Day Nine in Tokyo. No new kyujo in the top divisions.
Kazekeno picked up his first loss against Shonannoumi. At 8-1, he still holds a solo lead in the Juryo yusho race. Kazuma and Enho trail at 7-2. Enho defeated Nishikigi, a fading member of the old guard – and one of the larger members of the old guard. If I recall correctly, at one point he was the largest guy in Makuuchi. Enho still took him on head-on and managed to shove him out. No tricks.
Down in makushita, Omori slid out of the way of Tatsubayama to stay in the hunt for the third division title. Asahifuji survived a scare against Fudoho. The pair teetered at the edge with Asahifuji succeeding in pulling Fudoho down a fraction of a second before he went down. He’s still on the path to join the 21-win club but it’s obvious the competition will only get more difficult from here.
The NHK videos for today are here.
Makuuchi Action
Takerufuji (6-3 Juryo) defeated Oshoumi (1-8). Oshoumi shifted to his left at the tachiai but Takerufuji still blanketed him and quickly blasted him from the ring. Yoritaoshi.
Wakanosho (5-4) defeated Roga (5-4). Roga attacked Wakanosho from the side and shoved him toward the bales. Wakanosho countered by shifting to the side and shoving Roga down. Tsukiotoshi.
Fujiryoga defeated Mitakeumi. Fujiryoga hit Mitakeumi with a solid tachiai and drove him back to the bales, attacking his face. Oshidashi.
Kotoeiho (7-2) defeated Tobizaru (7-2). Tobizaru allowed Kotoeiho to drive him back to the tawara, opting to use the bales to mount his counter attack. He shifted to the side but Kotoeiho adjusted well. Kotoeiho drove forward again and this time shoved Tobizaru clear from the ring. Oshidashi.
Shishi (3-6) defeated Tamawashi (0-9). Henka! Shishi jumped left and Tamawashi rolled to a stop at 0-9. Tsukiotoshi.
Kinbozan (5-4) defeated Ryuden (3-6). As Ryuden sought Kinbozan’s belt, Kinbozan rotated clockwise, eventually succeeding in making Ryuden dizzy and slapping him down. Hatakikomi.
Ura (6-3) defeated Tokihayate (3-6). Kokonoe-oyakata stopped the fight with the probably the most delayed “matta” call I’ve ever seen. People wondered if shinpan had the ability to stop a fight and he proved it today. The fight was well under way when he raised his hand. The gyoji saw it and stopped the fight. Everyone looked at the head shimpan. “What’s up?” Kokonoe-oyakata raised his fist. At first, I thought he was calling Ura for a forbidden closed fist strike. “Get your hands down!” “Okay. Yessir.” Extraordinary. So, everyone reset and went at it again. On the second tachiai, Ura had the clear upper hand, got behind Tokihayate and shoved him out from behind. Okuridashi.
Hakunofuji (6-3) defeated Abi (4-5). Abi seemed to have adopted Shodai’s “Stand-up” Tachiai. Regardless, Hakunofuji took advantage of Abi-zumo. He absorbed Abi’s tsuppari and moved forward when Abi retreated for his slapdown attempts. After a few hops, Abi was at the edge and Hakuoho – I mean, Hakunofuji – easily forced him out. Yorikiri.
Asanoyama (6-3) defeated Chiyoshoma (4-5). Asanoyama charged ahead and cast Chiyoshoma into the second row of spectators — under the watchful gaze of Lord Dark Helmet’s okamisan. (Oh dear, I might just have to do that fanfic. It would be brilliant. I’d have to write her as the not-so secret patron of the former Ozeki.) Oshidashi.
Nishikifuji (3-6) defeated Fujiseiun (5-4). I think Fujiseiun was a bit stunned by Nishikifuji’s head-first tachiai. Nishikifuji got his right arm under Fujiseiun’s left, rotated, and pulled Fujiseiun down. Kotenage.
Halftime
Churanoumi (6-3) defeated Oshoma (5-4). Churanoumi steadily beat Oshoma back with tsuppari. Tsukidashi.
Shodai (3-6) defeated Asahakuryu (3-6). It looked like Shodai was going to eat it there but he recovered, pressed forward and shoved Asahakuryu back to the bales. Some sloppy footwork from Asahakuryu and he stepped out instead of working his way along the tawara. Oshidashi.
Yoshinofuji (6-3) defeated Oho (3-6). Oho tried the double-outside arm hold. Unfortunately for him, Yoshinofuji was still able to use his arms. He put Oho in a bear hug, held him up and drove him to the bales and over. Yoshinofuji was glad to be free of Oho’s hold, stretching his elbow afterwards. Yorikiri.
Takanosho (4-5) defeated Hiradoumi (4-5). Takanosho shifted to his left and slapped Hiradoumi down. Hatakikomi.
Ichiyamamoto (4-5) defeated Fujinokawa (4-5). This was the best and most effective I have ever seen Ichiyamamoto’s tsuppari game. The thrusts kept Fujinokawa at bay. The subtle shifts and slapdowns forced him off balance. Fujinokawa was left with no way in. So, he went out. Oshidashi.
Sanyaku
Kotoshoho (6-3) defeated Wakatakakage (7-2). After an initial flurry of tsuppari from both men, Wakatakakage made the mistake of pulling. Kotoshoho was all over him and easily pressed forward and forced him out. Yorikiri.
Atamifuji (5-4) defeated Daieisho (3-6). Daieisho used his tsuppari to no effect. Atamifuji batted some volleys away but focused on pressing forward, forcing Daieisho to the bales. As he lost ground, Daieisho shuffled clockwise around the ring but Atamifuji pursued well and shoved Daieisho from the fighting surface. Oshidashi.
Kirishima (8-1) defeated Wakamotoharu (2-7). Kirishima forced Wakamotoharu back to the edge. Wakamotoharu tried to shift to the side but Kirishima drove straight through him, crushing him backwards. Wakamotoharu fell back on his but while Kirishima dove headlong over the edge. Kirishima was bloodied, possibly from landing face first on the step leading up to the dohyo. He rolled into a few Chads at the side of the ring and came up with a forehead and nose covered in blood. The way he was touching his face afterwards makes me think he might need some new dental work. But at least he got his kachi-koshi! Yoritaoshi.
Gonoyama (7-2) defeated Kotozakura (2-7). Kotozakura charged forward while Gonoyama shifted right along the tawara. Kotozakura fell forward and Gonoyama stepped out. Gunbai Gonoyama. Mono-ii. The shimpan judged Kotozakura out first, confirming the ruling on the field. Hatakikomi.
Wrap-up
Kotozakura will, in all likelihood be officially kadoban in the coming days. Will he go kyujo? Will Kirishima go kyujo to get his grill looked at? I just think we were inches from a real medical emergency today and hopefully Kirishima heads straight to the hospital to get sorted.
That said, this yusho race is pulling in some really interesting names. Wakatakakage and Tobizaru fall into the chase group. Kirishima regains his position as sole leader with his winning record secured.
- 1-Loss: Kirishima
- 2-Losses: Wakatakakage, Gonoyama, Kotoeiho, Tobizaru, Fujiryoga
On the other end of the spectrum, we’re getting a bit more clarity with the Makuuchi/Juryo exchanges. I’m interested to hear your opinions on this. In my humble opinion, at the current pace we could be getting three to five promotion cases from the second division. Onokatsu, Daiseizan, Takerufuji and maybe Sadanoumi seem determined to put in a good word. Kyokukaiyu or maybe even Kazuma might be able to get in there with great finishes to the tournament but I’m thinking three is most likely the number.
If that’s the case, Tamawashi, Oshoumi and Ryuden appear closest to earning slots on “the barge.” Everyone else at the bottom of Makuuchi seem determined to avoid the drop. Shishi and Tokihayate would really need to fall apart this week to join the other three.
We close out “Act Two” tomorrow. Already? Geez this basho is going by quickly. Kirishima will face Shodai tomorrow. Maybe Shodai can point the Ozeki to a good reference for the dental work. Kotozakura will fight Wakamotoharu and one of them will be make-koshi. Gonoyama will fight Kotoshoho. Kotoshoho’s been looking quite solid and might be a dark horse. In the final sanyaku bout, Wakatakakage will fight Atamifuji.
Down in the rank-and-file, Tobizaru will fight Abi, Fujiryoga will fight Tokihayate and Kotoeiho will take on Ryuden. I would have thought they would move Fujiryoga and Kotoeiho up a bit but no. Feeding them some chum for now. Will see you back here tomorrow.
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Surprised Shishi didn’t get any boos (that I could hear). He got some from me. Afraid of going chest to chest with an injured old guy! Maybe I’m looking at it wrong. I dunno. And Ura getting called for not touching both fists down. Dude! Has Kokonoe-oyakata ever watched Hoshoryu? Ura handled it fine though. I think Kirishima was just experiencing a lot of pain, both sharp and deep. Not the kind of material one prefers to smash his face into as that straw grabbed hold of his skin and… eeeesh! I’m hurting just thinking about it. Hopefully it was just the pain.
Shishi afraid of further injuring an injured old guy. It seems to me that henka on obviously injured rikishi happens fairly regularly and I choose to regard it as an act of kindness.
That’s a good way of thinking about it.
Henkas are heretofore “acts of kindness” then.
Hilarious acts if kindness. 😆
Abi act of kindness!
I think that usually involves duct tape and zip ties.
Takerufuji today reminded me of his debut, more of this please.
I had no idea Shishi is fast enought to execute henka.
Ura/Tokihayate – I thought shimpan raised his hand immediately (and because of Tokihayate matta), but gyoji didnt pay attention. Am I completely wrong on this?
Will Kotoshoho be heyagashira soon?
And Wakamotoharu will kill someone someday surely, that throw looked awfully.
Hi Tom, Agree abt WMH with his at the edge pivot crush out, rather it’s a crush off the edge of the dohyo. So incredibly dangerous and I hate to see it everytime he does it, which is a lot. In my mind I’m thinking of the alligator death roll, and hoping both get up and are ok. JSA should ban it, or give them all helmets with face guards… speaking of helmets, I did see that lady sitting a few people down from shimpan ex-Kisenosato, with white jacket and bouffant hairdo….I’m glad I’m not the only one thinking it was remarkable!
She has a full selection, and they are like LEGO hair, just snap it on.
From Nikkan Sports :
Chairman Hakkaku on Kirishima’s fall: “It hurts if you lose. It does not hurt if you win.”
Though auto-translation is a little confusing, Kirishima seems to have landed on the right knee of the ringside judge. The injured judge is none other than Urakaze, the coach at Wakamotoharu’s stable.
Aside from injuries, rather dull tournament. The majority of bouts have been decided not by the winner’s skill, but by the reluctance and/or clumsiness of the loser.
To me, the highlight so far comes indirectly from NHK’s brief report on Chiyoshoma. (See NHK videos of day 7.) Went on to check the life and times of late ex-Chiyonofuji and chanced upon his daughter, Kozue Akimoto, a fashion model. Oh my, what a beauty.
Also, Urakaze transferred to Arashio after Kirishima’s old Michinoku stable closed, which adds another layer of irony.
I didn’t realize he hit the shimpan. I saw him sail into the two blokes in the front row but it makes sense that the time keeper would have been right there.
Kirishima that was a very impressive dive. Please don’t do that again though. It’s nice to have a sanyaku. Also your daughter will probably scold you.
I totally agree on the Juryo’s exchanges, and I would bet it will be 3 rikishi; But I am sad to see that Tamawashi’s demotion looks now unavoidable. will he retire?
I think it’s pretty obvious that the rikishi in Juryo are doing everything they can to present their case for promotion. My goodness, Takerufuji. More of that, please. As for people potentially punching a barge ticket, keep your eye on Mitakeumi. He’s not safe and if he keeps fighting like he did today, he’ll be on his way down. Three promotions is standard, but I can definitely see 4 spots open in the top division right now.
I’m really curious if Shishi’s henka was to get an “easy” win, to avoid potentially injuring Tamawashi, or both. We’ll never know, I guess. I still feel disappointed in this behavior because I want the rikishi that mount the dohyo to defend their rank on their own terms.
If Wakatakakage is going to stand at the edge of the dohyo and act like a dominant force, then he can’t lose to Kotoshoho like he did today. If it’s “your house” then you gotta grab the keys to the place back from someone when they reach in your pocket and take them.
I agree with Tom that Wakamotoharu is going to end someone’s career with one of these edge of the dohyo tumbles if he keeps on doing this sort of thing. it’s stupendously dangerous and Kirishima was incredibly lucky today. We’ll see how Kirishima is tomorrow because I’ll bet that he has a concussion. He was definitely wobbly getting up and bowing for his envelopes.
Will Kotozakura go kuyjo today or maybe tomorrow after his 8th loss? I hope so. He’d be smart to just take this one on the chin and rest up so he can fight better in the next couple of months.
Unfortunately, Tamawashi and Mitakeumi aren’t the only ones who are slowly fading away. I suspect Daiesho will tumble down the banzuke and we’ll see if he can regain some of his form to stay in the lower ranks of the top division for the next basho or two. I don’t know if his shoulders and elbows can manage that, though.
Didn’t the Minezaki kabu just become available? It had been used by a Consultant who reached retirement age last week. Tamawashi needs to snag it!
Who is Lord Dark Helmet, and why?
The parody of Darth Vader from the movie Spaceballs, played by Rick Moranis. Hilarious movie. When you see the character, you will hopefully see the woman in the replays of the Asanoyama bout.
I looked; oh my, that’s, ummm, well yes. A wig? Got to be a wig. Surely?
Saw Goth Girl earlier last week but haven’t noticed her since. She’s usually there more than just one day.
Ouch Kirishima! Why didn’t Wakamotoharu let go?
If it’s a wig, I think that would count as a helmet.
I just have no idea why I only saw her for the one bout. Then she was gone.
Because it was neither hair nor helmet, but a black hole.
On one of the replays, it was pretty clear Kirishima’s head hit the step (not the impact but just after, as the camera moved – shimpan was not that close). His body did barrel into the shimpan as he rolled. It did look really jarring; besides possible concussion, hope he hasn’t tweaked his neck. That would really suck when he’s finally pushed through that.
I hope I don’t jinx it, but Kotoshoho has been really great recently. Yesterday he weathered the henka storm, today he read WTK like a book. Ever since he took last July by surprise I’ve been rooting for him to keep up his confidence and go for it, so cool to see him do well at sekiwake!
On the flipside, I hope Mr. O’Washi picks up enough wins to not be barge-bound but I can’t shake the feeling I’m watching the last tournament of his career. Is it likely he’ll announce retirement rather than fight in Juryo? Unsure if he’s given any hints on his intentions.
Excellent question. I have no insight, unfortunately. Haven’t seen anything about his thinking. He may not have considered it because he’s so close to Kaio’s record.
My poor heart, looking at Kirishima when he hit the step and was dazed and bleeding! WMH‘s engagement for his brother‘s benefit was a bit too much. ‚If I can‘t win and take you out of the lead – then be injured!‘ Makes me mad – together with Hakkaku‘s hogwash commentary on the incidence.
Yet I hope to see Kirishima safe and not concussed on Day10 against Shodai. That man apparently does some preparations for his Ozeki encounter. I didn‘t believe my eyes when I saw him lowering his hips to drive Asahakuryu over the tawara!
If Tamawashi’s problem is that calf injury, perhaps some healing will make ihim competitive again .. Obvioiusly he has been fading across basho’s, but this looks precipitous ..
Gotta hope Kirishima is not concussed nor otherwise injured .. he has a nice run + form going after recoverng from his back/neck issues ..