We opened act 2 with the race tightening, as sole leader Myogiryu went down under Hokutofuji’s withering attack. With six rikishi at 5-1, we enter the middle weekend with a wide open competition to see who will take the top of the leader board. At the far end of the yusho race, Takarafuji earned his first win today, and joined a group of 5 with just a single win for March.

Highlight Matches

Hidenoumi defeats Yutakayama – Hidenoumi continues to dominate Yutakayama, and now has a 6-0 career record after getting to the side at the tachiai. Yutakayama drops to 1-5 and is likely suffering from a performance limiting injury. I would guess he should book his seat on the barge to Juryo now.

Kotoeko defeats Tokushoryu – Tokushoryu’s second visit to the top division is no better than his first this March. He engages Kotoeko in a thrusting match, and gets surprised when the far more agile Kotoeko steps to the side as he pushing forward. Kotoeko improves to 4-2.
Kimarite: oshidashi
Kotoeko: 4-2
Tokushoryu: 1-5

Tsurugisho defeats Terutsuyoshi – Tsurugisho delivers a flying henka and a mighty shove before he belly flops to the clay. The gyoji gives the match to Terutsuyoshi, but a monoii declares a rematch. Round 2: Tsurugisho sky-cranes Terutsuyoshi to leave no doubt whose sumo wins today.

Chiyoshoma defeats Daiamami – Chiyoshoma stiff-arm blocks Daiamami’s tachiai, standing him upright. Taking a gamble, he immediately pulls Daiamami, who tumbles to the clay. Chiyoshoma improves to 4-2, and I have to say I am enjoying his sumo.

Akiseyama defeats Kaisei – The battle of the mega-fauna, part 1 goes to Akiseyama. Kaisei’s hold on Akiseyama slips as he attempts a kotenage, and Akiseyama finds Kaisei’s back to him. A quick push out later, and both end the day 4-2.

Ryuden defeats Aoiyama – My compliments to Ryuden. Aoiyama has looked really powerful through act 1, and today he fired up the V-Twin attack at the tachiai. Pounding away on Ryuden’s upper body, he looked ready to rack up his 5th win. Ryuden stayed on his feet, and stayed in the match, and endured a punishing rain of blows. A well time side-step put Aoiyama in poor position, and Ryuden shoved him out to improve to 2-4.

Hoshoryu defeats Chiyotairyu – Chiyotairyu’s tachiai was a off today, it lacked power, focus and timing. As Chiyotairyu came off the shikiri-sen, he chose to grab Hoshoryu’s face, and pull. It was an easy to anticipate, and Hoshoryu held strong against the initial hit, and pushed with power against the pull, sending Chiyotairyu out in a hurry. Hoshoryu improves to 3-3.

Kotonowaka defeats Midorifuji – Kotonowaka tosses Midorifuji at the gyoji’s ankles, and nearly succeeds in taking them both down. Midorifuji seems to be struggling starting out act 2, and both end the day at 2-4.

Tobizaru defeats Tochinoshin – Excellent defensive sumo from Tobizaru, who put all of his energy in preventing Tochinoshin from getting any kind of grip. As the former Ozeki batted away at Tobizaru, Tobizaru took advantage of Tochinoshin’s limited mobility, and got behind the Georgian strong-man for win number 4.

Chiyonokuni defeats Kagayaki – We have not seen this grade of sumo from Chiyonokuni in years, and it’s really welcome to see him fighting so well. Kagayaki has the better tachiai, but Chiyonokuni shifted left, and used his left hand grip to amplify Kagayaki’s 3rd step forward. He goes cruising past and lands face down on the tawara as Chiyonokuni improves to 5-1.

Ichinojo defeats Tamawashi – Tamawashi attacks high and inside at the tachiai, but Ichinojo seems to have been working on his balance and foot placement. Ichinojo holds his ground as Tamawashi puts maximum pressure into his attack, just to meet with a properly timed pull down from Ichinojo. The Boulder improves to 4-2.

Okinoumi defeats Endo – Endo’s mini-rally of 2 consecutive wins ends when Okinoumi anticipates and nullifies each and every of Endo’s attack moves. Both end the day at 2-4, and are having a rough Haru basho.

Hokutofuji defeats Myogiryu – Sole-leader Myogiryu opens strong at the tachiai, and gets his hands in Hokutofuji’s armpits. No matter what Hokutofuji applied, Myogiryu absorbed, and the two were stalemated. Myogiryu tentatively attempted a pull-down, which gave Hokutofuji an inside attack route. From there, Myogiryu lost control of his body position, and moments later lost his first match of Haru, falling to 5-1.

Takayasu defeats Mitakeumi – For all of his grunting and roaring today, Takayasu lost the tachiai to Mitakeumi, and Takayasu found himself in for a rough ride. While Mitakeumi took control of Takayasu’s upper body, Takayasu’s hands found Mitakeumi’s belt. Mitakeumi realizes the risk on heart beat before Takayasu swings him around and bowls him into the west-side judge. Takayasu now a co-leader as he improves to 5-1.

Takarafuji defeats Daieisho – Takarafuji finally racks up his first win. Daieisho makes the mistake of attacking where Takarafuji’s neck should be, but finds no purchase. Takarafuji, in response, falls into his comfortable defend and extend sumo, as Daieisho throws everything he can at Takarafuji’s nonexistent neck. With his stamina waning, Daieisho can’t keep the pressure up, and Takarafuji switches to attack and drives Daieisho out. Both end the day with 1-5.

Terunofuji defeats Kiribayama – My big question was if we would see Terunofuji revert to bad old habits of letting an unexpected loss rattle his fighting spirit. The answer was a hearty tsuridashi as Terunofuji bodily lifts Kiribayama and places him outside the ring. I lost it when NHK commentator Ross Mihara exclaimed “We have lift-off!”

Takanosho defeats Onosho – We see notable, calm, powerful consistency from Takanosho again today. Onosho put a lot of power into his tachiai, but Takanosho focused on keeping his balance and found a right hand inside. That was all it took for him to shift to offense, and Onosho was out three steps later. Takanosho stays in the co-leader group at 5-1.

Asanoyama defeats Wakatakakage – Wakatakakage today, an excellent tachiai, inside position, plenty of power. Asanoyama today, left hand outside grip, and enough forward pressure to be mistaken for fork lift as he makes quick work of Wakatakakage. After looking a bit sloppy the first few days, this is the kind of sumo we expect from an Ozeki, he improves to 5-1.

Meisei defeats Shodai – Tachiai readers know I have been critical of Shodai’s poor form in the tachiai for some time. On his way to Ozeki, he had made adjustments that made it less terrible, but he seems to have fallen back in to his prior mode. That one element seems to be the difference between Ozeki Shodai and Maegashira 8 Shodai, and we all hope he can get back to better sumo soon. Maybe injury? Shodai seems to lack power this basho. Meisei improves to 3-3.

Takakeisho defeats Shimanoumi – Takakeisho opened the throttle at the tachiai, giving Shimanoumi no chance to do anything more than go along for the ride. Takakeisho improves to 4-2, and needs 4 more wins to clear kadoban.

Its great to be back to writing, and I have to thank Andy for filling in while work took priority for a couple of days. A lot happened, including Terunofuji picking up his first loss. To me, it’s not really that much of an issue, as he is still well on track to get his hoped for 10 wins. But this is a great test in the “new” Terunofuji. His first incarnation, a loss like what happened day 5 would erode his focus, and sap his fighting spirit. I am looking to see if he has turned a corner on that bad habit from the past.

I also feel the need to call out Hokutofuji, whom I sometimes parody as having “The most powerful make-koshi in all of sumo”. It’s certainly true that once he finds his sumo, he can be an arch competitor, and he seems to have dialed it in, even if just for a short time. I do enjoy his finishing flourish as he shoves his opponents out of the ring; an upward push as if to say “Begone with thee, oh lumpy baggage!” Frequently followed with a jubilant hop.

With the advent of day 6, we are into the second act of Haru already. Act 1 is to remove ring rust, see who is hot and who is not. Act 2 is where we narrow the field to find out who has what it takes to compete for the yusho, and to start sorting the survivors from the damned. There are some areas of concern already: Ozeki Takakeisho, and to a lesser extend, Ozeki Shodai. A basho with no Hakuho or Kakuryu to rough them up should leave them the kings of the ring, but these two are struggling already, and it’s almost certainly down to injury.

What We Are Watching Day 6

Yutakayama vs Hidenoumi – I am not sure what is hurt or broken in Yutakayama’s body, but it’s unlikely to improve on day 6. He faces Hidenoumi, who holds a 5-0 career advantage over Yutakayama. Sure, their last match was July of 2019, but Yutakayama has looked crummy in each match in act 1. It would be a shame if he had to take a trip to Juryo, but that looks like where he is headed.

Kotoeko vs Tokushoryu – Tokushoryu is back for a second top division visit, this time to use his bulbous bow against compact powerhouse Kotoeko. Kotoeko has lost 2 of the last 3, so he needs to rally. Tokushoryu, on the other hand, is just not in touch with his sumo this March.

Terutsuyoshi vs Tsurugisho – I would list Tsurugisho in the category of “not hot”, which is a shame given he took the Juryo yusho in January. His body in general, and his knee specifically are always hit or miss, so this may explain quite a bit about his sub-par performance in March. Terutsuyoshi still has a clear road to a kachi-koshi, and has won the last 3 matches in a row.

Daiamami vs Chiyoshoma – Chiyoshoma made handy work of the incredibly flabby Akiseyama, and I am starting to think that he is looking to do powerful, direct sumo this March. This may be a great development, as we know he is capable of Harumafuji style sumo at times. He has a 4-4 career record against Daiamami.

Akiseyama vs Kaisei – With this much mass on the dohyo, we are certain to see new cracks and cervices at the end of the day. Akiseyama has only had 2 matches against Kaisei, and lost them both. Worse yet for Akiseyama, Kaisei seems to be strong, healthy and in full command of his sumo.

Aoiyama vs Ryuden – Speaking of giant foreigners showing powerful sumo, this “Green Giant” version of Aoiyama is a powerful opponent. In fact, maybe a bit scary in some ways. Ryuden is struggling at 1-4, and I am sure it’s down to chronic injuries plaguing him. So I hope Big Dan does not take too much time beating Ryuden into submission.

Chiyotairyu vs Hoshoryu – Chiyotairyu without his sumo-Elvis sideburns? It seems to not be working out. I had previously suggested that some minor kami resided in the sideburns, and with their removal, some of Chiyotairyu’s power would be removed. This so far seems to be the case, and the only remedy would be to quickly re-grow them. But there is not enough days in this basho left for it to make a difference. Please note, this kami may have previously given sumo legend Takamiyama his power as well. Oh, Hoshoryu? Yeah, he’s struggling this tournament.

Kotonowaka vs Midorifuji – I confess, I accidentally cursed Kotonowaka when during the world famous Tachiai podcast, I foolishly said “I am looking for him to have a break-out basho!”. We don’t call them regrettable predictions for nothing, folks! Its been a few days since we have seen some real gob-smacking sumo from Midorifuji, so do please consider a katasukashi today, good sir!

Tochinoshin vs Tobizaru – One of the things I like about Tobizaru is that wry smile we see on his face when he wins. This first time match pits high agility Tobizaru against Tochinoshin’s world beating strength. It has been said that he has the strength of a bear, that has the strength of two bears. Against all odds, Tochinoshin seems to have enough of his health in place to execute sumo. I am impressed that he has been working hard to become right side dominant now that his left leg is useless, and everyone blocks his favorite weapon – the left hand outside grip.

Chiyonokuni vs Kagayaki – I like how Chiyonokuni is just calmly going about winning matches with overwhelming sumo. Its like every push to the front, every step forward has about 15% more energy than you could ever expect someone to have. I know that Kagayaki will come into his match with excellent fundamentals, and keep his feet heavy and hips low, but I think for day 6, Chiyonokuni is going to have an advantage.

Tamawashi vs Ichinojo – Ichinojo has lost the last 2 in a row, after a strong start. Sadly this is not uncommon for “The Boulder”, who tends to get into losing habits, and stay there. Can he rally against Tamawashi?

Endo vs Okinoumi – Two wily veterans with 19 career matches (10-9), and both of them struggling a bit this Haru basho. After an 0-3 start, Endo has won his last two, while Okinoumi only managed a single white star, which was against Tamawashi day 1, and was not even counted as a winning move.

Hokutofuji vs Myogiryu – I love it when the schedulers have some fun with their chores. We get thus undefeated 5-0 Myogiryu up against a man I previewed in the commentary section. Who doesn’t want to see Hokutofuji give that little victory hop as Myogiryu tumbles across the west-side bales?

Takayasu vs Mitakeumi – 22 career matches, favoring Takayasu 16-6. This tournament, I could almost state that Takayasu seems to have nicked Shodai’s escape tricks. He’s 4-1 and stands a fair chance of picking up another win from Mitakeumi today.

Takarafuji vs Daieisho – One of the few rikishi suffering more than Daieisho (1-4) would be Takarafuji at a dismal 0-5. He share the same score as Yokozuna Kakuryu and Kotoshoho, both of whom are kyujo. Who is favored in this match? Neither of them! I just hope nobody accidentally tears off their own head in the tachiai.

Terunofuji vs Kiribayama – I an looking for this to be a bounce back match for Terunofuji, and proof that he has steeled himself mentally, and can plow through a disappointing loss and continue to win. He won their only prior match against Kiribayama, which was November.

Onosho vs Takanosho – Takanosho has shown some qualities highly prized in the sumo world. He quietly goes about winning matches with strong solid sumo. He comes into day 6 with a 4-1 score which is remarkable because is the same score he had going into day 6 of Hatsu. The guy has a tendency toward being consistent, and that is another highly prized sumo trait. I give Takanosho an edge over Onosho today, as Onosho seems to be back to having balance problems.

Wakatakakage vs Asanoyama – These two have never actually faced on the dohyo before. The one win that is credited to Wakatakakage is actually a fusensho from day 3 of November, where Asanoyama withdrew. I have a lot of questions about how this will play out, as I did see Wakatakakage put in a massive effort to take down Ozeki Shodai, and I think he has a chance to surprise Asanoyama as well.

Shodai vs Meisei – Shodai, get it together man! I am guessing he is hurt and just soldiering on. If he loses this one, I am going to think it might be somewhat serious.

Takakeisho vs Shimanoumi – Takakeisho needs 5 more wins to clear kadoban, and he faces Shimanoumi who has not managed to beat the Ozeki in two prior tries. To my eye, Takakeisho looks at only about 80% of full power, and I think is 2-3 score is borderline poor for an Ozeki at this point of a tournament. I hope he can rally and pull down his 8.

Highlights

Kaisei (4-1) defeated Daiamami (2-3): Kaisei doing Kaisei things. Solid belt grip, leanfest, and when Daiamami relaxed, Kaisei suddenly launched forward, pushing Daiamami over the bales. Yoritaoshi.

Chiyomaru (4-1) vs Tsurugisho (1-4): Chiyomaru drove straight into Tsurugisho and pushed him off the ledge. Tsurugisho is not 100%. He’s not near 100%. Either kyujo is imminent or Juryo beckons. Nice to see that bright green mawashi back in prime time. Tsukidashi.

Hidenoumi (3-2) defeated Kotoeko (3-2): Hidenoumi put up with Kotoeko humping his leg for a little bit longer than I’m comfortable with. Rather than attack or take any offensive, he just absorbed whatever power Kotoeko would put into it, with his left arm wrapped around Kotoeko’s right. As he resisted the urge to lash out at the terrier yapping at his ankles, he’d occasionally try a half-hearted kotenage with that grip he had on Kotoeko’s arm. But all the while he was waiting, biding his time…, there! Hidenoumi found an opening where he could shift and latch on with his left hand onto Kotoeko’s belt and drive him down to the ground with the right. Uwatenage.

Terutsuyoshi (3-2) defeated Yutakayama (1-4): Along with Tsurugisho and Endo, Yutakayama is on my list of imminent kyujo. Terutsuyoshi sidestepped the tachiai but likely didn’t need to. He established a solid grip on Yutakayama’s belt and led him out of the ring. Maybe they need to put some Wheaties in the chanko over there at Tokitsukaze beya. Yorikiri.

Chiyoshoma (3-2) defeated Akiseyama (3-2): Snidely Whiplash may be turning a new leaf. No henka, but we did get some harizashi. After that, though, we got a solid grapple. The wily Chiyoshoma puts his legs to work kicking out at Akiseyama and trying that leg wrap thing…you know…the one that’s in the kama sutra? I think there’s a statue of it on a temple somewhere. Yeah, that. That didn’t work but he kept the pressure on while Akiseyama was definitely in a defensive mode, waiting to counter attack. He didn’t get the chance because Chiyoshoma kicked out again, connecting with Akiseyama’s right leg and pulled him down by the belt to finish him off. Uwatedashinage.

Aoiyama (4-1) defeated Chiyotairyu (2-3): Power sumo from Aoiyama as he forced Chiyotairyu back and out. Oshidashi.

Chiyonokuni (4-1) defeated Ryuden (1-4): Let’s add Ryuden to the list of guys who may need a break. Chiyonokuni drove him backwards to the tawara and his hips kinda gave way there. Whether it was the knees or his hips, his lower body just kinda buckled and he sat on the dohyo. Tsukitaoshi.

Tobizaru (3-2) defeated Midorifuji (2-3): Worth the price of admission. Great bout. Midorifuji started on the offensive but when his initial attack was parried, the two settled into a grapple at the center of the ring with Tobizaru on a right-hand inside and Midorifuji left-hand outside. Tobizaru tried to headbutt Midorifuji but that only seemed to irritate as Midorifuji continued to claw at Tobizaru’s belt with his free right hand. Afraid of that morozashi, Tobizaru grabbed Midorifuji’s right hand and the two continued to tango there in the center of the ring. As both tired of playing defense, they both got hold of each others’ belt. Tobizaru began to push forward and as Midorifuji flailed, Tobizaru spun Midorifuji around and with a brutal nodowa, lifted Midorifuji’s chin skyward until he dropped off the edge of the dohyo. Yorikiri.

Hoshoryu (2-3) defeated Kotonowaka (1-4): Kotonowaka’s size seemed to keep him in this match. He didn’t appear to have any offensive plan at all, instead waiting out whatever Hoshoryu would do. Both locked into a yotsu battle, Kotonowaka with an outside left, Hoshoryu’s inside right. Kotoshoho finally launched an attack, trying to crab-walk Hoshoryu across the ring but Hoshoryu let go with his right, shifted to his left, and forced Kotonowaka down by twisting that right arm back. Ow. That looked uncomfortable. Tsukiotoshi.

Tamawashi (3-2) defeated Kagayaki (3-2): Kagayaki backed Tamawashi to the bales but that’s when Tamawashi unleashed those brutal nodowa. He shoved Kagayaki back across the ring. When the soles of Kagayaki’s feet reached the tawara, his fire safety training suddenly kicked in and he stopped, dropped and rolled away. Seriously. There’s video. I’m not joking. Oshitaoshi.

Tochinoshin (3-2) defeated Okinoumi (1-4): Didn’t I just say that it was great that Tochinoshin was branching out and using new toolsets? Well, back to skycrane, power sumo mode today. Okinoumi did all he could to resist but Tochinoshin powered Okinoumi over the bales for his third win. Yorikiri.

Myogiryu (5-0) defeated Ichinojo (3-2): Ichinojo did not capitulate in this bout but he did get out-played. Ichinojo wanted to pull and perform a hatakikomi but Myogiryu was wise to it, maintained his balance, and enjoyed the fact that Ichinojo’s tactic had put the giant’s back to the bales. To escape, Ichinojo slapped Myogiryu’s hands away and bulled forward, a bit off-balance. Myogiryu came back behind and when Ichinojo turned back around, he was again right at the tawara – just on the opposite side. From there, Myogiryu gave the weary boulder a gentle prod to push him out of the ring. Yorikiri.

Endo (2-3) defeated Shimanoumi (1-4): Shimanoumi’s plan seemed to be, “let Endo push to the bales with me as deadweight, butsukari-style, then I’ll twist and push him down.” Endo didn’t go down. Yorikiri.

Takayasu (4-1) defeated Kiribayama (2-3): Takayasu pressed forward, cut off any hope of escape for Kiribayama. Oshidashi.

Daieisho (1-4) defeated Mitakeumi (3-2): ********! Blistering Blue Barnacles! At a “meh” tachiai, winless Daieisho hit Mitakeumi a few times about the shoulders with some tsuppari so Mitakeumi decides to pull and gets pushed out instead. So much for any Ozeki run or yusho talk. I mean seriously, what the heck kind of capitulation was that? Oshidashi.

Takanosho (4-1) defeated Takarafuji (0-5): Takanosho launched like a missile into Takarafuji and drove him back. Takarafuji tried to resist at the tawara but Takanosho prevailed. Oshidashi.

Onosho (2-3) defeated Terunofuji (4-1): This bout ended the way I thought yesterday’s bout would. Terunofuji with both of his opponent’s arms wrapped up like he’s going to perform a kimedashi…but the strong opponent makes good use of better body position to force Terunofuji backwards and out.

Yesterday, when Terunofuji was backed to the bales, he was able to pivot. That had forced Meisei to have to push the Kaiju all the way back across the dohyo. But on the way, Terunofuji wrenched Meisei’s left arm for a kotenage. Today was much the same deal but Onosho did not let Terunofuji pivot and was not going to be easily tipped over the bales. Instead, he successfully corralled Terunofuji, cut off the dohyo and forced him over the bales.

Wakatakakage (2-3) defeated Shodai (2-3): Shodai absorbed Wakatakakage’s initial charge and worked him over to the bales. But rather than cutting off his escape or getting low and just forcing him over, Shodai backs up, brings his right arm down with a weak hatakikomi attempt that missed. Since Shodai was too damn high, Wakatakakage’s forward and upward pressure accelerated Shodai back and over the bales. Damn pulls. Forward, Shodai! You had him! Arg! Yori-freaking-kiri.

Hokutofuji (3-2) defeated Takakeisho (3-2): This bout began like any other Takakeisho win. Solid tachiai, Takakeisho drives his opponent back to the bales with forceful thrusts. But at the bales, Hokutofuji escaped to his right with T-Rex in pursuit. While retreating, Hokutofuji alternately launches into the Ozeki and then falls back. But then, suddenly, something weird happened. Hokutofuji stopped going backwards and moved forward, driving into Takakeisho.

Takakeisho simply could not stop Hokutofuji when Hokutofuji switched “on.” He almost toyed with the Ozeki. Afterwards, as Asanoyama climbed to the dohyo, the camera panned over to the Ozeki, seating ringside. Panting in defeat, he seemed to be going over the bout in his mind, “how did that happen?”

How did it happen? I’ll tell you. He pounced when T-Rex turned his back to the tawara. For the few seconds before, while chasing, it was either Hokutofuji’s back to the tawara, or both were sideways going around the ring. Hokutofuji turned back into the ring and Takakeisho followed and turned his back to the tawara. That’s when he immediately stopped retreating, summoned all of his strength, and moved forward. He cut off Takakeisho’s outlet for escape and I think T had tired from his initial strong charge and didn’t have enough in the tank to overcome Hokutofuji’s sudden attack. Oshitaoshi.

Hokutofuji, please don’t take these big wins and then coast to a 6-9 or 7-8 record. I want to see this desire and force for the full 15 days. You could be an Ozeki with this fighting spirit.

Asanoyama (4-1) defeated Meisei (2-3): Meisei seemed worn out. He met Asanoyama solidly at the tachiai, secured a decent belt grip with the right hand but could not make forward progress. Asanoyama drove him back to the bales where Meisei tried to escape to the right. But the Ozeki got the job done and escorted Meisei over the bales.

Final Take

The Kaiju fell, two Ozeki lost, and Myogiryu leads, alone. What more is there to say, other than Juryo is looking exciting?

The last thing this tournament needed was for Hokutofuji to start bleeding all over the place in the musubi-no-ichiban. The scent, and now presence of blood/chum will bring more piranha out to play. As we close out the first third of the tournament, Act 1 as Bruce calls it, it’s quite possible no one will be left with an unblemished record. Only two remain undefeated, Terunofuji and Myogiryu and both had scares in the form of very entertaining bouts with Meisei and Tamawashi, respectively. As we move into Act 2, the ring rust better be well and knocked-off as we head into the meat of the campaign.

What we’re watching:

Kaisei vs Daiamami: Kaisei has been pushing his weight around the ring pretty effectively this tournament which is good news as we have seen several makuuchi regulars with a decided downward trajectory of late. Surely, a mere kachi-koshi record will not be enough for the former Sekiwake so I believe he’ll pull out all the stops against Daiamami. Daiamami has yet to establish himself in makuuchi, peaking at M11 back in 2018. Kaisei owns their short head-to-head rivalry, 3-1.

Chiyomaru vs Tsurugisho: Chiyomaru visits from Juryo while Tsurugisho needs to turn his ship around if he wants to avoid heading back. Tsurugisho, along with Daiamami form a new wave of Oitekaze sekitori in Makuuchi. Tsurugisho seems more likely to take it to the next level and establish himself alongside Tobizaru, Endo, and Daieisho as solid maegashira. Meanwhile, Chiyomaru has taken a great first step back to the division but will need to keep the wins coming to make it official.

Kotoeko vs Hidenoumi: Kotoeko’s strong start is at risk against Hidenoumi. The difference between a 4-1 start and 3-2 seems more significant than just a win.

Terutsuyoshi vs Yutakayama: Case in point, the mirror situation of Terutsuyoshi’s 2-2 start seems worlds away from Yutakayama’s 1-3. Yutakayama has yet to get into his groove. Yesterday’s loss to Daishomaru demonstrated little maneuverability or power as he was driven back and hog-tied into submission by yesterday’s Juryo visitor. Despite the size advantage, Terutsuyoshi should win this handily.

Akiseyama vs Chiyoshoma: The henka is coming. We know it. Akiseyama has been having a good basho and I need a reason to break out my new nickname: Chiyosho-mua-ha-ha. Am I the only one who imagines Chiyoshoma as Snidely Whiplash?

Chiyotairyu vs Aoiyama: As we climb up the banzuke, the matchups only get better. This bout should be a barn-stormer. The two giant pusher-thrusters should make for quite the barroom brawl. I’ve got my popcorn ready.

Chiyonokuni vs Ryuden: Ryuden has seemed hapless of late. He has had one kachi-koshi since this whole Covid business started, back in November. At that tournament, though, he jumped out to a 9-2 record before cooling off. His lone win comes from Kotoshoho’s kyujo. Meanwhile, Chiyonokuni has come off Covid-kyujo looking fresh. It’s great to see him back, ready to re-establish himself in the division after his injury recovery dropped him back into the Abi-reaches of Makushita.

Midorifuji vs Tobizaru: This is where the fireworks are scheduled to really begin. Tobizaru will want to avoid the katasukashi but he’s yet to find a solution for Midorifuji. Shimpan, beware! I’m expecting a kitchen sink thrown here.

Kotonowaka vs Hoshoryu: Kotonowaka is heyagashira for the storied Sadogatake-beya. He will face a very frustrated but agile and beguiling Hoshoryu. Have a nice trip!

Tamawashi vs Kagayaki: Tamawashi battled with a lot of skill and enthusiasm in his loss against Myogiryu. I expect Kagayaki to be greeted as if he were back in the joi and sent packing under heavy fire.

Tochinoshin vs Okinoumi: Was I the only one very pleased to see Tochinoshin’s skillful throw yesterday? As yorikiri begin to be deployed against him rather than by him, I hope he will deploy more tools other than henka.

Ichinojo vs Myogiryu: Ichinojo quit when he was still 6 feet from the edge. (If a Creed song did not just involuntarily pop into your head, I did not do my job and will need to Knock a Little Harder.) Myogiryu will put everything he’s got into this match and he won’t quit.

Endo vs Shimanoumi: Endo’s not kyujo yet. If he loses today, kyujo may be eminent for that calf injury. Shimanoumi is not enjoying the fruits of his recent strong performances, only picking up one win so far. Interestingly, these two have met twice. The first time was way back in 2013 during Endo’s inaugural tournament, the other in 2019. Shimanoumi has clearly improved while Endo is injured. This could be Shimanoumi’s chance to turn that frown upside-down.

Takayasu vs Kiribayama: What else is there to say about Takayasu’s Houdini act yesterday? It was great to hear the insight from Morita Hiroshi last night that his former Oyakata instilled within him the idea that matches are won on the edge. That work produced a win that I will remember for a long time. Kiribayama will have his work cut out as Takayasu is about to make a charge. Takayasu may need to force a Sekiwake slot if Terunofuji comes up just shy in his quest.

Daieisho vs Mitakeumi: At this point, Daieisho will be desperate to rid himself of the bagel while Mitakeumi’s loss reminds us of his streaky tendencies, hot then cold. Mitakeumi has a slight edge, 8-6, in their head-to-head. I expect both to bring their best and this could be a surprising match of the day.

Takarafuji vs Takanosho: If Takarafuji had hoped to bring himself back into sanyaku, he’s left with a lot of work to do. It will be hard to turn things around against Takanosho. He has the experience but seems a bit listless after his losses. I think Onigiri-kun gets the nod today.

Terunofuji vs Onosho: Kaiju fought back and powered through a very strong Meisei last night. That had to take a lot out of him to turn around and get back out there today. Onosho, meanwhile, has been a bit more disappointing than Mitakeumi of late in that he’s been forgotten and excluded from most conversations about rikishi who could take the next step during this time of flux. Just the formula for an upset.

Shodai vs Wakatakakage: Shodai suffered a humiliating loss against Hokutofuji yesterday. He’s likely out of any yusho contention, fighting to ensure he doesn’t go kadoban again. That’s not much of a goal. Aside from his win over Takakeisho, Wakatakakage has not been able to get things going in the joi. Shodai should be able to pull this off.

Takakeisho vs Hokutofuji: I’m going with Hokutofuji on this one. He’ll pick up yet another Ozeki scalp and go 7-8 for the tournament. Come on T-Rex! Get out there and fight like you want to be Yokozuna! There wasn’t much wave action there yesterday, luckily it wasn’t really needed.

Meisei vs Asanoyama: Asanoyama won yesterday, but not with good sumo. Meisei lost yesterday despite demonstrating excellent power sumo. With a fat stack of kensho on the line, Meisei will try to put aside the soreness and bitterness from yesterday’s disappointment and pull off the upset. Then again, this could be the first day of the tournament when all three Ozeki win. Yeah, right.