With day 10 complete, act 2 of the Aki basho is closed. Act 2 is where we narrow the field to find out who has what it takes to compete for the yusho, and to start sorting the survivors from the damned. The yusho race is a bit odd as of today. With Atamifuji winning his head to head with Takayasu, he’s alone atop the leader board. Takayasu is the only rikishi who is close, occupying a sole position on win behind. Everyone else is 2 wins behind Atamifuji, and only one rikishi in that group has prior yusho experience, Ozeki Takakeisho.

Clearly if they want to make a race out of this, we are going to see Atamifuji face some high ranking rikishi soon. They need him to pick up 2 more losses in order to open it back up for the final weekend. But let’s be clear, it will take some doing to set that up, but I am eager to watch them try. Step 1 – Tobizaru on day 11.

Highlight Matches

Hokuseiho defeats Nishikifuji – Sometimes, being enormous is a valid sumo strategy. Hokuseiho uses his enormity well today, after Nishikifuji grapples him tightly, Hokuseiho find he is not too tough to lift, and gently carries him over the tawara. Hokuseiho now 6-4.

Kinbozan defeats Tsurugisho – Kinbozan steps to the side and deflects most of Tsurugisho’s forward rush at the tachiai. It was not what I would call a henka, and Tsurugisho certainly did not keep his eye on Kinbozan. A quick left hand grab and toss from Kinbozan, and Tsurugisho is out by uwatedashinage. Kinbozan now 6-4.

Endo defeats Myogiryu – Endo gets in a solid tachiai, which stands Myogiryu up. Myogiryu decides his best option is to try a pull, which fails. Endo exploits that Myogiryu is no longer defending and runs him out. Oshidashi win for Endo, and he is now 7-3.

Midorifuji defeats Kagayaki – Oh Kagayaki, what the hell man? Kagayaki has lost to Midorifuji 3 times out of their 4 matches. Each time its more or less the same thing, a quick grapple, a partial turn and then katasukashi. Look, Kagayaki, next time try something a little different, ok? I love a Midorifuji katasukashi, but some variety would be welcome. Midorifuji now 5-5.

Kotoeko defeats Daishoho – The mini-elimination match goes to Kotoeko, giving Daishoho his 8th loss, and relegating him to demotion to Juryo. Daishoho did not defend his chest well, and allowed Kotoeko to grapple and push at will. Kotoeko now 3-7.

Hiradoumi defeats Chiyoshoma – Perhaps joining Daishoho on the Juryo barge of the damed is none other than Chiyoshoma, who picked up his 8th loss today. As with most days this September, Chiyoshoma fought well, but was unable to close the deal. His attempt to throw Hiradoumi collapsed, and Hiradoumi crumpled him to the clay, improving to 3-7.

Atamifuji defeats Takayasu – The big match of the day, its another day that ends in “y” for Takayasu fans. Takayasu fights well enough, but goes for a pull early in the bought, and gets hurled to his back by Atamifuji. Atamifuji now sole leader at 9-1.

Kotoshoho defeats Oho – Oho decided to accept Kotoshoho’s invitation to a face hitting battle. It went on for some time, until the two broke contact. When they re-engaged, it was a perfect chance for one of them to get the other off balance. Both tried, but Kotoshoho connected well, and heaved Oho from the ring. Kotoshoho improves to 4-6.

Onosho defeats Sadanoumi – Sadanoumi tried to use his speed and agility to get out of Onosho’s way when he was charging forward. It nearly worked, but served to remind Onosho that he needed to bracket his opponent. The next time he made contact, he held Sadanoumi with both arms and rushed him out. Onosho improves to 7-3 by yorikiri.

Ryuden defeats Aoiyama – We got to see a little bit of Aoiyama’s classic V-Twin attack, but it really did not have the power it did even 6 months ago. Ryuden endured it well, and kept moving forward. With his crummy knee, Aoiyama can’t hold ground well, and had to step back. Sadly he was too close to the tawara, and a foot crossed the bales for a loss. Both end the day 3-7.

Mitakeumi defeats Gonoyama – This match did live up to my expectations, it was a power forward thrust and grapple masterpiece. I am so happy we got to see Ozeki Mitakeumi again, and it was for a great cause – give Gonoyama some real challenges to overcome. I am likewise impressed by Gonoyama’s ability to stay in the fight, and give Mitakeumi a real battle. This new guy has a lot of potential. But they both tired, and Mitakeumi was able to swing Gonoyama out like a wayward piece of furniture. Both end the day 6-4.

Takarafuji defeats Shonannoumi – Impressively even fight, both men were committed to a yotsu-zumo battle, and we got a big struggle to see who could out brute the other. The loss came when Shonannoumi broke contact and attempted a hatakikomi, but stepped out before he could complete the move. Takarafuji gets the win, and both end the day 5-5.

Shodai defeats Tamawashi – I thought for a moment that Tamawashi was going to score his first white star today, but a quick move at the bales by Shodai sent him out first, and into Kisenosato’s lap. Shodai improves to 4-6 by sukuinage.

Abi defeats Takanosho – An Abi henka – Takanosho should have been on the lookout for that one. It’s over almost before it started, and Abi is now 6-4.

Hokutofuji defeats Tobizaru – Tobizaru can’t get Hokutofuji off balance with his downward slaps, and is relegated to getting his monkey butt shoved out of the ring. I will point out to readers that once again Hokutofuji’s lower body seems to be its own independently operating sub-system, intent on winning matches no matter what the upper body is doing. In this way he is a close human analog to a typical Chicago Bears team, where the defense (lower body) is just as likely to win the game as the upper body (offense). Hokutofuji improves to 7-3 as the match ends with Tobizaru in the crowd to greet the fans.

Kotonowaka defeats Meisei – Meisei was unable to generate any offense against a very stable Kotonowaka, and was shoved out in short order. Kotonowaka now 6-4.

Daieisho defeats Asanoyama – Daieisho continues his dominance over Asanoyama. Asanoyama catches a full Daieisho thrust right in the neck, and is unable to maintain his footing following that much force. A quick tsukiotoshi, and Daieisho improves to 6-4.

Hoshoryu defeats Wakamotoharu – Lightning fast grab from Hoshoryu, he lifts Wakamotoharu and runs him to the bales, dumping him unceremoniously into the east side salt basket. Hoshoryu now 4-6.

Takakeisho defeats Ura – A quick Takakeisho tachiai blast catches Ura full in the chest, tossing him back with force. But the acrobat Ura has just enough in him to strike Takakeisho down as he is once again launched into the air. They land in a heap, and the gumbai goes to Ura. Takakeisho is clearly down first, and the shimpan call for a rematch. Good enough! Second match, Takakeisho stands his ground and slams Ura into the clay as he rushes forward at the tachiai. Hatakikomi win for Takakeisho, and he is now 7-3, one win from clearing kadoban.

Nishikigi defeats Kirishima – Kirishima allowed Nishikigi to get his battle hug, and immediately knew he was in trouble. A strong move by Kirishima to break contact, but it only removed any chance he had to evade the yorikiri that followed. Nishikigi now 5-5.

Just a quick look at the leaderboard, then on to the previews. I get the feeling the schedulers might try to set up a funnel soon. It’s the final day of act 2, and we get a head to head between the two leaders in the first half of the top division torikumi.

Aki Leaderboard

Takayasu fans are on pins and needles right now. They have been left disappointed so many times now, that I can’t blame them. But mathematically, one of the two leaders is the favorite to take the cup. I can see Atamifuji and Tsurugisho getting some big matches starting tomorrow. We can probably count on a fairly low score for the yusho this time out.

Leaders: Takayasu, Atamifuji
Chasers: Tsurugisho
Hunt Group: Kirishima, Takakeisho, Wakamotoharu, Hokutofuji, Gonoyama, Onosho, Endo, Myogiryu

6 Matches Remain

What We Are Watching Day 10

Nishikifuji (4-5) vs Hokuseiho (5-4) – A fun match to start the day, perhaps a bit out of order, but sure. We get to see the enormous Hokuseiho try to pick up his first win against Nishikifuji. Their only prior fight was day 13 of Osaka, which Nishikifuji won by sukuinage. Given that both are straddling the winning / losing record line, this may help ensure both contestants are motivated.

Kinbozan (5-4) vs Tsurugisho (7-2) – I would not be surprised to see the scheduling team keep big problems out of Tsurugisho’s path for now. They need him as a foil for the two leaders, and that means they would like to keep him one win behind. He has a 3-1 record against Kinbozan, and I think has an edge in this fight, with the bonus being a win will give him kachi-koshi.

Myogiryu (6-3) vs Endo (6-3) – 19 Career matches, the most recent going to Endo – day 14 of Nagoya. Both come in with matching 6-3 records, so the loser of this match will be eliminated from any consideration in the yusho race.

Midorifuji (4-5) vs Kagayaki (4-5) – This pair have matching 4-5 records, and Midorifuji has won 2 of their 3 prior fights. Right now Kagayaki is very much hit or miss, with plenty of misses, even when he wins. Midorifuji won both most recent matches, both of them via katasukashi.

Kotoeko (2-7) vs Daishoho (2-7) – The loser today will be make-koshi, and the winner will get to survive another day. They have 17 career matches with Kotoeko leading 10-7. Let me simplify, it’s Kotoeko’s job to deliver a make-koshi to Daishoho, and ensure he is the captain of the Juryo barge.

Chiyoshoma (2-7) vs Hiradoumi (2-7) – Likewise, the loser of this match will also be make-koshi. The bias given the 2-1 advantage to Hiradoumi is that Chiyoshoma will pick up his 8th loss, and possibly join Daishoho on the barge back to Juryo.

Takayasu (8-1) vs Atamifuji (8-1) – This match makes me a big grumbly. I would rather they hold this off for a few days, but here we go. Take both the leaders, and put them head to head. Both are already kachi-koshi, so this is just to make sure that only 1 person leads the yusho race at the end of act 2. This is their first ever match.

Kotoshoho (3-6) vs Oho (3-6) – On paper, Oho should dominate this match. Kotoshoho has shown in the past that his sumo is up to the task of defeating Oho, but this September, I don’t think he’s fighting well enough to be assured of pulling it off. They share a 4-5 career record, with Oho winning the 2 most recent fights.

Onosho (6-3) vs Sadanoumi (5-4) – Likely to be a Onosho win, if for no other reason – Sadanoumi is on the short end of their 3-7 head to head record. Onosho has won 2 of their 3 prior matches this year. Onosho wins in these matches tend to be oshidashi, where Sadanoumi wins when he is able to set up a throw.

Aoiyama (3-6) vs Ryuden (2-7) – An even 7-7 record between two injured long serving veterans. In all likelihood, both are headed for make-koshi, but a Ryuden loss today would be his 8th. Ryuden won both their prior matches this year.

Gonoyama (6-3) vs Mitakeumi (5-4) – A high interest, first time match. In fact, I am very interested in all of Gonoyama’s matches. We can assume that Mitakeumi will keep his arms tight to his body and put a lot of thrust down the center line. I am interested in watch to see what Gonoyama does in that situation. At 172 kg, there is a lot of Mitakeumi to try to overcome.

Takarafuji (4-5) vs Shonannoumi (5-4) – Another pair that are straddling the winning record / losing record line on the final day of act 2. Should these kind of matches constitute the start of some kind of funnel, the goal would be for Takarafuji to pick up the win, leaving them both at 5-5.

Shodai (3-6) vs Tamawashi (0-9) – We are going to get to watch what could be 15 continuous days of Tamawashi losses. Todays beneficiary of the white-star donation project is Shodai. At 3-6, he could certainly use the win.

Abi (5-4) vs Takanosho (5-4) – Abi has only lost to Takanosho once in 7 matches, Day 15 of November, 2011. Much as Takanosho could really use the win, this should be an Abi pick up today.

Hokutofuji (6-3) vs Tobizaru (5-4) – Tobizaru’s flying monkey sumo has little to no effect on Hokutofuji, as evidenced by Hokutofuji’s commanding 7-0 career match record against Tobizaru. Of course its always possible that today will be that magical, golden day, but don’t hock your car to bet on it.

Kotonowaka (5-4) vs Meisei (4-5) – Another set of straddlers, and I am starting to smell funnel oil. Ok, maybe wait until act 3 to say for certain. A Meisei win would bring them both to 5-5.

Daieisho (5-4) vs Asanoyama (5-4) – Remember you can’t spell funnel without “fun”. At least we hope one of these two guys has some fun. Daieisho was hoping for a shot at Ozeki not that long ago. Now he has to hope he can make his 8 and keep his Sekiwake slot. They have a 17 match record between them (10-7), with Daieisho tending to get Asanoyama so disrupted that he flys off the dohyo.

Wakamotoharu (6-3) vs Hoshoryu (3-6) – Normally, I would be biased to say this would be a Hoshoryu pick up, a much needed pick up, too! But he’s fighting so poorly right now that I am not sure that he can hold his own against Wakamotoharu. They have both won 2 and lost 2 this year, and if the pattern holds, it will be a Wakamotoharu win.

Ura (5-4) vs Takakeisho (6-3) – Takakeisho needs just 2 more wins to clear kadoban, and I think he should be able to dominate Ura today. He has a 12-3 match history against the man in the pink mawashi, who managed to throw himself so hard on day 9, he was airborne.

Kirishima (6-3) vs Nishikigi (4-5) – Like Takakeisho, Kirishima needs 2 more wins to clear kadoban. Nishikigi has never won against Kirishima in a head to head match, and it’s not likely he will today either.
Career Record (2-1[-1]) :

With day 9 in the history books, the yusho race is taking a bit of a turn, though both leaders are still out in front. Rather the group that was 1 win behind suffered a catastrophic spate of losses, leaving on Tsurugisho, who won his match against Mitakeumi, in the chase position. What this means as far as I can tell is that both Takayasu and Atamifuji would need to suffer 2 losses to make this competitive. This is me assuming that Tsurugisho is going to take at least 1 more dive to the dirt before senshuraku. More on this in the day 10 preview.

Hoshoryu dropped another match today, and it’s getting rather serious. He would not be the first or last Ozeki to start with a kadoban tournament, but you would just rather not see it at all. I am sure he will get his sumo, his body and his mind back together before Kyushu. He needs to win 5 of the last 6 matches it hit 8.

Highlight Matches

Kotoshoho defeats Myogiryu – Glad to see that Kotoshoho is still able to win a match. Myogiryu let him get a right hand inside belt grip when he made what looked like a half hearted attempt at a neck pull on Kotoshoho. Myogiryu’s grip change cost him the match, as he opened himself up to the uwatenage. Kotoshoho improves to 3-6.

Sadanoumi defeats Daishoho – Daishoho opened strong, had good hand placement, and was moving Sadanoumi back. Sadanoumi knew he was overpowered, but tried for a hatakikomi at the bales, and it worked. Daishoho goes down, and Sadanoumi improves to 5-4 after a monoii to review the call.

Aoiyama defeats Takarafuji – I will add Aoiyama to the “not quite ready for his make-koshi” group. He manages a hatakikomi against Takarafuji’s forward push, and brings him down. Aoiyama now 3-6.

Hokuseiho defeats Chiyoshoma – Chiyoshoma is not a small fellow, but it’s comical to see how high up he has to reach to try for a nodowa. The normal rules of sumo just don’t seem to apply at times fighting his guy. Chiyoshoma figures this out, and abandons attacks against Hokuseiho’s neck or chest, and simply goes for a leg trip. I am actually impressed none of that work, and Hokuseiho seems quite adept at hopping around on one foot and continuing to fight. As Chiyoshoma tries to rotate faster, they both tumble with Chiyoshoma landing first. They score it as an abisetaoshi, and Hokuseiho is now 5-4.

Tsurugisho defeats Mitakeumi – Mitakeumi had control of the opening moments of the match, enough so that Tsurugisho gave into the desire to pull Mitakeumi down. It did not work, but it allowed Tsurugisho to move behind the former Ozeki and push him out from behind. Tsurugisho now 7-2.

Endo defeats Kagayaki – Kagayaki did a solid job of defending his belt during the tachiai and the subsequent set of volleys from Endo. Endo settled for a body hold, and dialed up the forward power, settling for a direct yorikiri. Endo improves to 6-3.

Atamifuji defeats Kinbozan – A fine example of denshamichi-sumo, Atamifuji switches on the express track and delivers the goods. Not sure what Kinbozan had in mind, but I am sure it was not that. Atamifuji kachi-koshi at 8-1.

Oho defeats Nishikifuji – Nishikifuji gets a good hit in at the tachiai, but misses his tries to get a grip. Oho responds and shuts him down, then runs him out of the east side. Oho improves to 3-6 by oshidashi.

Takayasu defeats Kotoeko – Kotoeko just does not have the bulk to stand up to a rampaging Takayasu, and is quickly shown the west side salt basket. Takayasu kachi-koshi at 8-1.

Onosho defeats Hiradoumi – My compliments to Hiradoumi, for really bringing the fight to Onosho today. In response Onosho was forced to amplify his sumo, eventually catching Hiradoumi too far forward and swatting him to the clay. Onosho improves to 6-3 by hatakikomi.

Midorifuji defeats Shonannoumi – Midorifuji gets his hands inside and immediately sets up a pull throw combo. The results is the seldom seen makiotoshi, dropping Shonannoumi to the clay. Midorifuji is now 4-5.

Takanosho defeats Ryuden – Ryuden had the stronger attacks today, but kept finding himself too far forward. Takanosho would move aside, and Ryuden would stumble forward. I appreciate that he did not lose fall, but it was still a bit too much chaos. Takanosho breaks contact, re-engages and drives forward for a yorikiri, he is now 5-4 after winning the last 3 in a row.

Asanoyama defeats Tamawashi – Sigh… Tamawashi’s got nothing this basho. Though he almost had Asanoyama out first by an edge of the ring uwatenage. The former Ozeki improves to 5-4 by yorikiri.

Meisei defeats Shodai – I think Shodai was going to try for his “wall of Daikon” move again today, and Meisei shut that down with a well timed sotogake. Did Shodai even know Meisei’s leg was around his knee? Meisei now 4-5.

Abi defeats Tobizaru – Abi connected on target at the tachiai, and his opening combo took away whatever response Tobizaru had in mind. From there it was 3 steps to the tawara, and Tobizaru never got a chance to make a forward move. Abi improves to 5-4.

Hokutofuji defeats Nishikigi – Brilliant work by Hokutofuji to keep Nishikigi close enough to clobber, but far enough away he can’t set up his battle hug. This left Nishikigi without most of his offensive weaponry, and allowed Hokutofuji to dictate the form and pace of the match.

Daieisho defeats Wakamotoharu – It’s great to see Daieisho get the kind of match where he excels. It was all power forward, and in the brief time that Wakamotoharu was able to counter attack, Daieisho evaded quite well. Wakamotoharu’s rally was short lived, and Daieisho drove him from the ring by oshidashi. Daieisho now 5-4.

Takakeisho defeats Gonoyama – Anyone else thankful we got to see Takakeisho’s classic form today? Nice wave-action tsuppari, obliterating young Gonoyama, dumping him back to the east side to visit Kotonowaka. Both end the day 6-3.

Kirishima defeats Ura – Beautiful attack plan from Ura to start the match. He had Kirishima on defense, and made him work for the win. But it was Ura who succumbed to the mind bending manifold of Thurston geometry as he seems to have thrown himself so hard he got airborne. Kirishima now 6-3, needing 2 more wins to clear kadoban.

Kotonowaka defeats Hoshoryu – Hoshoryu opened with a lighting fast move to the side, allowing him to capture a right hand outside belt grip. This should have set him up for a fair number of winning moves, but Kotonowaka broke Hoshoryu’s grip, grabbed an arm, and twisted into Hoshoryu’s forward rush. The resulting kotenage was tangled enough that it required a monoii to figure out. The shimpan award the match to Kotonowaka, and he receives a kensho pile diorama of Sakurajima, improving to 5-4.

With the middle weekend of the basho behind us, it’s time to march ahead to week 2 and the conclusion of Aki. During the second week, experience and stamina play an increasing role in rikishi’s daily performance. It’s where the yusho race will become refined, and we will see who has what it takes to compete for the cup.

Yesterday’s Ozeki blowout means that none of them are in serious contention right now, and may not play much of a role in the yusho race. Let’s see what their situation looks like:

• O1E Kirishima – Needs 3 more wins over the final 7 days to clear kadoban and retain rank. Short of picking up a new mechanical injury, he should be able to pull this off.
• O1W Takakeisho – Also needs 3 more wins over the final 7 days, but was in a bit more uncertain condition before the basho. His day 8 loss to Tobizaru saw him ejected off the dohyo to land in the front row. We don’t know if he injured himself, but it’s something to look out for.
• O2E Hoshoryu – Needs 5 wins out of the final 7 matches to avoid kadoban in his opening tournament. This is a tough situation for him, and I hope it is motivating him to focus more on his sumo technique.

Aki Leaderboard

The leaders both won on day 8, but the chase group suffered some casualties. The hunt group is 10 men wide, and we will wait to list them until things narrow down a bit. I am keeping my eye on Wakamotoharu, who could be in a good position to contend for the cup next weekend.

Leaders: Takayasu, Atamifuji
Chasers: Wakamotoharu, Gonoyama, Myogiryu, Tsurugisho
Hunt Group: Too many to list

7 Matches Remain

What We Are Watching Day 9

Myogiryu (6-2) vs Kotoshoho (2-6) – Within the next few days, we may get to see lksumo publish some of his promotion/demotion forecasts. I am starting to worry about Kotoshoho, who can’t seem to find a win. He’s not got better odds today, as he has only beaten Myogiryu once in six attempts. That win came on day 9 of Kyushu 2022.

Daishoho (2-6) vs Sadanoumi (4-4) – My favorite for captain of the Juryo barge of the damed faces off against speed rikishi Sadanoumi today. He has a 2-2 record, but given how poorly Daishoho has been fighting this month, I am not sure there is much hope. He likely has some injury that is disrupting his sumo, and will need to try to recover following the basho.

Takarafuji (4-4) vs Aoiyama (2-6) – An impressive 31 career matches between these two, with 22 of them going to Aoiyama. Aoiyama can still execute sumo moves well enough, but he really does not seem to have the ability to deliver power through his arms, or his legs. I think it’s also indicative of Aoiyama’s overall fade that Takarafuji has won both prior matches this year, and six of the last 7 head to head fights.

Chiyoshoma (2-6) vs Hokuseiho (4-4) – I am pretty sure we won’t see another henka today, but who knows. Chiyoshoma is part of an ignoble group of 8 rikishi with only 2 wins who are fairly certain to end up make-koshi. At his spot on the banzuke, he would be considered for demotion back to Juryo. Chiyoshoma won their only prior contest, day 9 of Osaka, by uwatedashinage. That’s a long way to fall.

Mitakeumi (5-3) vs Tsurugisho (6-2) – What I like about this contests is that Mitakeumi certainly has the strength to push Tsurugisho, and has the technique to produce a win. They have two prior matches, the most recent went to Tsurugisho on day 11 of Natsu. The one before that? Day 11 of Natsu, 2015 – when both were in Makushita!

Kagayaki (4-4) vs Endo (5-3) – Kagayaki is big, and his sumo is simple. When he can execute crisply, he tends to win because his fundamentals have been so strong in the past. Endo is a master technician, and tends to to dismantle Kagayaki’s simple sumo. Endo holds an 11-5 career lead, and I think he will likely expand that today.

Kinbozan (5-3) vs Atamifuji (7-1) – Much as I think Kinbozan has a bright future in sumo, right now Atamifuji is on fire, and shares a portion of the yusho race lead. They have never fought before, but I give Atamifuji the edge to pick up his 8th win and kachi-koshi today.

Nishikifuji (4-4) vs Oho (2-6) – Oho is part of that ignoble 2 win group, and I think there is not much that can save him from make-koshi at this point. The good news is that he’s at no risk of being demoted out of the top division, so whatever injury or problem he is having is something he will have time to resolve. He has a nearly even (5-4) record against Nishikifuji, and normally this would be an interesting fight. But an diminished Oho may not have much sumo to employ today,

Takayasu (7-1) vs Kotoeko (2-6) – The second of the co-leaders fights against Kotoeko next. Kotoeko is one of these rikishi that I am usually surprised by their low or poor score. He fights well, and puts a lot of energy into his matches, but he just can’t seem to win on a day to day basis. He hand Takayasu have fought twice before, with each taking 1 win apiece. Should Takayasu win today, he would be kachi-koshi.

Onosho (5-3) vs Hiradoumi (2-6) – Onosho gets the job of handing Hiradoumi his 7th loss, and I predict as long as the junior tadpole can keep his feet and not get too eager to win, he’s got this one locked up. He holds a 3-1 career lead over Hiradoumi, and I see no reason for Hiradoumi to win today.

Midorifuji (3-5) vs Shonannoumi (5-3) – In spite of the score gap, this is (at least to myself) an interesting match. I know that Midorifuji has enough sumo skill to put the much more massive Shonannoumi on the clay if he can get things to align. But right now Shonannoumi is having a better basho, and is not likely to give Midorifuji an opening to use his attacks. Their only prior match, day 2 of Kyushu 2018, was a Shonannoumi win.

Takanosho (4-4) vs Ryuden (2-6) – Takanosho has pulled up even to 4-4 following is somewhat unexplainable pasting of Kirishima on day 8. Can he carry forward his good sumo and beat Ryuden today? Ryuden is part of the group of rikishi with just 2 wins who are likely headed for make-koshi. He suffers from chronic hip and lower back problems, and if I had to guess he is enduring some of that this basho.

Tamawashi (0-8) vs Asanoyama (4-4) – It’s sad to watch Tamawashi struggle this much. He’s never missed a day of sumo, so he’s not going kyujo in the last week. He will instead mount the dohyo and lose matches. I know Asanoyama could use the white star, so I am sure he is thankful for Tamawashi’s “iron man” reputation.

Shodai (3-5) vs Meisei (3-5) – Both rikishi start the day with 3-5 records, and both are having hit or miss (mostly miss) daily battles. I chalk this one up to “Shodai had to fight somebody…” He has a 9-6 career advantage over Meisei, but the last 4 in a row have all gone to Meisei. This could be one to watch.

Abi (4-4) vs Tobizaru (5-3) – Two rikishi who have rapid attack style. Abi with his predictable double arm blast ahead sumo, and Tobizaru with best in class combos and lateral mobility. Abi tends to win these matches by a 6-3 ratio, winning 3 of the last 4 matches in a row.

Nishikigi (4-4) vs Hokutofuji (5-3) – I really, dearly want to see Nishikigi reach 8 wins and secure a kachi-koshi in the san’yaku. But to do that, he must win the majority of the remaining matches. His record against Hokutofuji is hit or miss (5-6), with 2 of the 3 matches this year going to Hokutofuji.

Daieisho (4-4) vs Wakamotoharu (6-2) – As mentioned in the commentary, I am starting to think that Wakamotoharu will contend for the cup in act 3. To get there, he will need to win through the rest of act 2, starting with power attack monster Daieisho. Wakamotoharu holds a narrow 4-3 career record against Daieisho, with both winning 2 so far this year. This will likely be a tough fight.

Gonoyama (6-2) vs Takakeisho (5-3) – Oh, this is a match worth staying up in the middle of the night to see. The Grand Tadpole against Shin-Goeido. Hey, anyone else catch Raja slip up on day 8 and call him Goeido? Apologies to the NHK crew for polluting your thought space, just having a bit of fun drawing parallels between the coach and his star athlete. This is their first ever match, and I am hoping that Takakeisho did not pick up an injury on day 8 flying off the dohyo, and is able to show Gonoyama a proper wave-action welcome to the joi-jin.

Kirishima (5-3) vs Ura (5-3) – Just when you think its safe to go back on the dohyo. Like Tobizaru, you can’t take your eye off of Ura, even for a moment. he will gladly discombobulate your sumo and run your match plan amok. You will find yourself pulled through an unknown dimension on your way to eating a face full of clay. Yes, Kirishima holds a 5-2 career lead, but on any given day, Ura may suspend the laws of physics and give you a lesson in Thurston geometries.

Kotonowaka (4-4) vs Hoshoryu (3-5) – Kotonowaka has a difficult task ahead of him today. He has only won against Hoshoryu 4 times in 14 attempts, but he is one of the 3 people who won against him during his 12-3 yusho run that saw him promoted to Ozeki. I would expect Hoshoryu to bring overwhelming focus and motivation to today’s match, and that may be part of the problem. I am going to guess he is worried, and rather than just relax and act on his best sumo instincts, he may let his thoughts get in the way of his actions. Should be a good fight.