I am delighted to say that the first two days of November have been a real treat to this sumo fan. Some times these basho start and everyone looks pretty fuzzy and not quite ready to compete. For the most part all of the rikishi are delivering quality sumo, and the matches have featured a lot of power, fighting spirit and vigor.

But I think a special mention today must go to Terunofuji. How humbling must it be to go from sumo’s second highest rank to as close to the bottom of the banzuke as anyone would ever care to fall? It takes a special kind of focus to say to yourself, “Nah, I can make it back.” and then do it. Today we got to see an example of his former self, from the days around his yusho, when he was unstoppable. I wish him good health and continued success. He is a marvel to watch fight when he is no his sumo.

Highlight Matches

Chiyoshoma defeats Akiseyama – Please, nobody be surprised that Chiyoshoma resorted to a henka – it’s what he does. It won’t be the last one he uses this tournament.

Shimanoumi defeats Chiyotairyu – Chiyotairyu put all of his effort into Shimanoumi’s face, while Shimanoumi endured the pain and discomfort to focus center-mass. I can only guess that Chiyotairyu was looking for a quick slap down, but instead found himself without any defense. Shimanoumi improves to 2-0.

Chiyonokuni defeats Akua – Akua is off to a rough start. He charged straight into Chiyonokuni’s soft tachiai, extending his body to make chest to chest contact when Chiyonokuni was not as far forward as anticipated. This left Akua terribly off balance, and Chiyonokuni simply helped him continue the motion down to the clay. Chiyonokuni with a solid 2-0 start.

Kotonowaka defeats Ichinojo – I could see Ichinojo’s frustration as he switched from thrusting to pulling. Kotonowaka was ready for that, he drove forward and took Ichinojo out. 2-0 start for Kotonowaka, in a match that Ichinojo dominated early.

Hoshoryu defeats Yutakayama – Yutakayama looked better today than he has in a while, but it was not enough to overcome an impressively patient Hoshoryu. I have to compliment Hoshoryu on his excellent foot placement, which gave him the stability to shut down Yutakayama’s initial offensive gambit. With Yutakayama stalemated at the center of the dohyo, Hoshoryu employed a leg trip to win the match. 2-0 start for Hoshoryu.

Kaisei defeats Enho – I cannot describe what Enho attempted – I saw references to the Kama Sutra on Twitter, and maybe that’s close enough. It failed in spectacular fashion, leaving Enho frustrated at his 0-2 start, and Kaisei puzzled and slightly anxious.

Ryuden defeats Sadanoumi – I had mused in the preview that these two might deliver quite the battle, and I have to say they did! It was chest to chest from the start, and neither man could find an advantage. With the mawashi battle continuing to swing back and forth, it was seasoned with tripping attempts, throw set ups and a final mutual launch over the edge of the dohyo.

Kotoeko defeats Meisei – Meisei had quite the energetic shove in the opening moments of the match, which sent Kotoeko back. But he rallied, got his right arm underneath Meisei and went to work. When Kotoeko is at this rank, and is feeling genki, he has some really great power sumo, which we got to see today. 2-0 start for Kotoeko.

Tokushoryu defeats Aoiyama – That may have been a revenge henka for September. But it was one of the slowest side steps I have ever seen, both with Tokushoryu move to the left, and Aoiyama’s blundering fowrard.

Endo defeats Terutsuyoshi – I think Terutsuyoshi has become too predictable. Endo seems well prepared and does not suffer Terutsuyoshi’s lateral attack, even for a moment. Endo starts November 2-0.

Takarafuji defeats Tochinoshin – Tochinoshin put all of his effort into getting a left hand grip at the tachiai, but that was easy to anticipate. Takarafuji countered by circling away and worked into a double inside grip. With Tochinoshin’s bum knee, there was no chance for him to set his feet and unleash the sky-crane. Takarafuji starts 2-0.

Kotoshoho defeats Tamawashi – I had expected this match to heavily favor Tamawashi, but Kotoshoho was able to give a measure more than he received. For a brief moment, Tamawashi grabbed for Kotoshoho’s neck to attempt a pull / slap down. That was all of the opening that Kotoshoho needed to shift the balance of the match.

Hokutofuji defeats Tobizaru – You can almost smell Tobizaru’s frustration from here. He’s in a completely new league of opponents now, and he is just 15% below where he needs to be in order to win. I hope he does not get discouraged, because he does in fact have what it takes to be a part of this cohort. He just needs to elevate his sumo a little bit. I do admit that I liked Hokutofuji’s sumo today. He is the opposite of “efficient” sumo, but he sure can crank it up some days. A 2-0 start for Hokutofuji.

Okinoumi defeats Myogiryu – Wow, quite a lot of shoulder power on display today from Okinoumi. He left Myogiryu no route to get his hands placed, and by the time that Myogiryu realized it was not going to work, Okinoumi stepped him over the tawara. 2-0 start for Okinoumi.

Takayasu defeats Kagayaki – Takayasu works out his frustrations over his day 1 loss on Kagayaki, who does a masterful job setting up for a proper fight, but suddenly finds a giant, hairy monster roaring at him and heaving him out of the ring. A great way to tell if Takayasu is likely to win? Watch his feet. In his bad-form Ozeki days, he would lift his feet almost as high as his knees at times. This signals poor balance and over-exertion. Today? He’s Kisenosato style – the soles of his feet are never more than an inch or two above the clay. When that happens – its Takayasu’s match.

Daieisho defeats Mitakeumi – These two must have had a wave of embarrassment when they show up to the basho wearing the same outfit. What better way to resolve things than a total battle that leaves both rolling in the dirt? Daieisho was clearly the aggressor today, and his pull attempt seems to have just been enough to get Mitakeumi off balance for a loss.

Takanosho defeats Onosho – Onosho got one good combo in at the tachiai before Takanosho locked him up and escorted him to the bales. Hopefully that day 1 loss was enough to focus Takanosho and put him back in touch with his sumo.

Takakeisho defeats Wakatakakage – A valiant try by Wakatakakage, but he was up against Takakeisho’s double hand thrusts today. Takakeisho may have gotten his arms / shoulders back in good form, as he is using this thrusts better than he has in the better part of a year. Takakeisho starts 2-0, and Wakatakakage is still looking for his first win.

Shodai defeats Kiribayama – Kiribayama put a lot of energy into his match against Shodai, but the shin-Ozeki stayed calm, focused and firmly planted on the clay. I have to wonder if Shodai is going to be able to keep this kind of sumo up, because it’s quite solid now. He starts November in the 2-0 club.

Terunofuji defeats Asanoyama – Terunofuji dominance over Asanoyama continues. This was a good match for Asanoyama, who frequently gets a strong hold on the mawashi in the first few seconds and takes a moment to set up an offense. Instead, he finds that Terunofuji has studied Asanoyama’s grip, lands a better grip first and hurls the Ozeki down. For fans who just picked up the wonderful sport of sumo, you just saw Ozeki Terunofuji. That’s what fighting him was like a few years ago. Bring your best sumo, but bring your humility, because he’s going to throw you around. Terunofuji joins the 2-0 club.

Day 1 was a solid slice of sumo to start the November tournament, and it seems the schedulers are going to keep things rolling into day 2. I am starting to think that with the Yokozuna out, we may see a repeat of September’s multi-way battle for the cup, and that is a good thing for sumo and sumo’s global fans. The highlight match is, once again, the final match of the day. Asanoyama is up against former Ozeki Terunofuji, whom he is 0-2 against. If Asanoyama is to ever make a bid to become Yokozuna, he will need to find a way to defeat any rikishi he faces. If day 1 is any indication, Terunofuji is in close to his Ozeki form from years ago. This should be a great test of Terunofuji’s recovery, and Asanoyama’s resolve.

What We Are Watching Day 2

Chiyoshoma vs Akiseyama – Akiseyama comes to the top division to fill the banzuke gap. He has never won a match against Chiyoshoma, whose speed and maneuverability makes him a tough opponent for a lumbering wide-body like Akiseyama.

Chiyotairyu vs Shimanoumi – Chiyotairyu lost his day 1 match against Kotonowaka, but he looked solid, and I really liked that he went for a slower tachiai. Its going to come down to the first 7 seconds – Chiyotairyu will try get Shimanoumi off balance or moving backward with an opening blast, Shimanoumi will need to focus on keeping his feet until Chiyotairyu exhausts his opening attack. Shimanoumi holds a 4-2 career advantage.

Chiyonokuni vs Akua – Much to my surprise, these two have only fought one before, in September, as both were working toward a Juryo promotion. That match went to Chiyonokuni with a slap down. Chiyonokuni had a great day 1 opener against Ichinojo, and I think he will hold an edge today gainst Akua.

Kotonowaka vs Ichinojo – By the numbers, Ichinojo should completely overpower and crush Kotonowaka like a discarded UCC iced coffee can. But in their only prior meeting, it was Kotonowaka who took the win. Ichinojo was moving well on day 1, so we hope that he is in fighting form for November.

Yutakayama vs Hoshoryu – I am really looking forward to this one, more so after Hoshoryu dispatched Kaisei like a pro on day 1. Yutakayama has been struggling since January, and in his day 1 opening match he looked rough and disorganized, in spite of his daily training with shin-Ozkei Shodai. This is a first time match, and it should be a good one.

Kaisei vs Enho – I think most of sumo fandom is waiting to see if Enho can pull his sumo together and return to at least a 50/50 winning record. Its clear he is struggling, and as is usually the case, there is no news about any kind of injury to be found. It may be as simple as not having the energy of the crowd during his matches, which was (prior to COVID-19) completely off the charts.

Ryuden vs Sadanoumi – These two have a nearly even 4-5 career record, and they tend to fight chest to chest. Ryuden has the size advantage, and Sadanoumi has a clear edge in speed.

Meisei vs Kotoeko – Two compact, superbly strong rikishi head to head? Yes please! Both looked really good day 1, so I am hoping for some fireworks today.

Aoiyama vs Tokushoryu – Aoiyama may try is reverse-gear pulling fest that was his day 1 attack plan, but he may find a rapid response from Tokushoryu, who tends to be able to keep his footing against Aoiyama. The 10 prior matches break down 6-4 in Big Dan’s favor.

Terutsuyoshi vs Endo – With only one prior match, there is not a deep history between these two. I am going to assume a hit and shift from Terutsuyoshi, and a left hand frontal grab attempt at the tachiai from Endo. If Endo lands that hand, he controls the match.

Takarafuji vs Tochinoshin – If Tochinoshin is able to generate any forward offense with his damaged body, we should see some in this match. Takarafuji will try to keep things moving laterally, ensuring that Tochinoshin can’t set up any form of offense.

Tamawashi vs Kotoshoho – I like this match a lot. We are going to have a somewhat diminished veteran in Tamawashi, up against the young up and coming Kotoshoho. If Tamawashi is on his sumo, he’s tough to beat as he has an optimum combo of size, strength and mobility. They have split their 2 prior matches.

Hokutofuji vs Tobizaru – This one is dripping with potential. Tobizaru’s frantic sumo can and will be matched by Hokutofuji’s brutal head / neck attacks. Tobizaru as yet to win against Hokutofuji, but the last time they fought was in 2016! Tobizaru comes into November with acres of confidence and more than enough fighting spirit to make it a true contest.

Myogiryu vs Okinoumi – 26 matches in their history, split 13-13. This will be two wily veterans going toe to toe!

Kagayaki vs Takayasu – Takayasu looked rather disorganized in his day one loss to Takakeisho. He gets to re-group against Kagayaki, who seems to have a healthy layer or ring rust.

Mitakeumi vs Daieisho – I am certain that Mitakeumi is smarting after his 8-7 record in September. It broke any real chance he may have had for an Ozeki bid, instead having to watch yet another rikishi (this time Shodai) pass him by and assume sumo’s second highest rank. If he wanted to reach 33 wind over 3 basho, he would need to finish no worse than 14-1 in November. He has his work cut out for him on day 2.

Onosho vs Takanosho – In spite of his day 1 loss, Onosho looks in good form right now. He was able to successfully overwhelm Mitakeumi at the tachiai, and moved well enough. Takanosho, on the other hand, looked completely disrupted in his day 1 loss. I expect Takanosho to be refocused and a much tougher opponent today.

Takakeisho vs Wakatakakage – A first time match, and it’s going to be Wakatakakage’s tug and move against Takakeisho’s tadpole sumo. I give a slight edge to Wakatakakage, but because he is nearly always moving, if Takakeisho can catch him with even one blast, we could see Wakatakakage go flying.

Shodai vs Kiribayama – Will we see more Shodai cartoon sumo today? It’s gotten so that I am actually looking forward to whatever he pulls out of his bag of crazy and employs to rescue the matches he is a heartbeat away from loosing.

Terunofuji vs Asanoyama – Oh yes indeed. What a great match to finish out day 2! Terunofuji has not lost to Asanoyama, but it’s a new day and Asanoyama needs to find a way to overcome the kaiju.

The November basho is off to a solid start, with some really solid performances out of winners and loser alike today. I was impressed not only with Shodai’s ballet again, but Chiyonokuni, Hoshoryu and Shimanoumi impressed me.

Highlight Matches

Shimanoumi defeats Chiyonoo – A solid match to start off the top division. Chiyonoo’s tachiai looked great, with Shimanoumi forced to step back, and crouch to get position. Shimanoumi had his right hand inside and against Chiyonoo’s chest, and the match battled back and forth as neither man could gain clear advantage. Shimanoumi managed to open enough of a gap to land a combination of thrusts to Chiyonoo’s chest, and propelled the Kokenoe man out.

Chiyoshoma defeats Akua – Chiyoshoma employed solid, straight ahead sumo today. He’s actually a solid fighter when he applies his skill! Akua had the stronger attack, and pressed forward. But he left his left side open, and Chiyoshoma found a grip, using that to swing Akua around and down to the clay. Akua looked a bit hurt following the match, hopefully he is ok.

Kotonowaka defeats Chiyotairyu – To my eye, Kotonowaka timed his opening combo anticipating Chiyotairyu’s perferred rapid tachiai. But Chiyotairyu took a slower route, and was rewarded with an open route to push against Kotonowaka’s chest. Kotonowaka took several long seconds to organize any counter attack, finally settling on Chiyotairyu’s neck. But this was effective in getting Chiyotairyu off balance, and down.

Chiyonokuni defeats Ichinojo – These two delivered the match we were hoping for, and it was glorious to watch. Quite a lot of tape on Chiyonokuni’s right shoulder, maybe to dissuade Ichinojo from taking a nibble if he might become hungry during the match? Chiyonokuni opening gambit was completely ineffective against Ichinojo, but Chiyonokuni just kept throwing combos at the Boulder. Ichinojo was largely unimpressed, and gave Chiyonokuni a hearty shove… in his face. Chiyonokuni kept grabbing and tugging, at one point going for some kind of under shoulder move, but there was just too much Ichinojo to move. I loved Chiyonokuni’s reversal at the bales to secure the win. Great to have this guy back in the top division. Let’s hope he can stay healthy enough to keep competing.

Hoshoryu defeats Kaisei – In the preview, I stated that Hoshoryu needed to elevate his sumo if he wanted to continue to climb the ranks. Granted Kaisei tends to show up with a good amount of ring rust, but Hoshoryu’s sumo was powerful and efficient today. He overcame Kaisei’s deep two hand grip, and frankly looked excellent.

Yutakayama defeats Enho – Enho continues to struggle, to the dismay of his fans around the world. All of his moves were employed today against Yutakayama, but ultimately Yutakayama was able to shut down every attempt Enho made to take control of the match.

Meisei defeats Sadanoumi – I really like Meisei’s defensive footwork today. He took control of the center of the ring, and forced Sadanoumi to move around him, responding to Meisei’s sumo. At one point Sadanoumi lunges forward, and Meisei side steps. Excellent move, and it set up the winning finish.

Kotoeko defeats Ryuden – A fantastic battle of strength and balance between these two. Ryuden really had command following the tachiai, with a solid mawashi grip. Kotoeko could not find any route to offense, but kept his balance centered and his feet positioned well. Ryuden moved to finish with what looked like a kotenage, but Kotoeko pivoted and moved into the throw, pulling Ryuden forward and down, with Ryuden hitting the clay first. Great rescue move by Kotoeko!

Tokushoryu defeats Terutsuyoshi – Terutsuyoshi’s attempt at manuver based sumo against his lumbering, bulky opponent was a solid match plan. It ran afoul of physics when Tokushoryu bracketed him and sent him flying with a single shove that could have moved a lorry.

Endo defeats Aoiyama – Aoiyama had it in his head that he was going to pull or thrust Endo down today. He never fired up his thrusting attack, and resigned himself to fighting in reverse. Endo’s balance on a bad day is often good enough to keep him upright, and sumo’s “El Guapo” made fast work of Big Dan.

Tamawashi defeats Tochinoshin – I am impressed by how much sumo Tochinoshin can get out of his one working knee. He has changed his technique slowly over time, but he increasingly favors his left leg. Tamawashi over powered every defense Tochinoshin could set up, and took the win.

Takarafuji defeats Kotoshoho – Kotoshoho got turned to the left immediately out of the tachiai, a combination of poor foot placement and a skillful hit-and-shift from Takarafuji. With his back turned to Takarafuji, Kotoshoho was on the fast track over the bales.

Hokutofuji defeats Myogiryu – These two started attacking each others neck and face, but Hokutofuji shifted his force to Myogiryu’s chest, and found a way to move forward. I am hoping that Hokutofuji is in good condition this basho. It’s been a while since we have seen him really dominate.

Okinoumi defeats Tobizaru – Tobizaru is finding a new class of opponent now, and that’s a good thing. Okinoumi seems to have put most of his health and injury problems aside this year, and now his skill, patience, and deep sumo technique catalog can really shine.

Terunofuji defeats Kagayaki – First, Kagayaki with a dark belt? I had to look twice. Second, that was classic Ozeki Terunofuji sumo. You can go watch his matches in 2015 and 2016, and see that exact same combo use to win matches.

Daieisho defeats Takanosho – Takanosho gets surprised when Daieisho starts the match fast, low and strong. He took the inside position, and thrust Takanosho up, and the shin-Sekiwake never could get his sumo together. Daieisho kept him reacting until he was off balance enough to slap down to the clay. Maybe some ring rust?

Mitakeumi defeats Onosho – First match: really liked Onosho’s tachiai, but Mitakeumi’s ottsuke kept Onosho from really getting any kind of grip. Mitakeumi advanced and Onosho tried to flip him down to the dohyo, but stepped out as Mitakeumi fell. The mono-ii decided they would fight again, and this time it was all Mitakeumi.

Shodai defeats Wakatakakage – Shodai got overwhelmed by Wakatakakage, and saved his win with an incredible rescue move at the bales. If Wakatakakage had a point of failure, it is that he rushed the finish, and allowed Shodai to escape as Wakatakakage was about to win. That was a great defensive move by Shodai, but hopefully he does not have to resort to that kind of thing too frequently.

Asanoyama defeats Kiribayama – Asanoyama made it clear that November was a new page on the calendar, and he was going to open strong. Kiribayama is no easy mark, and got his left hand inside at the tachiai, but as his hand found silk, he had no stance to hold his position, and Asanoyama ran him out.

Takakeisho defeats Takayasu – Did you guys see that? A really interesting and useful variation on Takakeisho’s sumo today. Rather than trying to keep a broad gap between him and his opponent, Takakeisho made much better use of his lower body today. He kept his hips low, and his hands on Takayasu’s chest. Takayasu did a fine job of blocking Takakeisho in the opening moments of the bout, but could not deflect the Grand Tadpole for long.