Arawashi (荒鷲)

Kyushu Day 6 Highlights

Bruce H Abi (阿炎), Aminishiki (安美錦), Aoiyama, Arawashi (荒鷲), Asanoyama (朝乃山), Chiyomaru, Chiyonokuni (千代の国), Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daiamami (大奄美), Daishomaru, Endo (遠藤), Gōeidō (豪栄道), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Ikioi (勢), Kagayaki (輝), Kaisei (魁聖), Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Kyushu Basho 2018, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Ryuden (竜電), Shohozan, Shōdai (正代直也), Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanoiwa (貴ノ岩), Takanosho, Takayasu (高安), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tochiozan (栃煌山), Yoshikaze (嘉風), Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲) , , ,

Kyushu Day 6

We kicked off Kyushu Act 2 in fine style, and with just the Ozeki holding down the big end of the torkiumi, it’s makes for a really quick final division. While whoever wins this basho will always have an asterisk next to it (due to Nokozuna), its still an official tournament, and everything that happens does indeed count.

Somewhere in the stands today, our own “man in exotic lands” Josh was enjoying the matches. If I could guess, we may see some of his thoughts on this blog before the end of the day.

In other news, an off-hand remark I made in the day 6 preview seems to have severely impacted my weekend chanko recipe. This shall be painful, smelly and foul tasting. But it must be done.

Highlight Matches

Aminishiki defeats Daiamami – It’s one thing to have Uncle Sumo visit the top division for a day, and it’s another thing (a special, wonderful thing) to have him unleash sumo magic. I am certain Daiamami was looking for a henka, instead Aminishiki drove inside and set up a rare kimarite: Amiuchi (aka The Fisherman’s Throw).

Arawashi defeats Daishomaru – Notable because for the injured Arawashi, this is his first win of the basho. As you can see post-match, he can put very little pressure on that injured leg. Ranked at Maegashira 16, a make-koshi is a return trip to Juryo.

Onosho defeats Chiyomaru – There seems to be almost no hope for “Love Chunks” Chiyomaru, as Onosho puts him up for adoption with the nearest Oyakata.

Aoiyama defeats Takanosho – Aoiyama appears to have reconnected with his sumo, and improves to 4-2, meanwhile Takanosho looks to be in trouble.

Chiyonokuni defeats Endo – After Endo’s day 5 match, people began to think he had his body and his sumo re-connected. However, Endo ceded control of the match to Chiyonokuni at the tachiai, and Chiyonokuni never let him do anything more that try to react to his sumo.

Ikioi defeats Yutakayama – This is Ikioi’s first win over Yutakayama, and it underscores the impact of Yutakayama’s injuries. Ikioi made fast work of him, and we saw no defensive pressure from Yutakayama.

Shohozan defeats Kotoshogiku – THE match of the basho thus far! These two went at it with gusto, and neither one let an offensive move go unanswered. As the battle raged across the dohyo, the two swapped roles, techniques and advantages. In the end I think it was all down to Shohozan outlasting the former Ozeki. The crowd went wild for these two hometown favorites. I loved the bow that Kotoshogiku gave at the end of that match, pure respect for a worthy opponent, and a match that might be the highlight of his year.

Chiyotairyu defeats Takanoiwa – Takanoiwa did not survive Chiyotairyu’s cannon-ball tachiai with his balance intact, and the burly Kokenoe rikishi advanced and pushed the still-recovering Takanoiwa clear of the tawara.

Abi defeats Asanoyama – Two happy rikishi enter, one rikishi leaves happy. Again the double arm tsuppari of Abi-zumo left his opponent unable to do anything other than get pounded into defeat.

Yoshikaze defeats Kagayaki – As thought, the overwhelming intensity of Yoshikaze’s berserker attacks proved more than Kagayaki’s strong low stance and solid fundamentals could absorb. Kagayaki opened strong, but Yoshikaze rallied at the tawara. I will say that Kagayaki is getting better at enduring that style of attack, which is good news for his future sumo.

Nishikigi defeats Tochiozan – No really, undefeated Tochiozan went down to the tragically over-promoted Nishikigi for his second win in a row. I am not sure what they did to him, but Nishikigi has decided to win. Wow…

Takakeisho defeats Kaisei – Stand him up, slap him down. Takakeisho is now the only unbeaten Makuuchi rikishi at Kyushu. Without any Yokozuna or credible Ozeki to contain him, Takakeisho is really racking up the wins.

Mitakeumi defeats Hokutofuji – Mitakeumi decided to bring his sumo today, and while Hokutofuji started strong, it was clearly a grade below Mitakeumi’s “A Sumo”.

Myogiryu defeats Ichinojo – I am starting to feel quite sad for Ichinojo, as he continues to fade. Myogiryu, however, is bringing fire and energy to each match, something that is sorely missing in many other rikishi at the top end of the banzuke right now.

Takayasu defeats Tamawashi – Tamawashi allowed the match to go chest to chest at the tachiai, and gave up his primary advantage: mobility. At that point it was Takayasu’s fight, and it ended as could be expected with the big man applying a straightforward but powerful yorikiri.

Goeido defeats Ryuden – The Goeido techs were able to wipe the “Bouncy Castle” zero day exploit from his battle control systems, and the Goeido 2.1 stack functioned normally today.

Shodai defeats Tochinoshin – Once again Tochinoshin allows his opponent to dictate the terms of the match. Unable to land any sort of grip, Tochinoshin was helpless to stop Shodai’s cartoon physics from completely disrupting his sumo. He drops to 3-3.

Everything You Need to Know After Act One of the 2018 Kyushu Basho

Liam R Abi (阿炎), Arawashi (荒鷲), Chiyomaru, Chiyonokuni (千代の国), Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daiamami (大奄美), Daieisho (大栄翔), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Kachi Koshi, Kaisei (魁聖), Kisenosato (稀勢の里), Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Kyujo (休場), Kyushu Basho 2018, Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Ryuden (竜電), Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanosho, Takarafuji (宝富士), Takayasu (高安), Tochiozan (栃煌山), Ōnoshō (阿武咲)

 

Takakeisho 4

The 2018 Kyushu Basho is turning into one of the most intriguing, unpredictable tournaments we’ve had this year. We’ve seen some stellar performances from unexpected places, and some abysmal sumo from some of the top stars. As a result, Kyushu has been something of a Bizarro World Basho and it feels like the sumo world has gone topsy-turvy. With Act Two on the horizon, here’s everything you need to know to get up to speed after Act One of Kyushu.

Yusho Race

Without a resident Yokozuna, and the Ozeki corps beginning to crack, the Yusho race is very much up in the air. At the head of the pack are two very surprising characters: Komusubi Takakeisho and Meagashira 2 Tochiozan, who both enter Act Two with perfect 5-0 records. Right behind them is a mob of rikishi including Daiamami, Onosho, Daiesho, Chiyotairyu, Abi, and Takayasu. All of these men have four wins and will be waiting eagerly for Takakeisho and Tochiozan to make a mistake.

Kachi Koshi and Make Koshi

With Act One in the books, we now have a large group of rikishi who are at least halfway to their coveted kachi koshi. This list includes every member of the Yusho race listed above, and each one of them could have a winning record by the end of Act Two should they keep their losses to a minimum. On the flip side, we have a huge crowd who have four or more losses and are heading towards a losing record. At the very bottom of this list is the hapless Arawashi, who is 0-5 and looks too injured to put up a fight. Above him are Chiyomaru, Chiyonokuni, Takanosho. Yutakayama, Takarafuji, Nishikigi (though his only win did come from Ozeki Goeido) Ryuden, Kaisei (technically 1-2-2 after sitting out the first two days, but like the rest he still needs seven more wins to save his rank), and Ichinojo, who all have 1-4 records. These men will need to get their sumo in gear, or else face demotion for the New Year.

Kinboshi

Prior to his departure, Kisenosato gave out three kinboshi to Maegashira wrestlers. These lucky recipients were Hokutofuji, Myogiryu, and Tochiozan. Now that Kise is kyujo, the kinboshi number has been capped at three.

Kyujo

Speaking of Kisenosato, let’s address the elephant in the room. As I’m sure many of you know, Yokozuna Kisenosato went kyujo prior to the beginning of Day 5. It has since been revealed that Kise sprained his right knee during his first-day match with Takakeisho and as a result, pulled out of Kyushu following his fourth straight loss. This decision came after consulting his Oyakata, who told Kisenosato that he could not continue in his condition. According to Kisenosato, he wanted to compete for the fans as the sole Yokozuna but had to put his recovery first, and has been prescribed a month of treatment. The Yokozuna has also stated that he has no intention to retire and wishes to return in time for the winter jungyo. It is yet to be determined what action the NSK will take, and we could very well have witnessed the end of Kisenosato’s career on the dohyo. But for the time being, Kyushu is officially a Nokozuna Basho.

Act One of the 2018 Kyushu Basho has been a very dramatic one. For some, the “play” has been a thriller, for others, it’s been a tragedy. What can be said for sure though, is that this unpredictable Basho is just heating up!

 

Kyushu Day 4 Highlights – Not Spoiler Free

Bruce H Abi (阿炎), Aoiyama, Arawashi (荒鷲), Chiyomaru, Chiyoshoma, Daiamami (大奄美), Endo (遠藤), Gōeidō (豪栄道), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Ikioi (勢), Kagayaki (輝), Kaisei (魁聖), Kisenosato (稀勢の里), Kyushu Basho 2018, Meisei, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Shohozan, Shōdai (正代直也), Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanoiwa (貴ノ岩), Takanosho, Takarafuji (宝富士), Takayasu (高安), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tochiozan (栃煌山), Yutakayama

Tochiozan

I will come out and say it, Kyushu 2018 is Aki’s battle injured uncle with PTSD. You love them, but you keep wondering if they are going to snap. The two tournaments seem to be night and day different. Aki was a parade of sumo’s top guns, all performing fairly well and dominating the ring. Kyushu continues the prior trend we have been watching for the past few years; the fading away of well loved veterans as their bodies break down and their sumo fails them.

The biggest story of the tournament is Kisenosato and his dismal 0-4 start. As Team Tachiai writer Herouth has pointed out, “The last time a Yokozuna had 4 consecutive losses from the start was in January 1931. 29th Yokozuna Miyagiyama got his first win on day 5. He ended up 5-6 (this was before the 15 day basho system) and retired by the next basho”. Fans of Kisenosato, or even people who have come to respect his ability to keep pushing through the challenges no matter what, should prepare themselves.

But with the lone Yokozuna in career trouble, the door is wide open for the yusho. This includes Kisenosato’s kohei, Takayasu, who has yet to win a tournament. Make no mistake, retirement of the only active Japanese Yokozuna would be a blow to the sport, and nothing could staunch that wound better than to shift focus to that Yokozuna’s understudy.

Highlight Matches

Daiamami defeats Chiyomaru – The banzuke team gave Chiyomaru a last chance to rescue his Makuuchi self, but it seems that whatever physical problems are plaguing him, he is not yet healed. The guy is hugely popular in Japan, so I am sure he will be ok, but for fans of “Spheroid Sumo”, the future is not looking good, with Planet Gagamaru relegated to the outer solar system and other giants continuing to struggle.

Meisei defeats Arawashi – Fast fun match that ended with both rikishi trying to throw the other, and the first monoii for the Makuuchi division this tournament. The result was a somewhat novel interpretation of the “dead body” rule, that confirmed the gyoji’s gumbai and awarding the match to Meisei.

Aoiyama defeats Chiyoshoma – Aoiyama seems to have reconnected with his sumo, but he’s looking fairly rough and sloppy. His match against Chiyoshoma was fairly chaotic, as if the big Bulgarian was throwing anything he could at his smaller and more agile opponent. But any white start you can grab counts.

Endo defeats Takanosho – Endo also seems to have gotten enough ring rust removed to execute working sumo. At Maegashira 12, he should be paving with these opponents, but thus far he is only 2-2. Endo represents another “Great Japanese Hope” that has yet to pay off, and the calendar is not his friend now.

Okinoumi defeats Yutakayama – Okinoumi made it look easy, and it seems to this sumo fan that Yutakayama is still moving well, but can’t generate any power offensively or defensively. At Maegashira 10, he’s probably going to stay in the top division for New Years if he can get at least a couple of wins… But right now that looks like it might be a struggle.

Abi defeats Takarafuji – I know I keep hyping for Abi to unleash something new, but like any successful organism, why evolve when you keep winning? At Maegashira 7, the double arm thrust is probably enough for a kachi-koshi most times. It’s not going to be universally effective in the top ranks, though.

Ikioi defeats Takanoiwa – Ikioi finally gets his first win, but both rikishi looks like they could use a tune up. Both are in the same boat as Aoiyama, painfully throwing everything they can muster in hopes of getting enough wins to hang on.

Kagayaki defeats Shohozan – Kagayaki continues to dominate the normally challenging Shohozan. When Kagayaki can get the right kind of opening, he knows how to win. He is surprisingly powerful in a handful of attack styles, and as long as the match can be squeezed into those parameters, he’s a force of nature.

Takakeisho defeats Shodai – For the first time in a long while, I think we are going to be watching for an endurance check against a rising star. Takakeisho made easy work of Shodai, and remains unbeaten. It’s always tough for rikishi to elevate their sumo into the second week, when a strong winning record against a shattered Yokozuna / Ozeki corps starts to work on a person’s mind – but I think we are going to see Takakeisho show the world what the future of sumo looks like. [The future’s bright. The future’s round. –PinkMawashi]

Myogiryu defeats Mitakeumi – As mentioned in the day 4 preview, I would like the Sekiwake to stop phoning it in. Mitakeumi seems to have thrown in the towel after being shut out of his Ozeki bid at Aki, and he’s failing to impress his opponents. While a 2-2 record is just fine, it’s not the kind of effort that propels a rikishi up the banzuke. However veteran Myogiryu seems to have found his genki, and is exceeding expectations.

Hokutofuji defeats Ichinojo – Ichinojo finds it impossible to maintain fighting form, plain and simple. When he’s on, he’s awesome. But he seems to only be able to muster that about ⅓ of the time. Much respect to Hokutofuji who seems to have fired up and is on a run.

Tochinoshin defeats Kaisei – As is usually the case, you have to wonder why Kaisei came back from kyujo. Tochinoshin had him wrapped up in a hurry, and effectively deployed the left hand lift and shift.

Takayasu defeats Nishikigi – My heart goes out to Nishikigi, who shows up to fight these huge battle wagons, and gives it what he can each day. Today, he may have surprised himself when he was not atomized by Takayasu’s nuclear tachiai.

Goeido defeats Tamawashi – Goeido gets his Mongolian challenger off balance at the tachiai, and does not fail to exploit his advantage. Tamawashi is better than this, but again this basho is a parade of folks performing below their capabilities.

Tochiozan defeats Kisenosato – For whatever reason, Kisenosato is not even fighting at Komusubi level right now. He’s unable to generate offensive pressure to his left side, and everyone knows it. They all attack from the left, and the Yokozuna can only stalemate them for so long. Game-set-match. Tochiozan’s sumo has not looked this good for some time, it’s great to watch as he employs some moves that are not seen anywhere else.

Kyushu Day 3 Preview

Bruce H Abi (阿炎), Aoiyama, Arawashi (荒鷲), Asanoyama (朝乃山), Chiyomaru, Chiyonokuni (千代の国), Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daieisho (大栄翔), Endo (遠藤), Gōeidō (豪栄道), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Kagayaki (輝), Kaisei (魁聖), Kisenosato (稀勢の里), Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Kyushu Basho 2018, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), Shohozan, Shōdai (正代直也), Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanoiwa (貴ノ岩), Takanosho, Takayasu (高安), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tochiozan (栃煌山), Yoshikaze (嘉風), Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲) , ,

Kyushu Day 3 Banner

The top story in our minds is the evident weakness in Kisenosato. His day 1 loss was regrettable, but to some extent plausible as Takakeisho is a hard-charging young man who is primed for higher ranks. His day 2 loss and resulting kinboshi is rightfully cause for concerns among fans. Kisenosato has frequently suffered from performance problems in high stakes / high stress situations, and has jokingly been called a “Chokozuna” more than once. Given his age, his injury, and his record setting string if kyujo, the “Great Pumpkin” might be getting into a spot where he is left with few options save a trip to the barber.

Kaisei has returned from kyujo, and with all rikishi injuries, the reporting around what was wrong with him, and what state he is in, is awfully thin. We know the pressure is on for him to produce at least a few wins to help stave off a deep make-koshi and a heavy demotion. Balancing between injury recovery and rank is one of the brutal truths surrounding sumo: it is a zero-sum game where only the winners can retain rank.

What We Are Watching Day 3

Arawashi vs Chiyomaru – Both rikishi are eager for their first wins, and both are clearly struggling this basho. Both of them are staring at a return to Juryo approaching like a Shinkansen. For all of the glories of being a sumo fan, it’s always tough to see two capable rikishi get in this much trouble so early in a basho.

Onosho vs Takanosho – Onosho has opened Kyushu strong, and I do think that he may have put on some additional mass as well. A healthy and genki Onosho is under-ranked at Maegashira 13, and I think if he finishes week 1 in good shape he will be in the rotation to face off against higher ranks.

Aoiyama vs Endo – Everyone hopes that this basho, Endo will get his body, his sumo and his mind together. Endo is always hoped to be a great rikishi “real soon now”, but always comes up short for a parade of reasons. Aoiyama is winless thus far, and seems to be continuing the struggles he faced at Aki. Both are capable when they are on their sumo, which may not be day 3.

Chiyonokuni vs Okinoumi – An evenly balanced match between Chiyonokuni’s raw, frantic battle style and Okinoumi’s more measured and balanced approach. As fans of Chiyonokuni are aware, his frantic sumo tends to include a lot of mistakes and missteps, and any skilled opponent need only wait for him to execute something in a sloppy or careless manner to find their opening for a winning move.

Sadanoumi vs Yutakayama – Yutakayama is suffering a cold start to Kyushu, which seems to be an extension of his struggles at Aki. It is not uncommon for a rikishi to suffer for several basho following a brutal ride through the top end of the Maegashira ranks, and this may be the case with Yutakayama. Sadanoumi, one the other hand, has started strong and seems to be on his sumo.

Kotoshogiku vs Daieisho – Hometown boy Kotoshogiku really does much better at Kyushu. He seems to become energized by the atmosphere and the enthusiasm of the crowd. He has never lost to Daieisho, and I don’t expect he will start today.

Abi vs Shohozan – Oh fun – the street brawler “Big Guns” Shohozan will have to puzzle through Abi’s crazy long reach to remain unbeaten. Fans around the world are waiting for Abi to decide that the double arm shoulder thrusting approach needs a rest, and to try something more.

Takanoiwa vs Kagayaki – Takanoiwa is probably eager to pick up his first win, but fans should keep in mind he sat out jungyo with injuries, and is unlikely to be 100%. Add to that the stress of the Harmafuji lawsuit debacle, the retirement of his Oyakata, changing stables and all of the stress that came with that, and you have a recipe for a solid rikishi underperforming. He holds a 7-5 career advantage over Kagayaki, but Mr Fundamentals may hold the edge on day 3.

Chiyotairyu vs Asanoyama – Asanoyama took white stars from both Takanoiwa and Kagayaki, but now faces a bigger, rounder challenge. Chiyotairyu’s sumo is fairly one dimensional, and Asanoyama won their only prior match.

Shodai vs Yoshikaze – Yoshikaze will work hard from the tachiai to keep Shodai reacting. If he gives the man in blue a chance to set up any offense, it could get tough for the Berserker in a hurry. So for Shodai, he needs to use his excellent balance and stability to endure Yoshikaze’s opening gambit, and rally to have a chance to win.

Takakeisho vs Ryuden – I am going to guess with a win over the Yokozuna and the top ranked Ozeki, the schedulers are going to save Takakeisho’s remaining Ozeki bouts for later in the basho. The young man could be on a hot streak, and he may be useful in creating drama for act 3 if he keeps winning. Today his opponent is Ryuden, who continues to be inconsistent, but could plausibly win against Takakeisho.

Tamawashi vs Ichinojo – Ichinojo, what is it going to take? So much potential, but something in your mind seems to impede your sumo. You have a lot of fans who are behind you, but worry when we see you struggle with the easy stuff. Today is a fairly even match against his countryman Tamawashi. Fast and brutal, Tamawashi may struggle with Ichinojo’s scale busting mass, but I anticipate that Tamawashi will attack with force, and likely prevail.

Mitakeumi vs Nishikigi – Ever have a business trip to some place you always wanted to see, like maybe Thailand. But the flight breaks down, your luggage gets lost and sold on the black market, and the food gives you horrific digestive problems. But you get to see amazing sights and meet truly wonderful and unique people in a whirlwind adventure you will never forget, and probably never attempt again. This is Nishikigi’s magical holiday in the joi-jin.

Kaisei vs Takayasu – Welcome back Kaisei! Leg still hurt? Good, we would like you to work out with Mr Takayasu-zeki today. Both of you are big, hairy beasts so we decided it would be good for you to share hobby time together.

Goeido vs Tochiozan – Now Tochiozan has taken both Sekiwake scalps, the schedulers try him against the top-ranked Ozeki. Goeido’s day 2 match saw him fall prey to the same offensive strategy that Takakeisho used against Kisenosato, so one has to wonder if Goeido has lost the plot.

Myogiryu vs Tochinoshin – A surprisingly interesting and balanced match. Tochinoshin does not yet look to be on his sumo, and that day 1 loss seems to be occupying his mind. Myogiryu is coming off of a Kisenosato supplied kinboshi, and probably feels like he can overcome the “lift and shift” of Tochinoshin. Tochinoshin holds a 11-7 lead in a surprisingly even career record.

Kisenosato vs Hokutofuji – Kisenosato seems to be on a path to turn each of his matches into a high-drama nail biter. Day 3 is no better as he faces Hokutofuji, who has no wins (same as the Yokozuna), but has been fighting well. Does Kisenosato take one step closer to the barber in the final match of the day?