When in the middle of week one, it was clear that we would have no Yokozuna, and 2 of the three Ozeki were out, I worried that this would be a complete dud of a basho. But the athletes and the crew at the Japan Sumo Association gamberized, and delivered a fun and satisfying tournament. My compliments to everyone, as I know this was a tough one to carry. We close this tournament with an almost perfect ending given the circumstances. The hope for a new Yokozuna in 2021, the return of a potent foe to the upper ranks of sumo, with a strong statement, 13-2!, that he will return to his former rank.

Congratulations to Takakeisho for your second yusho. You broke a long drought of Ozeki yusho (Kisenosato, January 2017), and maybe we might be able to have a new Yokozuna in 2021 to take some of the pressure off of the two guys who are at the end of their competitive careers.

Congratulations to Terunofuji. I expected 10 wins from you, but you really went above and beyond. Your skills are vastly improved, your sumo is frighteningly good, and I have great hope for your future. I just worry every day about those knees.

Highlight Matches

Ichinojo defeats Chiyoshoma – Try as he might, Chiyoshoma could not move the boulder today. There was a brief moment at the start of this lengthy chest to chest match where Ichinojo tried a pull, and Chiyoshoma changed momentum. But let’s face it, Ichinojo was motivated, and there is not a rikishi, pony ride, or ice cream parlor that can endure that. Both end the November basho with 8-7 records.

Sadanoumi defeats Ishiura – Ishiura, back for his second visit from Juryo, can’t find any way to shut down Sadanoumi’s forward motion, and is quickly run off the dohyo. Ishiura was already kachi-koshi, can he return to the top division for Hatsu? Sadanoumi improves to a painful 5-10.

Meisei defeats Shimanoumi – It almost seems as is Shimanoumi’s genki spell was broken in his loss to Terunofuji, as he drops his last 3 matches to finish at 11-4. Don’t get me wrong, thats a great score. I just wish he had been able to keep up the fight. Meisei finishes November 9-6.

Chiyonokuni defeats Kotoeko – Chiyonokuni with double digit wins (10-5) for his return to the top division. A hearty kotenage, and the kanto-sho fighting spirit prize. Quite the way to return from a long absence!

Akua defeats Tokushoryu – These two went into throw postition almost at once, and it was tough to tell if it was Tokushoryu’s throw or Akua’s counter move that took the match. The shimpan called for a monoii, and video showed Tokushoryu’s hand touch the clay a fraction of a second before Akua’s face made impact. 9-6 finish for Akua, a kachi-koshi for his first trip to the top division.

Terutsuyoshi defeats Kaisei – Terutsuyoshi got to the side of Kaisei, and picks up win number 5. Rough tournament for both men, I am going to hope they can rest, recover and regroup.

Aoiyama defeats Chiyotairyu – We finally get to see the V-Twin fire up, but at a fraction of it’s normal power. It was enough to move Chiyotairyu out of his defensive stance, and thrust him out. A 6-9 finish for November for Aoiyama.

Endo defeats Hoshoryu – In spite of the high anticipation a few days ago, there was not a swarm of Darwin matches. Most of the candidates were able to avoid a 7-7 day 14 score, or had already matched against the other 7-7 rikishi. Hoshoryu’s post-tachiai press to move forward me with Endo’s pull, and out Hoshoryu could not keep his balance. Endo finishes with a kachi-koshi, Hoshoryu make-koshi.

Enho defeats Tobizaru – I think Enho rallied everything he had for this final match, and battle-swarmed Tobizaru with great effect. Tobizaru is a high energy, high rate of motion fighter, but when Enho is cranked up and attacking well, he was easily 2-1 move for move. 3-12 finish for Enho, will it save him from a big drop to Juryo?

Hokutofuji defeats Ryuden – Wow, again today we see Hokutofuji engage at close range and dominate a match. That right hand ottsuke did its job and kept Ryuden contained. He finishes with 11-4. From Maegashira 4, that puts him in perfect position for Hatsu. Perfect as in his first week is going to be absolute hell, with 2 iffy Yokozuna, 2 iffy Ozeki, and one Grand Tadpole looking to throw him off the dohyo for much needed wins.

Yutakayama defeats Kagayaki – Kagayaki really suffered this basho. The new black mawashi is completely haunted, as discussed in week 1, and no number of visits to shrines or temples will likely cure it. Go back to the gold and all may right itself. A 5-10 finish, losing after having clear advantage for almost the entire match is kind of a good summary for Kagayaki’s November.

Daieisho defeats Kotoshoho – Daieisho hits double digits (10-5) on the final day, but it took 2 matches to do it. First match, he completely dominating Kotoshoho from start to finish. When Daieisho can set up his attack and get his opponent to off balance, he is tough to stop. But the finish was deemed too close to call, and a rematch was declared. The second match was a quick dive for the edge of the ring, and another monoii. It was clear from the replay that Daieisho was airborne as Kotoshoho made contact with the dohyo, and he had his 10th win at last.

Onosho defeats Myogiryu – Nice to see Onosho finish with a win. Myogiryu is fighting at a fraction of his potential, he was completely disrupted by Onosho from the start. Onosho finishes November 7-8, Myogiryu 4-11.

Wakatakakage defeats Kotonowaka – These two changed battle plans at least twice per second, with hands and feet shifting to adjust. Kotonowaka eventually was able to wrap up Wakatakakagi with a bear hug to Wakatakakagi’s head. Wakatakakagi charged ahead, willing to sacrifice his own head, driving Kotonowaka from the ring. Both men finish November 7-8.

Okinoumi defeats Kiribayama – Kimarite really needs to regroup. But a make-koshi that big will take him safely away from the abattoir that will be the Hatsu joi-jin. Maybe that is some consolation.

Takayasu defeats Tamawashi – Takayasu gave a great example of why I find the form of sumo he went to as an Ozeki so bothersome. Today he reverts to his Sekiwake style, and completely dominated Tamawashi. Compare today to day 14 for Takayasu. Today his movements were focused, efficient, and no power or energy was wasted flailing around. Much better, and a well deserved kachi-koshi.

Tochinoshin defeats Takanosho – I must remark that I am delighted to see Tochinoshin in somewhat better condition this basho than I had feared. He can still fight, and has found a way to overcome the problems with that right knee. His win today puts him at 9-6, and I guess may be in the joi-jin for Hatsu. Enjoy your Christmas, big stuff. Santa’s got a whole lot of sumo for you to enjoy in January.

Mitakeumi defeats Takarafuji – Takarafuji did not quite get his defense in ordered before Mitakeumi took him apart and drove him to the clay. Whatever injuries Mitakeumi have, I hope he’s able to rest and repair starting tonight. A 7-8 finish for Takarafuji, and a strong 9-6 finish for Takarafuji.

Terunofuji defeats Takakeisho – What a finish to a fantastic basho. Both have 13-2 records, Terunofuji picked up 2 special prizes (well earned) and with 13 wins has a strong opening move to return to Ozeki. I marvel that Terunofuji kept his feet during during the two big combos that Takakeisho delivered. But the third was not enough to keep the kaiju back, and his big hands found Takakisho’s mawashi. A twist and press attack threw the Ozeki to the clay. We had a playoff for the cup!

The playoff, well Takakeisho went in calibrated that Terunofuji would be able to overcome his attack after the second wave. So 2 waves was all it took to clear the Terunofuji over the west side of the dohyo. For the world of sumo, this was the best possible ending. We have the story of Terunofuji dominant in the basho, and a strong step on the road to regaining his rank of Ozeki after falling all the way to Jonidan 48! With a Takakeisho win, we have the seeds of possibly the next Yokozuna, which will be put to the test in January, where we may lose one or both of the current Grand Champions.

With that, Tachiai concludes our daily highlghts for this November basho. Thank you, dear readers, for sharing our love of sumo, and spending your time on our site.

Some genuinely sloppy sumo today, but once again Hokutofuji stood out as showing better sumo than what I have seen from him in a while. Before he took a fairly brutal concussion in 2018, he was quite the rising star. That includes and 11-4 jun-yusho 3 years ago in Kyushu. But this November, his sumo, his stamina and his fighting spirit are all working together. He has at least 9 wins at Maegashira 4, and him finishing at least 10-5 is not out of the question. Given what I expect for Hatsu, he could be in for quite a ride near the top of the rank and file. I did, in fact, pick him to once again show off “the most powerful make-koshi in all of sumo” this month, but he has shown my prediction to be way off. Thanks for the surprisingly good sumo, sir!

Highlight Matches

Chiyomaru defeats Akua – The bulbous Chiyomaru visits from from Juryo, and finds his 8th win against Akua. It was an even fight up until the point that Akua decided to try to pull Chiyomaru down. In doing so he gave up any defensive pressure, and found himself pushed out.

Chiyonokuni defeats Yutakayama – The oshi battle between these two was so intense, Chiyonokuni started shedding tape from his bandaged shoulder. He improves to 9-4 while a dejected Yutakayama takes a stroll to burn off momentum.

Chiyoshoma defeats Enho – Where has the fire pixie gone? Well, it’s down to an injury, sadly. I think that Enho’s poor performance and demotion to Juryo for Hatsu may be indications that he should just address his problems now. Chiyoshoma improves to 7-6.

Sadanoumi defeats Kaisei – In spite of one matta, the second try could not get the tachiai quiet right, but the gyoji let them continue. Sadanoumi did not waste energy building up a bit hit against Kaisei, rather focused on getting his arms around Kaisei’s chest and driving forward. Kaisei was unprepared, and quickly left the ring.

Meisei defeats Kotonowaka – Good, solid thrusting combo from Meisei to score his 8th win. He moved forward with power, and apart from one attempt to pull, Kotonowaka had nothing today. Meisei get his 8th win and is kachi-koshi for November.

Ichinojo defeats Kotoeko – Again today we get the powerful, fighting version of Ichinojo. I would hate to think he only showed up with there was a make-koshi imminent. That’s three losses in a row for Kotoeko, who had a fantastic start to this basho, but is now in genuine risk of a make-koshi. Both end the day 6-7.

Aoiyama defeats Hoshoryu – No V-Twin today from Aoiyama today, but he managed to stay mobile, and kept Hoshoryu moving around until he could time the slap down. Aoiyama improves to 5-8.

Chiyotairyu defeats Endo – Endo sniffed that something was not right, and when the tachiai finally came it was a Chiyotairyu henka. I guess Chiyotairyu wanted to take no chances scoring his 8th win, and Endo bought it. Endo drops to 6-7.

Hokutofuji defeats Tokushoryu – Hokutofuji went chest to chest with Tokushoryu, who can be pretty tough to move. But once Hokutofuji got his feet in the match, he dominated. A rescue throw attempt at the tawara was for naught, and Tokushoryu stepped out. Hokutofuji improves to 9-4.

Tochinoshin defeats Okinoumi – That’s 5 straight losses for Okinoumi, who started very strong. Okinoumi moved Tochinoshin back at the tachiai, and you could really see Tochinoshin do everything he could to keep pressure away from that right knee. Amazing sumo adaptation on his part. Once Tochinoshin was able to consolidate his grip, he moved forward for the win. 7-6 for Tochinoshin, and Okinoumi’s 8th loss for make-koshi at 5-8.

Tamawashi defeats Kagayaki – Great tachiai defense from Kagayaki, but forward power from Tamawashi was so great, you could see both of Kagayaki’s feet leave the dohyo. With no connection to earth to arrest his slide back, Kagayaki found himself at the edge of the ring in the second moment of the match. He went for a thrust down against Tamawashi, but had already stepped out. 7-6 for Tamawashi, and Kagayaki 8th loss for make-koshi at 5-8.

Takarafuji defeats Daieisho – The missing element from Daieisho’s sumo today? Mobility. He was landing thrusts well, but was not moving. I chalk this up to Takarafuji’s superior defenses, and once Daieisho’s attacks began to wane, Takarafuji took him to his chest and took over the match. Takarafuji improves to 9-4.

Onosho defeats Kotoshoho – Onosho was too far forward today, and in response Kotoshoho tried to pull him down or forward, but that simply powered Onosho’s final attack. Onosho, after opening 2-6, has rallied and may actually pull off a kachi koshi.

Wakatakakage defeats Myogiryu – Myogiryu’s opening gambit fell short of taking Wakatakakage out, and he managed to get chest to chest and stop Myogiryu’s advance. After a moment’s pause, Myogiryu rallied into Wakatakakage’s throw for a loss. Wakatakakage improves to 5-8.

Kiribayama defeats Terutsuyoshi – Kiribayama manage to shift his grip mid-match, and in doing so changed his fortunes, picking up only his 3rd win of the tournament. Both end the day with a dismal 3-10 record.

Tobizaru defeats Takayasu – As expected, it’s more Takayasu “wild man” sumo. Tobizaru deserves a lot of credit for repeatedly blasting through Takayasu’s defenses and focusing center-mass. The two broke contact and then locked up chest to chest, and stalemated. With Takayasu contained, Tobizaru worked to adjust Takayasu’s balance until he had him shoulders out past his toes, and delivered swift kick to Takayasu’s ankle, dropping him like big hair coconut. Nice combo, Tobizaru!

Terunofuji defeats Ryuden – Ryuden’s butt-sumo brought him no benefit today. But his loose mawashi really blunted Terunofuji’s attack. But the best he could manage was to slow down the inevitable. Terunofuji broke Ryuden’s grip and pushed him away, and over the bales. That’s 11-2 for Terunofuji. Nice start to an Ozeki campaign.

Takanosho defeats Mitakeumi – That’s 5 straight losses for Mitakeumi, and I am going to predict he’s got some kind of lower body mechanical problem. He’s not really able to counter anyone’s forward movement, and seems to be easy to move around the dohyo. Takanosho improves to 7-6.

Takakeisho defeats Shimanoumi – A good example of just how genki Shimanoumi is right now, he was able to absorb and survive Takakeisho’s initial combo, and even rallied to drive the Ozeki back. But it seems that was just “level 1” for Takakeisho, who dialed up the intensity and the speed. A quick step to the side while Shimanoumi was staggering forward ended the match with a win for the Ozeki, who is now the sole leader of the yusho race at 12-1.

Given the limited number of kanban rikishi in this tournament, the scheduling team has really done a masterful job of creating something out of almost nothing. They were helped by Shimanoumi’s hot streak, and a resurgence from Terunofuji. We head into the final weekend with an interesting run to the finish, and quite a lot is at stake. For Shimanoumi, it would be the latest rikishi to challenge for the cup going into the final weekend from the bottom of the banzuke. In fact, each basho this year has had someone below M12 in serious contention going into day 13.

For Terunofuji, he has stated in all seriousness that he is aiming to return to Ozeki. He has already taken a first step by hitting 10 wins by day 12, and can only improve from here. A yusho would likely be in the 12-13 win range, and that is quite the start to an Ozeki run. If he can pull off a return to sumo’s second highest rank, it would be one of sumo’s great stories of this era.

Lastly, for Takakeisho, a yusho in November adds a thick layer of savory curry to what is already shaping up to be a brutal and intense Hatsu basho. An Ozeki yusho for him would put him on the launch pad to become the 73rd Yokozuna. I know the YDC seems eager to force the aging, Mongolian Yokozuna intai, but frankly the current Ozeki corps is in tatters, and it would be unwise to push Hakuho or Kakuryu towards the barber before the NSK can resume normal training operations.

November Leaderboard

Leaders – Takakeisho, Shimanoumi
Chaser – Terunofuji
Hunter – Ryuden

3 Matches Remain

Selected Matches

Aoiyama vs Hoshoryu – A win today for Hoshoryu would seal his kachi-koshi. It’s his first match against Aoiyama, and that initial encounter has proven brutal for other rising stars. But Big Dan is not quite up to his normal levels of power and fight this November, so it’s anyone’s guess how this will go.

Takarafuji vs Daieisho – Both are kachi-koshi, so this one is all about rank. The career record is 6-6, and this is a big battle of styles. Daieisho is going to move and strike, and Takarafuji will defend and extend. I am looking for Takarafuji to tangle up one of Daieisho’s arms early.

Tobizaru vs Takayasu – I can see Tobizaru’s dissapointment daily as he mounts the dohyo. He had a lot of hopes for his first visit to a much depleted joi-jin during this basho, but most rikishi get torn up and thrown out sideways. So his experience is no surprise. I am expecting Takayasu to do more “wild man” sumo, and I would really like to see Tobizaru exploit some large movement of an arm or leg from Takayasu to drop him to the clay. More likely, Takayasu is going to knock him into next week. This is their first time meeting.

Terunofuji vs Ryuden – Oh yes indeed. It’s time to test kaiju powers vs whatever happened in Ryuden’s butt. My money is on the kaiju, but I do worry about Ryuden’s shiri-zumo, which as already claimed a number of scalps. A win by Terunofuji today would shunt him into the group that will battle it out for the cup this weekend. I can’t wait to see how that goes. This is, in fact, their first battle.

Mitakeumi vs Takanosho – Both Sekiwake at 6-6, kind of miserable given that there is just the one Ozeki to rough them up. But they are going to fight for win #7 today, and both need to win 2 out of the next 3 to survive at this rank. It’s almost assured that Terunofuji is going to take one of their slots, or force a 3rd come January.

Takakeisho vs Shimanoumi – The big match we are all eager to see. Its going to be the first step that decides this one in all likelihood. If we see Shimanoumi get that left hand close to Takakeisho’s belt, its going to be his match to control. But I am looking for Takakeisho to hit him with both arms at the tachiai, and possibly put him into a ballistic trajectory toward the Sumida river.