The 2023 Nagoya basho continues its topsy-turvy ways. We eliminate another Ozeki hopeful from the race to 33, we shuffled the leader board again, and we start to ponder the possibility of the last man on the banzuke, yet again, maybe taking home the cup.

With 2 more days yet to go, I suggest laying in supplies of sake, popcorn, and Pepto-Bismol, as this one is not going to go down easy.

Highlight Matches

Aoiyama defeats Tohakuryu – That’s now 5 wins in a row for an injured Aoiyama, incredible. Tohakuryu had never fought Aoiyama before, so he was probably not ready for the slap-slap-pull that is one of Aoiyama’s favorite combos. Aoiyama now 7-6.

Takarafuji defeats Chiyoshoma – It’s been a while since we saw Takarafuji be able to set up “that” stance, and engage in his favorite defend and extend tactic. But it was there today, and it seems to have thwarted everything Chiyoshoma wanted to use. When Takarafuji chose to attack, it was almost out of position as he hit the clay after sending Chiyoshoma out by yoritaoshi. Takarafuji finally kachi-koshi at 8-5.

Gonoyama defeats Tsurugisho – Gonoyama took charge of the fight, but switched from oshi-zumo to yotsu, even though the oshi attack was working quite well. Once they were chest to chest, Tsurugisho employed a few good combos to try and break Gonoyama’s attack, at least two of them nearly worked. The oshidashi finished the match, and Gonoyama advances to 8-5, and is kachi-koshi for July.

Kotoeko defeats Bushozan – Kotoeko ticks the boxes for an oshi-zumo match; he has his hands inside his opponent’s defenses, and he is hitting him in the middle chest, near center mass. Credit to Bushozan for putting up a solid defense for a time, but once Kotoeko had a clear attack route, he really leaned into his pushing combos. Kotoeko improves to 7-6.

Ryuden defeats Kinbozan – Once Ryuden gets his left hand outside grip, there is not a whole lot that Kinbozan is able to do. He struggles to break the grip if he can, but Ryuden has him locked up. With his heels on the tawara, Kinbozan loses traction and his left knee hits the clay. Ryuden improves to 9-4.

Hokutofuji defeats Endo – Hokutofuji completely disrupts everything Endo wanted to do. Hokutofuji’s “handshake tachiai” is really quite effective when he can land it properly. It sets up the initial pull down attempt that fails, but it leaves Endo doubled over with no foot position at all. A quick shove and he’s out. Hokutofuji maintains his share of the lead at 11-2.

Shonannoumi defeats Nishikifuji – This was a jolly mess of a match, with both men hopelessly out of step and off balance for a good portion of it. As Shonannoumi hit the clay, Nishikifuji’s foot was somewhere near the janome, so a monoii was called. Sure enough, there was an almost imperceptible dent in the fine sand just beyond the bales. The win went to Shonannoumi, advancing him to 9-4 while Nishikifuji is now make-koshi at 5-8.

Sadanoumi defeats Daishoho – Sadanoumi gets his right hand inside at the tachiai, and Daishoho responds with a arm bar hold. But the injured Daishoho can’t hold ground or defend against much forward pressure. Sadanoumi walks him back and out for a yorikiri win. Both end the day 4-9.

Tamawashi defeats Myogiryu – A quick combo attack from Tamawashi followed by a hikiotoshi, and Myogiryu hits the clay. Win #8 for Tamawashi, and he is kachi-koshi for Nagoya.

Kotoshoho defeats Hokuseiho – An odd stand up tachiai from Hokuseiho allow Kotoshoho to attack first. Of course Hokuseiho gets his right hand grip, but it’s inside rather than outside. Without that leverage point Hokuseiho struggles to really do much, as the much smaller Kotoshoho walks him out for a yorikiri. That’s 8 losses for Hokuseiho, and his first ever professional sumo make-koshi. Kotoshoho improves to 5-8.

Takanosho defeats Onosho – Excellent tachiai from Takanosho. He captures Onosho’s right arm and pivots away to prevent Onosho from going to full forward power. Robbed of anything to push against, Onosho is unable to set his feet to defend, and Takanosho attacks from an angle to Onosho’s hips. It’s a quick walk to the bales, and Onosho is out by oshidashi, giving Takanosho a win to improve to 7-6.

Meisei defeats Oho – Thrusting battle or pulling battle? I was not sure how to call this one as I saw three pull attempts before they took their second step. The match did not settle down from there, as both men were unable to decide between thrusting or body holds, and their arms were flailing about like willow trees in a hurricane. Meisei got the better of it and eventually his left hand caught Oho in the chest and shoved him out, advancing him to 6-7 while Oho has his 8th loss and is now make-koshi.

Takayasu defeats Midorifuji – Takayasu gets first contact at the tachiai, with a quick push back followed by a hatakikomi. In his current condition, Midorifuji was not going to withstand that. Takayasu improves to 6-7.

Hiradoumi defeats Mitakeumi – So let me get this straight, Mitakeumi was able to beat Kirishima and Abi, but has lost to everyone else. I get it, he’s miserable right now, and not really in a mood to compete. Hiradoumi did show us some solid sumo in turning the tables on Mitakeumi in this match, and I think it was a solid win. Hiradoumi now 5-8.

Asanoyama defeats Shodai – Asanoyama gets his favorite grip, gets into his favorite stance and just runs Shodai out. I think Shodai was somehow surprised at the speed and power Asanoyama brought to the match today. Shodai now make-koshi at 5-8, Asanoyama improves to 6-7.

Tobizaru defeats Ura – Brilliant fight, as we suspected it might be. Points to Tobizaru’s loose mawashi for being an identifiable combatant in this match, it kept Ura from unleashing any kind of throw or pivot move. Left with little to do but try to hold on, Ura was manageable and fell to a rather messy shitatenage that saw both men land in a heap. Tobizaru now 7-6.

Hakuoho defeats Nishikigi – Hakuoho, you just keep getting better. Hurt shoulder and all, you are really just killing it all around. There is some outstanding yotsu-zumo in this match, and it’s worth watching at least twice. For example, watch Hakuoho prevent Nishikigi from doing anything with his right hand. Forced into hidari-yotsu, Nishikigi is already off his sumo. Hakuoho stalemates him for a good long time, pacifying him. The finishing move is lightning fast and utterly brilliant as Hakuoho steps forward, brings his left leg to bear to set up the uchigake. He drops Nishikigi like bag of rice, removing Nishikigi from the leader position. The crowd loses its mind. Please keep in mind, this is just the first basho that this amazing athlete is competing in the top division. With luck we have years of this kind of sumo to enjoy from him. Both end the day 10-3.

Kotonowaka defeats Abi – Abi attempts a hit and shift tachiai, but Kotonowaka is having none of it. He captures Abi with a right hand inside grip and quickly puts him over the bales for a yorikiri. Kotonowaka now 9-4.

Wakamotoharu defeats Daieisho – Well, that’s going to leave a mark. With 33 wins out of reach for Wakamotoharu, he decides to pass it on and share with Daieisho. It was at least 60% Daieisho’s fault, as he was too eager to dial up the power, and allowed Wakamotoharu to close the gap and disrupt the thrusting attack. Daieisho was so committed to that route, that he persisted with massive forward power even at Wakamotoharu was setting up a step to the side. The resulting hatakikomi put Daieisho on the clay, and ended his bid to reach 33 wins for July. Wakamotoharu now 9-4.

Hoshoryu defeats Kirishima – The last man who might reach 33 wins, Hoshoryu, was able to deliver the goods today against the lone Ozeki, Kirishima. Hoshoryu used an off-angle tachiai to capture Kirishima’s left arm, and put the Ozeki off balance and on defense. Kirishima was unable to escape that hold, and Hoshoryu dominated the match, ending it by running Kirishima out of the ring. Hoshoryu stays in the Ozeki hunt at 10-3.

We enter the final three days of the tournament, and the story threads at the front of everyone’s mind are still waiting to be resolved. With the win/loss combos on day 12, we once again have a tie for the yusho with two unlikely contestants. Furthermore, it is not mathematically out of the question that as many as 10 people are currently in position to eventually take the cup.

The three Ozeki hopefuls are still pushing for double digits, but as predicted last weekend, now that they are in the “tough” part of their schedule, at the end of their endurance, in the sweltering heat of Dolphins Arena, some are finding it difficult to continue the campaign. I know that most folks work by the “33 wins over 3 basho” metric, but it’s really up to the NSK who they promote and when. So we won’t know for sure if anyone gets the nod until after the tournament. For folks hoping for a new Ozeki, there are a few paths that lead to none of the 3 reaching promotion criteria.

Nagoya Leaderboard

Oh, what a difference day 12 made. We are back to having Nishikigi and Hokutofuji tied for the cup, with Hoshoryu and Hakuoho (??!!!) one win behind. So far the two leaders are the only rikishi to reach double digits. The Ozeki hopefuls are on thin ice right now, with Wakamotoharu unable to reach 33, and Daieisho and Hoshoryu needing to win all of their remaining matches – unlikely as we will see them to head to head before the final day.

Leader: Nishikigi, Hokutofuji
Chasers: Hoshoryu, Hakuoho
Hunt Group: Daieisho, Wakamotoharu, Kotonowaka, Shonannoumi, Ryuden, Endo

3 Matches Remain

What We Are Watching Day 13

Aoiyama (6-6) vs Tohakuryu (6-6) – Aoiyama can still rescue himself from a near certain demotion to Juryo by winning 2 of his last 3 matches. Given how poorly he was fighting in the first week, it was easy to predict that him getting this far would be very difficult, and indeed he has struggled daily, but he’s fighting his way through. He faces Juryo visitor and fellow 6-6 score holder Tohakuryu today in the first match. It is their first ever meeting.

Chiyoshoma (6-6) vs Takarafuji (7-5) – All Takarafuji needs is one more win to rescue himself from a risk of demotion to Juryo for the first time in over a decade. But in this second week, his winning sumo seems to be unavailable. He has a 7-10 career deficit against Chiyoshoma, who is well below his henka quota for July.

Gonoyama (7-5) vs Tsurugisho (4-8) – A Gonoyama win today over already make-koshi Tsurugisho would be kachi-koshi for him, and a posting closer to mid-banzuke for September. But don’t count out Tsurugisho yet – that fight on day 12 against Onosho was quite a bit more sumo than I thought he was capable of in his current condition. Another first ever match.

Kotoeko (6-6) vs Bushozan (3-9) – Kotoeko needs 2 more wins over the final 3 to reach the safety of 8, and he’s a strong candidate for a day 15 Darwin match at this point. I would like to think they gave him Bushozan today to let him pick up a 7th win and possible avoid the Darwin fate on Sunday. This is yet another first ever match.

Kinbozan (6-6) vs Ryuden (8-4) – Likewise, Kinbozan needs 2 more wins out of the final 3 to reach kachi-koshi, and is a likely Darwin candidate for Sunday. He’s never fought against Ryuden, who is already kachi-koshi, and may want to run up the score to get him close to his normal rank near the middle of the banzuke.

Endo (8-4) vs Hokutofuji (10-2) – One of a series of consequential matches for day 13, we get co-leader Hokutofuji up against Endo, who has lost the 2 prior matches. Hokutofuji has faced Endo 22 times, and they have a career score of 11-11, with Hokutofuji winning 3 of the last 4. That Endo win was the most recent match, Day 3 of Osaka this year.

Shonannoumi (8-4) vs Nishikifuji (5-7) – With his first ever top division kachi-koshi, Shonannoumi comes up against a man he has not beaten in both prior attempts – Nishikifuji. A loss today would mark Nishikifuji as make-koshi, which I am sure he would rather avoid. His only hope is to win the remaining 3 matches, including a day 15 Darwin bout.

Sadanoumi (3-9) vs Daishoho (4-8) – Both are already at 8 losses or above, and are fighting now to determine how far down the banzuke they will fall for September. Their prior matches break 2-1 in favor of Daishoho, but with both of them fighting poorly, it may come down to who can get a lucky break in the first 10 seconds.

Myogiryu (6-6) vs Tamawashi (7-5) – Tamawashi needs one more win for kachi-koshi, and I think today he has a good chance of getting that 8th win. He has a 10-7 career record against Myogiryu, but Myogiryu has won 3 of the last 4 matches against him, going back to September of 2020. The last two went to Myogiryu by hikiotoshi, so allow me to encourage Tamawashi to keep the nodowa going, and don’t lean into the thrusting attack.

Hokuseiho (5-7) vs Kotoshoho (4-8) – Hokuseiho id on the cusp of his career first make-koshi. He can still make it to kachi-koshi by winning all 3 of his remaining matches, and facing down a Darwin match on Sunday. Not impossible, but unlikely. I think we had more or less reached a point where his sumo has been deciphered, and most rikishi now have something they can try to overcome his size advantage. Time for more skill, young Hokuseiho! This is his first ever match against the already make-koshi Kotoshoho.

Takanosho (6-6) vs Onosho (6-6) – It’s the battle of the “noshos”! They are both 6-6, they have an even 7-7 career match record, and this match is right in the middle of the torikumi for day 13. Are the numbers nerds in the scheduling crew having fun with us again? You bet they are, and I love it.

Oho (5-7) vs Meisei (5-7) – A bit of a “mini-Darwin” here as the loser of this match will pick up their 8th win and be make-koshi at the end of the day. Both of their prior matches went to Meisei, and I think there is a good chance he will prevail today, as Oho continues to be hit-or-miss.

Midorifuji (3-9) vs Takayasu (5-7) – Takayasu is too hurt to fight properly right now, so lets just get him make-koshi today and wish him a speedy recovery, the poor hairy moose. Midorifuji is already make-koshi, but has a nominal 2-1 career advantage over the former Ozeki.

Hiradoumi (4-8) vs Mitakeumi (2-10) – Normally, this would be a chance to watch Mitakeumi completely mangle a smaller, less capable rikishi who somehow managed to stray onto his fight card. But given how poorly Mitakeumi’s been fighting, there is a fair chance that Hiradoumi might win their first ever match. Both are already make-koshi, but Mitakeumi seems to not have much fight in him right now.

Shodai (5-7) vs Asanoyama (5-4-3) – A glorious old rivalry, that favors Asanoyama 7-4. Both are nowhere near the expected rank we would want to see in competition, but I expect them to have a pretty spicy match regardless. Asanoyama needs to win the remaining 3, including a day 15 Darwin match, to manage 8 wins. A loss today for Shodai would be make-koshi for him.

Ura (6-6) vs Tobizaru (6-6) – Two high energy, high mobility rikishi going head to head. There is an even chance that one of them opens a portal to a parallel universe to swap back our version of Shodai for the good one, and that would be acres of fun. Both come into today 6-6, with Tobizaru having a 5-2 career lead.

Nishikigi (10-2) vs Hakuoho (9-3) – For the bottom man on the banzuke, they are giving Hakuoho some of the toughest jobs of the tournament. His shoulder was not good at the start, and after taking the brunt of a fall on day 12 against Abi, I would wonder wether he is fit to fight. Its a first ever match, with a real chance that he may forcibly tear Nishikigi out of the leader spot and drop him in the front row.

Kotonowaka (8-4) vs Abi (4-8) – Kotonowaka hit 8 wins on day 12, and Abi reached 8 losses moments later. They have a 5 match history, that probably does not matter much, as Abi is not even close to full offensive power. I predict this will help boost Kotonowaka’s score, further biasing him toward a Sekiwake rank should one of the Ozeki hopefuls get the nod.

Wakamotoharu (8-4) vs Daieisho (8-4) – Time for Wakamotoharu to play spoiler and set the stage for his next Ozeki attempt in September. He can blow a hole in Daieisho’s hopes with a win today. They share an even 3-3 score, and I think this match will come down to who sets the form on the second step. If Daieisho can keep distance and start his thrusting attacks, he holds a clear advantage over Wakamotoharu’s yotsu-zumo style.

Hoshoryu (9-3) vs Kirishima (6-4-2) – Kirishima’s chance to scuttle Hoshoryu’s Ozeki dreams, a win here today would make it impossible for him to reach 33 wins. Hoshoryu holds a 7-5 advantage on the clay, but with each winning one match so far this year. This one will be big, brutal and possibly quick.

My compliments to the scheduling team at the Japan Sumo Association. Through skilled match making and probably as fair amount of planning, you have constructed a marvelous yusho race going into the final 3 days. The matches today were consequential, thrilling and so much happened today that it may have the most engaging day of the basho so far.

We exit day 12 with the yusho race tied up once more between Nishikigi and Hokutofuji, and one of the three Ozeki hopefuls likely relegated to trying again next basho.

Highlight Matches

Oshoma defeats Daishoho – Juryo visitor Oshoma puts the doom on Daishoho, handing him his 8th loss and make-koshi. It was kind of a weird match, with a mutual side step slow motion tachiai, and very tentative arm’s length mild fighting, and a soft step out by Daishoho. Not what I call sumo. Oshoma now 6-6.

Aoiyama defeats Kinbozan – Aoiyama now with 4 wins in a row, and I would be amazed if this arch-competitor can self-rescue from near certain demotion. He may be as flabby as a manatee, busted up and hurt, but he’s not giving up and going home, he’s fighting with everything he can muster. After an initial battery of shoves, Aoiyama gets Kinbozan turned around and sends him out by okuridashi. Both end the day 6-6.

Myogiryu defeats Takarafuji – Takarafuji, on the cusp of a much needed 8th win, is sputtering. Myogiryu opens with an off-angle tachiai, which lets him get both hands inside for a body hold. Takarafuji does not quite have his feet set for defense when Myogiryu turns on the forward power and walks him back for a yorikiri. Myogiryu now 6-6.

Chiyoshoma defeats Takanosho – I was hoping for a Chiyoshoma henka, but instead I got him executing some fantastic disruptive sumo. Lots of slapping and knocking Takanosho off balance. It shows a great sense of the best time to hit someone to make them stumble. Granted, an odd skill to have, but it’s solid gold for sumo. Takanosho can’t keep his feet, and Chiyoshoma helps him visit the clay with a dandy hatakikomi. Both end the day 6-6.

Sadanoumi defeats Bushozan – Bushozan does a great job of shutting down Sadanoumi’s mobility, and the two trade volleys of thrusts trying to set up a working grip. When Sadanoumi gets his left on Bushozan’s belt, he goes for the uwatenage. But did I see Sadanoumi’s right hand on Bushozan’s mage? Perhaps not – the judges did not ask to review the footage. Both end the day 3-9.

Ryuden defeats Nishikifuji – Things start off very well for Nishikifuji, until the moment when he decides that moving forward was not going to work for him, and attempts a pull. The release of forward pressure is all Ryuden needed to charge ahead, and send Nishikifuji out by oshidashi, giving Ryuden his kachi-koshi win at 8-4.

Gonoyama defeats Takayasu – Shin-Goeido makes short work of Takayasu after Takayasu tries some manner of henka. Clearly hurt and not used to big lateral moves at the tachiai, it fails miserably. Gonoyama with the win, advancing him to 7-5.

Kotoeko defeats Hokuseiho – Hokuseiho has now lost 3 of his last 4, and seems to be on course for a make-koshi. Brilliant work by Kotoeko keeping Hokuseiho off of his mawashi for most of the fight. Once the giant landed a hold, Hokuseiho worked to contain Kotoeko and walk him out. It nearly worked, but somehow Kotoeko got a pivot in there, and against the odds completed the rotation to take Hokuseiho down by uwatenage. Kotoeko now 6-6.

Oho defeats Kotoshoho – Another match where Kotoshoho is too far forward over his feet. Points to Oho for understanding his opponent’s body position, and taking full advantage of it. He managed to get Kotoshoho airborne for a moment, which is always a good finish in my book. Oho now 5-7, Kotoshoho with his 8th loss is make-koshi at 4-8.

Tsurugisho defeats Onosho – Color me surprised that Tsurugisho found enough fortitude to handle a straight ahead match with Onosho given his level of injury and pain. Apart from a brief moment where he nearly fell forward, Tsurugisho had the upper hand and finished Onosho with a glorious rolling throw. They scored it oshitaoshi, close enough. Tsurugisho now 4-8.

Hiradoumi defeats Midorifuji – Midorifuji worked hard to execute some kind of sumo move with that right hand grip, but when his best try failed, he also lost the hold on Hiradoumi’s mawashi. At that point Hiradoumi put power forward and walked Midorifuji out. Hiradoumi now 4-8.

Meisei defeats Shodai – Shodai managed to reverse on Meisei and put Meisei’s heels on the tawara. It looked like Shodai was about to ramp up the pressure when Meisei brought his right leg into the match, toppling Shodai with a sotogake. Power move from Meisei, both end the day 5-7.

Ura defeats Mitakeumi – Mitakeumi can still execute the motions behind “his brand of sumo”, but they seem to be only about 80% of required strength and power. Great example today as he is unable to break through Ura’s “chaos defense”. Multiple times we see Mitakeumi have Ura bracketed, square his hips and push forward, only to see Ura break free and scamper away. Ura’s finishing tottari was messy, but glorious, he is now 6-6.

Shonannoumi defeats Nishikigi – Shonannoumi makes the yusho race interesting, by taking down sole leader Nishikigi with an arm bar throw. The key was that initial left hand inside hold from Shonannoumi, which he was able to hold through Nishikigi’s attempt to first break the hold, then grip shift. Shonannoumi gets his 8th win and is kachi-koshi at 8-4.

Asanoyama defeats Tobizaru – “Asanoyama risks career ending injury” is how I look at this match. Like that tape is going to do anything. This match is quite the mess, as Asanoyama can’t use his left to set up the throw we knew he wanted against Tobizaru. Tobizaru tries a counter move, and the two collapse in a heap in the middle of the dohyo. They scored it as a sukuinage, but the win went to Asanoyama. He is now 5-7.

Kotonowaka defeats Endo – Good lord! Kotonowaka not only blocks Endo’s opening move, but uses his trapped left arm as a lever to lift him up and into a throw. Sukuinage win for Kotonowaka, what a move. Kotonowaka is kachi-koshi at 8-4.

Hakuoho defeats Abi – The start of this match was a matta festival, as each man tried out a false start or two. When they finally got around to the match, Abi’s initial surge at the tachiai was nearly enough. Sadly he then resulted to a series of pulling attempts, that opened the door for Hakuoho’s offense. Hakuoho set his forward power to “11” and sent Abi into the second row. Hakuoho fell on that injured shoulder and was clearly in pain. He did score the win, and is now 9-3, while Abi is make-koshi at 4-8.

Tamawashi defeats Daieisho – Perfect execution from Tamawashi. He presenting an opening push to Daieisho, who responded by powering forward with everything he had, spot on for “his brand of sumo”. Of course Tamawashi pushed gently again, stepped back and to the right as Daieisho thrust forward into the open air. Scored as a hatakikomi, it was the exact way you let Daieisho defeat himself. Tamawashi now 7-5.

Hokutofuji defeats Hoshoryu – Hokutofuji’s upper body sumo today was good, not great. But his lower body sumo was amazing, once again keeping him in the match by keeping him upright. Hoshoryu was pouring in the power, but was not quite patient enough to move properly. A poorly executed step to the right gave Hokutofuji the opening to collapse Hoshoryu’s stance, and he crumpled at the tawara. Oshidashi win for Hokutofuji, and he pulls even with Nishikigi again at 10-2.

Kirishima defeats Wakamotoharu – Kirishima’s ottsuke shut down anything Wakamotoharu had in mind. Followed by an expertly timed left hand body grab, Wakamotoharu was done. With this loss, Wakamotoharu’s aspirations to reach Ozeki this month are likely gone, as Kirishima picks up the yorikiri win to improve to 6-6.

The first thing that caught my eye when putting this post together was that Asanoyama is back. A doctor told him to take 4 weeks off to recover from a partial tear to his left bicep from his match against Hoshoryu. At the time I complimented him for not “going all Kisenosato on us”, but it seems it was too early to assume that. The shockingly poor state of sports medicine around professional sumo continues to depress me.

With Hokutofuji’s loss to Wakamotoharu on day 11, it’s now Nishikigi’s yusho race to win. I am certain they are going to hope someone puts dirt on him soon, but he has already faced all of the top rikishi, including Kirishima. He still has yet to face Hokutofuji, thought.

There are 4 rikishi up for possible kachi-koshi today: Kotonowaka, Shonannoumi, Ryuden, and Takarafuji, along with 6 up for possible make-koshi, including Asanoyama, the big dummy.

Nagoya Leaderboard

This is all Nishikigi right now, and we have the two chasers facing each other today as Hoshoryu and Hokutofuji fight in the penultimate match of the day. The 4 in the hunt group have to hope that things fall apart a bit to give them a chance to try and get into a leading score in the final 4 days.

Leader: Nishikigi
Chasesr: Hoshoryu, Hokutofuji
Hunter Group: Daieisho, Wakamotoharu, Endo, Hakuoho

4 Matches Remain

What We Are Watching Day 12

Daishoho (4-7) vs Oshoma (5-6) – With Asanoyama back, the top division had an odd number of athletes again, so we get a Juryo visitor today in Oshoma. He and Daishoho share a 1-1 career match history, with Daishoho winning the most recent one on day 9 of Hatsu.

Kinbozan (6-5) vs Aoiyama (5-6) – Interesting to me is that Aoiyama, with 3 straight wins, managed to work his way from the make-koshi lane into the middle / Darwin lane. He’s got a first ever match against fellow middle lane rikishi Kinbozan today. All “Big Dan” needs is 3 wins out of the last 4 matches to reach kachi-koshi and rescue himself from near certain demotion as the second to last man on the banzuke this July.

Takarafuji (7-4) vs Myogiryu (5-6) – Takarafuji going for his 8th win today, and kachi-koshi. He has a 26 match career history with Myogiryu, with Myogiryu owning the better of it 17-9. But this is equalized today in that Takarafuji seems to be fighting much better than Myogiryu is this July.

Takanosho (6-5) vs Chiyoshoma (5-6) – Another middle lane match up, featuring Takanosho coming into today with 6 consecutive wins, after an ice cold 0-5 start to Nagoya. He has an 8-4 career advantage over Chiyoshoma, and I am once again going to ask – is it time for a henka?

Sadanoumi (2-9) vs Bushozan (3-8) – Both of these guys are already make-koshi, and Bushozan is likely to be the captain of this month’s barge of the damned headed back to Juryo. He has won both prior matches against Sadanoumi, the most recent was day 12 of Aki, 2021, when they were both ranked in Juryo.

Ryuden (7-4) vs Nishikifuji (5-6) – A win today for Ryuden and it’s kachi-koshi for him. He has done surprisingly well this July, maybe in part because he was over-demoted down to M15E, where he has been able to build a strong winning record at 7-4. Out of their 3 prior matches, Nishikifuji has won 2.

Takayasu (5-6) vs Gonoyama (6-5) – Both are on the middle / Darwin path right now, and I could see either or both of them in day 15 Darwin matches. There is no way that Takayasu is anything other than hurt right now, as he can only tolerate about 5 seconds of full power sumo before he tries some kind of escape move like a head pull. This is a first ever match against rising star Gonoyama, who needs just 2 more wins out of the final 4 matches for kachi-koshi.

Hokuseiho (5-6) vs Kotoeko (5-6) – Two more rikishi that are part of an 16 man middle lane headed down the highway looking for a Darwin match on Sunday. It could be epic. Hokuseiho has won both prior match ups against the much smaller and lighter Kotoeko, so I would guess unless Kotoeko can get the giant turned about, it will be a Hokuseiho win today.

Kotoshoho (4-7) vs Oho (4-7) – An even up match where the loser gets his 8th loss. Both come in at 4-7, and they have a 4-4 career record. They last fought in 2022, and of the 4 matches that year, they split them 2-2.

Tsurugisho (3-8) vs Onosho (6-5) – Tsurugisho is too hurt to fight, but I am sure he is remaining in competition to try and make sure he does not rack up enough losses to be sent back to Juryo. Sumo can be incredibly brutal some times, and this is a prime example of that brutality. Onosho will likely be able to chose the manner he defeats him, as Tsurugisho won’t have the mobility to avoid his massive forward thrusting power.

Midorifuji (3-8) vs Hiradoumi (3-8) – Both are already make-koshi, so this is all about padding their fall down the banzuke. Hiradoumi won their only prior match, which was day 10 of Hatsu 2022.

Shodai (5-6) vs Meisei (4-7) – Shodai may be in a bit of a late basho rally right now, having won 3 matches in a row. Should he best Meisei today, it would relegate him to a losing record with an 8th loss. Shodai leads their career series 9-5.

Ura (5-6) vs Mitakeumi (2-9) – In normal circumstances, Mitakeumi can beat Ura without too much trouble (7-1). But right now Mitakeumi is just going through the motions most day, and Ura may get his second career win against the former Ozeki today.

Nishikigi (10-1) vs Shonannoumi (7-4) – First of the big matches, we get a first ever fight with rising star Shonannoumi in an attempt to get some dirt on the yusho race leader. A Shonannoumi win would be kachi-koshi for him, but he will need to be far more aware of his spot in the ring than he was in his day 11 loss to Kotonowaka if he wants to take down the ultra-stable Nishikigi, who needs to win this one to stay in the lead.

Asanoyama (4-4-3) vs Tobizaru (6-5) – In a bit of a “What are you thinking?” moment, we have Asanoyama back in action with a partially torn bicep. Hes up against the ultra-mobile Tobizaru, who would be well advised to throw his most chaotic combos at the former Ozeki straight from the tachiai. Asanoyama won their only prior match, day 5 of Natsu 2021.

Kotonowaka (7-4) vs Endo (8-3) – Endo continues his tour of the upper ranks, visiting from near the bottom of the banzuke. I might guess they are trying to figure out where to rank him for September, and they are seeing how he fares against various folks in the san’yaku for some reason. He holds a 4-2 career lead over Kotonowaka.

Hakuoho (8-3) vs Abi (4-7) – The last man on the banzuke for July takes his kachi-koshi into the san’yaku to see how he can stand up to Abi-zumo. Abi needs this win to rescue himself from almost certain make-koshi, which I would not be surprised to see show up today.

Tamawashi (6-5) vs Daieisho (8-3) – Daieisho needs to win 3 of the last 4 to hit 33 and punch his ticket to be considered for Ozeki. Right now Tamawashi is not that potent a threat, as he seems to be about a half step slower than his recent top form. They have 24 career matches, favoring Tamawashi 14-10, with the most recent being a Daieisho win on day 9 in Osaka.

Hoshoryu (9-2) vs Hokutofuji (9-2) – Unless something odd happens, this match will knock Hokutofuji out of realistic contention for the cup. He has not defeated Hoshoryu in 5 prior attempts, and will be hard pressed to take him down today. Whomever wins this match will be the lone chaser against Nishikigi, unless Shonannoumi should manage a win, in which case the winner of this match will be tied for the yusho at the end of the day. Hoshoryu needs 3 of his last 4 to reach 33.

Wakamotoharu (8-3) vs Kirishima (5-4-2) – In a fantastic demonstration of the brutal, zero sum game that is sumo, Wakamotoharu must win today against the lone competing Ozeki to keep his dreams of being promoted to Ozeki ahead of his brother Wakatakakage alive. Kirishima is not at his normal fighting power, but so far has done a fair job in defeating the rest of the upper ranked rikishi. Kirishima needs to win 3 of his last 4 to reach the safety of 8, and kachi-koshi to avoid kadoban in September.