Aki 2024

Aki 2024: Day Eleven Highlights

Andy Aki 2024 , ,

A busy day in the infirmary today as Hokutofuji went kyujo in the top division and the pair of Shimazuumi and Tsurugisho went kyujo in Juryo. Takerufuji picked up a forfeit victory over Shimazuumi. Chiyoshoma lost to Hidenoumi so Takerufuji is in sole possession of the lead. Tomorrow Takerufuji will fight Chiyoshoma.

Your NHK videos for Day 11 are here: Juryo Part I and Part II, Makuuchi Part I and Part II.

Makuuchi Action

Shirokuma (4-7) defeated Onokatsu (4-7). Shirokuma established his hidari-yotsu hold around Onokatsu’s trunk and drove forward. Onokatsu tried to escape left along the bales but Shirokuma stayed with him and forced him out. Yorikiri.

Kitanowaka (5-6) defeated Kinbozan (4-7). Kitanowaka got a hold of Kinbozan’s belt, swung him back to the edge and pressed him out. Yorikiri.

Takarafuji (7-4) defeated Bushozan (4-7). After a strong start, Bushozan has been terrible. Today, Takarafuji avoided Bushozan’s weak pull and pressed forward behind his tsuppari. This was enough to end Bushozan’s day. Oshidashi.

Nishikifuji (5-6) defeated Kagayaki (1-10). Kagayaki tried to get the train moving forward with hazuoshi driving into Nishikifuji’s right armpit. But Nishikifuji turned the tables by cycling backward along the bales and then shifting inside to put Kagayaki in trouble. A few simple blasts and he forced Kagayaki out. Oshidashi.

Tamawashi (5-6) default win over Hokutofuji (6-5).

Ichiyamamoto (5-6) defeated Ryuden (6-5). Ichiyama-zumo completely disrupted Ryuden. The pull nearly got Ryuden but Ichiyamamoto followed with strong tsuppari and then just launched himself into Ryuden, driving him back and out. Yorikiri.

Sadanoumi (6-5) defeated Midorifuji (4-7). Sadanoumi corralled Midorifuji, drove him backwards and out. Yorikiri.

Takayasu (9-2) defeated Endo (7-4). Takayasu’s headshot tsuppari was too intimidating for Endo, who quickly found the exit. Tsukidashi.

Roga (6-5) defeated Churanoumi (6-5). Churanoumi tried an escape at the edge but Roga pressed forward and forced him over. Oshidashi.

Nishikigi (9-2) defeated Wakatakakage (8-3). Nishikigi used his size advantage well to contain WTK. He pressed forward to get a good hold of Wakatakakage’s left arm, then pulled back, yanking WTK to the ground. Kotenage.

Halftime

Oshoma (8-3) defeated Meisei (2-9). Meisei was just completely overpowered by Oshoma. Oshoma had a solid overarm grip and threw Meisei out at the edge. Uwatenage.

Shodai (7-4) defeated Gonoyama (3-8). Shodai fought through Gonoyama’s nodowa and did not allow himself to be shoved back to the bales. Instead, he batted Gonoyama’s hands down and latched on with a deep left-hand overarm grip at the back of Gonoyama’s belt. With that strong grip he rotated backwards and swung Gonoyama down. Uwatenage.

Wakamotoharu (7-4) defeated Shonannoumi (2-9). Hidari-yotsu. Wakamotoharu was able to easily drive forward and force Shonannoumi over the bales. Yorikiri.

Tobizaru (4-7) defeated Mitakeumi (3-8). Tobizaru with the migi-yotsu here. He slipped to Mitakeumi’s right side and secured a deep left-hand belt grip. Mitakeumi didn’t appear to know how to counter-attack someone who was so mobile and attacking from the side. Tobizaru kept hold of Mitakeumi’s belt and rotating backwards until he got Mitakeumi to the edge and pressed him over. Yorikiri.

Oho (7-4) defeated Takanosho (3-8). Takanosho gave Oho quite the puzzle today. He resisted Oho’s slapdowns and his forward thrusts. For every forward thrust, Takanosho gave Oho a scare with a slapdown attempt. As a result, Oho relied on his own slapdown attempts. What I liked about Oho’s pulls was they were short. If Takanosho resisted, he didn’t run the length of the dohyo, trying to pull Takanosho down. Oho finally “cornered” an exhausted Takanosho and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Atamifuji (5-6) defeated Hiradoumi (6-5). Hiradoumi hit a wall. Atamifuji used his migi-yotsu well, drove forward, and forced HIradoumi out. Yorikiri.

Kirishima (9-2) defeated Abi (2-9). No henka from Kirishima today but he took on Abi from the side. Abi did not let Kirishima come inside to get a belt grip but was very unsteady as Kirishima rotated to get behind him. As Kirishima charged forward, Abi jumped to the side, nearly catching Kirishima off-guard. But Kirishima caught up with Abi and slapped him down at the edge. Hatakikomi.

Onosato (11-0) defeated Kotoshoho (4-6). Onosato drove forward as Kotoshoho pulled back. Gunbai Onosato. Quick mono-ii as video replay showed Kotoshoho had stepped out. If Kotoshoho had better ring awareness, he had a chance to win. Oshidashi.

Ura (7-4) defeated Hoshoryu (6-5). Hoshoryu took Ura head on but Ura managed a better position, attacking Hoshoryu from the side. Hoshoryu tried a terrible pull, circling back to the bales. Ura stayed standing and shoved Hoshoryu out of a short ring. Okuridashi.

Daieisho (6-5) defeated Kotozakura (7-4). Kotozakura gave up at the edge and let Daieisho shove him over. The Ozeki ran away from Daieisho’s powerful thrusts. Oshidashi.

Wrap-up

Shaky Day Eleven. Disappointing results from our observer Ozeki and Onosato had quite the scare. Perhaps he was over-confident in his ability to drive Kotoshoho out. Tomorrow, Onosato will face Wakatakakage. The pair of rank-and-filers with two losses will fight the pair of Komusubi. Nishikigi will take on Daieisho and Takayasu will fight Hiradoumi. Meanwhile, Kirishima will fight the lethargic Kotozakura.

I guess rather than have Takayasu and Nishikigi pair up, they want to try to put an end to both men’s runs at the same time. I would have done this differently but I’m not scheduling these things.

The demotion story is changing a bit as Shirokuma and Kitanowaka have found a few wins. They had both been staring at certain demotion. Could they escape and keep their ranks? Kagayaki seems done, even from his high position. But he could probably save himself with two or three wins here at the end of the tournament.

The key difference will be who makes their case for promotion from Juryo. Chiyoshoma is in. Tokihayate and Shishi are putting together their case. Each will likely need one more win but two or more will be better and are well within reach. Down at Juryo 11, Takerufuji likely needs a strong, 13-2 or 14-1 yusho to earn promotion now. It would be a shame to see him left in the cold if Nishikifuji racks up another win.

Aki 2024: Day Ten Highlights

Andy Aki 2024, Onosato (大の里), Takerufuji (尊富士) , ,

No calls to the infirmary to report from the top divisions.

Tohakuryu got dirt on Takerufuji with a quick hatakikomi slapdown. Meanwhile, Chiyoshoma defeated Shiden with a quick and easy uwatedashinage. So, Juryo is now a tight contest with Takerufuji tied with Chiyoshoma. Takerufuji will fight Shimazuumi and Chiyoshoma will take on Hidenoumi.

The NHK videos for today are here: Juryo Part I and Part II; Makuuchi Part I and Part II. If the videos do not work, try a different browser. Chrome seems to be working well for folks. I have it working in Chrome, Firefox, and Edge but they all have their quirks.

Today, I’ll experiment with direct links to the sanyaku bouts in the descriptions below. They do not work for me (it gives an error that it can’t be linked from an external site) but I am curious if they will work for you. I doubt it, but let’s give it a go. They only work for me if I take the URL itself and paste it in my browser.

Ideally, I’d be able to get a link to the direct vids. Well, the ideal would be to embed the videos but that wasn’t working. So, next would be to allow you to click and go right to each one…but for now those four links seem to work.

Makuuchi Action

Takayasu (8-2) defeated Nishikifuji (4-6). Nishikifuji was unwise and tried to pull Takayasu back by his left arm. Takayasu lowered his head and used the momentum to run Nishikifuji out of the ring. The former Ozeki remains in the yusho race, two Oshidashi.

Shirokuma (3-7) defeated Bushozan(4-6). The Shadow of Bushozan was easily driven backward and forced out by Shirokuma. Yorikiri.

Onokatsu (4-6) defeated Kinbozan (4-6). Migi-yotsu. Kinbozan was just along for the ride as Onokatsu drove him backwards. Yorikiri.

Kitanowaka (4-6) defeated Sadanoumi (5-5). Kitanowaka kept Sadanoumi away with effective tsuppari and drove him to the edge. Sadanoumi tried to pull Kitanowaka out but Kitanowaka thrust Sadanoumi to the clay in retaliation. Tsukiotoshi.

Nishikigi (8-2) defeated Kagayaki (1-9). Nishikigi just bulled forward through Kagayaki. Kagayaki will be on the short list for demotion. Oshidashi.

Takarafuji (6-4) defeated Roga (5-5). Takarafuji established his hidari-yotsu and drove Roga back and out Yorikiri.

Ichiyamamoto (4-6) defeated Hokutofuji (6-4). Migi-yotsu bout here. The pair started with the oshi-style bout you’d expect for a few seconds but it soon settled into a grapple. Ichiyamamoto tried an uwatenage, followed up with a headbutt. This combo made Hokutofuji start moving toward the edge. Ichiyamamoto kept driving and forced Hokutofuji out. Yorikiri.

Oshoma (7-3) defeated Ryuden (6-4). Oshoma kept Ryuden at arm’s length, off his belt. Ryuden used his best oshi-zumo to press Oshoma toward the edge. At the edge, Oshoma slipped to the side and slapped Ryuden down. Hatakikomi.

Wakatakakage (8-2) defeated Endo (7-3). Wakatakakage hit Endo with a headbutt at the tachiai but quickly shifted right and threw Endo to the ground. Tsukiotoshi.

Tamawashi (4-6) defeated Churanoumi (6-4). Tamawashi established his style of sumo by assaulting Churanoumi with forceful tsuppari about the head. He then grabbed Churanoumi under the right shoulder and dragged Churanoumi around toward the bales and drove him over. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Shonannoumi (2-8) defeated Midorifuji (4-6). Shonannoumi pulled while keeping Midoruji at arm’s length with solid oshi zumo. Oshidashi.

Shodai (6-4) defeated Meisei (2-8). Meisei hit Shodai hard at the tachiai but Shodai just absorbed it. Shodai then pressed forward. Meisei tried to pull and throw with an uwatenage but Shodai used the momentum to shove Meisei back and out. Meisei makekoshi. Oshidashi.

Wakamotoharu (6-4) defeated Atamifuji (4-6). Atamifuji could not force Wakamotoharu over the edge so he tried to pull. Wakamotoharu rushed forward and maintained his balance, resisting Atamifuji’s slapdown attempts. Yorikiri.

Takanosho (3-7) defeated Mitakeumi (3-7). Mitakeumi seemed happy to slide back to the tawara but he could not escape Takanosho’s forward thrusts. Takanosho forced Mitakeumi onto his butt under the white tassel.

Sanyaku

Oho (6-4) defeated Daieisho (5-5). Oho withstood Daieisho’s thrusting attacks but kept pressing forward. Daieisho thrust forward with a brutal nodowa, with his left hand in Oho’s throat. Oho knocked Daieisho’s arm away and Daieisho fell forward. Hikiotoshi.

Hiradoumi (6-4) defeated Tobizaru (3-7). Migi-yotsu. Tobizaru tried to keep Hiradoumi’s right hand away but once established, Hiradoumi drove forward and forced Tobizaru into the first row of punters for some fansa. Yorikiri.

Onosato (10-0) defeated Kirishima (8-2). Henka! Onosato avoided the slapdown and drove into Kirishima before Kirishima could get in behind for an Okuridashi. Instead, Onosato pressed Kirishima at the bales. Onosato leads by two. Yorikiri.

Ura (6-4) defeated Abi (2-8). Abi-zumo. Abi roughly assaulted Ura about the head multiple times, driving him closer to the edge. Angry Ura grabbed Abi’s right arm and swung him forward to the ground. Tottari.

Kotozakura (7-3) defeated Gonoyama (3-7). Kotozakura was in danger as Gonoyama forced him back to the tawara. Kotozakura wisely realized that pulling for a throw was high-risk so he drove forward with his right-hand inside and forced Gonoyama out. Yorikiri.

Hoshoryu (6-4) defeated Kotoshoho (5-5). Kotoshoho did well. Hoshoryu barely avoided Kotoshoho’s slapdown attempt. He did recover and re-engaged with hazuoshi, shoving Kotoshoho back with his right arm in Kotoshoho’s left armput. Yoritaoshi.

Wrap-up

Abi is makekoshi and will be demoted from Sekiwake. Takakeisho will be falling with him and with Onosato’s possible promotion to Ozeki, we will likely have a vacant slot in the Sekiwake ranks. At the moment, that would go to Hiradoumi but Daieisho will fight for it, too. Looks like Oho might be first in line for the Komusubi slot left vacant? He has really turned it on and fought well.

Onosato will fight Kotoshoho tomorrow. Kirishima will fight Abi. Nishikigi will fight Wakatakakage and Takayasu will fight Endo. The Kyokai are probably thinking that the best-case scenario is only one rank-and-filer will remain in the yusho race with two losses after tomorrow but worst case they will have two. If one, I bet they will immediately have the winner of Wakatakakage/Nishikigi fight Kirishima. If two, they will probably pit them against each other with the winner fighting Kirishima on Day 13?

Onosato still needs to fight Abi and the two Ozeki. That leaves one bout available for another rank-and-filer. Ura would be next in line and that would be an interesting fight. But if Wakatakakage, or even Nishikigi or Takayasu are still in the yusho race, that could be a possibility. Obviously, Takayasu is former Ozeki, Wakatakakage has lifted the cup and been Sekiwake before his injury, and Nishikigi has been sanyaku recently, as well.

Either way, the path to Ozeki (and yusho) for Onosato will be a tough one in an effort to make him earn it. We should have a very entertaining, and consequential, final third of this tournament. Rather than Wacky-Aki, this is turning into…something else.

Aki 2024: Day Nine Highlights

Andy Aki 2024, Onosato (大の里)

Takerufuji had no problem dispatching Oshoumi. Oshoumi tried to shift direction but it merely delayed the inevitable. Takerufuji is a man among boys. Chiyoshoma is a henka machine. With his high-stakes bout against Hakuoho, he jumped to the side and dragged Hakuoho down.

Jason left a comment the other day that drew my attention to the NHK links. If these NHK links do not work, let me know what country or continent you are in. I’d like to troubleshoot and see whether there are different options for different regions. Since they work for me, these links should be working for folks in North America but I do hope they work internationally, too.

They are a little clunky. You have to click the play button twice. Well, at least I have to do that here. The first click seems to load the video, after a few seconds another play button appears, and you push play to show the video.

Juryo Part I and Part II

Makuuchi Part I and Part II

Makuuchi Action

Nishikigi (7-2) defeated Shirokuma (2-7). Nishikigi had no trouble acquiring his hidari-yotsu hold of Shirokuma at the tachiai. He drove forward and ushered Shirokuma back and out. Shirokuma has been unable to establish any sort of offense in this division. Yorikiri.

Takayasu (7-2) defeated Hokutofuji (6-3). Hokutofuji combined his ottsuke with firm oshi-zumo to drive Takayasu back to the edge. Takayasu shifted to his right to avoid going over the edge but Hokutofuji followed. As the pair reached the edge, Takayasu shifted again and slapped on Hokutofuji’s back forcing him to stumble forward and out of the ring. Hatakikomi.

Nishikifuji (4-5) defeated Bushozan (4-5). Nishikifuji was much more mobile than Bushozan. As Bushozan tried to get some momentum, Nishikifuji shifted to the side and pulled Bushozan down. Katasukashi.

Kitanowaka (3-6) defeated Kagayaki (1-8). Kagayaki could not get any sort of forward progress. Kitanowaka rotated to the left and forced Kagayaki’s back to the tawara. Kagayaki tried to shuffle along the bales but Kitanowaka had no trouble keeping up and keeping the pressure on him, eventually working him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Ryuden (6-3) defeated Sadanoumi (5-4). Firm migi-yotsu. Ryuden drove Sadanoumi back and out. Yorikiri.

Roga (5-4) defeated Onokatsu (3-6). One-sided bout here as Roga drove Onokatsu back and out. Neither of our top division debutants have been able to establish their sumo here and both seem ready for demotion. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (4-5) defeated Tamawashi (3-6). Henka! Kinbozan jumped to the side and slapped Tamawashi down for a quick victory. Hatakikomi.

Takarafuji (5-4) defeated Oshoma (6-3). Oshoma was stronger than Takarafuji today and really dominated 99% of the bout. Takarafuji tried moving laterally but Oshoma kept up and drove him back. At the edge, Takarafuji yanked Oshoma forward and down while falling. Gunbai to Oshoma. Mono-ii. Video review showed Oshoma’s right arm hit the tawara first. I’ve got to disagree with Ross Mihara who declared, “Takarafuji showed zero offense.” He showed his offensive strike right there at the end and won with that pull. Sakatottari.

Wakatakakage (7-2) defeated Midorifuji (4-5). After a lengthy grapple, Midorifuji mistimed his pull. Wakatakakage took advantage and drove forward, forcing Midorifuji from the surface of the dohyo. Yorikiri.

Endo (7-2) defeated Gonoyama (3-6). Henka! Endo did switch things up by going to the opposite side. Gonoyama tried to get the jump on Endo by jumping early, before Endo got his hand down. But Endo jumped to the side with lightning speed. Hatakikomi.

Halftime

Meisei (2-7) defeated Ichiyamamoto (3-6). After a lengthy brawl where both men traded tsuppari, Meisei grabbed Ichiyamamoto’s trunk and pulled him forward and down. Katasukashi.

Churanoumi (6-3) defeated Kotoshoho (5-4). Churanoumi was steady and avoided Kotoshoho’s pull. This was another case where The Pull led to The Puller’s undoing. Tsukidashi.

Mitakeumi (3-6) defeated Oho (5-4). Oho churned forward but Mitakeumi shifted right at the edge and twisted Oho down. Gunbai Mitakeumi. Mono-ii. Video review showed Oho fell before Mitakeumi, confirming the ruling on the field. Tsukiotoshi.

Tobizaru (3-6) defeated Takanosho (2-7). Takanosho ran out of attack ideas and just quit, stepping back and out. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Atamifuji (4-5) defeated Daieisho (5-4). Daieisho was in a pulling mood today. Maybe the gearshift got stuck in reverse. Atamifuji pursued well and shoved Daieisho out when he caught him at the edge. Oshidashi.

Onosato (9-0) defeated Wakamotoharu (5-4). Onosato dominant. The youngster drove Wakamotoharu out forcefully. Yoritaoshi.

Shodai (5-4) defeated Abi (2-7). Abi-zumo churned forward at full speed but Shodai slipped to the side and pulled Abi down. Tsukiotoshi.

Kirishima (8-1) defeated Shonannoumi (1-8). This was a satisfying bout for Kirishima fans. Rather than a high-paced, high-energy tactical bout, Kirishima won with calm, dominant power. His hidari-yotsu was simply too much for Shonannoumi. Yorikiri.

Hoshoryu (5-4) defeated Hiradoumi (5-4). Hoshoryu locked up Hiradoumi and began his advance. Hiradoumi tried to cycle to the right and away from Hoshoryu but Hoshoryu cut off the escape lane and then twisted him down with a beautiful throw. Sukuinage.

Ura (5-4) defeated Kotozakura (6-3). Ura pressed forward and drove Kotozakura back and out. Kotozakura appeared uncertain as to how to execute any escape techniques at the edge. At least Hoshoryu showed up today. Oshidashi.

Wrap-up

Our Ozeki are in “observer status” this basho, unable to participate in the yusho race. Onosato continues to defeat his lower-ranked opponents. That is the kind of dominance we want from the upper ranks so Onosato is clearly moving toward promotion. Kirishima is the lone wrestler with one loss and both Sekiwake will fight each other tomorrow in a high-stakes bout.

We have four rank-and-filers in our chase group with two losses. Endo will face Wakatakakage on Day 10 as both men battle for their kachi-koshi and their position as potential yusho spoilers. Takayasu will fight Nishikifuji and Nishikigi will take on Kagayaki.

House-keeping

In a little administrative news, I’ll be shutting off the Google Ads on the site this week. Thank you for your patience as I tested that out. I’ve been extremely disappointed with them. When I visit the site, the ads are terrible and seem to have nothing remotely to do with anything. I reached out to the AdWords folks and they basically told me they’re worthless. So, bye-bye.

I’d only be interested in partners that would actually provide services for sumo fans. Not, “click here to see Megyn Kelly images.” My personal fave was the blank, “Click Here.” Seriously, what the hell? Nothing travel-related, nothing Japan-related, nothing sports-related, nothing relevant to anything. I mean, the only thing I’ve seen that wasn’t blatant spammy crap was…shoes? The last pair of shoes I bought were geta. So, Geta-outta-here with your crap ads, Google! As for you readers, see you on Day 10.

Aki 2024: Nakabi Highlights

Andy Aki 2024 , , ,

Never dismiss Daiamami, dude. When Chiyoshoma hit him, it was like he ran into a brink wall. Then the brick wall ran after him and bashed into him, repeatedly, until he backed out of the ring. What this means is, Takerufuji is our sole, undefeated leader in Juryo. For his part, Takerufuji stayed calm when Asakoryu pulled and pressed forward with a forceful nodowa. Takerufuji kachi-koshi and atop our Juryo leaderboard.

Tomorrow, Chiyoshoma will face Hakuoho, who defeated Shishi today with a beautiful, powerful throw. God, I want to see this kid back in the thick of makuuchi. Takerufuji, meanwhile, will take on Oshoumi.

JME preempted the start of makuuchi coverage with the end of a Senior Golf tournament. Obviously had to wait for the interview and award presentation….and replays of the final putt… You know, there’s a whole channel set aside on JME.tv for replays during the day. It is sitting, unused at the moment. I do not understand why they can’t show the live coverage over there…and extend it for the lower divisions, too!

Makuuchi Action

Hokutofuji (6-2) defeated Nishikifuji (3-5). Oshitaoshi.

Nishikigi (6-2) defeated Kitanowaka (2-6). Kotenage.

Onokatsu (3-5) defeated Bushozan (4-4). Andy’s hat is looking safe. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (3-5) defeated Shirokuma (2-6). Yorikiri.

Sadanoumi (5-3) defeated Takarafuji (4-4). Andy’s hat is safe. Sorry, folks. None of that premium internet content, for now. I’m sure Andy will put his foot in his mouth at some point in the future. Sukuinage.

The preceding had been preempted by senior golf. I will be reaching out to JME about setting up an SLA to see if a contract will improve their service. We want the same thing, we want more people watching sumo. We’ll see what happens.

Takayasu (6-2) defeated Kagayaki (1-7). Kagayaki seems to have no understanding of the concept of lateral movement. I guess he is named for a passenger train so maybe he can only move forward along the rails laid out in front of him. Takayasu plowed into him for a good ten seconds and then slipped to the side and pulled Kagayaki down. Hikotoshi.

Roga (4-4) defeated Ryuden (5-3). Ryuden charged ahead and adjusted well when Roga moved left. He tried to establish his hidari-yotsu but Roga did a good job of keeping him off his belt. Roga’s trunk was extended so far forward, Ryuden tried a pull and slapdown but Roga maintained his balance. Roga twisted his body and pulled with his left hand. This threw Ryuden off balance and gave Roga the opening he needed to charge forward and drive Ryuden over the bales.

Wakatakakage (6-2) defeated Tamawashi (3-5). Bar fight. This bout was a wild brawl. Tamawashi pissed WTK off by going for the head so he threw a few haymakers of his own. Mainly, though, he blasted him over and over with his head and shoulders, eventually working him toward the bales where he wrapped him up and pushed him over. Yorikiri.

Oshoma (6-2) defeated Churanoumi (5-3). Simple hatakikomi here. Churanoumi drove forward and Oshoma met him square at the tachiai. Then he shifted left with his arms behind Churanoumi’s head. So he pressed Churanoumi into the dirt.

Midorifuji (4-4) defeated Meisei (1-7). A great clash of rutting rams for about 10 seconds. Then Midorifuji got a morozashi, double-inside grip and easily drove Meisei from the dohyo.

Halftime

Ichiyamamoto (3-5) defeated Gonoyama (3-5). Quick slapdown. Ichiyamamoto-zumo. Hikiotoshi.

Endo (6-2) defeated Shonannoumi (1-7). Henka! Endo’s been full of those lately but totally caught Shonannoumi (and myself) by surprise. Yorikiri.

Kotoshoho (5-3) defeated Atamifuji (3-5). Kotoshoho drove forward at the edge and Atamifuji twisted while forcing Kotoshoho down at the same time. Gunbai Kotoshoho. Mono-ii. This was a tight call but Atamifuji’s feet left the dohyo while Kotoshoho was still in bounds. Shinpan confirm the gyoji’s call. Oshidashi.

Oho (5-3) defeated Tobizaru (2-6). Oho is back today, swollen eye and all. Tobizaru did his thing, jumping and slapping around the ring. The Daffy Duck of sumo. The good thing is, Oho was in no mood. He moved forward and took care of business. As Tobizaru tried to slip to the side, and then back toward center, Oho shifted with him and slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

Sanyaku

Hiradoumi (5-3) defeated Takanosho (2-6). Takanosho’s mistake was going for the nodowa with his left hand. Hiradoumi shifted to his right at the same time, getting behind Takanosho and avoiding his attack. Oshidashi.

Daieisho (5-3) defeated Abi (2-6). Abi-zumo was firing on all cylinders. Daieisho tried to deflect him twice by driving into Abi’s armpit. On the third attempt, Daieisho got in behind and shoved Abi out. Okuridashi.

Kirishima (7-1) defeated Ura (4-4). Kirishima was playing old school King of the Hill today. Kirishima claimed the center of the ring and he was not going to chase. He wasn’t going to move for Ura to use his tricks, Ura was going to have to move him. Ura hopped around and tried slapping Kirishima down but Kirishima’s footwork steadily claimed more territory and Kirishima shoved him from the dohyo.

It looked like Ura landed flat on his back below the dohyo. He was slow to get up so a concerned Kirishima went down to check on him. Thankfully, Ura hopped up and seemed unhurt. Oshitaoshi.

Onosato (8-0) defeated Mitakeumi (2-6). Mitakeumi certainly gave Onosato a test. He resisted well and did not go easily. But Onosato was too powerful today. Onosato put everything into his shove and blasted Mitakeumi from the dohyo. Onosato left his feet and also came down but Mitakeumi was clearly out a beat before Onosato. Oshidashi.

Kotozakura (6-2) defeated Shodai (4-4). Shodai had some ambition here today. Like Mitakeumi, he was resolved not to be a mere speedbump. Kotozakura had to work it and assault Shodai over and over. His nodowa and thrusts to the face were very effective. “Not the face, dude. Not the face!” Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu (4-4) defeated Wakamotoharu (5-3). Hidari-yotsu. Hoshoryu took the initiative and pulled hard, twisting with his arm under Wakamotoharu’s shoulder. When Wakamotoharu balanced on one leg, Hoshoryu slipped his arm up around WMH’s neck and finished him off. Kubinage.

Wrap-up

In Makuuchi we have a two-man contest: Onosato leads and Kirishima is one-loss back. Same thing in Juryo. Takerufuji leads and Chiyoshoma is one-loss back. In Makuuchi, there’s a large peleton of seven guys on two losses who are there to keep the pressure on and make the yusho race interesting if Onosato falters: Kotozakura (good), Wakatakakage (good), Endo (gasp!), Oshoma, Hokutofuji (what?!?!), Nishikigi (double what?!?!), and Takayasu (oh, hell yeah!). In Juryo, Asakoryu and Kayo trail with 2-losses.

Kirishima will face Shonannoumi tomorrow with his kachi-koshi, and Shonannoumi’s make-koshi, on the line. I predict a fierce battle. Both men will be motivated to win. Onosato, meanwhile, will take on Wakamotoharu. We will see if Onosato’s dominance continues.