NHK videos are here: Juryo, Makuuchi Part I and Part II.
Three of the lower division titles were determined today. Will the Makuuchi yusho be won on Day 13, as well? Kusano is going up and he defeated Oshoumi today. Kotoeiho prevented Mitakeumi from sealing his return to the top division. The former Ozeki will face Tomokaze tomorrow to try again. Wakaikari won his battle with Tohakuryu and likely earned promotion, as well. Hat tip to Herbern for the correction.
Makuuchi Action
Shonannoumi (4-9) defeated Kotoshoho (6-2-5). As Kotoshoho approached, Shonannoumi shifted laterally along the tawara and shoved Kotoshoho down. Gunbai Shonannoumi. Mono-ii. Had Shonnanoumi gone out first? No. The call was confirmed. Tsukiotoshi.
Takanosho (8-5) defeated Ryuden (5-8). Takanosho pulled Ryuden’s nodowa away and kept him off his belt with tsuppari. Takanosho pushed him out of the ring with a final shove. Oshidashi.
Kayo (7-6) defeated Atamifuji (7-6). Kayo drove Atamifuji straight back to the edge, where Atamifuji tried a last gasp slap down. Kayo shoved Atamifuji out before he was shoved down. Yorikiri.
Endo (8-5) defeated Tochitaikai (3-10). Tochitaikai attempted a slapdown but couldn’t finish. Endo decided to demonstrate proper technique. While Tochitaikai pressed forward with tsuppari, Endo shifted left and slapped Tochitaikai down. Hatakikomi.
Shodai (4-9) defeated Tamashoho (4-9). Shodai took a lot of abuse from Tamashoho and pressed forward. Tamashoho shifted gears from tsuppari to a slapdown attempt. Shodai powered his way through and shoved Tamashoho from the ring, and into Juryo. Yorikiri.
Meisei (8-5) defeated Roga (7-6). Meisei evaded Roga’s slapdown attack and throw attempt, grabbed Roga’s right hand and flung him completely off the dohyo. Tottari.
Midorifuji (4-9) defeated Nishikigi (6-7). Midorifuji got his katasukashi hold but Nishikigi captured his hand with his arm and tried to pull Midorifuji over the edge with his arm lodged in Nishikigi’s armpit. Thankfully Midorifuji was able to rescue his arm before it was snapped off and shoved Nishikigi out from behind. Okuridashi.
Sadanoumi (9-4) defeated Kinbozan (8-5). Sadanoumi really impressed me today. He took a battering from Kinbozan’s tsuppari but managed to get inside and lock on with a migi-yotsu hold. He tried to yank Kinbozan back but Kinbozan’s footwork prevented a throw. So, Sadanoumi chugged forward and forced Kinbozan out the old-fashioned way. Yorikiri.
Onokatsu (9-4) defeated Tokihayate (6-7). Onokatsu battered Tokihayate with tsuppari to keep him off his belt but then he drove forward and got a migi-yotsu grip to finish him off. Yorikiri.
Shishi (3-10) defeated Churanoumi (3-10). This was a very entertaining, back-and-forth oshi-tsuki battle. Both men tried throws and feints, shifts in direction, slapdowns…a kitchen sink was seen lobbed across the dohyo. Shishi finally seized Churanoumi and forced him out. Both men fell off the dohyo and landed on a woman in the second row, wearing a bright yellow-green kimono. Kimedashi.
Aonishiki (9-4) defeated Hakuoho (8-5). Aonishiki hammered Hakuoho with tsuppari, then grabbed his belt with a solid right and drove him from the ring. Yorikiri.
Halftime
Tamawashi (5-8) defeated Chiyoshoma (4-9). Tamawashi’s tsuppari was too much as he blasted Chiyoshoma from the ring. Oshidashi.
Gonoyama (4-9) defeated Tobizaru (6-7). Gonoyama pressed Tobizaru to the edge, where Tobizaru found resistance at the bales. Gonoyama wasn’t having any of it, rotated and slammed Tobizaru to the ground. Tobizaru limped back down the hanamichi. We’ll keep an eye out for news on the condition of his right foot/ankle. Tsukiotoshi.
Hiradoumi (6-7) defeated Abi (7-6). Hiradoumi hit Abi so hard at the tachiai, he had to wrap him up. Abi tried to yank Hiradoumi to the side with a kotenage but Hiradoumi bulldozed through, keeping his body low, and forced Abi out. Yorikiri.
Oho (5-8) defeated Ura (3-10). Oho kept Ura at bay with tsuppari and then pulled and slapped him down. Hatakikomi.
Takerufuji (5-8) defeated Wakamotoharu (6-7). Takerufuji slammed into Wakamotoharu and pressured him back to the bales. Wakamotoharu tried to twist him down at the edge but Takerufuji pressed him out first. Yorikiri.
Sanyaku
Wakatakakage (10-3) defeated Asakoryu (9-4). Wakatakakage had no issues bulling forward and forcing Asakoryu from the ring. Oshidashi.
Takayasu (4-9) defeated Ichiyamamoto (4-9). After a lengthy grapple, Ichiyamamoto launched into Takayasu with a nodowa, then he tried a kotenage. Takayasu shifted to his left and pushed Ichiyamamoto down. Hikiotoshi.
Kirishima (10-3) defeated Oshoma (8-5). Kirishima hidari-yotsu. Kirishima powered into Oshoma and drove him from the ring. It wasn’t effortless but it was efficient. Yorikiri.
Onosato (13-0) defeated Kotozakura (8-4). Powerful tachiai. Kotozakura grabbed for Onosato’s right arm but Onosato shrugged him off. Onosato pressed forward and drove Kotozakura from the ring. The Ishikawa watch party erupted in cheers. Yorikiri.
Hoshoryu (10-3) defeated Daieisho (9-4). Daieisho hit Hoshoryu harder than I’ve ever seen him hit anyone. But Hoshoryu adjusted well, pulled on Daieisho’s right arm, almost pulling him out of the ring. He then wrapped Daieisho up and drove through the ring. Yorikiri.
Wrap-up
Onosato has not only won his fourth title. He has won his second in a row, at the rank of Ozeki, meaning he will be promoted to Yokozuna at the end of this tournament. It has been quite a year. We started with a lot of hype around Kotozakura, after his yusho in Kyushu. The shin-Ozeki had a “rough” tournament with a 9-6 record, almost seen as a disappointment in some corners of sumo fandom. “Oh, but it’s not even an Ozeki kachi-koshi.”
But the fact remains Onosato has never won fewer than nine bouts in any tournament. This year, he kept getting better. First, it was ten wins at Hatsu where we all saw Hoshoryu win the yusho and Yokozuna promotion. Then twelve in Osaka. Now, with 13 (and still counting) back in Ryogoku, Onosato has realized his destiny and will become the 75th Yokozuna.
This feels like an era-defining moment. While Hoshoryu’s victory led to a real debate about whether his jun-yusho/yusho would be a promotable record, Onosato’s consecutive yusho leaves no such doubt…and we’re not even finished with the tournament.
That’s right, Andy, let’s get back to the action, please.
Onosato will fight Daieisho tomorrow and Hoshoryu will fight Kotozakura in the musubi-no-ichiban. Hakuoho will come back up and fight Kirishima for some unknown reason and Wakatakakage will fight Hiradoumi.
Hoshoryu’s victory over Daieisho earned his important 10th win and likely put the final dagger in Daieisho’s presumptive Ozeki run. Daieisho and Kirishima might both be able to use this tournament as a first leg of future yusho runs, depending on how they do in Nagoya. It would be very interesting if either (or both) earn promotion after Aki. Conceivably, if they were to win out, I suppose there could be talk of Ozeki promotion in Nagoya but that would require extraordinary results, like what we’re seeing from Onosato here.
Might Wakatakakage force a third Sekiwake slot to open up? Who will be demoted, who will earn promotion? Does anyone want to be Komusubi in Nagoya? I mean, right now the leaders for the roles are Oshoma and Hakuoho and they’re not even in the joi! I’m sure we’ll have overpromotions and underpromotions galore. Sometimes you want to watch the clusterf*** — get some commentary, dissect the ins-and-outs. This one may be one to turn away; let them do their thing and get it over with.
OK. So, in closing, Andy is sleepy and delirious, as you can probably tell. Regardless, I want you to keep in mind that you will probably want to watch for news after the tournament is over about our new Yokozuna. But don’t forget that we also anticipate developments regarding Hakuho and the reopening of his stable to come with the retirement of Isegahama. Someone will inherit that stable…will it be Terunofuji or Homarefuji? Will Terunofuji go out on his own? Will they allow Hakuho back out of the dog house? So many questions…
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laughing. Delirious or giddy with fatigue, that was an entertaining and comprehensive write-up Andy. Thank you!
I heaved a sigh of relief at Hoshoryu beating Daeisho. I worry for Hoshoryu and Daeisho is a brawler.
Takerufuji will hopefully overcome whatever is amiss, but Atamfuji? He seems to have lost the joy in his sumo. He summons enough energy to win, just, but seems lack-lustre.
Delighted for Wakatakakage, Kirishima, Asakoryu and Aonishiki.. now there’s a lad that hasn’t quite mastered the impassive face of loss ! Full of determination and skill though.
What will the last 2 days bring?
Thank you! I am interested to see where things go these last two days.
Onosato will always be able to pull out of a basho now if he’s not 100%, so in all probability he will go on to complete his career without ever having been make-koshi.
Onosato!!
If he is promoted to Yokozona, probably this might be a record for the fasted promotion to Yokozona.
Today he looked more aggressive and fast.
I think it is the fastest promotion by a fairly wide margin in the 6 basho era, but he was a Makushita tsukidashi. Given that fact, Haguroyama, who did it in 15 basho from Maezumo, might be even more impressive, but that was in the 1930s.
In addition to having a second Yokozuna, we now have a sanyaku that hasn’t looked this strong in years. Great basho!
In Juryo Mitakeumi lost against Kotoeiho and Kusano beat Oshoumi.
I love Kayo! Murray Johnson called him „the elusive one“ and it’s true though he counts more kilos than centimeters. Such a round, happy (hopefully) body!
That they paired Hakuoho with Aonishiki today was already surprising, but to take Hakuoho up once more to fight Kirishima is perversion. Hasn’t his schedule been hard enough yet?
But then I had the idea that maybe one or even two sansho prizes could wait for the youngsters which had to be earned against tough competition.
Ah, thank you for the correction. I don’t know how I got that mixed up.
Maybe they think he is not ready so they are not letting him get over promoted
more kilos than centimeters!
This is not the first time I’ve wondered whether anti-Hakuho bias has impacted the scheduling of his namesake.
That early yusho for Onosato combined with a rope in progress is really great! Hopefully unjinxable for the remaining possibilities now. It was joyful to see Hoshoryu‘s mood lighten up immediatly after the bout was decided. To share some of the Yokozuna tasks with a second holder and not longer standing alone on the stage to have the proud of the rank discussed would take a lot of pressure off him.
Hakuoho facing Kirishima could substanciate banzuke decisions and earn him that possible Komusubi rank, I assume. It will be interesting to watch Kirishima handle a powerful opponent he doesn‘t already know by heart.
I was so proud of Sadanoumi today! Heavy work done by forcing around giant Kinbozan. Hope to see him without any new bandages on Day 14.
I don’t envy anyone on the banzuke committee, never mind the “guess the banzuke” players for the challenge they’ll have at the end of this basho!
I think in order to have 3 Sekiwake, WTK will have to “force the issue” and get at least one more win if not win out. He has Hiradoumi tomorrow, which isn’t an easy match, so let’s see how that goes first.
Aonishiki has “hit his ceiling” for the moment, but I don’t know how much he’s going to slow down since he’s still improving. It’s going to be interesting to see how Kayo and Asakoryu do in the next basho too. I expect Shishi to bounce back (hopefully he’ll fully heal up between basho) too.
I think having the spotlight off of him will be good for Hoshoryu. Most people don’t think about the extra weight of his uncle’s reputation being on his shoulders as a Yokozuna. That pressure increases with the new rank instead of lessens. Now he can “just go focus on sumo” since he’s not the new Yokozuna on the block.
I still think that various rikishi are going to figure out how to deal with Onosato over time. He’s still so new, and strong honestly, that people haven’t figured out where the cracks in his armor are yet. People can argue that he doesn’t have many, but he’s human and has been caught out by others before. Similarly to Hoshoryu, there’s a lot more responsibility on his shoulders and his mentality is going to be different now that he’s achieved such a large goal.
If they match Hakuho vs Kotozakura on Day 15, I wonder if he will become the first M7 who had to fight a Yokozuna, two Ozeki and two Sekiwake despite not being a serious yusho contender in the last 5 days of the tournament?
It’s as if he were in the joi. At M7 he’s not THAT far off. It would be as if there were 4 kyujo among the joi. But yeah, it would be a super rough schedule and he’s probably happy that matchup likely won’t happen.
Kotozakura should face Daieisho on day 15, it is the proper Ozeki vs Sekiwake end of a yusho, besides poor Hakuoho has had enough already
I think the Banzuke committee is hoping Abi and Wakamotoharu win out so they can not over promote into sanyaku while also giving Wakatakakage a sekiwake slot.
Will that come to pass? Only time will tell. Kirishima is definitely back to his Ozeki level form and Wakatakakage appears to be back to his pre-injury level so both of those guys could easily be sitting as Ozeki in November if things pan out. Fun times. At least we will be free of the “not enough ozeki/yokozuna to balance the Banzuke” discussions going on around this time last year.
Wakatakakage so far hasn’t even been close to an Ozeki promotion. He’s never realized back to back double digit wins in Sanyaku and his highest number of wins over three basho there has been 29, I think.
Nice to see the two top dogs currently sitting at 23 combined wins.
Could be 26 by the end of the basho.
All the spotlight is on Onosato today (and well deserved), but I want to shout out to Kayo and Sadanoumi. Kayo started the basho 0-4 and looked like a done deal with his ticket back to Juryo booked, but he got his 7th win today, securing his stay in Makuuchi and has two more chances to get that makekochi.
We always talk about Tamawashi and what he is doing at the age of 40 (and that is great and he looked like in his best days against CHiyoshoma today), but Sadanoumi is flying under the radar since forever. He is not so far behind Tamawashi at 38 and is having a great basho at 9 wins already. Not to mention that he is a yotsu wrestler and I feel they are usually more affected by age.
Kirishima is the beneficiary of the special treatment Hakuoho recieves this basho, as he is going to miss out on Onosato. Guess there is a good chance that he will get Aonishiki on day 15, as he met all other Sanyaku already I think. If he wins out, he will be on an Ozeki run next basho (with 20wins), although he would need atleast another 12 wins, probably even more.
Daieisho could even get to a 21wins stzarting point, but he has to go through Onosato and Kotozakura.
Wakatakakage should force an extra Sekiwake slot with one more win. As recently as 2023 that happened twice (Kirishima and Kotozakura). Daieisho did it in 2020 and Tochiozan in 2014. In fact there isnÄt a single case, when 11 wins at Komusubi didnt get a promotion, but usually there is jhust a free Sekiwake slot.
Shishi vs. Churanoumi was some of the worst sumop I have seen in a while. Had some comical qualities though. It was exemplary of why both are having a terrible tournament.
Down in juryo unfortunately Mudoho lost his 8th today opening up a second promotion slot. Together with Kitanowaka losing, this solves any potential headache for the banzuke comitee.
As I am also impressed by Kayo, I hope he won’t seize his chances for makekochi, but win at least once for a kachikoshi!
Lol, yeah. Obviously I meant to write kachikoshi;-)
A Japanese Yokozuna. Been hoping for this for awhile, may it reinvigorate sumo in Japan!!!
Hoshoryu showed why his ability to react instinctively may be the best .. Daieisho unloaded on him + he absorbed while countering + shifting into offense .. He can overpower some, but that strategy gets him into trouble as often as it wins ..
Trying to pull down or backstep on Onosato is to surrender .. His footwork + balance + power make that a loosing strategy .. Watching how they solve the Onosato puzzle will be fascinating .. Dancing around the dohyo is dangerous cuz he shrinks escape routes w each step .. Perhaps finding a way to get him out of that perfect sumo posture is a plan ..
Yes, Kayo has rebounded .. something clicked ..
Hoshoryu was out of form for the first few matches ..
So far only Kotoshoho has been kyujo .. Hope Tobizaru is not hurt ..