There has been a fair amount of reporting over the past year that the sumo association had revised their rikishi injury response protocols. This was augmented by a fair amount of training among the yobidashi, gyoji and the oyakata team. Today Ura took a backward fall off the dohyo that produced a near perfect knock to the back of his head that left him dazed and unable to move properly. Rather than let him stumble and maybe fall again, there were two yobidashi there almost at once. The response was crisp, immediate, and a vast improvement over past horror shows that have played out on global video streaming.

We dearly hope that Ura is ok, but concussions can have lingering effects, and we hope that his stable master, and the NSK take precautions to ensure that whatever head injury he has is properly treated. That being said, Ura seems to be some kind of serious injury magnet with his sumo. Get better soon, sir.

Highlight Matches

Oho defeats Kotoeko – Kotoeko was on the attack from the start, at first using a double inside hand position to control the match. It was great form, but watch Oho bring his right hand inside, set up his left hand outside, then deliver a tsukiotoshi as he pivots aside. A bit off balance, but he made it work. 2-0 for Oho.

Kaisei defeats Tsurugisho – The battle of the mega-fauna saw about 400kg of rikishi stand each other up, with Kaisei finding a way to move forward. It’s starting to look like Tsurugisho continues to compete injured, and is probably going to be struggling for the next 13 days. Kaisei improves to 1-1.

Aoiyama defeats Wakamotoharu – Also in the list of “what happened to the forward power”, we find Aoiyama. He was unable to stop Wakamotoharu’s forward pressure, but took the win by hatakikomi. This mostly worked because hatakikomi played the eager rookie card and got too far forward. Note to Big Dan, that’s only going to work a couple of times this basho.

Ichiyamamoto defeats Tochinoshin – Impressive that Ichiyamamoto went for a left hand outside grip once Tochinoshin shut down the thrusting attack. After consolidating his position, he put what was left of Tohinoshin’s knee to the test with a powerful drive. Of course Tochinoshin could offer little resistance, and Ichiyamamoto took the match via yorikiri. Both end the day 1-1.

Chiyomaru defeats Yutakayama – Classic Chiyomaru sumo, he got Yutakayama revved up and pushing hard. When Yutakayama went to move forward, Chiyomaru was already to the side applying a thrust down. Yutakayama actually got airborne, so bonus points for style today. Chiyomaru improves to 1-1.

Kotonowaka defeats Chiyotairyu – A couple of days now of uncharacteristically hesitant tachiai from Chiyotairyu. True, Kotonowaka had a false start so maybe Chiyotairyu was playing it safe. But now Chiyotairyu has an 0-2 start, and he’s already in the hole. Kotonowaka improves to 2-0 with a rather sloppy win.

Ishiura defeats Sadanoumi – Impressively fast start from Ishiura today, he was inside against Sadanoumi before Sadanoumi could do anything to counter. He tried to tangle up Ishiura’s right hand, but it could do nothing to stop the shitatenage from the left. A solid 2-0 from Miyagino’s top ranked man.

Terutsuyoshi defeats Akua – What was that, an ashitori attempt? Terutsuyoshi’s opening gambit did not impress Akua in the least. But it still gave Terutsuyoshi a working advantage, which he converted to a rapid run to the bales for an oshidashi win. Terutsuyoshi improves to 1-1.

Myogiryu defeats Chiyonokuni – Chiyonokuni gets a bit too far forward on the third step, presenting Myogiryu with an opening he could not refuse. He takes a right hand inside hold and bodily forces Chiyonokuni from the ring. Myogiryu with a 2-0 start, and he looks to be bouncing back nicely after a disastrous November tournament.

Tobizaru defeats Shimanoumi – Tobizaru had his hands inside first, delivering a quick upward thrust combo followed by a pull. He caught Shimanoumi mid stride, breaking his balance. Shimanoumi never had a moment to recover as Tobizaru kept up the pressure to force him out. That was lighting fast, and quite well done. Tobizaru with a 2-0 start to Hatsu, and in fine form.

Takarafuji defeats Hoshoryu – Takarafuji looked much better today. But rather than blunt Hoshoryu’s attack and waiting, he presses forward. Fantastic body position from Takarafuji, he makes himself a wall that sweeps Hoshoryu out of the ring. Both end the day 1-1.

Abi defeats Chiyoshoma – I saw Chiyoshoma try to reach in first and connect before Abi could get his arms up. Gutsy move, sir! But other than points for moxie, Chiyoshoma got a face full of Abi-zumo as thanks, and quickly hit the exit. Abi with a 2-0 start.

Onosho defeats Okinoumi – Very basic oshi tactic from Onosho, he used a stiff arm to stand Okinoumi up, then slapped him down. Its a bit disappointing to see Okinoumi start 0-2, but he tends to rally after the ring rust is scraped away. Onosho improves to 2-0.

Hokutofuji defeats Endo – Hokutofuji in much better form today, he was in fast at the tachiai, and managed to shed Endo’s early left hand frontal grip. Taking Endo to his chest, he took advantage of Endo’s body position (he was too low) to swing him down to the clay. First win for Hokutofuji, improving to 1-1.

Tamawashi defeats Daieisho – I have to wonder about that tape on Daieisho’s knee. That’s twice in two days that he has lost his balance favoring the left side. His opponents are aware of it, and it makes it hard for him to press his thrusting attack. Tamawashi was able to use it to get him moving laterally, and propel him out, improving to 2-0.

Mitakeumi defeats Ichinojo – The low speed attack and counter attack was a bit comical to my eye. Ichinojo would square his hips, and Mitakeumi would move to the side. They repeated this cycle a few times, until Mitakeumi was able to get his hands against Ichinojo’s chest for the final push to send him out. Mitakeumi with a solid 2-0 start.

Takanosho defeats Kiribayama – this was all Kiribayama until the moment that Kiribayama’s right knee gave way. Points to Takanosho for maintaining contact and staying in the match until he got his opening.

Meisei defeats Takakeisho – Meisei found an arm to tug, sending Takakeisho off balance. He expertly converted that into a thrust down while moving to the side, and allowing Takakeisho’s own momentum do the majority of the work. Both end the day at 1-1.

Shodai defeats Ura – The big news here would be Ura’s concussion. That was a tough fall both men took from the dohyo, and it was pretty clear to Shodai that Ura was not quite right. But you know what was good? They did not let him flop around and stumble. Two yobidashi immediately mounted the dohyo to assist. Much better NSK, good show. I do hope Ura is going to be ok, head injuries are a serious matter. But I am happy to see that the new policy to intervene is in effect.

Terunofuji defeats Wakatakakage – Love the enthusiasm from Wakatakakage. He came on strong, brought his best attack and had a moment where he put the Yokozuna on defense. But as was the case yesterday, Terunofuji’s battle mode was to weather the initial onslaught, consolidate his position and counter attack with the most likely response. Terunofuji with a 2-0 start, but looking a bit rusty.

Surprisingly good sumo for day 1, most everyone showed up ready to fight, even if the Mitakeumi – Ura battle was terribly one sided. I think Ura could not manage the reach around to get a hold of Mitakeumi, and by the time he was ready to try again, he no longer had any room to work. Is it just me or is the crowd in the Kokugikan more animated on day 1 than they have been for quite some time? Perhaps Japan, like so much of the world, has grown weary of COVID protocols sucking the joys out of so many facets of life. I look forward to a return to a packed house full of screaming fans cheering on each match.

Worry not, sumo fans. Those days will return.

What We Are Watching Day 2

Kotoeko vs Oho – Kotoeko had a nice bounce back match against a flagging Aoiyama on day 1, but today’s head to head is likely to be quite different. I am not sure if we caught Oho on a “good” day, or this is going to be his normal sumo. But that fellow was clam, centered and focused. I do honestly hope that we get a LOT more of that, as what we saw on day 1 from Oho had a lot of indicators that he’s destined for higher rank.

Kaisei vs Tsurugisho – Both of these mega-fauna lost their day 1 matches, and are looking to get started on the road to 8. As members of the “near 200” kilo club, they don’t operate at speed, but when they connect, it’s with power. Their last match was day 2 of Aki, which went to Kaisei.

Wakamotoharu vs Aoiyama – This match comes down to the condition of Aoiyama’s undercarriage. At this point we have to assume he’s still not able to transmit power to ground – a continuation of his woes from Kyushu. It may not matter, as Wakamotoharu has never been on the receiving end of the “V-Twin” attack. If Big Dan can get that one started, it may be a real unhappy surprise for Wakamotoharu.

Tochinoshin vs Ichiyamamoto – I really liked Tochinoshin’s day 1 sumo. Quiet, focused and compact. He made sure he kept his feet, and focused on his primary offensive weapon. Today he is going to need to overcome Ichiyamamoto’s hit and shift thrusting attack. His best bet is a capture at the tachiai.

Chiyomaru vs Yutakayama – If Chiyomaru can keep his feet today, this is going to be a fairly good fight. Yutakayama is about due for a “Good” basho, and I want to see him dominate Chiyomaru in a straight up thrusting battle. Chiyomaru will want to go for an early slap down, but I am counting on Yutakayama to have planned for that.

Kotonowaka vs Chiyotairyu – Chiyotairyu lacked about 20% of his normal firepower on day 1. Ring rust? Injury? I hope the former more than the latter, and today’s fight with Kotonowaka will tell the tale. Kotonowaka won his day 1 against Chiyomaru when his roundness could not keep his footing, so this may be our first chance to see offensive sumo from Sadogatake’s top rikishi.

Sadanoumi vs Ishiura – Both one their first day matches, and both did a fine job of reading their opponent and employing creative sumo to overcome the challenge. If Ishiura can get close in on the second step, he will likely control this match. If Sadanoumi can keep him at least half an arm length distant, hit will favor his better agility.

Terutsuyoshi vs Akua – Akua is to large, too methodical most times to react to Terutsuyoshi’s low altitude attacks. This is why Terutsuyoshi has an 8-2 career advantage over Akua, and Akua will likely get thrown early in the match.

Chiyonokuni vs Myogiryu – Myogiryu has a lot of ground to make up after a disastrous 2-13 November. He certainly looked good enough on his day 1 win against Shimanoumi, but Chiyonokuni is an entirely different matter. I expect Chiyonokuni will present a lot of forceful sumo today, and we will get to see if Myogiryu has indeed gotten his body back in fighting form. They share a 4-5 career record.

Shimanoumi vs Tobizaru – M8w is a great rank for Tobizaru right now. He’s still consolidating his sumo, and I would love him to finish no better than 9-6 this basho. He needs to gradually work his way back up to the top of the rank and file, while adding probably about 15kg in mass and about 30kg in forward pressure and grip strength. Today is a great test match, as he has a 5-8 career disadvantage against Shimanoumi.

Hoshoryu vs Takarafuji – The plan I suggested for Tobizaru? Hoshoryu seems to have started that following Aki, and it seems to be paying off. He was really out of sorts in November, as he was larger, and not yet used to carrying all that extra weight, and maybe he did not quite have the strength in his lower body to move as well as he thought he should. Once these guys get large, its a lot of work to get used to the mass in terms of balance, and moving about without putting yourself off balance. Much as I don’t want to see Takarafuji take his second loss, I think Hoshoryu is favored today.

Abi vs Chiyoshoma – Abi was a punk, he got himself put in the “time out” box for being a jerk, and had to work his way back up the ranks. We can now clearly see that the punishment mode drove him to focus on his body and his sumo. The new Abi-zumo is a lot like the original. But, if anything, its delivered at closer range, with a fair degree more brutality. I don’t know how high this can take him, but I know we are about to find out. Chiyoshoma need to get a solid grip if he wants to shut Abi down, and maybe deliver a winning throw.

Okinoumi vs Onosho – Onosho is very much a hot streak / cold streak kind of rikishi. He had a nice day 1 match against Hokutofuji, but I don’t think it necessarily indicates which way his sumo will go this basho. He does struggle with his balance, and keeping his body where he wants it, and that may be because he has reached a size that is a touch larger than what he can handle. Into the middle of this comes storied veteran Okinoumi, who takes it all in stride. They share a 7-7 career record, with Okinoumi taking 6 of the last 8.

Hokutofuji vs Endo – Hokutofuji’s matches against Endo are punctuated with an early flurry of frantic, violent activity. Sometimes they amount to very little, and Endo waits him out and cleans up once Hokutofuji gets too far off his center of gravity. But about half the time, Hokutofuji manages to connect early, and trashes Endo in a hurry. Look for Endo to reach for a frontal grip early, and break Hokutofuji’s second step.

Tamawashi vs Daieisho – Daieisho looked strong but a bit “seat of the pants” in his day 1 loss to Terunofuji. I hope he brings a solid match plan against Tamawashi today, because when Daieisho comes in with a solid route of attack, he tends to win. They share an 8-8 record, so this will be a nice and even fight.

Mitakeumi vs Ichinojo – Hey, lets get some big stuff sumo out of the way, shall we? Original Tadpole Mitakeumi up against the Boulder. I liked Ichinojo’s patience on day 1, and if he can show that kind of focus and grim determination to stalemate, box in and dominate Mitakeumi, he might just hand the Ozeki hopeful a stinging loss.

Kiribayama vs Takanosho – Both lost their day 1 openers, both would like to rack up some week 1 wins if they can before they spend more time being chew-toys for the upper ranks. Takanosho has a clear 9-1 career edge, but Kiribayama has been steadily improving his sumo.

Takakeisho vs Meisei – These two adore shoving each other about like enraged versions pengo characters. Me, I am just hoping I get to see him unleash what I am calling (for now) his “Plowman” style pushing attack.

Ura vs Shodai – Ura was not quite up to the challenge of getting a hold of Mitakeumi on day 1, so it remains to be seen what he does with the bulky lumpy body of Shodai today. Ura has won both of their prior matches, but they were both 5 years ago in 2017.

Terunofuji vs Wakatakakage – Terunofuji is possibly still getting into honbasho form, so I think we may see Wakatakakage challenge during the opening moments before the Kaiju comes out and finishes the match. Thought it would be nice to see Wakatakakage pick up a kinboshi….

Ah, a sumo weekend! For me it’s a glorious time. I work in COVID response, and many times there is an overwhelming amount of things to be done. I am happy for the work, and it’s nice that the work is helping others. But since the start of this pandemic, it’s had an effect on my sumo fandom. Weekends are my chance to enjoy the matches, and enjoy writing for Tachiai. So let’s drill into day 1. It was a treat.

Oh yes, and the gyoji were wearing robes made from fabric that had Pokemon balls patterns woven into them.

Highlight Matches

Oho defeats Kaisei – Oho debuts with a win. He focused power on forward thrust, while Kaisei was working to raise Oho up. Oho’s power broke Kaisei’s stance, and it was Oho’s match from that point forward. Very nice foot placement from the shin-makuu guy today. That was solid.

Kotoeko defeats Aoiyama – Aoiyama put the match on that left hand nodowa, which nearly delivered. As Aoiyama backed Kotoeko up, he became a bit cautious, and lost his fight tempo right at the edge when Kotoeko attempted what looked like some kind of nage. Kotoeko recovered first, put his hands inside and found Aoiyama had no defense. I worry Big Dan is still hurt, and will struggle even at this low of a rank (M16E). Kotoeko picks up his first win, and just maybe he can turn his sumo around.

Tochinoshin defeats Tsurugisho – Its day by day for Tochinoshin and his fans. We never know what kind of trouble the big Georgian sumo machine may be coping with. Today he was sharp, focused and dispatched 200kg Tsurugisho with some straight forward sumo. Tochinoshin got his left hand outside grip early, and that was the key to his dominance today.

Wakamotoharu defeats Ichiyamamoto – Ichiyamamoto opened with his best Abi-zumo style combo, which did not distract Wakamotoharu in the least. Wakamotoharu broke Ichiyamamoto stance, and had him on the move from there out. Wakamotoharu foot placement was average to poor, but his upper body execution was excellent. Ichiyamamoto, like Abi, tends to lack much ability to defend or consolidate his body once he has been captured, so the moment Wakamotoharu latched in, it was only a question of where Ichiyamamoto was going to exit the ring.

Kotonowaka defeats Chiyomaru – Kotonowaka was too eager in the tachiai, and nearly took an early fall thanks to Chiyomaru’s well executed slap down attempt. When Chiyomaru saw it was not going to work, he lunged to re-engage, but his feet were not set, his balance was not centered, and he fell into Kotonowaka. Kotonowaka, realizing his luck, helped Chiyomaru complete his journey to the clay. A classic “Slippiotoshi” in the finest Kintamayama sense.

Yutakayama defeats Chiyotairyu – A lot of oshi action in this match, with very little mobility. Both of them kept fairly good connection to the clay, and the match was carried by Yutakayama’s superior hand placement. Chiyotairyu is frequently using a “lots of power, and a lot less aiming” approach to his thrusting, and landed more blows. Yutakayama focused on where he was going to hit, and made them count. This was a solid strategy for him, as Chiyotairyu tends to lose power after about 6 seconds in a match, and Yutakayama was able to gradually gain control and force Chiyotairyu out.

Ishiura defeats Terutsuyoshi – Two small guys, each went low at the tachiai. As they settled into their battle-hug, it was apparent that Ishiura had managed to wrap and contain Terutsuyoshi. Terutsuyoshi had far better foot placement, but Ishiura had shut down any offensive route that Terutsuyoshi may have tried. With an iron right hand grip, Ishiura took Terutsuyoshi around the ring, and shoved him out to win his first match of Hatsu.

Sadanoumi defeats Akua – Akua had his heart set on a kagenage, so much so he tried it a second time after Sadanoumi shut down the first attempt. The kagenage requires the attacker to be balanced on one foot, and thus it was easy for Sadanoumi to just collapse the second attempt into a crumpling yoritaoshi that included a bonus tea-bagging. Yikes…

Myogiryu defeats Shimanoumi – Shimanoumi was a bit too much focused on defense in the first moments of this match. Myogiryu played into this, and led Shimanoumi to set up a bit too far forward. Even as Shimanoumi rallied, his balance was poor, and at the point where Myogiryu broke contact, Shimanoumi was off balance, his toes were behind him and his chest was wide open. That’s an easy mark for a top division rikishi, and Myogiryu put him away with a body combo. Nice finish. Maybe Myogiryu won’t have double digit losses this basho?

Tobizaru defeats Chiyonokuni – Nice contrast in goals in this match. Tobizaru working to keep his hands in the inside route, and his feet underneath him. Chiyonokuni was fully committed to the hit-and-shift offensive pattern. Chiyonokuni tried a kotenage, but that opened the door for Tobizaru to go chest to chest. Chiyonokuni’s feet were poorly place, his body as open and it was clear he was not ready to fight Tobizaru at close range. A single Tobizaru combo delivered his first win, on opening day.

Abi defeats Takarafuji – This revised Abi-zumo mode has some notable features. He’s a bit more consolidated, he’s doing a better job of managing his balance and center of gravity. He’s also embraced fighting closer in to his opponent. This really took Takarafuji and ran him aground today, robbing the veteran of any opening to try and blunt, defect or stalemate Abi’s attacks.

Hoshoryu defeats Chiyoshoma – Wow, step through that tachiai. Superb form from Hoshoryu, and it completely robs Chiyoshoma of his first step. Compliments to Chiyoshoma for fighting back and staying in the match. He even managed to get the superior position for a time and had an open late to attack Hoshoryu’s body. But once Hoshoryu landed a right hand grip, we all knew it was time for his counter attack. Chiyoshoma took the first move, pivoting into a throw, which met a perfectly executed sotogake, sending Chiyoshoma to the clay. Nice sumo.

Onosho defeats Hokutofuji – You had to know both of these guys would be pouring it on into the tachiai. Both of them were going to be too far forward, and whomever pulled first was going to most likely take the match. This time it was Onosho, who dialed up the forward pressure early, and managed to step far enough to the side to send Hokutofuji tumbling to all fours.

Endo defeats Okinoumi – Okinoumi was a bit too high at the tachiai. Endo lost his opening reach for a frontal grip, but kept his head in the match. As Okinoumi rushed forward to break Endo’s stance, Endo pivoted and escorted Okinoumi across the bales. Simple, effective and subtle. Perfect match for these two.

Tamawashi defeats Meisei – In his 15 millionth consecutive sumo match since he first fought against the ancient Jomon deities for permission to secretly guide the sport of sumo, Tamawashi’s balance and foot placement (read: defense) kept Meisei from doing much more than motivating him. Meisei had a few good hits, but they were all on his way across the bales.

Ichinojo defeats Takanosho – This was really two matches sandwiched together. The early one where Takanosho is on the attack, and Ichinojo almost gives into the impulse to pull Takanosho down. I applaud Ichinojo’s self-restraint as he instead goes chest to chest with Takanosho, who quickly learns just how heavy a boulder can be. A hint, big-stuff, Takanosho was ready for that pull and would have put you on your face. You made a great choice and picked up a win as a result.

Mitakeumi defeats Ura – First off, this match had potential, and none of it was realized. Ura had one moment of offense at the tachiai, failed, and had no way to stop the original tadpole from pressing forward. I count this match as a success as nobody was injured. Fighting at his highest ever rank, Ura may struggle to find winning formulae against some of these brutes at this level. Oh yeah, Mitakeumi in nearly perfect form today. Go Tadpole!

Shodai defeats Kiribayama – I grow weary of Gyoji Tamajiro habitually being in the wrong spot and impeding the match. It happens far too frequently, and it’s a distraction. That being said, I really liked Kiribayama’s morozashi power move. He had Shodai in deep trouble, but Shodai was able to employ a rescue move at the bales that kept him in the ring a second longer than Kiribayama. I will have to wait for tomorrow for my next chance to see the “Wall of Daikon”

Takakeisho defeats Wakatakakage – Hey, that was new. Rather thank thrust, break content, reset and thrust, Takakeisho just maintained contact and stampeded Wakatakakage back. Wakatakakage did manage to break contact, but he was off balance, unsure of his position in the ring, and wide open. The Ozeki re-engaged with a blast amidships, and Wakatakakage went to visit the fans. Solid, and maybe somewhat upgraded, sumo from Takakeisho today. I am going to keep a sharp watch on Takakeisho to see if he’s going to be using this “Plowman” style sumo this basho. Could be a big deal if he can use it in combo with his traditional “Wave Action” attacks.

Terunofuji defeats Daieisho – Our heart goes out to Daieisho. He tends to put a lot of mojo into his big matches, and he genuinely poured it on against Yokozuna Terunofuji today. He had the top man in sumo on one foot several times as he pushed with everything he could deliver. But good lord, watch Terunofuji incrementally consolidate his balance, quiet his lower body and then shut down Daieisho. Once his defense was running, the rest of the Terunofuji arsenal came into play. Solid effort from Daieisho, but you are going home dirty today.

I know I am eager for today’s first matches of Hatsu. I am expecting some fireworks today, in part fueled by the inevitable ring rust accumulated by many of our favorites over the year-end break that many folks took in 2021. In most tournaments, there is a lot of understandable attention at the top rank matches on any given day. But to my eye, the real hell-storm could be in mid-Maegashira this time out. We have Onosho, Hokutofuji, Chiyonokuni, Hoshoryu, Abi and Chiyoshoma all boxed up right underneath the joi-jin, and I think they are going to be producing some of the better matches this January.

As Tachiai ace analyst Josh has pointed out, the whole banzuke is quite flat these days; the difference in skill and power between a Maegashira 10 and a Maegashira 1 is not quite what it has been in even the recent past. This has made for topsy turvy tournaments where anyone might be able to compete for the cup. We have seen some fresh faces take the yusho in recent January tournaments, including Daieisho last year, and dear old Tokushoryu the year before that.

Given the assumed health and power of Yokozuna Terunofuji, any “dark horse” yusho may be a tall order this time, but it’s going to be a fun 15 days watching to see who emerges to give it a try.

What We Are Watching Day 1

Oho vs Kaisei – You may be saying to yourself, “What’s an Oho?” You may mistake his shikona for a brand name of a mass produced pastry, which would make this battle with Kaisei rather one sided. But know now that Oho is the re-labled Naya, who at one time was a fierce rival of Hoshoryu in Makushita. Hoshoryu took the fast path, Naya the slower route, but he got here in his own good time. He’s the grandson of sumo legend 48th yokozuna Taihō. I am hoping we can see a traditional debut “hot run” out of him this January. It all starts with man-mountain Kaisei, so a fun start to the top division.

Aoiyama vs Kotoeko – Big Dan!? What area you doing down here near the bottom edge of the banzuke? I can already tell you this is going to be a tough match, for all the wrong reasons. Kotoeko has been sliding into the abyss for a couple of years now, and maybe he can pull out a kachi-koshi this far down the roster. Aoiyama, is he hurt? If so, this will be ugly.

Tsurugisho vs Tochinoshin – Tsurugisho has been struggling since he was injured on day 4 on that odd Osaka March 2020 basho. Sure, he picked up a 12-3 Juryo yusho on the way back up but he’s really not been able to produce dominant offense since that hot streak. He’s up against fading former Ozeki Tochinoshin, whose body is just about done with this sport.

Wakamotoharu vs Ichiyamamoto – The second Onami brother to break into the top division, Wakamotoharu makes his debut against oshi-man Ichiyamamoto today. They have met 6 times before in the lower ranks, and Wakamotoharu has a clear 4-2 advantage against him. Welcome to the big leagues sir!

Chiyomaru vs Kotonowaka – Kotonowaka: lots of potential, but can’t seem to survive above Maegashira 11. Currently ranked at M14, he should have an even chance to make his 8 this January. Today’s match will come down to Chiyomaru’s health and level of ring-rust. If he comes in sharp, its going to be Shonichi for the round one.

Yutakayama vs Chiyotairyu – Chiyotairyu is another Kokonoe man with hot / cold streaks. In November he was 6-9, and looked injured to me. If he’s been able to overcome that, he’s a solid match for Yutakayama. Yutakayama will need to hold strong for the first 10 seconds to have a shot at a win, as that’s about how long it takes Chiyotairyu to expend his offensive energy.

Ishiura vs Terutsuyoshi – A fine match with a pair of smaller rikishi that use high mobility sumo going head to head. They have an even 6-6 record, and both of them were 7-8 make-koshi in November. Odd factoid, they both had the exact same rank in November.

Sadanoumi vs Akua – After a string of solid kachi-koshi tournaments, has Akua finally snapped into some serious mid-tier sumo? This is his highest ever rank, and I think he has potential if he can keep himself focused. He has a solid 4-1 record against speed fighter Sadanoumi, so this match might be a fun watch today.

Myogiryu vs Shimanoumi – Both of these guys had double digit losses in November, with Myogiryu turning in a blistering 2-13 result. Where do they go now? I guess that is what this match is intended to show up. Given what happened in Kyushu, I am just hoping neither one of them spontaneously has an arm fall off.

Chiyonokuni vs Tobizaru – Ok, with that dumpster fire match behind us, on to the much anticipated hell-storm. What else are you going to call grump badger Chiyonokuni battling it out against sumo’s own flying monkey? Both are masters of hit-and-shift sumo, so I am calling for high mobility, with blows delivered to the face, neck and upper body multiple times per second. Tobizaru has never won a match against Chiyonokuni, but given the chances of ring-rust, Tobizaru may never have a better opportunity.

Takarafuji vs Abi – One of the things I adore about this match is that Takarafuji has a proven record of shutting down Abi-zumo and putting him on ice. Can the master of defend and extend do it today? I know Abi is burning hard to return to the named ranks, and I delight that men like Takarafuji get to test him on his journey.

Hoshoryu vs Chiyoshoma – Oh yeah, open another bottle of sake for this one, it’s just going to get better from here. People love(d) to hate Chiyoshoma given his somewhat crummy sumo of the past. But I adore his new style, and I am seriously rooting for him to take it further. All of that means squat to Hoshoryu who we will probably see become more comfortable with his increased mass during this basho. Oh man, this could be a fast and fiery contest.

Onosho vs Hokutofuji – Why take your foot off the throttle when you are already rolling along like this? Both of these guys are fast, potent and tend toward streaky sumo. I just hope both of them are in the “Good” mode for today’s match. Both of them like to grab their opponent’s neck and push forward with gusto. Which will bear out today, Onosho’s mega-thrust or Hokutofuji’s handshake tachiai?

Okinoumi vs Endo – Veterans with a 21 match history with the score 11-10 favoring Endo. Both of them seem quite content to stay around this rank on the banzuke, so I am looking for both of them to hit 8-7 kachi-koshi this month. For the match, its likely Endo on attack, Okinoumi on reactive defense. May be some nice technique in this one, so be ready for the slow motion replays to soak up all the juicy sumo skill.

Meisei vs Tamawashi – At an incredible 37 years old, you might expect Tamawashi to be slowing down. True, he’s not holding down a Sekiwake slot anymore, but he’s still a major competitor, and I am going to suggest he will give Komusubi Meisei quite a fight today.

Ichinojo vs Takanosho – Its the bi-monthly moment when sumo fans ponder which version of Ichinojo will mount the dohyo. We all want it to be the hulking monster that can toss ponies. We all fear it’s the cuddly-wuddly ice cream eater. We know that Takanosho will be working to get Ichinojo moving backward, which tends to make him “go soft” early.

Mitakeumi vs Ura – I know lots of sumo fans are really eager to see this one. We have Mitakeumi looking to head for double digits again, and we have a resurgent Ura at his highest ever rank. How will a big round rikishi like Mitakeumi defend against Ura’s grab and tug sumo? Being nature’s perfect shape to begin with, the physics of spheres must be foremost in Mitakeumi’s mind. Should Ura get him rolling, he could go quite some distance before anyone can intervene. Mitakeumi won their only prior match 5 years ago in 2017.

Kiribayama vs Shodai – Shodai, you puss-bucket, I want you genki this January. I want to see double-digit wins. I want to see that “wall of daikon” every single stinking day. Don’t mess around with artful sumo, just deploy that big, pasty body like the blade of a earth mover and flubber everyone right off the dohyo.

Takakeisho vs Wakatakakage – After finishing Kyushu with 12-3, I am looking for Takakeisho to challenge in week 2 for the cup this time. I don’t know if he is ever going to get a formula together for defeating Terunofuji, but I think dai-Ozeki is a great role for him right now. His day 1 opponent is Wakatakakage, who has only managed to beat Takakeisho once in 5 attempts, where he succeeded in grabbing hold of Takakeisho and giving him a yorikiri loss.

Terunofuji vs Daieisho – Looking forward to Daieisho putting forward a lot of power, a lot of motion, and giving Terunofuji a right proper match. But my money is on the Yokozuna holding firm, capturing the Komusubi about 15 seconds in, and just grinding him to dust.