Act 1 comes to a close, and the Ozeki corps re-asserts its dominance. Across today’s matches, power sumo was back in style with some brilliant forward power, yotsu-zumo and strong attacks today.

In act 1, the rikishi work to get into honbasho form, break off the ring rust, and find out who is hot, and who is not. It is interesting to me to note that of the 4 rikishi who were undefeated after day 4, all of them took their first loss on day 5: the best record on the board right now is the group of 8 at 4-1.

Hot List

• Gonoyama – Shin-Goeido really setting the pace in the joi-jin
• Onosho – The littlest tadpole is in the midst of one of his winning streaks
• Kinbozan – Too early to call him the “Kazak Bulldozer”?
• Mitakeumi – If he takes the cup, it will hilarious
• Atamifuji – Second posting to the top division is working well for him, in spite of that arm
• Tsurugisho – I know it is said otherwise, but yes, size matters.

Highlight Matches

Kagayaki defeats Chiyoshoma – Chiyoshoma makes good contact at the tachiai, and immediately works to try and pull Kagayaki down. Kagayaki is well balanced and responds with a hearty shove, sending Chiyoshoma out by oshidashi. Kagayaki now 3-2.

Tsurugisho defeats Atamifuji – Tsurugisho’s left hand outside belt grip at the tachiai payed off handsomely as it gave him control over Atamifuji’s body. I did like the amount of disruptive maneuvering Atamifuji tried in order to break that hold, but it was three steps to the bales and a yorikiri win for Tsurugisho. With Atamifuji picking up his first loss, both end the day 4-1.

Kotoshoho defeats Daishoho – A battle of the “Shoho” clan, it came down to clever footwork from Kotoshoho to side step a lunge by Daishoho trying to finish off with an oshidashi. Kotoshoho’s hikiotoshi connected a glancing blow, but it was enough to win the match, and both are 2-3.

Aoiyama defeats Nishikifuji – There is still hope for Big Dan, as he is able to score a win today. Granted, Nishikifuji has never been able to beat Aoiyama, but Aoiyama’s condition is still not good. This match is an exception to the overall power forward sumo theme, in that Aoiyama stepped back and slapped down Nishikifuji for his first win, improving to 1-4.

Takarafuji defeats Sadanoumi – Takarafuji’s ottsuke worked long enough to ensure that Sadnoumi’s hold was too late to matter. The left hand inside hold from Takarafuji had Sadanoumi out by yorikiri, and both ended the day 3-2.

Myogiryu defeats Hokuseiho – Hokuseiho, sir. That tachiai is straight out of Shodai’s sumo book. Please discard it at once. Points to Myogiryu for studying Hokuseiho’s sumo, and diving in with gusto. He left Hokuseiho without a working hold of any kind, then lifted and carried the giant out for a yorikiri, improving to 3-2.

Endo defeats Kinbozan – That’s two wins in a row for Endo. Not a streak by any means, but maybe some hope after a cold start to Aki. Fans of technical sumo take note – see how careful Endo is with maintaining a rather specific distance from Kinbozan. I thought it odd until I watched it a few times, but he’s taking away the bulk of Kinbozan’s attack options, and relegating him to reacting to whatever Endo decides to throw at him. Every once in a while, Endo can still deliver, he is now 2-3 as Kinbozan picks up his first loss.

Mitakeumi defeats Midorifuji – Man, look at Mitakeumi’s ottsuke! The only thing that is missing is Mitakeumi taunting “stop hitting yourself! stop hitting yourself!” as he thunders forward and drives Midorifuji from the ring. 4-1 and a share of the lead for the original tadpole.

Oho defeats Hiradoumi – Hiradoumi put so much effort and power into this match that its kind of a shame that he lost. But a bunch of that energy was not directed into Oho’s body, and was more or less wasted. In contrast, look at how quiet Oho’s core and legs are. If he can grow that, he’s going to be required assume higher ranks. Oho wins by oshidashi and is now 2-3.

Ryuden defeats Kotoeko – Excellent high power battle to get the inside thrusting lane open, but things go downhill for Kotoeko once he tries to execute a pull on Ryuden’s neck. To do that, he gives up his left arm ottsuke, and gives Ryduen a body hold. Faced with few options, he tries it again and Ryuden engages the oshidashi machine, sending Kotoeko into the same shimpan who has caught every last falling rikishi today. Ryuden now 2-3.

Takayasu defeats Shonannoumi – I had hoped that Takayasu would play this match with the focused and strong sumo rather than the wild man form he sometimes uses. Excellent, fast tachiai into a left hand inside grip – Takayasu was in control of the match. Shonannoumi tried some of the normal counter moves, and was able to break the grip, but that only set up Takayasu’s hatakikomi. He is now 4-1.

Gonoyama defeats Onosho – Shin-Goeido continues to demonstrate some of the better aspects of Goeido’s sumo. Onosho is very fast, he can attack with rapid speed and can react faster than most rikishi. But he’s no match for Gonoyama today. Go watch the combo where he breaks Onosho’s hold, lands two thrusts to center mass and sets his feet all within about 2 seconds. It’s more than Onosho can counter, and he’s over the bales to take his first loss. Both end the day 4-1.

Shodai defeats Ura – Ura powers up and slams into the creamy marshmallow mid section of Shodai, who looks on with all the passion of a rural farmer’s co-op. With Ura vigorously pushing forward, Shodai shoves him aside, maintaining the bored look on his face as Ura eats a face full of dirt. Both end the day 2-3.

Meisei defeats Hokutofuji – For the first three days, Hokutofuji seemed to be an unstoppable force of sumo. But he has now dropped the last two matches. Today he was not mindful of his center of balance, and reached too far forward to grab a retreating Meisei, who slammed him to the clay with a hatakikomi. Meisei improves to 2-3.

Takanosho defeats Daieisho – Daieisho puts big power forward at the tachiai, and for the opening salvo. It succeeds in pressing Takanosho back, but his feet are able to maintain position. As Takanosho catches Daieisho between thrusts, Daieisho steps back and attempts a pull. The resulting oshidashi was to be expected, as Takanosho picks up his second win. Both end the day 2-3.

Tobizaru defeats Kotonowaka – Kotonowaka chose to use power and mass to try and overcome Tobizaru’s mobility advantage. Of course that did not work out at all. Tobizaru easily dodged Kotonowaka’s second forward surge, sending him out of the ring while Tobizaru goes into the crowd to mingle with his adoring fans. Both are now 3-2.

Wakamotoharu defeats Nishikigi – You just knew this was going to be a grand battle of yotsu zumo. Wakamotoharu got the better grip out of the tachiai, and Nishikigi found himself focused on trying to even up. Wakamotoharu recognized he only had a moment before Nishikigi might latch on, and powered forward through Nishikigi’s attempt to hold on at the tawara. Third win for Wakamotoharu, and both are 3-2.

Kirishima defeats Asanoyama – This match had everything. Another great yotsu match, with one of the former master practitioners in Asanoyama. Former? Yeah, his technique is not what it was 4 years ago, though it probably could be if he hones it back into shape. But it was not yotsu that won this long running battle of strength, but a solid Mongolian style leg trip. Kirishima first tried and inside leg trip, which failed, and a few moments later connected with a sotogake to land Asanoyama on shikiri-sen with a thud that was heard all the way up in the gaijin section of the Kokugikan’s upper deck. Kirishima improves to 3-2.

Hoshoryu defeats Tamawashi – Tamawashi looks completely spent. There was an attempt to move to the side at the tachiai, followed by one good offensive run. But it was not enough to do more than move Hoshoryu back. He countered rapidly and ran Tamawashi out by oshidashi. Tamawashi remains winless, ad Hoshoryu improves to 2-3.

Takakeisho defeats Abi – Takakeisho hist with enough power at the tachiai that Abi is forced to step back, and immedately tries for a pull down. But the Grand Tadpole is at speed and he drove Abi from the ring before he hit the deck. From the replays it looks like there could have been a case for a monoii or even a rematch, but the judges let it stand, and Takakeisho advances to 4-1, needing just 4 more wins to clear kadoban.

Wow, we are already previewing the final day of act 1. Time does indeed fly by when you are having fun. There are only 3 rikishi left in the unbeaten category, and I don’t expect any of them to be in the hunt for the yusho. In fact, I don’t think the yusho winner will have more than 12 wins this time out. The sumo world is still looking for someone to provide the level of power and consistency we enjoyed 5 to 6 years ago. Please don’t assume I am saying it’s a bad thing. We all knew then that we were in a rare period of sumo, and that we would not see that level of dominance again any day soon, if ever.

What we have now is a cadre of guys who are giving it their all, but are so evenly matched that they struggle to contain their encroaching injuries, and to consistently rack up the wins. We are still waiting for someone to replace Terunofuji, who I assume will be retired by this time next year barring some level of miracle cure for the multiple health problems he must endure.

But at the start of day 5, I see no clear favorite to enter the yusho final run a week from today.

What We Are Watching Day 5

Kagayaki (2-2) vs Chiyoshoma (1-3) – These two have an impressive 24 match history, with Kagayaki having 14 wins to Chiyoshoma’s 10. From a technique standpoint, Chiyoshoma has been executing well. Yet he only has 1 win so far, and I have to wonder if he’s not quite up to his normal sumo power. At his rank, he could face the possibility of demotion if his losing streak continues.

Atamifuji (4-0) vs Tsurugisho (3-1) – Co-leader Atamifuji, who is no dainty petunia at 160+ kg, goes up against the super-sized Tsurugisho. Tsurugisho has won both of their prior matches, and I am looking at this as a test of Atamifuji’s progress. if he can pull off a win, he’s made progress in his sumo since the last time they fought, on day 9 of Hatsu.

Daishoho (2-2) vs Kotoshoho (1-3) – A lack of consistent good execution is what has made it tough for Kotoshoho to return to his prior ranking much further up the banzuke. Whatever injury he sustained in January or March of 2021 really robbed us of some excellent competition in the years since. He is off to an abysmal start, and seems to be on course for his 4th consecutive make-koshi tournament.

Aoiyama (0-4) vs Nishikifuji (2-2) – If Aoiyama is going to pull out of this slide, its about time for him to pick up a first win. But at his age, its possible he may instead be at the limit of what his body can handle. It’s tough to watch the old greats fade out. He has never lost to Nishikifuji, so if he is going to win one, today should be the day.

Takarafuji (2-2) vs Sadanoumi (3-1) – These two have a 22 match history, and it’s 2:1 in favor of Takarafuji. At 2-2, he could use the win. I note that Sadanoumi has been fighting quite well this month, and he has won 2 of the last 3 head to head matches with Takarafuji.

Myogiryu (2-2) vs Hokuseiho (2-2) – Both men come in at 2-2, but Hokuseiho has a 2-0 career advantage over Myogiryu. I am sure folks get weary of me writing this, but I would love to see some kind of sharp sumo technique from Hokuseiho. The standing around and being enormous was fun for the first few days, but it’s not impressing me right now.

Kinbozan (4-0) vs Endo (1-3) – A first ever match, and it could not come at a worse time for Endo. He just racked up his first win of Aki on day 3 against Midorifuji, and now he has to brawl with one of the co-leaders. Now Kinbozan is not some kind of super human sumo machine, and I am sure that Endo can find a way in that impressive lexicon of sumo to give him a good, close look at the Aki dohyo.

Midorifuji (1-3) vs Mitakeumi (3-1) – After losing his first match to Kinbozan on day 3, Mitakeumi is no longer unbeaten. But he is still very much a possibility to be a part of the yusho race next week. Although Midorifuji has a 2-1 career lead in their fights, a strong and healthy Mitakeumi can take him without too much worry. But is Mitakeumi healthy?

Hiradoumi (1-3) vs Oho (1-3) – Both men come into day 5 with just a single win. Both of them are moving well enough, but seem to be unable to dominate their matches. The good news is that one of these two will pick up a second win today, with Hiradoumi favored due to his 4-1 career advantage, including all three prior matches this year.

Kotoeko (1-3) vs Ryuden (1-3) – Another pair of 1-3 rikishi who have actually been fighting pretty well. I would say that Ryuden can move when he choses, but seems to be making odd or ill advised tactical choices on the clay. They have an even 6-6 record, but I would give an edge to Kotoeko today.

Takayasu (3-1) vs Shonannoumi (2-2) – This is Takayasu’s first ever match against Shonannoumi. Will he go in calm and powerful, or crazy and flailing about? It’s tough to guess which one might be more of an advantage for Takayasu, so I am going to guess Shonannoumi goes easy on the tachiai and tries for a slap down / pull down on the second step as Takayasu lunges forward.

Gonoyama (3-1) vs Onosho (4-0) – I did not realize how much I wanted to see this match up until it appeared on the torikumi. Oh yes please. Shin-Goeido vs the last somewhat healthy tadpole. Much as I love me some Onosho sumo, I really want to see Gonoyama run the table this September. They fought once before, on day 11 of Nagoya, with the win going to Onosho.

Shodai (1-3) vs Ura (2-2) – At this point Shodai is a human dumpster fire of sumo. Who better for him to fight than Ura. I am normally an Ura booster, but I would love to see another deployment of Shodai’s Acme driven cartoon sumo. It’s like getting to see water running uphill, or spontaneous human combustion. Why not televise it around the world in 4K? Ura holds a 6-3 career advantage, but that means nothing if Shodai made a stop in ToonTown before coming to the Kokugikan.

Hokutofuji (3-1) vs Meisei (1-3) – Hokutofuji was part of that cadre of folks who picked up their first losses on day 4, dropping a match to Daieisho after beating all 3 Ozeki on consecutive days. At 1-3 I don’t think Meisei’s sumo is strong enough this month to offer much of a challenge to him, unless he hurt something crashing off the dohyo by Daieisho’s oshidashi.

Daieisho (2-2) vs Takanosho (1-3) – One the subject of Daieisho, he has lost and won on alternating days so far. If he follows that pattern, he will lose today, much to Takanosho’s delight. But my guess is that he’s going to bat Takanosho around like a tabby jacked up on weapons grade catnip before sending him off the dohyo to go cuddle with a waiting Tobizaru.

Kotonowaka (3-1) vs Tobizaru (2-2) – On the subject of Tobizaru, I note that he has a 5-6 record against Kotonowaka, and both have won 2 of their 4 matches this year. When Kotonowaka wins against Tobizaru, it tends to be via a throw. So I will look for Kotonowaka to try and capture the flying monkey and give him a toss down range. Stay mobile Tobizaru!

Nishikigi (3-1) vs Wakamotoharu (2-2) – Seriously, folks. What kind of hulking golem of dread is this current form of Nishikigi. He’s not quick, he’s not agile, he’s like some chanko powered mud slide, tumbling down the mountain wrecking most of what it hits. Wakamotoharu leads the career series 5-3, but I am not certain I would bank on that too much this tournament.

Kirishima (2-2) vs Asanoyama (2-2) – Asanoyama ate a big plate full of “wave action” vittles on day 4, and I am sure that attenuated his fighting spirit a bit. Kirishima needs wins as well, and has dropped the last two matches, both to Maegashira opponents. He needs 6 wins over the final 11 matches, starting wtih today, to clear kadoban.

Tamawashi (0-4) vs Hoshoryu (1-3) – The good news is that Hoshoryu is likely to pick up a much needed win. The sad news is we have to watch Tamawashi get spanked on yet another day. I am not even going to suggest he go kyujo, that is a word he never took the time to learn. So good luck and hold on tight, Iron Man.

Abi (3-1) vs Takakeisho (3-1) – Both are 3-1, both are big power forward thrust jockeys. Both of them have distinct “brand of sumo”. Most of the time (6-4), it’s Abi who carries the day. Like Kirishima, Takakeisho needs wins – 5 over the remaining 11 matches.

The chaos we have come to expect from Aki continues in full force, with whatever mischievous kami is in attendance really having some fun with it now. Who else would be the instrument of his torment but Shodai? Shodai’s Ozeki career went on the skids, and in the dark recesses of sumo twitter, there were rumors that he had maxed out his line of credit with the Acme store. The same place where Wile E Coyote gets his favorite tools. But it seems September is a new day, and cartoon sumo is back on the menu.

Highlight Matches

Atamifuji defeats Chiyoshoma – I am impressed by Atamifuji’s defense in this match. Chiyoshoma was putting up some really good attack combinations today, and Atamifuji kept his feet, kept cool and stayed in the match. Once they locked up chest to chest, I was looking for a Chiyoshoma move to throw with that left hand mawashi grip. Atamifuji was looking for it too, and when Chiyoshoma made his move, Atamifuji converted it into a sukuinage. Brilliant sumo, and Atamifuji is 4-0.

Daishoho defeats Aoiyama – We finally got to see some forward power out of Big Dan today, but as soon as Daishoho counter attacked, it was clear that Aoiyama was not going to be able to defend. Daishoho got him on the move without too much trouble, and had him out a few steps later. Daishoho improves to 2-2.

Kagayaki defeats Kotoshoho – An outright thrusting battle, it was good to see Kagayaki able to shut down the inside lane and turn off Kotoshoho’s attack route. He then countered well, disrupting Kotoshoho’s balance and dropping him to the clay. Kagayaki now 2-2.

Tsurugisho defeats Nishikifuji – Nishikifuji’s opening nodowa failed to raise Tsurugisho, and resulted in Tsurugisho getting a left hand around Nishikifuji’s body, and a right hand mawashi grip. This was all Tsurugisho needed to lift and shift Nishikifuji back and out by yorikiri, advancing to 3-1.

Myogiryu defeats Takarafuji – Takarafuji started the fight in good form, able to tangle up Myogiryu’s arms and shut down his offense. Myogiryu was able to counter and break contact, getting behind Takarafuji in the process. The resulting okuridashi sent Takarafuji into the zabutan, with both ending the day 2-2.

Hokuseiho defeats Sadanoumi – I give points to Sadanoumi, he put maximum effort into getting Hokuseiho off balance an in a position to be thrown. But there is just too much of the guy, and each time Sadanoumi had him starting to go over, he recovered. After the 4th or so attempt, Hokuseiho decided to try it himself, and his enormity granted him the leverage to do what Sadanoumi could not, deliver the throw. The uwatenage gave Hokuseiho his second win, and he is now 2-2.

Kinbozan defeats Mitakeumi – Color me disappointed that the chaos that tends to haunt Aki is not going to conjure a 4th Mitakeumi yusho, it would have made people’s head melt. Mitakeumi tried for a pull on the second step, and Kinbozan ran him out, to stay perfect at 4-0.

Endo defeats Midorifuji – Endo finally gets his first win of September. Midorifuji opened strong, but Endo was able to get his hands at center mass, and push with force. Midorifuji collapsed over the bales for an oshitaoshi, and Endo is 1-3.

Takayasu defeats Hiradoumi – Takayasu was a flurry of flailing hands and feet in this match. He never let Hiradoumi get a single sumo move in past the tachiai, and dumped him over the west side of the dohyo with an okuridashi. Takayasu now 3-1.

Oho defeats Kotoeko – Joining the first win club today is Oho. Kotoeko had the pressure on with a right hand inside body hold, but lined up off center as he put Oho’s back to the tawara to finish him off. In that moment of imbalance, Oho deftly swung him over and tossed him into the salt basket. Both men end the day 1-3.

Gonoyama defeats Ryuden – Shin-Goeido is really lighting it up, and I am over joyed. While all the talk on social media is about wether ex-Hakuho or ex-Kisenosato will spawn the first Ozeki deshi, check this guy out. Of course when you have Ryuden trying time and again to put a hand on the back of Gonoyama’s neck and pull him, it helps quite a bit. I would have think he could have stopped that on the second failure, but.. no! Gonoyama stays on his feet, stays low and keeps moving forward. Classic sumo technique, and he’s now 3-1.

Onosho defeats Shonannoumi – Shonannoumi, the trick with Onosho is that he is going to hit you like a truck. Don’t stand there and try to absorb it. Shonannoumi had his stance broken, had his sumo disrupted, and was pushed out on the second attack. Onosho now 4-0.

Ura defeats Tamawashi – Ah, boogers. Tamawashi is likely hurt and really can’t fight so well. At least we get to see Ura pick up a win. He has at most token offensive moves as Ura closes the gap and brings the fight to him. A quick battle for hand placement, and Tamawashi is headed over and down, tumbling face first into the clay. Ura improves to 2-2.

Nishikigi defeats Tobizaru – Nishikigi is showing some very welcome versatility in the past two days. His opponents know he wants to give him his battle hug, and they have both shut down his attempt to grapple. Today we got to see him disrupt Tobizaru’s defense, move him back and toss him out. It’s been a while since Tobizaru did one of his famous jogs through the zabuton to say hello to the fans, but we got one today thanks to Nishikigi. He is now 3-1.

Kotonowaka defeats Takanosho – I am not sure where Takanosho’s offense was today, but it was certainly not on the clay. Kotonowaka sets up right hand inside at the tachiai, and is able to lift Takanosho to the extent he can move him back. Three steps later, he’s out and Kotonowaka advances to 3-1.

Wakamotoharu defeats Meisei – Wakamotoharu got a nice left hand strike and lift in at the tachiai, which looks to have opened up Meisei’s chest. Meisei settled in to defend, but stepped out of the ring as he was trying to set his feet on the bales to stop Wakamotoharu’s advance. It counts in sumo, and Wakamotoharu is now 2-2.

Daieisho defeats Hokutofuji – People may marvel that Hokutofuji was able to beat three Ozeki this week, but suffered his first loss to Daieisho. I think it all comes down to Daieisho’s “brand of sumo”. Hokutofuji was unable to shut down the center thrusting lane, and Daieisho put huge power forward into Hokutofuji’s body. Hokutofuji got stood up, got shoved back, and a final thrust to the chest put him out. Nice work by Daieisho, and he is now 2-2.

Shodai defeats Hoshoryu – Hello, Mitsuwa? Yes, going to need another 10 bottles of Sho Chiku Bai right away. What do you call it when Shodai, and no, not the good Yokozuna Shodai from the universe where Spock has a beard, womps your shin-Ozeki? I call it the Great Sumo Cat of the Kokugikan having some fun. It’s been a good long while since Shodai has employed “cartoon sumo” to win, but it was great to see him break it out today. Cartoon sumo is where Shodai seems to use the same physics present in shows like Looney Tunes to win. You can watch it a dozen times, and there is no way to explain it. Shodai performs some random body movement, and his opponent just loses. Hoshoryu was all over Shodai, who seemed to be barely able to defend or keep his feet. But as Hoshoryu was moving to send him across the bales, Shodai does some clumsy turn and hop, and Hoshoryu is down! Both are now 1-3.

Takakeisho defeats Asanoyama – If Shodai can bring back cartoon sumo, Takakeisho can bring back the wave action tsuppari. It’s been sorely missed, and it put Asanoyama in a state of imbalance that he could not recover from. I think he may have been shocked with after the second volley, Takakeisho initiated a grapple. Before he could respond, the Ozeki flung him to the clay, picking up his third win to improve to 3-1. Five more to clear kadoban.

Abi defeats Kirishima – Kirishima looked like he was unprepared for Abi-zumo today. He’s fought him 7 times before, and he does the exact same thing ever single time. But that’s the beauty of Abi-zumo, if he can connect with your chin, you are going for a ride. Abi drops Kirishima like a leaky diaper bag, and improves to 3-1.

I am beginning to suspect that the people on the scheduling team who like to play number jokes and have numerical fun are at it again. Many of the matches today are rematches of prior tournament day 4 fights. Maybe it’s just a coincidence, or maybe they are having a bit of fun to see if anyone notices. In Japan, it’s sometimes known as gorowase, and I swear at least one of the folks drawing up schedules is a numbers fiend.

Big matches to watch for today

• Nishikigi vs Tobizaru has the potential to open a rift in space time due to the tremendous clash in sumo styles
• Kinbozan vs Mitakeumi will narrow the unbeaten field by at least one, and I have a hunch Mitakeumi may prevail
• Asanoyama vs Takakeisho will help scry how ready Asanoyama is to enter the named ranks, and if Takakeisho will be able to clear kadoban.

What We Are Watching Day 4

Atamifuji (3-0) vs Chiyoshoma (1-2) – The lowest ranked member of the undefeated club gets a chance to pick up his first win against Chiyoshoma today. Chiyoshoma won their only prior fight, on day 12 of Kyushu last year, by the quite memorable shitatehineri (twisting underarm throw). I do wonder at times if this maybe started some of Atamifuji’s injury problems, but we will likely never know.

Aoiyama (0-3) vs Daishoho (1-2) – I keep watching the days tick by, and wonder if Big Dan Aoiyama is going to be able to rally back this time and get himself to kachi-koshi, or at least enough wins to where he is not considered a prospect for the Juryo barge. He did that in Nagoya, and so I think maybe he may repeat the process at Aki. He has beaten Daishoho on 2 out of their 3 prior matches, but Daishoho won the most recent one – day 8 of Nagoya.

Kagayaki (1-2) vs Kotoshoho (1-2) – Both men start the day 1-2, meaning that one of them will pull up even with a second win. I think that the 4-1 career advantage favors Kotoshoho heavily, with most of his wins coming by yorikiri. Look for him to land a belt grip early.

Tsurugisho (2-1) vs Nishikifuji (2-1) – A traditional big man / little man match up, with Tsurugisho having at least 50 kg mass advantage over Nishikifuji. That extra mass seems to work against Tsurugisho, as he has lost 4 out of their 6 career matches.

Takarafuji (2-1) vs Myogiryu (1-2) – A long history of 27 career matches between these two veteran rikishi, going back to 2011 (12 years!) when both were in Juryo fighting to make it to the top division. Myogiryu holds the clear advantage of 18-9 on the clay, and I think will likely pick up his second win today.

Sadanoumi (3-0) vs Hokuseiho (1-2) – The next member of the unbeaten club, Sadanoumi, will face the Miyagino giant, Hokuseiho, today. Their only prior match when to Hokuseiho on day 8 of Nagoya by shitatenage. I think that Sadanoumi has the advantage today, as it seems to me that Hokuseiho is now not quite sure how to fight against some of these guys, who are no longer intimidated by his size.

Kinbozan (3-0) vs Mitakeumi (3-0) – These two are both part of the unbeaten club, and one of them will get their first black star at the end of their match today. Kinbozan won their only prior fight, on day 4 of Natsu. With Mitakeumi being so hit-or-miss, it is tough to have an opinion how he will fight on any given day. But I think it would be the height of “Wacky Aki” to see Mitakeumi pick up his 4th emperors cup this month.

Midorifuji (1-2) vs Endo (0-3) – I keep thinking that at some point Endo is going to score his first win. But today may not be that day. He has never won against Midorifuji in 3 attempts, the most recent of which was day 6 of Natsu. It ended in an oshidashi.

Takayasu (2-1) vs Hiradoumi (1-2) – I would like to see Takayasu bounce back from his day 3 loss to Onosho, and put a lot of power into this fight with Hiradoumi. Hiradoumi has been fighting better than his 1-2 score would seem to indicate, and I expect this fight is going to feature a lot of big thrusting combos, even thought Hiradoumi would prefer to fight on the belt. They have split their two prior matches.

Kotoeko (1-2) vs Oho (0-3) – Hopefully they can have Endo fight Oho soon, so at least one of these two guys can get their first win of September. In theory, he should have a fair chance to take one from Kotoeko, but his 2-3 career match record is only worth considering if Oho is not a complete shambles, which he is right now.

Gonoyama (2-1) vs Ryuden (1-2) – They have fought twice before, both times in this year, and Gonoyama has won them both. Both times he was able to catch or put Ryuden off balance and slap him down. Hopefully Ryuden will be cautious today, and keep his feet underneath him.

Onosho (3-0) vs Shonannoumi (2-1) – Another of the undefeated crew, Onosho, puts his record to the test. This is his first ever match against Shonannoumi, who may not be prepared for the amount of forward power that Onosho can generate. With luck he will remember to move laterally once Onosho tries to bracket him, and he will keep the match mobile.

Ura (1-2) vs Tamawashi (0-3) – Guys, guys! It’s kind of early to have this depressing a match – save that crap for week 2, ok? We have a winless Tamawashi, who may be on terminal fade, up against Ura who has only had one good tournament in a year. That being said, Ura has only won one time against Tamawashi in six attempts, so this may be the baker’s chance to pick up his first white star of September.

Nishikigi (2-1) vs Tobizaru (2-1) – Oh good, from a really depressing match to one that is on fire and likely to cause panic in the Tokyo stock exchange. Both men have been playing spoiler and disruptor, and neither one of them is ready to face Hokutofuji yet. So lets have them try to disrupt each other! Hyper-mobile Tobizaru vs the champion of the battle hug. Out of the 3 matches they have had this year, Tobizaru has won 2, but Nishikigi won the last one in July.

Kotonowaka (2-1) vs Takanosho (1-2) – With 11 wins in Nagoya, Kotonowaka may be wondering about a path to double digits. It’s certainly not out of the question, but he is not yet fighting as well as he did in Nagoya. Some of this may be challenges around switching into honbasho mode, or it may be that he’s not quite as genki as he was 2 months ago. He holds a 3-2 career lead over Takanosho, who really should be trying to find a few more wins before the end of act 1.

Meisei (1-2) vs Wakamotoharu (1-2) – This should be an easy pick up for Wakamotoharu. If not, we can likely guess that he is nursing a performance limiting injury that may impede him from maintaining his Sekiwake rank. He has a solid 4-0 career advantage over Meisei.

Daieisho (1-2) vs Hokutofuji (3-0) – Well, Daieisho, its your turn to try your sumo against Hokutofuji. I am not sure what has Ole’ Stompy operating at this level of intensity, but I love it. Daieisho has a 10-7 career advantage, but I have to wonder how much it will matter today. Daieisho has won all 3 matches since 2021, including their last match on day 12 of Osaka that ended with a Daieisho tsukidashi.

Shodai (0-3) vs Hoshoryu (1-2) – I hope Hoshoryu can take heart that he’s facing Shodai today. Unless the “good” Shodai teleports in from the mirror universe, Hoshoryu should mop the floor with him. He has won 8 of the 12 prior matches against Shodai, including 4 of the last 5.

Asanoyama (2-1) vs Takakeisho (2-1) – I am delighted they are not waiting to rotate Asanoyama into the Ozeki corps for the “hard” part of his schedule. As many of you may have guessed, it will come down to who sets the style and pace of the match. Asanoyama is going to try to get a hand of Takakeisho’s belt. Should he be successful, it’s going to be his win.

Kirishima (2-1) vs Abi (2-1) – Abi seems to be hitting his stride now, with two consecutive wins against Sekiwake in the past two days. He’s got a nearly even career record against Kirishima at 3-4, and I think if he can get that first double arm blast to land, he’s in business.