It’s the start of the middle weekend, when we will start to track the yusho race and the sorting of rikishi into winning and losing records. We have three rikishi with unbeaten scores: Daieisho, Midorifuji, and Takayasu:

• Daieisho – A prior yusho in January of 2021, a jun-yusho in May of 2022. If he keeps rolling, he is the man to beat.
• Midorifuji – He has not turned in a score about 10-5 ever in the top division, and I expect he will fade into week 2 as the pressure of the race comes into focus. He’s one to keep an eye on for the future
• Takayasu – 7 jun-yusho, never took home the cup. His fans are constantly frustrated because he always comes up short in the second week. He has lost in two yusho playoffs in the past year

All three of them have solid matches today, with Takayasu and Midorifuji going head to head to narrow the unbeaten gang to no more than 2.

What We Are Watching Day 7

Tsurugisho vs Oho – Although their 2-3 career record describes a close match, Oho (2-4) seems completely off his sumo right now, and Tsurugisho (4-2) seems to have things running pretty well. I would expect this one to go to Tsurugisho.
Career Record (2-3) :
[Tsurugisho 4-2] Shikona: 剣翔 | Heya: Oitekaze | Hometown: Tokyo | Size: 182 cm 191 kg
[Oho 2-4] Shikona: 王鵬 | Heya: Otake | Hometown: Tokyo | Size: 191 cm 170 kg

Kinbozan vs Chiyomaru – Today’s Juryo visitor is none other than fan favorite Chiyomaru. One of the roundest men in sumo, he is always a crowd pleaser. Sadly right now he has a terrible 0-6 score, and is likely headed deep into make-koshi territory. Paired with a rather genki Kinbozan, it’s a recipe for a 0-7 score for Chiyomaru today.

Mitoryu vs Kotoeko – Kotoeko’s win against newcomer Kinbozan on day 6 was quite impressive. He now is starting the middle weekend with a 5-1 record, and is part of the group that is 1 back from the leaders. He won’t face too much of a challenge from flagging Mitoryu, who has only found 2 wins out of the first six days.

Daishoho vs Bushozan – Bushozan (1-5) had the bad luck of picking up some kind of injury in the weeks leading up to his top division debut. He has been working hard, steadily plugging away for several years to reach to Makuuchi, and shows up unable to really execute sumo his way. He has won 5 out of 6 against 4-2 Daishoho, who I think will be able to improve his score today.

Kagayaki vs Chiyoshoma – Ah, that day six henka still has me feeling unsettled about Chiyoshoma. This used to be an everyday thing for him: have a sumo match, use a henka. But in recent years he has been trying to fight actual sumo, and getting mixed results. Maybe he’s decided to go back to his roots, which are to be a slimy devil. Kagayaki has a 14-8 career lead, so maybe he will be able to take care of Chiyoshoma today.

Hokuseiho vs Takanosho – Since starting 4-0, Hokuseiho has lost back to back matches on days five and six. I hope he is not having some sort of crisis of confidence and will endure a protracted losing streak. He is up against fellow 4-2 record Takanosho, fighting him for the first time.

Azumaryu vs Takarafuji – This is probably Azumaryu’s best chance at a win. Takarafuji looks to be in no condition to compete right now. He can’t hold ground, he can’t endure any kind of forward pressure. I am going to guess that whatever is wrong with him is grave enough that it’s not easy to fix, and will likely end his career. So he may be planning to fight as much as he can, continue to draw his pay, and ride the demotions to the bottom of Juryo.

Nishikifuji vs Ura – Ura is straddling the center-line with a 3-3 score, and needs to get his sumo into gear. He has had a three consecutive losses that were mostly Ura making a mistake, such as his deep dive against Hokutofuji on day six. Against 5-1 Nishikifuji, he is going to face a tough opponent, and likely struggle. Ura has won both prior matches.

Ichiyamamoto vs Myogiryu – I can’t quite figure out why Ichiyamamoto is still trying to find his first win at 0-6. He’s not fighting poorly, but he’s not winning. I think that we may see that streak continue as Myogiryu at 3-3 is not setting the pace, but is healthy enough that he is competing at close to his normal power. Ichiyamamoto holds a 3-1 career lead.

Hokutofuji vs Hiradoumi – Hokutofuji (2-4) is not looking anything close to normal, seeming to lack the defensive power that has made him a strong competitor. Maybe some problems with his lower body. He has only fought 3-3 Hiradoumi once before, at Kyushu last year. That match went to Hiradoumi.

Endo vs Aoiyama – These two have an 18 match career record, with the score 7-11 in favor of Aoiyama. They both have 4-2 scores. In spite of the size and 40 kg weight difference, this is a fairly even match, especially when you take into account that Aoiyama is not quite as potent as he should be right now, thanks to what may be a lower body problem.

Takayasu vs Midorifuji – They stuck the big show down right in the middle, like a glorious crispy katsu fillet proudly beaming in the center of a plate of curry. Both are 6-0, they have one prior match that Takayasu won by tsukidashi on day 6 of Aki last year. These two are going to go at it like champions, and frankly I can’t wait to see who prevails.

Kotoshoho vs Sadanoumi – Another match of men with dismal records. Its 0-6 Kotoshoho against 1-5 Sadanoumi. Both are high quality rikishi, but both of them are having terrible tournaments. Whatever crazy training got this many men banged up in the days leading up to Haru, they out to reconsider and think about preserving talent instead.

Mitakeumi vs Meisei – Mitakeumi (3-), though quite diminished, is still a potent force. This was evidenced by his win against the lone relic Ozeki, Takakeisho, on day six. He has 2-4 Meisei today, whom he has beaten on 10 out of their 13 prior matches.

Abi vs Shodai – I know that Takayasu vs Midorifuji is a big attention grabber, but this match has my interest too. Shodai is resurgent, showing us some of the sumo that took him to Ozeki, and I am glad to see him back. Abi is fighting nearly as well as he did when he took the cup in Kyushu, and this match could be fireworks. It’s a clash of sumo styles, with Abi having this rabid double arm thrusting preference, and Shodai fighting like a side of beef in a butcher’s freezer. Just be huge and impenetrable.

Tamawashi vs Tobizaru – This fight could be quite the crowd pleaser. Both of them are high mobility rikishi, with Tamawashi delivering powerful thrusting attacks, and Tobizaru focusing on off angle combos to win his matches. Right now Tamawashi at 1-5, and not fighting at his normal intensity, and he may be a bit easier for Tobizaru to pick off than normal. They share a 3-3 record.

Wakamotoharu vs Daieisho – Much as I love Wakamotoharu’s sumo, I think he’s going to struggle with 6-0 Daieisho today. Daieisho is fighting just about as well as he was in January of 2021 when he took the cup, finishing the basho with a blistering 13-2 record. I expect that Daieisho is going to contend for the yusho again this tournament, so today its Wakamotoharu’s turn to try and slow him down. They share a 2-2 career record.

Kiribayama vs Kotonowaka – This should be a solid match, with both men starting the day at 4-2, and being pretty evenly matched right now. Kiribayama has a 6-2 career lead and has won the last 4 in a row. Given that he seems to be in good form right now, I think it’s his match to lose.

Ryuden vs Hoshoryu – Hoshoryu is starting to act like a punk again, at least as I see it. It’s unnecessary, self indulgent and really degrades him as a competitor. He’s got 1-5 Ryuden today, and I am just praying that Hoshoryu can finish the match with some of his dignity left.

Wakatakakage vs Onosho – Normally this match would heavily favor Wakatakakage, but it seems that Wakatakakage can’t muster any better than 1-5 at the start of the middle weekend, and may be hurt. We can be certain that Onosho is likely to front-load his match with a big hit at the tachiai, I just hope we don’t see him get henka’d for the second day in a row. They share a 4-4 record.

Nishikigi vs Takakeisho – This is an interesting and unique match with a lot of options, most of which are bad. Nishikigi will attempt to grapple with Takakeisho. Should he capture the Ozeki, there are many bad ways this can turn out. Right now Nishikigi is on an arm bar and kotenage mood, and the last thing we need is Takakeisho with an elbow injury. The best possible outcome is that Takakeisho can connect with a thrusting attack at the tachiai, and put Nishikigi away in a hurry.

Welcome all to the first day of act 2 of the Haru basho. 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. We will see our early kahci-kochi and make-koshi scores during this period, and we should know who will likely compete for the cup by the end of this middle weekend of the Osaka tournament. There are six rikishi at the front of the pack following day 6, and each ofd them would make a fine yusho winner.

Sadly Ozeki Takakeisho is not among them, as he shows more signs of injury with each day of competition. As stated during January’s Hatsu basho, the sumo association might have a problem on their hands if their lone surviving Ozeki became injured, went kadoban and was demoted while their lone relic Yokozuna was still recovering from knee surgery. With the crowd of Ozeki hopefuls in tatters this March, the sumo landscape is incredibly flat right now, and we may see a period of intense change. This might force the sumo association to break with long standing tradition (which they loathe doing) and have a banzuke without a minimum two Ozeki. May Takakeisho get his body to gather in order for tradition to survive.

Highlight Matches

Mitoryu defeats Oho – Just when I thought Oho could not be any more lethargic, we get this glorious match. Mitoryu seems completely out of his league right now, but he makes fast work of Oho. What’s going on with Oho? I can’t hazard a guess. Both end the day 2-4.

Shonannoumi defeats Bushozan – I think Bushozan’s sumo is hiding in the same cabinet that Oho’s sumo ran to for a holiday. He’s not that terrible of a rikishi, but something happened between January and the start of Osaka. He looks completely worn out, and is an easy win for Shonannoumi, who heads back to Juryo 5-1.

Daishoho defeats Hokuseiho – I was a bit worried about this, as it’s not uncommon in younger rikishi. Take a loss and you get into a losing streak. Hokuseiho again shows a lot of patience waiting out Daishoho, but waiting around and employing good defensive sumo are not the same thing. He allowed Daishoho to consolidate his grip and his stance, and gradually work up what he needed to lift and move Hokuseiho back and out. Both end the day 4-2.

Kotoeko defeats Kinbozan – Kotoeko side stepped the tachiai, which was less awesome than I was hoping for. Kinbozan was only momentarily disrupted, as Kotoeko could not finish him off. Kinbozan attacked, but did not set his feet well, and Kotoeko threw him down with a sukuinage, improving to 5-1.

Tsurugisho defeats Takarafuji – Takarafuji tried some offense at the tachiai, and it did not really connect. When Tsurugisho countered, we saw Takarafuji try to use his defensive sumo, but it quickly fell apart, and he was unable to hold his ground. Tsurugisho pushed him out and ends the day 4-2.
Kimarite: oshidashi

Chiyoshoma defeats Azumaryu – Azumaryu can’t buy a win, now 0-6. It does not help when you have Chiyoshoma using a henka against a winless opponent. Chiyoshoma is now 4-2.

Myogiryu defeats Kagayaki – Kagayaki got the better of the tachiai, and was driving forward with strength against Myogiryu’s faltering defense. But Myogiryu was far from beaten, with Kagayaki putting his head down and pushing, he was ripe for a side-step, and Myogiryu’s was timed well to send Kagayaki into the salt basket. Myogiryu improves to 3-3.

Aoiyama defeats Nishikifuji – Nishikifuji picks up his first loss after opening strong and taking the fight to Aoiyama. Nishikifuji was in the driver’s seat from the tachiai, but chose to grab a hold of Aoiyama’s belt, and Aoiyama countered. An attempt by Nishikifuji to rotate into a throw found Aoiyama too large, his stance too stable to complete the move, and Aoiyama walked Nishikifuji out. Aoiyama now 4-2.

Hiradoumi defeats Takanosho – Takanosho put all of his effort in the tachiai on a big hit to Hiradoumi’s face. It connected, but his mawashi was wide open, and Hiradoumi latched on. Takanosho was never able to gain the upper hand, trying to pivot into a throw, only to find himself unable to complete. Hiradoumi countered with an uwatenage, and picked up his third win, finishing 3-3.

Hokutofuji defeats Ura – Ura was too far forward, maybe he was trying to grab one of Hokutofuji’s legs? Hokutofuji reads it perfectly and dumps Ura immediately to the clay with his hatakikomi, improving to 2-4.

Takayasu defeats Ichiyamamoto – Points to Ichiyamamoto for putting a lot of effort into this fight. I like that Takayasu calmed his tachiai, and went straight into a battle for upper body control, which saw him trading volley after volley with Ichiyamamoto. Once Takayasu landed a right hand inside grip, he went to work setting up the shitatenage, which connected a few moments later to hand Ichiyamamoto his 6th straight loss, while Takayasu remains perfect at 6-0.

Midorifuji defeats Endo – You know what we have not enjoyed in a while? Yes, that’s right, a Midorifuji katasukashi! Thank you Endo for providing a platform for a fan favorite, as Midorifuji advances to 6-0.

Meisei defeats Sadanoumi – Straight ahead sumo from both, Meisei had more power and more focus center mass. Sadanoumi could not maneuver nearly enough to blunt Meisei’s attack, and was moved out by oshidashi. Meisei now 2-4.

Abi defeats Kotoshoho – It looks like Abi-zumo is starting to really click. I give a nod to Kotoshoho for a solid opening combo that forced Abi to move back, but it simply set up the hatakikomi that sent Kotoshoho tumbling to the clay. Nice recovery and employment of plan B form Abi today, he’s now 5-1.

Shodai defeats Tamawashi – Where in God’s good earth has this version of Shodai been hiding? He absorbs Tamawashi’s initial opening attack, and waits for the second. As Tamawashi moves forward, Shodai calmly swipes forward with his right hand and brings Tamawashi tumbling to the clay. Exquisite timing and hand placement, Shodai is now 4-2.

Wakamotoharu defeats Tobizaru – In the abbreviated preview, I noted that to win, Tobizaru had stay mobile. Wakamotoharu captured him early, and in spite of a basked of energetic gyrations, kept Tobizaru in his grip. Tobizaru managed to briefly escape, but was so off balance that he was easily slapped down by Wakamotoharu, who finishes the day 4-2.

Daieisho defeats Kotonowaka – Even a fairly genki Kotonowaka is not a match for Daieisho when he’s in good form. Kotonowaka came out of the tachiai strong, and controlled the match with a solid close range oshi-zumo strategy. It cased Daieisho to move back, and give up forward pressure. But Daieisho managed to get Kotonowaka too far forward, and thrust him down a moment before Kotonowaka pushed him from the ring. Great recovery and solid sumo, Daieisho keeps a perfect record at 6-0.

Hoshoryu defeats Onosho – Yeah, that was crap. We all know the hallmark of a champion is a hearty side step against a lower ranked opponent. Hoshoryu now 3-3.

Wakatakakage defeats Ryuden – I am happy to see Wakatakakage pick up his first win. It was a sloppy match, as you might expect from two rikishi with losing records and a set of injuries each. But Wakatakakage managed to keep his ottsuke running long enough to get Ryuden’s balance behind his heels, and ran him for the bales. Both end the day 1-5.

Kiribayama defeats Nishikigi – Nishikigi tried to employ his favored arm bar again today against Kiribayama, but Kiribayama was able to counter by hooking Nishikigi’s leg and toppling him back for a win by sotogake. Kiribayama now 4-2.

Mitakeumi defeats Takakeisho – My attention is drawn to the tape around Takakeisho’s knee. He opened strong, but then decided after two volleys of thrusts, to try to pull. Mitakeumi has 25 or so career matches against him, and knew this combo was likely to show up. Mitakeumi responded with a potent attack from underneath, moving the Ozeki back and driving him from the ring by oshidashi. Tough loss for Takakeisho, who I worry may be kadoban soon enough. Both end the day 3-3.

Abbreviated preview (posted late to boot) as work has overflowed into writing time.

What We Are Watching Day 6

Mitoryu vs Oho – Mitoryu should win this, he has a 6-0 record against Oho, even though Oho has a slightly better score

Shonannoumi vs Bushozan – Today’s Juryo visitor is Shonannoumi, who has drawn Bushozan as an opponent. Bushozan is suffering a 1-4 score right now, and may as well have himself ready to resume a Juryo rank for May. They have split their 2 prior matches at 1-1.

Daishoho vs Hokuseiho – Hokuseiho will be looking to bounce back after his day 5 loss to Ichinojo, which frankly was a great match for Hokuseiho. He will have to best Ichinojo at least once every two months for the foreseeable future, and he may as well figure out the Snorlax early. He has a 1-2 career deficit against 3-2 Daishoho, so this match is not an easy one for Hokuseiho.

Kinbozan vs Kotoeko – Both start the day at 4-1, with that one loss for Kinbozan being to Hokuseiho on day 3. Barring some injury, I expect Kinbozan to reach his 8th win before the final weekend, and secure his spot in the top division for a few tournaments to come. He faces 4-1 Kotoeko for the first time. I am looking for a lot of mobility in this match, as both like to stay in motion.

Tsurugisho vs Takarafuji – Takarafuji’s injury or injuries continue to be the headline item for his sumo, and I think he’s going to struggle to put up much of a challenge to an apparently healthy Tsurugisho at 3-2.

Azumaryu vs Chiyoshoma – When you have a rikishi with passable sumo skills like Azumaryu open with a 0-5 record, there is likely an injury or a distracting personal distraction somewhere in the mix. We don’t know what sapped Azumaryu’s sumo, but I am sure he misses it. He does have a 7-1 career lead against 3-2 Chiyoshoma, so maybe some hope after all.

Myogiryu vs Kagayaki – Both men are 3-2 at the start of the day, and are fighting at least one notch lower than what we are used to seeing from them. Their career record is 5-6, so it’s an even fight on paper.

Aoiyama vs Nishikifuji – First ever match, where co-leader Nishikifuji is going against Big Dan at 3-2. The rub being that Aoiyama is probably injured as well, and has not been fighting forward at all. Given Nishikifuji’s agility and compact body, he may give Aoiyama a lot of trouble.

Takanosho vs Hiradoumi – Takanosho won their only prior match, on day 9 of Aki 2022. I add to that that thus far Takanosho is 4-1, and fighting well enough to earn at least 8 wins this tournament. Maybe he’s ready to resume is work in the higher ranks later this year.

Hokutofuji vs Ura – Sure, Hokutofuji is not really fighting up to his typical levels right now, but when these two fight it’s always a fun match. Hokutofuji is one of just a handful of rikishi who don’t seem to be intimidated but Ura’s antics. I am looking forward to a straight ahead battle between these two.

Ichiyamamoto vs Takayasu – Well, no good way to explain this apart from saying Ichiyamamoto is 0-5, Takayasu is 5-0. Its their first ever match, and as long as Takayasu does not put himself off balance with his wild man sumo, this should be an easy win for him.

Endo vs Midorifuji – I suspect Endo likes a match that makes him think, and makes him hone his attack plan to a razor’s edge. This should be one of these matches as he takes on 5-0 Midorifuji, who beat him on day 14 of Kyushu, their only prior match.

Sadanoumi vs Meisei – I like Sadanoumi’s sumo, and it’s kind of sad to see him 1-4 starting day 6, a record he shares with Meisei. I am not sure who is going to come out on top of this one, as both are off their game at the moment, and are likely looking at make-koshi down the road.

Abi vs Kotoshoho – A healthy Abi vs a healthy Kotoshoho is a high interest match. But against an 0-5 battle damaged Kotoshoho, it’s a real yawner, I would guess. Abi won 2 prior matches, but the match on day 13 of Hatsu went to Kotoshoho.

Tamawashi vs Shodai – The Shodai hype train took a siding on day 5 when he lost against red-hot Daieisho. But today is a fresh day, and all he has to do is withstand Tamawashi’s brutal thrusting attacks. They share a 24 career match record that favors Shodai 14-10.

Wakamotoharu vs Tobizaru – Both men are ranked Komusubi, and have match 3-2 scores. It’s a great clash of sumo styles, with Tobizaru using high agility, unpredictable combos. Wakamotoharu is high stamina, high strength yotsu-zumo. Could be an interesting match.

Daieisho vs Kotonowaka – I would love to see Kotonowaka win this fight, as his 5-1 career advantage would indicate he could, but right now Daieisho is setting the pace for the entire top division, and may be able to pick up wins just on his momentum alone.

Onosho vs Hoshoryu – We will get to find out if Hoshoryu’s elbow is damaged following that Nishikigi kotonage on day 5. We all hope that he’s healthy given that he will need to endure a lot of frontal power from Onosho’s sumo today. They have an even 3-4 record.

Wakatakakage vs Ryuden – These two guys have just 1 win between them, and 9 losses. Normally this would be a high interest fight, but right now it’s a struggle between two injured men.

Kiribayama vs Nishikigi – I am expecting Kiribayama to have to work to evade Nishikigi’s persistent attempts to grapple and bring his opponents to his chest. If Kiribayama can stay mobile and avoid capture, he should be able to take this match.

Mitakeumi vs Takakeisho – In a different universe, this is a grand Ozeki battle between the Original Tadpole and the Grand Tadpole. But in this time line, it’s a fading Mitakeumi at Maegashira 3, and a struggling Ozeki that everyone hope can at least clear 8 wins by a week from Sunday.

Act one is in the books, and we now know that all four of the 4-0 rikishi are looking red hot right now. A few comments

Nishikifuji – This guy was 4-11 in January. We always knew that he was a potent force as evidenced by his 11-4, 10-5, 10-5 sequence earlier in 2022. Now he’s healthy and really wrecking people in the lower half of the banzuke.

Takayasu – Like most Takayasu fans, I keep saying “This time, maybe?”. He’s got a perfect start, and he looks healthy. Ok… maybe?

Midorifuji – Elbow wrap aside, he’s looking strong and healthy. His middling performances for the second half of 2022 may have just been a transient health problem or injury, and he looks back on the path to greatness.

Daieisho – Prior yusho experience, he is my favorite right now to lead the cup derby in week 2. We have seen this level of performance from Daieisho in past basho, and when he gets in a grove with his “mega-thrust” sumo, most of his opponents are going to hit the clay.

Highlight Matches

Ichinojo defeats Hokuseiho – This is the first time that Hokuseiho has ever fought against a Snorlax, and may not have understood his technique. You see, the Snorlax is never more dangerous than when he is asleep, and Hokuseiho’s patience was used against him. After locking up chest to chest, Hokuseiho decided to wait him out. As soon as Ichinojo fell asleep, his power surged, and Hokuseiho lost the match. The way to fight a Snorlax is with a thermos full of high test coffee and marching band music, kid. Ichinojo goes back to Juryo 5-0.

Mitoryu defeats Bushozan – Mitoryu picks up his first win of the basho in this jumble of a match. Mitoryu gets a deep left hand hold at the tachiai, and tosses the already off balance Bushozan to the clay with an uwatenage a moment before he stumbles out. It’s good enough for the shimpan, and it’s good enough for me. Both end the day 1-4.

Kinbozan defeats Tsurugisho – Kinbozan took one big step to the side at the tachiai, and caught Tsurugisho in motion, swinging him around and sending him out by what they decided to call a yorikiri. I call it a henka. Either way, Kinbozan disappoints the crowd and advances to 4-1.

Kotoeko defeats Chiyoshoma – Chiyoshoma had the better tachiai, putting Kotoeko on defense immediately and landing a right hand inside grip. But Chiyoshoma could not square his hips. and was at one point completely off the dirt. Kotoeko’s right hand was around Chiyoshoma’s shoulder, as Kotoeko pivoted and threw. The sukuinage worked, and Kotoeko is now 4-1.

Oho defeats Daishoho – Oho gives up the inside thrusting late to Daishoho at the tachiai, and has to endure a series of tsuppari, and step back. He did continue to fight, applying downward pressure on Daishoho, and got a lucky hit that sent Daishoho to the deck, scoring the win and improving to 2-3.

Takanosho defeats Takarafuji – Takarafuji’s defense looked a bit better today, but he still could not hold ground, or keep his feet as he maneuvered backwards. Takanosho took only a short time to get him out by oshidashi, and is now 4-1.

Kagayaki defeats Azumaryu – Azumaryu’s lack of performance may be down to that taped and bandaged left ankle, which seems to not be able to withstand much pressure. Kagayaki gets him put pressure on that left ankle, and finds he is able to move Azumaryu back, and it was three steps from there to an oshidashi win, leaving Azumaryu winless, and Kagayaki at 2-3.

Nishikifuji defeats Hiradoumi – Nishikifuji has the better tachiai, and is rewarded with a left hand inside grip. A bit of a struggle to place his feet, and then straight into an uwatenage for the win. Hiradoumi looked a little pained getting up, as Nishikifuji accepted the win and a perfect 5-0 score to finish act 1.

Aoiyama defeats Myogiryu – Myogiryu could not quite decide if he wanted to start or not, and maybe that indecision cost him at the tachiai. Aoiyama quickly had him moving back, and a step later off balance. What looked to be a neck grab instead finished the job of putting Myogiryu off balance, and he fell to the dohyo. Aoiyama now 3-2 by oshitaoshi.

Takayasu defeats Ura – No wild man tachiai today, Takayasu limited his forward motion to ensure he made contact with Ura, and opened up with a volley of thrusts to the upper body. Ura was persistent in getting into attack position, but I have to compliment Takayasu on staying focused, keeping his target, and just delivering the tsuppari by the bucket full. An attempt by Ura to duck in saw him too low and not centered, and Takayasu immediately thrust him down. That’s 5-0 for Takayasu, with some of his best sumo this week.

Hokutofuji defeats Ichiyamamoto – Hokutofuji was low at the tachiai, and connected head first to Ichiyamamoto’s chest. Presented with a wide open opportunity, Ichiyamamoto pulled Hokutofuji’s neck, and triggered some innate reaction from Hokutofuji, who launched Ichiyamamoto from the dohyo in response. A hearty first win for Hokutofuji, and he is 1-4.

Midorifuji defeats Sadanoumi – Sadanoumi was faster into the tachiai, but Midorifuji come out of the initial merge with the better position, including a right hand outside grip. Midorifuji went forward with a lift from that right hand, and three steps later had Sadanoumi out by yorikiri. Midorifuji joins stablemate Nishikifuji in the 5-0 club.

Endo defeats Kotoshoho – Kotoshoho successfully shut down Endo’s attempts to land any kind of grip, but fails to do much more than that. Endo swaps to oshi-zumo style, and delivers blow after blow to Kotoshoho. Kotoshoho does rally, and surges forward as Endo steps to the side, taking the win by tsukiotoshi. Kotoshoho winless at 0-5 as Endo advances to 4-1.

Abi defeats Meisei – Interesting tachiai from Abi, he let Meisei come to him, and in doing so immediately opened up the inside thrusting lane, and dialed up the pressure. Meisei struggled to keep his balance, and was quickly sent stumbling out of the dohyo. Abi now 4-1.

Daieisho defeats Shodai – The hoped for mega-match did not materialize, as Daieisho made certain that Shodai never had a moment to set his feet or bring out his “wall of daikon” technique. Instead, Daieisho switched to his mega-thrust attack and put Shodai away by the 4th step, remaining perfect at 5-0.

Kotonowaka defeats Tobizaru – Kotonowaka had the upper hand for most of the match, but could not do more than harass Tobizaru. Time and again he would deftly move to the side and escape from Kotonowaka thrusting attacks. Kotonowaka did not find any advantage until he was able to briefly grab a hold of Tobizaru’s head, preventing him from moving to freedom as Kotonowaka thrust him back. The oshidashi win puts Kotonowaka at 4-1 to finish act 1.

Wakamotoharu defeats Tamawashi – Tamawashi opened strong with a big combo to Wakamotoharu’s head and neck. Wakamotoharu by grabbing hold of Tamawashi’s shoulder, and pulling him forward and down. The hatakikomi connected well, and Tamawashi tumbled to the clay, giving Wakamotoharu a win to finish the day 3-2.

Mitakeumi defeats Wakatakakage – For a moment, it looked like Wakatakakage came back from a certain loss to score his first win. But a monoii reviewed the footage to determine that as Mitakeumi rushed forward on his second attack that Wakatakakage’s knee had touched down, costing him the match. The kimarite was the non-technique tsukihiza, and Mitakeumi improved to 2-3.

Onosho defeats Kiribayama – Kiribayama could not endure the pressure from Onosho’s forward attack, and lost his balance on the third volley. He nearly recovered, but was just a fraction too far away from his feet, and touched down on the dohyo. Onosho now 4-1.

Nishikigi defeats Hoshoryu – Just when I thought that Nishikigi might go 0-5 for the first act, he finds his sumo and defeats Hoshoryu. Hoshoryu came in fast and targeted at the tachiai, and had a good set up. But Nishikigi was able to bar Hoshoryu’s left arm, immediately converting it to a painful looking kotenage. Nishikigi picks up his first win and is 1-4.

Takakeisho defeats Ryuden – Takakeisho’s off tempo tachiai looked to have caught Ryuden off his timing, and he may have though it was going to be a matta. But the fight was on and Takakeisho was at full power, finishing Ryuden off three steps later for an oshidashi win, and a 3-2 score.