Turns out you will get abbreviated coverage today! My home internet is down but I got internet and JME going on mobile in time for Onokatsu/Shishi (thankfully!). I’ll need to keep troubleshooting. Work over hotspot will be less than optimal. My first half descriptions are spotty as I struggled with getting internet up and going.
NHK videos here: Juryo Part I & Part II and Makuuchi Part I & Part II.
Makuuchi Action
Asakoryu (1-2) defeated Bushozan (0-3). Oshidashi.
Takerufuji (2-1) defeated Kagayaki (0-3). Yorikiri.
Onokatsu (3-0) defeated Shishi (2-1). EPIC bout. Great back and forth yotsu bout. What a grapple! The gyoji had to stop the fight to fix Shishi’s mawashi. Onokatsu outlasted the big man, though. Tremendous effort on both sides. I hope this turns into a great, long rivalry. It’s like Tochinoshin/Ichinojo with knees. Okay, okay, maybe I’m overhyping it a little. But it was an enjoyable match. Uwatenage.
Tokihayate (2-1) defeated Nishikifuji (0-3). Tsukiotoshi.
Chiyoshoma (2-1) defeated Ryuden (1-2). Yorikiri.
Shonannoumi (2-1) defeated Sadanoumi (1-2). Shonannoumi pulled effectively by cycling backward, just inside the bales. Sadanoumi fell forward. Kotenage.
Tamawashi (2-1) defeated Hokutofuji (1-2). Oshitaoshi.
Takarafuji (1-2) defeated Meisei (1-2). Hatakikomi.
Ichiyamamoto (3-0) defeated Midorifuji (1-2). Tsukiotoshi.
Gonoyama (2-1) defeated Takayasu (1-2). Gonoyama hit Takayasu hard at the tachiai. Takayasu went into pull mode but his slapdown was ineffective. Gonoyama just pressed forward and blasted him out. Oshidashi.
Endo (2-1) defeated Roga (1-2). Endo drove right over Roga. Where did that bus come from? Yoritaoshi.
Halftime
Mitakeumi (2-1) defeated Nishikigi (0-3). A bit of a sidestep from Mitakeumi. That redirection was enough to get Nishikigi to the bales. Mitakeumi kept driving forward and forced Nishikigi to step over. Yorikiri.
Takanosho (3-0) defeated Tobizaru (2-1). Takanosho blew Tobizaru away with his powerful tsuppari. Takanosho has been looking like he did when he had a piece of the yusho race. Now that he’s heyagashira, I wonder if the status and responsibility is giving him a boost. Oshidashi.
Oshoma (1-2) defeated Kotoshoho (1-2). Oshoma pulled immediately and slapped Kotoshoho down. Hatakikomi.
Wakatakakage (3-0) defeated Churanoumi (0-3). Wakatakakage wanted to get inside but Churanoumi knocked his arms away. Churanoumi, forced into retreat, attempted a slapdown but WTK kept driving forward. Oshidashi.
Wakamotoharu (2-1) defeated Ura (1-2). Ura opted for yotsu bout today. Wakamotoharu Ura tried to arch his back and heave Wakamotoharu over but WMH slipped away and Ura fell backwards. Oshitaoshi.
Sanyaku
Atamifuji (3-0) defeated Daieisho (1-2) Atamifuji weathered Daieisho’s blasts at the tachiai and pressed forward. He drove into Daieisho with a nodowa of his own and pressed Daieisho over the bales. Great win there! Oshidashi.
Abi (2-1) defeated Kirishima (0-3). Abi henka incoming? No. Abi as strong as I’ve ever seen him. Abi tried a quick slapdown but missed. No worries, he reacquired his target and slammed forward. That had the desired effect so he followed up and shoved Kirishima from the fighting surface. No fantasy Ozeki run for Kirishima. Oshidashi.
Hoshoryu (3-0) defeated Hiradoumi (0-3). Hoshoryu hit Hiradoumi hard at the tachiai. He pressed forward. Hiradoumi tried a half-hearted slapdown at the edge but Hoshoryu ushered him out. Oshidashi.
Murray trying to jinx Kotozakura. Maybe a fellow Oho fan? After Hoshoryu’s win, Murray says, “Nice to see all of the Ozeki performing well. Oops, did I speak too soon?” Yes, yes you did. You know it and Oho fans might just owe you a pint.
Oho (1-2) defeated Kotozakura (2-1). Big man sumo from Oho. Excellent ring presence and footwork as he cycled back into the center of the ring, and pressed forward into the Ozeki, time and time again. Kotozakura capitulated with a half-hearted pull and slapdown attempt as Oho drove forward. Oshidashi.
Onosato (3-0) defeated Shodai (0-3). Shodai makes the Ozeki wait but gets completely obliterated as Onosato drove right through him. Oshidashi.
Wrap-up
Well, I’m off to debug this internet issue. I don’t mind grainy sumo on a small screen but work will not be fun funneling gigs of data through a straw. But before I go, you are under orders to check out the Onokatsu/Shishi bout. There were definitely better bouts in the first half today than yesterday. I’m glad I didn’t just turn in after encountering my internet issue.
The Ozeki chatter from Kirishima fans is silenced, unfortunately. I do not like seeing Kirishima get dominated like this but if he needs to rebound from a lower rank, so be it. He’s getting throttled up in sanyaku, with the notable exception of last tournament.
Hoshoryu is on fire. There are some cracks showing, though, as he did slip a bit today. He recovered well, though and has been very powerful. Kotozakura needs to regroup after his loss to Oho.
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Hoshoryu, Wakatakakage, Atamifuji and – from down below – Ichiyamamoto have made the strongest impression on me. Onosato seems not yet at his top level but still has three wins which says it all. I‘m very much looking forward to tomorrow’s three Ozeki bouts. Onosato might revenge his Senshuraku loss against Abi, fun guaranteed with Hoshoryu vs Ura and maybe an early landmark bout between Kotozakura and Wakatakakage, two possible yusho contenders. And as always I‘ll root for both Ukrainians because they originate from that tortured country and especially for Aonishiki because he is a great hope for the near future.
To me, Ichiyamamoto is one of the strangest of wrestlers. He does not appear to have any muscles in his arms or legs and has no ass to speak of. Where the hell does he get that power?
Adamantium-bonded skeleton? 🩻 He doesn’t need big biceps or traps. I think his strength comes from pecs and triceps and maybe calves?
From the HEART, of course!
“Like Tochinoshin/Ichinojo with knees” Lol!
Guys, please, shhh as regards Hoshoryu. Don’t want to jinx what he’s got going on so far this basho. No stupid early loses and solid sumo for the most part. To paraphrase former President Obama, this is the Hoshoryu we’ve been waiting for.
Agreed! No jinxing the young man! All I will say it’s REALLY good to see some of my favourites on fire with their sumo. After the last basho, I wonder if words were had with Hoshoryu and Kotozakura, or if Onosato has stirred them up, or both? They both barely scraped through to a kache-koshi after all.
Good on Oho beating Kotozakura.
Haven’t seen the highlights yet….work to do first….then a coffee and half an hour of top flight sumo.
Well I enjoyed that half hour of makuuchi sumo. Ura does like to try his sototasukizori (did I get that right?). I think I’ve seen him try at last twice in the last year and succeed in at least one of them that I recall.
More importantly, did Kotozakura pretty much fail to show respect to Oho at the end of their match, or did I blink and miss even the most perfunctory of nods?
Question about the wardrobe malfunction – I know they aren’t supposed to move while the mawashi is being retied. Is that only for the upper body? I noticed Shishi moved his feet a couple of times. Maybe he had to in order to keep his balance, but I wasn’t sure if that was considered okay.
They’re not supposed to move at all unless directed by the gyoji.
Shishi did have to pick up his left foot so the Gyoji could clear his sagari and they had to relax Onokatsu’s grip to get the knot re-tied too. Gyoji seemed to be checking with head shimpan to ensure they were back in the right positions before restarting.
Have seen salt used to mark foot placements in the past when this has happened in stopped bouts and exact hand and body placements confirmed by video with replay judge via the head shimpan.
Too much fidgeting though in this situation.
To be honest, I wasn’t sure the mawashi needed adjustment just then but “gyoji discretion.”
Nishikigi is probably injured. His back, maybe? He has zero “ooomph” and without that, he’s essentially a human sand bag.
Kirishima thought about a henka from Abi, which is why I’m assuming the matta happened, but he really didn’t have a plan for the bout. If Abi is allowed to dictate things, he usually wins.
I agree that it’s good to see Takanosho in his current form. May it continue long into the future!
It also looks like Atamifuji has his head on straight. He’ll be dangerous if that’s the case.
I am hopeful that Onokatsu/Shishi becomes more of the norm in the top division soon. A lot of bouts are more spirited than they have been in recent bashos which is fantastic to see.
Three questions: Where is Hakuho these days? Did he get his Beya back? What is Takakeisho’s new job callled? Will he be doing this fir a while? What is happening with Hakuoho? Really thought he’d be in Macuuchi by now.
Hakuho is on double-secret probation. He has not gotten his heya back. There’s no indication he will get it back, or when (if he does). He’s basically out of public eye until stuff is settled. Some speculate that this cannot last longer than July 2025 when Isegahama retires. I would not be surprised if we don’t hear anything until after Haru Basho. Isegahama has been tasked with providing reports to the Kyokai but I have not seen any and have not heard of the contents of them. Hakuoho finally was able to wear an oicho-mage last night. He won last night and will fight in Makuuchi tonight against Shishi. He’s near the top of Juryo so he’s in great position to return with a solid kachi-koshi.
Onokatsu-Shishi — Man-oh-Man. That was one terrific bout. The tawara dancing by both rikishi while full mawashi grips were maintained by both was unbelievably exciting. The gyoji let them get away with too much fidgeting while fixing Shishi’s mawashi knot, but the Shimpan must have thought they maintained position enough to not overcorrect it.
Great sumo! Give me more of that kind of action.
💯
I have a question. Today after his win, Asakoryu was asked in his interview what he was going to do with his prize money. In all my years of watching these after-win interviews, I’ve never heard the winner be asked that question (and I think it’s rude, but that’s just me.) Asakoryu said that he intended to give his prize money to his oyakata. Is that typically what the rikishi does with it? I know it is typically divided between the winner and a retirement fund operated by the sumo authority.
Onosato was asked the same question… and he gave the same answer!
Later in another NHK feature his Oyakata presented these envelopes on display in his heya.
Like Herbern, I’ve heard that answer before and I imagine that is quite common. Certainly more common than, “I’m going to Disney World!”
I remember Hakuho speaking of “repayment” during interviews with Hokuseiho before the bottom fell out there. With all of the support that the oyakata and okamisan give to their flock, it’s got to be a common sentiment. I do wonder if that led to the spat between Ichinojo and Minato-oyakata.
I don’t understand why the kimarite of Wakamotoharu was Oshitaoshi. Ura just fell down by himself while doing Shumokuzori, and Waka did nothing. At least he didn’t ‘push’ Ura at all.