Ugh, SumoDB is down again. I want to send them money so they can do what it takes to keep that thing solid and running well. As an operator of a sumo fan site, I know it can be a challenge when you have other high priority items to turn your attention to content, server tweaks, or just finding out what the hell went wrong. So I have nothing but gratitude for whomever runs that thing, its invaluable.

Today we start act 2, and in act 2 the purpose is to narrow the field to find out who has what it takes to compete for the yusho, and to start sorting the victors from the damned. We have a single man in Takayasu in the lead right now, but I fully expect someone to put dirt on him before the end of the middle weekend. It should not be that tough to do, as already on day 5 his form was slipping. Just behind we have 7 rikishi with 4-1 records, including both Sekiwake and an Ozeki. This will be a tough field for the yusho. I would also urge fans not to discount Terunofuji yet. Though I am assuming he is injured, if he is not, he can still be a force in the second week.

What We Are Watching Day 6

Kagayaki vs Tsurugisho – Today it’s Kagayaki up for a visit into the top division. He has been bouncing between the top of Juryo and the bottom of Makuuchi for the last year at least, and he really needs to get his sumo tightened up and pick. Meanwhile, Kagayaki does seem to have a good regulator on his sumo, and may be ready for a 5th win today, he holds a 4-1 career lead.

Kotoshoho vs Ichiyamamoto – Both of these guys are on a make-koshi path right now, and I worry they are already relegating Kotoshoho to the “loser bracket” that will keep him below the make-koshi line. He has a 1-4 career deficit against Ichiyamamoto, so the chances of him pulling even at 3-3 are not the best.

Nishikigi vs Yutakayama – This is a fun one, both of them are 3-2, and have a fairly long history in the top division with some trips to Juryo. they are very close in size and weight, and close to equal all around. Nishikigi prefers to go chest to chest, and Yutakayama prefers and oshi style, but has fairly good yotsu skill as well. This one has my interest.

Kotokuzan vs Chiyonokuni – First ever match for these two, and I have to say I would give the edge to Chiyonokuni right now. I think Kotokuzan’s higher mass will help him some when Chiyonokuni starts smacking him around, but unless he can respond to force with force, it’s just a matter of when.

Kotoeko vs Akua – I have to assume that Akua is in one of his cold phases. It’s disappointing to know that he is capable of some solid sumo, yet here we are at the start of act 2, and he has a 1-4 score. While it’s mathematically possible for him to finish with a kachi-koshi, in reality, it’s a long shot at best. He’s got a fair 3-4 record standing up to Kotoeko, who packs a lot of power into 177 cm.

Tochinoshin vs Chiyotairyu – If Tochinoshin holds to his current form, he will be brawling up a storm against Chiyotairyu. To be honest, I am not sure what the thunder-god is going to do in response to that. Maybe lower his head, battle hug the Georgian and just run pell-mell forward? Might be worth a try….

Myogiryu vs Chiyomaru – Sure, Chiyomaru has his first win now, and that’s fine news. He’s going to be working against Myogiryu, who is fighting very well this March. He has won 2 matches against larger opponents, and his manuverablity has been very good. So if he can keep his balance centered, he should do fine against Chiyomaru’s predictable pulling attacks.

Terutsuyoshi vs Aoiyama – A great big-man / little-man sumo contest. Big Dan has been bashing opponents with great effect, I think we can say that his ring rust is mostly behind him now, and that we can count on some power-sumo from him for the next 10 days or so. Terutsuyoshi is in a bit of a hole now with a 2-3 record, so I am looking for him to be a bit more adventurous with his combos. We know he has taken 6 of their prior 10 matches, and has a habit of putting Aoiyama on the clay.

Tobizaru vs Sadanoumi – Sadanoumi is having a bad tournament so far. This 1-4 record he brings into the start of act 2 is well below his abilities. Normally he’s better than Tobizaru, by a bunch. But with him fighting poorly, I would give my nod to the flying monkey. Both of them are very quick fighters, but Tobizaru has been fighting better thus far.

Takayasu vs Shimanoumi – Its your daily dose of Takayasu, once again nicely placed toward the middle of the torikumi. Do I think Shimanoumi has much of a chance? Only a narrow one, and he’s going to need to be at the top of his sumo to make it pay. We saw a bit of the “Bad Takayasu” on day 5 when he went “Wild Man” against Takarafuji. When that happens, he is out of control, un-balanced, and vulnerable. He Takayasu gets into that mode, Shimanoumi has an opening.

Wakamotoharu vs Okinoumi – First ever match, and I have to ponder what might be ailing Okinoumi. It’s true that he’s among the oldest rikishi in the top division, and he suffers from a chronic lower pelvic injury that sometimes limits his sumo. But normally you don’t see him end up with a ice cold 1-4 start. I do hope he can bounce back. I think Wakamotoharu’s really top drawer yotsu style will mean we have a fine display of Okinoumi’s favorite sumo moves.

Chiyoshoma vs Kotonowaka – The most important thing to know is the 7-1 career record of Kotonowaka over Chiyoshoma. I know Chiyoshoma will deploy at least 1 henka this tournament, but I am going to guess he may save it for later. Kotonowaka has a way to go before he reaches his ultimate sumo form, but he is evolving along nicely right now.

Hokutofuji vs Endo – 16 match history, tied at 8-8. Both rikishi with 3-2 scores. Both needing to rack more wins to put them safely outside of this weekend’s funnel. Oh goodie. Will the win go to Hokutofuji’s impossibly low center of gravity, or will Endo’s fast hands and quick throws come out on top. Great match for day 6.

Daieisho vs Takarafuji – Takarafuji is having one of his “bad” basho. He has had dreadful months where he has only been able to come up with 4 or 5 wins over 15 days, and this may be one of those tournaments. Given how well Daieisho is fighting, I don’t think Takarafuji is going to prevail today.

Ichinojo vs Ura – Back to the big man / little man paradigm. They are fairly even (3-2) on the clay, and it’s Ichinojo working grab and contain Ura vs Ura’s trademark grab and tug sumo. I think that if Ichinojo holds his ground for the first 20 seconds of the match, stays stable and lowers his center of gravity, Ura will be completely stumped on what to do.

Wakatakakage vs Takanosho – Mirror image records, Wakatakakage at 4-1, Takanosho at 1-4. Takanosho comes in with a 7-4 career advantage, but a dismal records so far in Osaka. I would give the edge today to Wakatakakage, who I think is actually going to content for the cup up until the start of act 3.

Hoshoryu vs Abi – Will Abi continue to mix up his sumo? Do we get another attack that starts with a double arm thrust and transitions into something else? I have maintained for years that with Abi-zumo 2.0, this guy is Ozeki or Yokozuna. I wonder if he is going to give it a go. A win today would be his first over Hoshoryu, who could use a win to improve his 2-3 record.

Kiribayama vs Takakeisho – Takakeisho, please blast this guy off of the dohyo. You need the wins, and he needs the air time. Much as I love me some Kiribayama (see day 5 highlights), We need more than one Ozeki in May.

Shodai vs Tamawashi – Shodai gets what may be his only win of the basho, then they send him to be tuned up by Tamawashi. Tamawashi is not fighting that well this tournament, but the fact that he does NOT suffer from long COVID, and holds a 10-8 career advantage sets the stage for what is likely to happen.

Meisei vs Mitakeumi – Mitakeumi has the size advantage to just dominate Meisei (7-2 against Meisei), if he can keep himself focused. On day 5, he let Kiribayama attack, either through sloppiness or a false belief that it would be impotent. Tragic under appreciation of his opponents sumo. I would guess that won’t happen again this March.

Terunofuji vs Onosho – We saw it again day 5. Terunofuji cannot hold position with some attack angles. If Onosho can get that opening and push, he can kinboshi Terunofuji for the second day in a row. Much as I love the junior tadpole, I would rather see the Yokozuna maintain his dominance.

Act 1 is complete, and we are left with a single rikishi atop the leaderboard. In addition, both winless rikishi picked up their first white stars today, as the basho sets up for a tumultuous middle weekend. I think its time for sumo fans to take a moment to study Kiribayama. After a pair of consecutive 6-9 make-koshi dropping him out of the san’yaku, he seems to be in good form for Osaka. Although he can produce some solid sumo, he seems to lose the “big” matches against high ranking opponents. I believe that some component of that is mental, as in maybe he does not quite have the confidence yet of someone like Tamawashi or Yoshikaze, who sees every opponent as another piece of meat to bash into submission. But there is some evidence he is starting to set aside that habit and just fight with whatever he can. I am going to guess that he and Hoshoryu will be toe to toe in the san’yaku once they setting into their sumo, and could possibly become rivals. Some of the best sumotori honed their skills through rivalry, and those rivalry make for storied sumo history. ?Here’s to hoping for the future.

Highlight Matches

Oho defeats Ichiyamamoto – Where was this version of Oho in January. He looked poised, confident, and heavy. He barely lifts his feet, and just shoves Ichiyamamoto aside. Brilliant stuff. Oho advances to 4-1, and may have another shot at the top division soon.

Tochinoshin defeats Kotokuzan – Once again we see Tochinoshin trading blows with his opponent rather than working for a battle hug. As odd as it is to my eye, who is used to seeing him fighting yotsu all these years, its actually working for him. He keeps batting Kotokuzan about until Kotokuzan loses his footing and hits the clay. Tochinoshin advances to 3-2.

Kagayaki defeats Yutakayama – So I am going to proclaim that Kagayaki’s ring rust is no longer present, he’s up to 4-1, and just dispatched Yutakayama. Sharp tachiai, and he found his hands inside, but his body too close for a good thrust. Rather than back up, he just worked with it, put his hands around Yutakayama and enjoyed his double inside grip to quickly win by yorikiri.

Kotoshoho defeats Akua – A swift move by Kotoshoho re-routed Akua at the tachiai, and put Kotoshoho behind him. It was fast work to then push Akua out from behind, as Kotoshoho improves to 2-3, picking up a much needed win.

Chiyonokuni defeats Nishikigi – Chiyonokuni read that match perfectly. Knowing Nishikigi really needs to maintain contact with his opponent, Chiyonokuni kept close, and drew Nishikigi forward. With Nishikigi reaching for a belt hold, Chiyonokuni slapped him down for a quick win, to advance to 4-1.

Chiyomaru defeats Terutsuyoshi – Chiyomaru picks up his first win of Haru. Terutsuyoshi came in low at the tachiai, but pretty much bounced off his enormous belly. Chiyomaru turned this match into a chase, and as Terutsuyoshi circled away, slapped him down in traditional Chiyomaru style. Always best to mind your balance around Chiyomaru. He is now 1-4.

Aoiyama defeats Chiyotairyu – Aoiyama connects first at the tachiai, shutting down Chiyotairyu’s forward rush. From there it was outstanding hand placement that kept Chiyotairyu moving back, and three steps later, out. If you want to see a textbook oshi match, review this one. Aoiyama was about perfect today, and ends the match 3-2.

Kotoeko defeats Shimanoumi – Kotoeko continues his unexplainable dominance of Shimanoumi, now at 12-3. Shimanoumi put in about twice as much sumo action into this match as Kotoeko, but in a brief moment, allowed Kotoeko a left hand mawashi grip, and that was all he needed to put Shimanoumi away. Kotoeko improves to 3-2.

Wakamotoharu defeats Myogiryu – Myogiryu did not keep at thrusting range at the tachiai, and allowed Wakamotoharu to get a belt grip and dictate the match to be yotsu. This really gave him a firm advantage, and the rest of the bout was Wakamotoharu showing great form, and walking Myogiryu out. Both men end the day 3-2.

Tobizaru defeats Chiyoshoma – Chiyoshoma’s right foot was a bit too far back at the initial merge, and it cost him the ability to advance strongly at the second step. As a result, he did not move Tobizaru out of the center of the ring, and allowed monkey-boy a chance to rally and advance. Tobizaru gets a left hand grip, and tugs Chiyoshoma’s mawashi back and forth quite a bit, and for some reason Chiyoshoma goes soft and lets Tobizaru walk him out. Ok… Tobizaru now 3-2.

Kotonowaka defeats Okinoumi – Okinoumi count not overcome Kotonowaka’s solid, well-placed grip. Sure, Okinoumi is fighting at what looks like reduced power, but Kotonowaka’s sumo really seems to get better each week. He’s now 4-1.

Hokutofuji defeats Sadanoumi – Man, look at how low Hokutofuji stays during this match. For a man his size both in height and girth, that is quite impressive. In fact, Sadanoumi sets up in great form, but just can’t contend with that much mass at that height. Solid performance for Hokutofuji, and he improves to 3-2.

Takayasu defeats Takarafuji – Takayasu, for the first time this basho, showed a hint of his “wild man sumo” that was probably the cause for him losing Ozeki. But he does settle down and takes a chest to chest fight to Takarafuji. He keeps up the pressure, never letting Takarafuji plant his feet and lower his hips to defend. He remains unbeaten at 5-0.

Ichinojo defeats Endo – My 5 year old son sometimes refers to Ichinojo as “Big Sumo”, and on days like today, that moniker fits nicely. He breaks Endo’s grip and renders him little more than ballast as “Big Sumo” walks forward to place a clearly disappointed Endo on the back side of the bales. Both end the day 3-2. Sometimes, being enormous is a valid sumo strategy.

Daieisho defeats Ura – Big change in tachiai from Daieisho today, and it was well warranted. Whatever Ura had in mind at the tachiai was discarded, and it left him poorly balanced for the rest of the match. Although we got to see Ura try a couple of energetic combos, he never did quite have his feet stable, and Daieisho waited for his moment to blast Ura off the dohyo with a forceful tsukidashi. Daieisho improves to 3-2.

Abi defeats Takanosho – Ok, that’s two days in a row. Abi is up to something, and I like it. Today he augmented his double arm thrust combo with a grab and tug against Takanosho to finish the match. Takanosho was completely unprepared for that one, as was I. They assigned the kimarate as hikkake, or “arm-grabbing force out”. Abi is 4-1, and growing more inventive by the day. Oh yes, and for the second match in a row, Hoshoryu gets a rikishi deposited in his lap. Quite the popular fellow.

Wakatakakage defeats Hoshoryu – Perhaps it was all of the effort Hoshoryu had to put into dodging Ura and Takanosho. But Hoshoryu really did not have much offense today, and it was a rapid butsugari style grab and push for Wakatakakage. He joins Abi as a member of the Sekiwake 4-1 club.

Shodai defeats Onosho – Well, it was rough, it almost didn’t happen, but Shodai did in fact win his first match today. Onosho charged in with a lot of power, and controlled the match until Shodai landed a right hand inside. At that moment Onosho could have escaped, but then Shodai’s right hand found Onosho’s mawashi, and the Ozeki had a chance to win. He wasted no time, rotating into a most welcome uwatenage, sending Onosho to the clay. Shodai finally puts his first white star on the board at 1-4.

Kiribayama defeats Mitakeumi – Firstly, Kiribayama is starting to take on almost Yoshikaze levels of “on any given day, this guy can beat you” sort of feel. He was in the back seat for the first ¾ of this match, but for some reason Mitakeumi decided he was going to pause and try to consolidate his controlling position. I am going to guess because he had Kiribayama left hand outside, Mitakeumi assumed that Kiribayama was not much of a threat. Bad choice, shin-Ozeki. Kiribayama worked with what he had, and marched a surprised Mitakeumi out. That’s Mitakeumi’s first loss of Haru, and both end the day 4-1.

Takakeisho defeats Meisei – Takakeisho continues to put himself in sub-optimal positions for “his brand of sumo”. Today he stayed closer to Meisei than is typical for a Takakeisho match, but he made it work. Meisei had a few good returns in the first few steps from the tachiai, but Takakeisho found his mark and kept the pressure going, sending Meisei out. Takakeisho now 3-2.

Tamawashi defeats Terunofuji – We saw it again today. In Terunofuji’s run to Yokozuna, and even in January, his match style was to absorb the tachiai, set up a strong and stable defense, and wait his opponent out. Something has him unable to do that. I have heard some reports of a foot injury troubling the Yokozuna, and if true he should just go kyujo now. It manifested itself today in Terunofuji not being able to maintain his position in the face of Tamawashi’s thrusting attack, which sent the Yokozuna over the side of the dohyo to land with an oversize resounding thud inches away from the yobidashi’s pedestal. That’s a kinboshi for Tamawashi, his 5th, as he advances to 2-3.

Here we are, already previewing the final day of act 1. The goal of act one is to remove ring rust, see who is hot and who is not. I think it’s clear that we can break it down like this

Hot

• Mitakeumi – He had a bit of a close call with an ill advised pull on day 4, but was able to recover. The only unbeaten rikishi in the named ranks, he’s setting the pace heading into the middle weekend. It’s not unreasonable to start to consider that he might pick up a second yusho.
• Takayasu – It seems taking Hatsu off because of COVID kyujo allowed Takayasu some time to get his various injuries under control. He has not looked this comfortable in his sumo in years, and he is fighting very well. As a fan, this makes me quite happy.

Not

• Shodai – Suffering from long COVID, and completely robbed of strength, energy, stamina. He’s a walking disaster right now, and I think he needs to cut his losses before he picks up a mechanical injury to boot. Try for 10 in May.
• Chiyomaru – Not sure what ails the roundest fellow in the top division, but hopefully he clears it up soon. Many fans adore this guy with good cause, it would be great to see him rack a couple of wins soon.

With Ishiura kyujo, we will get daily Juryo visitors to fill the banzuke gap.

What We Are Watching Day 5

Oho vs Ichiyamamoto – First up from Juryo, it’s Oho! He ba-ba-bombed out his first trip division, and with a 3-1 start, maybe he can make it back in May. He’s got an even record against Ichiyamamoto at 2-2, so should be a fair fight. Oho has some solid sumo moves, so maybe it was all nerves in January?

Kotokuzan vs Tochinoshin – Both come in at 2-2, and I am going to wonder if Tochinoshin is going to be in “Street Fighter” mode again today. It’s kind of interesting seeing him slap and hit people when normally his focus is the big battle hug. This is the first time he and Kotokuzan have been in a match together.

Kagayaki vs Yutakayama – This will be a mighty fine fight of 3-1 rikishi, I am going to guess. They share a 7-6 / 13 match career record. Both of them are ranked really below their abilities right now, and both are solid oshi-zumo guys. I hope Kagayaki remembers to lower his stance, or he’s going to be ejected by Yutakayama in short order.

Kotoshoho vs Akua – From a pair of 3-1’s to a pair of 1-3s. Its not too late for either one to salvage a kachi-koshi out of this basho, but they need to start laying in the wins, beginning today. I am especially eager to see Kotoshoho get his 8, as he has a lot of catching up to do. Their 3-4 career record shows they are quite evenly matched.

Nishikigi vs Chiyonokuni – Back to a pair of 3-1s, and this one is acres of potential. We have the nearly blind Nishikigi, who has to fight from close in or he can’t manage, vs the captain of the hit and move crew in Chiyonokuni. A tremendous contrast in styles that has strongly favored Chiyonokuni 8-2 over their previous 10 bouts.

Chiyomaru vs Terutsuyoshi – One of these days, Chiyomaru will pick up his first win. Maybe not today, as Terutsuyoshi has a 7-3 career lead over the spheroid wonder. I have to guess what has Chiyomaru fighting poorly. Not enough food? Too much food? Critical yakitori shortage? Or maybe he was one of the Kokonoe guys who had COVID, and is not quite himself yet.

Chiyotairyu vs Aoiyama – Oh boy, this is a fun one too! Both come in with 2-2 records, and you have Chiyotairyu’s thunder-god sumo where he blasts off the shikiri-sen, using his body as a projectile, vs Big Dan Aoiyama’s V-Twin attack and the omnipresent distraction of his pendulous flesh. The 13-9 record favors Aoiyama, and it is Osaka, so I am going to say it will be Big Dan favored to win today.

Shimanoumi vs Kotoeko – Another 2-2 duo, and it looks like a good chance for a pickup for Kotoeko, as he has won 7 of the last 9 against Shimanoumi. If oshidashi is on the menu, Kotoeko will be serving it up today.

Myogiryu vs Wakamotoharu – They ran out of matching numbers for a bit, so these two get to fight it out like regular Joes. They have never really had a prior match, as the last time one was scheduled (Hatsu 2022), Myogiryu went kyujo. So it seems the schedulers were quite unfulfilled and required a second chance to see these two fight.

Chiyoshoma vs Tobizaru – Oh good, matching numbers again. Chiyoshoma is sputtering a bit after a good first few days, and with only a single win in 7 tries against Tobizaru, it will be a rough day for him. I think the key for Chiyoshoma will be to land a belt grip early, and cut down the quantity of Tobizaru’s scampering moves.

Okinoumi vs Kotonowaka – When the numbers don’t match, at least you can make them a reflection. so 1-3 Okinoumi faces 3-1 Kotonowaka. They have had 2 prior matches which they split 1-1, but right now Okinoumi seems to be in his less genki state that we see some basho. So possibly another white star for Kotonowaka.

Hokutofuji vs Sadanoumi – Hokutofuji’s power against Sadanoumi’s speed. This will be a fun one to watch, as Hokutofuji seems to have his balance in fine working order right now, and that stability is the key to his sumo. Sadanoumi has scored just a single win to date, and has not defeated Hokutofuji in 3 attempts.

Takarafuji vs Takayasu – They do seem to have Takayasu’s matches pinned to the middle of the torikumi now, don’t they? s today it’s Takarafuji, who has been fighting quite poorly this March, and may be headed toward one of his “dud” basho. A win today would mean Takayasu finished act 1 at 5-0, which would be a fantastic start for him. I do hope he can keep this rolling.

Ichinojo vs Endo – I think its time for Ichinojo to start showing us some big boulder sumo. No finer start to that process than to grind Endo down with 200kg of pony-tossing Mongolian sumo love. How big is big to Ichinojo… I wonder. Perhaps one day after a 20 gallon ice cream binge, he might transform into ultra-mega-nojo. Twice the size and 4x the power. Someone send him a box of Baskin Robins coupons, stat!

Daieisho vs Ura – 1-3 Ura is done with the hard part of his schedule now, its on to fighting against the lower san’yaku and the Maegashira. Today he fights Daieisho, who shares his Maegashira 1 rank. They have an even 3-3 record, so it’s down to Daieisho keeping his arms and legs inside the ride at all times, lest Ura find something to grab and tug.

Takanosho vs Abi – I admit, that Abi throw on day 4 was quite the thrill for this sumo fan. I would love to see him mix it up a lot more. Maybe a tsukaminage today? Maybe he can barrow Ura’s book of WTF sumo and really get the fans crazy with joy. Sorry, Takanosho? he has a 1-3 career deficit against Abi, so he may get to ride the lightning today.

Wakatakakage vs Hoshoryu – Two rising stars in the sumo world head to head, both in san’yaku. both at their highest ever ranks. Lets put them head to head and let the beat the stuffing out of each other. Wakatakakage has a 4-2 career advantage, and his a superior 3-1 score this March, but I think just on sheer head to head potential, this is a dead even match.

Shodai vs Onosho – Well, from that high to this low. This is going to be a grim little 15 seconds of sumo, as Onosho’s full power oshi broadside takes apart a defenseless Shodai. Grim.

Kiribayama vs Mitakeumi – A bit of a tough match for Mitakeumi to close out act 1 for him. He has only a 4-4 record against Kiribayama, and Kiribayama has been fighting pretty well this month. So I hope to see the clam, patient, stable Mitakeumi, and not that guy who loses his cool and tries to pull on the second step from the tachiai. Be a giant, immobile 180kg chunk of Ozeki and dare him to dislodge you, it will probably work.

Meisei vs Takakeisho – Takakeisho is sailing a hard line at 2-2, in a basho where he must get 8 or endure the same fate that waits Shodai. He has a reasonable decent record against Meisei, who has only a single win this basho, so hopefully a pickup for the kadoban Ozeki today.

Terunofuji vs Tamawashi – I am still trying to figure out if Terunofuji is injured or not. Just when he gets to the point I think he ought to go kyuju, he has a decent day on the clay, and I decide he’s going to be ok after all. Which Terunofuji will we get on day 5? If he really is ok now, I would expect him to be strong through the middle weekend, and put a lot of pressure on Mitakeumi for the cup.

At the top of the news, Ishiura withdrew from Haru, citing a pinched nerve in his neck. It was clear he was fairly wrecked following his day 3 match Kotonowaka, but he is likely to be gone for the rest of Haru. It’s quite a shame as he was fighting well, and at his highest career rank.

The ranks of the winless rikishi shrink again, leaving only Chiyomaru and Shodai. I am not sure what Chiyomaru has going on, but Shodai continues to be a powerless husk thanks to lingering effects of COVID-19. People around the planet have a spectrum of thoughts about COVID, but having witnessed “long COVID” up close, it can be debilitating for those unfortunate to be inflicted with it. Shodai is not doing anyone a bit of good continuing to try to compete in this state, and I have to underscore if he takes the tradition “let it heal naturally” route, he may be Jd23 Shodai before he recovers his strength.

At the end of day 4, there are two men still with perfect records: Takayasu and Mitakeumi. It’s early days, but I maintain a hope that these two are still slugging it out in act 3. Takayasu is looking great right now, and his sumo seems sharp and sure.

Highlight Matches

Kagayaki defeats Nishikigi – The Kagayaki matta broadcast exactly what he wanted to do, but for some reason Nishikigi was not ready to defend. Kagayaki applied a direct attack center mass, and got solid results today. Maybe his ring rust is resolved? Nishikigi picks up his first loss of Haru while Kagayaki improves to 2-2.

Tochinoshin defeats Ichiyamamoto – That looked more like a street fight to me, but it completely shut down Ichiyamamoto’s thrusting attacks. Not sure why Tochinoshin had decided to become a sumo pugilist, but, hey, seems to be working so far, he improves to 2-2.

Kotokuzan defeats Yutakayama – Offense was all Yutakayama, with appearing to only be capable of standing there and absorbing it. With Kotokuzan’s feed at the bales, Kotokuzan deftly stepped to the side and slapped down Yutakayama just as Yutakayama moved to finish the match. That’s Yutakayama’s first loss of the basho, as Kotokuzan improves to 2-2.

Chiyonokuni defeats Akua – Big tachiai from Akua, and for a fleeting moment he had Chiyonokuni’s right foot on the tawara, inches from defeat. But the Grumpy Badger was not going to give up and surged forward. Akua barred Chiyonokuni’s right arm, I think meaning to throw. But instead Chiyonokuni drove him down and both landed in a heap on the east side. Chiyonokuni improves to 3-1.

Kotoeko defeats Chiyomaru – Strong tachiai from Chiyomaru, who rocked Kotoeko back, but immediately went for a pull down. That loss of forward pressure let Kotoeko get a left hand outside grip, and Chiyomaru was in deep trouble. He tried to dance away and break contact, but Kotoeko had him locked up and put Chiyomaru across the bales, improving to 2-2.

Chiyotairyu defeats Kotoshoho – Zero offense from Kotoshoho today, as Chiyotairyu decided to go back to sumo thunder-god mode finally. Kotoshoho really needs to get his sumo together before he accumulates more losses. Chiyotairyu improves to 2-2.

Shimanoumi defeats Terutsuyoshi – Terutsuyoshi just cannot find an attack pattern that works against Shimanoumi, losing to him for the 11th time in his career. Today Shimanoumi pushed forward, then hit reverse gear while maintaining both hands solidly gripping Terutsuyoshi, dropping him to the clay. Both end the day at 2-2.

Myogiryu defeats Aoiyama – Not much offense from Big Dan today. Myogiryu received the first hit, immediately stepped to his left and slapped Aoiyama down while he was still launching forward. Maybe Aoiyama was distracted by the fact that he has secured Japanese citizenship today. Myogiryu improves to 3-1.

Sadanoumi defeats Wakamotoharu – Sadanoumi picks up his first win of Haru by a hearty yoritaoshi that had both men airborne for a moment. With Sadanoumi dominating this match from the tachiai, Wakamotoharu attempted an energetic utchari rescue throw at the bales, but hit the clay first. Sadanoumi improves to 1-3.

Tobizaru defeats Okinoumi – Tobizaru met Okinoumi’s tachiai head on, then immediately released pressure and stepped back. In response Okinoumi charged, running them both to the east side of the ring, where Tobizaru beautifully timed his hatakikomi to bring Okinoumi down moments before Tobizaru was forced out. Tobizaru improves to 2-2.

Hokutofuji defeats Chiyoshoma – I can only assume that Chiyoshoma discounted Hokutofuji’s legendary lower body stability when he chose to attempt a pull against Ol’Stompy. Instead, it was a fast route to an oshidashi as Hokutofuji thundered forward, sending both men over the West side salt box. Hokutofuji improves to 2-2.

Takayasu defeats Kotonowaka – Excellent exchange of facial oshi power to start, and then chest to chest with right hands inside. Oh dear, Kotonowaka, did you want to test a well-rested Takayasu’s stamina? Well, he literally can do this all day and well into the night, and still be enjoying himself. It takes him some time, but Kotonowaka figures out he’s in trouble, and begins to try and change the form of the match. But has he wiggles to escape, Takayasu stands him up a bit at a time. Takayasu finally lets Kotonowaka get his left hand on Takayasu’s belt, but he’s completely worn out, and almost seems relieved when Takayasu’s uwatenage slams him to the clay. Takayasu remains unbeaten at 4-0.

Onosho defeats Takarafuji – This match was always going to be about which rikishi could setting into their mutually incompatible mode of sumo first. The answer today was Onosho, who disrupted both attempts by Takarafuji to set his feet and pivot his upper body. Driving strongly forward, Onosho made the yorikiri work, and picked up his second win of Haru.

Hoshoryu defeats Tamawashi – These two are basically the same guy, about 12 years apart. The difference of course is speed and accumulated damage, and Hoshoryu can out react Tamawashi in every category that matters. Hoshoryu made quick work of the veteran, getting behind Tamawashi and driving him out from behind, improving to 2-2.

Kiribayama defeats Wakatakakage – This match surprised me a bit, as I expected Wakatakakage’s speed advantage to carry this fight. But one mistake is all it takes, and after the two them to evenly exchanged blow and oshi attacks, Wakatakakage found him self slightly off balance and turned to the side. Kiribayama used his hold of Wakatakakage’s left hand to strongly pull him forward, and Wakatakakage went face down to the clay. Kiribayama improves to 3-1.

Abi defeats Meisei – Hey, Abi won a match without his signature double arm thrust attack! I would love to see him mix things up a lot more, as it will make his opponents more susceptible to his primary attack form. I don’t think Meisei expected that at all, and was completely bamboozled by Abi’s kotenage, improving his score to 3-1.

Mitakeumi defeats Takanosho – Outstanding tachiai from Takanosho, he had the inside path and put Mitakeumi back on his heels. It looks like Mitakeumi lost his nerve for a moment and tried a pull, which threw away all of his forward power for a brief moment. That’s all it took for Takanosho to advance to the bales, and was a heart beat away from victory. But Mitakeumi had enough sumo left pull Takanosho forward while stepping to the side, sending Takanosho to the clay while Mitakeumi danced away. Mitakeumi remains unbeaten at 4-0.

Takakeisho defeats Daieisho – If you wanted to see two guys push the stuffing out of each other, this is your match. The early phase was a see-saw battle where each man had advantage for a moment, but could not maintain. Matters turned when Takakeisho latched on a nodowa and forcefully tossed Daieisho out of the ring by his neck. Takakeisho improves to 2-2.

Ura defeats Shodai – Its nice to see Ura pick up his first win, but Shodai is just a giant daikon shaped shell of an Ozeki right now. Please, sir. Go seek treatment for the lingering COVID effects, and come back strong. Ura improves to 1-3 via traditional grab and tug sumo resulting in okuridashi.

Terunofuji defeats Ichinojo – Simply put, Ichinojo is intimidated by Terunofuji, and has more or less lost before the tachiai. Ichinojo does attempt a belt grab at the tachiai, but Terunofuji powers forward, taking 200kg of pony tossing bolder with him. Terunofuji still does not look quite right, but improves to 3-1.