Somehow, at the end of day three, the rikishi corps managed to sort itself into an odd configuration. There are 9 men at 3-0, and there are 10 men who are at 0-3. Taken as a whole, almost half of the top division has a perfect losing, or perfect winning record. To anyone who likes numbers, as I am guessing the torikumi group seems to, this is either as annoying as fingernails on a chalk board, or as amusing as a new kinetic puzzle to play with. As a result, there are a slew of fun number patterns in today’s fight card, and frankly I deeply appreciate it.

What We Are Watching Day 4

Hokuseiho vs Mitoryu – This looks like a lopsided match up on paper, because frankly I think it is. Beyond the fact that fighting Hokuseiho is akin to fighting cement mixer for most of these guys, Mitoryu looks about as genki as a pot of week old chanko right now. So I expect there to be little fanfare as 3-0 Hokuseiho calmly deploys the gifts the almighty gave him, and Hakuho helped him refine, to win today against 0-3 Mitoryu.

Chiyonokuni vs Oho – Chiyonokuni is today’s Juryo vistor, and it’s a battle of the 0-3 walking wounded to see which one of them is slightly less terrible than the other one is. I am sure there are some segments of the sumo fan base who are excited for this kind of fight, but I find it rather sad. For both of the prior matches, Oho has been the winner, but with him fighting so poorly, who can tell for today.

Daishoho vs Chiyoshoma – Out of the first three matches, this one looks the best to me. We have 3-0 Daishoho fighting against 2-1 Chiyoshoma. Both of these rikishi are fighting pretty well right now, and I think this has the potential to be an interesting fight. They last fought back in 2020 in Juryo, and Chiyoshoma took both matches that year.

Tsurugisho vs Kotoeko – I don’t think that we are suddenly seeing a burst of sumo excellence from Tsurugisho, but he is part of the elite 3-0 club that starts day 4. He is comfortably in “his brand of sumo” right now, and I think it’s 2-1 Kotoeko’s job to disrupt that comfort today. He has won 3 of the last 4 matches against Tsurugisho, as part of their overall 8-9 career record.

Kagayaki vs Bushozan – Kagayaki has a dismal 0-3 start to Osaka, and now it’s possible he has a hurt right elbow as well following his day three fight against Daishoho. Bushozan, for his part, seems to be struggling a bit to adapt to the top division, and has only managed a single win so far resulting in a 1-2 score to start today. They have split their 4 prior matches.

Kinbozan vs Takarafuji – As it has been for most of the past year, its going to be painful to watch 1-2 Takarafuji for the next 12 days. Clearly whatever injury limiting his sumo is still active, and he’s going to struggle daily to execute the kind of defensive sumo he has been famous for. It’s his first ever match with new comer; 2-1 Kinbozan, who would benefit greatly from the experience.

Aoiyama vs Takanosho – Both men start day four with 2-1 scores. They are fairly evenly matched, with Takanosho possibly having a slight edge, as Aoiyama seems to be diminished from his form as recently as last year. I expect that if “Big Dan” can get a thrusting attack going, he might carry the day, so long as Takanosho cannot get inside and drive him back. They share a 4-3 career record.

Azumaryu vs Hiradoumi – Azumaryu is another member of the inauspicious 0-3 club, and will continue to try and find his first win somewhere. He has never lost to 1-2 Hiradoumi, so today’s fight may represent his best chance of picking up his first white star.

Ichiyamamoto vs Nishikifuji – Likewise, Ichiyamamoto has no wins as well at 0-3, and he has his best shot at a first win by facing 3-0 Nishikifuji, who has only beaten him once in six attempts. With any luck, Ichiyamamoto has his balance dialed in now, and can better apply maximum forward thrust against his opponents.

Myogiryu vs Ura – Ura (3-0) has been showing us some of his best sumo of the past year so far, and its time to put him to a bit of a test. He has only faced Myogiryu twice, but he has lost both matches. Granted, one of them was back in 2017, and Myogiryu is slogging about at a miserable 1-2 right now. If there was ever a good time for Ura to put a win in his column against Myogiryu, this is that day.

Kotoshoho vs Takayasu – In what seems to be a bit of a theme today, we have the winless facing the undefeated. That’s 3-0 Takayasu taking on 0-3 Kotoshoho for this match near the middle of the torikumi. They have had 4 prior matches, that they split 2-2. I don’t see Kotoshoho rallying today, but maybe it could happen. For now Takayasu seems to be content to keep his “wild man sumo” in the shed, and focus on fundamentals. Good!

Hokutofuji vs Midorifuji – Keeping with the theme, its 0-3 Hokutofuji against 2-0 Midorifuji in an “all fuji battle”. Who am I kidding, Midorifuji is in far better condition than Hokutofuji right now.

Onosho vs Sadanoumi – Say, this pattern works with other scores too! It’s 2-1 Onosho facing off against 1-2 Sadanoumi. Onosho should win this one, further degrading Sadanoumi’s already sad score. For a while I thought Sadanoumi was going to be a joi-jin regular, but it seems that his sumo is not going to be able to support that this year. Onosho holds a 5-2 career advantage.

Endo vs Meisei –
Career Record (7-3[-1]) : We you have a good thing, why not keep it going? It’s 2-1 Endo vs 1-2 Meisei. I think Endo had a bit of luck day 3 against Hokutofuji, and that may not hold true against Meisei today. Meisei’s sumo right now is not looking like his best, and I think he’s going to struggle all the way to act 3, and possibly enter day 15 at 7-7.

Daieisho vs Mitakeumi – The history would indicate that Mitakeumi (1-2) should have an edge against 3-0 Daieisho. In spite of a brilliant 5 seconds of sumo on day 3, I don’t think Mitakeumi’s body healthy or strong enough right now to put up much of a contest to a genki Daieisho.

Nishikigi vs Kotonowaka – Nishikigi has yet to find his first win, starting today at 0-3. He’s not a terrible rikishi, but he is clearly near the top of his competitive range right now, and all it would take would be a minor injury to reduce him to little more than practice ballast. I think 2-1 Kotonowaka is going to dispatch him today without too much trouble.

Ryuden vs Tobizaru – Back to our favorite pattern, is 0-3 Ryuden up against giant killer 3-0 Tobizaru. Let me just declare, if Tobizaru takes home the Emperor’s cup this tournament, I am going to abandon all hope and declare that we are in fact in the bizzaro universe.

Kiribayama vs Wakamotoharu – There are a lot of amusing match ups for day 4, but to me this is the first interesting match up of day 4. Both of these guys are solid, young, relatively healthy competitors who would very much like to rule the roost in the san’yaku. They both start the day with 2-1 records, and both of them are accomplished in multiple attack forms.

Tamawashi vs Hoshoryu – This is the second interesting match, in that both of them are flight out fighters. They attack without quarter, and tend to favor offense over defense in their sumo. They both are 1-2 at the start of the day, and I think this will feature a lot of power oshi-zumo. Note that Hoshoryu has a 6-3 career lead.

Wakatakakage vs Shodai – Given 0-3 Wakatakakage’s condition, I don’t think we are going to see him putting up much of a fight against a surprisingly genki 2-1 Shodai today. Wakatakakage seems to be mostly going through the motions, without having the energy or power to make his sumo work the way he expects it to.

Abi vs Takakeisho – Both men start today’s final match at 2-1, and both of them will try to push the other one clear off of the dohyo. Given Abi’s superior reach, this should not even be a contest, but out of their 8 prior matches, the short-armed Ozeki has managed to take 3 wins. I note that Abi has only lost one out of six matches against Takakeisho in the last 3 years.

Its only day three, but I am amazing by how many rikishi are at either 3-0 or 0-3. For the moment, it seems that most of the top division is running quite hot, or stone cold. Maybe the biggest surprise to me is 0-3 Wakatakakage. Reports are that he was injured some time after Hatsu, and really did not train much until his heya reach Osaka. So he’s hurt, and out of condition it seems. As he was one of my hopefuls for the next Ozeki, this set back is a real blow to his career, and I hope he can find a way to get healed up prior to May’s Natsu basho in Tokyo.

At the other end of the spectrum, Tobizaru and Ura in the 3-0 crowd are unexpected front runners among the nine rikishi with perfect scores. I know Ura is now permanently banged up via his reconstructed knees, but he still manages to exhibit a dramatic amount of mobility in his sumo.

Highlight Matches

Tsurugisho defeats Mitoryu – Mitoryu continues to look completely out-classed in the top division, getting himself overwhelmed by Tsurugisho today. Its not that his sumo mechanics are bad, but in the case of fighting Tsurugisho, he just does not have the power to move that guy. Tsurugisho picks up the win by yorikiri and is now 3-0.

Chiyoshoma defeats Tochinoshin – A right hand frontal group by Chiyoshoma at the second step sealed Tochinoshin’s fate. Once captured and unable to really do anything with his left, he was forced to take steps back toward the bales. A final effort to lift Chiyoshoma off the clay to put himself back in the match failed, and it was time to step out. Chiyoshoma up to 2-1 now, but Tochinoshin returns to Juryo without his first win at 0-3.

Bushozan defeats Oho – Well, at least one of these guys got a win. It might be time for Oho to go back to Juryo and get his sumo together. He delivered some workable oshi-zumo for a time today, but Bushozan had the superior stamina, and wore Oho down. Bushozan picks up his first ever top division win, and is now 1-2.

Hokuseiho defeats Kinbozan – Hokuseiho is really in a sweet spot with his sumo right now. He’s big, strong, and patient. He’s not trying anything complex or risky, he just grabs a hold of his opponent and takes control. I wonder how he is going to do if they give him some tougher opponents. Hokuseiho has a perfect start at 3-0.

Kotoeko defeats Takarafuji – Kotoeko did a masterful job of hand placement at the tachiai. He not only had his right hand raising Takarafuji up by the arm pit, but he blocked Takarafuji’s left at the same time. By the time Takarafuji reset and had a chance to grapple, he had his heels on the tawara, and had no choice but to step out. Kotoeko advances to 2-1.

Daishoho defeats Kagayaki – Daishoho with a bit of a “arm breaker” hold on Kagayaki early in the match, more or less sealed his win. Kagayaki’s long arms were a bit misdirected at first, and it cost him the match. Daishoho at 3-0.

Nishikifuji defeats Takanosho – Nishikifuji continues to be Takanosho’s kryptonite. Nishikifuji attacked first, and attacked well. Takanosho responded by trying a pull while off balance, and twisted. Nishikifuji was on his game and finished him off with a hearty shove, improving to 3-0.

Myogiryu defeats Azumaryu – Prospects are looking dim for Azumaryu to hit his second consecutive top division kachi-koshi, as he takes his 3rd loss today. On the positive side, Myogiryu got his first win today, as it seems Azumaryu can’t really withstand much forward pressure. Myogiryu now 1-2.

Ura defeats Hiradoumi – Some great sumo from Ura again today. I really liked his escape move in the middle of this match to reset against Hiradoumi’s attack. It worked, and gave him offensive initiative, and he went to work immediately. Hiradoumi did not want to go out, and we saw Ura respond with a rapid volley of thrusts to Hiradoumi’s chest. Ura with a perfect start at 3-0.

Aoiyama defeats Ichiyamamoto – Ichiyamamoto still can’t find his first win, and it was rapid fire tsuppari from the tachiai, like two cats jacked up on weapons grade catnip. In the face of even thrusting power, Aoiyama deployed a pull that found it’s mark and set Ichiyamamoto out. Aoiyama advances to 2-1.

Takayasu defeats Sadanoumi – Sadanoumi quickly found himself overwhelmed by Takayasu’s thrusting attack. Takayasu was hitting well, but Sadanoumi managed to have his hands inside and first, and that proved an effective defense. But Takayasu was able to break through, and in response Sadanoumi tried to pull, ending the match with a hasty exit by oshidashi for Sadanoumi. Takayasu joins the perfect crew at 3-0.

Endo defeats Hokutofuji – Hokutofuji is so far off his sumo that I have my doubts about the utility of having him compete right now. He was in quickly at the tachiai, but immediately tried to pull on Endo before he could even stand up. This tossed any advantage into the bin, and we saw Endo race forward to drive him out. Endo improves to 2-1.

Midorifuji defeats Meisei – This was won thanks to Midorifuji’s relentless focus on center-mass. He was countered by Meisei attacking anything he could from every direction, but Midorifuji stayed focused hitting Meisei’s chest. Once he was able to break Meisei’s balance, each blow upped the power, until Meisei launched from the dohyo into a waiting Mitakeumi. Midorifuji joins the perfect club with 3-0.

Onosho defeats Kotoshoho – Onosho may have surprised Kotoshoho by initiating a chest to chest fight, rather than a thrusting battle. A quick grapple, followed by a half throw / half push down combo from Onosho left Kotoshoho on all fours in the center of the dohyo, still trying to find his first win. Onosho now 2-1.

Mitakeumi defeats Wakamotoharu – Just when I think that Mitakeumi is too banged up to really compete, along comes day 3. Outstanding hand placement by Mitakeumi at the tachiai shattered Wakamotoharu’s defensive stance, sending him stumbling back, only to find Mitakeumi nearly airborne at his chest. Mitakeumi continued to attack past the edge of the ring, with both of them landing full force in the lap of the east side shimpan. Mitakeumi’s first win, now 1-2.

Tobizaru defeats Nishikigi – Nishikigi’s magical mystery tour rolls on, picking up another loss to this basho’s man to beat in the named ranks, Tobizaru. I have to wonder about the choice of a flying henka against Nishikigi today, but at least he delivered it with style. Tobizaru joins the 3-0 crowd.

Daieisho defeats Ryuden – Daieisho decided to make sure Ryuden’s head was firmly attached to his body today, and we are all grateful it did not fly off into the crowd. Vicious nodowa left Ryuden little to do but step out, and Daieisho is 3-0.

Hoshoryu defeats Kotonowaka – Hoshoryu finally picks up his first win of the tournament. He had to overcome Kotonowaka’s solid tachiai and superior hand placement. But Kotonowaka was too high, and had his feet nearly aligned, giving Hoshoryu a broad opportunity to break his stance. A blown throw by Hoshoryu gave Kotonowaka a brief chance to win the match, but Hoshoryu rallied and put him out to advance to 1-2.

Abi defeats Wakatakakage – Wakatakakage’s pre-basho injury continues to take its toll, with him picking up a third consecutive loss. He manages to withstand a hearty ration of Abi-zumo, but loses his footing when he rallies and tries to counter attack. Abi finishes the job with a hatakikomi, improving to 2-1.

Kiribayama defeats Tamawashi – Tamawashi opened strong, and had Kiribayama moving back. Kiribayama responded by pivoting into a sukuinage, tossing Tamawashi out. Excellent counter attack by Kiribayama, and he is now 2-1.

Takakeisho defeats Shodai – Takakeisho had the better tachiai, and quickly took control of this match. I did like that Shodai tried to bring out his big-body defense, but Takakeisho just had too much forward power, and blasted Shodai out of the ring on the second volley. Both end the day 2-1.

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.