Act 2 starts with fireworks as we see one of the leaders take a loss, two of the Ozeki hopefuls take losses, and some high energy / high creativity sumo in nearly every match. The heat is crushing everyone this summer in Japan, but its fantastic to see the rikishi corps fight with everything they have for their wins. For those looking for new Ozeki to be minted following the tournament, the next 4 days are where the prove their merit or go down hard trying. Fingers crossed at least one of them makes it.

Highlight Matches

Shonannoumi defeats Bushozan – A super sweaty Shonannoumi absorbs Bushozan’s tachiai from a high stance, and immediately thrusts him down. They listed the kimarite as uwatedashinage, but that looked like a tsukiotoshi to me. Ah well. Simple but effective and Shonannoumi is now one win away from kachi-koshi at 7-3. For Bushozan, that is loss #8 and he is make-koshi.

Gonoyama defeats Takarafuji – Takarafuji takes his second consecutive loss as Gonoyama stops his losing streak at 4. I think it came down to Takarafuji trying to change up his grip, and leaving himself open to Gonoyama’s attacks center-mass. Both end the day 6-4.

Aoiyama defeats Kotoshoho – Kotoshoho allowed his initial stance to be disrupted by Aoiyama’s immediate pull attempt after the tachiai. Caught without a foot in front to steady himself against the pull, he stumbled forward and out. Aoiyama picks up the white star and is now 4-6.

Endo defeats Chiyoshoma – Chiyoshoma’s plan seems to have centered around a strong pull with the left hand on the second step. It brought Endo forward, but also brought him full force into Chiyoshoma’s chest. A quick shove followed, and Chiyoshoma was out. Endo now kachi-koshi at 8-2 and escapes any peril he might have been in ranked so far down the banzuke.

Hakuoho defeats Kotoeko – In this first ever match, I am quite sure Kotoeko was not quite sure what to expect from Hakuoho. There seems to have been an assumption that he might be able to plant a foot and set up some kind of defense to allow himself to get a grip. Instead Hakuoho goes in hard, breaks Kotoeko’s stance and butsugari’s his shapely behind right out of the ring. Hakuoho now 7-3. Note to future Hakuoho opponents, he has a lot of power forward.

Ryuden defeats Myogiryu – Ryuden executes an outstanding impersonation of Terunofuji with that double arm lock / kimidashi hold, and even finishes in one of Terunofuji’s preferred moves, the kotenage. Myogiryu takes a tumble, and Ryuden is now 6-4.

Takanosho defeats Daishoho – Takanosho has now won 5 straight matches, and this is the rally I am here for sumo fans. This guy has a lot of headroom if he’s healthy, and I pray he can stay healthy for a while now. The far more massive Daishoho made him work for it, and I really liked his defensive stance and that finishing move looked like it won the match by dropping Takanosho on the clay. But a monoii ensued and a rematch was declared. The second run – Daishoho dials up the power at the tachiai, but the two settle into almost the exact same grip and stance as the first try. But this time Takanosho has far better foot placement, and is able to drive Daishoho out three steps later. Takanosho earns his star today and is 5-5.

Tsurugisho defeats Sadanoumi – My compliments to Tsurugisho, for finding a way to defeat someone while barley having to move your feet. It was a rapid push – pull – turn – toss that let him stay more or less in the same place and put Sadanoumi out of the ring. Sadanoumi now 2-8 and make-koshi while Tsurugisho improves to 3-7.

Kinbozan defeats Takayasu – As a long suffering Takayasu fan, it’s clear the man is back to being injured. Maybe he never stopped, but his big power sumo is nowhere to be found right now. Kinbozan deflects or dodges at the tachiai, gets enough of a hand on Takayasu to escort him past and then shoves him out. Simply, kind of ugly, but a win. Kinbozan is 6-4 and Takayasu looks angry.

Hokutofuji defeats Tamawashi – One of the big matches of the day, Hokutofuji successfully defends his spot at the front of the yusho race. I had been hoping for much more brutal oshizumo today, but Tamawashi lost traction and took a fall. They called it oshitaoshi, but yeah.. ok. Hokutofuji takes the win and is 9-1.

Nishikifuji defeats Oho – Oho tries a thrust-thrust-pull combo a couple of times in a row. It nearly works the first time, and after that it was just slop. With no defensive sumo coming from Oho, Nishikifuji finds center mass and pushes with everything he can land. The result was a tsukidashi that sent Oho off to visit Nishikigi waiting ring side. Nishikifuji improves to 5-5.

Shodai defeats Hokuseiho – I am really glad to see Shodai attempt a “wall of daikon” against Hokuseiho, because I was curious if it would work. Short answer – I bet it could be made to work, but it came up a bit short today. Hokuseiho tossed Shodai from the ring, but rather than a victory, there was a monoii. The shimpan ruled that Hokuseiho’s size 18 gunboats were over the tawara, and the win went to Shodai. Frankly, I did not see it, and they should have had them fight it again. Both end the day 4-6.

Nishikigi defeats Meisei – Meisei brought a lot of power and skill into the match today, and twice he nearly had Nishikigi ready to fall. But that makikae from Nishikigi instantly set up the grip that he used to yoritaoshi Meisei for a 9th win. Wow, the Nishikigi magical mystery tour rolls on at 9-1.

Midorifuji defeats Tobizaru – In the preview, we had guessed that we would get an even match between these two high mobility, rapid combo throwing rikishi, and they really poured it on. Midorifuji eventually found a clear lane to center mass, and finished Tobizaru three steps later. Excellent fight, and Midorifuji really needed that win. He is now 3-7.

Mitakeumi defeats Abi – Mitakeumi rides out the initial volley of Abi-zumo, closes the gap and uses a body hold to turn Abi around and walk him out. Ah, I miss Ozeki Mitakeumi. Already make-koshi, Mitakeumi improves to 2-8.

Onosho defeats Wakamotoharu – Wakamotoharu’s Ozeki bid takes a torpedo amidships as Onosho gets the right conditions to bring his full sumo power to bare. This was a shortcoming of Wakamotoharu’s sumo or just his approach to today. He left his shoulders and hips square to Onosho at both the tachiai, and the first step, allowing Onosho to go to full power forward immediately, and connect that power through Wakamotoharu’s body into the clay. Two steps later, Wakamotoharu is off the dohyo and into the front row. Onosho now 5-5.

Daieisho defeats Hiradoumi – I know he lost, but damn sir, look at Hiradoumi’s sumo today. He brings the fire with a tachiai that may have knocked a filling loose, then he ramps up the pressure into a flurry of Daieisho’s favorite attacks. Does Hiradoumi go down? Oh hell no! He keeps pressing forward into Daieisho, who finally resorts to a grab, spin and toss to win by tsukiotoshi. Brilliant match, and I wish I could give Hiradoumi some kind of award for that. Daieisho kachi-koshi at 8-2, and he keep his Ozeki dreams alive.

Kotonowaka defeats Hoshoryu – Another Ozeki hopeful takes a knock as Kotonowaka reverses the trend and beats Hoshoryu for the first time in 10 matches (since 2020!). Kotonowaka was more potent and genki today than we have seen for some time, and he bruted his way to owning control of the match in the opening seconds. Hoshoryu found himself without a working grip, and attempted a makikae, only to find himself at the bales and without a way to counter. Kotonowaka now 6-4 by oshidashi.

Kirishima defeats Ura – Not sure what Ura tweaked during this match, but he is clearly not ok when it ends. Rather than a quick attack on some unexpected vector, Ura fights Kirishima using solid fundamentals mixed with his gift of agility and creativity. Respect to Kirishima for riding out some of Ura’s combos that would have upended most other rikishi, and sticking it out to get the yorikiri. Both end the day 4-6.

With the start of day 10, we are at the conclusion of the second act of the 2023 Nagoya basho. At Tachiai, we divide a 15 day tournament up into 3 acts of 5 days. Each act has its own goals and purpose in the grand scheme of the tournament. Act 2 is where we narrow the field to find out who has what it takes to compete for the yusho, and to start sorting the survivors from the damned. The three rikishi who are tied for the lead in the race for the Emperor’s Cup have been holding strong since the middle weekend, and stand a reasonable chance of making it through today with 9 wins. Then the fun will start.

For the three rikishi who are hoping to rack up their 33rd win this July, and make a bid to be promoted to Ozeki, the warm ups are coming to a close, and the brutal zero-sum game will begin. Some readers have taken exception to my suggestion that all 3 of them reaching 33 is mathematically unlikely. It’s not impossible mind you, just unlikely. Given the lack of anyone fighting at Yokozuna or Ozeki power to test them against, this is the best time ever to try and run up the score, so maybe all 3 of them can manage to thread the needed without knocking each other out of the race.

Nagoya Leaderboard

All 3 of the leaders have a strong chance to win their day 10 matches, advancing them to 9-1. Not quite double digits yet, but all 3 are already kachi-koshi. Barring something very odd, the hunt group would be unlikely to contest at this point, as we would need to see losses among all 3 leaders to open things up. I am certain the scheduling team is working on solutions to try and bring that about in act 3.

Leadesr: Hoshoryu, Nishikigi, Hokutofuji
Chasesr: Daieisho, Wakamotoharu, Endo
Hunt Group: Tamawashi, Shonannoumi, Takarafuji, Hakuoho

6 Matches Remain

What We Are Watching Day 10

Bushozan (2-7) vs Shonannoumi (6-3) – Bushozan really surprised on day 9 against Takarafuji, but unless he found some useful reserve of sumo power in the bottom of his akene, he’s going to end up make-koshi some time in the coming week. His match today against Shonannoumi is a real opportunity for Shonannoumi, as he is fighting at a pace that might see him clear double digits for his 3rd time in the last 4 tournaments. They share a 2-2 career record, with Bushozan taking the last match on day 5 of Natsu.

Gonoyama (5-4) vs Takarafuji (6-3) – I really want to see Gonoyama not go through a horrible, Goeido-style out of the blue losing streak. But here we are. At the same time, I would prefer to see Takarafuji reach the safety of 8, and avoid a demotion to Juryo, This is their first ever match.

Aoiyama (3-6) vs Kotoshoho (3-6) – Both start the day 3-6, in the make-koshi bracket, Normally I would think Aoiyama would just pound the stuffing out of a smaller guy like Kotoshoho, but “Big Dan” is lacking most of his power right now. He holds a 4-2 career lead against Kotoshoho, who might be less hurt than Aoiyama today.

Chiyoshoma (5-4) vs Endo (7-2) – A win today would give Endo his 8th, and kachi-koshi for Nagoya. He has a 7-7 record with Chiyoshoma, so it will be a tough and even match. Chiyoshoma has won 3 of his last 4, so he’s coming in to day 10 in fighting form.

Kotoeko (4-5) vs Hakuoho (6-3) – First ever match, and I think Kotoeko is going to have his hands full. Fresh off a loss to Daishoho on day 9, Hakuoho has 3 losses now, and appears to be getting some tough exposure to just how good the men in the top division actually are. It’s possible that he’s thrilled about it, as greatness often struggles to find worthy competition or anyone to pace against.

Ryuden (5-4) vs Myogiryu (5-4) – Both rikishi are 5-4, and in the middle or “Darwin” lane for today. They also share an even 5-5 career record, making this a highly balanced match.

Takanosho (4-5) vs Daishoho (4-5) – Another middle or “Darwin” lane match up, this time it features a resurgent Takanosho who has won the last 4 in a row. He’s against Daishoho who has won 4 of his last 5. This means two rikishi on a hot surge are going to try and break the other’s streak, with Daishoho having a 7-2 career advantage.

Sadanoumi (2-7) vs Tsurugisho (2-7) – A “make-koshi” pair, with the loser today scoring their 8th loss of July. Tsurugisho is visibly in pain, and is unable to move very much at all, so I see him as an easy mark for Sadanoumi, who had a solid win against Takayasu on day 9.

Takayasu (5-4) vs Kinbozan (5-4) – I am still trying to understand how Takayasu can go 5-0, then 0-4. I can only come up with a renewed injury to one of his multiple problems. It’s tough to watch, and I am certain that Kinbozan is looking forward to fighting a hurt Takayasu.

Hokutofuji (8-1) vs Tamawashi (6-3) – First match featuring one of the leaders. Hokutofuji has been showing us a refined and incredibly sharp version of this familiar technique, and it’s laying waste to everyone he’s using it against. He has an 8-10 record against Tamawashi, who has now lost 2 in a row.

Nishikifuji (4-5) vs Oho (3-6) – Oho has won 5 of their 8 prior matches, and I am certain he is looking to score a win of some kind today to try and pull himself away from the make-koshi lane. His sumo has not been flashy or noteworthy since he joined the top division, but it has brought him a pair of double digit kachi-koshi in the past year. Where that sumo is today, nobody knows, but word on the street his deshi are looking everywhere for it.

Shodai (3-6) vs Hokuseiho (4-5) – First ever match between Shodai and Hakuho’s giant. I hope Shodai has noticed the move that Takanosho employed day 9. When the giant goes to reach over your body and get a right hand grip, just help him keep turning. Works a treat to set up okuridashi.

Nishikigi (8-1) vs Meisei (4-5) – I think of the leader team, this may be the tougher match. Meisei is not starting day 10 with a blazing score, but he has won 2 of the last 3, and seems to be more dialed into his sumo now than he was the first week. But I keep thinking of that look that Tobizaru gave Nishikigi following their match, a clear “Where did that come from?” if ever I saw one.

Midorifuji (2-7) vs Tobizaru (5-4) – Tobizaru has an opportunity to deliver an 8th loss to Midorifuji and render him make-koshi for July. He has only beaten Midorifuji twice in their 6 prior matches, so the flying monkey has his work cut out for him. Both are high-mobility, high-strength fighters that can make surprising moves during a fight. Let the fireworks fly.

Mitakeumi (1-8) vs Abi (4-5) – Not sure what to say about this match. I am pretty sure Mitakeumi is going to lose this one. I wish he wouldn’t, but I think he’s got too much going on in his personal life this week for him to execute top form sumo.

Onosho (4-5) vs Wakamotoharu (7-2) – Wakamotoharu should be able to take this win, as long as he can keep Onosho from getting a clear shot at center mass. Wakamotoharu’s goal will be to take Onosho to his chest and shut down Onosho’s thrusting attacks. If he can do that, should be a straightforward win. They share an even 1-1 career record.

Hiradoumi (3-6) vs Daieisho (7-2) – Daieisho’s in firm command of his sumo right now, so I don’t much of an opportunity for Hiradoumi to try and forge a win out of this match. Daieisho won their only prior fight, on day 13 of Hatsu. That being mentioned, Hiradoumi has the power to surprise, if he can get the right set up for his sumo.

Hoshoryu (8-1) vs Kotonowaka (5-4) – On paper this is a clear Hoshoryu win, but Kotonowaka is big enough, strong enough, and skilled enough that he can take this match. Sure Hoshoryu has won 10 of their prior 13 matches, and Kotonowaka has not won against him since Kyushu… of 2020, but hey, it could happen!

Ura (4-5) vs Kirishima (3-4-2) – Normally, Kirishima would trash Ura in a moment. But we can all see that Kirishima’s sumo is suffering because of his injuries, and he is not moving quite as well as he normally does. That gives the master of crazy combos a chance to take one from the shin-Ozeki if he can create an opening.

I like that day 9 gave us some showcase sumo, with some rikishi getting come from behind or “against the odds” wins, and some of our leaders showing us their best technique. We still have 3 rikishi tied for the lead in the yusho race, with Nishikigi having the easier path to the cup given he already beat the top men in week 1. But what’s this? You say Nishikigi has yet to fight Hokutofuji? (Evil super villain laughter intensifies)

Highlight Matches

Bushozan defeats Takarafuji – Every day can be a fresh day in sumo. I take a look at Bushozan coming in with 1-7 today, staring kachi-koshi and a return to Juryo down. We all know that Takarafuji is going to disrupt, block and defect every attack Bushozan can try to land, but Bushozan stays focused, stays center mass, and just steps forward each and every time. Takarafuji recognizes he’s giving ground, and tries for a slap down, only to find Bushozan lunging forward to drive him into the front row. Much respect to Bushozan-seki, nicely done. He advances to 2-7.

Daishoho defeats Hakuoho – Not too sure about Hakuoho’s side step at the tachiai, I think it robbed him of a lot of offensive potential, and let Daishoho dictate the form of the match. Hakuoho does have both hands inside, but that only gives Daishoho the position to clamp his arms down and reduce Hakuoho to practice ballast for the resulting oshidashi. Hard lessons to learn for a future super star, but learn them he must. Daishoho improves to 4-5.

Endo defeats Gonoyama – Dear lord, when I mentioned before the basho that Gonoyama is soft of the Mac mini to Goeido’s iMac, I did not think I would imply that they would break down and malfunction in similar ways. But here we are, Gonoyama now has 4 straight losses after a solid 5-0 start. It’s freaking Goeido II I tell you, at least for this July. That means that the only way to properly reboot him is to grab him by the crotch and fling him to the clay with monster truck force. How many of you knew that’s what Harumafuji was doing? He saved us all from obliteration, or worse. Endo now 7-2.

Aoiyama defeats Chiyoshoma – In the top division, all it takes is a single minor mistake and the whole match can go to your opponent. Note how Chiyoshoma opens strong and is moving Aoiyama back, until he attempts to make a slight turn, which Aoiyama seems to anticipate. Boosting Chiyoshoma turn, Aoiyama gets him turned around and almost runs him out from behind, only to have Chiyoshoma attempt to recover, netting the winning move as oshidashi. Aoiyama really needed that win, he is now 3-6.

Ryuden defeats Tsurugisho – Tsurugisho opened strong, but could not stand up to Ryuden’s counter attack. It’s tough to watch someone with so many excellent sumo tools available to him, like Tsurugisho, struggle with a straightforward match, and be visibly in pain. Tough summer for him, Ryuden now 5-4.

Shonannoumi defeats Kotoeko – Kotoeko’s first attempt at a belt grab went horribly wrong, as Shonannoumi times a slam to the back to intersect his reach inside. Kotoeko is propelled forward, out of control, and out of the ring. Excellent reactive skill display from Shonannoumi, he is now 6-3.

Myogiryu defeats Kotoshoho – I am not sure what kind of plan Kotoshoho had for this match, but it looked like “Catch Myogiryu at the tachiai and hold him”. Fine, but Myogiryu’s plan was “bundle him up and toss him to the clay”, which played well with Kotoshoho’s crummy tachiai. Myogiryu now 5-4.

Kinbozan defeats Tamawashi – There goes my dreams of a Tamawashi yusho. Unless most of the leader board catches rapid onset explosive leprosy, or something like that. Sure Tamawashi man-handled Kinbozan and thrust him to the dirt, but his heel left a tell tale mark on the janome, and the gyoji’s gumbai was reversed, giving Kinbozan the win, improving his score to 5-4.

Sadanoumi defeats Takayasu – Big time fade from Takayasu now, this is the first time that Sadanoumi has ever won against him, so I was quite surprised. With the number of grave injuries that Takayasu has sustained in his career, it could be any one of them acting up and giving him fits. The opening parts of the match, Takayasu looks fine and normal. But once Sadanoumi consolidates a frontal left hand grip, Takayasu goes soft and consents to step out. Sadanoumi staves off make-koshi to improve to 2-7.

Hokutofuji defeats Oho – Hokutofuji is really in rare and potent form. Oho hardly knew what to do with him in the few brief moments that match lasted. Hokutofuji picks up his 8th win, is kachi-koshi for Nagoya and maintains his share of the lead.

Takanosho defeats Hokuseiho – Looks like the knowledge of how to best Hokuseiho is spreading from rikishi to rikishi now, get him turned around and you can shove him out from the rear. Kind of like how they move stuck freight trains. I blame Andy. The key moment that they are all exploiting is that Hokuseiho likes to do that over the body right hand reach with a half turn to rob his opponent of any defensive posture. At that moment, just help him keep rotating and get behind him. Done and done. Both end the day 4-5.

Onosho defeats Nishikifuji – Nishikifuji did not make use of his superior lateral mobility, and allowed Onosho to bracket him, then dial up the forward power. I did see Nishikifuji try to dodge for just a moment, but Onosho kept at least one hand on Nishikifuji at all times. Well played. Both end the day at 4-5.

Shodai defeats Midorifuji – A thousand thanks to the Great Sumo Cat of the Kokugikan, who has granted my wish for just one match where Shodai uses some of his old, crazy “What the hell was that” cartoon sumo. He should have been down or out at least 3 times, but was able to stay in, keep his feet and battle back. A glimpse of what once was, and what should have always been. Shodai picks up a much needed win and is now 3-6.

Nishikigi defeats Mitakeumi – Man, I just want to send Mitakeumi a basket of flowers, or maybe a case of highland single malt. The man is rightfully down, but mounts the dohyo each day anyhow. Today he brought a lot of power to this match, and I would like to think he wanted to take Nishikigi down a notch. But whatever kami has a hold of Nishikigi was only playing with Mitakeumi, and there was no way that he was going to lose. After Mitakeumi took control of the match and pushed Nishikigi around at will, Nishikigi rallied and drove Mitakeumi from the ring. Damn potent sumo! Mitakeumi takes his 8th loss and is make-koshi at 1-8, Nishikigi racks his 8th win, and is kachi-koshi for July at 8-1, maintaining his share of the lead.

Tobizaru defeats Kotonowaka – Against most opponents, Kotonowaka would have won this about 3 different ways. But each time he thought he had consolidated his hold or his stance enough to execute a finishing combo, Tobizaru showed he was still free to move and disrupted Kotonowaka’s attack. Each time, Kotonowaka lost ground, until Tobizaru had him at the edge, where a hearty shove took care of the task. Kotonowaka could have employed endurance and patience, worn him down and boxed him up properly, but chose not to. Both end the day 5-4.

Daieisho defeats Abi – The case for Daieisho’s Ozeki bid takes a big step forward with his win over fellow super-thruster Abi. Abi opened strong, probably too strong. He found himself too close to Daieisho, and pivoted to move away. Of course you don’t show your side or your back to Daieisho, or you get the big shove when you can’t absorb it. I think they could have called it okuridashi, but oshidashi was close enough. Daieisho now 7-2.

Hoshoryu defeats Hiradoumi – Hiradoumi did not fight this match like a man on the road to make-koshi. He came in with huge energy and tight moves. For a fair amount of the match, Hiradoumi seemed to be the one taking the initiative, he had Hoshoryu working to defend. But Hiradoumi fell prey to that Mongolian leg lift (kakenage) that can and does get used by the best. Granted, I was quite impressed that Hiradoumi almost shut it down, but Hoshoryu was not going to be denied. Hoshoryu now 8-1, kachi-koshi for Nagoya, and remains in the leader group.

Wakamotoharu defeats Ura – Quite an impressive performance from Wakamotoharu. Unable to finesse Ura, due to Ura being so good at disrupting and tearing down an opponents combos, Wakamotoharu finally just brutes him up and over onto the clay. Wakamotoharu now 7-2.

Kirishima defeats Meisei – Shin-Ozeki Kirishima finally finds his 3rd win. He did not have a strong showing, allowing Meisei to set the terms and form of the match. In fact, Meisei found it not too tough to move Kirishima around, and but for a slippiotoshi, might have prevailed today. But it was a most welcome win for Kirishima, and is now 3-6.

With nakabi behind us, it’s on to week 2 of the Nagoya tournament. This is where stamina and endurance can make the difference between winning and losing. In the heat of Dolphin’s Arena, the daily matches will get tougher, and the stakes will get higher as we progress. Sumo is, after all, a zero sum game. There are a static number of wins available across the 15 day tournament, and every win that goes to someone with a 10-5 final score, came from someone else. With the inter-san’yaku battles starting soon, we will probably see the Ozeki hopefuls be whittled down by this mathematical reality. Good luck to them all, I wonder if any of them will make it to 33.

Nagoya Leaderboard

My compliments to Nishikigi who is hanging in with the leaders, given what he was able to do in week 1, I would say he has the easiest path to the cup right now. Given that none of the current leaders have prior week 2 yusho experience, I expect all of them to falter or run out of drive some time in the next few days. I still like Tamawashi’s chances

Leadesr: Hoshoryu, Nishikigi, Hokutofuji
Chasesr: Daieisho, Wakamotoharu, Tamawashi, Takarafuji, Endo, Hakuoho
Hunt Group: Kotonowaka, Takayasu, Chiyoshoma, Gonoyama, Shonannoumi

7 Matches Remain

What We Are Watching Day 9

Bushozan (1-7) vs Takarafuji (6-2) – There are a series of matches today where someone on a clear kachi-koshi path is up against someone who is one or two losses away from make-koshi. This goes back to the zero sum nature of sumo. I can see the scheduling committee wanting to tidy things up early, and get some of these guys sorted into losing and winning records, in order to help shape the yusho race in act 3. This should be a Takarafuji win today, and make-koshi for Bushozan.

Daishoho (3-5) vs Hakuoho (6-2) – A first ever match up between these two, I expect Hakuoho to take the win today, and move a step closer to kachi-koshi. With just 4 wins out of the final 7, he would hit double digits and possibly a special prize. Can I just admit I love watching this guy fight? He’s so very good at sumo right now, and I am giddy to think what he is going to turn into over the next few years as long as he can avoid serious injury.

Gonoyama (5-3) vs Endo (6-2) – Another first time match, but this fight is no cream puff for Endo, who needs just 2 more wins to gain some breathing room between himself and the path to Juryo. Gonoyama has now lost 3 in a row, and we may have him ending up in the “Darwin” crew on the final day if he can’t re-connect with his sumo.

Chiyoshoma (5-3) vs Aoiyama (2-6) – Speaking of the route to Juryo, the man who I think may be the captain of the Juryo barge this time is none other than “Big Dan” Aoiyama. He seems to be bereft of his normal sumo tools, and struggles every day to simply put up a decent fight. At his age and level of chronic injury, this might be the sunset ride for him. Chiyoshoma holds a 10-7 career lead over Aoiyama, having won 3 of the last 4.

Ryuden (4-4) vs Tsurugisho (2-6) – I doubt we are going to see Tsurugisho make it to 8 wins, but given his Maegashira 11 rank, I don’t see him as a candidate for Juryo in September. Ryuden at 4-4 is on a path the a 7-7 “Darwin” score at the start of day 15, unless he can find some more power over the next 3-4 days. Given Ryuden’s chronic hip pain and motion problems, he has his work cut out for him. He holds a 9-2 career lead over Tsurugisho.

Kotoeko (4-4) vs Shonannoumi (5-3) – I really want to see Kotoeko rally this week. He has been a “Darwin” nominee far too many times in the last year, and I would rather he just secure his 8th win sometime before day 14. He has a first ever match against debutant Shonannoumi, who has proven over the past week that he is worthy of his top division rank.

Kotoshoho (3-5) vs Myogiryu (4-4) – Kotoshoho is just on the outside edge of the funnel at the moment, meaning a win today would keep him in the middle cluster of rikishi headed toward 7-7, and a loss would put him on the make-koshi path. He has only won once against Myogiryu in 5 attempts, so the odds are not in his favor to prevail today.

Kinbozan (4-4) vs Tamawashi (6-2) – Kinbozan won their only prior fight, which was day 6 of Natsu 2023. Tamawashi needs to prevail today to keep his position one win behind the leader group, which I think would amuse everyone quite a bit.

Takayasu (5-3) vs Sadanoumi (1-7) – Takayasu has never lost to Sadanoumi in 8 tries. I know Takayasu has lost 3 in a row now, and I am not sure what happened to his sumo. Maybe this is a chance for him to bounce back. A loss today for Sadanoumi would be his 8th, and make-koshi for him.

Hokutofuji (7-1) vs Oho (3-5) – First of the leader group to see action, Hokutofuji has his 3rd career match against Oho, having won both of the prior two fights. Both of them ended by yorikiri, so I expect Oho to grapple early, Hokutofuji to land a nodowa, and his lower body to keep him balanced and attacking no matter what.

Hokuseiho (4-4) vs Takanosho (3-5) – Another match of rikishi on the middle path toward a 7-7 score to start the final day. Their only prior match was day 7 in Osaka, where Takanosho won by oshidashi. Since then, I think Hokuseiho has gained confidence and balance, and Takanosho may find himself gripped by the enormous right arm, and hurled out of the ring. Both could really use the win.

Nishikifuji (4-4) vs Onosho (3-5) – Yet another match of rikishi on the middle path, this time we have a 2-0 career record favoring Onosho over Nishikifuji. Onosho has shown persistent bad balance this tournament, and I am certain we will see Nishikifuji exploit Onosho’s aggressive forward lean as much as possible today.

Shodai (2-6) vs Midorifuji (2-6) – Both are on the make-koshi path, both are 2-6, and both are fighting poorly. I would be delighted for any form of the old Shodai, even the one that used “cartoon physics” to randomly beat opponents 3 or 4 years ago. It’s terrible watching the guy just sort of blob about the ring, not really putting up much of a contest.

Nishikigi (7-1) vs Mitakeumi (1-7) – The next member of the leader group to see action, this fight comes down to the question of if Mitakeumi is in a fighting mood today. He could seriously play spoiler to the grandest of Nishikigi’s “Magical Mystery Tour” scenarios, if he can muster his mojo in spite of his injuries and distractions in his personal life. He holds a 6-2 career lead against Niskikgi.

Kotonowaka (5-3) vs Tobizaru (4-4) – These two are on the middle path as well, with Tobizaru fighting well but not really winning matches for yet another tournament. I wonder if that is training? Stamina? Injury? They have 10 career matches, with Kotonowaka winning 6 of them, and I think that he has the stronger case today.

Abi (4-4) vs Daieisho (6-2) – Daieisho needs 4 wins over the final 7 days to hit double digits, and slightly more than that for his Ozeki target. Today is a good challenge for him, in that Abi will respond to Daieisho’s huge forward power with huge forward power of his own. They have a near even 8-9 career record, and I am eager to see if Abi can put a dent in Daieisho’s hopes for a promotion.

Hoshoryu (7-1) vs Hiradoumi (3-5) – In contrast, this one looks like an outright creampuff gimmie for Hoshoryu. Hiradoumi has not been fighting well, and has never beaten Hoshoryu. A win today for H would be kachi-koshi, and another step forward toward his bid to be promoted to Ozeki.

Ura (4-4) vs Wakamotoharu (6-2) – For the 4th time in the past 6 tournaments, Ura is on the path to be 7-7 on the final day. Maybe he enjoys the thrill of the Darwin matches, I know I do. He has only won once in the 5 previous matches against Ozeki hopeful Wakamotoharu, so clearly advantage to the Onami brother today. With luck we will get to see some Ura magic to spice up the tail end of day nine – I hope.

Meisei (4-4) vs Kirishima (2-4-2) – It really looks like Kirishima is still at least partially injured. He is not fighting at his normal intensity, and he is 2 losses away from kadoban – which would have been his outcome if he had just stayed kyujo. But I think that if he can get his sumo together, he has an important role to play soon – giving the Ozeki hopefuls a tough match to see if they can dominate in the face of their toughest opponents. Meisei holds a surprising 6-4 career lead.