While we are only on day 2, there are some clear early standouts for the first act of Haru. I would put shin-Ozeki Mitakeumi at the head of this list. It’s easy to wonder if Mitakeumi had just managed to put together enough wins over the past 6 months to finally hit the 33 mark. But looking at his sumo in the opening two days, his sumo really does seem to have improved to a new level. Close behind is Wakatakakage, whose sumo is tack sharp right now. Daieisho picked up a kinboshi today with a 2-0 start, and then there is Takayasu, who has not had a really good basho in some time looking more like that Sekiwake guy who was on the road to Ozeki years ago. While it is only day 2, it’s great to see some favorites having strong start to a tournament.

Highlight Matches

Kotokuzan defeats Ichiyamamoto – Ichiyamamoto reverts back to straight oshi today, but to my eye, it looks like he is keeping his head down in response to Kotokuzan’s tsuppari attacks. This leaves him wide open for the hatakikomi slap down that Kotokuzan serves up to take the match. Both end the day 1-1.

Kagayaki defeats Akua – Kagayaki started strong, but he could not hold the inside hand position, and Akua rallied. After pushing Kagayaki back, Akua reaches forward to pull, directly into a Kagayaki thrust combo. Akua takes a second push to his chest and launches into Dejima (shimpan Onaruto oyakata), who did not look to be in good condition afterward. Kagayaki advances to 1-1.

Nishikigi defeats Tochinoshin – Another opening hit from Tochinoshin, but Nishikigi powers through it and goes right hand inside against the former Ozeki. Unable to get any kind of grip against Nishikigi (he blew his chance with that opening hit), Tochinoshin struggles a bit for any kind of offense as Nishikigi keeps moving forward, and puts Tochinoshin out of the ring. Nishikigi with a 2-0 start.

Yutakayama defeats Chiyomaru – Chiyomaru focuses all of his thrusting power high against Yutakayama’s neck and face, while Yutakayama attacks center mass. It was an even fight until Yutakayama’s hands found Chiyomaru arm pits. With a hazuoshi in place, Yutakayama found it easier to move forward, and made quick work of Chiyomaru, improving to 2-0.

Chiyonokuni defeats Kotoshoho – Kotoshoho had a solid start, but a poorly timed pulling attack left him off balance, and gave Chiyonokuni a chance to regroup. Chiyonokuni pressed forward on offense, and from there it was his match. The finishing move came with Kotoshoho lunging forward, and Chiyonokuni stepping to the side, striking him down as he passed. Both are now 1-1 for March.

Myogiryu defeats Chiyotairyu – Chiyotairyu went for his standard “stand them up then slap them down” opening combo, but Myogiryu was having none of it. Myogiryu found room to push, moving Chiyotairyu, who then chose to pull against Myogiryu’s forward pressure. Chiyotairyu tumbled at the edge of the dohyo, taking a significant chunk of clay from the corner. Both end the day 1-1.

Kotoeko defeats Terutsuyoshi – Terutsuyoshi had the opening advantage, but you can see the point where Kotoeko gets his feet set, and shuts down any further frontal offense from Terutsuyoshi. To me that looked a bit like some gaburi-yori, and it was quite effective against Terutsuyoshi. Kotoeko picks up his first win to improve to 1-1.

Aoiyama defeats Tobizaru – Ah springtime, the month of March is when Aoiyama really seems to have his sumo together each year, and right now he’s looking fairly strong. He can’t quite seem to get the V-Twin attack going, but he manages to grab a hold of Tobizaru, and never lets him get any offense started. Aoiyama improves to 2-0.

Wakamotoharu defeats Shimanoumi – Wakamotoharu’s opening gambit rewarded him with a left hand inside position. Try as he might, Shimanoumi could not lower his hips to power forward, and could not break contact to switch to oshi-zumo. With a solid right hand mawashi grip, Wakamotoharu was in no rush to conclude the match, and waited for Shimanoumi to tire a bit, then walked him out. Wakamotoharu picks up his first win to go to 1-1.

Takayasu defeats Sadanoumi – A bit of a “kitchen sink” match that featured an oshi start and a yotsu finish. Sadanoumi did a great job of taking the fight to Takayasu, but I am going to guess that Takayasu is fairly genki right now, as that finishing throw was a bit like Terunofuji deciding it was time to finish a match. Wow. Takayasu now 2-0.

Chiyoshoma defeats Okinoumi – This match was all Okinoumi up until the last moment. Okinoumi carefully assembled a solid hold of Chiyoshoma a piece at a time, then worked to position for a throw. As Okinoumi rotated, Chiyoshoma turned, and threw Okinoumi down first. Great recovery from Chiyoshoma, and solid sumo again today. He’s 2-0 and looking good.

Kotonowaka defeats Takarafuji – Its rare to see Takarafuji lose a match where he had an early advantage. Kotonowaka was high at the tachiai, and his opening volley was vague. Takarafuji’s did not answer strongly, and circled away. You can see him stumble for a moment, and Kotonowaka used that moment to finish Takarafuji off. Kotonowaka with a 2-0 start.

Ishiura defeats Hokutofuji – You can see Hokutofuji move a hand to behind Ishiura’s head in the opening moments of this match, ceeding the inside position to Ishiura, and more or less giving up any chance for offense. We see Hokutofuji try multiple times to pull, and each one gives Ishiura a bit more advantage. Try a different combo tomorrow, Hokutofuji. Ishiura gets his first win and is 1-1.

Endo defeats Meisei – Meisei did a great job of blocking Endo’s right hand at the tachiai, and during the early portion of the match. But Meisei could not convert his advantage to a win, and Endo was relentless, eventually getting his right hand frontal grip. Two steps later, it was uwatenage time, and Meisei hit the clay. Endo takes his first win, and is 1-1.

Kiribayama defeats Hoshoryu – Hoshoryu opened strong, but it looks like he did not keep his eyes on Kiribayama, and managed to allow Kiribayama to evade him, get to the side and set up an asymmetrical grip. The moment Hoshoryu realizes his shoulders and hips are not facing his opponent is just a single step before Kiribayama executes the throw, and its down to the clay Hoshoryu goes. I am going to chalk this up to ring rust. Kiribayama improves to 2-0.

Wakatakakage defeats Onosho – A pair of poor choices from Onosho led to his rapid defeat today. He came in high at the tachiai, and immediately attempted a pull. He may have gotten away with it against some rikishi, but Wakatakakage gad a solid hold of his opponent, and blasted Onosho out of the ring, throwing Onosho face first into the clay. Wakatakakage starts Haru 2-0. 20 bonus points for Onosho’s expression following the match, a clear “Well, that was dumb” if ever there was one…

Abi defeats Tamawashi – Much better demo of Abi-zumo today, he gets his hands up and inside at the tachiai, and Tamawashi just cannot respond in time. I am not sure what has Tamawashi at about 20% off his normal intensity, but at this rank he is going to have a tough two weeks if he can’t find a way to rally. Abi improves to 1-1.

Takanosho defeats Shodai – Man, Shodai, this is going to be brutal sir. You can see him try to set up defense and use even a fraction of the “Wall of Daikon”, but Takanosho has control of the attack lane and its a fast trip over the bales for Shodai. Takanosho 1-1. I don’t know where Shodai can go at this point, it seems the lingering COVID problems are going to keep him from executing any real sumo. Brutal.

Mitakeumi defeats Ura – Well, Ura was left without much to try today. Mitakeumi applied a battle hug and just plowed the man in pink into the waiting lap of Futagoyama oyakata. Absolutely impenetrable defensive footwork from Mitakeumi today. 2-0 start for Mitakeumi.

Ichinojo defeats Takakeisho – Takakeisho could not get an opening thrust in, and Ichinojo went chest to chest with the Ozeki. At this point there is exactly nothing Takakeisho was going to be able to do, and it was just of question of when Ichinojo was ready to win this match. Ichinojo’s first win, he’s 1-1.

Daieisho defeats Terunofuji – Daieisho picks up a kinboshi, surprising Yokozuna Terunofuji with a strong counter attack. The match started evenly, with Daieisho taking advantage of his superior maneuverability, forcing the Yokozuna to persue. This is a risk for Terunofuji as his injured knees limit his mobility, especially his ability to pivot. Moments later Daieisho catches Terunofuji turned to the side, and runs him out. Solid match from Daieisho, and maybe an off day from Terunofuji. Daieisho with a 2-0 start to Haru.

It’s day 2 in Osaka, and the big matches are (for me) Ishiura and Hokutofuji, Chiyoshoma and Okinoumi, Onosho and Wakatakakage, and Ura against Mitakeumi. Lets take a look at the fight card.

I will point out to folks that Team Tachiai tend to divide the basho in 3 distinct acts, as each 5 day period seem to have different goals, and purpose. For Act 1, the purpose is to remove ring rust, see who is hot and who is not. With just one day behind us, its still quite early to see who will emerge hot from the first few days, but day 2 always has a surprise or two.

What We Are Watching Day 2

Ichiyamamoto vs Kotokuzan – Was day 1 an improvisation for Ichiyamamoto, or a peek at a broader array of sumo skills? I would love to think that it’s the latter. I know that one dimensional sumo can still be quite successful sumo, but I find myself missing the versatilty of some rikishi of recent days. Kotokuzan is still looking for his first win of March, and he has a 1-1 record against Ichiyamamoto, so I am looking for an even battle here today.

Akua vs Kagayaki – Neither one of these guys won their day 1 match, with Akua absorbing that brutal forearm strike from Tochinoshin that may have left him a bit disoriented. He has not lost to Kagayaki in either of their 2 prior matches, so this may be a fair test to see if there is any lasting damage for Akua from his day 1 fight.

Nishikigi vs Tochinoshin – Nishikigi’s poor eyesight means he always fights from close range, and his sumo is squarely in the yotsu school. Will we see Tochinoshin attempt another first step win today? That was a bold move on his part, brutal and quite effective. While I don’t prefer to see rikishi injuring their opponents, it’s still well within the rules.

Chiyomaru vs Yutakayama – In spite of his day 1 win, Yutakayama looks really sloppy. That right arm seems to almost have some kind of soft cast on it, and it is going to limit his performance this March. I would think that Chiyomaru, if he can resist the urge to pull, should have the upper hand today.

Kotoshoho vs Chiyonokuni – I worry that Chiyonokuni is still hurt enough that his sumo is not up to top division standards. He just seems to struggle to generate the power needed to make his move and strike sumo really pay off. His whole technique comes down to massive hits from the side as he shifts away from where you are working to counter attack. Kotoshoho lost their prior match back in November, but I think he has a strong chance to prevail today.

Myogiryu vs Chiyotairyu – Myogiryu got dropped on the first step on day 1, and I am sure he was duly embarrassed by that. I expect he is going to come back strong against Chiyotairyu today. Chiyotairyu managed a very clever win on day 1, but I am going to guess he can’t quite muster the power he once enjoyed, so lets see what he can employ today.

Kotoeko vs Terutsuyoshi – Two compact, highly aggressive rikishi going head to head, yes please! Hopefully Kotoeko keeps his eyes on Terutsuyoshi’s center mass. It would be a shame for “Little T” to pull a stunt two days in a row.

Tobizaru vs Aoiyama – Great clash of styles here, megafauna Aoiyama’s low-gear stump blasting power vs Tobizaru’s high agility combo attack style. They have an even 2-2 record across their career, and history shows that they are going to have an even fight. Make sure to have your sake ready for this one.

Shimanoumi vs Wakamotoharu – Both men are looking for their first win of Haru, and the bad news is that one of them will exit today’s match 0-2. I think Wakamotoharu may have a slight edge in dexterity, and Shimanoumi going to have an edge in overall power. So I expect this will come down to who can get their hands to the inside, and who can get a working defensive foot placement first.

Takayasu vs Sadanoumi – This one should be a “gimme” for Takayasu. He looked strong, calm and confident on day 1, which I would expect after getting forced into taking a basho off due to COVID kyujo. He has a 5-0 record over Sadanoumi, and I see no reason for him not to continue his winning streak today.

Chiyoshoma vs Okinoumi – Chiyoshoma continues to show skillful, clever sumo. But I really prefer Okinoumi’s chance in this match. His superior catalog of sumo moves and counter moves should be enough to overcome whatever advantage Chiyoshoma may have in terms of youth and speed.

Takarafuji vs Kotonowaka – I say that I think Kotonowaka is “going to be a big deal”. This match is a way for him to underscore that prognosis, if he is overcome Takarafuji’s strong defensive sumo. Kotonowaka bring plenty of mass and power tp this match, but Takarafuji gets to train with Terunofuji, which more or less prepares him to survive any opponent.

Hokutofuji vs Ishiura – Great clash of styles here, we have the smaller more “inside” fighter in Ishiura, and the larger more thrust powered Hokutofuji. I like Hokutofuji’s chances today, even though they share as 3-3 career record, and both have yet to score their first win.

Endo vs Meisei – Endo showed up with what I am going to guess is a healthy amount of ring rust. He looked vague and not very focused on day 1. I know he can fight, and I know he can win. He has a 6-2 record over Meisei, so hopefully he will be sharp and aggressive today.

Kiribayama vs Hoshoryu – I did not expect Hoshoryu to really give much of a contest to Terunofuji on day one. So for me, this is the first “real” day of the basho for him. I hope he can bring his best sumo against Kiribayama, who would probably like to get a named rank back some time soon.

Wakatakakage vs Onosho – This match just oozes blinding offense. Will Onosho get too far over his toes again and eat Osaka clay, or will we see Wakatakakage catch a full broadside and end up in the 3rd row? Either way, I think this match has a high potential for fireworks.

Tamawashi vs Abi – I am surprised that Abi tends to dominate matches with Tamawashi (4-2), when Tamawashi has more mass and excellent stability in most cases. But I supposed Abi puts so much power in each thrust, it just takes one to get any opponent in trouble.

Shodai vs Takanosho – I am going to dread watching Shodai’s matches, knowing that he’s still trying to shake the effects of his COVID infection from weeks ago. Although he has an 8-4 career advantage over Takanosho, I would give onigiri-kun a clear advantage over the man with the damaged lungs.

Ura vs Mitakeumi – Ura could not get a win on day 1 against Takakeisho, but he looked solid enough in his match that I don’t think he’s anything short of “good” for week 1. He has a 0-2 record against Mitakeumi, so I guess he is going to get bounced around today and tossed out for loss. I hope Ura can keep his fighting sprint intact until his “easier” week 2.

Ichinojo vs Takakeisho – I think Takakeisho is probably healthy, and if he is, he should dominate Ichinojo. I know myself and Ichinojo fans get frustrated the the Boulder seems to lose patience when he’s in the drivers seat in a match, and let advantages slip through his fingers. I don’t expect him to do much against Takakeisho today.

Terunofuji vs Daieisho – This should be a good fight, much more chance for real battle than the day 1 match against Hoshoryu. Daieisho is happy to fight full power against anyone, any time, and I think we will get to see how tuned up Terunofuji is for Osaka.

Welcome to Tachiai’s coverage of the Haru basho, it’s been a nice break since January, and we have had a lot happen in the sumo world. We have a shin-Ozeki in Mitakeumi going up against the two current Ozeki, both of whom are kadoban and must reach 8 wins to retain their rank. This would be dramatic enough, but a streak of COVID Omicron ripped through multiple heya following retirement ceremonies for some of sumo’s beloved veterans. Reports from Tokyo indicate the Ozeki Shodai continues to suffer lingering effects from his bout with Omicron, which is sadly not uncommon. Then this morning comes word, just hours before the start of the tournament, that Onoe heya is going to be COVID kyujo for this basho, as several rikishi have displayed symptoms and tested positive. With luck, this will be the end of the kyujo announcements for this tournament.

On the positive side, we have Kotokuzan’s top division debut at Maegashira 16w. A long serving Makushita mainstay, he found a big bucket of genki somewhere, and blasted his way through Juryo in just 2 basho with back to back 11-4 and 10-5 scores. Also locking in career highs: Wakamotoharu at Maegashira 9w, Ura at Maegashira 1w, Hoshoryu debuts in san’yaku at Komusubi east, Wakatakakage reaches Sekiwake east, with Abi blasting back into san’yaku at Sekiwake west. A fierce squad to battle two kadoban Ozeki, one of which is suffering with long COVID. This could be a barn-burner of a basho, and we are eager to get underway.

What We Are Watching Day 1

Kagayaki vs Ichiyamamoto – Kagayaki is back in the top division. The man who seems to have infinite banzuke luck managed an 8-7 from Juryo 1e, and finds himself on the bottom run of the banzuke. Long time readers will remember I have been a fan of his non-nonsense, fundamentals focused sumo. But he has been completely moribund for the last 18 months or so. I hope he can get it together this tournament. Ichiyamamoto is the absolute last name on the banzuke this March, after turning in a 5-10 at Hatsu from Maegashira 14w.

Nishikigi vs Kotokuzan – A long-serving top division regular, Nishikigi has been knocking around Juryo since 2020. At 31 years old, he is likely starting to feel the effects of 15 or so years in sumo. I am happy to see him return to the top division for at least one more run. Today he has shin-makku Kotokuzan, who has finally broken in to the upper ranks.

Akua vs Tochinoshin – Its a grizzled veteran match though they have only met twice. Both of them are in their 30s, and working hard to still compete in spite of compounding injuries. Given how hurt Tochinoshin looked at the start of Hatsu in January, I am impressed he was able to rally to a 7-8 score. But unless some miracle happens to his knee, he is on the slow path out of the top division.

Yutakayama vs Chiyonokuni – Also in the “scratch and dent” group, its Grumpy Badge Chiyonokuni. With a 4-11 score in January, he could have seen a much bigger drop down the banzuke, and will have to regroup from Maegashira 13, and work from there. Yutakayama displayed exceptional banzuke luck, dropping a single rank in on a 6-9 final score. This was after dropping a half rank from November to January on a 7-8 result. He is also struggling with injury, and unless he was able to heal up, it’s going to be tough for him this March.

Chiyomaru vs Kotoshoho – Kotoshoho had reached as high as Maegashira 3 before injury left him with a string of abysmal scores, and a return to Juryo. He may have gotten his sumo back together, as he blasts his way back into the top division after a 12-3 Juryo yusho in January. He won his only prior match against the bulbous Chiyomaru, so I hope to see some fierce action from these two today.

Kotoeko vs Chiyotairyu – Chiyotairyu has not had a winning record since last May, and I fear he has become injured enough that he can no longer really fight with much power. As he was strictly a forward power rikishi, this spells a slow and dwindling future for sumo’s thunder-god. Kotoeko has been having alternating good / bad tournaments, and after a 8-7 finish in January, we may be in store for another dud.

Myogiryu vs Terutsuyoshi – Myogiryu as clearly fighting hurt in January, but his last two tournaments have been 2-13 and 5-10, so this guy is a mess. I think that if he is still struggling with his injuries, Terutsuyoshi is going to spank him in short order.

Shimanoumi vs Aoiyama – Also in the “not quite genki” category, we have Aoiyama. When Aoiyama is healthy and dialed into his sumo, he can thump the stuffing out of just about anyone except the named ranks. But we have not seen “Big Dan” really deliver since a year ago when he took the Jun-Yusho with a sterling 11-4 record. Maybe he likes the food in Osaka? If so, I would love to see a genki Aoiyama start day one improving his 2-4 record against Shimanoumi.

Tobizaru vs Wakamotoharu – Oh thank you for this wonderful day 1 match, scheduling team. I think this may be my most anticipated for the first half. Tobizaru has had five straight make-koshi, and seems to be somehow Velcro’d into the Maegashira 8 rank. How that works of why is for the NSK to figure out, but I am sure the answer is “tradition”. Someone faxed over a request that was notarized, which was faxed over to minister for debate, and was faxed back to the heya for authorization, and finally faxed back to the Kokugikan. This is the way in Japan. Regardless of the slow motion paperwork, Tobizaru has a 5-1 career advantage over Wakamotoharu, and I think a flying monkey win would be a great way to start Haru.

Chiyoshoma vs Sadanoumi – Fans have a durable image of Chiyoshoma as a slipper henka salesman, and there is reason to hold that view. But his sumo of late has been focused, refined and genuinely enjoyable. As Kokenoe’s heyagashira, he’s the top guy in that triple-wide stable, and he’s in need of a bounce back after an 4-11 record in January. There was a cluster of terrible records that only received mild demotions, but as the saying goes: “I don’t need to out run that bear, I just need to out run you”.

Takayasu vs Okinoumi – The start of the second half features Takayasu, who was COVID-Kyujo last time up against veteran Okinoumi. Did the break help him or degrade him? Time to find out. He has a 15-5 advantage over Okinoumi. Takayasu has suffered a host of injuries in the last 3 years that really degraded his sumo, and it would be great to see him back in top fighting form once more. Dare we hope?

Hokutofuji vs Kotonowaka – Maegashira 6 is a good rank for Hokutofuji at this point. He seems to struggle quite a bit any place further up the banzuke, and I would love to see at least a kachi-koshi from him this March. Last time Kotonowaka was this far up the ranks, he was sent packing with a brutal 3-12, so I am hoping to see if he has gotten his sumo in better shape this time. Hokutofuji won their only prior match.

Takarafuji vs Ishiura – What he heck is Ishiura doing all the way up here? I could say “go home” or “about time!”. I think I will chose the second one. I would love to see him really fight well at this rank, and his first match is going to be a solid test. He has only defeated Takarafuji once in 4 attempts, and that was back in May of 2017.

Kiribayama vs Endo – Which version of Endo do we get in Osaka? Endo has not had a kachi-koshi in Haru since 2018, and I worry we are going to get another “going through the motions” basho out of this guy. Kiribayama has only beaten him once, so maybe Endo can start with a win.

Takanosho vs Meisei – Takanosho ia a solid san’yaku rikishi, and I expect he will prove a tough opponent for Meisei today. While Meisei has a 7-4 career advantage, I think Takanosho will have an advantage of better overall health and energy. We know that both of them are going to be laying the tsuki/oshi moves in hard and fast, so there could be some nice action in this bout.

Onosho vs Abi – Oh goodie, sumo’s #1 balance disrupting force in the form of Abi against one of the least well balanced rikishi in the top division in Onosho. You would think this would be one sided, but they are even at 5-5. The trick is if Onosho connects, he can focus so much power in a single thrust, it is sometimes enough to blast Abi off of his tippy-toes and into the fans. Who is going to connect with power today? I can’t wait to find out…

Wakatakakage vs Tamawashi – Wakatakakage at Sekiwake 1e, I do love that he has managed to advance this far. His opening day match is against powerhouse vet Tamawashi, who has yet to find a formula for beating Wakatakakage. I pin this advantage on Wakatakakage’s superior agility and his hit-and-move sumo combos.

Ichinojo vs Mitakeumi – The shin-Ozeki gets to fight the Boulder straight out on the first day. A pattern with Ichinojo, he tends to show up big and strong in the first week, and fade into week 2 some times. A genki Ichinojo will be quite the handful for Mitakeumi, and I hope we get a big ugly struggle. Sometimes, being enormous is a valid sumo strategy.

Ura vs Takakeisho – Takakeisho has a lot of tough work accomplish this March. If he is healthy, he should be able to make his 8. He may start healthy, but I wonder if he can remain healthy through all 15 days. First match is Ura, who is going to employ his grab and tug approach straight from the tachiai. As Takakeisho tends to open with power thrusts to the upper body, it’s a great opportunity for Ura to latch on and attack. The last match went to Ura on Hatsu day 3, before Takakeisho pulled out.

Shodai vs Daieisho – Shodai gets a tough match on his first day. Even when he is healthy he struggles with Daieisho’s mega-thrust sumo. But given his stamina and energy depletion form his battle with COVID, this could be an ugly match that begins an ugly first week for the kadoban Ozeki. I know I complain about Shodai on the blog, but I would like nothing better than to see him excel.

Terunofuji vs Hoshoryu – Hoshoryu is 0-5 against Terunofuji. I don’t think that will change today. Terunofuji also fought off COVID during the break, and I hope he is in fighting form this March.