It’s day 8, which means the first 4 rounds of lower-division bouts have been completed. Here’s the day 9 bracket for the quarterfinals:
We get our first look at super-prospect Asahifuji, who visits from Sandanme to fill out the bracket. He fights Fudoho rather than lowest-ranked Omori in order to break up the Tokitsukaze pair of Fudoho and Tatsubayama. Asahifuji is the Isegahama Mongolian who trained in the heya for several years before his debut while he waited for ex-Terunofuji to retire and open up the foreigner slot. He was very highly touted, and hasn’t disappointed to this point, taking the Jonokuchi and Jonidan yusho and running his career record to 18-0 (not counting two playoff wins). His opponent debuted at Ms60TD in March with a 4-3 record.
Tatsubayama is another Mongolian who debuted last July, took the Jonokuchi yusho, and has a 27-3 record (with two absences). He’ll fight newcomer Omori, aka “the hunk.” The third bout pairs Anhibiki, who also took the Jonokuchi in his first basho, in January 2024, but has slowed down since, with former maegashira, salt thrower, and bow twirler Akua, the only grizzled veteran to make the quarterfinals. Finally, we get Tanji, who started 4 years ago but is still only 19, against Ikarigata, Fujinokawa’s more highly touted brother. It promises to be a good day of action tomorrow!
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If Asahifuji wins all his bouts in the brackets, what will happen? A Sandanme man winning the Makushita Yusho? Is there precedence?
Ikarigata is still strong, my impression was that he slowed down a bit. He often manages to turn a nearly lost bout around for him.
No, they’ll rotate him out before the final. If he wins tomorrow and we have 3 guys left in Ms at 5-0, he’ll probably fight the lowest one, but if he wins again and there’s only one 6-0, they’ll find a high-ranked 5-1 Ms opponent for that guy (as happened in March).
Ah, of course, thank you!
The four big names in Sandanme all won and still not one of them will probably meet another in the semifinals! Asahifuji might have to help out in Makushita again after his narrow win. Now „heartthrob“ Omori will be waiting. Kiryuko may get the next Jonidan man, and for Mita and Tenshoyama there remain two other 5-0 rikishi. Therefore they might still all go 6-0 and meet in the „finals“ and two of them in a playoff.
Asahifuji vs Mita and also Tenshoyama vs Kiryuko on day 13 would be very exciting.
I knew Tatsubayama was going to lose, when I saw his senseless behaviour before putting his fists down. Now it will be ‚The Beauty and The Beast‘!
seriously, what was that? does he think he’s yokozuna?
He‘s even a double yokozuna! Well, sort of.
I’ve read that he referenced Asashoryu und Futabayama with his shikona.