshoma (4-1) defeated Kotoshoho (3-2). Oshoma used the “inashi” strategy, as well. Kotoshoho charged forward and Oshoma slipped to the side. Kotoshoho was slow to react to the change in direction and Oshoma immediately followed up with a quick shove to blast Kotoshoho off the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Oshoma will fight Shodai and Kotoshoho will fight good old Tom O’Washi.

Oho (3-2) defeated Kinbozan (0-5). Kinbozan pulled after the tachiai. Oho adjusted and pursued, slamming into Kinbozan, time and time again as Kinbozan retreated along the tawara. Oho was leading with his head to Kinbozan’s face each time he attacked. Kinbozan seemed rather irritated as he glared at Oho before turning and walking down the hanamichi. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Takanosho (3-2) defeated Ryuden (1-4). Takanosho steadily advanced and drove Ryuden from the dohyo. Ryuden tried one weak pull which Takanosho ignored. Oshidashi.

Ryuden versus Oho might be a good time to go get some more tea.

Shonannoumi (4-1) defeated Sadanoumi (2-3). Shonannoumi shifted right after the tachiai and slapped Sadanoumi down. As Sadanoumi stumbled past, Shonannoumi pulled on Sadanoumi’s mawashi, effectively bowling him into the crowd. “Strike!” Uwatenage.

Shonannoumi will face a very frustrated Kinbozan. Sadanoumi will try to regroup against Takanosho.

Tobizaru (4-1) defeated Meisei (2-3). Tobizaru’s strategy is a two-step attack. The first step is to charge forward and blast the opponent. This is followed with a slapdown attempt as Tobizaru backs up. Rinse, repeat as necessary. He needed about five or six attacks before his charge was forceful enough to knock Meisei out. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Daieisho (3-2) defeated Hiradoumi (2-3). This bout was a bruising oshi-/tsuki- battle as the two competitors laid into each other. Daieisho ended it with a pull by slapping Hiradoumi down near the edge. The Ancient Lost Art of Hatakikomi.

Abi (2-3) defeated Atamifuji (2-3). Abi pulled and Atamifuji stumbled forward. When Atamifuji put on the brakes and stopped at the edge, Abi grabbed his mawashi from the back and slammed him down. Abi finally picked up his first non-fusen win of the tournament. Okurinage.

Onosato (2-3) defeated Kirishima (3-2). Calm, composed and collected. Onosato batted Kirishima’s arm away from his belt and used his right arm to keep Kirishima at bay. Meanwhile, he advanced driving Kirishima back and over the edge with his Oshi attack. Oshidashi.

Mitakeumi (2-3) defeated Kotozakura (3-2). Kotozakura pulled on Mitakeumi and pulled, trying to Uwatenage the former Ozeki. Mitakeumi fought back while balanced on one leg and pulled Kotozakura forward. Both men fell at the edge. Gunbai Mitakeumi? Mono-ii. Forensic review of the video replay showed Kotozakura landed a fraction of a second before Mitakeumi. Gunbai-dori. I thought this could easily be do-tai and we would get a torinaoshi (rematch). Mitakeumi seemed gassed and very thankful that we did not get bonus sumo. Shitatenage.

Takakeisho (2-3) defeated Ura (3-2). Takakeisho launched himself forward as Ura pulled, sending both clear of the dohyo. Ura clearly stepped out while in retreat. Yorikiri.

Hoshoryu (3-2) defeated Wakamotoharu (2-3). Wakamotoharu nearly locked in with both hands on Hoshoryu’s belt. As he reached to get his right hand grip back, Hoshoryu wrapped up his arm at the shoulder and twisted. This pulled Wakamotoharu to the bales. Hoshoryu finished him off with a shove. Oshitaoshi set up by Kotenage.

Terunofuji (5-0) defeated Gonoyama (2-3) Gonoyama tried. I’ll give him that. Terunofuji got a solid hold of his belt, a bit of gabburi-yotsu worked Gonoyama to the edge and a hard shove sent Gonoyama out. Oshidashi.

Wrap-up

Takakeisho got a much-needed win today. He is definitely vulnerable and will need to capitalize on his opponents’ mistakes, like today, to clear that kadoban. Terunofuji leads our crew, which is nice. But it does not appear any of the Ozeki will be challenging him at this point. It is still far too early to think about the yusho race but it is not too early to determine who is already out of it — and that means basically everyone who is or ever was or wants to be an Ozeki.

Onosato will fight Meisei tomorrow. That should be a lock if he wants to keep this Ozeki run going into Aki (note: we’re not talking about or thinking about promotion here anymore; that ship sailed). Abi will fight Daieisho. Kirishima will face Hiradoumi. Hoshoryu will fight Ura and Kotozakura will fight Gonoyama. Takakeisho will have a tough one against Wakamotoharu. Terunofuji will face Tobizaru.