Hatsu 2024

Makushita January Madness: Return of Wakatakakage

lksumo Hatsu 2024, Hatsu Basho

After 6 days and 3 rounds of bouts, let’s take a look at the action in Makushita, where exciting newcomers mix it up with veterans for a shot at the salaried ranks.

As a reminder, the Makushita yusho race is essentially a seven-round single-elimination tournament in which the 120 or so rikishi are reduced by half over two-day rounds until one man with a 7-0 record takes the title (occasionally, same-heya rikishi and other wrinkles throw a wrench into the works, and we end up with a playoff and a 6-1 champion). A 7-0 record from Ms1-Ms15 is a near-guarantee of promotion to Juryo, which otherwise usually requires a winning record from Ms1-Ms5.

After Day 6, the headline has to be that one man has already clinched his kachi-koshi: former Sekiwake Wakatakakage. After sitting out 3 basho following his March knee injury and surgery, the fan favorite and erstwhile Ozeki hopeful returned at Ms6 in November and showed some unsurprising ring rust on his way to a 5-2 record, not enough to earn re-promotion to Juryo. Now fighting at Ms1w, WTK started off with 3 straight wins against Makushita opponents before visiting Juryo on Day 6 and besting Chiyosakae to all-but-ensure a return to the salaried ranks. He now gets two days off before continuing his quest for a second career third-division yusho.

Also in the yusho race are 13 undefeated 3-0 wrestlers. The next round, unfolding over Days 7 and 8, will reduce the number to 6 or 7 (the lowest-ranked of the 13 will fight the highest-ranked undefeated Sandanme rikishi). The highest-ranked is Ms8e Onokatsu, the last man to debut at Ms15TD in November before a rule change eliminated this head start. He scored a huge victory over Ms5w Hakuoho (2-1), who is in his first basho back after shoulder surgery, and understandably a little rusty. Other notable names are 18-year-old prospect Ms15e Wakaikari (6th professional basho; 32-6 career record) and Ms55e Sazanami, whose main claim to fame is his starring role in Hiro Morita’s “Sumo Prime Time” videos.

After only 3 rounds of bouts, all 9 active wrestlers in the Ms1-Ms5 promotion zone are still mathematically in contention for a Juryo spot (Ms3e Takakento is out with injury). Six of them are paired up on Day 7, with the most interesting bout matching Hakuoho against a man nearly twice his age, the wily veteran Ms2w Kitaharima (2-1), who at 37 is seeking a record-tying 9th career Juryo promotion.

Come back in a day or two to see how the yusho and promotion races shape up!

Hatsu 2024: Day 6 Highlights

Andy Hatsu 2024, Hatsu Basho , , , , ,

Hoshoryu lost last night, leaving us with two undefeated leaders heading into Day 6: Kotonowaka and Asanoyama. Terunofuji and Kirishima are performing well despite the early upsets.

Late-breaking news tonight that Hokuseiho is kyujo. He injured his knee in last night’s bout against Shonannoumi and will sit out for the rest of the tournament. This puts him in real danger of demotion to Juryo, depending on how many promotion and demotion candidates we have.

Many of you will know that I love to make visualizations. One that I made a couple of years ago visualizes promotion and demotion history based on the previous tournament’s record. When we look at 2-win records by clicking on the small “2-win” bar, and use data from SumoDB going back to 1970, only in one instance the wrestler remained in Makuuchi and the rest are spread from J1 all the way to J6.

There is a small number of cases here, especially recent cases, so I am calling this as one of the early challenges for Guess the Banzuke participants. Hokuseiho’s chances of staying up will be made more certain if guys like Aoiyama, Endo, and Tomokaze continue to fare poorly and if there aren’t strong promotion candidates from Juryo. But slotting them appropriately will be the nature of your quest.

The same thing is possible via query on SumoDB, directly. I just like pretty charts because it makes it easier for me to see a trend than a text-based table. This data only goes through 2021 and needs an update. I’ll put it on the to-do list.

Well, let’s get to the action.

Makuuchi Highlights

Mitoryu (J1W, 3-3) defeated Shimazuumi (3-3). Shimazuumi drove forward at the tachiai and… Mitoryu slung him around and out. What was that? This is the best move I have seen from these early bouts and it was performed by a Juryo visitor. What a slick throw. How are they calling it oshidashi? That was a sukuinage or something.

Bushozan (3-3) defeated Tomokaze (1-5). Rather ineffective tsuppari from both as neither made much headway. Tomokaze’s clearly favoring that right leg and slipped as he started to yield ground. Oshitaoshi.

Onosato (5-1) defeated Takarafuji (3-3). Onosato dispatched Takarafuji with ease. Oshidashi.

Kotoshoho (5-1) defeated Aoiyama (0-6). Aoiyama threw one, two, three! slaps before Kotoshoho drove forward and shoved him out. Aoiyama is hurt, bad, and had trouble walking after the bout. Oshidashi.

Onosho (5-1) defeated Myogiryu (1-5). Myogiryu also looks hurt. Onosho shoved him out quickly. Tsukidashi.

Takanosho (4-2) defeated Tsurugisho (1-5). Tsurugisho whiffed with a half-hearted (maybe quarter-hearted) slap at the tachiai and Takanosho gingerly walked him out. Yorikiri.

Oho (5-1) defeated Endo (1-5). Endo made a better go of it but was no match for Oho. After his early slapdown attempt failed, Oho put his head down and drove forward and blasted Endo from the dohyo. Two female fans in the front row seemed thrilled by the premium-level fansa. Oshidashi.

Churanoumi (4-2) defeated Sadanoumi (1-5). Sadanoumi locked in and started to churn those legs…but they quickly started churning in reverse as Churanoumi plowed forward. Yorikiri.

Meisei (4-2) defeated Tamawashi (3-3). Meisei laid into Tamawashi and walked him out. Yorikiri.

Ichiyamamoto (2-4) defeated Mitakeumi (3-3). Mitakeumi never read the brief. Ichiyamamoto’s thing is tsuppari and misdirection. Mitakeumi fell forward on his face. Hikiotoshi.

Hiradoumi (4-2) defeated Shonannoumi (1-5). Shonannoumi’s slapdown attempts were ineffective as Hiradoumi plugged ahead. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Ryuden (3-3) fusen, Hokuseiho (2-4) kyujo.

Asanoyama (6-0) defeated Nishikigi (3-3). Great belt battle here as Asanoyama fought to get his favorite grip and Nishikigi did what he could to stop him. Once Asanoyama got the left-hand inside, he started to tug, hard while trying to also lock up the right. It wasn’t needed as he dropped Nishikigi to the clay. Shitatenage.

Kinbozan (3-3) defeated Shodai (3-3). Shodai nearly pulled off something clever as he escaped with a clever little swim move/slapdown. Unfortunately, when Kinbozan recovered his balance, Shodai couldn’t get himself righted to launch an attack on Kinbozan. Instead, Kinbozan re-engaged from behind. Okuridashi.

Hokutofuji (4-2) defeated Midorifuji (1-5). Hokutofuji’s tsuppari was effective at keeping Midorifuji at bay and set up a well-timed slapdown. Hatakikomi.

Sanyaku

Takayasu (2-2-2) defeated Ura (1-5). The suicide throw here as both men had opposing belt grips and attempted to tip the other over. Ura’s head hit first. Ouch. Uwatenage.

Wakamotoharu (3-3) defeated Kotonowaka (5-1). Kotonowaka tried to keep Wakamotoharu at bay with a left hand to WMH’s face. When Wakamotoharu batted it away, Kotonowaka stumbled forward. Wakamotoharu pounced as Kotonowaka attempted to regain his balance and position at the center of the ring. A few powerful shoves from Wakamotoharu and we have another big upset from WMH. Oshidashi.

Atamifuji (2-4) defeated Daieisho (4-2). Daieisho plugged forward with his powerful tsuppari. At the edge, Atamifuji got his arm up under Daieisho’s armpit and dragged him forward for the win. Almost effortless. Tsukiotoshi.

Abi (1-5) defeated Hoshoryu (4-2). Abi looked a bit more like Daieisho here. Rather than rapid-fire tsuppari, he thrust forward and drove into Hoshoryu with his right hand. He pressed forward hard and then suddenly dropped away. Hoshoryu fell forward. Hikiotoshi.

Kirishima (5-1) defeated Gonoyama (2-4). Kirishima dug deep and overpowered Gonoyama. More of this, please. Yorikiri.

Terunofuji (5-1) defeated Tobizaru (3-3). Tobizaru half-henka’d Terunofuji, jumping a half-step to the side. As he shoved and kicked out at Terunofuji, the Kaiju seemed to get angrier and angrier. Terunofuji grabbed at Tobizaru’s right arm and seemed to trigger Tobizaru’s escape function. This shut off Tobizaru’s attack mode and sent him into “flight.” Terunofuji pursued until Tobizaru lept from the dohyo, into the crowd. Oshidashi.

Wrap-up

Hopefully, Aoiyama, Tsurugisho and Myogiryu join the growing kyujo queue. They’re injured and listless. Watching them “compete” is painful.

This tournament might be what Wakamotoharu needed for his confidence. He seemed very bashful when, ranked at Sekiwake, the media started talking about an unprecedented 3-way Ozeki promotion which included him. His head should be in the game now. He deserves to be in sanyaku.

Abi picked up his first win with the big upset of the day. I felt that his attack was a bit different today, more like Daieisho’s. I may be parsing hairs here but Abi’s attacks have always felt like they lack follow-through, compared to Daieisho’s. I’ll be watching to see if there is an evolution in Abi’s technique that makes him more effective at this level on a consistent basis. So far this tournament, he has been anything but.

Asanoyama remains the lone undefeated wrestler. He will face Meisei on Day 7. Terunofuji will face a dangerous Shodai, while Kirishima will face Hokutofuji and Kotonowaka will get Ryuden. Any upsets here will have serious implications on promotion and yusho hopes. These should all be wins.

Lower on the banzuke, Oho, Kotoshoho, Onosho, and Onosato sit on 1 loss. Oho and Onosato will face off tomorrow. Kotoshoho will face Shimazuumi while Onosho will take on Aoiyama, if Aoiyama shows up.

Hatsu 2024: Day 5 Highlights

Andy Hatsu 2024, Hatsu Basho ,

Day 5 is upon us.

Before we get to the action, there is some good news. Takayasu will be back for Day 6. He will face Ura, tomorrow. At 1-2-2, he can certainly still turn in a decent scorecard. This is recoverable. I’m going to be positive and not worry about him coming back early just to be an easy mark for the sanyaku sharks. I promise.

Now, where were we? Day 5 is upon us. We are deep enough into the tournament that the cream is rising to the top. We have had stellar matches in the top half of the division. Fantastic upsets of the top dogs, but the top dogs are still performing well and putting up dominant wins, as well. That said, Takakeisho has departed for the infirmary with a reaggravated neck injury and will probably sit at home and begin researching the status of available and soon-to-be-available kabu.

The lower half of the division has not quite been fighting as inspired as we have grown accustomed, lately. The funny thing about having yusho races that feature guys at the bottom of the banzuke is that we were getting a lot of dominant performances from guys at the bottom of the banzuke. Now they are at the top half, for the most part and the lower half has not been as electric. Will we see that action heat up?

Makuuchi Highlights

Onosato (4-1) defeated Aoiyama (0-5). Oshidashi. Aoiyama is hurt and not long for this division. Frankly, in this condition, I’m surprised that he did so well in Juryo. He is headed back there, certainly.

Tomokaze (1-4) defeated Shimazuumi (3-2). Tomokaze wisely denied Shimazuumi’s attempt to get inside and get that left-hand grip. After a few seconds of tsuppari, he pulled and brought Shimazuumi down. The call is katasukashi but it sure looked like a hatakikomi to me.

Onosho (4-1) defeated Bushozan (2-3). Onosho was too strong for Bushozan and drove him out quickly. We see the difference in quality here between a guy who was as high as Kobusubi, and a guy who was as high as M14. I am not saying Onosho is ready for sanyaku and certainly not making calls for a yusho run but he should clean up down here, and is delivering on that expectation.

Takarafuji (3-2) defeated Endo (1-4). Endo is doing so poorly that one would think he is hiding a serious injury. The Takarabune picked him up and set sail. “It was a breeze.” Yorikiri.

Kotoshoho (4-1) defeated Churanoumi (3-2). Perhaps Kotoshoho is trying to emulate what he sees in sanyaku. He wrapped up Churanoumi’s arm and dragged him to the tawara, as we’ve seen Terunofuji do quite successfully. The finish was not quite so easy as Churanoumi wriggled away and began to lay into Kotoshoho with tsuppari. Kotoshoho gave chase as Churanoumi retreated and eventually caught up and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Oho (4-1) defeated Myogiryu (1-4). Myogiryu charged forward early, matta. Once the two got going “for realz,” Oho easily overpowered Myogiryu. Myogiryu evaded the slapdown and stayed alive to try his own. But once that failed, he had effectively cornered himself and Oho moved in for the easy shove. Oshidashi.

Takanosho (3-2) defeated Sadanoumi (1-4). Takanosho was all over Sadanoumi like shirasu on rice. Sadanoumi tried a last ditch slapdown but Takanosho just steamed ahead. Yorikiri.

Meisei (3-2) defeated Tsurugisho (1-4). Meisei plowed into Tsurugisho at the tachiai and didn’t relent until Tsurugisho was out. Tsukidashi.

Tamawashi (3-2) defeated Mitakeumi (3-2). Historically, Mitakeumi has been able to dominate Tamawashi but not of late. Today, we got the oshi version of a lean-fest. A slick mis-direction from Mitakeumi nearly sent Tamawashi sprawling but the old man recovered. Mitakeumi slipped his right-hand inside for a belt grip but Tamawashi dug deep and pressed forward with all his might and shoved Mitakeumi out. Oshidashi. “What are you talking about, Andy? There are good bouts in the first half.”

Asanoyama (5-0) defeated Hiradoumi (3-2). Hiradoumi was not quite ready for Asanoyama’s charge and was punished for it. Asanoyama wrapped him up with his right-hand inside and led him out. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Hokuseiho (2-3) defeated Shonannoumi (1-4). Hokuseiho locked up Shonannoumi’s right arm but didn’t seem to know what to do with it. He let go with the right so he could get a grasp of Shonannoumi’s mawashi…and completely let go with the left hand. As Shonannoumi took the initiative and started forward, Hokuseiho reacted and swung him down on the tawara. Shitatenage. Imagine what Hokuseiho would be capable of if he learned how to do sumo with two hands.

Ichiyamamoto (1-4) defeated Nishikigi (3-2). Ichiyamamoto launched ahead and blasted Nishikigi out. Oshidashi. As Ichiyamamoto went to go pick up his kensho, he should have thanked the gyoji for not calling a matta.

Ryuden (2-3) defeated Kinbozan (2-3). Kinbozan, uncomfortable in a yotsu situation, ended up getting spun around somehow and walked out from behind. Okuridashi.

Shodai (3-2) defeated Midorifuji (1-4). If Shodai could do it, why couldn’t Haruma…oops, I mean Kirishima? Shodai let Midorifuji inside and Midorifuji tried his signature shoulder attacks. But Shodai kept pressing forward and forced the newlywed out – even with his right arm waving in the air like he just don’t care. Oshidashi.

Atamifuji (1-4) defeated Tobizaru (3-2). Both men quickly locked in. Tobizaru with his right-hand inside, Atamifuji with his left hand over and Tobizaru used his left hand to hold Atamifuji’s other arm at bay. Atamifuji pressured forward and each tried to throw the other but Atamifuji kept moving forward until Tobizaru ran out of real estate and dropped off the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Daieisho (4-1) defeated Wakamotoharu (2-3). Wakamotoharu brushed Daieisho to the side at the tachiai, and nearly sent him out. Daieisho recovered and locked in with a left-hand inside. You read that right, Daieisho was on the belt here. He then twisted, and threw Wakamotoharu to the floor. Tsukiotoshi? I’m not sure how that wasn’t a shitatenage or sukuinage. Maybe because he had help from the right hand pushing on Wakamotoharu’s left shoulder. Regardless, that was a surprising yotsu win from Daieisho.

Kotonowaka (5-0) defeated Ura (1-4). The slippery, hyper-active Ura sure kept Kotonowaka on his toes here. Kotonowaka’s excellent footwork made sure he kept his balance and never overcommitted, never pitched forward as he chased. He was always in control. He got a solid grip of Ura’s mawashi, spun him around, and ushered him out from behind. Okuridashi.

Kirishima (4-1) defeated Abi (0-5). Abi got Kirishima in trouble at the edge but Kirishima circled back in and Abi stepped out. A bit dicey there from the Ozeki. Tsukiotoshi.

Gonoyama (2-3) defeated Hoshoryu (4-1). Gonoyama drove forward and Hoshoryu let himself be pushed back to the edge. Instead of resisting at the bales, Hoshoryu got shoved out. Well, that was a surprise. Yorikiri.

Terunofuji (4-1) defeated Hokutofuji (3-2). Terunofuji’s right arm corralled Hokutofuji under the shoulder. This forced Hokutofuji’s left arm to flail around awkward and useless. Terunofuji pressed forward and showed his opponent the exit. Oshidashi.

Wrap-up

“And then there were two.”

Kotonowaka and Asanoyama lead and a pack of solid competitors, headed by Terunofuji, Kirishima, and Hoshoryu give chase. Kotonowaka and Asanoyama have certainly been fighting at a high level. That is very exciting. Asanoyama will face Nishikigi tomorrow and Kotonowaka will be tested against Wakamotoharu.

Terunofuji will take on Tobizaru, Kirishima will face Gonoyama, and Hoshoryu will get Abi. Daieisho, also at 4-1, will have his hands full with Atamifuji. Will we see more yotsu from Daieisho? Or will he succeed in keeping Atamifuji off his belt? Stay tuned…

Hatsu 2024: Day 4 Highlights

Andy Hatsu 2024, Hatsu Basho , ,

We get late word before the action starts that Takakeisho joins Takayasu, kyujo. Takayasu’s kyujo turns out to be his nagging back injury. For Takakeisho, it’s his neck. Takayasu’s absence means we get to see Daiamami visit from Juryo today.

“And then there were five.”

We have three sanyaku wrestlers undefeated, as well as Asanoyama, a former Ozeki. Lastly, we have the newly promoted Shimazuumi who has been cleaning up at the bottom of the division. It’s still early but he will be paired off against Nishonoseki’s top recruit, Onosato. The good news is that we’re getting some great performances from our sanyaku stars. Asanoyama, the former Ozeki, should almost be considered one. How long can they keep it up?

Makuuchi Highlights

Daiamami (2-2) defeated Aoiyama (0-4). Daiamami a little eager, charged early. Matta. Aoiyama got the tsuppari going but his feet were only working in reverse. Oshidashi.

Bushozan (2-2) defeated Takarafuji (2-2). Takarafuji pulled and was shoved out by a falling Bushozan. Gunbai Bushozan. No mono-ii. Oshidashi.

Onosato (3-1) defeated Shimazuumi (3-1). Onosato bulldozed Shimazuumi, handing Shimazuumi his first loss of the tournament.

Churanoumi (3-1) defeated Tomokaze (0-4). Churanoumi pivoted and shoved Tomokaze out. Oshidashi. What else?

Onosho (3-1) defeated Endo (1-3). Endo charged forward but it was a feint. Onosho slipped to the side and Endo stumbled but stayed in. Onosho pounced and shoved Endo while he was off-balance, and cast him off the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Kotoshoho (3-1) defeated Myogiryu (1-3). Kotoshoho outlasted Myogiryu and shoved him out and to the ground. Since Myogiryu landed on his butt we’ve got some variety here, oshitaoshi.

Oho (3-1) defeated Takanosho (2-2) by oshidashi. Takanosho tried a nodowa and some tsuppari but Oho struck at Takanosho’s extended right arm, driving him forward from the side.

Mitakeumi (3-1) defeated Tsurugisho (1-3). Mitakeumi with the hit-and-shift tachiai. Tsurugisho wasn’t ready for the change in direction, stumbled forward and Mitakeumi shoved him out from behind, easily. Okuridashi.

Meisei (2-2) defeated Sadanoumi (1-3) with powerful thrusts, with a couple of headbutts thrown in for good measure. Oshidashi.

Hiradoumi (3-1) defeated Tamawashi (2-2). Hiradoumi fought hard to get inside and establish that belt grip with his right. From there he plowed forward forced Tamawashi over the tawara. We’ve got an actual yorikiri!

Asanoyama (4-0) defeated Hokuseiho (1-3). Asanoyama wrapped up Hokuseiho and drove forward. Hokuseiho resisted at the edge but had no counter attack. So, Asanoyama kept up the pressure and pushed until Hokuseiho stepped out. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Ryuden (1-3) defeated Ichiyamamoto (0-4). Ichiyamamoto almost scored a hatakikomi win. Ryuden kept his balance, though, and countered when Ichiyamamoto re-engaged. Ryuden thrust Ichiyamamoto to the dohyo. Tsukiotoshi.

Nishikigi (3-1) defeated Shonannoumi (1-3). Nishikigi locked in on Shonannoumi and drove forward. Shonannoumi tried to shake Nishikigi loose but failed. Yorikiri.

Tobizaru (3-1) defeated Kinbozan (2-2). Tobizaru with the henka-light as he sidestepped his tachiai. Kinbozan caught it out but Tobizaru wrapped him up, turned him around, and shoved him out from behind. Okuridashi.

Hokutofuji (3-1) defeated Abi (0-4). Abi kept up the pressure with his thrusts and nodowa but Hokutofuji was able to resist for a long time. Hokutofuji kept his balance at the slapdown attempt and re-engaged, only to get a strong nodowa for his reward. With Abi’s weight so far forward, Hokutofuji finally caught him off balance and thrust him down to the clay. I was actually impressed with both men today. Abi’s attack lasted a long time. That’s the kind of endurance I wish we could see from Takakeisho. Hokutofuji, though, had solid footwork and perseverance. Paid off today. Tsukiotoshi.

Sanyaku

Kotonowaka (4-0) defeated Atamifuji (0-4). Solid tachiai and the competitors locked in for a grapple. Perhaps sensing Atamifuji’s weight was too far forward, Kotonowaka quickly disengaged and yanked him down. Katasukashi was the call but it looked like a hatakikomi to me. Either way, smart, well executed slapdown from Kotonowaka.

Daieisho (3-1) defeated Shodai (2-2). Shodai weathered Daieisho’s tsuppari in and entertaining, back-and-forth bout, but when he tried to deflect Daieisho to the side, Daieisho shoved him down. Oshitaoshi.

Ura (1-3) fusen win. Takakeisho (2-2) kyujo. Many in the crowd heard the news for the first time as a collective, “へええええ” rose from the assembled masses.

Hoshoryu (4-0) defeated Wakamotoharu (2-2) Houdiniryu escaped again! Wakamotoharu fought well and nearly caught Hoshoryu a couple of times. But Hoshoryu maintained his balance when he needed to. And at the edge, the slippery dragon wriggled free from Wakamotoharu’s grasp, somehow slipped in behind and threw Wakamotoharu from the dohyo. Okurinage.

Midorifuji (1-3) defeated Kirishima (3-1) Kirishima may have been too passive and patient here. He wrapped up Midorifuji and seemed to want to ride out the attacks before launching his own. “Settle down, son.” Midorifuji responded with a resounding, “No!” Midorifuji wriggled free and yanked the Ozeki down by the shoulder with his patented katasukashi.

Terunofuji (3-1) defeated Gonoyama (1-3). Terunofuji quickly wrapped up Gonoyama’s arm at the tachiai. Then he reached back with his left hand, got a handle on Gonoyama’s belt, and threw him from the dohyo. Uwatenage.

Wrap-up

Well, the huge upset of the day is Midorifuji’s win over Kirishima. It puts the brakes on Kirishima’s charge for Yokozuna promotion. He will have to regroup and fight flawlessly for the rest of the tournament. But I am not sure that was even the best bout of the day. I loved that escape move from Hoshoryu, and that had been a great bout even before the spectacular finish. Then, we have Terunofuji’s utter destruction of Gonoyama. It was the complete humbling of Goeido’s protégé. He charged in with such pep and vigor, only to be dispatched so handily. Last, we may need to include Kotonowaka’s domination of Atamifuji.

This sets up some great matches for tomorrow! We have three men remaining undefeated: Hoshoryu, Kotonowaka, and Asanoyama. Hoshoryu will face Gonoyama, Kotonowaka will face Ura. Asanoyama will take on Hiradoumi.

In the chase group with one loss, we’ve got Terunofuji and Hokutofuji, who face each other tomorrow. We also have Kirishima, who will take on the winless (but always dangerous) Abi, as well as Daieisho, who will take on Wakamotoharu (2-2) and Tobizaru will face Atamifuji (0-4).

Yes, there is a pack of rank-and-filers with one loss but they will have to impress me more to get mentioned here. The rank-and-file have been stinking up the place, to be honest. I might just start waking up an hour later if they keep up the crappy, uninspired “sumo.” The bouts to watch are those I’ve mentioned.

Well, Nishikigi vs Ichiyamamoto might be entertaining. Midorifuji vs Shodai could go either way. And Mitakeumi vs Tamawashi could be a good one, as well. Mitakeumi used to own Tamawashi, with a staggering 29-7 record. But he has lost four of their last six.