Nagoya Basho

Nagoya 2026: Day Nine

Andy Nagoya 2026, Nagoya Basho , ,

Asahifuji’s winning streak came to an end tonight against Nabatame. He was defeated by a steady stream of tsuppari, and a clever arm grab. Asahifuji appeared ready to charge forward but Nabatame seized his left arm and yanked him forward. That forced Asahifuji to pull back while Nabatame kept up his tsuppari and drove him out.

Nabatame likely sealed his return to Juryo with the win. Asahifuji is guaranteed another tournament in Makushita. Any delusions of invincibility are gone. Despite the hype, we knew he would eventually lose a bout. Fitting that it came with, arguably, his first real test against a former sekitori aiming for his own return to Juryo. My message to those who are ready to crown him Yokozuna, “slow your roll.” Let’s see how he handles full-time sumo and he isn’t even there yet. Fighting every day for 15 days is a huge change. We now know that change will not be at Aki.

In Juryo, Arashifuji locked in his kachi-koshi by beating Shirokuma, who has dropped three in a row. I think his right leg is injured. Arashifuji is being chased by Asasuiryu, and two stablemates, Toshinofuji, and Midorifuji. Another stablemate, Enho beat Hatsuyama to improve to 5-4. Arashifuji will fight Tamashoho tomorrow.

NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Takerufuji (7-2) defeated Asakoryu (4-5). Asakoryu pulled for a slapdown attempt but Takerufuji stayed up long enough to usher him out. Yorikiri.

Shishi (8-1) defeated Abi (5-4). Abi tried a similar strategy as Asakoryu and met a similar fate. Shishi picked up his kachi-koshi! Oshidashi.

Kinbozan (6-3) defeated Asahakuryu (2-7). Kinbozan used solid yotsu sumo and overwhelming strength to power through Asahakuryu and force him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Onokatsu (2-7) defeated Mitakeumi (1-8). Onokatsu timed his slapdown perfectly. Mitakeumi just began to charge forward so Onokatsu pivoted and slapped him down. Mitakeumi make-koshi. Hatakikomi.

Chiyoshoma (3-6) defeated Kazuma (3-6). After a brief flurry of harite and tsuppari, Chiyoshoma slipped his left hand back inside to Kazuma’s belt and yanked forward, pulling Kazuma down. Katasukashi.

Asanoyama (7-2) defeated Daiseizan (3-6). Asanoyama latched on to Daiseizan’s belt with his left hand and immediately used the grip to steer Daiseizan toward the exit. Daiseizan tried to switch up his grip, Asanoyama got his right hand around Daiseizan’s trunk and drove him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Takayasu (7-2) defeated Nishikifuji (6-3). Nishikifuji began to pull backward to slap Takayasu down when the gyoji, Yonosuke, decided to get in on the action and inexplicably moved behind Nishikifuji. He’d been fine off to the right side. I don’t know why he moved. Takayasu lowered his shoulder and blasted Nishikifuji from the dohyo, narrowly avoiding Yonosuke. Gunbai Nishikifuji??The boys climbed back onto the dohyo, unaware of what the gyoji’s decision was. Thank God for Kisenosato. He raised his hand when he saw Yonosuke signal to the head shimpan, for about the fourth time, “I’m going to give the kensho to Nishikifuji. Is that right?” Nishonoseki-oyakata, who was sitting behind the dohyo, was alert to Yonosuke’s quandry, “Qué?” and raised his hand. Thankfully the replay team got the right call and the gunbai was reversed. I think Yonosuke got mixed up and thought Takayasu was on the other side. Watashikomi.

Kotoeiho defeated Fujiryoga. Kotoeiho latched on with his left hand inside and right hand outside, then pulled Fujiryoga up and droce him out of the ring. Kachi-koshi. Yoritaoshi.

Fujiseiun defeated Tobizaru. Fujiseiun forced Tobizaru to the edge. Tobizaru tried to pivot and topple Fujiseiun by twisting to his right. Fujiseiun avoided the throw and steamrolled through Tobizaru, crushing him out over the edge. Yoritaoshi.

Oshoma (4-5) defeated Roga (3-6). Oshoma tried really hard to shove Roga’s head into the clay. Roga stayed up but Oshoma shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Ura (3-6) defeated Wakamotoharu (3-6). Wakamotoharu is lost. He pulled and Ura slipped away and pushed him out. Oshidashi.

Daieisho (6-3) defeated Shodai (4-5). Daieisho thrust his right hand into Shodai’s throat making Shodai reconsider his life-choices. Shodai moved back and Daieisho thrust him from the dohyo. Tsukidashi.

Gonoyama (4-5) defeated Takanosho (3-6). Takanosho pulled and Gonoyama shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Fujinokawa (4-5) defeated Oho (1-8). Oho let Fujinokawa get a morozashi. He thought he could kimedashi the smaller wrestler, overwhelm him with his considerable size advantage. Instead, Fujinokawa used his two-handed belt grip to heave Oho clear of the dohyo and then pitch him over the side. Oho needed help to get back up and seemed to be cradling his right arm. Oho make-koshi. Sukuinage.

Kotoshoho (4-5) defeated Hiradoumi (1-8). Kotoshoho used tsuppari to force Hiradoumi back to the edge. Hiradoumi charged forward and Kotoshoho shifted left and slapped him down. Tsukiotoshi.

Atamifuji (6-3) defeated Ichiyamamoto (4-5). Atamifuji charged ahead with overwhelming force and shoved Ichiyamamoto from the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Hakunofuji (7-2) defeated Kotozakura (4-5). Kotozakura began by pulling and tried to topple Hakunofuji with his right hand uwate at the edge. Life on the edge is perilous and Kotozakura seemed to understand that so he pressed forward to the center of the ring. While the two leaned into each other, at the center of the ring, Hakunofuji pulled and used his own right-hand overarm grip to heave Kotozakura to the ground. Uwatenage.

Churanoumi (3-6) defeated Kirishima (7-2). Churanoumi reached down with his left hand to get the front of Kirishima’s belt. So, Kirishima grabbed Churanoumi’s arm and appeared ready to bludgeon him with it. Churanoumi pulled his arm free, moved back and slapped down Kirishima. Gunbai Churanoumi. Mono-ii. The video replay booth checked to see if Churanoumi’s foot touched out. Gunbai upheld. Tsukiotoshi.

Aonishiki (8-1) defeated Onosato (5-4). Aonishiki shifted subtlely to his left, and used his left hand uwate to pull Onosato forward. Onosato stepped out as Aonishiki hopped on that injured left foot to stay in bounds. Uwatedashinage.

Yoshinofuji (5-4) defeated Hoshoryu (6-3). Yoshinofuji won this bout when Hoshoryu decided to pull. Yoshinofuji had a firm hold, both hands inside. Yoshinofuji’s left hand was at the back of Hoshoryu’s belt and his right was square under Hoshoryu’s shoulder. When Hoshoryu pulled back, Yoshinofuji charged ahead and cast him from the dohyo. Yorikiri.

Wrap-Up

Yusho Arasoi:

  • 1-Loss: Aonishiki, Kotoeiho, Shishi
  • 2-Losses: Kirishima, Hakunofuji, Takayasu, Asanoyama, Takerufuji

Hoshoryu will fight Aonishiki tomorrow. That’s a huge bout, obviously. Onosato will try to bounce back against Daieisho. Kirishima will take on a hungry Hakunofuji. Kotozakura will fight Oho, Atamifuji will take on Churanoumi and Kotoshoho will fight Ichiyamamoto. Yoshinofuji has faced the gauntlet and come out with a winning record. He’ll battle Gonoyama tomorrow and his schedule will be full of rank-and-filers from here out. I can imagine he might be testing Kotoeiho or Shishi if their runs continue.

Fujiseiun will fight Asanoyama, Kotoeiho will fight Abi, Takayasu will take on Tobizaru, Chiyoshoma will fight Takerufuji and Shishi is set against Asahakuryu.

I have a feeling this leaderboard will change dramatically over the next few days. It’s a very interesting list, I’ll say that, and it’s promising to be a thrilling Week Two.

Nagoya 2026: Nakabi

Andy Nagoya 2026, Nagoya Basho , , ,

Day 8, the “middle day” in Nagoya. No new kyujo to report.

On Nakabi, the Kyokai displays its new Jonokuchi wrestlers. If you’ve been under a rock, or ignored the maezumo coverage earlier this basho, this cohort includes Eisei, a recruit in Minato-beya from Hull, in the UK.

In Jonokuchi, Kakizoe, son of Ikazuchi-oyakata, is in 4-0 tie with Miyafuji. However, he will fight Chiyoaoi, who is 3-1. In Sandanme, Hikarumusashi got his first win of the tournament against Kenshin. Big bout in Makushita tomorrow as Asahifuji will take on Nabatame. Well, one of several big bouts as the 4-0 competitors square off but that Asahifuji-Nabatame bout is about promotion implications, as well as the yusho race.

In Juryo, Enho got both arms up in Kazekeno’s shoulders, pivoted and hauled him down to the ground. Sukuinage. Arashifuji lost to Nishinoryu, ending his winning streak and preventing him from securing a kachi-koshi. He is still alone in the lead because Shirokuma lost again, and now joins four other guys in the chase group. So, the Juryo yusho race is Arashifuji on one loss and Asasuiryu, Tokihayate, Toshinofuji, Midorifuji, and Shirokuma on two.

NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Asakoryu (4-4) defeated Daiseizan (3-5). Asakoryu got his left hand deep on Daiseizan’s belt, pivoted, and pulled Daiseizan down. Shitatenage.

Shishi (7-1) defeated Kinbozan (5-3). Kinbozan opened with a flurry of tsuppari. Shishi was able to push through and get a left hand uwate grip. This forced the fight to shift to a yotsu grapple. Shishi showed his strength by overpowering Kinbozan and forcing him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Kazuma (3-5) defeated Nishikifuji (6-2). Kazuma’s right hand over arm grip helped him resist Nishikifuji’s initial dirve. Nashikifuji pulled backward but Kazuma used the change in momentum to attack. He thrust Nishikifuji off-balance and forced him to fall to the dohyo. Tsukiotoshi.

Mitakeumi (1-7) defeated Takerufuji (6-2). Mitakeumi needed a change. He shot forward after the tachiai and forced Takerufuji to the bales. Takerufuji resisted and countered Mitakeumi. After pressing Mitakeumi back, he tried to pull Mitakeumi by his belt but Mitakeumi launched forward and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Asanoyama (6-2) defeated Onokatsu (1-7). Asanoyama used his left-hand inside grip to drive forward and force Onokatsu over the bales. Yorikiri.

Abi (5-3) defeated Chiyoshoma (2-6). Chiyoshoma tried to pull but Abi just chugged forward with his tsuppari and forced him out. Oshidashi.

Tobizaru (3-5) defeated Asahakuryu (2-6). Tobizaru connected with a kick at Asahakuryu’s lead right foot, forching him to fall. The crowd always enjoys a good kick or trip. Kekaeshi.

Shodai (4-4) defeated Fujiryoga (5-3). Shodai pivoted after the tachiai, catching Fujiryoga off-guard and deflecting his momentum toward the bales. Fujiryoga stopped just short of the edge and re-engaged with Shodai. But Shodai grabbed his belt with his right hand, dragged him around the dohyo and threw him. I want to see more of this Shodai. Why don’t we see this Shodai every day? Uwatenage.

Roga (3-5) defeated Fujiseiun (4-4). Roga used his left hand over-arm grip to pull Fujiseiun forward and throw him to the ground. It was a really beautiful throw in a well-contested back-and-forth battle. Uwatenage.

Ura (2-6) defeated Takayasu (6-2). Ura pressed forward after the tachiai instead of sliding back like butsukari. The two settled into a lean at the center of the dohyo as they felt each other out. Takayasu’s lead left leg got dangerously close to Ura and Ura noticed. Ura made Takayasu freak out when he tried to get that leg. Takayasu suddenly spun away, but spun himself right over the bales. “At least I kept my leg.” Oshidashi.

Halftime

Oshoma (3-5) defeated Wakamotoharu (3-5). Wakamotoharu chased Oshoma around the ring with tsuppari but tired and settled for a lean. He then lost the second he decided to pull as Oshoma chased him out. Oshidashi.

Kotoeiho (7-1) defeated Ichiyamamoto (4-4). Ichiyamamoto immediately went into pull mode and tried to slap Kotoeiho down. But Kotoeiho blitzed forward and forced him out. Oshidashi.

Churanoumi (2-6) defeated Gonoyama (3-5). Churanoumi blasted Gonoyama with powerful thrusts. A straight-forward win for the big Okinawan. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Yoshinofuji (4-4) defeated Fujinokawa (3-5). It was rather crazy to see Fujinokawa wrap his leg around Yoshinofuji. It looked like he was trying to climb a tree there. Yoshinofuji returned the tactic and wrapped his right leg around Fujinokawa’s left, while yeeting Mighty Mouse backward. Fatality. This is where the Instagram screen goes black-and-white and the skull emoji pops up in your face. Sotogake.

Aonishiki (7-1) defeated Takanosho (3-5). Both men traded tsuppari as Aonishiki tried to get his left hand inside. Takanosho pulled at just the right time and Aonishiki lost his balance and stumbled across the ring…but Takanosho had stepped out. I think he lost his sense of where he was in the ring. But Uh-oh. Aonishiki tumbled down the dohyo and had a real hard time getting back up. Grimaced in pain and everything. Dude’s ankle seems to be just held together with duct tape at this point. The worst part is that he’s got Onosato on tap for tomorrow. Oshidashi.

Hakunofuji (6-2) defeated Kotoshoho (3-5). Hakuno-Henka! Hakunofuji jumped to his left and Kotoshoho flopped forward. The crowd did not appreciate that one but I sure did. Beautiful form. I like it because I think Hakunofuji is thinking, “Yusho.” He’s in the race and wants to win the whole thing. And honestly, I hope Aonishiki was watching and got some inspiration…not for his bout against Onosato but against Hoshoryu. I think Hoshoryu will fall for it but Onosato won’t. Tsukiotoshi.

Kirishima (7-1) defeated Atamifuji (5-3). Atamifuji pulled himself right out of the dohyo. Frankly, he lost this one moreso than Kirishima won it. Kirishima was still trying to find a grip and an attack. Oshidashi.

Kotozakura (4-4) defeated Hiradoumi (1-7). Kotozakura’s first pull didn’t work but his second did. One thing I liked from Kotozakura here was the way he delayed his second pull-down attempt. He was about to try again but he knew Hiradoumi was ready and would run him out. So he leaned back into Hiradoumi and adjusted his grip and his weight. Then, he pulled Hiradoumi from the shoulder. If you’re going to win by pulling, be an artiste. Hikiotoshi.

Hoshoryu (6-2) defeated Daieisho (5-3). Daieisho committed to the pull and Hoshoryu committed to the win. Hoshoryu’s footwork was solid as he charged forward into Daieisho and forced him from the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Onosato (5-3) defeated Oho (1-7). Oho put his left hand up and tried to pull Onosato down. Onosato adjusted his charge by a few degrees to the right and charged Oho out. Denshamichi. Yorikiri.

Wrap-Up

Yusho Arasoi

  • 1-Loss: Kirishima, Aonishiki, Kotoeiho, Shishi
  • 2-Losses: Hoshoryu, Hakunofuji, Takayasu, Asanoyama, Nishikifuji, Takerufuji

Hoshoryu will fight Yoshinofuji. Onosato will battle Aonishiki, if the latter doesn’t go kyujo. Kirishima will take on Churanoumi and Kotozakura will face Hakunofuji.

Atamifuji will fight Ichiyamamoto, Kotoshoho will take on Hiradoumi, and Oho gets Fujinokawa.

Down in the rank-and-file, Kotoeiho will fight Fujiryoga and Shishi will fight Abi. Takayasu will fight Nishikifuji, Asanoyama faces Daiseizan, and Takerufuji will fight Asakoryu.

Nagoya 2026: Day Seven

Andy Nagoya 2026, Nagoya Basho

Day Seven in Nagoya. Wakanosho is kyujo. Apparently, the concern is for the right knee. Minatogawa-oyakata is getting it checked out and they will address it when they know more about the prognosis. Kinbozan will receive the fusen victory.

In Makushita, Nabatame, Asahifuji, Mita and Kaisho are undefeated at 4-0. Asahifuji went bowling. He sidestepped Ryuho, grabbed his belt and flung him into the expensive seats. There are six more guys at 3-0 who will fight tomorrow with dreams of Makushita yusho: Osanai, Tokunomusashi, Obara, Fudoho, Anosho, and Hananoumi. Nabatame is also close to securing his return to Juryo. He might be set already but another win won’t hurt. There are a few guys who could leapfrog him if they have strong finishes and he flops in Week 2. So, there’s a lot to fight for here.

In Juryo, Enho remained upright while walking forward and therefore beat Kayo. Both men are 3-4. Shirokuma suffered his first defeat, to the Iron Man (4-3). Arashifuji keeps charging head, this time beating Hitoshi to move to 7-0. Meisei finally got his first win against Nishinoryu and Shonannoumi fell to Kazekeno.

Meanwhile, I am extremely excited because I got a delivery of madai, the red fish which is famous in the sumo world for being the fish of celebration. You often see pictures of guys holding one (or two) aloft after winning the top division title or earning promotion to Ozeki or Yokozuna. I’ll be posting about it in a few days. I want to see what I can do with this. So far, so good. My first attempt was amazing and super simple: just a dash of salt and threw it in a pan. Served with rice and a sprinkle of ponzu. Absolutely Delicious.

NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Asakoryu (3-4) defeated Tomokaze (Juryo 2-5). I wonder if Tomokaze gets called for hairpulls more than average because he put his hand back behind Asakoryu’s head and left it there the whole bout as he tried to pull Asakoryu down. I find that degree of one-dimensional sumo annoying. Asakoryu successfully resisted and pushed Tomokaze out before both men fell. Gunbai Asakoryu, no mono-ii. Oshidashi.

Takerufuji (6-1) defeated Onokatsu (1-6). Takerufuji got his left hand inside Onokatsu’s shoulder. He twisted and drove toward the bales, trying to execute a sukuinage. As they neared the edge, Takerufuji shoved Onokatsu over the bales. Oshidashi.

Nishikifuji (6-1) defeated Shishi (6-1). Oh no! No Shishi yusho! Nishikifuji’s tsuppari disrupted Shishi’s usual attack. Shishi found no way to get inside and began to back away. Nishikifuji pursued well and kept battering Shishi. Shishi turned away and Nishikifuji shove him out from behind. Okuridashi.

Abi defeated Kazuma. Likewise, Abi beat Kazuma silly with tsuppari. Kazuma tried to keep up with Abi and dish out his own tsuppari but Abi-zumo was too intense and Abi thrust Kazuma from the ring. Tsukidashi.

Daiseizan (3-4) defeated Asahakuryu (2-5). Migiyotsu. Daiseizan got his left hand outside, quickly and kept pressing to get his right hand inside. He patiently chugged forward and drove Asahakuryu out. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (5-2) default win over Wakanosho (5-2).

Asanoyama (5-2) defeated Mitakeumi (0-7). Mitakeumi executed his best “turn-of-tables” attack at the edge as he twisted and nearly toppled Asanoyama. Asanoyama’s left-hand outside grip actually helped him stay upright. He kept pulling on Mitakeumi and eventually heaved Mitakeumi over. I must say, Mitakeumi did not go gentle into that good night, that’s for sure. He gave it his all. Uwatenage.

Fujiryoga defeated Chiyoshoma. Chiyoshoma hit Fujiryoga with a kachi-age and blast him with tsuppari. He then snapped with a slapdown. Chiyoshoma pulled so hard that he threw himself off-balance and both men fell. I thought Fujiryoga came down a beat ahead of Chiyoshoma. Gunbai Chiyoshoma. Mono-ii. The judges wanted a rematch, so we got a rematch. In the rematch, Chiyoshoma slapped the crap out of Fujiryoga while retreating to the edge, trying to avoid Fujiryoga’s tsuppari. A pissed off Fujiryoga cornered Chiyoshoma and pushed him over the bales. Oshidashi.

Wakamotoharu (3-4) defeated Tobizaru (2-5). Wakamotoharu tried to slap Tobizaru down. When that failed, he realized he would have to MOVE FORWARD and attack Tobizaru. So he did. And he won. Imagine that. Oshidashi.

Kotoeiho (6-1) defeated Roga (2-5) You know when Kotoeiho climbs onto the dohyo by the “Oohs and Aahs” from the crowd. I remember when Abi used to get the same appreciative reaction from the crowd. It seems like there’s always one who does it best and then he passes on the torch after he becomes grim and jaded and mummified. At the tachiai, Kotoeiho latched on quickly with his left hand at the front. He got his right hand inside and steered Roga back and over the edge. Powerful sumo from the youngster. I hope the shiko remains strong with this one for a long time. Yorikiri.

Takayasu (6-1) defeated Shodai (3-4). Shodai waited at the edge for Takayasu to attack before trying to shift right and pull Takayasu forward. That failed and Takayasu shoved him out. No tsuppari from Shodai. No fighting for a belt grip. Just one dimensional, “I’m going to stand on the tawara and try to pull you forward when you attack me.” I swear, there was a time when he actually would MOVE FORWARD, and it was great. By the way, every time you see “move forward” in all caps, that’s because my I have my cousin’s voice in my head. In this sport, it really is the key and I shall adopt it as my mantra. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Fujiseiun (4-3) defeated Ura (1-6). Fujiseiun pressed Ura to the edge. Ura attempted a pull and slapdown but Fujiseiun kept Ura in front and rode him down to the ground. “OK, Ura, I’ll go down. But you go first.” Yoritaoshi.

Oshoma (2-5) defeated Daieisho (5-2). Daieisho tried to slap Oshoma down but failed and ended up at the edge. Oshoma shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Ichiyamamoto (4-3) defeated Churanoumi (1-6). Ichiyamamoto hit Churanoumi with a flurry of tsuppari and drove him back to the edge. Churanoumi resisted at the bales but his leg buckled awkwardly as he went down. Ichiyamamoto showed concern but Churanoumi hopped right up. “Oh, I’m fine, dude. Just flexible.” Oshitaoshi.

Sanyaku

Gonoyama (3-4) defeated Oho (1-6). We started Migi-yotsu. Gonoyama pulled Oho forward and attempted a shitatenage. Oho resisted but yielded a double-inside belt grip. Gonoyama kept Oho high and pressed forward, steering Oho back over the edge. Excellent sumo from Gonoyama. That looked so much better than his usual top-heavy attack. More of that, please. Yorikiri.

Takanosho (3-4) defeated Yoshinofuji (3-4). Takanosho turns up the heat when his opponent is not ranked Ozeki or Yokozuna. He hit out with tsuppari then slapped Yoshinofuji down as Yoshinofuji launched forward. Like Churanoumi, Yoshinofuji seemed to go down really awkwardly but got back up quickly. I am determined to acquire that degree of flexibility before I’m fifty. My bones are starting to creak and I don’t like it. Abisetaoshi.

Aonishiki (6-1) defeated Fujinokawa (3-4). Super-flying henka from Fujinokawa. Fujinokawa grasped for the back of Aonishiki’s belt. But Aonishiki reacted well, pivoted into Fujinokawa and chucked him off the dohyo. Geez, Aonishiki still needs four more wins. Yorikiri.

Atamifuji (5-2) defeated Kotozakura (3-4). Kotozakura just didn’t look like he even wanted to win. He rather half-heartedly shifted left and tried to twist Atamifuji; it looked like Shodai on anti-steroids. Atamifuji just shoved him out. Kotozakura’s most difficult opponent might be himself and until he wins whatever internal battle it is that he’s got going on, he’s not going to win on the dohyo. Yorikiri.

Kirishima (6-1) defeated Kotoshoho (3-4). Kirishima got his left hand deep on Kotoshoho’s belt and held him in a way that kept Kotoshoho’s right arm flailing skyward. Suddenly, Kirishima pivoted and put his left leg in front of Kotoshoho’s right. He heaved Kotoshoho forward over his leg. What a throw! Uwatenage.

Onosato (4-3) defeated Hakunofuji (5-2). Nothing fancy. Densha-michi. Onosato lifted Hakunofuji’s right arm at the elbow and got his left arm inside. Throttle to notch 8! See what you can do when you, MOVE FORWARD!! Yorikiri.

Hoshoryu (5-2) defeated Hiradoumi (1-6). Hiradoumi charged ahead but Hoshoryu got that right arm inside, planted that left leg and twisted, throwing Hiradoumi to the dirt. Sukuinage.

Wrap-Up

We won’t really have a yusho race until tomorrow, which is good because there’s a crap ton of guys at 6-1 and even more at 5-2. Seven guys are 6-1 and eight at 5-2.

Two dominant wins from the Yokozuna-tachi. Great to see. Geez, we’re already at nakabi? Time flies like a purple zabuton. Hoshoryu will fight Daieisho tomorrow and Onosato will fight Oho. Both are dangerous. It never gets easy when you’re Yokozuna. Kayo or Tomokaze or Tamashoho are never on your schedule.

Kirishima will fight Atamifuji, Kotozakura will fight Hiradoumi and Kotoshoho gets Hakunofuji. Aonishiki will fight Takanosho and Yoshinofuji will take on Fujinokawa. All are great matchups. I’m super conflicted with Takanosho. I’d love to see him win but that would mean Aonishiki would have lost.

Asanoyama and Takayasu won our former Ozeki battles today. Unfortunately, that does not mean the schedulers set them to face each other. That would have been awesome but Takayasu will fight Ura and Asanoyama will face Onokatsu in one of five first-time match-ups on the board for tomorrow. Shodai vs Fujiryoga, Mitakeumi against Takerufuji, Nishikifuji versus Kazuma and Kotoeiho versus Ichiyamamoto are the others. That Kotoeiho versus Ichiyamamoto bout will be another where I’ll be happy to see whichever guy wins and sad for the loser.

Hasta mañana!

Nagoya 2026: Day Six

Andy Nagoya 2026, Nagoya Basho

Day Six in Nagoya. No new kyujo to report but please check out Justin’s sumo experience with former Makuuchi wrestler, Kyokutaisei. There is so much sumo content and so many sumo shows nowadays, it’s great to see these options. Konishiki’s Sumo and Sushi tour is coming back and there’s even a new group in London, featuring Hidenoumi and Shiden. Sumo’s going global, which is great because tickets are getting more and more difficult to acquire.

Speaking of going global, Abema’s sneaking out more and more content to the public, too. Abema’s pinned Twitter post is this quiz question. On the Banzuke, what does this “御免蒙” say? YOU ALL SHOULD KNOW THE ANSWER. IT IS B. ごめんこうむる。The Anatomy of a Banzuke post explains it.

The Sumo Kyokai’s website has these great quiz questions and it was featured on that, as well. I’ve got a direct link to it on the right-hand navigation, under the link to the Konishiki pages, in case you need to find it again. Anyway, when I saw the quiz question, I just about jumped out of my chair because I was like, “I learned about that!!”

Back to the tournament at hand. Asahifuji encountered some resistance from Fujisodai, so he threw him down in the middle of the ring and remains undefeated at 3-0. He has off tomorrow and will presumably go for kachi-koshi on Nakabi. Will anything put a stop to Isegahama’s protege? Makushita debutant Kaida lost to Aratakayama and fell to 1-2. Tanji defeated Nishikigi and improves to 3-1. One more win and he can claim his ticket to Juryo.

Shirokuma and Arashifuji won their bouts in Juryo and improved to 6-0. Enho (2-4) lost to Kagayaki (3-3). Asasuiryu and Shonannoumi chase at 5-1.

The NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Onokatsu (1-5) defeated Kazuma (2-4). Onokatsu got his left hand inside grip and kept pressing forward, very patiently, and very slowly driving Kazuma toward the edge. After a long struggle, he finally worked Kazuma over the edge. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (4-2) defeated Dewanoryu (3-3). Kinbozan quickly charged straight through Dewanoryu and forced him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Shishi (6-0) defeated Asakoryu (2-4). Shishi calmly and patient pressed Asakoryu back to the edge. Asakoryu’s foot slipped as he tried to brace against the straw bales, he stepped out and went down. Oshidashi.

Nishikifuji (5-1) defeated Daiseizan (2-4). Daiseizan tried to turn the tables on Nishikifuji but Nishikifuji wasn’t having any of it and dropped Daiseizan over the ledge. Yoritaoshi.

Takerufuji (5-1) defeated Asahakuryu (2-4). Asahakuryu tried to pull on Takerufuji’s right arm but Takerufuji drove Asahakuryu back and out before losing his balance at the edge. Yorikiri.

Asanoyama (4-2) defeated Abi (3-3). Asanoyama pressed his way inside Abi’s tsuppari and forced Abi over the edge. Yorikiri.

Fujiryoga (4-2) defeated Wakanosho (5-1). Fujiryoga and Wakanosho traded tsuppari in quite the brawl. Fujiryoga’s slaps forced Wakanosho back to the edge. Wakanosho’s knee or Ankle buckled as he braced in the straw bales. He could not stand back up under his own power and to get assistance from the team of wakaimonogashira to climb into the big wheelchair. Really sad turn of events for a guy who had been having a great tournament so far. Oshitaoshi.

Tobizaru defeated Mitakeumi. Tobizaru got both hands inside and steadily forced Mitakeumi back to the edge. At the edge he used gaburi hip thrusts to force Mitakeumi over the bales. Mitakeumi does not look long for this division. Yorikiri.

Chiyoshoma (2-4) defeated Roga (2-4). Henka! Chiyoshoma leapt to the side and slapped Roga down. Tsukiotoshi.

Shodai (3-3) defeated Wakamotoharu (2-4). You can sense Wakamotoharu’s displeasure at having to “move forward!!” against Shodai, so he pivoted and pulled, trying to slap Shodai down. Shodai stayed on his feet long enough to see Wakamotoharu back out over the bales first. At first, I was struck by how this was a “first half” match-up. After the event, I am not surprised. Oshidashi.

Kotoeiho (5-1) defeated Ura (1-5). Kotoeiho grabbed Ura’s left arm and dragged him over the bales. Kotenage.

Halftime

Takayasu (5-1) defeated Oshoma (1-5). In the most anti-climatic ending to a bout — ever — Oshoma withstood Takayasu’s tsuppari but fell out to a wee shift and a slap. I got a collective, “WTF?” vibe from the crowd’s reaction. Like, “¿Qué?” Let’s move on. Tsukiotoshi.

Fujiseiun (3-3) defeated Ichiyamamoto (3-3). Fujiseiun stuck with Ichiyamamoto’s tsuppari long enough for Ichiyamamoto to transition into his pulling phase. When Ichiyamamoto pulled, Fujiseiun drove forward and forced him back and out. Oshidashi.

Daieisho (5-1) defeated Churanoumi (1-5). Daieisho got Churanoumi off-balance with some misdirection and quickly followed up with a shove from behind. Okuridashi.

Sanyaku

Takanosho (2-4) defeated Kotoshoho (3-3). Takanosho forced Kotoshoho back to the edge and then slapped him down as Kotoshoho dug in at the bales. Tsukiotoshi.

Atamifuji (4-2) defeated Fujinokawa (3-3). After an initial matta, I got the sense Fujinokawa jumped the gun early. But Atamifuji still had the wherewithall to avoid Fujinokawa’s misdirection and kept him centered as Fujinokawa cycled around the ring. Atamifuji cornered him at the bales (yeah, this ring has corners, okay?) and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Aonishiki (5-1) defeated Oho (1-5). Aonishiki used his left hand inside and pulled Oho forward suddenly. Somehow, Oho was the one who seemed to be walking gingerly back up the hanamichi. One thing’s for sure, Aonishiki’s ankle is still an issue. Shitatehineri.

Kirishima (5-1) defeated Yoshinofuji (3-3). Kirishima fought to keep Yoshinofuji’s hands off, drove forward and forced Yoshinofuji out. Oshidashi.

Gonoyama (2-4) defeated Kotozakura (3-3). Kotozakura braced against the bales like he was going to try some counter attack but forgot how to counter attack. Gonoyama just kept shoving. Oshidashi.

Hakunofuji (5-1) defeated Hoshoryu (4-2). Hoshoryu did not care that Hakunofuji locked in with both hands inside. Perhaps he should have. After a wild tussle, Hoshoryu went for the trip and tried to heave Hakunofuji down but Hakunofuji freed his massive tree trunk legs and drove Hoshoryu into the ground. Hoshoryu appeared to land on his ass first but gunbai Hoshoryu. Mono-ii. Hoshoryu did, indeed, fall first. The call was overturned and Hakunofuji rightly given the win. We expect Inosuke’s resignation letter on Hakkaku’s desk in the morning, and for it to be quietly ripped up. Kinboshi! Kirikaeshi.

Onosato (3-3) defeated Hiradoumi (1-5). Onosato absorbed Hiradoumi’s lightning tachiai and then overpowered him. He remained calm as Hiradoumi resisted at the edge, got his left hand inside and forced Hiradoumi out. Yorikiri.

Wrap-Up

Shishi leads. It’s his yusho to lose at this point.

Turning to tomorrow’s action, Hoshoryu will face Hiradoumi and Onosato will take on Hakunofuji. Kirishima will fight Kotoshoho in a big match-up. Though, I think Kotozakura versus Atamifuji technically counts as a bigger match-up since both guys break the scales. Aonishiki will fight Fujinokawa, Yoshinofuji will fight Takanosho, and Oho will try to regroup against Gonoyama.

Down in the rank-and-file, Shodai will face Takayasu and probably run away. And Asanoyama will take on Mitakeumi as the shadows of four former Ozeki collide. Shishi will also get a real test in his bout against Nishikifuji. Nishikifuji has been in fine form this tournament and looking healthy.

I’ll also keep my eyes out for news about Wakanosho but I’m expecting at least a few days of kyujo. Ankles are funny, though. I’ve twisted mine and been unable to walk…then fine after a little rest. His ankle was already taped, though, so I’m not as optimistic that he’ll just walk this one off.

I’ll be back mañana.