Fierce competition in the top division this tournament. Let’s get straight to the action and chat afterwards.

Highlights

Tohakuryu (4-8) defeated Shimazuumi (7-5) with forward-moving sumo! Of course, he tried the retreating, crap-style of sumo first. Hopefully he will learn to ditch that. Oshidashi.

Tamawashi (8-4) defeated Oho(6-6). Oho lasted longer than I thought he would and he tried several different attacks. But he never was able to get out of Tamawashi’s firing range. Eventually, Tamawashi battered him out of the dohyo. Tsukidashi.

Tsurugisho (7-5) defeated Sadanoumi (6-6). Tsurugisho power sumo. Sadanoumi was no easy target and nearly pulled a “Reverse” out at the edge. Yorikiri.

Hirodoumi (8-4) defeated Churanoumi (7-5). Hiradoumi shot off the line like he’d been fired out of a cannon. He stayed low but kept his balance through Churanoumi’s slapdown attempt and blasted Churanoumi out of the ring. Oshidashi.

Takarafuji (4-8) defeated Myogiryu (4-8). 妙義龍元気ないですね。Takarafuji drove forward and handed Myogiryu his make-koshi. Yorikiri.

Endo (4-8) defeated Kitanowaka (4-8). Endo started with oshi-zumo but moved inside and got a good grip of Kitanowaka’s belt and tried a strong uwatenage. Though his opponent didn’t fall, the throw was effective at yanking Kitanowaka around the ring and putting him up against the tawara. From there, Endo kept up the pressure and forced Kitanowaka out. Yorikiri.

Hokuseiho (6-6) defeated Roga (3-9). Roga initiated all of the action, trying multiple throws. At first, Hokuseiho had Roga’s right arm locked up as if he was going to attempt a kotenage which never came. I think that grip helped keep Hokuseiho up. He then switched to that loooong lefthand belt grip. Roga tried a final throw and Hokuseiho reacted by getting his right-hand grip and pressing Roga forward. When Hokuseiho’s right hand went up to Roga’s neck, Roga stepped out. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (7-5) defeated Mitakeumi (7-5). Kinbozan pressed forward and never allowed Mitakeumi to get any forward churn. Oshidashi.

Shonannoumi (7-5) defeated Tomokaze (6-6). Shonannoumi collected his thoughts and pressed forward, forcing Tomokaze out. He punished Tomokaze’s ineffective makikae by pressing forward when Tomokaze had lost his ability to counter. Yorikiri.

Onosho (3-9) defeated Nishikifuji (4-8). Nishikifuji’s early charge was powerful enough to roll Onosho off the dohyo. Matta, reset. Another early start from Nishikifuji. Onosho got his revenge on the tachiai and steamrolled Nishikifuji over the edge. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Ichiyamamoto (9-3) defeated Nishikigi (6-6). Early charge from Ichiyamamoto. Maybe nerves. He launched forward early again…but no matta. Ichiyamamoto pressed forward into Nishikigi. As Nishikigi adjusted and changed grips, his right foot stepped out. Yorikiri.

Takayasu (8-4) defeated Ryuden (8-4). As Ryuden reached in for a righthand belt grip, Takayasu pulled him forward to the ground. Katasukashi. It was impressive to see Ryuden weather Takayasu’s powerful tsuppari attack and land a one-handed grip of Takayasu’s mawashi. That grip was enough to spin Takayasu around. But going for the second hand was just greedy and Takayasu made him pay.

Gonoyama (6-6) defeated Tobizaru (5-7). Brutal tsuppari drove Tobizaru back and out. Oshidashi.

Ura (5-7) defeated Shodai (5-7) with a deft shift and throw while dancing along the tawara. Shodai was slow to get up, limped away with yobidashi help. I think Ura landed on Shodai’s leg…which was lying on the tawara. Tottari.

Abi (5-7) defeated Meisei (3-9). Abi laid into Meisei with powerful tsuppari but Meisei bulled forward. When Abi backed to the tawara, he stepped quickly to the side and thrust Meisei forward to the dirt. Tsukiotoshi.

Hokutofuji (4-8) defeated Asanoyama (1-4-7). Hokutofuji let Asanoyama play his yotsu-game for a while. But when Asanoyama drove forward, Hokutofuji stayed in the ring. And when Asanoyama pulled, he kept his balance. Hokutofuji then used that momentum to drive Asanoyama back and out over the bales. Oshidashi.

Daieisho (8-4) defeated Midorifuji (8-4). Daieisho power sumo. He drove forward with powerful tsuppari, pushing Midorifuji onto his backside. Oshitaoshi.

Kirishima (10-2) defeated Kotonowaka (9-3). Kirishima’s in the driver’s seat now. Kotonowaka matta. I swear, lots of those today. Strong yotsu-zumo from both but Kirishima was never in danger. Controlled, quality sumo from the Ozeki as he forced Kotonowaka ever closer to the edge and…eventually…over the bales. Yorikiri.

Takakeisho (8-4) defeated Wakamotoharu (4-8). Wakamotoharu drove forward into Takakeisho’s tsuppari. But he was unprepared for Takakeisho’s sidestep and lost his balance. Takakeisho followed with a simple shove to push Wakamotoharu over the bales. Oshidashi.

Atamifuji (10-2) defeated Hoshoryu (8-4)! Hoshoryu drove forward but Atamifuji shifted at the tawara and pulled the Ozeki down. Hoshoryu gave a long, hard stare at that tawara; disbelief that Atamifuji had remained in bounds.

Wrap-up

Wow, quite the day! The yusho picture draws into focus with the spotlight on Ozeki Kirishima and the Hiramaku upstart, Atamifuji. Kotonowaka and Ichiyamamoto challenge, one loss back. Eight wrestlers sit just behind the lead pack.

• 2敗: Kirishima, Atamifuji
• 3敗: Kotonowaka, Ichiyamamoto

There are several big bouts on tap for tomorrow. Kirishima will face Daieisho; Atamifuji will face Takayasu. Kotonowaka will face Ryuden and Ichiyamamoto will face Midorifuji. Hoshoryu will face Takakeisho in our first Ozeki bout.

Unless weird things happen, Kirishima will then be able to fight each of his fellow Ozeki in turn on Day 14 and 15. Though these bouts are clearly not official, I wouldn’t be surprised if Atamifuji/Kotonowaka on Day 14 and a Takakeisho/Atamifuji revenge match is on tap for Senshuraku if Atamifuji wins tomorrow.

All of our Ozeki are kachi-koshi. Kirishima has his 10 wins and both Takakeisho and Hoshoryu are still in the running to pick up theirs. We end 2023 in a different place than we started it, that’s for sure. Unfortunately, Kotonowaka’s Ozeki run is now on life support. A 12-win yusho will likely still secure promotion, even though it’s shy of the 33-win benchmark, but he’s chasing now.

Day 13 will decide several lower division yusho contests.

Ajigawa-beya’s Aonishiki is the only Jonokuchi wrestler on six wins. If he wins tomorrow, he will seal the first division yusho. He will face Hatachijo, who at 5-1 just beat Ultraman and is now on my list. No worries, Ultraman is kachi-koshi and will sneak back into Jonidan.

Speaking of Jonidan, undefeated Dairinzan will face 5-1 Kototaiga. But the big match will be between the pair of undefeated: Higonoumi and our Yusho-favorite Shiroma. If Dairinzan wins, he will force a senshuraku playoff with the winner of Shiroma/Higonoumi. If Kototaiga wins, the winner of Shiroma/Higonoumi will claim the second division title outright.

In Sandanme, Daishoryu will face Nishida for the yusho. Both are undefeated. Lastly, in Makushita, Kitaharima will face Satorufuji, as Leonid covered yesterday. https://tachiai.org/2023/11/22/makushita-finals-and-promotion-race/.

Yes, we’re already at Day 10. I can’t believe it, either. Ichiyamamoto will be put to the test against Hiradoumi while the rest of the field tries to keep pace. The Komusubi wrestlers are struggling but the Ozeki are holding their own. Meanwhile the Sekiwake are a mixed bag as Kotonowaka is charging forward, yusho and promotion on his mind. Meanwhile, Wakamotoharu seems out-of-depth. Daieisho is clinging on and seems to want to turn the corner.

And then there is such a massive field of young guns here that every day has several first-time pairings. Which ones have staying power? Hokuseiho is one who has been sticking around, and at times doing well, while not quite inspiring hopes behind the hype. Has Oho topped out? Gonoyama is finding this level more of a challenge while Atamifuji is doing quite well in just his second tournament in the top division.

Highlights

Roga (3-7) defeated Bushozan (6-4). Bushozan pressed forward but Roga turned the tables at the tawara. The bales offered a chance to brace, and pivot which Roga used to force Bushozan out. Yorikiri.

Oho (6-4) defeated Kitanowaka (4-6). Damn. One big blast from Oho was enough to change the complexion of this entire bout. He twisted and brought his arms up, forcing Kitanowaka to lose his grip and creating the separation he needed. Then he shoved Kitanowaka halfway to the bales, and pursued quickly to push him out. Oshidashi.

Tohakuryu (3-7) defeated Sadanoumi (5-5). Tohakuryu henka. Sadanoumi stayed up but as he drove back forward to Tohakuryu, Tohakuryu slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

Sadanoumi will face Kitanowaka on Day 11 in a first-time matchup. There have been a lot of these this tournament. I will try to dig into the numbers because that might be an important metric for “changing of the guard” times. We don’t have rivalries with Kiseonsato/Kotoshogiku longevity.

Hiradoumi (7-3) defeated Ichiyamamoto (8-2). Hiradoumi was not blasted backward at the tachiai and was unaffected by Ichiyamamoto’s pulldown attempt. Instead, he bulled forward and forced Ichiyamamoto out and over the bales. Once inside range of Ichiyamamoto’s effective range, there were no cannon blasts. Yorikiri.

Ryuden (7-3) defeated Tamawashi (6-4). Ryuden fought this fight on his terms. He forced a grapple rather than a brawl. Then he forced Tamawashi to the bales and continued to bull forward, forcing Tamawashi onto his back. Yoritaoshi.

Nishikifuji (3-7) fusen victory over Kotoeko (2-8).

Mitakeumi (6-4) defeated Churanoumi (7-3). Mitakeumi drove forward, forcing Churanoumi quickly to the bales. Churanoumi reacted by shifting direction. Mitakeumi was not fooled and drove Churanoumi back across the ring and out. Yorikiri.

Mitakeumi will face Roga tomorrow.

Tomokaze (6-4) defeated Endo (2-8). Endo kept seeking that maemitsu to his peril. Tomokaze just kept blasting Endo about the chest and face, forcing him back and over the bales. Oshidashi.

Tomokaze will fight Nishikifuji. Endo will face Tohakuryu. Both are first time matchups.

Tsurugisho (5-5) defeated Hokuseiho (4-6). Hokuseiho yielded a morozashi to Tsurugisho, who immediately lifted Hokuseiho off the dohyo and carried him to the edge and pushed him out. You read that correctly. He didn’t make it all the way over the bales in the air, but was able to drive him quickly over. This should be a wakeup call to Hokuseiho that there’s something massively wrong with his style of sumo. Yorikiri.

Hokuseiho will face Oho tomorrow.

Kinbozan (6-4) defeated Takarafuji (3-7). Kinbozan quickly drove through Takarafuji, and out. He shrugged off Takarafuji’s slapdown, completely unfazed. Oshidashi.

Kinbozan will take on Tamawashi while Takarafuji will face Tsurugisho.

Halftime

Atamifuji (8-2) defeated Shonannoumi (6-4). Atamifuji kept his head down and Shonannoumi centered in front of him and powered Shonannoumi out and over the edge. Shonannoumi tried to shift direction and resist at the bales but Atamifuji was too powerful. Oshidashi.

Atamifuji will fight Churanoumi.

Takanosho (5-5) defeated Myogiryu (3-7). Takanosho’s pressed forward into Myogiryu. Myogiryu pivoted but the change of direction didn’t faze Takanosho, who kept his head down and bulled Myogiryu back and out. I feel like that’s the fourth or fifth time I’ve written that today. If it happens again, I’m just going to say, “it happened again.” It’s like the only defense today is an ineffective shift of direction or a slapdown. Only Tohakuryu’s slapdown has actually worked. Oshidashi.

Midorifuji (7-3) defeated Takayasu (6-4). Unlike those before him, Midorifuji would not go quietly into that good night. He weathered Takayasu’s hailstorm tsuppari. At one point it looked like Midorifuji’s arm was sneaking up behind Takayasu’s shoulder and it freaked Takayasu out (probably thinking katasukashi). Takayasu then changed tack, wrapped up Midorifuji by moving inside and shifting to a belt game. As Midorifuji retreated, he stepped to the side, wrapped up Takayasu’s right arm at the shoulder, and pulled him down. Kotenage.

Midorifuji will face Hiradoumi. Hiradoumi holds a 3-0 lead in their rivalry. Takayasu will fight Shonannoumi.

Tobizaru (4-6) defeated Onosho (2-8). Onosho drove Tobizaru backwards at the initial charge but Tobizaru shifted and pivoted, seeking out that right hand belt grip. This put Onosho up against the bales and Tobizaru used that belt grip to force Onosho out. Yorikiri.

Onosho will fight Myogiryu.

Meisei (3-7) defeated Shodai (5-5). Power sumo from Meisei but Shodai actually put in a considerable amount of defensive effort and shrugged off Meisei’s slapdown attempt. He’s inspired in front of this hometown crowd. Shodai tried a last second sukuinage. But Meisei kept forward pressure on Shodai, following through with his throw, driving both to tumble off the edge. Gunbai Meisei. Mono-ii. Shinpan confirmed that Shodai fell first. Uwatenage.

Ura (4-6) defeated Hokutofuji (2-8) and breaks the Team Nishi’s 9-bout winning streak. Strong tsuppari from Hokutofuji forced Ura backwards. Ura shifted at the bales and grabbed Hokutofuji’s left arm, yanking him forward. Ura then snuck behind and pushed Hokutofuji out from behind. Okuridashi.

Ura will face Tobizaru and Hokutofuji will fight Meisei. These are both very interesting undercard matchups. Meisei will be hoping to stave off makekoshi while Hokutofuji’s already there and hoping not to drop too far.

Kotonowaka (8-2) defeated Gonoyama (4-6). Gonoyama tried to power Kotonowaka out but in seeming retreat, Kotonowaka tugged on Gonoyama’s belt and dragged him down. Uwatenage.

Gonoyama will face Takanosho.

Daieisho (6-4) defeated Asanoyama (1-2-7). Daieisho-zumo was on point today. Asanoyama got tired of being blasted in the face, so he tried to pull but Daieisho just kept the cannon going and blasted Asanoyama out. I guess, “it happened again.” But Daieisho’s blasts are on a different level of those earlier today. Like, I actually feel Asanoyama’s hurt. Oshidashi.

Daieisho will face Ichiyamamoto! Daieisho has won their only previous meeting. They want to put Ichiyamamoto’s run on life support by moving him up to face the Sekiwake.

Hoshoryu (7-3) defeated Wakamotoharu (4-6). More staredown from Hoshoryu. Hoshoryu used his belt grip to yank the Sekiwake around and drag him to the edge. Wakamotoharu resisted at the edge but Hoshoryu just pressed straight forward through him, driving both dangerously over the edge. Yoritaoshi.

Hoshoryu will face Asanoyama.

Kirishima (8-2) defeated Nishikigi (6-4). Nishikigi false start. Kirishima yanked on Nishikigi’s arm, pulling him forward and nearly down. Nishikigi kept his balance but Kirishima rode him out the other side. Okuridashi. How did Kirishima get behind Nishikigi so quickly? It looks like Kirishima’s tachiai nodowa was fierce. This made Nishikigi stand upright and bring his hands up to Kirishima’s to pull them away. Instead, Kirishima grabbed Nishikigi’s arm and yanked forward, hard. Interesting.

Kirishima will face a struggling Wakamotoharu. Nishikigi will face Ryuden.

Takakeisho (7-3) defeated Abi (3-7). Takakeisho got his tsuppari going. As Abi put his arms up to defend, Takakeisho pulled, and pulled down on Abi’s arms, forcing Abi down to the floor. Hatakikomi.

Takakeisho will face Kotonowaka. Tomorrow’s got some highlight bouts on tap but that’s probably the top bout. Abi will face Shodai in another fun undercard.

Wrap-up

Day 10 was important to bring Ichiyamamoto back down to Earth. These Day 11 matchups, though, are nuts. This looks to be a pivotal day in the yusho race. Kirishima or Kotonowaka could win out. If Kirishima does, that will be a statement victory. Our Ozeki have been shaky but doing pretty good here in Kyushu. If Kotonowaka wins out, that would be a stunning way to cap off an Ozeki run. Promotion would not be in doubt. I don’t see Atamifuji or Ichiyamamoto as realistic for 13-2 yusho here. All told, we’re probably looking at another 12-win yusho which brings both of the other Ozeki back into the picture, along with a host of other contenders, from Midorifuji to Churanoumi. Tomorrow will bring this picture more into focus. It’s so wide open right now.