Most of our readers know that through the years, the Aki basho has gotten a well earned reputation as the tournament where “anything can happen”. I love to cite Goeido’s 15-0 zensho as a prime example. I woke in the early hours of Tuesday to see this gem from Tachiai’s founder, Andy, on Twitter

🫣🥴🤯 pic.twitter.com/h3rrRClb7S

— 立ち合い (@tachiai_blog) September 12, 2023

Yep, that’s the guys at the top of the leader board. We can be certain this September is going to be a thrill a minute for the remaining 12 days of this basho.

Before the match break down, Let’s focus on Hokutofuji. All three Ozeki down to his brilliant sumo, and it would bring a smile to my face if he could pull off a run for the cup in 2023. But this will all get real in the middle weekend, and the final five days are where champions are made. It’s a long way from today, and there is a lot of sumo to enjoy from now to then.

Highlight Matches

Daishoho defeats Chiyoshoma – Daishoho gets his first win of Aki, and I like how he had zero commitment to his tachiai, likely hedging against any Chiyoshoma mischief. Chiyoshoma got a left hand outside belt grip amidships early, and nearly brought Daishoho down. Daishoho took his time, broke Chiyoshoma’s grip, and worked his opponent off of his feet, pushing forward for a yorikiri. Both end the day 1-2.

Tsurugisho defeats Aoiyama – No, Big Dan is not looking good at all. I keep reminding myself of his cold start in Nagoya, but one of these times, he won’t bounce back, and it will be the beginning of a long trip to the barber for Aoiyama. But hey, over 370 kg in action on the dohyo here! But when Aoiyama goes chest to chest with a fellow mega-fauna rikishi, you know he’s about out of mojo. Tsurugisho yorikiri’d him without too much fuss, improving to 2-1.

Nishikifuji defeats Kagayaki – Now this is what I was looking for! Thank you Nishikifuji for that katasukashi. Sure it was a bit rough, but the win still counts. Not sure what Kagayaki had in mind, but I am certain it was not that. Nishikifuji is now 2-1.

Atamifuji defeats Myogiryu – Looks like we can sort Atamifuji into the “hot” category this September. That arm bar hold on Myogiryu held strong even when Myogiryu went for a throw. Atamifuji stayed upright and countered with a kotenage to remain perfect at 3-0.

Sadanoumi defeats Kotoshoho – Hey, it’s called “Wacky Aki” for a reason. Next we have 36 year old ball of gristle and spare parts from a Suzuki micro-truck going 3-0 at the start as well. Kotoshoho got one solid hit to Sadanoumi’s face in, and Sadanoumi had enough of that noise, shoving Kotoshoho with an unlikely amount of vigor.

Mitakeumi defeats Hokuseiho – What? really? Mitakeumi is also in the 3-0 club? Call up Mitsuwa and beg them to stock some of the really big bottles of sake, it’s going to be a long 2 weeks. I am guessing Hokuseiho’s mind was on the wild night he had with his current beau, the Tokyo Skytree, and by the time he realized he was fighting a tadpole, it was oshidashi time.

Takarafuji defeats Endo – I thought Endo did a great job of working his hands inside. Sadly a bit of slippiotoshi was in the air, and he skidded to the clay under attack pressure from Takarafuji. Ok, Takarafuji now 2-1.

Kinbozan defeats Hiradoumi – I am not going to lump Kinbozan’s 3-0 score into the “wacky” category, as he’s a sumo battle bot, and his job is to toss people off the dohyo. But that was an impressive counter to Hiradoumi’s frontal mawashi grip. One step back and it was kubinage time as Hiradoumi took a tumble into the salt basket.
Hiradoumi: 1-2

Midorifuji defeats Kotoeko – Two Isegahama men win with katasukashi on a single day? This is good day indeed. I think Kotoeko got too focused on face / neck attacks and did not keep his feet in sync with his upper body. Midorifuji played it very well indeed, feeding the imbalance to Kotoeko a piece at a time until he was ready for the throw. Midorifuji’s first win of the basho, and both end the day at 1-2.

Ryuden defeats Oho – Both were winless to start the day, and I am sort of surprised it was Ryuden who came out with his first white star from this match. Oho opened strong, and had a deep left hand inside mawashi grip. But Oho did not defend is left at all, and Ryuden reached in with his right and caught a handful of silk. From there it was three steps to the tawara, but Oho collapsed before they got there. It was scored as a yoritaoshi, and Ryuden improves to 1-2.

Onosho defeats Takayasu – One of these guys was going to pick up their first loss today, and I was fairly sure it was going to be Onosho. But the Great Sumo Cat of the Kokugikan was playful this afternoon. Takayasu opened with a big power combo to Onosho’s face, putting Onosho’s feet back to the bales. Takayasu’s left hand ottsuke shut down any chance of a counter attack, and I thought “here we go, Pappayasu to 3-0”. But for some reason, Takayasu decided to try a hatakikomi, and released his hold on Onosho. Big mistake, and we got to see a tadpole surge as he drove Takayasu from the ring by okuridashi. Onosho joins the unlikely clan at 3-0.

Shonannoumi defeats Ura – Ura qualifies for the first official Tachiai “What the hell was that?” verdict of Aki 2023. He executed his dip and dive battle-crab tachiai, and Shonannoumi yeeted him back and over the edge like a time worn Alaskan deck hand. Shonannoumi improves to 2-1.

Gonoyama defeats Takanosho – Wow, had a flash back watching this match. That lightning fast tachiai to oshidashi was pure Goeido (his good mode), and frankly I loved it. Takanosho did not have a chance. Gonoyama now 2-1.

Nishikigi defeats Asanoyama – Asanoyama had not fought Nishikigi in 4 years. In those days he was a happy go lucky little butter ball, and provided little contest to an ascendant Asanoyama on his way to becoming Ozeki. Today, Nishikigi immediately took control of the match, getting a deep right hand inside, and leaving Asanoyama grasping nothing but a crummy set of segari. Asanoyama went for his favorite stance, but the Nishikigi battle-hug was too potent. Asanoyama knew he was caught, and put his hopes on a grip change. But the release of his hold simply triggered Nishikigi’s uwatenage. Most impressive sumo from Nishikigi today, he improves to 2-1.

Wakamotoharu defeats Shodai – Wakamotoharu completely disrupted whatever Shodai had in mind, and frankly he looked a complete mess. Wakamotoharu picks up his first win to advance to 1-2 while Shodai remains winless at 0-3.

Abi defeats Daieisho – We expected a big thrusting / power forward battle. The question was who was going to connect with energy first. Abi got a big hit to the neck, followed by a big push center mass, and it was time for Daieisho to go visit the shimpan in the front row. Abi improves to 2-1.

Kotonowaka defeats Tamawashi – Like with Aoiyama, it’s a bit sad to see Tamawashi struggling each day on the dohyo. The guy has been a force of sumo for the longest time, but he’s clearly less capable today than he should be to hold a rank in the joi-jin. Tamawashi gets a couple of good hits in, but when he misses his third combo, it leaves him off balance and open to Kotonowaka’s counter attack, that runs him out for a yorikiri. Kotonowaka now 2-1.

Takakeisho defeats Meisei – A sloppy win for Takakeisho, but when you are kadoban and looking for 8, you take them any way the come. I do like that it came as Takakeisho was trying to deflect Meisei from getting any kind of grip. It was scored as a tsukiotoshi, and who am I to argue with that. Takakeisho now 2-1.

Hokutofuji defeats Kirishima – Hokutofuji completes his limited edition Aki 2023 Ozeki scalp collection in fine style. Readers know I marvel at Hokutofuji’s lower body’s ability to work almost independently of his upper frame. It was on display again today has for a moment Hokutofuji stumbled toward the salt basket with Kirishima in hot pursuit, but his incredible lower body kept him in the ring and upright. When they re-engaged, Hokutofuji landed a right hand mawashi grip, and had a left hand center mass, and it was all Issac Newton from there. Hokutofuji 3-0, and the highest ranking man with a perfect score.

Tobizaru defeats Hoshoryu – One the reasons I love Tobizaru is that on any given day, he can beat whomever he is matched against. So fast, so clever and so strong. Kind of like a younger, less bloodied Yoshikaze. One quick tug on Hoshoryu sends him off balance, and Tobizaru is behind him in an instant. How can he move like that? Don’t know… But sumo’s flying monkey delivers so much thrust against Hoshoryu’s back side that it sends him airborne, and puts Hoshoryu in the 3rd row. A glorious okuridashi, and Tobizaru advances to 2-1.

Today looks like a day where the decided to take folks who have last fought against each other in Osaka, and run them through the mill. Not that I am complaining one bit! Highlight matches for me are going to be Mitakeumi vs Hokuseiho, Onosho vs Takayasu and Kirishima vs Hokutofuji.

What We Are Watching Day 3

Daishoho (0-2) vs Chiyoshoma (1-1) – As the last man on the banzuke, Daishoho needs to find a win or two in short order. With a 0-2 start, I am sure that he feels the pressure. He has an even 4-5 record against Chiyoshoma, who seems to be fighting well enough even though he lost is day 2 match against Kotoshoho. They have had 3 prior matches, two of which went to Chiyoshoma.

Aoiyama (0-2) vs Tsurugisho (1-1) – Yes, its the same story as Nagoya. Giant blobby fellow from Central Europe, whose sumo career is getting long in the tooth, has a cold start and Bruce gets worried. Will Big Dan rally back again this time? He has beaten Tsurugisho in 6 of the 9 prior fights, and won 2 of the 3 fights this year.

Kagayaki (1-1) vs Nishikifuji (1-1) – Both men come into day 3 with 1-1 records, and I would like to see Nishikifuji pick up a white star today. Granted, Kagayaki won their first and only match, Osaka day 8, but Kagayaki’s sumo is looking shabby and poorly focused right now.

Myogiryu (1-1) vs Atamifuji (2-0) – First ever match between a long serving veteran and a new rising star. Fans of Atamifuji seem to really be strong backers, and I am sure he will have a crowd of them in the Kokugikan for Tuesday. He also brings in a 2-0 record that underscores that he may be able to stay in the top division on his second attempt.

Kotoshoho (1-1) vs Sadanoumi (2-0) – At 36, I continue to be impressed and humbled that Sadanoumi not only mounts the dohyo each day, but fights with such power and skill. Getting beat up daily is a young man’s occupation but he manages to stick with it. He has an even 4-3 record against Kotoshoho, but he lost the only prior match against him this year – day 7 of Osaka.

Mitakeumi (2-0) vs Hokuseiho (1-1) – What a fun match. It’s a first time battle between a former Ozeki and the runner up for the tallest building in Japan. Rumors are flying that the on again, off again romance between Hokuseiho and the Tokyo Skytree are hotter than ever, so the big man may be slightly distracted. Has Hokuseiho fought a tadpole before?

Takarafuji (1-1) vs Endo (0-2) – Twenty Five career matches, with a 15-10 advantage to Endo. Mind you, Endo has yet to find his first win of the tournament, and there’s a chance that’s down to an injury that has been sapping his performance. But today may be his first win, as all of their matches since 2021 have gone to Endo (5 in a row).

Kinbozan (2-0) vs Hiradoumi (1-1) – Kinbozan entered the top division with a lot of well earned buzz. In his debut in March of this year, he had 8 consecutive kachi-koshi tournaments, and 2 lower division yusho. Then came 2 make-koshi tournaments, and the blazing new star has possibly settled into the reality of the tough competition he will face for the rest of his top division career. Their only prior match was day 13 of Osaka, which went to Kinbozan.

Kotoeko (1-1) vs Midorifuji (0-2) – I wish Midorifuji was in better health. He’s been a shambles since Osaka, and I am not sure he is clear of whatever injury befell him following March’s tournament. But he’s back to being at least a step too slow and a 50斤 to soft. So I think Kotoeko has a good chance of picking up his second win today, and relegating Midorifuji to a pitiful 0-3.

Oho (0-2) vs Ryuden (0-2) – The good news is – one of these 0-2 guys will get their first win today. Both of them seem to be up to fighting competitively at their rank, but for various reasons have yet to find their first white star. They have an even 2-2 career record, with Oho taking their only prior match this year, Natsu day 10.

Onosho (2-0) vs Takayasu (2-0) – Both start the day with 2-0, and bring an even career 4-4 record to the clay. I sort of want Takayasu to go “wild man” today, and really give Onosho a big blast at the tachiai. I am certain that Onosho is planning something similar, so lets have these two super jumbos just slug it out.

Shonannoumi (1-1) vs Ura (1-1) – A pair of 1-1 rikishi looking for their second win, and I would like to think that Ura may have the mojo to put on a couple of highlight reel worthy matches this basho. Of course I hope they are ones where he wins, but I would be willing to settle for some footage of him flying through the air and landing on the posture lady. Shonannoumi, you have your cue.

Takanosho (1-1) vs Gonoyama (1-1) – A portion of my sumo brain (such as it is) wants to see Gonoyama get to double digits from M5 this September. The 25 year old Goeido disciple came into pro sumo as a SD100 tsukidashi, and proceeded to grind through the ranks. This included picking up a Makushita yusho (no easy feat). He’s been straight kachi-koshi since becoming a sekitori, and blasted into the top division after a 14-1 Juryo yusho from J1E. That being said, I hope Takanosho gives him a good fight today.

Nishikigi (1-1) vs Asanoyama (2-0) – You know they are going chest to chest at the tachiai. You now Nishikigi is going to go for the arm bar, and Asanoyama is going to go for ukiyo-e. They last fought on day 4 of Natsu, 2019, during Nishikigi’s last magical tour through the joi-jin. Now he’s a Komusubi, and I want to see if he can make progress on his 2-6 career deficit to Asanoyama today.

Shodai (0-2) vs Wakamotoharu (0-2) – Well, neither guy has a win. Both are looking quite a bit below their expected performance level. Ring rust? Injury? We may never know. At least one of gets a win today. They share a 3-3 career record, with each winning 2 so far this year.

Daieisho (1-1) vs Abi (1-1) – No matter what else happens, we know its going to be big power forward from both men today. I will likely come down to who connects with power first, with Daieisho having an edge today. Daieisho leads the 10-8 career record, and has won 2 of the last 3.

Kotonowaka (1-1) vs Tamawashi (0-2) – With all of the over 35 rikishi who are struggling, I worry that they are on the sunset ride down the banzuke and into retirement. Tamawashi seldom wins over Kotonowaka, with Kotonowaka having a 7-3 career lead, and Tamawashi coming into day three winless.

Meisei (1-1) vs Takakeisho (1-1) – Takakeisho needs 7 more to clear kadoban, and he’s got a numbers advantage over Meisei with a 9-45 career advantage. My favorite fact on their match ups – on day 10 of Hatsu this year, Takakeisho won against Meisei with a kotenage. I bet you remember the now that I mentioned it, yes? Not everyday you see our Grand Tadpole with with a throw.

Kirishima (2-0) vs Hokutofuji (2-0) – Kirishima needs to be on his guard, as Hokutofuji’s 12-3 jun-yusho / yusho dotten hot streak from Nagoya still seems to be running at full throttle. He has already collected two Ozeki scalps, and I am sure he wants to complete the set. Kirishima has a 3-1 advantage over him on the clay.

Tobizaru (1-1) vs Hoshoryu (1-1) – The big battle at the end of the day has a lot of potential. Tobizaru has demonstrated that his mad cap combo sumo can take down Hoshoryu from time to time (7-10 career record), and he defeated Tamawashi yesterday. But in reality, Hoshoryu has won 4 of their last 5 matches, and will likely pick up his second win today, unless Tobizaru can get a quick slap down or catch Hoshoryu with his feet in the wrong spot.

I would have to say the standout match of the day was Kotonowaka and Asanoyama. I recall when Asanoyama returned to the top division, many fans and readers were skeptical of my boosterism for the guy. As with all things sumo, deeds over words is the order of the day. His win today showed both that he still can execute Ozeki class sumo, and that he is not quite at his level of performance he had in his prime. I think he can get back to that, if he can focus and train hard enough to rebuild his sumo skills. I think the fans in Japan would be happy to see him try to reach 33 wins, even though his prior infraction against the rules may preclude him from ever being considered to be re-promoted to Ozeki.

Highlight Matches

Tsurugisho defeats Kagayaki – Tsurugisho had his hands up early, I think he was trying to guide Kagayaki into trying for a grip rather than thrusting. To me this was a strange match, it was really just the yori, a turn to the right by Tsurugisho, and a Kagayaki step out. I expected more, I guess. Both end the day 1-1.

Atamifuji defeats Daishoho – Daishoho managed to get into a “hold steady” grip with Atamifuji following the tachiai, but then seemed to not have much of an idea of what to do. In spite of multiple bandages and tapings to his upper body, Atamifuji had little trouble consolidating his grip, and then walking Daishoho out, ending the day 2-0.

Kotoshoho defeats Chiyoshoma – That right forearm / elbow to Chiyoshoma’s face at the tachiai may have been the deciding element of this fight. I did like that Chiyoshoma got a right hand mawashi grip and tried to throw Kotoshoho, but I that head snap as the forearm connected – yikes. After a protracted grapple, Chiyoshoma tried to rally, but his forward pressure fed into Kotoshoho’s sukuinage. Both end the day 1-1.

Nishikifuji defeats Myogiryu – Nishikifuji quickly set up hidariyotsu (left hand inside) and from below, and kept Myogiryu too upright to generate much offense. It was a quick walk out for the yorikiri, and Nishikifuji’s first win of Aki as both finish 1-1.

Sadanoumi defeats Aoiyama – I will just say – combined age of… Ahem.. 73 between these two long serving rikishi. Aoiyama tried to deliver some blows to the base of Sadanoumi’s neck, but where was the power? Yeah, Aoiyama is not yet in fighting form. Sadanoumi figures this out by the second exchange. He gets Aoiyama turned and runs him out from behind for an okuridashi, as Sadanoumi improves to 2-0.

Mitakeumi defeats Takarafuji – I admit that Mitakeumi is past his prime, but then he has a match like today where he shows us brilliant form. Look at that body angle! Look at that ottsuke! At first Takarafuji was working to “defend and extend”, but that just seemed to delight Mitakeumi. It did not take long for Takarafuji to decide that was not going to work, but his choice of a pull worked less. Oshidashi win for the original tadpole, and he is 2-0.

Hokuseiho defeats Endo – What a fun match for a sumo fan. Endo put his chips on that right hand grip, and it worked pretty well for a while. Bonus – we got to see Hokuseiho react and defend. No surprise that an integral part of his defense was his enormity, which caused most of Endo’s sumo mechanics to fall to ruin. I mean, how do you practice for that kind of fight? Have one of your tsukebito ride around on another’s shoulders? Endo gets his grip, but then Hokuseiho gets him into an arm bar hold, and just waits for Endo to do something. When nothing comes to pass, Hokuseiho lifts and walks forward for a kimedashi, picking up his first win of Aki to improve to 1-1.

Kinbozan defeats Kotoeko – Really impressive lower body defensive work from Kinbozan. Kotoeko can be a tough opponent, and he certainly brought a lot of action to his sumo today, but Kotoeko simply was unable to disrupt Kinbozan’s stance. Sir, if you insist on employing excellent foot placement, you will be asked to assume higher rank. Kinbozan now 2-0.

Hiradoumi defeats Midorifuji – Hiradoumi really wanted to bounce back from his day 1 loss to Kotoeko. Midorifuji tried a number of combos once the two were chest to chest, but he could not disrupt Hiradoumi’s grip, or break his stance. The yorikiri was inevitable, and gave Hiradoumi his first win of Aki for a score of 1-1.

Onosho defeats Oho – I thought Oho had this one until he decided Onosho was off balance (hey, he frequently is) and tried a slap down far too close to the bales. No, Onosho’s right foot was under his chest and he was going nowhere. Having given up all forward pressure for the slap down, Oho caught a double arm blast to center mass and left the dohyo. Onosho with a 2-0 start to September.

Takayasu defeats Ryuden – I did not have Takayasu trying out Abi-zumo on my bingo card for Aki, but it was fun to watch. It seems to have caught Ryuden by surprise and he took the hikiotoshi with a roll to the clay. Takayasu picks up a second win to advance to 2-0.

Shonannoumi defeats Takanosho – Somewhat of a let down for Takanosho fans. He had this one ready for the oshidashi, but he was 1½ steps from the win. Rather than using 2, he tried to use 1 and found himself off balance enough that Shonannoumi countered with a sukuinage. Tough break sir, both end the day 1-1.

Ura defeats Gonoyama – Probably should have been a matta, as Gonoyama launched early. Gonoyama was clearly not ready for Ura’s angle of attack, and all of his offense landing impotently without disrupting the man in pink’s sumo. Ura pushed forward, and it was three quick steps to the oshidashi win. Both are now 1-1.

Tobizaru defeats Tamawashi – Tobizaru attempts a henka, which initially fails. But Tobizaru’s agility and speed of execution is so high that he recovers, and finishes the onrushing Tamawashi with a hikkake as his second sumo move. Daymm. Tobizaru scores his first win and is 1-1.

Daieisho defeats Shodai – My hoped for “Shodai as destroyer of dreams” shall not come to pas, I would guess. He’s looking moribund again. He’s upright, his feet are aligned, he’s a perfect mark for Daieisho’s big forward power. Yeah, not impressive. Daieisho now 1-1.

Asanoyama defeats Kotonowaka – Bloody hell, what defense! Asanoyama gets surprised by some clever combos from Kotonowaka, and is almost beaten twice. But he manages to recover, set his stance and counter with aggressive forward sumo that culminates with an uwatenage. The crowd loved it, and so did I. Asanoyama 2-0.

Abi defeats Wakamotoharu – Yeah, Wakamotoharu never does well against Abi, and today was no exception. He caught the double arm thrust and did not keep his weight centered over his feet, which made him easy meat for the hikiotoshi that followed. Abi gets his first win and is 1-1.

Kirishima defeats Meisei – Kirishima tried for a pull down at the tachiai, and it nearly cost him the match. Meisei was ready for it, and drove the Ozeki back. I guess a pull down was Kirishima’s plan, as we see him try it two more times, with the final one getting Meisei off balance enough that he fell to the clay. They scored it as an oshitaoshi, which just makes me shrug. Kirishima now 2-0.

Hokutofuji defeats Hoshoryu – I am both surprised and impressed that Ole’ Stompy pulled this one out. I think it came down to Hoshoryu getting too far forward for just a moment, and Hokutofuji catching him out, pivoting to completely disrupt the Ozeki’s balance and slamming him to the clay. Solid hatakikomi win, and Hokutofuji joins the 2-0 club.

Takakeisho defeats Nishikigi – Fans hoping that Takakeisho can clear kadoban can go ahead and take another breath. Takakeisho waited for Nishikigi to reach in to attempt a belt grip, and dropped him to the clay with a tsukiotoshi. Solid plan, solid execution. Both are now 1-1.

Day 2 features 3 high interest first ever match ups, including my favorite: Hokuseiho vs Endo. Does sheer mass bring enough advantage to overcome legendary skill and planning? Can a man who was once sumo’s golden boy of the future actually win against a portion of Tokyo’s famed Shuto Expressway?

As mentioned in my preview, I have worries that we may lose an Ozeki this tournament, and it will become evident at the end of act 1. But I am already concerned that Takakeisho is still too banged up to be much of an opponent this September. So far Kirishima seems to be doing well enough, so let’s take some hope in that.

The match with the most potential in my mind is Gonoyama vs Ura. It may look like a dud on the roster, and there is a good chance it will be. But then again the dimension bending plastic wizard of WTF sumo up against the latest GoeiDOS version just brings so much potential to the clay, that I have to see if some new form of sumo gets created today.

What We Are Watching Day 2

Kagayaki (1-0) vs Tsurugisho (0-1) – Both men are perilously close to the bottom of the banzuke, and are going to be especially focused on reaching 8 wins by the earliest possible date. We saw nothing that would indicate injury in the day 1 matches for either man, so I am going to expect this to be a full on battle of bulk vs fundamentals. Kagayaki holds a 5-3 career lead, but both have won one match against the other this year.

Atamifuji (1-0) vs Daishoho (0-1) – This is the first match the two have had in the top division, with all three priors happening in Juryo this year and last year. Atamifuji took 2 to Daishoho’s 1. I will look for Daishoho to try and set up a throw before Atamifuji can secure a hold for a yorikiri.

Chiyoshoma (1-0) vs Kotoshoho (0-1) – I have been waiting for Kotoshoho to bounce back since March. This means I am eagerly seeking any clue that he is past the injury that took him kyujo in May and helped propel him this far down the banzuke. He is fairly evenly matched against Chiyoshoma, who will try to disrupt as much of Kotoshoho’s attacks as he can. They share a 3-4 career record.

Myogiryu (1-0) vs Nishikifuji (0-1) – Nishikifuji has only had one strong showing this year, in Osaka with a 10-5 score. Nothing I have seen so far indicates that he is still fighting hurt, so maybe he can bring his best sumo to bare against Myogiryu, who holds the advantage in their 4-2 career record. Nishikifuji has won 2 of the 3 matches they have fought so far this year.

Aoiyama (0-1) vs Sadanoumi (1-0) – An impressive 23 career matches between the two, with a 12-11 split narrowly favoring Aoiyama. But given his banged up condition, I don’t think Big Dan has much of an advantage today. Sadanoumi has won 3 of their last 4, but notably Aoiyama won their most recent match, day 15 at Nagoya. When Aoiyama wins, it tends to be a pull down or slap down, so I will look for one of those early in the match before Sadanoumi can apply too much pressure.

Mitakeumi (1-0) vs Takarafuji (1-0) – Another long rivalry, with 15 carrier matches favoring Mitakeumi 11-4, with their first match happening in 2015! Takarafuji’s chance to take his 5th win from the Original Tadpole today will come down to him getting a working grip early, and being able to defend and extend against Mitakeumi’s forward pressure.

Hokuseiho (0-1) vs Endo (0-1) – First ever match between these two. For sumo nerds, this is one fascinating match. You have the enormity of Hokuseiho, who so far has shown us very little technique beyond being huge. Endo is a master of technique, and can always be counted on to plan something out, no matter how hurt he is. What will Hokuseiho do in response? I can’t wait to find out. A good size vs skill match.

Kotoeko (1-0) vs Kinbozan (1-0) – Both men won their opening day match, and both of them are looking strong and genki right now. All three of their prior matches were this year, with Kotoeko taking 2 to Kinbozan’s 1. Their matches tend to feature a lot of rapid combos and a fair amount of lateral motion, so I am expecting a nice fight.

Midorifuji (0-1) vs Hiradoumi (0-1) – Midorifuji have been disappointed by his performance this summer, with him having make-koshi results for both Natsu and Nagoya. It did not help at all that he lost his opening day match against Kinbozan. To heap on the gloom, he has yet to win in 2 tries against Hiradoumi. Is it time for a crowd pleasing katasukashi? Please say yes.

Onosho (1-0) vs Oho (0-1) – Oho fights well against Onosho. Possibly because Onosho gets into a rut where he is strictly and east-west fighter, though we can see him use a lot of good lateral motion when the mood hits him. Defeating Onosho can be a simple affair if you have the defensive acumen to endure him ramping up the forward pressure. Simply wait for him to max out his push forward, then get out of the way when he takes a step. It’s resulted in Oho having a 4-1 career record against him.

Takayasu (1-0) vs Ryuden (0-1) – They share an even 3-3 record, so it’s a even match. For Takayasu fans, we have to accept the fact that the big hairy moose has only had 10 wins over the last 2 basho. It was great to see him win day 1, but I am waiting for him to hurt something around the middle weekend.

Takanosho (1-0) vs Shonannoumi (0-1) – First ever match between these two, but in terms of size and skill it is a very even fight. If I had to guess, Shonannoumi will try to shut down Takanosho’s thrusting attack and attempt to set up a kotenage, or just go for an immediate slap down at the tachiai.

Gonoyama (1-0) vs Ura (0-1) – Another first ever match, and I am hoping that Ura is a bit more patient today than his day 1 loss against Takanosho. Ura was clearly on the attack, but was too eager to finish. He allowed Takanosho to side step a lunge forward handing Ura the loss. I am certain Gonoyama will have no trouble with that route as well, so I hope we get to see Ura pull out some magic against Goeido’s finest disciple.

Tamawashi (0-1) vs Tobizaru (0-1) – Tobizaru looked good day 1 against Kirishima, but the Ozeki was able to constrain Tobizaru’s sumo and incrementally shut him down. Tamawashi won’t even try any of that. He will put maximum power forward and try to see if he can get Tobizaru airborne. Tobizaru’s excellent mobility is why he holds a 5-3 lead in their career series.

Daieisho (0-1) vs Shodai (0-1) – Shodai once again shows why he is the heartbreak kid. He’s got oodles of talent, but for whatever reason can’t seem to deliver it when it counts. Today, we are going to see him catch a rocket sled to the chest, I would guess, as Daieisho has a lot of unexpended energy and frustration from his day 1 loss to Meisei. Daieisho leads the career series 18-8.

Kotonowaka (1-0) vs Asanoyama (1-0) – Both won their opening day matches, and Asanoyama won their only prior match – when both were in Sandanme during 2016. What does that imply for this match? Nothing! It’s no secret to readers I want Asanoyama to elbow his way into the current crop occupying the named ranks. But he’s going to have a big match today against Kotonowaka as part of that journey.

Abi (0-1) vs Wakamotoharu (0-1) – Wakamotoharu started the basho with a loss to Asanoyama, but I don’t think thats any kind of indicator that he is not at full fighting power. His fans would love to see him reach double digits and re-start hopes of a 4th Ozeki, but its all down to his health. He has only won twice against Abi in 7 attempts, so perhaps today is the day that Abi-zumo will score a first win for September.

Kirishima (1-0) vs Meisei (1-0) – The thing about Meisei, when he is dialed into his sumo, he can win against most of the current sekitori. he has a narrow 6-5 edge against Kirishima, with most of his wins coming via hatakikomi. So he’s good catching Kirishima off balance, and slamming him to the clay. Should be a fun one to watch.

Hokutofuji (1-0) vs Hoshoryu (1-0) – Hokutofuji has only ever won once against Hoshoryu in six attempts. But I am sure Hokutofuji’s inner honey badger could care less. Reading Hoshoryu’s list of kimarite against Hokutofuji, it’s a broad array of pushes, thrusts and throws, indicating that Hoshoryu’s superior mobility tends to be the deciding factor. The good thing for Hoshoryu is that Hokutofuji is very predictable with that opening nodowa at the tachiai.

Nishikigi (1-0) vs Takakeisho (0-1) – This match is simple. If Nishikigi can get a grip on Takakeisho, he wins. If Takakeisho can keep things on a strike-and-move cadence, he probably will win. The Ozeki has a 6-2 career record against Captain Battle Hug. Stay mobile, tadpole!