If you are the kind of person who enjoys distilled for fermented beverages, its time to consider laying in a healthy supply for this basho. There are early signs its going to be an odd one. There is not much you can tell only 2 days in, but a couple of things are already showing themselves. First of are the Maegashira 2 pair: Kotonowaka and Ichinojo. Not only have they started 2-0, they are fighting like they are just getting warmed up. In the case of Kotonowaka, that includes knocking off 2 Ozeki so far, with the third one on tap today. I would also like to note stand out matches from Tamawashi and “Big Dan” Aoiyama in the first two days. They are also part of the 2-0 start crowd, and have been known to compete for the cup into week 2.

In other news, the crummy results coming from the top ranks continue to stink up the place. I think I will start with Grand Sumo Breakdown’s tweet.

For the first 113 years of recorded daily matchups there was never a basho where all San'yaku rikishi had one loss after 2 days. After the past 2 basho that has now happened twice in history.

— Grand Sumo Breakdown (@GSumoBreakdown) July 11, 2022

One loss per rikishi is bad, but then we have knuckleheads like Shodai (who is kadoban) and Daieisho at 0-2. Anyone can have a bad tournament, but this seems to be systemic. I expect the grumpy old men who advise sumo (YDC), along with Isegahama Oyakata to commence grumbling immediately following the basho.

Ok – end on a better note. Returning former Ozeki Asanoyama fights his second match tonight. If you are able to watch it via one of the pirate streams of Abema, he should be on around 11 PM Eastern / 8:00 PM Pacific in the last few matches of Sandanme.

What We Are Watching Day 3

Yutakayama vs Chiyomaru – Chiyomaru had a day off thanks to his fusensho over Daiamami. He has yet to win a match in July. He faces 2-0 Yutakayama who holds an 8-4 career advantage over the “round one”. My hunch is Chiyomaru going for a pull or slap down in the first 2 steps.

Nishikifuji vs Oho – Given the number of journeymen maegashira who are in the bottom half of the banzuke this time around, rikishi like Nishikifuji may find it tough going trying to pick up his 8. Both he and opponent Oho have 1-1 middling starts to Nagoya, and Nishikifuji needs to overcome the 1-4 career deficit he has against Oho.

Myogiryu vs Onosho – It’s a bit early, but I worry that Onosho is having on of “those” basho, at the exact moment he can’t afford to do so. All the way down an M15, a strong losing record could kick him out of the top division all together. He should be able to beat the stuffing out of everyone down there, but instead he has a cold 0-2 start. He has a 10-3 career advantage over Myogiryu, so maybe he can halt the losing streak (6 matches) today.

Tsurugisho vs Takarafuji – Also part of the dismal 0-2 crowd is Takarafuji, who is in better form this basho than May, and actually seems to be able to transmit power to ground right now. How he’s 0-2 is unknown, but likely lingering effects of injuries in the past. Tsurugisho will want to run “big man sumo” against Takarafuji’s defensive sumo style. Could be an interesting clash of techniques.

Terutsuyoshi vs Ichiyamamoto – Mirror image records, with Terutsuyoshi arriving with 0-2, and Ichiyamamoto brining his 2-0 record to the dohyo today. There is no denying that Ichiyamamoto has opened up strong in Nagoya, but I have to hope that Terutsuyoshi can turn things around at some point this July. He finished May with a dreadful 5-10, and really needs a strong kachi-koshi this month.

Chiyoshoma vs Midorifuji – I am only slightly surprised that Chiyoshoma is part of the 2-0 crowd, he seems to have been carefully working away to tune up his sumo for the past couple of years. Gone are the days when he used every slimy gimmick possible, and now he fights with solid straight ahead sumo. He shares a 2-2 career record with Midorifuji, so an even match up today.

Chiyotairyu vs Kotoshoho – Both are bringing 1-1 records to the dohyo today. I worry that the only sumo Chiyotairyu has left to him right now is the “stand them up, slap them down” combo that has been every match he has won in 2022. It still works some of the time, but people will come to rely on it and anticipate it.

Meisei vs Kotoeko – Another pair of 1-1 rikishi who are similar in that they are compact, highly agile fighters with a lot of strength. I am looking forward to see who wins, as I think Kotoeko is still working through some ring rust.

Tochinoshin vs Shimanoumi – Shimanoumi turned in a 7-8 make-koshi in May, and has continued to look unimpressive in Nagoya. counting his matches in May, he has now lost 6 in a row. I was disappointed on day 2 when Tochinoshin got his left hand outside grip, but could not set his feet for the “skycrane” move. Perhaps we may get to see it today.

Nishikigi vs Hokutofuji – Nishikigi (2-0) has rather poor eyesight. So, his sumo is simple. Go hug the other guy, hold on like your life depended on it, and wait to find your opening to win. Thus far its worked twice, and he seems to be doing quite well. He’s up against 1-1 Hokutofuji, who a can beat any opponent if his stars align.

Aoiyama vs Okinoumi – There has been a parade of grizzled veterans that are in the middle of the banzuke fighting each other. These two have a 30 match history going back 10 years to 2012. Over the decades, its been an 18-12 advantage for Okinoumi, but today I think Aoiyama’s hot streak may be more of an indicator.

Tobizaru vs Sadanoumi – This may be the day that Sadanoumi picks up his first white star. He has been fighting well, but caught a flubber wave on day 1 from Aoiyama, and got boxed up and sent to the wrong forwarding address by Wakamotoharu on day 2. So today may be his day, if the flying monkey can be tamed.

Tamawashi vs Endo – We have not yet had enough of grizzled vets pounding on each other, so lets have these two long-suffering guys fight it out. Tamawashi has taken 16 of their 29 career matches, and I personally think that Endo is on his last year or two of his active competition career. So lets see some sand, clay and sweat today, gentlemen!

Hoshoryu vs Ichinojo – I hope Ichinojo stays genki all 15 days. A rampaging boulder is something we have not been allowed to enjoy for years, and why not now? He’s got Hoshoryu, who has hopefully watched some of the older, healthy Ichinojo footage in the archives to see what its like to fight him. Word of advice? Prepare to be pony tossed.

Wakamotoharu vs Daieisho – First ever match up, and I am looking for Daieisho to win this one. He’s really got to be very disappointed with his 0-2 start, and today is an excellent day for him to fix that. He needs to keep Wakamotoharu away from his mawashi, and be careful not to open up his chest.

Wakatakakage vs Ura – Back to back Onami brothers, a solid draw for the second half of day 3 in Nagoya. I am sure they are hoping for a picture of Wakamotoharu passing Wakatakakage the chikara mizu. I admit, I want to see that too. Ura tries to get his first ever win over Wakatakakage and I think he is as inventive today as he was day 2 against Abi, he has a chance.

Abi vs Mitakeumi – Mitakeumi has a 9-3 career advantage over Abi, and he was one of the first to get a solid combo to break the Abi double arm thrusting attack consistently. Mitakeumi seems to be hit or miss right now, and his lack of training (due to injury) in the run up to Nagoya is certainly a cause for concern. Both are 1-1 to start today.

Takakeisho vs Kotonowaka – I continue to eagerly await the return of Takakeisho’s famous double arm mega-thrusts. We have not seen it in many months, and it’s why his performance has been flagging. I am going to assume it is somehow related to an injury. If Kotonowaka can take him down today, that will be all 3 Ozeki scalps, which will make him eligible for a “bonus life” the the boss fight.

Kiribayama vs Shodai – What is sumo going to do with Shodai? He has proven that when he is healthy, engaged and eating plenty of boogers he can with matches against anyone. But none of that seems to be happening, not even the boogers. He has a 7-2 career record over Kiribayama, but that may not matter today.

Terunofuji vs Takanosho – I would love to see a repeat of his 2 to technique. Lock up Takanosho and just grind him down until he’s limp, rubbery and ready to be placed in a greased cookie sheet, then handed over to Tamawashi for frosting.

As we mentioned in the lead up to the start of the basho, this was the first tournament following the end of Asanoyama’s 1 year suspension, which saw him drop from Ozeki down to Sandanme 22. Day two was his first match, which he won decisively. I expect he will work his way back through the ranks, and we may see him take the Sandanme yusho this month. If he still is backing Ozeki quality sumo, he should make a fast march up the banzuke.

Maegashira 16w Daiamami has gone kyujo with an injury to his left ankle. As a result, Chiyomaru got a fusensho, or default win. It is possible for Daiamami to return later in the tournament if his ankle improves.

There is still trouble in the Ozeki ranks, as yet again only a single one managed a win today. I worry we may have 2 Ozekiwake for September.

Highlight Matches

Hidenoumi defeats Nishikifuji – Hidenoumi continues his absolute dominance over Nishikifuji, increasing his career record to 4-0. Hidenoumi took control at the tachiai, moving forward with power and then pulling Nishikifuji down. Both men end the day at 1-1.

Yutakayama defeats Onosho – Onosho was in control of this match, overpowering Yutakayama from the start. But it may be the case that yet again, Onosho’s questionable balance robbed him of a chance to win. As he was driving Yutakayama out, Yutakayama was able to thrust Onosho down in the fraction of a second before he himself stepped out. The judges wanted to review it, but upheld the gyoji’s decision. Yutakayama improves to 2-0.

Oho defeats Tsurugisho – Tsurugisho attempt at a left hand frontal grip at the tachiai missed, and from that moment on, he was struggling to find any offense. Oho drove forward with pressure as close as he could get to center mass, but managed to bring Tsurugisho down. To me it looked like Tsurugisho’s right knee gave out, but it was ruled an uwatenage. Both end the day 1-1

Chiyoshoma defeats Myogiryu – Chiyoshoma went for a pull immediately from the tachiai, but had to haul on Myogiryu’s multiple times to get him off balance. It did, eventually, work, and Chiyoshoma improves to 2-0.

Ichiyamamoto defeats Takarafuji – Takarafuji had an open road to put Ichiyamamoto out of the ring and win the match, but was off balance and could not deliver. What resulted was a standing stalemate at the center of the dohyo that rolled into a Takarafuji attack combo. As Takarafuji was driving Ichiyamamoto out, Ichiyamamoto managed a throw at the bales to bring Takarafuji down first. Ichiyamamoto improves to 1-1.

Kotoshoho defeats Terutsuyoshi – Terutsuyoshi tried a diving tachiai, but Kotoshoho was prepared and captured him and took control of the match. Terutsuyoshi responded with a left hand inside grip, but Kotoshoho used that grip as the fulcrum for a kotenage, giving him his first win at Nagoya for 1-1.

Midorifuji defeats Meisei – Meisei attempted to overpower Midorifuji, and it nearly worked. Meisei came out strong at the tachiai, and moved Midorifuji back three times, the forth charge, Midorifuji stepped to the side, circled away and pused Meisei out. Excellent reactive sumo, both end the day 1-1.

Chiyotairyu defeats Shimanoumi – Traditional Chiyotairyu sumo, stand him up, then slap him down. He picks up his first win of Nagoya and is 1-1.

Nishikigi defeats Kotoeko – Nishikigi stayed compact and forceful, shutting down any route Kotoeko was trying to open to attack. What won the match was Nishikigi’s grip change that set up the throw, putting Kotoeko on the clay, Nishikigi now 2-0.

Okinoumi defeats Tochinoshin – Tochinoshin gets his left hand outside grip at the tachiai, and gets to work. Okinoumi counters with a morozashi double inside grip, and inch by inch works Tochinoshin back, stepping him over the bales while the former Ozeki was looking for the power to try a lift. Both are 1-1.

Hokutofuji defeats Tobizaru – Hokutofuji has never lost to Tobizaru, and that did not change today. I liked how Hokutofuji kept changing attack plans, not letting Tobizaru settle into offense or defense. As a result, Hokutofuji commanded the match, and finished it with a flying yorikiri that sent Tobizaru out into the stands to say hello to the local population. Both are 1-1.

Aoiyama defeats Endo – For fans who wonder about me describing Aoiyama’s big attack as the “V-Twin”, you can see it in action today. Both hands up in a simultaneous thrust. It absolutely blasted Endo back and left him no chance to escape or recover. Aoiyama picks up his second win and is 2-0.

Wakamotoharu defeats Sadanoumi – The two traded heavy pushes at the start of the match, with Wakamotoharu transitioning to an improvised shoulder hold, which Wakamotoharu used to toss Sadanoumi off of the dohyo. He picks up his first win and advances to 1-1.

Ura defeats Abi – I guess I would call what Ura did a “lateral tachiai”. I think Abi was expecting some shenanigans, but found himself out of position and off balance. Ura lunged back in and struck center mass, propelling Abi immediately out. Nice henka variation, Ura improves to 1-1.

Tamawashi defeats Wakatakakage – Tamawashi’s first hit was a bit one, and caught Wakatakakage in between steps, and he fell to the clay. Sorry about the Ozeki run sir, it’s harder than it looks. Tamawashi improves to 2-0.

Ichinojo defeats Daieisho – I admire Daieisho’s brass, going straight into Ichinojo. But a healthy rested Ichinojo is a force of nature. Daieisho is merely baggage in Ichinojo’s festive romp and is quickly ejected. Ichinojo improves to 2-0.

Takakeisho defeats Hoshoryu – Takakeisho opened with a brutal neck attack, and left Hoshoryu off balance and out of step. The resulting move was labeled a throw, but that would never happen with Takakeisho’s tiny stump arms. I not with some trepidation that we have not seen any wave-action tsuppari from Takakeisho in a long time. Takakeisho improves to 1-1.

Takanosho defeats Shodai – Takanosho lands a nodowa, grabs Shodai bodily and tosses him out like last night’s sushi. I am not sure what has robbed Shodai of it’s sumo, but I am willing to set up a go fund me to buy it back for him. Takanosho improves to 1-1.

Kotonowaka defeats Mitakeumi – At least for now, Kotonowaka, is showing so very good sumo, and he’s collecting Ozeki scalps. This is usually a sign that he will contend for a durable berth in the named ranks soon. The challenge being that the san’yaku is occupied by some very capable rikishi. Maybe Ichinojo can help him clear some of that out. Mitakeumi had some good power in today’s match, but could not find a way to turn it into any kind of effective offense. Kotonowaka wrapped and bagged him up, and took the match to improve to 2-0.

Terunofuji defeats Kiribayama – This was a much more satisfying match. Terunofuji wrapped up Kiribayama, shutting down Kiribayama’s offense and passivating him. The Yokozuna then went to work grinding down his stamina. As Kiribayama tired, Terunofuji improved his grip until he had enough advantage to walk Kiribayama out. Terunofuji improves to 1-1.

Day one landed with a wet thud in my book. There was some fine intensity, but as a whole the matches had a lot of pulling kimarite. Nothing wrong with making your opponent lose when they are off balance, but why are so many rikishi off balance? You can add to that the spate of losses between Yokozuna Terunofuji and 2 of the 3 Ozeki, and it’s kind of a poor excuse for day 1. Hopefully they can tune up quickly and be closer to their expected fighting form. As for Terunofuji, I expect that his knees are not well right now, and we may see him kyujo before the middle weekend. I know he wants to tough it out, and that’s a great way to lose a Yokozuna. Of course on one of the Ozeki could step up and take the rope… oh wait.

But for day 2 – we get to see Asanoyama fight for the first time in a year. He is ranked Sandanme 22w, and he’s going to be going up against Goshimaru, who has been as high as Makushita 28 in 2020. He’s from Musashigawa stable, so I wonder if the former Wakaichiro knows much about him. Hope he spent the morning working on his safe falling techniques.

With an apology to the readers of Tachiai, my coverage may be a handed off to others in the team during this basho. There has been (no other way to describe this) and absolute tragedy visited upon my family, and there will be times I have to attend to that. I am thankful to the rest of the contributors to the blog, and I hope you will enjoy the times that they step in for me.

What We Are Watching Day 2

Nishikifuji vs Hidenoumi – Today’s Juryo visitor is Hidenoumi, who was last ranked in the top division in January, but was kyujo for the Hatsu basho and swiftly punted back to Juryo. He has never lost to Nishikifuji, so this will be an interesting one to watch. Many times rikishi who are in their debut top division tournament some how tap some hidden reserve of energy and turn in “best ever” scores.

Chiyomaru vs Daiamami – Chiyomaru not catching any breaks on day 2 as he goes up against Daiamami, who has completely dominated their 13 prior matches, holding an 11-2 record against the oblate spheroid of sumo. Daiamami usually ends up with a yorikiri win, and Chiyomaru struggles with him due to a combination of low center of gravity and excellent strength.

Onosho vs Yutakayama – Speaking of wet thuds, one of the larger ones was Onosho getting too far forward and taking a face full of clay on day 1. He needs to be carful this far down the banzuke, or he could end up helping to row the Juryo barge of the damned in 2 weeks time. For Onosho, it’s all down to balance, and keeping his weight centered while pressing ahead.

Oho vs Tsurugisho – Oho would do well to put a couple of wins together for act 1, before winning becomes imperative. I think he has a good chance against Tsurugisho, whom he last fought in March and won with a solid oshitaoshi. Tsurugisho is coming off of a day 1 win, and may have a bit of a bonus from that energy.

Myogiryu vs Chiyoshoma – Both won their day 1 matches, so one of the two will get their first loss today. Both are surprisingly far down the banzuke given their history, their skill and their strengths. I would expect that Myogiryu has a bit of an edge, just because Chiyoshoma tends to be eager to attack, and Myogiryu may wait him out and let him over commit.

Ichiyamamoto vs Takarafuji – At Maegashira 12, Takarafuji should be cleaning up. We should be able to tell what kind of condition he is in by the end of act 1, but right now I am worried that the trouble he had with injury in May is still plaguing his sumo. He has never lost to Ichiyamamoto, so today’s match could be a solid indication of which way his sumo is headed this month.

Kotoshoho vs Terutsuyoshi – Both lost their day 1 matches with some clumsy sumo, so today one of them will get their first win. I think that this is a very even match, but I personally would prefer to see Kotoshoho get the white star today.

Midorifuji vs Meisei – Meisei won his day 1 match against Kotoshoho, and looked very much dominant and in charge. I think he will give 0-1 Midorifuji a strong fight today, and I would not be surprised to see Meisei end the day at 2-0.

Shimanoumi vs Chiyotairyu – Another match up between rikishi who lost their opening fight. The fact that Chiyotairyu move from forward sumo to pulling on the second step tells me that he’s not in good physical order, and we are going to see him hobble through this tournament.

Kotoeko vs Nishikigi – I think this could be a fun match, Kotoeko has a 5-1 career advantage over Nishikigi, and will likely dominate this fight. But I can’t help but think about Nishikigi’s 40 kg size advantage, and thank that if Nishikigi can get a solid hand hold, he might find a path to victory today. I note that Kotoeko had a 5-0 win streak going until they fought at Natsu, where Nishikigi was able to deliver a winning uwatenage. Can he do it again?

Okinoumi vs Tochinoshin – Battle of the injured grizzled veterans, they have a 20 match history that favors Tochinoshin 11-9. Okinoumi’s day 1 loss to Tobizaru looked a bit off his normal sumo, and I think that maybe he was just being careful, and got in a bad spot he could not remedy before Tobizaru put him on the deck. If Tochinoshin gets his favorite grip, you may not be in the ring for long.

Hokutofuji vs Tobizaru – I joke about Hokutofuji having “The most powerful make-koshi in all of sumo”, but its about time for him to rally and actually have a good tournament. He had a loss on day one against Tochinoshin, but I would love to see him even up with a win today over Tobizaru. In fact, Hokutofuji has a 5-0 record over the flying monkey.

Endo vs Aoiyama – Its “Big Dan” Aoiyama vs Endo in the “Pants off dance off” today near the middle of the torikumi. I am still working to process how a man of that size could be so agile, amazing. Hopefully Endo gets a front grip and keeps him from employing a sudden “brisé” that leaves the crowd gasping.

Wakamotoharu vs Sadanoumi – Both of these capable rikishi lost their day 1 matches. Sadanoumi was left stunned as Aoiyama leaped away from the bales, and Wakamotoharu was just plain out hustled by Endo. Hopefully ring-rust for both of them, and I personally would rather see Wakamotoharu take the win today. I am hoping he continues his careful, methodical grind up the banzuke. Sadanoumi has a dominant 5-0 record over Wakamotoharu.

Ura vs Abi – Fresh from giving the Yokozuna a hearty shove off of the western edge of the dohyo, he comes to call on Ura. Abi has a 3-1 career record over Ura, but I am looking for Ura to get a hold of one of those comically long arms and give it a solid tug forward.

Wakatakakage vs Tamawashi – Wakatakakage fans had the word “Ozeki” on their mind in the days leading up to the basho. But Ichinojo gave him a sniff of just where his sumo is right now, and it probably is not quite up to the smell test yet. He can try to bounce back against Tamawashi, whom he holds a 5-1 career advantage over. All Tamawashi needs is one big, meaty hand in the right place, and Wakatakakage will be in trouble.

Ichinojo vs Daieisho – The boulder is looking genki, and everyone except Terunofuji should be concerned. What normally slows the boulder down are chronic back problems, but if he was able to improve that during his COVID kyujo in May, he’s going to possibly contend for the yusho. Daieisho’s best hope would be to get him tangled up and push like mad while he’s off balance.

Takakeisho vs Hoshoryu – Takakeisho will need to do a much better job of guarding his mawashi than he did against Kiribayama on day 1. We know Hoshoryu is quite competent in yotsu-zumo, so I expect him to make at least a couple of grabs for the Ozeki’s bet. I hope Takakeisho makes him pay. Takakeisho holds a 4-1 career advantage.

Takanosho vs Shodai – Shodai… come on man.

Kotonowaka vs Mitakeumi – Both won their day 1 matches, and I think I would give Kotonowaka a slight edge today given Mitakeumi’s injury status and lack of training in the lead up to the Nagoya basho. Kotonowaka is about 1 or two improvements away from his first attempt at an Ozeki run himself, so this is excellent training for him.

Terunofuji vs Kiribayama – Terunofuji did not look dominant on day 1. I hope it was just a poorly placed step or some minor problem with his day 1 fight plan. But I do expect him to rest that knee before the end of the middle weekend. I would guess that Terunofuji intimidates Kiribayama just by being Terunofuji. He has never beaten the Yokozuna in 7 attempts.

You might read this post and think you had stumbled on one of my introductory rants from May. But sadly the headline topic has not really changed in the last two months. The Yokozuna and Ozeki corps is in shambles. 1 win and 3 losses for the opening day. It’s true that high temperature and high humidity really accelerate rust and other forms of oxidation, but I don’t think all of what we saw from the top men can be chalked up to ring-rust today. In fact only Mitakeumi and both Komusubi (Abi and Hoshoryu) were able to get a white star today. A pathetic 3-5 for the “top men of sumo”.

Hat tip to Ichinojo for showing us sumo fans what happens when you hang out in the heya for 4 months eating ice cream and bench pressing ponies due to COVID kyujo in May.

Highlight Matches

Ryuden defeats Chiyomaru – Excellent strategy from Ryuden, who focused on controlling Chiyomaru’s lower body while Chiyomaru attempted to attack the face / neck of Ryuden. Ryuden was able to get a grip around that enormous belly of Chiyomaru, and walked the round man out for his first win. 7 more of those this month and Ryuden will be back in the top division for Aki, he starts 1-0.

Nishikifuji defeats Daiamami – Debut match for Nishikifuji, and his tachiai was strong and sharp, and it overwhelmed whatever Daiamami had in mind to start the match. Daiamami panicked and tried to pull him down, but that just fueled Nishikifuji’s charge. He starts his Makuuchi career with a win at 1-0.

Yutakayama defeats Oho – Did we want a brute strength chest to chest power pushing contest? Why, yes we did! Tons of effort from both men, and no one could maintain an advantage or establish a grip. Oho does manage to get a right hand outside hold, but its flimsy and Yutakayama locks him up in the center of the dohyo and there they stay. Stalemated, Yutakayama tries a grip change, and gets just enough weight shift that he can move Oho back and out. What a fight! Yutakayama starts Nagoya 1-0.

Tsurugisho defeats Onosho – Tsurugisho wisely exploited Onosho’s greatest weakness – his tendency to get his weight too far forward. He makes quick work with a hikiotoshi, netting a 1-0 start.

Myogiryu defeats Takarafuji – I am holding out hope that Takarafuji has recovered from whatever injury caused his terrible 4-11 finish at Natsu, and he looked strong and steady today. He quickly was able to set up defensive position, and contained Myogiryu’s attacks. With Myogiryu near the tawara, Takarafuji put his right hand on Myogiryu’s chest and moved him back, but Myogiryu answered with a hatakikomi. A monoii showed that Takarafuji touched a hand down while Myogiryu was still in the air, giving Myogiryu a 1-0 start to Nagoya.

Chiyoshoma defeats Terutsuyoshi – Chiyoshoma did a great job of tangling up Terutsuyoshi, and shutting down all attempts at offense. With his first two attack forms shut down, he attempted some manner of Ura style shoulder lift (sori), and I give high marks to Chiyoshoma for collapsing that one and stampeding Terutsuyoshi directly out. Chiyoshoma 1-0.

Ichiyamamoto defeats Midorifuji – Ichiyamamoto is, at times, better at applying Abi-zumo than even Abi is. He showed great skill and dexterity getting his hands inside and connecting to Midorifuji’s upper chest. From the moment that the first cluster landed, Midorifuji to keep his feet, and found himself moved back and quickly out. Ichiyamamoto starts 1-0, and looked in excellent form today.

Meisei defeats Kotoshoho – Meisei had a lot of lateral power today, repeatedly batting away Kotoshoho’s probing attacks. As the match progressed, Meisei continued to disrupt Kotoshoho’s balance a piece at a time, until he was able to swat him down, improving to 1-0.

Kotoeko defeats Chiyotairyu – A quick match that paired Kotoeko’s forward charge and Chiyotairyu’s pulling response. Both crashed out of the dohyo, which led to a monoii. A rematch was called, and in the second fight, Kotoeko kept a hold of Chiyotairyu and drove him from the ring to be awarded the win. 1-0 for Kotoeko.

Nishikigi defeats Shimanoumi – Nishikigi set up right hand inside straight from the tachiai, and never let up. Shimanoumi tried to counter, but could not break that hold, or lessen its effect. Nishikigi dropped his hips and walked forward, taking the win with a solid oshidashi to start 1-0.

Tochinoshin defeats Hokutofuji – Surprisingly short match given the amount of sumo that took place. Hokutofuji got his hands inside and looked to set up a lot of forward pressure. As he pressed forward, Tochinoshin deftly pivoted his shoulders and unbalanced Hokutofuji. Hokutofuji stumbled forward, and Tochinoshin finished him with a slap down. 1-0 for Tochinoshin.

Tobizaru defeats Okinoumi – Tobizaru continues his dominance over Okinoumi (5-2 now) with some wild and frantic sumo. The entire match was Okinoumi trying to passivate Tobizaru and wrap him up, with Tobizaru refusing to let his hands go quiet. A strong tug forward by Tobizaru lowered Okinoumi’s upper body, and then somehow Tobizaru was able to pull him down from there. I have watch the finish of that match a few times, and I am still not quite sure the human body can work that way. Tobizaru starts 1-0.

Aoiyama defeats Sadanoumi – If you take a look at Aoiyama, you see a giant pasty-white pile of flab and blubber with pendulous man-breasts. You would think this kind of guy would have a giant easy chair with a built in beer fridge, and would be parked in that thing all day every day watching sports. Ok, maybe so, but then what the hell was that? An agile, dare I say graceful escape at the tawara to put speed demon Sadanoumi on the deck and dance away with a win. The monoii confirmed it, and “Big Dan’s” invitation to try out for the Bolshoi is certain.

Endo defeats Wakamotoharu – Endo gets his hands inside at the tachiai, and Wakamotoharu can’t find any way to disarm Endo’s thrusting attack center mass. It’s three quick steps and Wakamotoharu is out of the ring to hand Endo a day 1 win at 1-0. Solid sumo from Endo.

Hoshoryu defeats Ura – Ura had a bit of a late tachiai, and that split second probably gave Hoshoryu everything he needed to set up the superior position as the two connected chest to chest. Ura dialed up the forward pressure to try and dislodge Hoshoryu, and Hoshoryu responded by pivoting his shoulders, and pulling Ura forward. It worked perfectly and the man in the pink mawashi hit the deck. Hoshoryu starts 1-0.

Tamawashi defeats Daieisho – You can watch this match, and it does not look like much, but note Tamawashi’s combo blows to Daieisho’s head, rapid right-left hits within moments of each other. Tamawashi is not a small or underpowered fellow, so I would liken that to being struck in the head with a cricket bat in rapid side to side succession. Yeah, I would hit the clay too. Tamawashi 1-0.

Ichinojo defeats Wakatakakage – People love Wakatakakage, and for good reason. He’s got wonderful technique, he wins a lot, he’s a handsome fellow. But sometimes being enormous is a valid sumo strategy. Especially when that enormity has had 4 months to train and rest. Ichinojo 1-0.

Kotonowaka defeats Shodai – Shodai pulls a well positioned Kotonowaka, and eats a face full of oshi. Points to Kotonowaka for working that one perfect, and puss-bucket Shodai is now 0-4 against Kotonowaka. Pull it together Shodai, or it’s Ozekiwake for you.

Mitakeumi defeats Takanosho – Well, at least Mitakeumi got the memo about being kadoban. This guy has been hurt since May, and had really not trained for this tournament, so it’s going to be a tough and rocky road to day 15 for him. Today he kept his sumo low and focused, and overcame a last moment pull / slap down from Takanosho to pick up his first win. Mitakeumi 1-0.

Kiribayama defeats Takakeisho – Takakeisho had a good start, but could not keep Kiribayama away from his belt. As a result, Kiribayama captured him and put him across the bales with a yorikiri. Kiribayama 1-0.

Abi defeats Terunofuji – Yeah, this one did not look good. My compliments to Abi for getting that arm lock and swinging Terunofuji out. Improvised but brilliant none the less. As is always the case, it’s all a matter of Terunofuji’s knees and being able to actually fight. I wonder if maybe he’s going to be kyujo in week one. Abi 1-0.