Hatsu Basho 2018

Day 13 Undercard Matches to Watch

Liam R Abi (阿炎), Asanoyama (朝乃山), Chiyomaru, Chiyoshoma, Daiamami (大奄美), Hatsu Basho 2018, Kachi Koshi, Kagayaki (輝), Kaisei (魁聖), Kotoyuki, Make Kochi, Ryuden (竜電), Takarafuji (宝富士), Takekaze (豪風), Terunofuji (照ノ富士)

The competition level continues to rise as we get near the end of Hatsu, and Day 13 will see many stars of the undercard compete for their spot in the top division come March. Here are some great undercard matches that you shouldn’t miss!

Sokokurai vs. Yutakayama

Yutakayama is one win away from kachi koshi. That phrase sounds so strange to me, but considering how wild the last few days of this Basho have been, I guess anything is possible now! Having picked up a fusen win from Tochiozan on Day 12, Yutakayama can earn his winning record with a victory over Sokokurai tomorrow. The November Juryu Champ Sokokurai continues to look like a fish out of water this January and is already make koshi. These two have met twice before, and their series is tied 1-1.

Kotoyuki vs. Daiamami

The last two days have been pretty easy on big Daiamami. On Day 11 he gently plopped Aminishiki over the bales without much fuss, and on Day 12 he picked up another win by quietly walking Terunofuji out of the ring. The competition level picks up on Thursday when he takes on Kotoyuki. Despite limping away from the dohyo on Day 11, Kotoyuki didn’t look very injured in his match versus Asanoyama and had little trouble pushing Mr. Happy over the bales. In four previous meetings, the Penguin has beaten Daiamami thrice.

Terunofuji vs. Takekaze

Takekaze seems hellbent on capping his losses at eight and has now won his last three matches. On Thursday he has a chance to extend that streak to four when he faces the hollow shell of what used to be Terunofuji. If there’s any life left in the Kaiju, tomorrow would be the perfect time to show it as Takekaze is one of the easier opponents he’ll face over the next three days. A win could go a long way in restoring Terunofuji’s confidence, which seems to be a big factor in his listless sumo.

Asanoyama vs. Chiyomaru

What is going on with Asanoyama? During week one he looked like the skilled young rikishi who turned heads at Aki, but in the second week, he appears just as lost as he did  in Kyushu. While he could be injured again, I think the major culprit is his self-esteem. Prior to Aki, Asanoyama had a career record of 98-30, giving him a win rate of 76.6%. During this time his longest losing streak was only three matches. Since then, he has lost 42 matches, and his win rate has dropped to 34.4%. It was during this period that Asanoyama also picked up his first make koshi. This guy has been a winner almost his entire career, and now he needs to figure out how to handle losing in the big leagues, or he won’t be there much longer. Tomorrow he’ll face Chiyomaru and have another chance to clinch his kachi koshi. Chiyo is also coming into Day 13 looking for his kachi koshi and will be a stiff opponent for Mr. Happy.

Chiyoshoma vs. Kagayaki

Kagayaki will be making a trip up the torikumi tomorrow when he faces off with Maegashira 7 Chiyoshoma. Chiyoshoma fell victim to the new and improved Shodai yesterday, and now has to deal with the new and improved Kagayaki as well. While Kagayaki has been performing far better this Basho, he still has a lot to learn when it comes to yotsu-sumo. Nishikigi took full advantage of this weakness yesterday, and if Kagayaki tries to engage a skilled grappler like Chiyoshoma in some mawashi fighting, he can expect the same kind of results. Chiyoshoma has a 6-4 series lead.

Abi vs. Kaisei & Takarafuji vs. Ryuden

Kagayaki isn’t the only one taking on a higher ranked opponent on Day 13. Two of the brightest young stars of the undercard, Abi and Ryuden, will leap up the match schedule to face Makuuchi mainstays Kaisei and Takarafuji. These matches, for the most part, are to help the schedulers figure out where the chips will fall for Haru, as every man except for Takarafuji has a kachi koshi. Since neither pair has faced one another before, these matches should be very entertaining!

I’ve been blown away by the quality of the Hatsu Basho this year, and Day 13 can’t come soon enough!

Day 12 Undercard Matches to Watch

Liam R Abi (阿炎), Aminishiki (安美錦), Asanoyama (朝乃山), Chiyomaru, Daiamami (大奄美), Hatsu Basho 2018, Kachi Koshi, Kagayaki (輝), Kotoyuki, Make Kochi, Nishikigi, Takekaze (豪風), Terunofuji (照ノ富士), Tochinoshin (栃ノ心)

This Basho is the gift that keeps on giving, especially considering the excellent matches coming out of the undercard. Day 12 looks like it’s going to be just as good as Day 11, and there are many high-stakes matches throughout the torikumi! Here are a few exciting undercard matches to watch on Day 12.

Nishikigi vs. Kagayaki

Kagayaki is back to using his strong sumo again, winning his last four bouts and coming into Day 12 just one victory shy of his kachi koshi. While the Kagayaki of old would have fallen flat on his face after a henka, the new and more confident Kagayai stayed upright and managed to throw Kotoyuki off the dohyo and into the first row today. Tomorrow he faces Nishikigi, who is once more walking the tightrope between Makuuchi and Juryo, and will need to win three out of his four remaining matches to secure a winning record. The two have faced off eight times before, and Kagayaki holds a 5-3 series lead.

Kotoyuki vs. Asanoyama

Tokyo wasn’t the only thing that cooled down last weekend. After blazing through the first six days of competition, Asanoyama lost four matches in a row before picking up his seventh win today versus Sokokurai. Mr. Happy looked incredibly relieved after his victory, leading me to believe that a mental block was a factor in his losing skid. With the monkey off his back, hopefully, he can get back to his stellar sumo and clinch his kachi koshi on Day 12. He meets Kotoyuki, who is also experiencing a string of recent losses. To make things worse, the Penguin took another tumble off the dohyo and was last seen needing help to walk the rest of the way to the locker room. Tomorrow will mark their second meeting, with Kotoyuki holding a 1-0 edge over Asanoyama.

Terunofuji vs. Daiamami

If Terunofuji is in fighting form, we certainly didn’t get a chance to see it today. The towering Kaiju was swiftly sidestepped at the tachiai by the much smaller Ishiura, who got behind Terunofuji to force him over the tawara. Tommorrow will be a true test of Terunofuji’s ability to compete, as he meets fellow big man Daiamai on the dohyo. Daiamami comes into Day 12 looking to pick up his sixth win and bring his record back to .500. Success tomorrow will put him two wins away from his first Makuuchi kachi koshi. Day 12 will be the first meeting between these two behemoths.

Takekaze vs. Aminishiki

Wednesday marks the thirty-third, and potentially final, time veterans Takekaze and Aminishiki face one another on the dohyo. Takekaze comes into Day 12 with a dreadful 3-8 record and is at risk of falling out of Makuchi come March. There is a good chance he will go intai if this happens. Aminishiki also has a poor record, and unless he can run the gambit and win his final four matches, he will be demoted. At Maegashira 10, ‘Shiki has a bit of a buffer between himself and Juryo, but his presence in the top division at Haru is looking very uncertain. Given his recent lower body issues, Uncle Sumo may choose to hang up the mawashi if his Makuuchi swan song comes to an end. As much as it is hard to hear, the changing of the guard is going to start sooner rather than later. With the elder statesmen of sumo unable to keep up with the new generation, Hatsu 2018 may mark the beginning of that change.

Abi vs. Choyomaru.

It’s hard to believe that Abi is one now win away from his kachi koshi considering the rough start he had this Basho. The shiko master has been a great addition to the top division and is one of the brightest stars on the undercard! Day 12 sees Abi face marshmallow man Chiyomaru, who is also one victory away from a winning record. While Abi’s tsuppari attacks are powerful, they’ve so far been ineffective against Chiyo’s bulky physique, and the big man has never lost to Abi. Will that change tomorrow, or will Abi have to wait until Day 13 to claim his kachi koshi?

Day 11 will be pretty hard to beat, but Day 12 has just as much fantastic undercard action to enjoy, in what is becoming n all-time great Basho!

Everything You Need to Know After Act Two

Liam R Endo (遠藤), Hatsu Basho 2018, Kachi Koshi, Kakuryu (鶴竜), Kyujo (休場), Make Kochi, Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Yūshō (優勝)

Act Two has come to a close, and while Tokyo is freezing over, action at the Ryogoku Kokugikan continues to heat up! The third and final act of the 2018 Hatsu Basho begins tomorrow, and what an act it is shaking up to be. Over the next five days, dreams will come true, aspirations will be crushed, and a new champion will be crowned. The rikishi are ready, the Emperors Cup has been polished and the giant macaroon baked. Without further adieu, here is everything you need to know going into Act Three!

Yusho Race

After ten days of sumo, the Yusho race has boiled down to just one name: Kakuryu. With a spotless 10-0 record coming into Act Two, the Yokozuna is firmly in the driver’s seat this Basho and the Emperors Cup is now his to lose. However, he’s not home free yet, as Maegashira 3 Tochinoshin is just one win behind, and a slip up by Kakuryu will put him back into contention. Kakuryu will begin to face his stiffest competition yet over the next coming days and will have to weather the storm if he wants to hoist the cup come Sunday.

Kachi Koshi and Make Koshi

Despite several rikishi sitting halfway to their kachi koshi after Act One, only three men were able to achieve a winning record during Act Two. Tochinoshin secured his kachi koshi on Day 9 in a herculean effort against Mitakeumi. Daieisho picked his up with a win over Tochiozan on Day 10. While Kakuryu had eight wins by Day 8, he obtained his Yokozuna kachi koshi of ten wins on Day 10. Grandpa Bullfrog Takekaze, Terunofuji, Ikioi and Hokutofuji are the only rikishi entering Act Two with make koshi records, as each only pick up two wins after ten days. Hokutofuji’s make koshi is especially unfortunate as the young rikishi was looking stellar coming into Hatsu and high hopes were surrounding him. Looks like the curse of the NHK special strikes again. As for Terunojuji, he recieved his losing record from the sidelines after missing a week of the Basho due to illness. Everyone else will have their fate decided in Act Three. For an excellent break down of the promotion and demotion implications for March, please see lksumo’s post here.

Kinboshi

With Kakuryu firing on all cylinders, there weren’t any kinboshi gold stars handed during the Act Two. Now that Onosho has pulled out, Kakuryu’s projected final opponents will change, giving one more Maegashira a chance to put dirt on the Yokozuna. Endo will likely be the one chosen to square off against the Yokozuna on Day 12.

Kyujo

Act One saw us lose Kisenosato, Hakuho, Terunofuji, and Aminishiki. That list has since shortened, as Aminishiki made his return on Day 10 and Terunofuji will be coming back from kyujo tomorrow. In their place is Onosho, who pulled out on Day 10 due to a ligament injury in his right knee, and will lose his Komusubi spot for the Haru Basho in March.

While the conclusion of this Basho may seem clear, if there is one thing I’ve learned about sumo is that it is very unpredictable. So much can happen over the next five days, and Act Three of the 2018 Hatsu Basho is shaping up to be the best act yet! Raise the curtain, let’s begin!

Terunofuji to Return on Day 11

Liam R Hatsu Basho 2018, Terunofuji (照ノ富士)

Terunofuji, who went kyujo on Day 3, will make a return on Day 11 to face Ishiura. The Kaiju’s initial doctors note only recommended a week off from competition due to symptoms of diabetes, which appear to be under control following medical intervention. In a statement to the press, Isegahama Oyakata reported that Terunofuji’s old knee injury was getting better and that his glucose levels were much lower after treatment. Despite his Oyakata’s optimism, it is obvious that Terunofuji is in no shape to be competing, and slogging through the last five days of competition could only serve to undo any healing that has taken place. While it’s good that Terunofuji’s health is apparently trending in the right direction, returning now could be just another step closer to the end of the Kaiju’s career.