Haru 2025

Haru 2025: Day Six

Andy Haru 2025, Haru Basho

Hakuho had his eyes on the prize when Isegahama had their red and white field day. He instantly regretted letting Kusano, the shin-Juryo recruit, slip through his fingers in their draft. Hat tip to Herouth who spotted this in the lead up to the tournament and shared the link on Twitter and Blue Sky. I point this out because the young Kusano leads the Juryo yusho race at 6-0. Watch this kid.

NHK videos are here: Juryo Part I and Part II, Makuuchi Part I and Part II.

Makuuchi Action.

Mitakeumi (4-2) defeated Asakoryu (3-3). Asakoryu tried his lateral movement today but Mitakeumi was patient, bided his time and steadily wrapped Asakoryu up. Once Mitakeumi got his quarry contained with a right hand-inside, left-hand outside, he chugged forward and drove him out. Yorikiri.

Roga (Juryo 5-1) defeated Kotoshoho (3-3). Roga lured Kotoshoho to the edge and quickly twisted clockwise, rotating Kotoshoho down to the ground. Tsukiotoshi.

Tokihayate (4-2) defeated Sadanoumi (2-4). Sadanoumi had a left-hand inside, right-hand outside hold of Tokihayate but Tokihayate pumped his body to spring free of Sadanoumi’s hold and he pulled backward, dragging Sadanoumi to the ground with his left hand low at the front of Sadanoumi’s belt. Shitatenage.

Shirokuma (2-4) defeated Ryuden (3-3). Shirokuma led with his head and forced Ryuden back but Ryuden wrapped up Shirokuma’s belt with his favored right-hand inside. Shirokuma chugged forward and used his left-hand outside to throw Ryuden off the dohyo. Uwatenage.

Aonishiki (3-3) defeated Shishi (4-2). Aonishiki drove his head into Shishi’s chest and pulled him around the ring. Aonishiki grabbed Shishi’s mawashi with his left hand and swung him around then thrust him off the dohyo. Oshitaoshi.

Churanoumi (5-1) defeated Takarafuji (2-4). Churanoumi yanked Takarafuji over to the bales, then rotated and, with his right arm firmly planted in Takarafuji’s armpit, shoved Takarafuji roughly to the ground. Makiotoshi.

Onokatsu (5-1) defeated Shonannoumi (1-5). Shonannoumi did his pull and Onokatsu wasn’t falling for it. He drove Shonannoumi back and over the bales. Yorikiri.

Meisei (4-2) defeated Hakuoho (4-2). Meisei dispatched Hakuoho with a quick sidestep + slapdown. Tsukiotoshi.

Midorifuji (3-3) defeated Endo (4-2). The two wrestlers pressed into each other’s forearms at the center of the ring. Midorifuji brought his right arm up and drove it into Endo’s left shoulder, shoving Endo to the side. Endo stumbled to the edge and Midorifuji followed, shoving him out. Okuridashi.

Oshoma (2-4) defeated Nishikigi (0-6). Nishikigi pressed forward but Oshoma rotated back and forced Nishikigi to the edge. At the edge, Oshoma just slammed forward with all of his might until Nishikigi relented and stepped back and out. Yorikiri.

Tamawashi (4-2) defeated Hiradoumi (2-4). Hiradoumi steadily worked Tamawashi back to the bales behind his tsuppari. Hiradoumi tried a slapdown but Tamawashi bulled him all the way out the other side of the ring. Oshitaoshi.

Halftime

Shodai (3-3) defeated Ura (3-3). Shodai pressed Ura backward until Ura’s feet caught the bales. Then he executed a slapdown. Hatakikomi.

Kinbozan (3-3) defeated Atamifuji (3-3). Atamifuji seemed to have the upper hand here early. Kinbozan focused on pulling Atamifuji’s hands from his belt so Atamifuji attacked Kinbozan’s face instead. At the bales, Kinbozan found resistance and pressed forward. He acquired a solid belt grip and drove Atamifuji back over the bales. Yorikiri.

Takerufuji (4-2) defeated Ichiyamamoto (3-3). Takerufuji brushed off Ichiyamamoto’s tsuppari attack so, Ichiyamamoto initiated phase two…slapdown attempt. However, Takerufuji did not get slapped down and ran Ichiyamamoto straight back out of the ring. Oshidashi.

Wakamotoharu (4-2) defeated Gonoyama (1-5). Gonoyama charged forward and Wakamotoharu slapped him down as he rotated back and to his left. Tsukiotoshi.

Sanyaku

Abi (4-2) defeated Kirishima (3-3). Abi caught Kirishima out with a quick slapdown. Rather than extended volley of tsuppari, Abi’s attack was a quick, 1-2 of tsuppari then slapdown. Kirishima stumbled forward and Abi pounced from behind, shoving him out quickly to the groans of the assembled patrons. Okuridashi.

Takayasu (5-1) defeated Daieisho (3-3). Daieisho started with some tsuppari but quickly pulled for a slapdown attempt. Takayasu did not go down and pursued Daieisho, shoving him from the edge of the ring. Oshidashi.

Wakatakakage (2-4) defeated Oho (2-4). Wakatakakage got inside, forced Oho high, drove him backward to the bales. Oho tried to twist left and right but Wakatakakage adjusted well and kept the pressure up with some gaburi-yotsu, forcing Oho over behind his hip thrusting action. Yorikiri.

Onosato (5-1) defeated Takanosho (2-3). Takanosho attacked Onosato with his nodowa but Onosato moved laterally left and drove into Takanosho from the side. He was quickly able to drive Takanosho over the bales. Oshidashi.

Kotozakura (3-3) defeated Chiyoshoma (3-3). Kotozakura pressed forward and steadily worked Chiyoshoma back to the edge. Chiyoshoma tried changing direction a few times as he neared the edge but Kotozakura corralled him along the tawara. Kotozakura shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu (4-2) defeated Tobizaru (1-5). Hoshoryu wrapped up Tobizaru’s left shoulder quickly, eliminating all hope of Daffy-Duck attacks bounding around the ring. He steadily secured Tobizaru’s belt and kind of waited for Tobizaru to counter but the counter never came. So, Hoshoryu drove him back and out. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up

Onosato still feels like the adult in the room, though Kotozakura and Hoshoryu both had solid, dominant victories today. Thank God. Hoshoryu will fight Takanosho tomorrow and Kotozakura will take on Tobizaru. I feel both are must-win for Hoshoryu and Kotozakura. They cannot afford to drop bouts to these maegashira.

Chiyoshoma gave Kotozakura a bit of a scare on the edge but Kotozakura prevailed. Despite yesterday’s henka, I hope Chiyoshoma is winning fans. He’s giving it everything he has. Today, it just wasn’t enough against the Ozeki. Chiyoshoma will give it his all against Onosato tomorrow. Will Onosato be able to counter Chiyoshoma’s wily yotsu style?

Those of us hoping for a Hakuoho yusho run had those hopes dashed too quickly. I’ve added Meisei to my list. I don’t know what it’s a list of (because I like Meisei) but I feel he needs some karmic revenge. Maybe he’ll get henka’d tomorrow by…checks notes…Shishi. Well, that’s not going to happen, I can assure you.

Takayasu seemed to have an easy time of it against Daieisho, which is promising. But Takayasu will fight Wakatakakage tomorrow. That will be a tough one. And Onokatsu and Churanoumi have kept pace down at the bottom of the rank-and-file. Onokatsu will face Hakuoho tomorrow. Churanoumi will face Kotoshoho.

Haru 2025: Day Five

Andy Haru 2025, Haru Basho

Day Five in Osaka. We have seen a lot of great sumo so far and some not-so-great sumo. Kadoban Kotozakura has not been inspiring anyone this basho. Thankfully, the bar he must meet is rather low. He has today and 10 more days to find six wins.

Your NHK videos are here: Juryo Part I & Part II, Makuuchi Part I & Part II.

Makuuchi Action

Mitakeumi (3-2) defeated Kayo (Juryo 2-3). Some of the commenters picked up on the rather amusing, slapstick quality of some of the bouts. We opened today with a slapstick bout. Mainoumi said it was like they were dancing. Mitakeumi pressed forward and Kayo bounced backwards along the tawara for a complete revolution, trying to tip Mitakeumi over. Yorikiri.

Kotoshoho (3-2) defeated Tokihayate (3-2). Kotoshoho grabbed Tokihayate’s shimekomi with his right hand and swung him to the edge. It appeared Kotoshoho helped Tokihayate over the bales with a solid knee to the butt. Uwatenage.

Sadanoumi (2-3) defeated Shirokuma (1-4). Sadanoumi wrapped up Shirokuma with a morozashi. Sadanoumi may have been afraid of a kimedashi because Shirokuma started to press forward, so he quickly switched his right hand outside. When Shirokuma twisted Sadanoumi toward the bales, Sadanoumi slipped his leg around Shirokuma’s and, “Timber!!!” Shirokuma fell backward. Sotogake.

Churanoumi (4-1) defeated Asakoryu (3-2). Churanoumi slapped Asakoryu down. Though Asakoryu did not fall, he stumbled forward enough for Churanoumi to gain access to the back of his belt. Churanoumi followed up quickly by shoving Asakoryu out from behind. Okuridashi.

Ryuden (3-2) defeated Aonishiki (2-3). Ryuden did well against Aonishiki’s opening tsuppari. Aonishiki could not get any forward progress. As he tired, he got real low and seized Ryuden’s belt at the front. Ryuden did not have a belt grip but a hold of Aonishiki’s trunk with his right arm. He twisted and pulled Aonishiki forward with that right arm and rolled Aonishiki to the clay. Kainahineri.

Shishi (4-1) defeated Onokatsu (4-1). Onokatsu got a great belt grip but Shishi was just plain stronger. Shishi dragged Onokatsu to the edge and as Onokatsu hopped on one leg, trying to keep his balance, he hopped over the bales. Yorikiri.

Meisei (3-2) defeated Midorifuji (2-3). Meisei embraced Midorifuji tightly, left-hand inside. He began to drive Midorifuji to the edge so Midorifuji desperately tried to switch his grip but Meisei’s grip was solid and he forced Midorifuji over the edge. Yorikiri.

Shonannoumi (1-4) defeated Takarafuji (2-3). Shonannoumi pressed forward, forcing Takarafuji toward the bales with powerful shoves. Once he got Takarafuji to the edge, he switched to a slapdown strategy, pulling backwards and forcing Takarafuji to the ground. Hatakikomi.

Hakuoho (4-1) defeated Endo (4-1). Hakuoho ended Endo’s hopes of a zensho yusho. Endo grabbed Hakuoho’s belt with his right hand, twisted to that right and pulled backwards. Hakuoho just kept Endo centered and drove right over him, forcing Endo into a heap in the crowd. Yorikiri.

Atamifuji (3-2) defeated Nishikigi (0-5). Atamifuji’s footwork was too good at the edge. He pressed Nishikigi to the edge and as Nishikigi tried to escape to Atamifuji’s left, Atamifuji pursued and ushered Nishikigi over the bales. Oshidashi.

Oshoma (1-4) defeated Shodai (2-3). Shodai quickly forced Oshoma to the edge but Oshoma pulled Shodai’s left arm off his belt and hugged him with a right hand inside. With this new, superior position, inside and low, the entire bout changed. Then Oshoma charged ahead forward and forced Shodai back and out. Advancing sumo won. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Kinbozan (2-3) defeated Tamawashi (3-2). Kinbozan’s tsuppari is back. He blasted Tamawashi hard, forcing Tamawashi back and off the dohyo. Tsukidashi.

Takerufuji (3-2) defeated Ura (3-2). Ura slid backward to the bales as Takerufuji forced his way forward. One hard, well-timed blast from Takerufuji propelled poor Ura into the third row. Oshidashi.

Ichiyamamoto (3-2) defeated Hiradoumi (2-3). Ichiyamamoto caught Hiradoumi over-eager. As Hiradoumi drove forward, Ichiyamamoto slipped to the right and Hiradoumi fell forward. Hikiotoshi.

Takayasu (4-1) defeated Gonoyama (1-4). Just when I thought Gonoyama had control of his bout and was going to force Takayasu out, Takayasu slipped to his left and shoved Gonoyama down with his left arm at Gonoyama’s right shoulder. Hatakikomi.

Sanyaku

Wakatakakage (1-4) defeated Kirishima (3-2). Kirishima gambled with a slapdown attempt. He lost that bet. Wakatakakage charged forward quickly, resisted the slapdown and bulldozed Kirishima off the dohyo. WTK picked up his first win of the tournament. Yorikiri.

Oho (2-3) defeated Abi (3-2). Oho resisted a strong attack from Abi, punctuated by a fierce nodowa. Just when Abi worked Oho to the edge and thought he was going to win, Oho shifted to his right and forced Abi to the edge and over. Oshidashi.

Daieisho (3-2) defeated Wakamotoharu (3-2). Wakamotoharu withstood Daieisho’s torrent and did not fall for his early pull. But Daieisho slipped left and Wakamotoharu rolled along the floor to his right. Tsukiotoshi.

Takanosho (2-3) defeated Kotozakura (2-3). Well then. Kotozakura does not appear to be an Ozeki for much longer. Well, to be fair, Kotozakura does not appear to be an Ozeki now. Takanosho’s nodowa appeared to be the biggest offensive weapon deployed during this match. Kotozakura nearly caught Takanosho out by the edge but he could not follow up with a shove to finish Takanosho off. Instead, Takanosho seemed to wear him down and simply drove Kotozakura out. Oshidashi.

Onosato (4-1) defeated Tobizaru (1-4). Onosato plowed straight ahead and cast Tobizaru into the sea of brown vests. At least one Ozeki showed up this tournament. We’ll see if he wants a yusho. It doesn’t seem anybody else wants this title thing. Oshidashi.

Chiyoshoma (3-2) defeated Hoshoryu (3-2). HENKA! Chiyoshoma jumped right, seized Hoshoryu by the belt and dragged him forward to the bales. Hoshoryu slammed on the brakes, bracing at the bales. Chiyoshoma followed up with the biggest shoves of his life as Hoshoryu tried to escape left and right along the tawara. But Hoshoryu’s position was unrecoverable and Chiyoshoma forced him out. KINBOSHI #1. Chiyoshoma pulled out the long missing henka when it mattered most. He pulled it out against the Yokozuna. This is probably Chiyoshoma’s biggest win of his career. And so many will hate him for it. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up

Not the greatest day of sumo. Hoshoryu fell to a henka. Kotozakura just seems gone. Will we have yet another “former Ozeki” flailing around in the maegashira by year’s end? Kotozakura sure does not appear to be putting in the kind of sumo that will yield a second title. Shodai appears to be the bigger threat at the moment.

Thankfully Onosato is getting in his wins. But no one is left undefeated. Has anyone inspired you with their sumo this tournament? Seven guys are tied with one loss…six maegashira and Onosato. Who will rise to the top? Maybe the long-awaited Papa Bear Yusho? Frankly, everyone has looked a bit rusty. Maybe another low maegashira makes a run…Hakuoho or Churanoumi? I cannot see Endo, Onokatsu, or Shishi lasting with one loss for more than a few days.

Haru 2025: Day Four

Andy Haru 2025 ,

Day Four in Osaka. Down in Juryo, Nabatame injured his left knee yesterday and is kyujo. Hidenoumi got the freebie win. No kensho for pachinko, though.

NHK video links: Juryo Part I & Part II, Makuuchi Part I & Part II.

Makuuchi Action

Shirokuma (1-3) defeated Kagayaki (Juryo 0-4). It looked like Kagayaki had the early edge here, forcing Shirokuma back to the edge. But Shirokuma used the tawara to brace himself, established a right-hand inside, left-hand outside grip, and drove Kagayaki back across the dohyo and over the edge. Yorikiri.

Tokihayate (3-1) defeated Asakoryu (3-1). As Asakoryu charged forward, Tokihayate twisted quickly to his left. Asakoryu’s right foot splayed out to brace but went over the bales. Yorikiri.

Aonishiki (2-2) defeated Mitakeumi (2-2). This must be a bit of a confidence builder. Aonishiki used steady pressure and a strong nodowa to force Mitakeumi back and over the bales. The young, top-division debutant defeated a three-time Emperor Cup winner and former Ozeki. Then again, Mitakeumi’s sumo performance has been a mere shadow of his earlier glory. Oshidashi.

Sadanoumi (1-3) defeated Kotoshoho (2-2) Kotoshoho seemed to want to lure Sadanoumi back, as he pulled, but Sadanoumi was wise to his shifty tactics. Sadanoumi centered Kotoshoho and blasted him into the head shimpan. Oshitaoshi.

Churanoumi (3-1) defeated Ryuden (2-2). Churanoumi put his hand on Ryuden’s head and shoved down hard. Ryuden kept his balance but could not resist as Churanoumi followed up with a good shove and sent him over the bales. Oshidashi.

Onokatsu (4-0) defeated Takarafuji (2-2). Onokatsu was too strong and drove Takarafuji back and over the bales. Yorikiri.

Shishi (3-1) defeated Midorifuji (2-2). As Midorifuji pulled, Shishi used his right hand to shove Midorifuji at the shoulder. This blasted Midorifuji to the side and hard onto the clay. Oshitaoshi.

Meisei (2-2) defeated Nishikigi (0-4). Meisei made quick work of Nishikigi; wrapped him up and drove him back and out. Yorikiri.

Hakuoho (3-1) defeated Shonannoumi (0-4). Hakuoho dispatched Shonannoumi quickly, driving him back and out under the white tassel. Yorikiri.

Endo (4-0) defeated Oshoma (0-4). Endo got his left arm under Oshoma’s right shoulder and twisted him down for a sukuinage win.

Shodai (2-2) defeated Atamifuji (2-2). Shodai pulled and as Atamifuji charged toward the edge, Shodai grabbed his belt, spun, and yanked him over the bales. Uwatedashinage.

Halftime

Tamawashi (3-1) defeated Takerufuji (2-2). Takerufuji pulled and Tamawashi happily charged ahead and forced Takerufuji back and out. Takerufuji needs to practice his falls, he could have given himself whiplash today, slamming down hard under the black tassel. Oshitaoshi.

Ura (3-1) defeated Hiradoumi (2-2). Of course, the news ran long and we missed Ura’s win over Hiradoumi, live. The replay showed quite the oshi brawl. Hiradoumi pulled and Ura followed, slamming into Hiradoumi’s chest and forcing him back and out. Oshidashi.

Ichiyamamoto (2-2) defeated Kinbozan (1-3). Standard Ichiyamamoto tsuppari forced Kinbozan back and over the edge. Oshidashi.

Tobizaru (1-3) defeated Takayasu (3-1). Takayasu played Tobizaru well but when Tobizaru kicked out at Takayasu’s right foot, which was bracing his weight, Takayasu backed up and set himself up for Tobizaru’s well-timed pull down. Kekaeshi.

Sanyaku

Chiyoshoma (2-2) defeated Abi (3-1). No tsuppari from Abi. Instead, he wrapped up Chiyoshoma, cycled back and tried to pull Chiyoshoma over. Chiyoshoma just followed Abi around the ring and drove him out. Yorikiri.

Kirishima (3-1) defeated Daieisho (2-2). Kirishima got inside quickly against Daieisho, who, like Abi, opted for a grapple instead of his usual tsuppari. Kirishima drove Daieisho back and out. Yorikiri.

Takanosho (1-3) defeated Oho (1-3) Takanosho forced Oho back to the bales. Oho tried to escape to his left but Takanosho pursued well and drove him out. Oshidashi.

Wakamotoharu (3-1) defeated Onosato (3-1). Damn, it, Onosato. Forward-moving sumo wins. You pull at your peril. Wakamotoharu kept Onosato well centered and forced him from the fighting surface. Oshidashi.

Kotozakura (2-2) defeated Wakatakakage (0-4). Kotozakura pressed forward, drove into Wakatakakage and showed Onosato how it is done. Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu (3-1) defeated Gonoyama (3-1). Hoshoryu quickly pulled Gonoyama down. Hatakikomi.

Wrap-up

Endo and Onokatsu lead the field. I am going to bed. I fear the nightmares that will follow. Rather than sugarplums, my dreams will surely be of weak pulls and very slow henka.

Haru 2025: Day Three

Andy Haru 2025 ,

Day Three in Osaka. Links to NHK videos for today’s action are here: Juryo Part I & Part II, Makuuchi Part I & Part II.

Makuuchi Action

Tokihayate (2-1) defeated Tamashoho (Juryo 2-1). Tokihayate weathered Tamashoho’s tsuppari attack, and shoved Tamashoho from the ring. Oshidashi.

Mitakeumi (2-1) defeated Shirokuma (0-3). Strong tachiai, Shirokuma pressed forward and forced Mitakeumi to the edge but Mitakeumi shifted to the left along the bales and pulled Shirokuma down with his left-hand over arm grip. Uwatenage.

Asakoryu (3-0) defeated Kotoshoho (2-1). Asakoryu kept Kotoshoho centered, despite Kotoshoho’s strong pull and slapdown attempt, and shoved Kotoshoho clear from the dohyo. Excellent footwork from Asakoryu. Oshitaoshi.

Aonishiki (1-2) defeated Sadanoumi (0-3). Aonishiki started with an oshi attack, trying to shove Sadanoumi back to the bales. Aonishiki wasn’t getting anywhere with it, though, so he reached inside with a left-hand on Sadanoumi’s belt. He quickly pulled and threw Sadanoumi for his first win in the top division. Congratulations. Shitatenage.

Shishi (2-1) defeated Churanoumi (2-1) Churanoumi has no patience for Shishi’s twerking. Churanoumi would not let Shishi inside so the two blasted each other with tsuppari. Churanoumi lured Shishi toward the edge where he had a sudden shift to his right. It was a bit too sudden as Churanoumi stumbled and fell backwards while Shishi kept his footing. Oshitaoshi.

Takarafuji (2-1) defeated Ryuden (2-1). Takarafuji seized Ryuden’s belt with a strong left-hand inside, right-hand outside and drove him to the edge. Ryuden’s attack seemed disrupted by his inability to get his fingers wrapped on Takarafuji’s belt. He resorted to hugging Takarafuji but it was too late. Takarafuji pressured him back and powered Ryuden over the bales. Yorikiri.

Onokatsu (3-0) defeated Meisei (1-2). Onokatsu grabbed on to Meisei’s belt and kept his legs chugging forward. Meisei tried to shove Onokatsu away, then tried to throw him with a shitatenage but Onokatsu kept pressing forward and eventually shoved Meisei over the bales and into Ajigawa’s lap. Yorikiri.

Midorifuji (2-1) defeated Nishikigi (0-3). Midorifuji’s left hand ottsuke kept Nishikigi’s right hand off his belt. Midorifuji twisted backwards, pulling on Nishikigi’s belt. Somehow, Nishikigi found himself stood outside of the ring, perplexed, “But he’s such a little guy.” Yorikiri.

Endo (3-0) defeated Shonannoumi (0-3). Endo pulled and Shonannoumi pressed forward. Can you imagine? Endo had jumped out while Shonannoumi fell forward onto his knee. Gunbai Shonannoumi. Mono-ii. Ruling over-ruled and Sadanoumi was judged to be down first. Despite the flubbed description, it would have had to have been the top of Shonannoumi’s foot on the clay a beat before Endo landed out of the ring. Hatakikomi.

An ad? In the middle of NHK sumo coverage? WTF? That was jarring. I thought I was watching Abema for a moment. If my eyes did not deceive me, it was a promo for women’s volleyball. Or maybe that was one of my late-night hallucinations. I need more tea.

Atamifuji (2-1) defeated Oshoma (0-3). Power sumo. Atamifuji’s gaburi yotsu drove Oshoma back and out. Good to see the big boy seems to be pretty healthy this basho. Yorikiri.

Tamawashi (2-1) defeated Hakuoho (2-1). Well, damn. Not much of a bout here. Tamawashi blasted the heck out of Hakuoho and drove him from the dohyo. A strong blast from his right hand to Hakuoho’s shoulder while his left hand blasted into Hakuoho’s chin. This got Hakuoho into an irrecoverable death spin, like those space rockets have been doing of late. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Hiradoumi (2-1) defeated Takerufuji (2-1). Hiradoumi pressed forward with his high-octane yotsu and weathered Takerufuji’s attempt to twist him over to the right. Hiradoumi stuck with it and forced Takerufuji out. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (1-2) defeated Shodai (1-2). Kinbozan found his stride today against Shodai and blasted the former Ozeki from the ring with his powerful tsuppari. Oshidashi.

Takayasu (3-0) defeated Ichiyamamoto (1-2). Takayasu battered Ichiyamamoto with his own tsuppari. That seemed to trump Ichiyamamoto’s main weapon. Takayasu battered Ichiyamamoto back to the edge and Ichiyamamoto resorted to crawling away in order to escape. Hatakikomi.

Ura (2-1) defeated Takanosho (0-3). Takanosho thought he had Ura. Takanosho blasted away at Ura, battered him back to the edge…and then he was gone. In a flash, Ura shifted to his right along the bales and pulled Takanosho’s left hand, forcing Takanosho to stumble forward. Tottari.

Sanyaku

Kirishima (2-1) defeated Chiyoshoma (1-2). Kirishima outlasted Chiyoshoma in a lengthy grapple. He heaved Chiyoshoma to the edge with his right hand and tried to force Chiyoshoma down with his left hand. Chiyoshoma stayed upright but was standing precariously at the edge. Kirishima pressed forward and forced Chiyoshoma out. Yorikiri.

Oho (1-2) defeated Tobizaru (0-3). Oho ejected Tobizaru with a few powerful thrusts. He caught Tobizaru wrong-footed so Tobizaru turned around and ran away. Then Tobizaru tumbled into the crowd and chatted a bit with a few of the Osaka fan club folks in brown vests. Oshidashi.

Daieisho (2-1) defeated Wakatakakage (0-3). Daieisho’s thrusts are powerful and one caught Wakatakakage just right and sent Wakatakakage flying back. Tsukitaoshi.

Abi (3-0) defeated Kotozakura (1-2). Kotozakura had the upper hand here. He took the brunt of Abi’s tsuppari, powered ahead and forced him to the edge. But Abi escaped to Kotozakura’s left, and bounded away. Kotozakura gave chase and got all lost — head and body way out ahead of his feet. Abi pounced and shoved the Ozeki out. Cha-ching! Oshidashi.

Onosato (3-0) defeated Gonoyama (1-2). Gonoyama jumped early, so they reset. Gonoyama charged forward, pressed Onosato back a few steps. Then he pulled and as he pulled he tried to slip to Onosato’s left. Onosato pursued and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu (2-1) defeated Wakamotoharu (2-1). Hoshoryu death spin here. Left hand inside grip but he opted for the kotenage as he dragged Wakamotoharu around with his right arm planted in Wakamotoharu’s shoulder. As Wakamotoharu fought to stay upright, he freed himself from Hoshoryu’s grip but the momentum carried him into the crowd. Hoshoryu’s right arm grazed Wakamotoharu’s head as he stumbled from the dohyo. Kubinage.

Wrap-up

Asakoryu, Onokatsu, Endo, Abi, Onosato. Undefeated. God, I love this sport. Like, WTF. Thank God we have Onosato here with them, our rock, so far this tournament. We’re only on Day Three! Endo will end up 5-10, though. Onokatsu, though, has been a solid performer. And Abi. The wild card.

Tomorrow, Hoshoryu will face Gonoyama in the musubi-no-ichiban. Kotozakura will try to regroup against the winless, but always dangerous, Wakatakakage. Onosato fights Wakamotoharu. Further down the banzuke, we’ve got Oho against Takanosho, Kirishima versus Daieisho, and Abi looks to continue his run against Chiyoshoma.

I’ve not got much analysis at this point, outside of what happened in the bouts. We’re very early, still, so I’m basically sitting back and enjoying the action. Who knows where this will go? Other than the fact we know Endo’s going to mess this up and end up with a deep make-koshi, it just feels like this could go anywhere. When Abi’s in the lead, he could be on a yusho run or fall apart when he hits the Onami brothers. I am holding out hopes that Onosato will stay steady, Hoshoryu keeps winning after his early blemish, and Kotozakura recovers enough to get his kachi-koshi. We shall see.