Welcome to the end of act 2. The idea behind act 2 is to narrow the field to find out who has what it takes to compete for the yusho, and to start sorting the survivors from the damned. I would say that has been accomplished with great effect. As of day 9, all of the rikishi that were 2 losses behind front runner Takayasu lost their matches, and a tight group of 4 men are now in contention to fight their way down to senshuraku, and one of them will hoist the Emperor’s cup on Sunday.

At the start of day 10, we have those 4 rikishi who are already kachi-koshi, and 5 that are make-koshi, and the rest of the field in the top division to be sorted in between the two.

Haru Leaderboard

The chase group disappears, and it’s down to these 4. Someone needs to put dirt on Takayasu to open this thing up.

Leader: Takayasu
Hunt Group: Mitakeumi, Wakatakakage, Kotonowaka

6 matches remain

What We Are Watching Day 10

Kaisei vs Tochinoshin – Hey, look who is back in the top division! It’s dear old Kaisei, and we are happy to see your giant Brazilian-Japanese self once more. He and Tochinoshin have an astonishing 26 career matches, with Tochinoshin having a narrow 14=12 lead. I wonder what will happen with Tochnoshin’s current favorite style – bashing and beating upon his foe until they decide they have had enough, will work on the mega-fauna that is Kaisei. In spite of Tochinoshin’s well documented ursine qualities, he would be ill advised to get Kaisei to rampage.

Kotoshoho vs Kotokuzan – A pair of 5-4 rikishi for our next match, and I think it’s going to be a even fight. They have split their only 2 prior fights. Kotokuzan is very much hit or miss in terms of good days vs bad days right now. Where as Kotoshoho has won 4 of the last 5. See, scheduling guys making number jokes / puns again.

Akua vs Yutakayama – A loss today gives Akua his 8th black star, and will render him kachi-koshi for March. Yutakayama has a slight 3-1 career lead over him, so this should be fairly straightforward.

Chiyomaru vs Nishikigi – Life can be odd. One day you wake up, and Nishikigi is 6-3, and only 2 wins away from his first kachi-koshi in the top division since bloody November of… 2018? He needs to pick up 2 more wins, and he has a 9-5 career advantage over Chiyomaru, so let’s see if he can notch that number down to “1” today.

Kotoeko vs Ichiyamamoto – Kotoeko seems to be continuing his good sumo from January, and I would love to see him inch Ichiyamamoto one more black star closer to the inevitable posting to the Juryo barge of the damed. We know he has a cabin reserved in the kansai deck, so he may as well embrace his fate and come aboard.

Shimanoumi vs Kagayaki – The battle of “men who can’t quite setting into their sumo this March”. I present you with two high skill rikishi that have nevertheless struggled in just about every match. Their scores mutually straddle the make/kachi-koshi line, and I would not be surprised to see either or both of them as Darwin candidates for day 15. Kagayaki has a slight 5-3 career advantage, but that only really counts when you are fighting well.

Tobizaru vs Chiyotairyu – My money is that Chiyotairyu won’t come blasting like a rocket sled off the shikiri-sen today at the tachiai. There are just too many wacky and unfortunate things that Tobizaru might be able to do with that much mass in motion. So I am looking for a “stand up” tachiai. Followed by Tobizaru bouncing about and having a lot of fun, even if he loses.

Terutsuyoshi vs Wakamotoharu – Terutsuyoshi enjoys a good yotsu-zumo battle, and he’s got a willing partner in Wakamotoharu. Wakamotoharu has won their only 2 prior meetings, but if Terutsuyoshi can get low enough an grab a dangling piece of undercarriage, it’s going to be his match to control.

Chiyoshoma vs Myogiryu – Both of these guys are moving well enough, but seem to be lacking power and strength in their sumo. Maybe one or both are injured? But I do look for Myogiryu to have a slight advantage today in this head to head.

Aoiyama vs Sadanoumi – A Sadanoumi loss today would indeed be sad, as he would have 8 losses, and be make-koshi for March. Aoiyama is not completely doomed to make-koshi yet, but he certainly looks like he is headed that way. As with a few other rikishi, he seems to lack the last 10%-15% that he would need to be genki this tournament.

Onosho vs Kiribayama – I like that the schedulers continue to park a high interest match in the middle of the torikumi. This one will be a clash of styles as well, pitting Onosho’s mega-thrust tadpole sumo against Kiribayama’s hit and move style. They have 5 career matches with a 3-2 split.

Okinoumi vs Meisei – Wow, a sad one here. Both are already make-koshi, and the only joy that will pop up from this depressing match is that one of these guys will get their second win. I should probably be Okinoumi, given his 7-1 career advantage, but who can tell when both of them are likely injured and trying just to make it to day 15.

Ichinojo vs Tamawashi – The back to the good stuff, this is a nice fight in that we can see both Maegashira 2 slug it out, and they have a fairly even record. They bring in symmetrical 5-4 / 4-5 records, and I can’t help but wonder if there is some funnel action starting up.

Daieisho vs Kotonowaka – Daieisho has been hit or miss, and his 5-4 record at the start of day 10 underscores that. He has the power and speed to best Kotonowaka, it’s a big question if he can summon it in his current condition, whatever that may be. Kotonowaka comes in kachi-koshi at 8-1, but I am going to bet he wants to run up the score.

Takanosho vs Ura – Oh my, back to a match of sadness once more. Both are 1-8 make-koshi, both are solid fighters, both are taking a trip south on banzuke street for May. Who is going to prevail in this contest of demote-ees? I will be watching to find out.

Takayasu vs Hoshoryu – Looks like its time for Takayasu to start fighting higher ranked, more capable foes. He’s never lost to Hoshoryu, so this may not be that big of a test just yet. I am sure Hoshoryu will get some good “explainers” from his uncle, but talking about fighting Takayasu can only go so far once you are face to face with that big hairy guy with the stamina of a tree trunk, and a new baby on the way.

Wakatakakage vs Abi – Well, this is their first ever fight! I imagine the double arm attack at the tachiai may disorient Wakatakakage, but hopefully he has all of the Sandanme guys lined up to double arm blast him this morning, as preparation. I guess this may be an Abi pickup.

Hokutofuji vs Mitakeumi – Hokutofuji has proven capable of giving Mitakeumi a lot of trouble, and while I still expect he is going to be competing for the cup at the end of the week, I would like to see Hokutofuji give him a tough match.

Takarafuji vs Takakeisho – Takarafuji, not fighting so well at 3-6, not moving so well either. I don’t think he’s going to pose too much risk to Takakeisho, unless things take an odd turn. Takakeisho needs just 2 more wins to clear kadoban.

Shodai vs Endo – This will be a big, ugly test for Shodai’s rally. I don’t know if he’s going to be able to take apart Endo today, as Endo is fighting pretty well for this stage of the basho at 6-3, and Shodai is fighting Endo and long Covid at the same time.

Might he do it? Shodai explained before the basho that he suffers with what doctors have labeled “Long Covid”, lingering effects of the pandemic. It can sap a person’s energy, their strength and leave them with drastically reduced lung capacity and blood oxygenation. People I know who suffer from it continue to have problems, nearly a year after their initial Covid-19 diagnosis. This was going to be a brutal tournament for Shodai, who came to Osaka kadoban after a 6-9 finish at Hatsu. He needs 8 wins to maintain his rank. He 5 of his first 6 matches, and had no energy, no power in any of his fights.

But he has now won 3 in a row, and somehow seems to be gutting it out in most admirable style. Should he manage to get his 8 wins, I think it will be a testament to his fighting spirit and determination. He needs to win 4 of the next 6, which is a tall order at any rank, doubly so for an Ozeki with reduced stamina and energy. The key to a success, should he reach his 8, may be Yokozuna Terunofuji’s kyujo. The lack of a fight against the kaiju may be the difference between make and kachi koshi for him.

Highlight Matches

Nishikigi defeats Hidenoumi – Amazing to see the patience Nishikigi displayed today. He secured each element of his victory a piece at a time, and was in no rush to put them together. 6-3 for him at the end of day 9, while Juryo visitor Hidenoumi goes home with a loss.

Yutakayama defeats Ichiyamamoto – Yutakayama breaks his 4 match losing streak, and I am sure is feeling quite relieved. It was a risky move for Yutakayama, he backed Ichiyamamoto up and then pulled him forward. Luckily he caught him unprepared, and dropped him on third step to improve to 4-5.

Tochinoshin defeats Kotoshoho – Whatever knee problems were plaguing Tochinoshin when he started Haru seem to be contained at the moment. Tochinoshin is moving well enough to take apart Kotoshoho with a second pulling combo after his first one failed. While we would all rather see Tochinoshin win moving forward, it’s a win and it counts. Tochinoshin 6-3.

Kotokuzan defeats Chiyomaru – One of the great things about Chiyomaru, people can rightly exclaim, “how can a guy that big and round be that agile?” It’s one of the wonders of Chiyomaru. His feet are dialed in today, but his tsuppari attacks seem powerless. Points to Kotokuzan for sticking with Chiyomaru, and eventually pushing him out. Kotokuzan 5-4.

Chiyotairyu defeats Akua – I think Akua’s choice to start the match with a big heaping spoonful of lateral motion was a good idea. But Chiyotairyu was ready for it, and kept Akua centered. They locked up, and worked to wear each other down. After a fair amount of stamina check time, Chiyotairyu advances to employ his favored “stand them up, pull them down” combo, which takes Akua to the clay, and gives Chiyotairyu a 4-5 finish for day 9.

Kotoeko defeats Kagayaki – Kagayaki on the attack early, but lets Kotoeko get a right hand inside position. Kagayaki counters with a left hand outside, lifting and moving forward. But he neglects his balance and leaves himself heavy on his right foot. In a flash, Kotoeko pivots into a sukuinage, dropping Kagayaki for a loss. Kotoeko advances to 6-3.

Terutsuyoshi defeats Sadanoumi – Terutsuyoshi is almost bent double at the tachiai, I immediately wonder; “Can he fight like that?” Sadanoumi reaches over Terutsuyoshi’s back, and grips the smaller man’s mawashi. But Terutsuyoshi has a hold of Sadanoumi’s left, and is pushing forward. Three steps later has Sadanoumi out of the ring. Ok then… Terutsuyoshi 5-4, they allocated the kimarite watashikomi for this match.

Shimanoumi defeats Chiyoshoma – My compliments to Chiyoshoma for the rapid fire offense. It had Shimanoumi unable to attack, and do much other than keep his feet and focus on staying in the match. As Chiyoshoma was attacking, bit by bit Shimanoumi was taking away territory, turning the tables at the end and forcing Chiyoshoma out. Shimanoumi improves to 5-4.

Myogiryu defeats Okinoumi – Okinoumi solidly on offense to start, had good hand placement, good footwork, but as we have seen all March, he just can’t get the power up to winning levels. We he starts his finishing combo, Myogiryu converts his forward push into the power for a kotenage, brining him to the clay for his 8th loss of Haru, and make-koshi. Myogiryu improves to 4-5.

Takayasu defeats Aoiyama – Takayasu remains the undefeated leader of the Haru yusho race. He took the fight to Aoiyama early. Both tried ill-advised pulls that had not positive effect. They pause a minute head to head to regroup, and Takayasu resumes on offense. Aoiyama put some effort into counter attack, but a Takayasu thrusting combo finished him off. 9-0 for Takayasu.

Kotonowaka defeats Tobizaru – Nice evasive maneuvers from Tobizaru, including a near escape at the bales that Kotonowaka responded to with the winning oshidashi. Kotonowaka’s sumo today was very calm and efficient, and I think that made all the difference in this match, a bit reminiscent of Kisenosato. That’s win number 8 for Kotonowaka, and kachi-koshi for Haru at 8-1.

Wakamotoharu defeats Hokutofuji – Hokutofuji had a great start to this match, and looked to be setting up a winning yorikiri. But at the moment of his final advance to send Wakamotoharu, Wakamotoharu was able to turn to the side and thrust him down. Great recovery from Wakamotoharu to improve to 6-3. It’s not easy to get Hokutofuji off balance, but you found your moment and made it work.

Kiribayama defeats Meisei – Kiribayama put good energy into the opening moments of this match, and I am sure Meisei had a solid plan to win. But he succumbed to a nefarious slippiotoshi following a Kiribayama pull that saw Meisei’s hands touch clay. That’s his 8th loss of March, and he is make-koshi for Haru. Kiribayama improves to 6-3.

Onosho defeats Ura – Ura today, large on energy, small on balance and footwork. Onosho gives him a bit of a lifting toss in passing, and Ura blasts out of the ring belly first. Ura will need to do some reconfiguration for his next attempt at the Joi, he has 8 losses and is make-koshi. Onosho advances to 4-5.

Daieisho defeats Takanosho – This was all Daieisho, he had a strong early combo, and kept Takanosho on the move. Takanosho did try to circle away, but Daieisho tracked him well. Takanosho is also make-koshi as of today, taking his 8th loss of the basho, while Daieisho advances to 5-4.

Takarafuji defeats Abi – After Takarafuji has had a really crummy tournament, its nice to see him win one. Abi’s initial double arm attack has limited effect given Takarafuji’s unusual head / shoulder configuration, allowing Takarafuji to counter. He gets close enough to set his hands well against Abi’s chest, and proceeds to muscle him out of the ring. Takarafuji picks up his 3rd win to finish the day 3-6.

Wakatakakage defeats Ichinojo – Wakatakakage shifts to the side, but impressively, Ichinojo is not phased one bit. Ichinojo closes in and takes the fight to Wakatakakage, who quickly finds his right arm locked up against the Boulder. Wakatakakage finds himself unable to do much in this position, and Ichinojo decides to give him a stamina check. Wakatakakage knows he’s running down his energy levels, and do we see a bit of gaburi-yori there? This match fell apart when Ichinojo moved to change his grip, and Wakatakakage exploited the change in pressure to push Ichinojo out. He’s now 8-1, and kachi-koshi at Haru. Nicely done sir!

Endo defeats Takakeisho – It was all down to Endo biding his time, and finding a belt grip. As long as Endo was able to keep his feet under Takakeisho’s attack, it was just a matter of time. The time did come, Endo took his grip, and blasted Takakeisho out by yoritaoshi. Both end the day at 6-3.

Shodai defeats Hoshoryu – This is the first time ever that Shodai has beaten Hoshoryu, in 5 attempts. It was rough, it was chaotic, it was Hoshoryu’s match for a time. But did you see it? With his heels on the tawara, Shodai somehow summoned the “Wall of Daikon”. Hoshoryu tried twice to unleash the uwate, but Shodai had him bracketed, and Hoshoryu could not rotate into the throw. Now side on to Shodai, Shodai bodily drove Hoshoryu from the ring to pick up a much needed 4th win. Both are 4-5 at the end of the day.

Mitakeumi defeats Tamawashi – Much respect to Tamawashi, who put a lot of power and energy into this match, and had the shin-Ozeki in the back seat for the opening moves of this match. But once Mitakeumi got that right hand on the front of Tamawashi’s belt, he rallied and attacked. It was 5 steps to the bales, and Tamawashi was going to take a trip to the front row. 8th win for Mitakeumi, and kachi-koshi. He stays 1 behind Takayasu.

With Nakabi behind us, its on to week two, and the march to the yusho. We have 2 days left in act 2, and I am a bit surprised and maybe relieved that it seems the schedulers are no running a “Darwin’s Funnel” this time. they are letting things unfold a bit more naturally. Part of it is that they don’t have a huge cadre of 4-4 rikishi to work with. I am sure there will be a handful of 7-7 rikishi on day 15, and there will be a Darwin match or two.

But the focus seems to be on what could be a barn-burner of a yusho race. As stated before, I expect someone to put dirt on Takayasu in the next 5 days, and that will open up chances for all 3 of the chasers, each of whom are fighting well enough to rack up the numbers into week 2. But when push comes to shove, and the pressure is on, it’s Mitakeumi who has the prior yusho race experience, and would be my favorite to try and take the lead in the final days.

Haru Leaderboard

I really like this set, everyone is strong, healthy and capable. Lets the the brawl started, please!

Leader: Takayasu
Hunt Group: Mitakeumi, Wakatakakage, Kotonowaka
Chasers: Takakeisho, Abi

7 matches remain

What We Are Watching Day 9

Nishikigi vs Hidenoumi – Hidenoumi visits from Juryo today to face Nishikigi. Unlike the prior Juryo visitors, Hidenoumi is not coming for his day in the top division with a strong record. At 4-4, a win today will make a big difference for him. He has a 5-3 career advantage over Nishikigi, so he has a fair chance.

Ichiyamamoto vs Yutakayama – Yutakayama has lost 5 in a row. Is he injured? I would guess yes. If so, he’s going to be an easy mark for Ichiyamamoto, who has a matching 3-5 record to start day 9.

Kotoshoho vs Tochinoshin – Tochinoshin is really surprising me right now. He started Haru looking ready for a sunset ride down to Juryo. But I don’t think you get to be Ozeki without a lot of fighting spirit in your soul. He has brawled his way to 5-3 starting day 9, and he’s going to take on Kotoshoho today, which I think he will likely win.

Chiyomaru vs Kotokuzan – First ever match between these two, they come in with matching 4-4 records. After a slow start of 4 straight losses, Chiyomaru rallied with 4 straight wins. Kotokuzan has been hit or miss, but seems to finally found his sumo during the middle weekend.

Akua vs Chiyotairyu – Both of these guys need to get their sumo in order. Both of them are fighting well below their peak capabilities, and I am going to assign that to injuries. Chiyotairyu missed out on a great opportunity to go to 4-4 on day 8, and it came down to poor timing on his tachiai. Maybe today he can make it work.

Kotoeko vs Kagayaki – Kagayaki has now racked up 3 straight losses, maybe yet another injury or problem with his lower body? Although he has a 10-6 career advantage over Kotoeko, Kotoeko is fighting much better right now, and I would give him a clear and distinct advantage today.

Terutsuyoshi vs Sadanoumi – Why I would love to see Sadanoumi rally and snatch a kachi-koshi in week 2, he’s just not moving well, and his attacks are lacking sufficient power to really dominate his matches at his rank. So now he is fighting lower ranked rikishi, and it is still not going well. He has a 4-1 career advantage over Terutsuyoshi, so maybe today will be his day.

Chiyoshoma vs Shimanoumi – Yotsu form from Chiyoshoma vs a preferred oshi style from Shimanoumi. I have noted that Chiyoshoma tends to get inside and get at least a hand hold. This may prevent Shimanoumi from fighting his preferred format. Chiyoshoma also holds a 7-2 career advantage.

Myogiryu vs Okinoumi – A battle of the damaged here, both of them on a clear make-koshi run, with Okinoumi facing that option today should he lose. They have a 31 match career history, with an even 15-16 balance.

Takayasu vs Aoiyama – I would rather see Takayasu starting to fight some of the other leaders, rather than the flagging Aoiyama. Aoiyama typically fights much better than this in Osaka, but something has him unable to get out of second gear. So I expect that Takayasu is going dominate today.

Tobizaru vs Kotonowaka – Tobizaru has lost 2 of his last 3, and he is at the unlucky 4-4 score. He normally does not do so well against Kotonowaka, but right now Kotonowaka is fighting in some of his best form ever. So I am going to look for Kotonowaka to dominate this match, and it will be up to Tobizaru to come up with something solid to deliver a challenge. A Kotonowaka win today will be 8, and a most welcome kachi-koshi for Haru.

Hokutofuji vs Wakamotoharu – There is a substantial mass difference in this first ever meet up. Wakamotoharu will want to go for the belt, but I don’t know if he will even get that far. Hokutofuji tends to delivery strong hits in the tachiai, and I will expect him to block Wakamotoharu’s opening combo.

Kiribayama vs Meisei – A loss today, and it’s make-koshi for Meisei. I am of the opinion that he will be back to good form in May, so hopefully he can find a few more white stars before Sunday.

Onosho vs Ura – Well, this should be interesting. A rikishi with balance issues (Onosho) vs the champion of grab and tug sumo. I expect Onosho to depart from his usual “guns blazing” opening and instead be quite defensive in an attempt to keep Ura’s sumo in check. A loss today would be make-koshi for Ura, and frankly I think he would be well served to regroup further down the banzuke for a couple of tournaments.

Takanosho vs Daieisho – At least Takanosho can be reasonable sure he will get to at least try some of his oshi-zumo today. He is the last of the group in the “one loss to make-koshi” crowd, and I would not be surprised to see him rally today and stave off an 8th loss for several days.

Takarafuji vs Abi – Yeah, this match, a least for this basho, is going to be terribly one sited, in my estimation. Takarafuji has not been able to set up his defensive sumo at all this month. When he can execute that well, he can shut down Abi and take him apart a piece at a time.

Wakatakakage vs Ichinojo – Normally, this would be considered a near automatic advantage for Wakatakakage, given how well he is fighting. But I really am enjoying the more patient, willing to use his enormity version of Ichinojo. I might guess that possibly Wakatakakage might make him a bit hasty given the intensity of Wakatakakage’s sumo, so I will be hoping that the Bolder stays calm, confident and huge throughout this match. A Wakatakakage win is his kachi-koshi for Osaka.

Endo vs Takakeisho – it will come down to the tachiai, if Endo can land a grip, he should be able to take the match. If it gets to the second step and Endo is still reaching for something to hang on to, it’s a fast trip over the bales and one win closer to clearing kadoban for Takakeisho.

Shodai vs Hoshoryu – Shodai has never beaten Hoshoryu. Shodai, in spite of his unexpected win on day 8, is still trying to compete in spite of lingering COVID symptoms. I predict that Hoshoryu will find win number 5 today.

Tamawashi vs Mitakeumi – 29 career matches between these two, and it favors Mitakeumi 28-3. With Tamawashi clutching his side at the end of his day 8 match against Meisei, it might be that he has re-injured his ribs, and may be operating at reduced ferocity today. A win today is kachi-koshi for the shin-Ozeki.

Some fine matches today, but there were a fair set of matta thrown in the mix, as rikishi struggled to get the fight started properly for some reason. I am really starting to think that Wakatakakage has made a step change to his sumo, and I think we will see double digits this tournament, which is a ringing achievement for his first time as Sekiwake. If he can up his consistency, I see him being considered for Ozeki before too long.

In the world of Ozeki, I have to note that Shodai won today. I am not sure where he found the energy given his condition, but I hope he can tap it again 5 more times. He needs to win 5 of the remaining 7 matches to survive as Ozeki. Its a tough road to be certain, and a healthy Shodai could do it, heck, Sekiwake Shodai could do it. But going into week 2, we get to see him try. Good luck sir, it will be quite the achievement if you can make it happen.

Highlight Matches

Azumaryu defeats Kotokuzan – Kotokuzan had a strong opening, and completely dominated Azumaryu, until the moment that Kotokuzan decided “and now I pull you down!”. That would have been bad enough, but then Azumaryu pulls in response, giving control back to Kotokuzan, who proceeds to (you guessed it) pull. Would one of you two just do forward sumo? That last pull was all the universe was willing to tolerate, and Kotokuzan took a shove to the chest and left the dohyo. Azumaryu improves to 6-2.

Tochinoshin defeats Yutakayama – A 5th consecutive loss for Yutakayama today. I have to wonder if he hurt something against Kotoshoho on day 3. Tochinoshin won with a few really strong thrusts, and is once again defying expectations. Good for you sir. He is now 5-3.

Chiyomaru defeats Kagayaki – Hey, Kagayaki, what was that? You launched from the shikiri-sen well enough, but where were your hands? Chiyomaru took advantage of the chaos to bundle up Kagayaki, and escort him to the exit. Both finish the day 4-4.

Kotoeko defeats Nishikigi – Kotoeko continues his absolute dominance over Nishikigi, now at 5-0 over their career. Nishikigi started well, but once Kotoeko got his grip, it was time for Nishikigi to go for a backwards walk. Both end the day 5-3.

Ichiyamamoto defeats Chiyotairyu – To my eye that should have been a matta, but the gyoji had them fight it out, which is how it should be. Robbed of his tachiai, Chiyotairyu had little to offer in this match. He was unable to capitalize on Ichiyamamoto’s pull, and was quickly thrust out. Both are now 3-5.

Akua defeats Myogiryu – We have not seen Akua fight with this much vigor in a while. He was still a bit of a mess, but he kept Myogiryu in front of him, and focused his strength on forward motion, and effective tsuppari. This is only the second win of the basho for Akua, and I am glad he was able to put it together, he’s now 2-6 for Haru.

Kotoshoho defeats Terutsuyoshi – Terutsuyoshi’s day off thanks to Chiyonokuni’s kyujo did not seem to help his sumo. He was very low at the tachiai, and never quite recovered from that. Immediately on defense, Terutsuyoshi withered under Kotoshoho’s attacks. Kotoshoho improves to 5-3.

Chiyoshoma defeats Aoiyama – Aoiyama started with a big forearm blast, which did not deter Chiyoshoma from setting him a mawashi grip and getting into “his brand of sumo”. He struggled a bit against Aoiyama’s ponderous bulk, but maintained a commanding hold that eventually Aoiyama broke. I am not sure if Aoiyama was trying some kind of escape, but he turned away from Chiyoshoma, and that was all it took for an okuridashi win for Chiyoshoma. Both end the day 3-5.

Shimanoumi defeats Sadanoumi – Sadanoumi opened strong at the tachiai, but Shimanoumi’s ottsuke shut down Sadanoumi’s attempt to establish a grip. Shimanoumi rallied, focused his force forward and drove Sadanoumi from the ring, improving to 4-4. Not sure what has Sadanoumi in poor condition, but I hope he can bounce back in May.

Takayasu defeats Wakamotoharu – Wakamotoharu is a fine yotsu-zumo practitioner, and for reasons on he can explain, he decided to engage in a stamina check with Takayasu. In fairness, it was his first time fighting Takayasu, and the fellow can be forgiven for wanting to find out for himself. Takayasu was in a bit of a hurry today, so he only stood Wakamotoharu up for about 20 seconds before finding a hand hold and delivering a hearty uwatenage. Takayasu remains undefeated at 8-0, the first man to reach kachi-koshi, and the sole leader. He faces Aoiyama on day 9, who is in no condition to present much of a challenge.

Hokutofuji defeats Tobizaru – The first match was a bast, a wild ranging battle that ended with a mutual throw and both men hitting the clay together. The gumbai went to Hokutofuji, but the monoii called for a rematch. The second go was no less energetic, but it was a bit more controlled. Tobizaru’s lateral moves kept Hokutofuji adjusting, his sumo, unable to finish Tobizaru, but Tobizaru seemed to tire, inviting Hokutofuji to finish him off with an oshidashi. Both end the day at 4-4.

Takarafuji defeats Okinoumi – Okinoumi had a solid hold, good body position, but could neither generate forward pressure or hold his ground when Takarafuji advanced. So I am going to ascribe Okinoumi’s terrible 1-7 record to injury, which is a shame. Takarafuji gets his second win and improves to 2-6.

Kotonowaka defeats Endo – Woa! First ever win for Kotonowaka over Endo. I know Endo is hit or miss, but this is a noteworthy milestone. Kotonowaka blocked his grip attempts, and was able to deliver a lot of forward energy into Endo’s body. By the time Endo got organized, he was out of the ring, and into the front row. Kotonowaka advances to 7-1.

Tamawashi defeats Meisei – For a brief moment, it looked like Tamawashi was going for the “arm breaker”, but he thankfully let Meisei go. Meisei was offering little defense and almost no offense, and it was Tamawashi’s win, improving to 4-4.

Ichinojo defeats Takanosho – The big difference of Ichinojo this basho from, say, a year ago is patience. We have seen Ichinojo wait out opponents, work his way through sub-optimal position and partially effective combos to win matches. Today is a great example of this. Takanosho comes in strong, but can’t quite find any kind of grip, and spends a good amount of time getting himself into a workable position. Ichinojo maintains control of the match the whole time, where a younger version would have prematurely moved to end the fight. He takes his time, looks for the best chance, and then calmly finishes Takanosho off. Ichinojo improves to 5-3.

Wakatakakage defeats Ura – Ura is really struggling at this rank, and needs to adjust his sumo to the high grade rikishi we currently enjoy in the joi-jin. I will hold up Wakatakakage as a shining example of that, this guy is tack sharp and really fighting well. Ura is unable to find any advantage, or any route to get a hold of Wakatakakage in a meaningful way. Wakatakakage finishes off Ura with a yorikiri, and advances to 7-1.

Abi defeats Daieisho – Abi effectively got Daieisho to dial up the forward pressure, then stepped clear as Daieisho pushed forward. A bit of an Abi shove from behind and Daieisho is out, and Abi is 6-2.

Shodai defeats Kiribayama – Maybe there is hope for Shodai after all. I am not sure where that came from, but I was delighted to see it. Kiribayama got the better of the tachiai, and had a winning grip from the first step. I think Shodai can still access some of his “cartoon sumo” because in the blink of an eye, Kiribayama went from having a firm hold to being tossed out of the ring. 3-5 for Shodai now.

Mitakeumi defeats Hoshoryu – I give Hoshoryu points for enthusiasm, but look at Mitakeumi’s instant hazu-oshi attack before the tachiai finishes. With that much power straight into Hoshoryu’s armpits, he was an easy mark for a fast finish, and Mitakeumi moved him to the side and tossed him out. Mitakeumi remains one behind Takayasu at 7-1.

Takakeisho defeats Onosho – Great to see these two hit with such power at the tachiai. It was a slight edge to Onosho, but Takakeisho’s match plan was to exploit Onosho’s poor balance on the second step, and it worked a treat. Onosho topples, and Takakeisho improves to 6-2, two more wins to clear kadoban.