The yusho is down to a two-horse race, Hakuho and Terunofuji. Both face 6-5 opponents tonight, so that sets up all we need for massive upsets to create more drama heading into the final weekend.

The Bouts:

Chiyonokuni (6-5) vs Akua (Juryo, 6-5): Chiyonokuni will face Juryo visitor, Akua. Both wrestlers are well positioned to get their kachi-koshi. If Akua gets does well, he’ll be on the short list for a return to makuuchi. Chiyonokuni’s natural level is likely mid-maegashira, barring aggravation of his knee injury. Akua will likely pose little trouble to Chiyonokuni, who has won both previous meetings.

Chiyomaru (4-7) vs Tokushoryu (3-8): Chiyomaru and Tokushoryu are both having rather poor showings this basho. Chiyomaru is up against the wall, and with a loss will go make-koshi. Tokushoryu has been overpowered this tournament and is already make-koshi. Though Chiyomaru leads 9-4 in their head-to-head, Tokushoryu’s won three of the last four. Don’t expect a belt battle, but if I were Tokushoryu, that may be a good way to disrupt Chiyomaru. However, I do think a quick brawl is in the cards here.

Tochinoshin (4-7) vs Ura (7-4): Can Tochinoshin catch Ura and lock him up? If he fails, he’s make-koshi and staring into the abyss. The question is, how far will he drop from here? Ura, on the other hand, can pick up his kachi-koshi. He’s already done enough to secure another tournament in the top division.

Daiamami (3-8) vs Kagayaki (4-7): Daiamami and Kagayaki have not had a fun time this basho. Kagayaki, well, as our friends at GSB noted, likely didn’t appreciate having his head called into service as Kaisei’s zabuton. A loss tonight will add to his misery.

Thought I was having a tough day til I watched sumo and saw how Kagayaki's was going pic.twitter.com/jbpChn8BRM

— Jake Danger (@GSBJake) July 14, 2021

Kaisei (5-6) vs Kotonowaka (8-3): Kaisei will be fighting hard to get that kachi-koshi while Kotonowaka is already safe. Kaisei leads a tight rivalry 3-2 and I see him putting in the extra effort to get it done tonight.

Tamawashi (8-3) vs Ishiura (7-4): Tamawashi, like Ikioi, is always in the fray. Always in it to win it. He will batter Ishiura, though the latter has been known to throw in a henka now and then. The flying henka has already caught out Tamawashi this tournament. Will Ishiura pull it off to get his kachi-koshi?

Tsurugisho (7-4) vs Shimanoumi (6-5): Shimanoumi surprised me last night, dropping Kotonowaka and leads a tight rivalry with Tsurugisho. I think Shimanoumi will get his head too far out in front of his feet and leave himself open for a slapdown.

Takarafuji (7-4) vs Ichiyamamoto (7-4): It has been a while since Takarafuji faced Abi and he has not ever met Ichiyamamoto. Takarafuji had been doing well against Abi before the big demotion so he’s prepared for the attack of the clone.

Chiyonoo (5-6) vs Aoiyama (4-7): Chiyonoo and Aoiyama have split their two previous meetings but Aoiyama is not having a good time this tournament. I want to see more belt action from Big Dan. Why not mix things up tonight?

Terutsuyoshi (6-5) vs Chiyoshoma (7-4): Double henka.

Hidenoumi (5-6) vs Hoshoryu (8-3): Hidenoumi got beat up yesterday. Hoshoryu won’t be quite as brutal but he’s definitely more skilled, ambitious, and looking for a special prize. I think he’ll handle Hidenoumi quickly.

Myogiryu (2-9) vs Chiyotairyu (2-9): Myogiryu and Chiyotairyu have been having a dreadful basho. Chiyotairyu’s has been worse, though, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up kyujo in the closing days. If he shows up, Myogiryu will pick up win #3.

Takanosho (5-6) vs Tobizaru (3-8): The novelty of Tobizaru is wearing off. His style, if it can be called a style, needs refinement. Takanosho will want to get back into sanyaku and will need to fight hard to get back.

Hokutofuji (6-5) vs Ichinojo (8-3): Ichinojo has his kachi-koshi. Time for cruise control. Go Hokutofuji!!!

Kotoeko (2-9) vs Daieisho (2-9): Daieisho. Kotoeko is out of his depth.

Wakatakakage (3-8) vs Onosho (4-7): Onosho is performing as if he were the one in sanyaku. He’s taken a beating and it won’t end today. Wakatakakage needs to pick up as many easy wins this week as possible.

Takayasu (7-2-2) vs Kiribayama (7-4): Takayasu is on a tear. He’s looking better than at any point during the year. Kiribayama has shown cracks here and there. Both looking to go kachi-koshi but Takayasu needs to be spoiler in this yusho race.

Shodai (6-5) vs Okinoumi (5-6): Perhaps this is the time to go to the fridge and refill whatever you’re drinking. For me, it will be coffee.

Terunofuji (11-0) vs Meisei (6-5): Terunofuji has a one of those “once-in-a-lifetime” goals dangling there, just out of reach. Poor Meisei stands between him and another double-dose of celebratory sea bream.

Hakuho (11-0) vs Mitakeumi (6-5): Despite Kitanofuji’s stated disappointment in this tournament, Hakuho has proven he’s got the skills to continue to win. Mitakeumi, though, is in prime position for an upset. He’s got no real ambitions at this point, he’s got room to give and is under no pressure to get kachi-koshi. With his size and skills, he could be the sleeper who beats Hakuho.

Hakuho and Terunofuji opened Day 11 with a share of the lead. Schedulers pitted Mitakeumi against Terunofuji and Wakatakakage against Hakuho. Would either be able to trip up the leaders? They have quite the cushion between themselves and the field, with Kotonowaka two wins back.

Takayasu’s return to form also brings him and his potential Ozeki run back into frame, potentially as a spoiler in this yusho race. This is a massive IF, but if he wins out, he will finish on 11 wins and put himself in a better position for promotion in September than he ever was in going into this tournament. However, to achieve that, he will likely have to go through both Hakuho and Terunofuji. Losses to both men will effectively end this “run” completely, and force him to start over. He has been competing very well but he needs to start picking up 11- and 12-win tournaments. In this form, and with all these other competitors falling away, he may be able to start a real run in September. So, again, this is probably not the time but if he doesn’t want to start all over, he’s going to need to run the table.

Matches

Daiamami (3-8) defeated Shohozan: It was nice to see Shohozan back, briefly, in prime time. He attacked quickly off the tachiai but Daiamami cornered him well. Daiamami secured a solid belt grip and lifted Shohozan to the edge. Shohozan resisted at the tawara and briefly powered himself back to the center of the ring. He locked up one of Daiamami’s arms, looking for a kotenage, but Daiamami used his size well and brought Shohozan back under control. Cornered, again, at the tawara, Shohozan was forced out. Yorikiri.

Tochinoshin (4-7) defeated Tokushoryu (3-8): Tokushoryu was able to make one, solid offensive charge but Tochinoshin countered at the edge driving forward with a left hand inside grip. In a last, desperate attempt to stave off make-koshi, Tochinoshin summoned all of his upper-body power to twist and throw Tokushoryu down. Shitatenage.

Tsurugisho (7-4) defeated Kaisei (5-6): Tsurugisho pounded Kaisei at the tachiai and used his lower body position to attack from below and keep Kaisei too high. With a solid morozashi, he worked Kaisei back to the tawara and then over the edge. Yorikiri

Ishiura vs Terutsuyoshi (6-5) defeated Ishiura (7-4): Ishiura launched in low, and tried to keep Terutsuyoshi at arms length. Terutsuyoshi quickly gained the advantage and twisted Ishiura down from the shoulders. Ruled a Kotenage.

Tamawashi (8-3) defeated Ichiyamamoto (7-4): Tamawashi neutralized Ichiyamamoto’s slapping attack early, pushing powerfully at Ichiyamamoto’s left under arm and face. Tamawashi powered forward to his kachi-koshi. Oshidashi.

Shimanoumi (6-5) defeated Kotonowaka (8-3):  Shimanoumi broke the stalemate with forward-moving sumo. Kotonowaka seemed to want to play a pulling game today. He was able to reach in deeper and secure a belt grip while Shimanoumi couldn’t quite reach. But Shimanoumi drove forward, forcing Kotonowaka over the edge. Kotonowaka is now one more loss off pace. Oshidashi.

Chiyonokuni (6-5) defeated Hidenoumi (5-6): Matta because Hidenoumi was slow-rolling his tachiai. And boy did Chiyonokuni punish him for it, winning a one-sided bar fight. Tsukidashi.

Chiyoshoma (7-4) defeated Kagayaki (4-7): Kagayaki charged forward, forcing Chiyoshoma back to the edge. Chiyoshoma won with a brilliant, last second twisting throw at the edge. Sukuinage.

Chiyonoo (5-6) defeated Myogiryu (2-9): Chiyonoo played a dangerous game today. At the edge, he picked up Myogiryu, and fell backward, twisting Myogiryu to the left. The gunbai went to Myogiryu but a mono-ii reversed the decision. Chiyonoo’s gambit paid off.  Utchari.

Ura (7-4) defeated Kiribayama (7-4): Ura made Kiribayama jump at the tachiai, an awkward matta. Kiribayama locked up Ura’s left arm but Ura drove forward, then pulled back, freeing it so he could force Kiribayama’s head down as he twisted him down over the edge. Sukuinage.

Onosho (4-7) defeated Chiyomaru (4-7): Onosho dominated. He quickly overpowered Chiyomaru, forcing him back and over the edge. Oshidashi

Takarafuji (7-4) defeated Okinoumi (5-6): Takarafuji won a straight-forward left-hand inside yotsu battle. Okinoumi tried valiantly to keep that hand from getting in there. But the Takarabune locked on and sailed forward, forcing Okinoumi over the edge. Yorikiri

Hokutofuji (6-5) defeated Aoiyama (4-7): Hokutofuji kept Aoiyama in front and kept the pressure going. Aoiyama tried a hatakikomi but Hokutofuji kept his balance and pushed Aoiyama out. Oshidashi.

Ichinojo (8-3) defeated Takanosho (5-6): A motivated Ichinojo sprang out of his tachiai, guns blazing. He chased Takanosho around the ring, and wrangled his kachi-koshi. If he keeps this up, a special prize will be waiting. Oshidashi.

***Slow orders in effect.***

Wow, they really started killing for time here. I’ve wondered whether that messes with the rhythm of the wrestlers. Everything’s so business-like, and then…a work slow-down.

Daieisho (2-9) defeated Chiyotairyu (2-9): Chiyotairyu drove forward at the initial charge but Daieisho’s gentle shove forced him to the side. Daieisho pursued and finished him with another gentle shove. Oshidashi.

Meisei (6-5) defeated Kotoeko (2-9): Meisei charged forward, keeping Kotoeko from getting any kind of grip or having any time to figure out how to counter. When you do forward-moving sumo, good things happen. Yorikiri.

Takayasu (7-2-2) defeated Tobizaru (3-8): Tobizaru withstood a barrage of thrusts and slaps from Takayasu. But when Takayasu tired and the action settled down, he didn’t seem to have enough gas left in his own tank to launch an attack of his own. Instead, Takayasu backed up and slapped him down. Tobizaru now make-koshi. Hatakikomi.

Terunofuji (11-0) defeated Mitakeumi (6-5): Welp, I sure got this yusho call wrong, didn’t I? Mitakeumi capitulated as the Kaiju came looking for him. Yorikiri.

Hoshoryu (8-3) defeated Shodai (6-5): When Shodai pulled to the edge with a one handed belt grip, he tried and tried to tip Hoshoryu over. He had no plan B. Meanwhile, Hoshoryu’s feet were busy with Plans B, C, and D. He was maintaining balance while launching tripping attacks. He eventually got Shodai’s tightrope sidle out of alignment, forcing him down. Yoritaoshi

豊昇龍関✨勝ち越しインタビュー🎤
めっちゃ嬉しそう😊おめでとうございます🎉 pic.twitter.com/DrJMjWiwgv

— さくらの木。 (@crane018511) July 14, 2021

Hakuho (11-0) defeated Wakatakakage (3-8): Masterful body positioning and footwork from Hakuho. He cornered Wakatakakage even though Wakatakakage was still feet from the tawara, sprung forward, and forced Wakatakakage onto his butt. Yoritaoshi.

大相撲七月場所 十一日目 幕内
白鵬　十一連勝 pic.twitter.com/hzWR0tPRj6

— ZEAL (@MasakiKudo59) July 14, 2021

Wrap-up

No one is posing any challenge to Hakuho and Terunofuji. Terunofuji completely outclassed Mitakeumi. If Mitakeumi’s hiding an injury, well, it’s hard to say it’s something greater than what Terunofuji powers through every time he puts on his mawashi. He should have presented more of a roadbump on Terunofuji’s path to the yusho. I’ve got my popcorn ready for the next few days. Will it be an epic redemption of “The Greatest,” or will Terunofuji’s own comeback story reach greater heights?

With the start of day 11, we have the opening of the third and final act of this Nagoya basho. In act 3 we are going to sort everyone into make-koshi and kachi-koshi, and we are going to crown a yusho winner. As a bonus, we may also get to mint the first Yokozuna in about 4 years if everything plays out well. Unless something very strange indeed takes place, we are going to see the challenge for the yusho come down to Terunofuji and Hakuho in the final days of this basho. Both are fighting at Yokozuna level right now, and its possible that the yusho winner might finish with a perfect 15-0. Neither one shows any sign of letting up until they clash in the last match of the tournament.

On the other side of ledger, we already have 5 competing rikishi make-koshi, with a few more possible today. I might have thought this portends a pretty decent Makuuchi to Juryo rotation, but apart from Yutakayama, no one in the top latitudes of Juryo is really making a strong promotion case yet. With any luck, our resident ace prognosticator may look into the t a bit later this week.

Nagoya Leaderboard

Only Kotonowaka remains within the most unlikely cases to compete against the leaders now.

Leaders: Hakuho, Terunofuji
Hunter: Kotonowaka

5 matches remain

What We Are Watching Day 11

Daiamami vs Shohozan – A match of great sadness to start day 11, we have Shohozan (3-7) who is working hard to avoid a make-koshi up against an already make-koshi Daiamami (2-8). Neither one of them have fought well this July, and both of them are probably hoping to pick up a few more wins before Sunday. They split their 2 prior matches, so it’s anyone’s guess which one is going to be more terrible today.

Tochinoshin vs Tokushoryu – It seems day 11 is going to be an ugly day indeed. This match between two grizzled veterans, each who have a yusho, is to see which one goes make-koshi first. They have matching 3-7 records, so the loser faces demotion, and in the case of Tokushoryu likely return to Juryo. If Tokushoryu is paying attention, he will attack to his left and focus everything into making Tochinoshin protect that right knee.

Kaisei vs Tsurugisho – A pair of bigs going into today’s 3rd match, with a chance for Tsurugisho (6-4) to escape the funnel if he can win against Kaisei (5-5). With both of them close to 200kg, that almost half a ton of sumotori on the clay at one time.

Ishiura vs Terutsuyoshi – Again, the schedulers are having some fun, a pair of mega the a pair of mini. A win today by Ishiura (7-3) would give him his 8th win and kachi-koshi for July. Terutsuyoshi (5-5) had a cold start with a string of straight losses, but has won the last 4 out of 5, and seems to be back in control of his sumo.

Tamawashi vs Ichiyamamoto – A first time match between two solid rikishi. Both come in 7-3, and both are fighting well in Nagoya. Experience favors Tamawashi, agility favors Ichiyamamoto. Looking forward to this one!

Kotonowaka vs Shimanoumi – The lone man on the leaderboard behind to unbeaten pair, Kotonowaka (8-2) has a chance to press to double digits. He has 4-1 career advantage over Shimanoumi (5-5), and given that Shimanoumi is not fighting well, I like his chances to pick up his 9th win.

Hidenoumi vs Chiyonokuni – Both men are at 5-5, and are squarely in the middle of the funnel on day 11. No matter who wins this one, both of them have a tough road now to 8 wins, requiring them to win 3 of the last 5. Chiyonokuni seems to have lost some of his fighting spirit in the last few days, and I hope he can bounce back against Hidenoumi today.

Kagayaki vs Chiyoshoma – A win today, and Chiyoshoma (6-4) is out of the funnel. He has a 7-10 career deficit against Kagayaki (4-6). But given how well Chiyoshoma’s sumo is working right now, I would say he likely has a slight edge if he can stay mobile.

Myogiryu vs Chiyonoo – Another match between two rikishi with dismal and trending worse records. This is Myogiryu’s (2-8) third consecutive make-koshi, and signals a real problem for him. He has had some incredible banzuke luck the last two ranking sessions, and I have to wonder how far he might drop. He has a 3-1 career advantage over Chiyonoo (4-6), who needs to win 4 of the last 5 to reach his 8.

Ura vs Kiribayama – Another first time match, with Kiribayama (7-3) needing just one more win to reach kachi-koshi. He’s up against Ura (6-4), who’s grab and tug sumo has been paying off either in direct action, or by so disrupting his opponents that more than a couple of them have more or less refused to engage Ura in a fight. How Kiribayama is going to handle this is a subject of great interest today.

Onosho vs Chiyomaru – I think today may be the day that Onosho (3-7) picks up his 8th loss. Not that Chiyomaru (4-6) is overwhelmingly formidable on Wednesdays, but Onosho has continued to struggle with his balance. I vaguely recall he suffered some injury in early 2021, and has struggled to fight since. Should he lose today, it would be his 3rd consecutive make-koshi.

Okinoumi vs Takarafuji – A 24 career match history between them, with a narrow 14-10 margin favoring Takarafuji (6-4). Both of them need a to find a couple more wins, with Okinoumi (5-5) needs to win 3 of his last 5 to reach the safety of 8.

Hokutofuji vs Aoiyama – Aoiyama (4-6) is maybe suffering from another back injury that saw him sidelined for part of May. It’s one way I can try to explain why he is fighting poorly from the middle of the banzuke. Both he and Hokutofuji (5-5) are currently in the funnel, and have a very difficult path to escape. The 11-2 career advantage heavily favors Hokutofuji.

Takanosho vs Ichinojo – Takanosho (5-5) is part of that massive group of 10 rikishi in the middle of Darwin’s funnel, and he’s going to have to massive gamberize if he wants to beat a fairly genki Ichinojo (7-3), who has won the last 4 in a row, and seems to be using his enormous body to good effect this tournament.

Chiyotairyu vs Daieisho – A battle of two make-koshi wrestlers who really are performing well below their capabilities. So let’s chalk them both up to injuries. I guess this battle is to see if Chiyotairyu (2-8) or Daieisho (1-9) have worse scores. Chiyotairyu leads 9-3 across a 6 year history between their matches.

Kotoeko vs Meisei – Kotoeko is doomed to make-koshi at 2-8 at the start of day 11, and Meisei (5-5) finds himself in that group lodged in the middle of Darwin’s funnel. Kotoeko comes in to today with a 9-5 career advantage, but is his fighting spirit so demoralized by losing so many matches that it may not matter?

Takayasu vs Tobizaru – A Tobizaru (3-7) loss today sends him to a well deserved make-koshi, and would move Takayasu (6-4) a white star closer to 8 wins. While it is still possible for Takayasu to end the tournament with 10 wins, and keep hopes of an eventual Ozeki run alive, he would need to win 4 of his last 5. Tough, but not impossible.

Terunofuji vs Mitakeumi – Normally, this would be a fairly interesting match. But given that Mitakeumi (6-4) has lost 2 of his last 3, it’s clear he is fading into week 2, and Terunofuji (10-0) is about at maximum kaiju. So I am thinking Mitakeumi may be able to get some good moves in, but it’s likely win 11 for Terunofuji. Terunofuji holds a 9-3 career record on the dohyo.

Shodai vs Hoshoryu – Oh, now this IS a high interest match. Shodai just might have a handle on his sumo now, he has won the last 3 in a row, and seems to at least be able to hopefully make his 8. Hoshoryu is fighting a bit above his rank, and a white star today would make kachi-koshi for him. As a bonus, Hoshoryu won their only prior match, which was in May.

Hakuho vs Wakatakakage – A first ever match between the dai-Yokozuna, and a fellow who may one day take the rope himself. This is valuable experience for Wakatakakage (3-7), who has been learning a lot in his first posting to the named ranks. The expected loss today to Hakuho (10-0) would mark him make-koshi with at least 8 losses for July, but this is not unusual for a rising star’s first time at the top.

As a fan of Takayasu, I really do enjoy a day when he shows us good sumo, as was the case today. In fact, his sumo has been pretty solid this basho, which is reflected in his 6 wins since coming back from a 2 day kyujo to start the tournament. What is different? His sumo is less wild and chaotic. That chaos is reflected in big shoulder-strikes at the tachiai that frequently leave him off balance and dancing about like hippy at Stonehenge at mid-summer. Instead we have seen him apply more of his nearly inhuman stamina, and take his time to wear his opponents down, and them put them on the clay. This is a winning formula for Takayasu, and is in fact how he became Ozeki. For reasons only he understands, he quickly discarded that approach after reaching sumo’s second highest rank, and had a rough time turning in consistent scores. I can only hope that he’s re-connected with this approach, and can use it reliably to become a better rikishi.

Highlight Matches

Yutakayama defeats Chiyonoo – After so many tournaments of Yutakayama looking poorly, it’s quite refreshing to have him genki again. At one point he was the strongest rikishi out of the group that included Asanoyama, and I still have high expectations for Yutakayama’s sumo. Chiyonoo comes on strong but cannot stay in control when Yutakayama disrupts his somewhat low speed charge via hatakikomi. Yutakayama improves to 9-1 and will be rejoining the top division in September.

Ura defeats Chiyonokuni – A good measure of Ura’s entertainment value is watching rikishi try to prevent whatever kind of opening salvo he might employ. Chiyonokuni goes for the zero velocity tachiai, and tries to keep Ura away from any kind of grip on anything. In the process he backs up all the way to the bales and is removed from the match by one single final shove. Not much sumo today from Chiyonokuni, I was hoping the would at least clock Ura once. Ura improves to 6-4 and is almost out of the funnel.

Ishiura defeats Tochinoshin – Ishiura did in fact read the playbook, and attacked left against Tochinoshin’s injured right site. A bit of a spin, a bit of a lean in and a moment to consolidate his grip was all it took to setup the yorikiri that brought Ishiura his 7th win. Tochinoshin is just trying to find a way to survive day by day now.

Kaisei defeats Kagayaki – Kagayaki focused everything he could muster center mass against Kaisei, but with only limited effect. There is just quite an awful lot of Kaisei to try to move when he has his feet set. Kagayaki may have been a fan of the Shamen’s “Move Any Mountain”, because he just kept pushing. Kaisei grabbed left and pulled, swinging Kagayaki to the clay, and accidentally sitting on him at the same time. If your bingo card had “Teabagged by Kaisei” please mark your cards now.

Kotonowaka defeats Ichiyamamoto – The battle of the 7-2 rikishi went to Kotonowaka. Kotonowaka initiated a left hand inside hold, and Ichiyamamoto found he could not hold back Kotonowaka’s forward pressure. Kotonowaka improves to 8-2 and is kachi-koshi.

Tamawashi defeats Tokushoryu – Tamawashi focuses high against Tokushoryu, putting all of his force into his face and neck. Tokushoryu counters with a wide right hand slap that turns him a bit too much, letting Tamawashi get to the side, and help continue his turn. Now behind Tokushoryu, Tamawashi applies the pressure and runs him out of the ring. Tamawashi improves to 7-3 and continues to have a good basho. Tokushoryu runs out into the crowd and collides with pretty-obaasan. I do hope she is ok.

Terutsuyoshi defeats Daiamami – Maybe Terutsuyoshi has his sumo in good enough working condition that he may make a go of it to get to 8 wins. Today he leapt to the side against Daiamami, and grabbed a leg at the tachiai. At this point, whatever Daiamami had planned was out the window, and he was largely along for the ride. Terutsuyoshi improves to 5-5.

Takarafuji defeats Tsurugisho – Rather than mount an energy draining defense, Takarafuji clamped down the ottsuke, and advanced following the tachiai. Tsurugisho could not hold him back, tried a pull at the last minute and stepped out. We don’t usually get to see this kind of sumo from Takarafuji, and it was a nice change. Both end the day at 6-4.

Chiyomaru defeats Aoiyama – Aoiyama rushes in at the tachiai, looking to go chest to chest against Chiyomaru. Chiyomaru rotates to his right, swinging Aoiyama around and rotating him down to the clay, when Aoiyama can’t keep his feet. Both end the day 4-6.

Hidenoumi defeats Myogiryu – Myogiryu gets a solid position out of the tachiai, but can’t maintain the hold as Hidenoumi sweeps his hands away and switches to attack. Myogiryu responds by dialing up the thrust and Hidenoumi attempts to pull him down. They exit the ring and fall together, and the match was decided by a monoii, giving the win to Hidenoumi, who improves to 5-5. Myogiryu falls to 208, and is make-koshi.

Chiyoshoma defeats Shimanoumi – Straight recipe sumo from Chiyoshoma today, he gets a quick opening combo in against Shimanoumi who can’t manage to keep his feet under the rotational force delivered by that first attack. Chiyoshoma improves to 6-4.

Kiribayama defeats Kotoeko – Yet again Kotoeko fights with a lot of energy and vigor, but can’t overcome his opponent. Its as if he has all the pieces, but can’t quite put them together properly. Kiribayama dispatches him to make-koshi with an uwatenage while increasing his score to 7-3.

Hokutofuji defeats Onosho – I cracked a smile when I saw Onosho use Hokutofuji’s own “Handshake tachiai” against him in the opening of today’s match. It nearly worked, too. But as we have written on these pages before, Onosho was not the first rikishi to defeat Hokutofuji’s upper body in a fair fight, just to have his lower body stay in the match and carry the day. I swear Hokutofuji is the human embodiment of the 1990s era Chicago bears, with his lower body featuring a strong measure of Mike Singletary. Hokuto-singletary improves to 5-5

Hoshoryu defeats Tobizaru – The sound of their collision at the tachiai echoed in the quiet arena, and it was clear that Tobizaru was actually going to fight this one out chest to chest. Deep left hand grip for Tobizaru, and he was in control of the match to start. Hoshoryu knew this, and attempt to change up his grip. It was at that moment that Tobizaru threw the match away, as he switched to a pull down just as Hoshoryu got his hand inside. Shame too, he had Hoshoryu at a disadvantage for a time. Hoshoryu improves to 7-3.

Ichinojo defeats Daieisho – Daieisho tried as much as he could muster to dominate this match, but its very difficult to thrust against Ichinojo if he gets his feet set, there is just too much of him. Daieisho does manage to move him about some, but a big slap back from “The Boulder” sends Daieisho tumbling to the clay. Ichinojo improves to 7-3.

Meisei defeats Takanosho – Meisei continues to dominate Takanosho, now 7-1. Takanosho starts strong, and gets in a few good combos against a retreating Meisei. But Meisei executes a really neat shift from the left to the right setting up the hatakikomi, bringing Takanosho down. Both end the day 5-5, squarely in the middle of the Darwin funnel.

Takayasu defeats Wakatakakage – Takayasu had excellent defensive footwork today. In general his feet have been much quieter and much heavier this basho than prior tournaments, and I think that is the key to his better score. Wakatakakage finds himself only partially successful with his pushing attack, and his balance is increasingly forward of his toes. Wakatakakage tries everything, including some grab and tug, but Takayasu seems to have reconnected with his defensive sumo, and he’s just absorbing everything that Wakatakakage puts up. Wakatakakage puts in a big forward charge, right into Takayasu’s side step, giving Takayasu his 6th win.

Shodai defeats Mitakeumi – I would rather Shodai picked up his wins moving forward, but I guess that given my desire to not have this lump of mayo kadoban in September, any win will do. Mitakeumi gets pulled down while pushing with everything he can deliver into Shodai’s broad and wobbly chest. Both end the day at 6-4.

Terunofuji defeats Chiyotairyu – Chiyotairyu had a bad tachiai, and seemed to have been waiting for a matta call, which never came. Terunofuji placed both hands on Chiyotairyu’s mawashi and escorts him from the ring to reach 10-0.

Hakuho defeats Okinoumi – Okinoumi works to get a left hand inside, but by the time it finds the Yokozuna’s mawashi, there is nothing left for Okinoumi to do but step out. Hakuho keeps pace with Terunofuji at 10-0.