Takayasu kyujo. They’re dropping like flies in sanyaku. At this rate, by Senshuraku, Shodai will be in the musubi-no-ichiban. If you’ll recall, Takayasu took a tumble into the crowd yesterday and is unfortunately another casualty of this Natsu Basho.
Down in Juryo, Enho’s charge continues as he picked up his fourth straight win. He joins Kazekeno, Toshinofuji, and Kyokukaiyu as early leaders in the second division. Way to go, Enho!
I want to highlight that former Makushita “up-and-comer” Yoshii has taken a proper shikona and today picked up his first win against Hanaoka. Rather than fighting under his real name, Yoshii Ko, he is now Tokifudo Ko. Tokifudo is now 1-1.
Anyway, I say former “up-and-comer” because he’s been toiling in Makushita since we were in lockdown. He’s a grizzled vet by now. Can he make a charge for promotion this year?
Top division NHK videos are here.
Makuuchi Action
Daiseizan (4-0 Juryo) defeated Ryuden (0-4). Daiseizan got his left-hand inside belt grip and quickly drove Ryuden back and out of the ring. Ryuden is being just plain beat by these youngsters. He feels ready for a seat on the barge. Yorikiri.
Fujiryoga (3-1) defeated Tobizaru (3-1). Tobizaru pulled and tried to shuffle laterally along the tawara but Fujiryoga gave chase and pushed him down. Oshitaoshi.
Wakanosho (3-1) defeated Mitakeumi (1-3). Mitakeumi charged forward into Wakanosho. Wakanosho hit Mitakeumi with tsuppari to the face as he retreated. As the pair reached the bales, Wakanosho grabbed Mitakeumi’s left arm and pulled him forward, then shoved him from behind to send him out. Okuridashi.
Roga (3-1) defeated Oshoumi (1-3). The two tussled with their left-hand inside belt grips when suddenly Roga yanked Oshoumi over with a spectacular and powerful shitatenage. The crowd liked that one.
Tokihayate (1-3) defeated Tamawashi (0-4). Tamawashi’s struggles continue. Despite a 43-kg size advantage, Tokihayate was able to grab Tamawashi’s belt and steer him toward the edge like a big rig. At the bales, Tamawashi stopped his momentum and began to charge forward but Tokihayate slipped to the side and let Tamawashi rush forward. Tokihayate then came up from behind and pushed Tamawashi out. Okuridashi.
Ura (2-2) defeated Shishi (1-3). Shishi got the best of the tachiai and charged forward to finish Ura off but Ura shifted left, grabbed Shishi’s belt and shoved him out. Shitatenage.
Kotoeiho (4-0) defeated Kinbozan (2-2). Kinbozan pulled Kotoeiho up by his belt and drove him toward the bales. Kotoeiho braced his left foot on the tawara and used the leverage to hoist Kinbozan over. Shitatenage.
Abi (2-2) defeated Asanoyama (2-2). Abi blasted Asanoyama with tsuppari and drove him back over the bales. Oshidashi.
Oshoma (2-2) defeated Nishikifuji (1-3). As Nishikifuji charged forward, Oshoma grabbed Nishikifuji’s left arm and pulled him forward to the bales. Nishikifuji spun away but Oshoma was in hot pursuit and shoved Nishikifuji out. Oshidashi.
Hakunofuji (3-1) defeated Asahakuryu (2-2). Asahakuryu wrapped his arms around Hakunofuji’s and forced Hakunofuji back to the edge. Hakunofuji dug in at the tawara and would not go over. When Asahakuryu relented, Hakunofuji was able to grab his belt with both hands, turn him around and drive him out. Yorikiri.
Halftime
Fujiseiun (3-1) defeated Asakoryu (2-2). Asakoryu blitzed Fujiseiun at the tachiai and drove him back to the bales. At the bales, Fujiseiun shifted to his right and twisted, dragging Asakoryu forward to the edge. He then shoved him over to finish him off. Tsukiotoshi.
Churanoumi (3-1) defeated Wakamotoharu (1-3). Churanoumi stayed calm in the face of Wakamotoharu’s fierce attack and steadily pressed Wakamotoharu away from the center of the ring. Churanoumi stayed low and shoved Wakamotoharu back and out. Oshidashi.
Chiyoshoma (2-2) defeated Shodai (1-3). Shodai charged forward but Chiyoshoma slipped to his left and slapped Shodai down. Shodai was completely out of his element as the aggressor, bulldozing through the ring in pursuit of Chiyoshoma. Despite the loss, I really like this development. Katasukashi.
Gonoyama (3-1) defeated Hiradoumi (2-2). Hiradoumi had Gonoyama at the edge but Gonoyama used the bales to brace himself, charged forward to give himself a little room, then pivoted to his right and slapped Hiradoumi down. Notice Gonoyama didn’t need much room for his slapdown since he pivoted instead of backing up. I’m thinking of Asanoyama’s bout with Hakunofuji earlier this basho where Asanoyama backed himself out of the ring. PIVOT!!!! Thank you, Gonoyama. Hikiotoshi.
Sanyaku
Wakatakakage (4-0) defeated Daieisho (2-2). After taking multiple blows from Daieisho, Wakatakakage shifted right and hit Daieisho from the side. This disrupted Daieisho’s attack. Wakatakakage then drove his hands into Daieisho’s armpits, blasting him toward the edge. He followed up with a nodowa and cast Daieisho into the crowd. Oshidashi.
Oho (2-2) default win over Takayasu (2-2).
Takanosho (2-2) defeated Atamifuji (1-3). Takanosho tried the slapdown, that didn’t work. So he quickly adjusted to throwing a flurry of tsuppari. As Atamifuji resisted, Takanosho grabbed his left arm and pulled him forward. This allowed Takanosho to get in behind and dig out Atamifuji’s thong. Takanosho gave Atamifuji a wedgie and drove him over the bales. Hopefully he washed his hands after soon after. Oshidashi.
Fujinokawa (3-1) defeated Kotoshoho (1-3). Solid tachiai but Fujinokawa quickly backed away to his left. Kotoshoho charged forward into the void. Fujinokawa finished him off with a shove. Tsukiotoshi.
Kotozakura (2-2) defeated Yoshinofuji (1-3). Kotozakura must have eaten at the same ramen shop as Shodai. Somehow they’re both super aggressive today. Kotozakura steamrolled through Yoshinofuji, blasting him with tsuppari and shoving him out of the ring. More of this Kotozakura, please. Oshidashi.
Kirishima defeated Ichiyamamoto. Kirishima tried for an early sukuinage but Ichiyamamoto continued to charge forward, head first. Kirishima backed up to the bales and slapped Ichi down. “Andy, shut up about the pivoting. I don’t need to.” Hatakikomi.
Wrap-up
We’ve only got five sanyaku bouts tomorrow. Wakatakakage will start things off and fight Takanosho, Oho will then take on Kotoshoho, Atamifuji will fight Fujinokawa. Kirishima will then take on Hiradoumi and Kotozakura will close things out against Ichiyamamoto. It will also be worth checking out if Kotoeiho can throw Roga.
Meanwhile, I’m going to dig around here for some chestnuts, sake, salt and squid to see if I can’t get my own dohyo matsuri going. Something must have gone awry with the one in Tokyo. Maybe they mistook sugar for salt or used the wrong variety of chestnut. The kami are picky and vengeful when it’s not as they like it, apparently. We’ll see if we can appease them. I was never quite successful at appeasing the golf gods, though, so this might go sideways. But at least I’ll have some good sake.
Discover more from Tachiai (立合い)
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Fujinokawa makes opponents feel like they’re fighting in slo-mo. Big part of it is his decision making. He just thinks faster.
A basho without the arguably three greatest active stars of the sport seems a bit shallow.
(The more so as my dark horse, Atamifuji has been underperforming so far, just like the other Terunofuji pupil, Yoshinofuji.)
Therefore my match of the day tomorrow will be the clash of the two 2-0 shin makushita Tatsubayama (25-3-2 career record) and Koseiryu (31-8-5).
To those who haven’t read it already I recommend hochiyama‘s report from before the tournament, where he introduced them to us, along with TD Omori, who is also 2-0 and who, according to the Japanese media, is a heartthrob (and therefore in Endo‘s stable…).
Oh, I forgot the heartthrob connection. I wonder if Endo will aim for a stable full of ikemen.
Endo commenting for Abema on Day3 (in full suit and lightblue necktie) was really soothing! His voice is like butterfly wings :D
I agree. It’s got a gravelly quality to it.
While I agree that many rikishi are going kyujo, I’m glad that it’s happening instead of them being forced to fight while injured. The way that things change is people in power get proverbially slapped in the face repeatedly with a problem. If both Yokozuna, one Ozeki, and multiple rikishi in the top division are all out injured at the same time, then there’s a problem with how they’re training and they’re treated by those in charge. The problem is especially glaring when you can utter the name “Kisenosato” in comparison to the current Yokozuna and people can nod in recognition and agreement.
We didn’t get the full Flying Monkey treatment today, but I must give my appreciation to Tobizaru for the attempt and for introducing youngsters to the tradition.
Mitakeumi and Tamawashi are both throwing everything including the kitchen sink into their matches. If they were healthy, they’d have some white stars already. Both of them are also more ammunition for people who want to discuss injuries and rikishi.
Thank you for flying Roga Airlines, Oshoumi. Please remember to collect the luggage under your seat and have a nice day.
Ura literally pulled a “now you see me, now you don’t” magic trick on Shishi today. It is stunning that he can still move that well with his knees in the condition that they are.
Abi definitely didn’t want to lose today. Asanoyama had no plan B.
Hakunofuji! Well done!
It seems like the overall strategy today was something like “let my opponent bull rush me and then get out of the way to win”. Fujiseiun definitely got the memo.
A much less grumpy display from Wakatakakage today. I wonder if someone had a word with him about that or if he’s just more mentally comfortable with his current record. Maybe both?
It didn’t look like Fujinokawa sandbagged Kotoshoho at the tachiai, but that sure is how Kotoshoho’s body acted. Huh. Interesting.
Seems like Kotozakura lifted up his head and actually realized that there’s not a lot of people in the way to his path to a Cup. We’ll see if that sticks.
Every so often, Kirishima reminds me of Kakuryu. Today’s bout was almost a mirror image.
Ug…Takayasu ..evey Basho see my hopes diminish for him lifting the cup.
I think it’s safe to say we would all like to see him do it once before retirement.
Seconded.
Maybe we can try more rest for the sanyaku, and then add in more stomps and salt to handle these spirits. Don’t accidentally use Ozeki One Cup for the offering.
Kotozakura might have enjoyed some good karma today. Apparently at morning training they saw a car get stuck in a ditch near their stable and Kotozakura called over some wrestlers to lift it out with him.
Loved hearing about the good karma car lifting story, SpammyV!! Thanks for sharing this auspicious news! Obviously it empowered KotoZ to fight like his old super charged Ozeki self!
I should’ve linked the story as well, sorry!
https://hochi.news/articles/20260513-OHT1T51356.html?page=1
That’s pretty cool.
The Tokihayate – Tamawashi kimarite was called by the Japanese announcers, the ring announcer, and Ross Mihara as what you indicated — Okuridashi.
But the official JSA results page shows it as Yorikiri. ???
Color me confused. Sure looked like Okuridashi to me.
And the replay on NHK World had Ross saying Yorikiri and they showed Yorikiri as well.
What’s with that?
Okuridashi all the way.
I just watched the match again (Thanks again for the NHK video links, Andy!) and my only guess is that Tamawashi’s heel touched the outside of the ring when Tamawashi was pushed back to the bales before Tokihayate swept him back across the ring. That’s really the only place it could have happened and the camera angle isn’t great to verify his heel touched anything.
I ain’t gonna change it. I saw what I saw.
I’ve read that it was a déjà vu. Just like yesterday, the losers foot, at least the heel, was outside the tawara long before the okuridashi and just like yesterday the shimpan were dozing.
Here‘s the „proof“:
https://www.nikkansports.com/battle/sumo/news/img/202605130001119-w1300_0.jpg
And the gyoji is looking right at his foot
Oh, good catch. I’ll need to check. I probably need new glasses.
He stepped out earlier in the bout but it didn’t get called.
My boy Oho picks up his second win! Woohoo! The two sweetest words in the English language.
Which two? I vote for Woo Hoo because of the endless Homer Simpson memes.
I feel like Atamifuji really needs to slim down some. He’s lost a lot of mobility and ability to, well, pivot on the move. Because he’s gotten so big, as soon as the opponent gets an angle on him it’s hard for him to recover. I don’t know how much weight he’s put on since he debuted in the top division but I don’t remember it being such a big issue until relatively recently. He’s the heaviest guy in the top division I believe and I don’t know how much it’s actually helping him.
Wonder if Abi and Asanoyama went out for a drink together after the bout….
Heaven help us.
Has Yoshinofuji’s star started to wane a bit, or is he just taking his licks in the early Maegashira range?
A little bit of both, I think. He definitely needs to execute more strategies and/or improve his skills at this point.
Huge question for the community — What happens to the Kensho that was dedicated to the 4 guys who are currently Kyujo? Since it was to be awarded to the winners of their matches, and those matches are NOT happening, where’s the money go? Onosato had 408 kensho banners. He was followed by Ozeki Aonishiki with 245, Yokozuna Houshoryu with 222.. How Much was going to Takayasu? That’s a lotta scratch that ain’t getting awarded.
I’ll try to find the full explanation but Herouth had written about that a while ago. The pledged kensho mostly gets redistributed to other bouts but I believe the sponsor does have the option to withdraw it…but they’ve spent money on a banner(s) so I think they usually pick another bout. She had found a great dataset with the totals listed. I was using that data for a while to track trends but I haven’t had the time to keep up with it. It’s probably easiest from the sponsor to just say, “well, put it on the musubi-no-ichiban”.
“This allowed Takanosho to get in behind and dig out Atamifuji’s thong…Hopefully he washed his hands after soon after.”
Not until he gave the power water to the next guy.
LOL. It was hilarious how quickly he let go of it, too. I don’t think it’s an acceptable belt grip.
WTK looks the strongest + most confident since his knee & elbow injuries .. Not the same lateral mobility as he once had .. but perhaps feeling like his semi-old self ..
Gotta wonder if Hakunofuji’s right arm/shoulder come out of today’s match OK .. He put a lot of stress on his shoulders/biceps before escaping at the bales + turning his match ..
Tamawashi did not put any stress on his right calf .. looks like a one legged rikishi ..