Just a quick look at the leaderboard, then on to the previews. I get the feeling the schedulers might try to set up a funnel soon. It’s the final day of act 2, and we get a head to head between the two leaders in the first half of the top division torikumi.

Aki Leaderboard

Takayasu fans are on pins and needles right now. They have been left disappointed so many times now, that I can’t blame them. But mathematically, one of the two leaders is the favorite to take the cup. I can see Atamifuji and Tsurugisho getting some big matches starting tomorrow. We can probably count on a fairly low score for the yusho this time out.

Leaders: Takayasu, Atamifuji
Chasers: Tsurugisho
Hunt Group: Kirishima, Takakeisho, Wakamotoharu, Hokutofuji, Gonoyama, Onosho, Endo, Myogiryu

6 Matches Remain

What We Are Watching Day 10

Nishikifuji (4-5) vs Hokuseiho (5-4) – A fun match to start the day, perhaps a bit out of order, but sure. We get to see the enormous Hokuseiho try to pick up his first win against Nishikifuji. Their only prior fight was day 13 of Osaka, which Nishikifuji won by sukuinage. Given that both are straddling the winning / losing record line, this may help ensure both contestants are motivated.

Kinbozan (5-4) vs Tsurugisho (7-2) – I would not be surprised to see the scheduling team keep big problems out of Tsurugisho’s path for now. They need him as a foil for the two leaders, and that means they would like to keep him one win behind. He has a 3-1 record against Kinbozan, and I think has an edge in this fight, with the bonus being a win will give him kachi-koshi.

Myogiryu (6-3) vs Endo (6-3) – 19 Career matches, the most recent going to Endo – day 14 of Nagoya. Both come in with matching 6-3 records, so the loser of this match will be eliminated from any consideration in the yusho race.

Midorifuji (4-5) vs Kagayaki (4-5) – This pair have matching 4-5 records, and Midorifuji has won 2 of their 3 prior fights. Right now Kagayaki is very much hit or miss, with plenty of misses, even when he wins. Midorifuji won both most recent matches, both of them via katasukashi.

Kotoeko (2-7) vs Daishoho (2-7) – The loser today will be make-koshi, and the winner will get to survive another day. They have 17 career matches with Kotoeko leading 10-7. Let me simplify, it’s Kotoeko’s job to deliver a make-koshi to Daishoho, and ensure he is the captain of the Juryo barge.

Chiyoshoma (2-7) vs Hiradoumi (2-7) – Likewise, the loser of this match will also be make-koshi. The bias given the 2-1 advantage to Hiradoumi is that Chiyoshoma will pick up his 8th loss, and possibly join Daishoho on the barge back to Juryo.

Takayasu (8-1) vs Atamifuji (8-1) – This match makes me a big grumbly. I would rather they hold this off for a few days, but here we go. Take both the leaders, and put them head to head. Both are already kachi-koshi, so this is just to make sure that only 1 person leads the yusho race at the end of act 2. This is their first ever match.

Kotoshoho (3-6) vs Oho (3-6) – On paper, Oho should dominate this match. Kotoshoho has shown in the past that his sumo is up to the task of defeating Oho, but this September, I don’t think he’s fighting well enough to be assured of pulling it off. They share a 4-5 career record, with Oho winning the 2 most recent fights.

Onosho (6-3) vs Sadanoumi (5-4) – Likely to be a Onosho win, if for no other reason – Sadanoumi is on the short end of their 3-7 head to head record. Onosho has won 2 of their 3 prior matches this year. Onosho wins in these matches tend to be oshidashi, where Sadanoumi wins when he is able to set up a throw.

Aoiyama (3-6) vs Ryuden (2-7) – An even 7-7 record between two injured long serving veterans. In all likelihood, both are headed for make-koshi, but a Ryuden loss today would be his 8th. Ryuden won both their prior matches this year.

Gonoyama (6-3) vs Mitakeumi (5-4) – A high interest, first time match. In fact, I am very interested in all of Gonoyama’s matches. We can assume that Mitakeumi will keep his arms tight to his body and put a lot of thrust down the center line. I am interested in watch to see what Gonoyama does in that situation. At 172 kg, there is a lot of Mitakeumi to try to overcome.

Takarafuji (4-5) vs Shonannoumi (5-4) – Another pair that are straddling the winning record / losing record line on the final day of act 2. Should these kind of matches constitute the start of some kind of funnel, the goal would be for Takarafuji to pick up the win, leaving them both at 5-5.

Shodai (3-6) vs Tamawashi (0-9) – We are going to get to watch what could be 15 continuous days of Tamawashi losses. Todays beneficiary of the white-star donation project is Shodai. At 3-6, he could certainly use the win.

Abi (5-4) vs Takanosho (5-4) – Abi has only lost to Takanosho once in 7 matches, Day 15 of November, 2011. Much as Takanosho could really use the win, this should be an Abi pick up today.

Hokutofuji (6-3) vs Tobizaru (5-4) – Tobizaru’s flying monkey sumo has little to no effect on Hokutofuji, as evidenced by Hokutofuji’s commanding 7-0 career match record against Tobizaru. Of course its always possible that today will be that magical, golden day, but don’t hock your car to bet on it.

Kotonowaka (5-4) vs Meisei (4-5) – Another set of straddlers, and I am starting to smell funnel oil. Ok, maybe wait until act 3 to say for certain. A Meisei win would bring them both to 5-5.

Daieisho (5-4) vs Asanoyama (5-4) – Remember you can’t spell funnel without “fun”. At least we hope one of these two guys has some fun. Daieisho was hoping for a shot at Ozeki not that long ago. Now he has to hope he can make his 8 and keep his Sekiwake slot. They have a 17 match record between them (10-7), with Daieisho tending to get Asanoyama so disrupted that he flys off the dohyo.

Wakamotoharu (6-3) vs Hoshoryu (3-6) – Normally, I would be biased to say this would be a Hoshoryu pick up, a much needed pick up, too! But he’s fighting so poorly right now that I am not sure that he can hold his own against Wakamotoharu. They have both won 2 and lost 2 this year, and if the pattern holds, it will be a Wakamotoharu win.

Ura (5-4) vs Takakeisho (6-3) – Takakeisho needs just 2 more wins to clear kadoban, and I think he should be able to dominate Ura today. He has a 12-3 match history against the man in the pink mawashi, who managed to throw himself so hard on day 9, he was airborne.

Kirishima (6-3) vs Nishikigi (4-5) – Like Takakeisho, Kirishima needs 2 more wins to clear kadoban. Nishikigi has never won against Kirishima in a head to head match, and it’s not likely he will today either.
Career Record (2-1[-1]) :

With day 9 in the history books, the yusho race is taking a bit of a turn, though both leaders are still out in front. Rather the group that was 1 win behind suffered a catastrophic spate of losses, leaving on Tsurugisho, who won his match against Mitakeumi, in the chase position. What this means as far as I can tell is that both Takayasu and Atamifuji would need to suffer 2 losses to make this competitive. This is me assuming that Tsurugisho is going to take at least 1 more dive to the dirt before senshuraku. More on this in the day 10 preview.

Hoshoryu dropped another match today, and it’s getting rather serious. He would not be the first or last Ozeki to start with a kadoban tournament, but you would just rather not see it at all. I am sure he will get his sumo, his body and his mind back together before Kyushu. He needs to win 5 of the last 6 matches it hit 8.

Highlight Matches

Kotoshoho defeats Myogiryu – Glad to see that Kotoshoho is still able to win a match. Myogiryu let him get a right hand inside belt grip when he made what looked like a half hearted attempt at a neck pull on Kotoshoho. Myogiryu’s grip change cost him the match, as he opened himself up to the uwatenage. Kotoshoho improves to 3-6.

Sadanoumi defeats Daishoho – Daishoho opened strong, had good hand placement, and was moving Sadanoumi back. Sadanoumi knew he was overpowered, but tried for a hatakikomi at the bales, and it worked. Daishoho goes down, and Sadanoumi improves to 5-4 after a monoii to review the call.

Aoiyama defeats Takarafuji – I will add Aoiyama to the “not quite ready for his make-koshi” group. He manages a hatakikomi against Takarafuji’s forward push, and brings him down. Aoiyama now 3-6.

Hokuseiho defeats Chiyoshoma – Chiyoshoma is not a small fellow, but it’s comical to see how high up he has to reach to try for a nodowa. The normal rules of sumo just don’t seem to apply at times fighting his guy. Chiyoshoma figures this out, and abandons attacks against Hokuseiho’s neck or chest, and simply goes for a leg trip. I am actually impressed none of that work, and Hokuseiho seems quite adept at hopping around on one foot and continuing to fight. As Chiyoshoma tries to rotate faster, they both tumble with Chiyoshoma landing first. They score it as an abisetaoshi, and Hokuseiho is now 5-4.

Tsurugisho defeats Mitakeumi – Mitakeumi had control of the opening moments of the match, enough so that Tsurugisho gave into the desire to pull Mitakeumi down. It did not work, but it allowed Tsurugisho to move behind the former Ozeki and push him out from behind. Tsurugisho now 7-2.

Endo defeats Kagayaki – Kagayaki did a solid job of defending his belt during the tachiai and the subsequent set of volleys from Endo. Endo settled for a body hold, and dialed up the forward power, settling for a direct yorikiri. Endo improves to 6-3.

Atamifuji defeats Kinbozan – A fine example of denshamichi-sumo, Atamifuji switches on the express track and delivers the goods. Not sure what Kinbozan had in mind, but I am sure it was not that. Atamifuji kachi-koshi at 8-1.

Oho defeats Nishikifuji – Nishikifuji gets a good hit in at the tachiai, but misses his tries to get a grip. Oho responds and shuts him down, then runs him out of the east side. Oho improves to 3-6 by oshidashi.

Takayasu defeats Kotoeko – Kotoeko just does not have the bulk to stand up to a rampaging Takayasu, and is quickly shown the west side salt basket. Takayasu kachi-koshi at 8-1.

Onosho defeats Hiradoumi – My compliments to Hiradoumi, for really bringing the fight to Onosho today. In response Onosho was forced to amplify his sumo, eventually catching Hiradoumi too far forward and swatting him to the clay. Onosho improves to 6-3 by hatakikomi.

Midorifuji defeats Shonannoumi – Midorifuji gets his hands inside and immediately sets up a pull throw combo. The results is the seldom seen makiotoshi, dropping Shonannoumi to the clay. Midorifuji is now 4-5.

Takanosho defeats Ryuden – Ryuden had the stronger attacks today, but kept finding himself too far forward. Takanosho would move aside, and Ryuden would stumble forward. I appreciate that he did not lose fall, but it was still a bit too much chaos. Takanosho breaks contact, re-engages and drives forward for a yorikiri, he is now 5-4 after winning the last 3 in a row.

Asanoyama defeats Tamawashi – Sigh… Tamawashi’s got nothing this basho. Though he almost had Asanoyama out first by an edge of the ring uwatenage. The former Ozeki improves to 5-4 by yorikiri.

Meisei defeats Shodai – I think Shodai was going to try for his “wall of Daikon” move again today, and Meisei shut that down with a well timed sotogake. Did Shodai even know Meisei’s leg was around his knee? Meisei now 4-5.

Abi defeats Tobizaru – Abi connected on target at the tachiai, and his opening combo took away whatever response Tobizaru had in mind. From there it was 3 steps to the tawara, and Tobizaru never got a chance to make a forward move. Abi improves to 5-4.

Hokutofuji defeats Nishikigi – Brilliant work by Hokutofuji to keep Nishikigi close enough to clobber, but far enough away he can’t set up his battle hug. This left Nishikigi without most of his offensive weaponry, and allowed Hokutofuji to dictate the form and pace of the match.

Daieisho defeats Wakamotoharu – It’s great to see Daieisho get the kind of match where he excels. It was all power forward, and in the brief time that Wakamotoharu was able to counter attack, Daieisho evaded quite well. Wakamotoharu’s rally was short lived, and Daieisho drove him from the ring by oshidashi. Daieisho now 5-4.

Takakeisho defeats Gonoyama – Anyone else thankful we got to see Takakeisho’s classic form today? Nice wave-action tsuppari, obliterating young Gonoyama, dumping him back to the east side to visit Kotonowaka. Both end the day 6-3.

Kirishima defeats Ura – Beautiful attack plan from Ura to start the match. He had Kirishima on defense, and made him work for the win. But it was Ura who succumbed to the mind bending manifold of Thurston geometry as he seems to have thrown himself so hard he got airborne. Kirishima now 6-3, needing 2 more wins to clear kadoban.

Kotonowaka defeats Hoshoryu – Hoshoryu opened with a lighting fast move to the side, allowing him to capture a right hand outside belt grip. This should have set him up for a fair number of winning moves, but Kotonowaka broke Hoshoryu’s grip, grabbed an arm, and twisted into Hoshoryu’s forward rush. The resulting kotenage was tangled enough that it required a monoii to figure out. The shimpan award the match to Kotonowaka, and he receives a kensho pile diorama of Sakurajima, improving to 5-4.

With the middle weekend of the basho behind us, it’s time to march ahead to week 2 and the conclusion of Aki. During the second week, experience and stamina play an increasing role in rikishi’s daily performance. It’s where the yusho race will become refined, and we will see who has what it takes to compete for the cup.

Yesterday’s Ozeki blowout means that none of them are in serious contention right now, and may not play much of a role in the yusho race. Let’s see what their situation looks like:

• O1E Kirishima – Needs 3 more wins over the final 7 days to clear kadoban and retain rank. Short of picking up a new mechanical injury, he should be able to pull this off.
• O1W Takakeisho – Also needs 3 more wins over the final 7 days, but was in a bit more uncertain condition before the basho. His day 8 loss to Tobizaru saw him ejected off the dohyo to land in the front row. We don’t know if he injured himself, but it’s something to look out for.
• O2E Hoshoryu – Needs 5 wins out of the final 7 matches to avoid kadoban in his opening tournament. This is a tough situation for him, and I hope it is motivating him to focus more on his sumo technique.

Aki Leaderboard

The leaders both won on day 8, but the chase group suffered some casualties. The hunt group is 10 men wide, and we will wait to list them until things narrow down a bit. I am keeping my eye on Wakamotoharu, who could be in a good position to contend for the cup next weekend.

Leaders: Takayasu, Atamifuji
Chasers: Wakamotoharu, Gonoyama, Myogiryu, Tsurugisho
Hunt Group: Too many to list

7 Matches Remain

What We Are Watching Day 9

Myogiryu (6-2) vs Kotoshoho (2-6) – Within the next few days, we may get to see lksumo publish some of his promotion/demotion forecasts. I am starting to worry about Kotoshoho, who can’t seem to find a win. He’s not got better odds today, as he has only beaten Myogiryu once in six attempts. That win came on day 9 of Kyushu 2022.

Daishoho (2-6) vs Sadanoumi (4-4) – My favorite for captain of the Juryo barge of the damed faces off against speed rikishi Sadanoumi today. He has a 2-2 record, but given how poorly Daishoho has been fighting this month, I am not sure there is much hope. He likely has some injury that is disrupting his sumo, and will need to try to recover following the basho.

Takarafuji (4-4) vs Aoiyama (2-6) – An impressive 31 career matches between these two, with 22 of them going to Aoiyama. Aoiyama can still execute sumo moves well enough, but he really does not seem to have the ability to deliver power through his arms, or his legs. I think it’s also indicative of Aoiyama’s overall fade that Takarafuji has won both prior matches this year, and six of the last 7 head to head fights.

Chiyoshoma (2-6) vs Hokuseiho (4-4) – I am pretty sure we won’t see another henka today, but who knows. Chiyoshoma is part of an ignoble group of 8 rikishi with only 2 wins who are fairly certain to end up make-koshi. At his spot on the banzuke, he would be considered for demotion back to Juryo. Chiyoshoma won their only prior contest, day 9 of Osaka, by uwatedashinage. That’s a long way to fall.

Mitakeumi (5-3) vs Tsurugisho (6-2) – What I like about this contests is that Mitakeumi certainly has the strength to push Tsurugisho, and has the technique to produce a win. They have two prior matches, the most recent went to Tsurugisho on day 11 of Natsu. The one before that? Day 11 of Natsu, 2015 – when both were in Makushita!

Kagayaki (4-4) vs Endo (5-3) – Kagayaki is big, and his sumo is simple. When he can execute crisply, he tends to win because his fundamentals have been so strong in the past. Endo is a master technician, and tends to to dismantle Kagayaki’s simple sumo. Endo holds an 11-5 career lead, and I think he will likely expand that today.

Kinbozan (5-3) vs Atamifuji (7-1) – Much as I think Kinbozan has a bright future in sumo, right now Atamifuji is on fire, and shares a portion of the yusho race lead. They have never fought before, but I give Atamifuji the edge to pick up his 8th win and kachi-koshi today.

Nishikifuji (4-4) vs Oho (2-6) – Oho is part of that ignoble 2 win group, and I think there is not much that can save him from make-koshi at this point. The good news is that he’s at no risk of being demoted out of the top division, so whatever injury or problem he is having is something he will have time to resolve. He has a nearly even (5-4) record against Nishikifuji, and normally this would be an interesting fight. But an diminished Oho may not have much sumo to employ today,

Takayasu (7-1) vs Kotoeko (2-6) – The second of the co-leaders fights against Kotoeko next. Kotoeko is one of these rikishi that I am usually surprised by their low or poor score. He fights well, and puts a lot of energy into his matches, but he just can’t seem to win on a day to day basis. He hand Takayasu have fought twice before, with each taking 1 win apiece. Should Takayasu win today, he would be kachi-koshi.

Onosho (5-3) vs Hiradoumi (2-6) – Onosho gets the job of handing Hiradoumi his 7th loss, and I predict as long as the junior tadpole can keep his feet and not get too eager to win, he’s got this one locked up. He holds a 3-1 career lead over Hiradoumi, and I see no reason for Hiradoumi to win today.

Midorifuji (3-5) vs Shonannoumi (5-3) – In spite of the score gap, this is (at least to myself) an interesting match. I know that Midorifuji has enough sumo skill to put the much more massive Shonannoumi on the clay if he can get things to align. But right now Shonannoumi is having a better basho, and is not likely to give Midorifuji an opening to use his attacks. Their only prior match, day 2 of Kyushu 2018, was a Shonannoumi win.

Takanosho (4-4) vs Ryuden (2-6) – Takanosho has pulled up even to 4-4 following is somewhat unexplainable pasting of Kirishima on day 8. Can he carry forward his good sumo and beat Ryuden today? Ryuden is part of the group of rikishi with just 2 wins who are likely headed for make-koshi. He suffers from chronic hip and lower back problems, and if I had to guess he is enduring some of that this basho.

Tamawashi (0-8) vs Asanoyama (4-4) – It’s sad to watch Tamawashi struggle this much. He’s never missed a day of sumo, so he’s not going kyujo in the last week. He will instead mount the dohyo and lose matches. I know Asanoyama could use the white star, so I am sure he is thankful for Tamawashi’s “iron man” reputation.

Shodai (3-5) vs Meisei (3-5) – Both rikishi start the day with 3-5 records, and both are having hit or miss (mostly miss) daily battles. I chalk this one up to “Shodai had to fight somebody…” He has a 9-6 career advantage over Meisei, but the last 4 in a row have all gone to Meisei. This could be one to watch.

Abi (4-4) vs Tobizaru (5-3) – Two rikishi who have rapid attack style. Abi with his predictable double arm blast ahead sumo, and Tobizaru with best in class combos and lateral mobility. Abi tends to win these matches by a 6-3 ratio, winning 3 of the last 4 matches in a row.

Nishikigi (4-4) vs Hokutofuji (5-3) – I really, dearly want to see Nishikigi reach 8 wins and secure a kachi-koshi in the san’yaku. But to do that, he must win the majority of the remaining matches. His record against Hokutofuji is hit or miss (5-6), with 2 of the 3 matches this year going to Hokutofuji.

Daieisho (4-4) vs Wakamotoharu (6-2) – As mentioned in the commentary, I am starting to think that Wakamotoharu will contend for the cup in act 3. To get there, he will need to win through the rest of act 2, starting with power attack monster Daieisho. Wakamotoharu holds a narrow 4-3 career record against Daieisho, with both winning 2 so far this year. This will likely be a tough fight.

Gonoyama (6-2) vs Takakeisho (5-3) – Oh, this is a match worth staying up in the middle of the night to see. The Grand Tadpole against Shin-Goeido. Hey, anyone else catch Raja slip up on day 8 and call him Goeido? Apologies to the NHK crew for polluting your thought space, just having a bit of fun drawing parallels between the coach and his star athlete. This is their first ever match, and I am hoping that Takakeisho did not pick up an injury on day 8 flying off the dohyo, and is able to show Gonoyama a proper wave-action welcome to the joi-jin.

Kirishima (5-3) vs Ura (5-3) – Just when you think its safe to go back on the dohyo. Like Tobizaru, you can’t take your eye off of Ura, even for a moment. he will gladly discombobulate your sumo and run your match plan amok. You will find yourself pulled through an unknown dimension on your way to eating a face full of clay. Yes, Kirishima holds a 5-2 career lead, but on any given day, Ura may suspend the laws of physics and give you a lesson in Thurston geometries.

Kotonowaka (4-4) vs Hoshoryu (3-5) – Kotonowaka has a difficult task ahead of him today. He has only won against Hoshoryu 4 times in 14 attempts, but he is one of the 3 people who won against him during his 12-3 yusho run that saw him promoted to Ozeki. I would expect Hoshoryu to bring overwhelming focus and motivation to today’s match, and that may be part of the problem. I am going to guess he is worried, and rather than just relax and act on his best sumo instincts, he may let his thoughts get in the way of his actions. Should be a good fight.

With the middle day of sumo in the books, it’s on to the second half of the basho. The matches will increasingly focus on shaping the yusho race, and sorting everyone into make-koshi and kachi-koshi. So far there has been no sign of a “Darwin Funnel” to pen people into a lane, which I think is the right way to approach things for now.

Today was a day of chaos, and there was plenty to go around, capped with Tobizaru giving a master class of winning by not losing. But San’yaku gyoji Kimura Yodo should probably take a breather and get his wits about him, something was not quite right today. All three Ozeki lost, and the risk of shin-Ozeki Hoshoryu going kadoban on this first tournament grows. Both Kirishima and Takakeisho need 3 wins out of the final 7 days to clear their kadoban, and I have confidence they can.

Highlight Matches

Atamifuji defeats Aoiyama – Aoiyama gets a thrusting attack going against Atamifuji’s face, but there is really no power to it, it’s more of a ¥2500 facial massage, leaving Atamifuji refreshed, ready to fight, and looking fabulous. It’s a quick shove and a push to apply the oshidashi, and Atamifuji maintains his share of the lead at 7-1.

Myogiryu defeats Daishoho – Daishoho moves ever closer to his spot on the Juryo barge with yet another loss. Myogiryu takes him to his chest, and if you are looking at it, it seems Daishoho’s fully into the fight. But Myogiryu taps his back and steps away, resulting in Daishoho casually falling forward. Odd ending to that match, Myogiryu 6-2.

Chiyoshoma defeats Nishikifuji – Chiyoshoma, what took you so long? The long awaited henka was finally delivered, with Nishikifuji finding pushing him from behind. Granted, Nishikifuji did put up a bit of a defense, but there was not too much he could do from that position. Chiyoshoma improves to 2-6.

Tsurugisho defeats Takarafuji – Takarafuji has enough time to set up his hand placement, and get his feet set. As he moves to attack, he finds Tsurugisho easily able to move him about, and places him across the bales. The yorikiri advances Tsurugisho to 6-2.

Kagayaki defeats Sadanoumi – Kagayaki gets his hands into the inside thrusting lane early, and never lets Sadanoumi set up any kind of defense or counter attack. Forced to break his stance, Sadanoumi is moved back and out by tsukidashi for a Kagayaki win. Both end the day 4-4.

Hokuseiho defeats Kotoshoho – Humming the tune “I fought the bridge, and the bridge won”, Hokuseiho shows us just how much power he can generate when he feels like fighting. He man handles Kotoshoho about and tosses him bodily from the ring. A yoritaoshi win for Hokuseiho, and he is now 4-4. Nice opening move from Hokuseiho too.

Takayasu defeats Mitakeumi – Outstanding power to power battle. I really appreciated that Mitakeumi was maniacal about setting up and maintaining that hazu-oshi to keep Takayasu back and too high to be effective. They locked up with Mitakeumi’s left hand in Takayasu’s armpit, and Takayasu’s left arm blocked by Mitakeumi’s ottsuke. After a brief pause, Mitakeumi attacked well from below, but could not maintain his balance when Takayasu turned away at the tawara, and slammed Mitakeumi to the clay. The hatakikomi win maintains Takayasu’s share of the lead at 7-1.

Endo defeats Oho – Oho does a poor job of defending his belt, allowing Endo to establish a grip more than once. That grip finally hauls Oho over and down, with Endo landing first. The gumbai went to Oho, and a monoii was called. The replay shows Oho’s left foot sliding off the tawara and onto the janome, giving the win to Endo by isamiashi. Endo us now 5-3.

Onosho defeats Kinbozan – Classic combo – stand him up and throw him down. Onosho does not even take a moment to dispatch Kinbozan by hatakikomi, and both are now 5-3.

Midorifuji defeats Ryuden – Ryuden continues to suffer, but at least we get to see a Midorifuji katasukashi in the process! Ryuden was too far forward, and ripe for that move. Midorifuji now 3-5.

Gonoyama defeats Kotoeko – Almost looked like Kotoeko attempted some kind of partial henka, leaping to the side at the tachiai. Gonoyama was having none of that. He caught Kotoeko mid flight and rushed him to the exit. Gonoyama improves to 6-2.

Shonannoumi defeats Hiradoumi – Hiradoumi failed to protect his left, allowing Shonannoumi to get a big grip of Hiradoumi’s belt. From there it was lift and tote to the tawara, with Shonannoumi delivering Hiradoumi to the clay like the local UPS driver delivers my fragile parcels. Shonannoumi now 5-3.

Abi defeats Shodai – Abi had a good opening combo, and may have assumed that Shodai would rush forward and try a “Wall of Daikon” against him. Sure enough, Shodai rushes forward, but Abi decided not to wait around and find out. Shodai launches face first into the waiting gyoji, and Abi improves to 4-4.

Asanoyama defeats Meisei – Solid performance by Asanoyama, who maintained contact with Meisei and kept the pressure forward. Meisei did his best to escape, but found himself across the tawara in rapid order. Asanoyama now 4-4.

Daieisho defeats Nishikigi – Daieisho does exactly what is needed, he keeps Nishikigi away from his belt no matter what. Of course Nishikigi dials up his power trying to get inside and get close. All Daieisho needed to do was time one of Nishikigi’s lunges forward, and apply a bit of downward pressure. The chaos ensues, and there’s a monoii with kensho being handed out at the same time. The whole thing devolves into a bit of chaos before the shimpan sort it all out, reviewing the video and figuring out that Daieisho really did win, both are 4-4.

Hokutofuji defeats Kotonowaka – So the question must be asked, did gyoji Kimura Yodo get rattled by what happened in the prior bout, because then this beauty takes place. A half hearted tachiai that probably should have been a matta, but Yodo calls out Hakkeyoi!! So the fight is sort of on? Hokutofuji’s right hand did most of the work, progressively pushing Kotonowaka to the side, disrupting his balance. The resulting oshitaoshi gave Hokutofuji his 5th win, and he is now 5-3.

Wakamotoharu defeats Tamawashi – Tamawashi put some energy into this match, but still had no forward power. Wakamotoharu took his time, absorbing Tamawashi’s partially powered thrusts. Wakamotoharu was able to get beside Tamawashi, and thrust him down, winning by hatakikomi. Tamawashi is now 0-8 and make-koshi, while Wakamotoharu improves to 6-2.

Takanosho defeats Kirishima – Takanosho continues his domination over Kirishima, it’s the craziest thing. Takanosho can be having a crummy basho. If he fights Kirishima, suddenly the big sumo comes out and he wins decisively. Takanosho put a lot of power forward with almost no defense by Kirishima, and he was into the front row visiting Tobizaru in a hurry. Takanosho improves to 4-4.

Ura defeats Hoshoryu – Hoshoryu makes a fatal assumption in the tachiai, assuming Ura will be low and off balance. Well, he might have been right, but was not today. It left Hoshoryu wide open for the push-pull combo that dropped him to the clay by the second step. Even Ura was surprised that worked, he is now 5-3.

Tobizaru defeats Takakeisho – One of the reasons I have like Tobizaru for years is that he has enough variations to his sumo that his opponents are always going to struggle trying to contain him. Takakeisho missed with most of his early thrusting and tsuppari attacks, which allowed Tobizaru to start his plan of light power but heavy disruption moves to keep the Ozeki from powering up. Tobizaru’s impressive mobility and sense of just where he is in the ring and how far away his opponent is was on full display. Takakeisho could not land anything, and became increasingly off balance. A final double hand push against Takakeisho’s undefended chest set the Ozeki falling off the dohyo. Hopefully he was not hurt. Both end the day 5-3.