Sumo fans love to speculate about who will be the next Ozeki or the next Yokozuna. This is typically great fun, and we all bring our enthusiasm out and parade them for entertainment. But there is a very situation coming this year to sumo. There will need to be at least 1 new Ozeki and probably 1 new Yokozuna minted this year to replace the ones that we expect to vacate their rank. At the moment, none of our rikishi, even the ones we really love, are really ready for those ranks. It’s all because of Hakuho.

What? Hakuho? He’s out hurt, he’s still amazing, but he’s headed for the sunset of his career.

But truth be told, we have witnessed the greatest rikishi of any age, and possibly for the foreseeable future. What we consider Yokozuna class performance is an amazing abnormality, and we are unlikely to see it’s equal. But as humans, we can’t help but take a look at any rikishi competing in Hatsu and measure them against Hakuho wether we recognize it or not. But for many fans, we are on the exit side of some kind of Grand Sumo Maximum, and the Ozeki and Yokozuna of the near future may be less dominant than what we have come to expect.

Today when the topic of new Ozeki and Yokozuna come up, you rightly hear skeptical sumo fans declare that no one in contention is worthy. But if we assume Goeido is eliminated from Ozeki by July, and both Hakuho and Kakuryu retire before Hatsu 2021, we will likely see new rikishi reach these hallowed ranks before Christmas. I don’t care to speculate who it will be just yet. But we live in a most interesting period of sumo, and 2020 should be a year of revelations.

Hatsu Leaderboard

Leaders: Shodai, Tokushoryu
Chasers: Takakeisho, Yutakayama, Kagayaki
Hunt Group: Hokutofuji, Terutsuyoshi

4 matches remain

What We Are Watching Day 12

Azumaryu vs Ikioi – Ikioi needs to win all 4 remaining matches to avoid make-koshi. Azumaryu has yet to win a single match against him, but in Ikioi’s depleted state, the first match of the top division may set the tone.

Terutsuyoshi vs Shimanoumi – Shimanoumi has an even 4-4 record against Terutsuyoshi, and he too must win all remaining matches to avoid make-koshi. Shimanoumi has won the last 3 in a row, so maybe he can keep his hopes of a winning record going for another day.

Tsurugisho vs Kotoeko – Why is Tsurugisho still fighting? Is he hoping by showing a brave front the banzuke committee will take mercy on him and not send his injured bum back to Juryo? Dream on.

Tokushoryu vs Kagayaki – Tokushoryu has a 4-1 career advantage over Mr. Fundamentals, Kagayaki. They are both likely to try for a thrusting match, so I expect Kagayaki. whose hips are naturally fairly high, to struggle with the absurd body shape and low center of gravity Tokushoryu brings to this match.

Sadanoumi vs Kiribayama – First time match with a Kiribayama win giving him a kachi-koshi for January. But I am looking for Sadanoumi’s lightning quick transition from stalemate to attack to be a big factor in this match.

Kaisei vs Ishiura – Kaisei has lost his last 2 in a row, and i am starting to worry he might be hurt. Ishiura is back to trying to perform actual sumo again, so this could be a solid big man / little man match.

Takanosho vs Kotoshogiku – Another first time match, a Kotoshogiku loss today would be 5th consecutive make-koshi as the once powerful former Ozeki continues to fade as his lower body crumbles.

Tochiozan vs Yutakayama – Will Yutakayama hit double digits this January? It’s a fairly good chance that he will take 1 more out of the last 4 matches. I am interested to see what Yutakayama’s sumo looks like against Tochiozan’s minimalist technique. Yutakayama holds a 4-1 career advantage. A Tochiozan win would be his 8th.

Aoiyama vs Chiyotairyu – Oversized oshi-zumo practicioners face off, with the loser taking home a make-koshi. Chiyotairyu is going to charge ahead strong, and i have to expect that Big Dan is going to aim for an immediate slap down. The barrier will be Chiyotairyu’s overwhelming forward power.

Chiyomaru vs Ryuden – Ryuden holds a 5-1 career advantage over the bulbous Chiyomaru. In the 4 times he actually won against him (+1 fusensho) its almost always yorikiri. This is quite a tall order given Chiyomaru’s impressive girth. A Ryuden win today would be kachi-koshi.

Tamawashi vs Onosho – Onosho needs to win 3 of the next 4 to reach his 8, and his biggest worry today has to be Tamawashi’s excellent balance, agility and power. Tamawashi tends to hit and circle repeatedly, forcing his opponent to keep shifting to ensure Tamawashi’s is in their front quarter. This robs them of any chance to really produce much offense, and many times Tamawashi’s opponents just jump around getting pounded on. Enter Onosho who will likely try to pin Tamawashi with the same nodowa he shoved in Kaisei’s face on day 11. He has a chance if he can keep his feet.

Shohozan vs Mitakeumi – Mitakeumi comes into today’s match looking for win #8 against Shohozan who has lost his last 2 matches. To me that simply means he’s going to be fired up and we may see some fireworks from these two blasting each other. Slight 5-4 career advantage to Mitakeumi.

Endo vs Hokutofuji – Endo is likewise looking for #8, and he’s got a 7-3 career advantage over Hokutofuji. Endo wants a shallow grip at the tachiai, and Hokutofuji is going to want to get a hand on Endo’s neck or an armpit. Even if Endo can land a grip, its going to be a wild ride as Hokutofuji’s lower body may still try to win, even if Endo has already defeated him from the waist up.

Okinoumi vs Myogiryu – Okinoumi could go kachi-koshi today with a win over Myogiryu. These two have 23 career matches, with Myogiryu taking 11 to Okinoumi’s 12. Myogiryu is already make-koshi, so I am not sure how hard he will push this match.

Abi vs Shodai – What has to be the big match of the day, yusho co-leader Shodai faces his last named-rank opponent in Abi. They have an even split 4-4 record of their 8 career matches. Abi-zumo is ultimately predictable, but what kind of cartoon physics Shodai will unleash is the big question. When Shodai gets in trouble he seems to unleash random, high energy moves that more frequently than not completely shuts down his opponents.

Takarafuji vs Daieisho – Takarafuji needs to take 3 of the last 4 to secure 8 wins. So I am going to predict he will once again work the “Defend and Extend” strategy against Daieisho, against whom he is a nearly even match (4-5).

Enho vs Takayasu – Takayasu is one loss away from vacating his Sekiwake slot, probably to make room for Goeido in March. A rescue is quite unlikely given that he needs to win all 4 from here on out to survive. He has never faced Enho before, and I think he may struggle with small-man high energy grab and tug sumo.

Takakeisho vs Tochinoshin – Takakeisho holds a 7-2 career lead over Tochinoshin, as he tends to connect to that broad chest with a double arm tsuppari blast that sends the big Georgian away and off balance. With Tochinoshin fighting with a damaged knee, his ability to produce forward pressure to counter Takakeisho’s thrusting attacks will be iffy at best.

Asanoyama vs Goeido – Asanoyama seems to have faded in week 2, so it is quite possible that Goeido will stave off make-koshi for another day. Many folks consider Asanoyama a strong candidate for Ozeki in 2020, so this may be his best chance to take an Ozeki win for quite some time. Asanoyama holds a 3-1 lead in the series.

Nothing is slowing down the rikishi at the front of the yusho race today, as the top 5 all win their matches and only Tochiozan drops out of the hunt group 2 behind the yusho pace. But my favorite match of the day was Goeido’s win over Takayasu. Even though I am a Takayasu fan, he’s more or less doomed now, and it was good to see Goeido run a battle plan that has him put all of his effort into a single opening gambit, then make it pay off. I hold no illusions that he will be able to “win out” and defend his Ozeki rank, but it was good to see this rivalry play out once more.

Highlight Matches

Kiribayama defeats Azumaryu – Straightforward mawashi battle. Kiribayama gets one win closer to kachi-koshi and a chance to stay in the top division.

Shimanoumi defeats Kotoshogiku – Shimanoumi gets inside at the tachiai, and Kotoshogiku struggles to figure out what to do. The answer is really nothing. Shimanoumi lets him struggle for a bit, then puts him away yorikiri style.

Kagayaki defeats Tochiozan – This match was not quite as intense a battle as I thought it could have been. Tochiozan, while showing in the past 10 matches to be a master of body mechanics, can’t really do much to blunt the strength Kagayaki brought to the dohyo today.

Chiyotairyu defeats Kotoeko – One can hope that Chiyotairyu’s bandaged left arm, which took the strain of Ryuden’s kotenage, is doing a bit better. Chiyotairyu manages to generate quite a bit of thrusting pressure against Kotoeko before slapping him down for a much needed win.

Ishiura defeats Ikioi – After a weak start, Ishiura seems to have found his sumo. He needs to win 3 out of the last 4 to reach kachi-koshi, and today he dispatched Ikioi by constantly hitting and shifting around the injured vet. This was effective in getting Ikioi’s guard loosened up enough for a firm push center mass for the win.

Chiyomaru defeats Sadanoumi – Chiyomaru stood Sadanoumi up and slapped him down. Against Sadanoumi, speed is crucial, and Chiyomaru made sure there was no room for Sadanoumi to set up any offense.

Terutsuyoshi defeats Takanosho – Terutsuyoshi uses a submarine tachiai to get low against Takanosho, and a well placed ankle kick to break Takanosho’s balance to set up the hatakikomi. Terutsuyoshi now kachi-koshi.

Ryuden defeats Tsurugisho – Ryuden did get the memo, and Tsurugisho got the “handle with care” treatment as Ryuden put him over the bales. Seriously, Tsurugisho – you are make-koshi now. Call it a basho and try to get that knee healthy.

Tokushoryu defeats Aoiyama – Tokushoryu maintains his share of the lead with his win over Big Dan Aoiyama. They start with thrusts, but neither can move the other back, so it’s chest to chest with Big Dan going a left hand outside. He seems to have the upper hand now, and advances against Tokushoryu who pivots into a throw at the bales. Great sumo from Tokushoryu as he is now 10-1 from the bottom of the banzuke.

Onosho defeats Kaisei – Onosho is no small man, but he’s noticeably shorter than Kaisei as they fight. Onosho increases Kaisei’s stance by jamming his right hand under his chin, and lifting with everything he can muster. Kaisei breaks the nodowa, but Onosho is back again and again, each time Kaisei is more disrupted and in slightly worse position until he is ripe for a slap down on the shoulder. I will be amazed if Onosho can battle back to a kachi-koshi from his terrible first 4 days.

Yutakayama defeats Shohozan – Shohozan delivers the expected intensity and violence, but Yutakayama matches him blow for blow. As they blast away at each other, its Yutakayama greater body mass which forces Shohozan to give ground and eventually fall. Welcome back Yutakayama, stay healthy this year, we need you in the joi-jin.

Okinoumi defeats Tochinoshin – Tochinoshin looks like he is doing real sumo now, and I am very happy. He gets his left hand outside grip and tries to drop his hips. But Okinoumi is half a second ahead of him and is too low to move. Tochinoshin attempts a pull down, and when he releases forward pressure Okinoumi charges ahead for the win. Tochinoshin still has the sumo skill, but that knee keeps him from putting up much of a fight.

Hokutofuji defeats Tamawashi – Tamawashi completely dominated this match, putting Hokutofuji in reaction mode and getting him moving backward almost at once. As Tamawashi lunges ahead to finish him, Hokutofuji employs a messy looking rescue move at the bales to thrust Tamawashi out. Tamawashi is now make-koshi while Hokutofuji is kachi-koshi.

Endo defeats Myogiryu – A quick pull down at the tachiai gives Endo his first win in 4 matches. Myogiryu picks up his 8th loss and will move down the banzuke for March.

Shodai defeats Daieisho – Points to Daieisho for giving it a full measure, but right now Shodai is overcoming every obstacle to a yusho. What amazed me is that Shodai spent most of the match almost completely upright, yet Daieisho could not find a way to bring him down. But Shodai kept landing a few thrusts, and emnploying relentless forward motion. Daieisho now make-koshi.

Mitakeumi defeats Abi – Abi wins the battle of the upper body, but Mitakeumi’s lower body saves the day. In sumo, the lower body can keep you in the fight even if your face and chest area taking a beating. Hokutofuji does this with great effect, and today Mitakeumi did it against Abi’s relentless thrusting attack.

Enho defeats Asanoyama – Asanoyama, who as considered a contender for the Emperor’s Cup at one point, has hit a soft spot and is struggling. This is the first time he has faced Enho’s frantic grab and pull sumo attack, and he did not do well on defense.

Goeido defeats Takayasu – The last remaining Heisei Ozeki relic fought back Takayasu for a much needed win. Goeido is on the cusp of a rank busting make-koshi, but today he made it work. Goeido got a right hand inside at the tachiai (against Takayasu’s injured left arm) and gambled it all on his attack plan. Pure Goeido style sumo today, and I was glad to see it.

Takakeisho defeats Takarafuji – Takarafuji’s defend and extend approach was shattered by the first volley from Takakeisho’s thrusting canon. He was out in 4 steps, and Takakeisho remains 1 behind Shodai and Tokushoryu.

It’s the start of act 3 of the Hatsu Basho. It’s time to finish the yusho race, and sort everyone into make and kachi-koshi. The roster of who is likely to be kachi-koshi includes some pleasant surprises this January. As we are deep into the transition era, and we can no longer count on Yokozuna or Ozeki dominating the basho, all manner of lower ranked rikishi are given a chance to shine.

We head into day 11 with the last man on the banzuke, Tokushoryu, sharing the yusho lead. Tokushoryu is a 33 year old veteran who has been in professional sumo for 66 tournaments – since 2009! He has a jun-yusho from Hatsu 2015, where he went 11-4, and a Juryo yusho from Aki 2018. That he is a co-leader at this stage of his career is quite the Cinderella story. Starting day 11, the scheduling committee will put him against increasingly higher ranked opponents to try to break his lead. I am sure they would do the same with Shodai, but he has fought them all already, or they have withdrawn. That being said, I still expect someone to put dirt on Shodai at least one more time, so the yusho is likely open to anyone on the leaderboard as of the start of day 11. If you want unpredictable, this basho will provide.

Hatsu Leaderboard

Leaders: Shodai, Tokushoryu
Chasers: Takakeisho, Yutakayama, Kagayaki
Hunt Group: Hokutofuji, Terutsuyoshi, Tochiozan

5 matches remain

What We Are Watching Day 11

Azumaryu vs Kiribayama – Both rikishi are close to the make/kachi koshi line right now, and will need to scrap for every win they can get. Kiribayama won their only previous encounter.

Kotoshogiku vs Shimanoumi – Shimanoumi dominates with a 3-0 career lead. Kotoshogiku needs to win 4 of the next 5 to lock in kachi-koshi. A loss today by Shimanoumi would be make-koshi, and nominate him for the Juryo barge of the damned.

Tochiozan vs Kagayaki – Oh goodie, this one is going to be wonderful. You have Mr Fundamentals, Kagayaki, who is going to do a lot of things right. But he puts a lot of motion into his sumo. He’s up against Mr Efficient, Tochiozan. Somehow Tochiozan is winning each day, putting progressively less movement into his high-efficiency sumo: just enough to win. Where does this one go? I can’t wait to find out!

Chiyotairyu vs Kotoeko – Kotoeko is already make-koshi, but since Ryuden ripped his elbow apart with a kotenage on day 9, Chiyotairyu is an easy mark. A loss today would mark Chiyotairyu as make-koshi as well.

Ikioi vs Ishiura – Both come in with a 4-6 record, and a long road to a winning record. For Ikioi, a make-koshi would almost certainly proscribe a return to Juryo. They are fairly evenly matched at 3-2, and it may come down to who grabs a hold of whom first.

Sadanoumi vs Chiyomaru – Chiyomaru seems to be able to beat Sadanoumi like a drum, holding a career 11-3 record over Sadanoumi. But this basho, Sadanoumi is fighting well and Chiyomaru is not, so I am eager to see how this one goes. Sadanoumi has been using quickness to win this January, but most of that depends on a mawashi hold, or close ranger chest-to-chest sumo. This is physically challenging with the bulbous form of Chiyomaru.

Takanosho vs Terutsuyoshi – Terutsuyoshi got tremendously fired up on day 10 again Aoiyama. Hopefully Takanosho knows not to push that button, as we saw a different level of genki out of Terutsuyoshi that I don’t recall seeing before. A Terutsuyoshi win today would secure win #8.

Tsurugisho vs Ryuden – My biggest worry today? So far everyone has been very gentle with Tsurugisho following his knee blow out on day 6. But Ryuden is almost never gentle. I suspect he may rough up the injured undercarriage of Tsurugisho, maybe compounding his injury. Truth be told – Tsurugisho should not be on the dohyo. If he gets more injured, its not really Ryuden’s fault.

Aoiyama vs Tokushoryu – I admit that sometimes I really like “Big Dan” and his sumo. But today I want to see Tokushoryu put him on the clay. Their last meeting was Hatsu 2018 in Juryo, where Tokushoryu won.

Kaisei vs Onosho – All tied up at 2 each for their career, this is a match between two men who tend to get forward over their toes and provide an easy mark for a slap down. I would actually give a slight edge to Kaisei this match, as I think has his sumo dialed in right now. Onosho is 2 losses away from make-koshi, so he needs to rally.

Shohozan vs Yutakayama – Yutakayama is kachi-koshi already, but I am going to guess he is not going to ease up on the throttle. Shohozan, at 5-5, is 3 wins away from his 3rd kachi-koshi in a row. I expect there to be a lot of hitting, shoving and maybe a throw in there. They share a 2-2 career record.

Okinoumi vs Tochinoshin – Tochinoshin surprised me day 10 with some solid sumo for a change. Dare we hope that maybe his knee is less of a problem for a bit, and we are going to get to see the former Ozeki crack on with some yotsu power? We can hope, but I am going to guess that Okinoumi takes him apart, and Tochinoshin’s knee is still beyond hope.

Hokutofuji vs Tamawashi – A Hokutofuji win today would be kachi-koshi for him, and make-koshi for Tamawashi. Tamawashi holds a small 6-4 career advantage and may be able to rally today to stave off his 8th defeat. Both of these rikishi are fond of this kind of match: High mobility, high force pushing. Bring it on!

Endo vs Myogiryu – Endo has lost his last 3, and really needs to rally now. He is still just 2 wins away from a kachi-koshi, and getting a white star today would hand Myogiryu his 8th loss, and make-koshi. They are tied at 5-5 over their career, but I will say if Endo can land his left hand frontal grip at the tachiai, he’s got this one.

Shodai vs Daieisho – The highest ranking potential opponents for Shodai are both Komusubi, and he ticks off Daieisho on day 11. Just one loss away from make-koshi, Daieisho has faltered his January. Maybe it’s injury, maybe something else, but I am going to assume that he will regroup and be back. His sumo is solid – not “future Ozeki” grade, but worthy of an upper Maegashira / lower San’yaku regular.

Abi vs Mitakeumi – Are we about to see Mitakeumi’s traditional act 3 fade? We have noticed him favoring that knee that got trashed last year, but still he fights on. I think Abi is due for a bounce back win in his 2-4 career record against the once future Ozeki.

Asanoyama vs Enho – Its Asanoyama’s turn to face the power pixie and ride the lightning. I am certain he studied the footage of Takayasu’s win over Enho, and has figured out a couple of things to try in their first-ever match. That being said, I am sure that Hakuho has been working with Enho to hone his opening gambit and follow on attacks. Any match with Enho has potential to be explosive, but when you have Asanoyama trying to rally after dropping 2 of the last 3, the potential his higher still.

Takayasu vs Goeido – Call this the “Heisei Nozeki Showdown” – Two rikishi from the previous era with a 31 match history (slight edge to Takayasu) meet to decide if Goeido is going to lose Ozeki and take Takayasu’s Ozekiwake slot in March in front of his home town crowd in Osaka. This is the kind of brutal match that is part of the fabric of sumo. It’s going to be ugly as Goeido goes hard against Takayasu’s injured left arm in an all out opening barrage.

Takakeisho vs Takarafuji – The “Defend and Extend” formula has worked wonders for Takarafuji this basho. He’s up against already kachi-koshi Takakeisho, who is still in the yusho hunt. So Takarafuji will seek to keep just enough distance to minimize the impact of Takakeisho’s thrusting attacks, while allowing him to return in kind and maneuver the Ozeki around the dohyo, draining him of stamina. Bonus points to Takarafuji if he can snag a mawashi grip and engage in the seldom seen shimpan bowling derby.

Act 2 is now complete, and its clear that we have 5 rikishi who are likely to compete for the cup. Right now Shodai and veteran Tokushoryu are dominating their matches, and are the ones to beat in the final 5 days. Tokushoryu will start to get harder opponents on day 11, but given that Shodai has faced the upper ranks already, its and open question on who might put dirt on him before senshuraku. I am sure lksumo will have a prospective opponent list for Shodai at some point, but it looks like he still has both Komusubi yet to fight. Over in other corners of the sumo universe, the term “Yushodai” has been coined, generating much mirth and amusement in your author.

Highlight Matches

Tochiozan defeats Shimanoumi – Another day marveling at Tochiozan’s efficiency. It breaks my mind to compare him to someone like Enho who dances about. I actually saw Tochiozan take 2 steps today. 2.

Kiribayama defeats Tsurugisho – Tsurugisho’s left side remains smoldering wreckage of bandages and damaged joints, but he gives Kiribayama a solid fight. Now that his left knee is properly mummified, he was able to generate a bit of forward pressure to hold back Kiribayama, but not quite enough.

Tokushoryu defeats Chiyomaru – Co-leader Tokushoryu takes the Hatsu 2020 belly-blitz. He lures Chiyomaru into charging him down, and deftly guides him past. Unable to slow his rush forward, Chiyomaru rumbles out to visit the west size crowd in the zabuton section. This is especially fun as Chiyomaru has won every top division match against Tokushoryu before now.

Ikioi defeats Chiyotairyu – Chiyotairyu’s bandaged left arm tells the story of that day 9 kotenage from Ryuden. Ikioi dispatches him without too much bother, and I would guess that Chiyotairyu’s damaged arm is going accelerate his slide to a deep make-koshi.

Kagayaki defeats Kotoeko – Kagayaki picks up win #8 with his usual display of straight-ahead, fundamentals based sumo. He is seldom exciting, but he is always effective.

Sadanoumi defeats Kotoshogiku – Sadanoumi’s superior speed gives him the inside position at the tachiai, and Sadanoumi goes to work putting Kotoshogiku out. Kotoshogiku manages a throw attempt, but Sadanoumi’s stance is too stable, and he maintains control.

Takanosho defeats Kaisei – The two start chest to chest, but Takanosho’s gets rolling when he breaks contact and changes to a thrusting attack. I am still looking for Kaisei to hit 8 wins this basho, and remain in the top division for Osaka.

Yutakayama defeats Azumaryu – Azumaryu attempt at a mawashi hold during the tachiai falls apart and he finds Yutakayama pressing a thrusting attack center mass. Azumaryu never has a moment to recover, and he’s out in a hurry. That’s kachi-koshi for Yutakayama.

Terutsuyoshi defeats Aoiyama – The match had a false start, and Aoiyama gave Terutsuyoshi a pretty solid shove, and I think that put Terutsuyoshi into kill mode. Aoiyama repeatedly goes for a pull down and attacks to Terutsuyoshi’s head, which may have included a hair pull. Terutsuyoshi decides he’s had enough, and grabs Aoiyama and throws him about repeatedly, sending him face first into the clay.

Ishiura defeats Ryuden – Ryuden got the jump on the tachiai, Ishiura got inside and for all purposes grabs a hold of Ryuden by the nipple. Now deeply disturbed and uncomfortable, Ryuden is an easy mark for Ishiura’s shitatedashinage. Odd attack technique, but very effective. I credit Tamawashi.

Okinoumi defeats Onosho – Onosho gets superior position in the tachiai, but Okinoumi simply overpowers Onosho and takes him to the bales for a fairly straightforward win.

Shodai defeats Shohozan – Co-leader Shodai trades blows with Shohozan, and comes out on top (no easy feat). Shohozan realizes he’s not going to be able to hit his way to victory, and grabs Shodai’s mawashi. That too seems to be a miscalculation, as Shodai tosses Shohozan up and out in a heap. Not sure what Tokitsukaze is putting in the chanko, but its working! Shodai up to 9-1.

Mitakeumi defeats Endo – It bothers me a bit to see Endo fading a bit in week 2 after such an amazingly strong start. Endo struggles for a mawashi grip at the tachiai, and that struggle gives Mitakeumi enough time to back Endo up to the tawara. Endo manages to rally, but Mitakeumi puts him in the spin cycle and flushes him away. Endo hits the clay and he’s still spinning.

Tamawashi defeats Myogiryu – This is Tamawashi’s favorite kind of match, an all out shoving contest where both rikishi try to push each other out. Of course when you take that route with Tamawashi, he’s likely to win.

Hokutofuji defeats Daieisho – Daieisho dominated this match until the very last moment. Hokutofuji’s relentless focus on attempting a pull down / slap down kept him from generating much forward pressure, and Daieisho marched him around the dohyo under a barrage of thrusts. But a smart move to grab Daieisho’s arm and hurl him past netted Hokutofuji win #7.

Tochinoshin defeats Asanoyama – Tochinoshin attempts a pull down during the tachiai. Some fans saw it as a henka, but it was not a very solid side, step and the pull down attempt failed. But what was interesting is he went chest to chest with Asanoyama and won. Asanoyama as now lost 2 of the last 3, and I hope we are not seeing a week 2 fade from him.

Takayasu defeats Abi – I am going to be most put out if Takayasu rallies now that he has flushed Ozeki down the tubes. He looked really solid today against Abi, and I wished he could have fought like this on some of the days he lost in the past week.

Takakeisho defeats Enho – Credit to Takakeisho for working out a formula for shutting down Enho’s busy/grabby sumo. Takakeisho picks up win #8, and we can finally bank on someone holding on to Ozeki for May.

Takarafuji defeats Goeido – Speaking of which, Goeido is one loss away from following his fellow relic Ozeki down the ranks. Takarafuji successfully employs his defend and extend tactic to stalemate Goeido, and true to form once the first 10 seconds of the match elapse, Goeido starts getting frantic. This is the time when Takarafuji takes control and wins matches. This is not Goeido not wanting to execute good sumo, or not being in the game, this is likely down to that reconstructed ankle failing after 2 additional years of abuse.