Kyujo news first. Ura is out from today and Midorifuji will pick up the walkover win. Mita defeated Daiseizan with a lightning quick pull at the tachiai. Mita picked up his eleventh win while Daiseizan flopped down to his fourth loss and a tie with Kōtokuzan for second place.
Your NHK videos are here: Juryo, Makuuchi Part I and Part II.
Makuuchi Action
Kotoeiho (5-9) defeated Nishikigi (7-7). Kotoeiho pressed forward to the tawara. Nishikigi tried to dump him over the edge and pivoted along the tawara but Kotoeiho drove him over the edge. Oshidashi.
Kayo (3-11) defeated Hidenoumi (1-10-2). Kayo charged forward hard, attacked Hidenoumi with a nodowa and then pulled Hidenoumi down for the slapdown victory. That’s what Andy wants to see. The full reverse garbage is just capitulation. But apparently Kayo only wants to fight the injured guys? Hatakikomi.
Churanoumi (9-5) defeated Mitakeumi (9-5). Mitakeumi charged forward and forced Churanoumi to the edge. At the bales, Churanoumi shifted to the right along the bales, shoved Mitakeumi to the side and then pushed Mitakeumi out. Oshidashi.
Fujinokawa (9-5) defeated Takanosho (8-6). Takanosho tried to slap Fujinokawa down at the tachiai but Fujinokawa kept his balance and pivoted. Takanosho then charged forward but Fujinokawa slipped to the side and pulled Takanosho down. Hikiotoshi.
Shishi (6-8) defeated Tokihayate (6-8). Tokihayate got his right hand inside for a katasukashi pull down and pivoted but Shishi pressed forward and forced him out. Yorikiri.
Shodai (9-5) defeated Roga (7-7). Shodai pressed Roga forward to the bales. Roga attempted to resist at the bales but Shodai dumped him with a strong left hand over-arm throw. Uwatenage.
Midorifuji (9-5) default win over Ura (8-6).
Asakoryu (6-8) defeated Chiyoshoma (1-13). You have to give it to Chiyoshoma. He gave it his all here but Asakoryu dumped him over the edge with his left-hand inside. Shitatenage.
Tamawashi (10-4) defeated Ichiyamamoto (9-5). Ichiyamamoto started out with his tsuppari so Tamawashi gauged Ichiyamamoto in the face and then slipped his right hand inside to drive Ichiyamamoto back and out. Yorikiri.
Onokatsu (6-8) defeated Kinbozan (3-11). Onokatsu weathered Kinbozan’s shoves and slapdown attempts. When Kinbozan tired, Onokatsu slipped in and drove Kinbozan back for a yorikiri win.
Halftime
Oho (6-8) defeated Gonoyama (8-6). Oho braved the torrent of Gonoyama’s tsuppari and pressed forward for a step and then quickly pulled and slapped Gonoyama down for the hatakikomi victory.
Hakuoho (8-6) defeated Abi (8-6). Abi tried to slap Hakuoho down and pulled him around the ring with his deep hold on Hakuoho’s mawashi. But Hakuoho refused to go down and from his solid, low position shoved Abi over the edge. Oshidashi.
Kusano (11-3) defeated Aonishiki (11-3). Kusano got a deep left hand outside grip and pulled Aonishiki forward, attempting the slapdown. Aonishiki did not go down easy but Kusano kept pressing forward and forced Aonishiki to step out. Yorikiri.
Wakamotoharu (6-8) defeated Meisei (3-11). Meisei’s thigh is taped up but he had to keep that leg forward with most of his lower body resistance coming from the left. The pair attacked each other with flurries of tsuppari and Wakamotoharu waited Meisei out. When Meisei shifted so that weak right leg was braced at the bales, he thrust Meisei down. Tsukitaoshi.
Sanyaku
Sadanoumi (4-10) defeated Oshoma (3-11). Sadanoumi pressed Oshoma back and drove him over the edge. Oshidashi.
Takayasu (9-5) defeated Atamifuji (10-4). Atamifuji drove Takayasu to the edge and nearly forced him out but Takayasu resisted, worked his way back to the center of the ring and got a firm right hand inside grip. While a tired Atamifuji pondered what to do next, Takayasu dumped him with a beautiful underarm throw. Atamifuji was pissed at himself because he was so close. He angrily flagellated himself with his sagari as he walked back down the hanamichi in defeat. Shitatenage.
Kotoshoho (12-2) defeated Kirishima (8-6). When Kirishima started to charge forward, Kotoshoho slipped to the side, grabbed Kirishima’s thong and threw him forward over the bales. Uwatenage.
Kotozakura (8-6) defeated Hiradoumi (7-7). While Hiradoumi was low and trying to find a belt grip, Kotozakura quickly twisted him down. Sukuinage.
Onosato (10-4) defeated Wakatakakage (9-5). Onosato patiently drove forward as WTK pulled and stepped out. Oshidashi.
Wrap up
Heading into Senshuraku, M15 Kotoshoho holds sole possession of the lead with 12 wins. Aonishiki and Kusano trail with 11.
Kotozakura picked up that important win number eight.
Pairings for tomorrow have not been posted. I’ll send out an update when they’ve made decisions about the torikumi for Senshuraku. Kotoshoho has already beat Kusano but has not fought Aonishiki. He also has not fought Ozeki Kotozakura. (And he can’t, as J reminded me. As if the KOTO- prefix wasn’t enough of a hint, they’re in the same heya. Silly me! Next tournament I will propose a bout with Kotoeiho for extra egg on my face. Stablemate, brother, and different division by then.)
The bout makers have themselves a pickle. Do they hand out a yusho to Kotoshoho after fighting 1 Yokozuna, 1 Sekiwake and 1 Komusubi?
***Update*** As Thomas noted, the bout list is out. Kotoshoho versus Aonishiki and Kusano versus Takayasu.
For our sanyaku bouts, Onosato will fight Kotozakura, Wakatakakage will fight Kirishima, and Oshoma will face Tamawashi.
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Kotoshoho and Kotozakura can’t fight each other in regulation bouts, though …
Oh, you’re right! I can’t believe I forgot that!
Aonishiki vs Kotoshoho
Kusano vs Takayasu
Onosato vs Kotozakura
There was a shot just before the end of the broadcast of Tokushoryu on windbreaker duty: a reminder that nothing in this basho is nearly as bizarre as his yusho was.
Well, that went all sorts of wrong today, 😕 for my guys anyway. Apart from WKMH. You could see in Onosato’s face that there was no way he was going to lose today’s match even if he had to trample WKTG into the dohyo!
Tomorrow we get a whole hour and 50 minutes of live coverage; will Kotoshoho hang on to win the yusho? What do y’all think?
My guess is a three way playoff between Kotoshoho, Aonishiki and Kusano. It’s a horse race any could win, but putting my bet on Kusano. What a dramatic basho we’ve had from start to finish!
Oh, what a wonderful ending to a wild Basho it would be if a 3-way playoff between rank-and-file guys materializes. I am pulling for that exact scenario and hoping for Aonoshiki to snatch the win.
A three-way play-off would be all sorts of awesome. I have to say I’d be shouting for Aonishki though Kusano has done so well, as has Kotoshoho (though I’m not a fan as such). I thought the young female Kotoshoho fan in the pale blue yukata shown in today’s broadcast (yukata to match his mawashi?) was very sweet. Girlfriend, or just big fan?
Hi Betty, just looked up Kotoshoho for you on the sumo fandom site, and officially we should say that the blue yukata clad woman fan would not be his girlfriend, as he married in June 2024 and has a son. So, could this sweetness be his wife?……
At the end of day 10 : a) the highest-ranked opponent of M15 Kotoshoho was M8 Sadanoumi, b) the highest-ranked opponent of M14 Kusano was M9 Ura, c) the lowest-ranked opponent of M1 Aonishiki was M3 Kinbozan, not to mention Aonishiki’s 5-2 record against the entire sanyaku at that stage. — As regards fairness, that’s the way it goes.
If Aonishiki defeats Kotoshoho tomorrow and Kusano overcomes Takayasu, the trio will finish at 12-3 overall and, as irrelevant sidenote, at 1-1 between them –relatively fair outcome.
(If anybody is wondering, it was noted previously by an author of this forum that “the outcome of the bouts between play-off contestants during the regular phase –should they exist– is NOT taken into account.”)
Sad for Aonishiki, but it’s not over yet! I would have a sour taste in my mouth if Kotoshoho or Kusano won, given their much weaker strengths of schedule compared to Aonishiki, but if there is no concern for that kind of thing then que sera, sera!
I am struck by just how even the records are across most of the top divisions guys this tournament. We aren’t going to see all that many big rank shifts with so many straddling the line between winning and losing records.
The matches have mostly been good with the exception of a couple of matches here and there.
Just one more night of forcing myself to stay up until 4am to get some use out of my Jme sub to then forget it exists for two more months.
I usually take a nap from 8 to 2 or 3. It’s like my uncle’s sleep schedule but it works and I am fine through the day. As for JME, we used to be in the same boat of not using it much but my wife is hooked on the morning drama series, first there was Tora chan and now Anpan. I’ve grown sick of our news here and have started watching the NHK news, in particular. I’m starting to get back into studying Japanese seriously, so it’s been helpful to have the kanji subtitles, along with reading brief sumo news articles.
Phase there been any report about the blue bruise on Shishi’s left pectoral ? Reminded me of the much uglier bruise when Kisenosato tore his pectoral.
The discoloration on Shishi’s left pec is from when he face-planted on the tawara a few days ago and got a bad road rash.
I didn’t expect to see Mita dashing backwards from Daiseizan in a decider bout. Yes, it was very fast. In the long run Sumo deities will show if they liked it. I didn’t.
Yeah, I was surprised but also always open for the unpredictable. It’s an issue when it becomes a wrestlers’ whole style, like Kayo. Even Chiyoshoma seems to have jettisoned his usual henka.
Onosato reverted to his winning foot work + did not fall for WTK’s pulling & dodging shenanigans .. Handicapping tomorrow’s matches is quite the challenge ..
There really weren’t a lot of other sanyaku opponents for Kotoshoho to fight: Hoshoryu and Daieisho are out, he can’t face Kotozakura, and Oshoma has 3 wins, so the only potential opponent he skipped is WTK.
There were some controversies about Takayasu keeping Sanyaku position.
But he did a tremendous job against low rank front runners in this basho like a real gatekeeper of sanyaku.
I hope he can do the same to Kusano today.
He lost against Kotoshoho.
Rooting for Aonoshiki (2 matches) & Takayasu tomorrow!
To be fair, I almost always root for Takayasu.
Kusano and Kotoshoho are going to face much stiffer competition in the next basho .. For Anonishiki it will be more of the same .. There is reason to believe they all will be able to hold their new rank .. That is a good sign for sumo ..
Kusano figured out a way to best the young Ukrainian: do not stop for an instant. So many of Aonoshiki’s wrestler moves come when the big guys take a sec to try to figure out what to do with him in a low tight grapple. Kusano got at it before Aonoshiki could cook up an improvisation.
I am really really looking forward to a rematch in a playoff. Both are so dynamic.