The Sumo Association tweeted the top division match ups and posted their full torikumi on the Sumo Association website. This full torikumi includes a list of all of the kensho on the left but I’ve focused this image on the half with the bouts. This portion also has a list of all of the yusho prizes that are on the line during tonight’s action.
As Leonid mentioned three Makushita wrestlers will come up to fight Juryo bouts. Hakuyozan will fight Takakento, Shimazuumi will fight Hidenoumi, and Kotokuzan will Fukuzaki. Toshinofuji did, in fact, win his bout while the other three are fighting their bouts tonight. With that win, Toshinofuji is in. It will be interesting to see who earns their way up to join him. Enho will try again for promotion in Osaka, possibly with a more forgiving path.
Wakanosho will fight Fujiryoga for the yusho. If Fujiryoga plays is spoiler role right, stablemate Fujiseiun will fight Wakanosho in a playoff — if he can win his own bout against Tohakuryu.
Makuuchi Yusho Race
Now, the reason you’re here. Before we get to the “halftime” shimpan shuffle, Atamifuji will fight Oshoumi in an early bout with yusho implications. Then, we get to our sanyaku yusho bouts. We knew the final two bouts of the day already. Onosato will fight Hoshoryu and Aonishiki will fight Kotozakura. Kirishima will take on Abi, with the winner awarded the arrows.
Other sanyaku bouts include Churanoumi versus Takayasu, Oho versus Takanosho, and Wakamotoharu fighting Onokatsu in a Darwin bout with Wakamotoharu’s sanyaku rank at stake.
So, if Atamifuji wins that puts pressure on Aonishiki to win his bout to earn a spot in a play-off. Otherwise, Atamifuji will win the yusho outright. If Atamifuji loses, Aonishiki can win the yusho outright with a win over Kotohachinana (Kotozakura). If both men lose, there will be a playoff with Oshoumi, which would also include the winner of the Kirishima-Abi fight and possibly Onosato, if he beats Hoshoryu. So, we could have a two-man playoff, an outright victory, or a bigger playoff with up to five guys. Chaos!
Got it? Good. There will be a quiz.
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The chances of both leaders losing are very less, if they loose the outcome will be very interesting.
But I am rooting for Aonishiki to win.
And it looks like there are very few Makuchi demotions this time. We hame one confirm demotion and probably Tomokaze will join, I am not sure who else is in the danger zone.
Ryuden needs a win to safely avoid the Juryo barge, Hatsuyama punched his ticket on Nakabi, Tomokaze is the only other one probable.
I think Tomokaze might already have his seat on the barge. Asahakuryu might be on the chopping block, too. They’re pairing him with Sadanoumi. Ryuden will fight Kotoeiho.
Asahakuryu at 7-8, half rank demotion? Or barge.
Asahakuryu will have a darwin match too. If he looses to Sadanoumi, they will switch Juryo and makuuchi, probably.
Love that it could be CHAOS, but hoping for at worst Aonishiki and Atamifuji in a playoff, at best an outright Aonishiki yusho. It’s been nearly 5 years since Atamifuji and Oshoumi last met in Makushita. Lotsa water under bridge since then. Will be a must watch.
Oshoumi is still such a wildcard to me. I don’t know where to slot him.
What’s the record for Kensho in a single bout? I’m trying to count how many banners each bout is getting, and if I got it right Aonishiki-Kotohachinana have 58 sponsors’ banners, the Yokozuna’s have 49. Not being able to read the vertical script but guessing that there is a “,” between each one and counting down I came up with 248 total. Am I in the ballpark?
That sounds reasonable. Pre-covid, I think Hakuho would get stacks of 60+. I seem to remember 62 being a high water mark but will need to dig into it. But those numbers sound like they’re in a reasonable ballpark.
And every match is getting something. Oshoma-Yoshinofuji and Kirishima-Abi have more than Atamifuji-Oshoumi, 21 each to 17, IF I count right.
According to Reddit, 61 is the record by Hakuho at Hatsu 2015 versus Kakuryu.
It’s capped at 60 + the Morinaga-sho audience choice kensho (only offered in Tokyo tournaments). For a long time it was capped at 50 + 1 with occasional “exceptional” permissions granted for more, that’s how the 61 for Hakuho-Kakuryu came about. There were other 61’s since then.
ja.wiki says (and I didn’t remember this at all) that the current record is actually now 63, set by Kirishima – Kotonowaka in January two years ago, but apparently that involved only 49 actual kensho placings on that bout + 14 that were reassigned on the day because a Terunofuji – Hoshoryu match didn’t happen.
I love a parade, and we’re going to have 2 huge banner parades tonite. Sumo is more popular than ever
Atamifuji should have been paired with Wakamatoharu who is 7-7 at West Komusubi and will be motivated to win and remain in Sanyaku.
I’m interested to see what the Special Prize incentives will be this tournament. I’m betting Abi and Atamifuji might get outstanding performance if they win the yusho. But I think Oshoumi might get a special prize just for beating Atamifuji. Abi and Atamifuji are often in sanyaku and have thus faced weaker opponents than they’re used to Oshoumi is a new guy doing really well. And sometimes they seem to use this conditional prizes to really incentivize the senshuraku action distinct from rewarding tournament performance.
They just posted the special prizes. Atamifuji Kanto-sho guaranteed. Shukunsho for Atamifuji and Yoshinofuji conditional, Kirishima, Abi, and Oshoumi Kanto-sho are conditional.
I think Atamifuji is a lock for Shukun-Sho, Yoshinofuji also if he wins tonite, seeing as they beat BOTH Yokozunas (gotta get KK tho Yoshi).
Kanto-sho and Gino-sho? Abi for one, Oshoumi for one if he wins. Can Kirishima get a Special?
Kirishima is eligible, if he wins, probably. Aonishiki got Gino-sho and Shukun-sho last time as a sekiwake.
Yes. He won three last year after demotion. One as Sekiwake at Natsu.
Haha, like Oprah in the day, and you get a car, and you get a car,,, aka special prize! Funny too that rikishi are not allowed to drive cars….
After a promising start way back when he properly made it into makuuchi (Sept 2023), I’ve enjoyed seeing Atamifuji pulling it together a bit more decisively this basho. I must be jet lagged as I read Kotohachinana as Kotohoochiemama, and it took me a second to go ‘what?’
This basho has been as unpredictable as anyone could want, and as everyone’s said, it could in various directions tomorrow! Can’t wait.
I’ve got to use KotoHoochiemama sometime — but I don’t think it would apply here.
Maybe he’ll get that name if he wins another Cup? lol
Ok, could it indirectly apply if Kotozakura gets engaged to/ marries a super model beauty, and this distracts his basho winning record to what is considered acceptable final score? ;-) Problem is, rikishi like to keep details of personal relationship to themselves for years, and sometimes we find out that so and so got married quietly and has 3 kids…
Very true. Or maybe it could be used for Asanoyama/Ryuden situations.
Kotohachinana – I’m gonna steal that and use it in my vids…hehe
I’ve got to give credit to reader, JBipes. It’s the perfect nickname.
both Atamifuji and Aonishiki have relatively undemanding bouts tomorrow, thus I doubt we will have a complicated play-off