My thanks to reader “Angelus” who let me know that day 2 coincided with the end of mandatory mask wearing in Japan. This explains why there were an increasing number of people in the crowd who were unmasked. I hope that the lifting of this restriction heralds the return of rowdy, screaming sumo fans that I for one have sorely missed. The quiet, ghostly bashos of the past were alien to me, as I have had the privilege of being in person for a few tournament days, and was thrilled by the raw energy of the crowd, and how much the rikishi drew spirit and drive from their fans shouting out from the stands. That is how sumo should be, a raucous sport that is one part battle Royale, one part traditional ceremony, and one part celebration.

What We Are Watching Day 3

Mitoryu vs Tsurugisho – I am starting to think that 0-2 Mitoryu at Maegashira 17e is in serious peril this March. He has lost both of his first matches, and does not seem to have a lot of power at the moment. Demotion for him would be a simple losing record, barring any strange circumstance. He has a 6-11 record against 2-0 Tsurugisho, so not likely to be a good day for him.

Chiyoshoma vs Tochinoshin – Our Juryo visitor today is none other than former Ozeki Tochinoshin (0-2). Like so many rikishi before him who faded out after injuries, he’s struggling for his first win, and his prospects are not too bright right now. He gets to try his luck against 1-1 Chiyoshoma today, who has a 5-4 narrow advantage over him to date.

Oho vs Bushozan – The good news is that one of these guys will get their first win today. Which one is not worth guessing, as both of them need a good swift kick in the mawashi and motivation to bring their best sumo onto the dohyo. Both are 0-2, and performing well below their abilities at the moment. They share a 3-3 career record, so an absolute toss up.

Kinbozan vs Hokuseiho – Yet another opponent for Hokuseiho who has never won a battle against him. Today it’s phenom Kinbozan, who looks like he has the seeds of greatness in him. But then, having to fight Hokuseiho is another matter entirely. Both have 2-0 scores to start the day, so one of them will get their first loss.

Kotoeko vs Takarafuji – A pair of long serving veterans, both of whom bring 1-1 scores to the ring today. Takarafuji, in healthier days, had a habit of beating Kotoeko, but it’s clear that he is not nearly as strong and resilient as he was even a year ago. They have both won one in the past year, but I give advantage to Kotoeko today.

Kagayaki vs Daishoho – Kagayaki starts today 0-2, and I think he’s a good candidate for a first win today. He’s up against 2-0 Daishoho, who has only won one match in five attempts against Kagayaki, back on day 12 of Natsu 2019.

Takanosho vs Nishikifuji – Both men start the day 2-0 records, and this match is a big test for TAkanosho. In their prior two matches, Nishikifuji has been the winner for both. Both of the prior fights were in 2022, so I expect Takanosho to struggle today.

Myogiryu vs Azumaryu – As the theme for today, we are getting a lot of lossless rikishi fighting each other, and winless rikishi fighting each other. This pair are both 0-2, and fortunately one of them will get their first win. I personally want it to be Azumaryu, but I suspect that Myogiryu will prevail, as he has a 4-1 career record against Azumaryu.

Hiradoumi vs Ura – First ever match between these two, and I think that right now we are getting some of the best sumo from Ura we have had in a while. He’s in front of his home town fans, and he’s in condition that is good enough to support some of his crazy moves. Hiradoumi at 1-1 is likely going to be highly bamboozled by whatever stunt Ura pulls in the opening moments of this match.

Ichiyamamoto vs Aoiyama – I had expected better scores to start day 3 from these two. Ichiyamamoto is a 0-2, and Aoiyama is 1-1, after taking a loss to Ura on day 2. Both of them like to fight it out with oshi-zumo, but if Big Dan can get the V-Twin going, I doubt that Ichiyamamoto is going to be able to keep his feet.

Takayasu vs Sadanoumi – Takayasu comes into day 3 with a 2-0 record, and a 7-0 career record against Sadanoumi (1-1). I think that as long as Takayasu does not resort to wild-man sumo, he should be able to overpower Sadanoumi, and shut down his agility and speed.

Endo vs Hokutofuji – Something seems missing from 0-2 Hokutofuji, and I would like it to come back / be resolved before he loses his day three match to 1-1 Endo. The two share a 10-11 career record, but a less than healthy Hokutofuji is not much an opponent. Hopefully it’s just ring rust and he will be in fighting form shortly.

Midorifuji vs Meisei – Meisei has a 1-1 record to start the day, and he’s usually dominant in his matches against 2-0 Midorifuji. They share a 4 match history with Meisei leading 3-1, and him winning the last 2 in a row. Meisei looks good on day 1 against Kotoshoho, but used that rather smelly henka to win day 2 against Onosho.

Onosho vs Kotoshoho – Speaking of those two, they are our next match. Onosho at 1-1 holds a 5-1 career margin over Kotoshoho, who has yet to find his first win. I would really prefer to see these two fight it out toe to toe, but I would not be surprised to see Kotoshoho follow Midorifuji’s lead and pull some kind of non-contact move at the tachiai.

Wakamotoharu vs Mitakeumi – 0-2 Mitakeumi and 2-0 Wakamotoharu have only fought three times, but Mitakeumi has never won a match against him. With whatever malady that cost him the Ozeki rank still seeming to be active, we get to witness him continue to struggle today. Given how well he is fighting, don’t be surprised to see Wakamotoharu’s name on the leader board this coming weekend.

Nishikigi vs Tobizaru – I think Nishikigi is back in his “magical mystery tour” mode, where he’s pretty far up the banzuke, and that might be accomplishment enough for this basho. So far he has had two straight losses to bring him to today at 0-2. He has as his opponent, red-hot Tobizaru who comes in with a 2-0 record, and the scalps of a current and a former Ozeki.

Daieisho vs Ryuden – It’s 2-0 Daieisho against 0-2 Ryuden, with Daieisho looking more “in the groove” with his sumo than he has in several tournaments. He holds an 8-5 career lead over Ryuden, and has taken 3 of the last 4 from him.

Kotonowaka vs Hoshoryu – A big battle of the up and coming new generation, with 2-0 Kotonowaka at real risk of picking up his first loss from winless 0-2 Hoshoryu. Hoshoryu got crushed by Shodai’s “Wall of Daikon” on day 1, and then narrowly lost to Abi-zumo on day 2. He’s still fierce and ready to go, and he has an 8-3 career advantage over Kotonowaka.

Wakatakakage vs Abi – A part of me wants to see Wakatakakage live up to his potential, and rack up basho after basho of double digit wins for the next 4 years or more. But then I watch this guy struggle with an 0-2 record at the start of a basho like this one, and I wonder if maybe he’s got too many accumulated injuries to really do that any more. He’s going to have his hands full with 1-1 Abi today, who will be focusing on breaking his stance and making him dance.

Kiribayama vs Tamawashi – Both men start the day at 1-1, and it’s Tamawashi’s iron will against Kiribayama’s youth and agility. He has won 6 of their 8 career matches, and I think it all comes down to Tamawashi being able to land his opening salvo with good effect. If he does connect, he will have a chance at winning the match.

Shodai vs Takakeisho – I personally think this is a much more pivotal match than it would seem to be on the surface. Shodai is looking good, like peak performance Ozeki Shodai. Like the Shodai from the mirror universe where he has a long standing rivalry with Yokozuna Takayasu. We all know that Takakeisho is out to win the yusho, his second, before Terunofuji can get his body on side and return to clean house. For the Grand Tadpole, its more or less now or never. Takakeisho holds a 13-6 advantage on the clay, but I am going to suspect Shodai is more than up to the challenge.

I think it was not my imagination after all, the crowd in Osaka seem to have decided that they are tried of the eternal mask mandate, and they are going to go to sumo, drink some beer and shout like the fans they knew they were back in 2019. Bless them all. On the dohyo, it was oshidashi day, with no fewer than 7 of them recorded in the top division during the matches.

Hokuseiho continues to impress, not just with his enormity, but that he is so patient in his sumo, and does not seem to really have much concern when an opponent gains advantage. Given the results, I think it’s safe to say that Hakuho and his team are excellent coaches and judges of raw sumo talent in young men. They can complain all they want, but the man continues to be a rank beyond any of them it seems, and perhaps a bit of jealousy might be in order, after all. For the fans it means a couple of decades of dominant, high skill, high talent rikishi competing on the dohyo, and I am grateful.

Highlight Matches

Chiyoshoma defeats Mitoryu – Chiyoshoma picks up his first win, and I like how he focused on preventing Mitoryu from getting any kind of working grip. I think Mitoryu got frustrated for a moment, and that’s the moment Chiyoshoma converted his left hand ottsuke into a body hold and the yorikiri was served. Chiyoshoma now 1-1.

Tsurugisho defeats Tohakuryu – Juryo visitor Tohakuryu picks up his first lost of Haru in this slap fest. He traded blows to the upper body with Tsurugisho, but it was largely blunted by Tsurugisho’s ponderous bulk. Tsurugisho broke Tohakuryu’s stance, and finished him with a shove into Oho’s lap. The gumbai went to Tohakuryu, but a monoii reversed it. Tsurugisho with a good start to Haru at 2-0.

Kinbozan defeats Oho – Excellent focus on center-mass from Kinbozan, showing a flagging Oho how it’s done. I love the amount of power he was delivering to Oho’s chest, and the way he completely bypassed Oho’s attempt to draw him into a slapping contest. Go sort yourself out, Oho. Kinbozan starts Osaka 2-0.

Hokuseiho defeats Bushozan – Bushozann has fought Hokuseiho multiple times before, so he knows what’s coming. I applaud him for the amount of power and energy he put into his tachiai and his opening combo. But of course when you are fighting someone the size of Hokuseiho, you may not event register as a threat. But Hokuseiho quite calmly gets a right hand hold, takes his time and passivates Bushozan, the discards him like it’s trash day in Sumida-ku. Hokuseiho 2-0.

Kotoeko defeats Kagayaki – Great, fantastic match from these two. They played well to their own “brand of sumo”, too. Kagayaki worked well to keep it a thrusting match, and Kotoeko almost followed suit. But, you can see the moment when he realized he has the inside lane open, and he attacks center mass. Kagayaki defended his attempt to grapple well, and the two battled for control. Kotoeko came out in charge, and quickly applied a yorikiri for a win. He picks up his first win of Osaka and is 1-1.

Daishoho defeats Takarafuji – Daishoho employed a simple and effective oshi-zumo approach to the match today. I saw Takarafuji defending well in his normal style, but yet again he lacked the ability to hold ground when he needed to. Of course this makes me worry that a favorite has picked up an injury that heralds the end of his career on the dohyo, but that was a question of “when” not “if”. Daishoho with a perfect start at 2-0.

Takanosho defeats Myogiryu – Myogiryu effectively stalemates Takanosho’s opening combo, and then blunts him time and again. He does not really generate much offense, but seems to leave Takanosho an opening to attack. Takanosho eventually finds his target, and takes the match by oshidashi, sending him to 2-0.

Nishikifuji defeats Azumaryu – I am starting to worry that Azumaryu won’t be able to hold rank or stay in the top division. Nishikifuji expertly got inside and underneath, and relentlessly applied the pressure. An attempt by Azumaryu to shove Nishikifuji to the side failed, and set up the oshidashi. Nishikifuji now 2-0.

Hiradoumi defeats Ichiyamamoto – Ichiyamamoto put a lot into this match, and nearly won it at least twice. But he could not maintain his unbalanced normal stance, and found himself struggling to remain upright more than once. Hiradoumi managed to capitalize on one of these off balance moments, and finished Ichiyamamoto off with an oshidashi, to pick up his first win of Haru, improving to 1-1.

Ura defeats Aoiyama – Aoiyama was expecting sorcery at the tachiai, and simply stood up in place. I think Ura was looking for him to do just that, and quickly got inside of Aoiyama’s cautious initial probing hits. Big mistake for Aoiyama, as Ura came to fight and win today, and his first volley landed with force, breaking Big Dan’s stance. From there it was all Ura, and we had yet another oshidashi win, sending Ura to 2-0.

Takayasu defeats Endo – Takayasu should feel embarrassed that he broke with tradition and did not win with an oshidashi. Maybe it was not his fault, as I think Endo lost traction and mostly fell. Either way, Takayasu is now 2-0, and still looking strong.

Sadanoumi defeats Hokutofuji – Now that Takayasu broke the rules, everyone seems like they are ready to be individuals. Sadanoumi gets the jump on a surprisingly passive Hokutofuji, and finishes him with a yorikiri, picking up his first win of Haru to go 1-1.

Midorifuji defeats Onosho – I wonder why Onosho was not guarding against that henka a bit more. Maybe he expected that it was time for another oshidashi? Either way, slippery move from Midorifuji, but it was good enough to send him to 2-0.

Meisei defeats Kotoshoho – This match was close to earning a “What the hell was that?” tag, as Kotoshoho looked like he expected something closer to a tennis match today. A monoii was called, possibly to discuss if that was sumo or kabuki, but the replay booth confirmed this was indeed sumo, and thus Meisei got the win, and is 1-1.

Wakamotoharu defeats Nishikigi – We knew this was going to be a fierce yotsu-zumo battle, and I love how Nishikigi locked in straight away, and kept Wakamotoharu away from his belt. Wakamotoharu pushed in several times before he got a left hand on Nishikigi’s belt, but found it loose enough to provide little leverage. Undeterred, he went to work and took Nishikigi apart a piece at a time. Brilliant sumo from Wakamotoharu, he finished Nishikigi with a yorikiri to advance to 2-0.

Tobizaru defeats Mitakeumi – I continue to wonder what is going on with Mitakeumi’s body. For a time he was nearly upright as Tobizaru was dialing up the forward pressure. As it was working, Tobizaru kept lifting and stepping a bit forward at a time. At this point Mitakeumi was little more than ballast, and Tobizaru put him over the bales with a final shove, improving to 2-0.

Kotonowaka defeats Ryuden – Fights like this nudge me in the direction of thinking that one day Kotonowaka might be a big deal. He sold that katasukashi with smooth grace that made it look ordinary. That’s two wins for him and he is 2-0.

Daieisho defeats Wakatakakage – Is this a traditional Wakatakakage cold start, or some harbinger of a Wakatakapocolypse? Daieisho gets a piece of Wakatakakage’s face on the opening salvo, and just runs him out to win by oshidashi (glad to see someone wants to embrace traditions!) to improve to 2-0.

Shodai defeats Kiribayama – Oh Lordy yes! Second day in a row we get the “Wall of Daikon”! Kiribayama put in a solid match, and had Shodai in trouble after a somewhat tepid open from the former Ozeki. But then he got a battle hug on Kiribayama, and suddenly his wide fleshy body became a unstoppable force of nature, and he bruted Kribayama off the east side of the dohyo. Thanks for that, Shodai, good to see you in fighting form again after all that time. He’s now 2-0.

Abi defeats Hoshoryu – Well, that was odd. Hoshoryu launched Abi out of the ring with a hearty shove, and ended up face down on the clay. The gumbai went to Abi, a monoii ensued, and once again “Where to get beers after the match day is over” was the heated debate. The crew on the dohyo waited for the call from the replay room, who called out “Yoneya”. The shimpan also decided that Hoshoryu’s hand was in the janome while Abi was still airborne, and the match was awarded, with Abi improving to 1-1.

Takakeisho defeats Tamawashi – Tamawashi could not quite connect on his opening barrage, but Takakeisho did. He was able to move Tamawashi back, and put him out of the ring in short order. As was fitting, the Ozeki upheld the tradition, and the match day finished with a 7th oshidashi, to bring Takakeisho to 1-1.

Given how much fun day 1 was, I am eager to watch day 2. Now with the US swapping back to daylight savings time, it’s even tougher to stay up and watch any upper division matches. I guess that’s why I pay too much money for a DirecTV DVR.

I am eager to see if Onosho can pull out his first win against Midorifuji today. Onosho’s day 1 win was either a heads up that he’s on the march, or just a case of all of the right pieces falling into place. As a fan of all the Tadpole rikishi, I hope that he’s made a step change to his sumo, and will soon be a san’yaku mainstay.

Also, keep an eye on Wakamotoharu. He seems intent on keeping a low profile, but his sumo is amazingly consistent, in a good way. He may actually surpass his brother in terms of ability to hit kachi-koshi or above some time this year. I would be surprised if Wakamotoharu were considered for Ozeki ahead of Wakatakakage, but right now Wakamotoharu’s sumo seems a more likely vehicle to sumo’s second highest rank.

What We Are Watching Day 2

Chiyoshoma vs Mitoryu – Chiyoshoma looked “good enough” on day one, but struggled with the far bulkier Tsurugisho. Today he’s got an opponent more to his liking in Mitoryu, whom he has beaten in all five of their previous matches. Whats fun to see is the variety of kimarite that Chiyoshoma has used in his wins against Mitoryu: sotogake, hikiotoshi, shitatenage, sotogake (again) and then a yorikiri.

Tohakuryu vs Tsurugisho – Today’s Juryo visitor is J1W Tohakuryu, who has drawn Tsurugisho as his opponent. They are both 1-0 from day 1, and I would guess they are both in fairly good condition for the tournament. Tsurugisho has a 3-1 career lead over Tokakuryu, so I give him a slight edge today as well, but Tsurugisho has a predictable habit of trying a pull against him by the 4th step.

Kinbozan vs Oho – Oho is like that container of pasta salad in the grocery story refrigerated section. Full of creaming dressing? Not sure, but near some kind of expiration date, yes. He had a few good tournaments to get his sumo together at something better than Maegashira 15 levels, but he’s out of time now. A pack of high skill, big talent men are invading the lower rungs of the banzuke, and Oho is going to find himself challenged. He has phenom Kinbozan (1-0) today, who will likely give Oho a solid fight. This is their first ever match.

Hokuseiho vs Bushozan – Two of the high quality debutants meet again today, and this time it’s the human landmark that is Hokuseiho against Makushita stalwart Bushozan. Bushozan has not managed to win against Hokuseiho in three attempts. But then again, there are few who have.

Kagayaki vs Kotoeko – A pair of winless rikishi with a long, 19 match career record go head to head in the 5th match. Neither looked bad in their opening day matches, but they also did not look crisp either. Kotoeko has won all but one of their six matches since March of 2021, so I would give him an advantage today.

Daishoho vs Takarafuji – Both won their opening day matches, and readers know I am hoping that Takarafuji can keep his sumo going for the next 14 days. He did not look bad, but he also did not look as sharp and aggressive as he normally does. I note that he has a 2-0 record against Daishoho, so this might be a good match for him to pick up a second win.

Myogiryu vs Takanosho – Takanosho also won his opening day match, and I am looking to see if he has finally overcome the injury that sidelined him in July of last year, and seems to have been hampering his sumo ever since. Myogiryu comes into today at 0-1, but I don’t think he’s at any disadvantage today, given the pair’s even 5-5 career record.

Azumaryu vs Nishikifuji – Azumaryu was completely overwhelmed by Takanosho on day 1, and I do wonder if he’s going to be able to pick up a second kachi-koshi in the second top division before banzuke decay forces him back to Juryo in a few months. Nishikifuji is down 3-1 against Azumaryu across their 2 year career history.

Ichiyamamoto vs Hiradoumi – Both lost their opening day matches, with Ichiyamamoto falling prey to Ura’s ring’s edge magic. He will have no such challenge today, as Hiradoumi is about as straight ahead as you might want in an opponent. Ichiyamamoto also has a 3-1 career advantage.

Aoiyama vs Ura – I think this has the making of a great match up, as you have a somewhat diminished “Big Dan” trying to use his power sumo against one of the most evasive men in the sport. I am sure that Aoiyama can launch him into the front row should he manage to connect with his “V-Twin” attack. But that is a real challenge, for with Ura, we can know his location, or his direction of travel, but not both at the same time.

Endo vs Takayasu – This fight will be a nice test to see if Takayasu’s strong day 1 performance was just him being ready to fight, or if he really is showing up this March quite genki. Endo is not the threat he once was, but he is also no pushover. the two have a 9-14 career record, with Takayasu taking 8 of the last 10.

Hokutofuji vs Sadanoumi – Both lost their day 1 matches, thought Sadanoumi at least was moving fairly well. Hokutofuji looked as if he were expected a matta or something of the sort in his fight with Takayasu. I think he will have better fortune today, if he’s more dialed in today, as he holds a 5-2 career lead over Sadanoumi.

Onosho vs Midorifuji – Onosho looked focused and strong on day one. He Meisei no chance to actually fight, and just bundled him up and put him straight out of the ring. He may have a different day today, with Midorifuji as an opponent. Though both one their opening matches, Midorifuji holds a 2-0 lead against Onosho, who struggles with high agility opponents.

Kotoshoho vs Meisei – Both rikishi lost their opening day matches, and one of them will get their shonichi today. At Maegashira 5, I think Kotoshoho is likely to struggle this March. He has only won one match against Meisei in 4 attempts, and unless Meisei is fighting ring rust, he should be able to out maneuver Kotoshoho today.

Wakamotoharu vs Nishikigi – I wonder if this is going to be Wakamotoharu’s break out basho. He’s been fairly low profile climbing the ranks in a steady and methodical fashion, and now he is Koumsubi. This match has good potential, as we can safely assume both of them will try to fight chest to chest, though 0-1 Nishikigi has only won 1 match against Wakamotoharu out of their 5 prior fights.

Mitakeumi vs Tobizaru – Fresh from putting dirt on the highest ranking man in the tournament, Tobizaru is off to face a faltering Mitakeumi. Nothing about the former Ozeki seems right at the moment, and it would have to be down to injury for him to be this consistently weak. He can’t really generate or withstand much power during a match, and that could mean back, hips or the rest of his undercarriage. He has a 4-2 career lead over Tobizaru, but Tobizaru has won 2 of the last 3.

Ryuden vs Kotonowaka – Kotonowaka won his opening day match, and Ryuden lost. But I think this match is quite even, and I hope they fight well. Kotonowaka has a mass advantage, and Ryuden a height / reach advantage. Out of their 3 prior matches, Ryuden has won 2 of them, but Kotonowaka won their prior match in November.

Wakatakakage vs Daieisho – Daieisho comes in at 1-0, and he’s got a fair shot at dominating Wakatakakage today. For a time, Wakatakakage seemed like he was going to be the next power rikishi, but seems to only run in “hot” or “cold” modes, and tends to start a basho with a losing streak. The share a 6-5 record.

Kiribayama vs Shodai – I know a lot of readers are eager to see Kiribayama do well, but part of me wants the “good” Shodai to show up for 15 days and crack some heads. Fat chance, I think, but I can dream. A genki Shodai would cause a lot of problems in the upper ranks, especially for Takakeisho. Shodai leads the career series 8-5.

Abi vs Hoshoryu – After his day 1 spanking by Shodai, I think Hoshoryu is going to show up today and give Abi a proper spanking. It will come down to blunting Abi’s initial double hand attack, and getting him out of his usual battle rhythm. If Hoshoryu can do that, I see him expanding on his 5-1 career lead against Abi.

Tamawashi vs Takakeisho – Takakeisho’s day one loss to Tobizaru took much of the air out of his Yokozuna hype balloon. A loss to long term rival Tamawashi today could relegate it to the same compost pile where Shodai’s Ozeki rank and Mitakeumi’s sumo now lay decomposing. I have faith the Grand Tadpole can still get it together in time to prevail today, and on into the next week.

A satisfying first day of sumo in Osaka. I really have to compliment Shodai on showing up and executing sumo in the style of his former Ozeki days, it’s great to see it once more. Other highlights were Oho battling an apartment block, Kinbozan making it look easy, and Ura with another of his peerless escapes.

I note with some interest a growing number of spectators setting aside the wearing of masks. Given how wearing masks in Japan is endemic and expected, I can’t help but wonder if Osaka is about to the point where people have decided that 3 years into this mess, they have run out of patience. I do enjoy the enthusiasm from the crowd, and hope that we get a rowdy bunch for the next 14 days.

Highlight Matches

Asanoyama defeats Mitoryu – Welcome back, Asanoyama. Immediate right hand inside against Mitoryu, leaving Mitoryu without any real options. Asanoyama walked him back and patiently waited for him to step out, improving to 1-0. Fingers crossed that Asanoyama can do well this March.

Tsurugisho defeats Chiyoshoma – I love that Tsurugisho deflected or side stepped a good portion of Chiyoshoma’s tachiai. Tsurugisho set up a left hand outside hold, and the two battled for hand placement. Tsurugisho’s left hand outside led to his right hand inside, and he quickly set up the throw that put Chiyoshoma on the clay. Tsurugisho starts 1-0.

Hokuseiho defeats Oho – Oho is not used to fighting city buses, or garden sheds. Left with a puzzle, Oho tries a nodowa, but it’s almost a bit comical how high he has to reach. Hokuseiho seems to take it all in stride, as you would expect with any civil engineering project, and calmly overwhelms Oho with sheer brute force. I expect the city zoning board will weigh in at some point, but for now Hokuseiho is at 1-0.

Kinbozan defeats Bushozan – If. you thought Hokuseiho was impressive, Kinbozan’s casual dismissal of Bushozan from the ring was stunning. Not that Bushozan is a pushover, but Kinbozan totally dominated that match. He starts Haru 1-0.

Daishoho defeats Kotoeko – Daishoho demonstrated outstanding knowledge of Newtonian principles by playing the “enormous” card early and well. He completely out-bulks Kotoeko, and never lets the Kotoeko get any sort of foot placement or hold. Daishoho 1-0.

Takarafuji defeats Kagayaki – Takarafuji looked quite rough today, but the elements of “Defend and extend” held true, and carried the match. Kagayaki chose slow but powerful as his approach today, and on the surface was connecting well. But Takarafuji has enough of his old sumo back that he was able to ensure that Kagayaki could not square his hips to his opponent, and never could connect at full power. Takarafuji starts Osaka with a win at 1-0.

Takanosho defeats Azumaryu – A quite even start to the match, it went Takanosho’s way when Azumaryu tried to pull, and handed offensive control to Takanosho. I was happy to see Takanosho able to stay low, stay in contact, and show the kind of forward pressure he’s not been able to use for several months. Fingers crossed, Takanosho now 1-0.

Nishikifuji defeats Myogiryu – Myogiryu was quite effective at stalemating Nishikifuji’s offense. From the tachiai, it was clear that neither man could overpower the other, and it was down to who could keep their hips lower. I am a bit concerned by that heavy brace on Nishikifuji’s left elbow, as those kinds of injuries tend to sap fighting power as the 2 weeks of the basho progress.

Aoiyama defeats Hiradoumi – Aoiyama gets a couple of good hits in before Hiradoumi decides to try to go chest to chest with Aoiyama. Hiradoumi gets a nice shallow left grip, but soon finds his right has been captured by Aoiyama, and receives a kotenage shortly afterwards. Aoiyama starts 1-0.

Ura defeats Ichiyamamoto – Just about the time I think that Ura might be tapped out, he delivers a performance such as today. Ichiyamamoto employs “his brand of sumo” as best he can, delivering volley after volley of double arm attacks to Ura’s upper body. But he let his success blind him to the danger as he lunged forward to finish Ura off. Never one to lose a match easily, Ura delivers a scarcely believable pivot and levitate on top of the bales, ensuring that Ichiyamamoto touches clay first. Ura opens with a win in front of the home town crowd and is 1-0.

Takayasu defeats Hokutofuji – Takayasu wins this one with sheer power. I did not see Hokutofuji’s legendary lower body agility at work today, so I am going to chalk this one up to ring rust on his part. Takayasu 1-0.

Endo defeats Sadanoumi – I am really impressed by how low both of these rikishi stayed the entire fight. Endo was, at first, unable to find any working advantage, and had to settle for a stalemate. Frustrated that his offense was ineffective, it looked like Sadanoumi worked to set up a throw, but his pivot move was clumsy, and Endo broke his balance, and ran him out of the ring. Endo starts 1-0.

Midorifuji defeats Kotoshoho – Midorifuji got underneath and stayed there. This match was won at the tachiai, as Midorifuji was able to capture Kotoshoho, and not let him adjust into a working defensive posture. Well played, Midorifuji. Your reward? 1-0.

Onosho defeats Meisei – I am not sure what Meisei had planned, but it could not have been what actually happened. Onosho made contact sharply, and never let Meisei even get his balance. Quick and brutal, Onosho starts 1-0.

Daieisho defeats Nishikigi – Daieisho exactly as he needed to, and was able to merge his tsuppari attack with blocks of Nishikigi’s attempt to reach for Daieisho’s belt. The result was no offense and no real defense from Nishikigi, and Daieisho put him out smartly, starting 1-0.

Kotonowaka defeats Mitakeumi – Mitakeumi’s mechanics looked good, but there was just now forward pressure and no real power in his sumo. This is the same arrangement that lost him his Ozeki slot, and it’s got to be some kind of injury, like a hernia, in my book. Kotonowaka rallies after the tachiai, and walks Mitakeumi out for a yorikiri win, and a 1-0.

Wakamotoharu defeats Ryuden – Simple but impressive win by Wakamotoharu. He was denied any real grip, but used hand placement and his upper body to contain and move Ryuden with great effect. That man has a lot of potential in his sumo. He is at 1-0 after day one.

Kiribayama defeats Abi – At this stage, the upper ranks all have faced Abi enough that they have a fair chance of shutting down his only real attack program. So as Abi flails away without any visible effect, Kiribayama bundles him up and shoves him out of the ring. Kiribayama starts Haru 1-0.

Shodai defeats Hoshoryu – Wow, we got the “Wall of Daikon” on day one. Note Hoshoryu played it straight and hard, going for a left hand frontal grip at the tachiai, only to find this giant fleshy mass ramming him back on his heels. A deft hand to the face, and it was exit time for Hoshoryu, and we got a glimpse of Ozeki Shodai as a treat today, he’s 1-0.

Tamawashi defeats Wakatakakage – What the hell, Wakatakakage? You had Tamawashi off balance and in trouble with his back to you, and he was allowed to recover and beat you. I am not sure what happened to Wakatakakage’s yusho winning sumo, but it was back in Tokyo today. Excellent agility as always from Tamawashi, and he scores an opening day win to be 1-0.

Tobizaru defeats Takakeisho – Excellent lower body agility from Tobizaru today. He was able to sell that step to the side with great effect, and he caught Takakeisho at the moment he was delivering a forward push to move out of the way. Tobizaru finished him with a hand to the back, and it was “Ozeki down!” to end the day. Tobizaru 1-0.