The infirmary reported that Hakuoho in Juryo will be kyujo from Nakabi and Takayasu will be back on Day 9. Per Herouth, Hakuoho is out due to COVID. I will keep my eyes out for reports about whether this Covid-induced kyujo will allow Hakuoho to preserve his rank.

Makuuchi and Juryo videos are available here.

Once again, coverage of each division is split in two parts:

Makuuchi Part 1 – Makuuchi Part 2

Juryo Part 1 – Juryo Part 2

The Action

Endo (Juryo 8-0) defeated Tokihayate (3-5). Tokihayate got Endo into trouble early with a hit-and-shift. But Endo did not quit today. He used his belt grip to twist Tokihayate down over the bales. This is the first time Endo has ever gone 8-0 at a honbasho. Shitatenage.

Takarafuji (7-1) defeated Ryuden (5-3). Takarafuji fought hard to keep Ryuden’s right arm away from his belt. He used his right arm grip to pull Ryuden toward the edge. As he twisted to throw Ryuden, Ryuden’s leg swept Takarafuji’s leg up. Both men were suspended over the edge of the dohyo until gravity did its thing and brought both men down. Gunbai Ryuden. Mono-ii. Reversal. Ryuden had touched out first and Takarafuji won. Yorikiri.

Tsurugisho (3-5) defeated Oshoma (5-3). With an impressive display of upper body strength, Tsurugisho pulled up and dragged Oshoma over to the bales and shoved him over the edge. The crowd reacted with an appreciative “Ooh!” Yorikiri.

Ichiyamamoto (4-4) defeated Roga (3-5). Ichiyamamoto kept Roga at arm’s length with his hand planted firmly in Roga’s face. Quickly he pulled Roga forward and slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

Nishikifuji (3-5) defeated Tomokaze (1-7). Nishikifuji quickly pressed Tomokaze back and out. Tsukidashi.

Sadanoumi (4-4) defeated Mitoryu (1-7). Mitoryu pulled on Sadanoumi’s arm to drag him toward the bales. But Sadanoumi countered with his left-hand belt grip. He then shoved Mitoryu over the edge. Oshidashi.

Hokutofuji (5-3) defeated Churanoumi (5-3). Hokutofuji hit-and-shift. After the initial charge, Hokutofuji shifted to his left and pulled Churanoumi forward and down. Tsukiotoshi.

Kinbozan (5-3) defeated Takanosho (2-6). Kinbozan put his big left paw in Takanosho’s armpit and shoved him to the side. Off-balance, Takanosho stumbled to the bales. Kinbozan pursued and finished Takanosho with a shove over the bales. Oshidashi.

Nishikigi (3-5) defeated Shodai (3-5). Shodai pressed hard to force Nishikigi toward the bales. But Nishikigi twisted, pulling Shodai off balance. He then yanked on Shodai’s right arm to finish him off. Kotenage.

Halftime.

Mitakeumi (6-2) defeated Shonannoumi (6-2). Mitakeumi put his head down and drove Shonannoumi back and over the edge. Both men toppled down from the dohyo and Mitakeumi was slow to get up. He hobbled back to the dohyo to pick up his kensho. After performing his chikaramizu duties, he limped back down the hanamichi with the assistance of a yobidashi.  Oshidashi.

Midorifuji (3-5) defeated Tamawashi (2-6). After a lengthy Midorifuji pulled and twisted Tamawashi down to the ground with his trademark move. Katasukashi.

Kotoshoho (5-3) defeated Meisei (5-3). Kotoshoho forced Meisei over the bales after a thrilling, suspenseful, action-packed bout where both men had moments where it looked like they had their opponent beat. Yorikiri.

Tobizaru (4-4) defeated Onosho (4-4). Misdirection failed to get the win but it did earn Tobizaru valuable real estate to execute a pull. He dropped backward and thrust Onosho to the ground. Tsukiotoshi.

Hiradoumi (3-5) defeated Atamifuji (2-6). Hiradoumi read the brief. Engage Atamifuji, get him to press forward and pull him down. Tsukiotoshi.

Sanyaku

Onosato (7-1) defeated Daieisho (6-2). Onosato knows Daieieho’s weakness and exploited it beautifully. Standing just in front of the bales, Onosho baited Daieisho like Bugs Bunny would bait a bull with a big red cape. Daieisho lunged forward and Onosato dodged while slapping Daieisho down. Hatakikomi.

Abi (5-3) defeated Gonoyama (3-5). Abi started by battering Gonoyama with his tsuppari. He then attempted a pull but Gonoyama was wise and stayed in. As Gonoyama re-engaged, Abi grabbed him and pulled him forward and out. Uwatedashinage.

Hoshoryu (5-3) defeated Ura (6-2). Ura pulled Hoshoryu by the shoulder but Hoshoryu kept him centered and blasted Ura off the dohyo. Yoritaoshi.

Kotozakura (6-2) defeated Oho (3-5) Oho seemed to run out of gas. A great bout and Oho put in quite the effort. But Kotozakura seemed patient to wait Oho out, corner him, and shove him over the bales. Oshidashi.

Wrap-up

Onosato and Takarafuji lead the way after nakabi with seven wins and one loss. Daieisho, Ura, and Shonannoumi all fell off pace. Kotozakura leads the peloton of the fore-mentioned trio and Mitakeumi. Unfortunately, we may have lost Mitakeumi to injury.

Despite his share of the lead, Takarafuji is not going to be thrust into the thick of Makuuchi yet. He will face Churanoumi in the first Makuuchi bout tomorrow. Takayasu returns and is rewarded with a fight with Hoshoryu. Hoshoryu appeared to be in a bit of pain after today’s bout with Ura. I could not tell if it was his back that he was favoring or his belly. I am leaning toward his belly because he seemed to catch the edge of the dohyo right there. Hopefully that’s not a cracked rib or something.

Well, I guess we will see who shows up tomorrow.

We had news that Kirishima and Wakamotoharu checked themselves into the infirmary today. This brings us close to my eight kyujo prediction before the tournament. We’ve got seven guys watching from the couch at home: Takerufuji, Asanoyama, Takakeisho, Terunofuji, Takayasu, Wakamotoharu, Kirishima.

With the exception of Takayasu and Takerufuji, the rest of these guys are in sanyaku meaning the ranks are not just depleted, they’re obliterated. But, it is better that they are on the couch than on the dohyo. Frankly, Kirishima should have been at home since Osaka. I should not dwell on the “I told you so,” but I think Takakeisho’s example of his initial demotion provides a path that more should have followed. From Terunofuji’s initial Ozeki-ship to Kirishima and Mitakeumi…that strategy might have prolonged their reigns.

So, where are we? Ura leads, undefeated. He will face his first sanyaku opponent today in Kotozakura. There are only four of these guys left so it could possibly be a quick trip through sanyaku before he faces rank and filers again. He had not fared well against sanyaku in recent tournaments so this could be a major stumbling block. That is why I still consider this yusho wide open.

The NHK is offering much more content in a more timely fashion lately. Now they have these videos posted within minutes of the bouts at this site. They split the videos into two halves for both Juryo and Makuuchi. You no longer have to put up with the political posts of that Zeal guy because if you want to watch, their videos are here:

Juryo Part 1 – Juryo Part 2

Makuuchi Part 1 – Makuuchi Part 2

Let’s get to the action.

Highlights

Daishoho (Juryo 3-4) defeated Roga (3-4). Roga was manhandled. Daishoho drove him back and out. Kyujo in 5, 4, 3, 2… Yorikiri.

Tokihayate (3-4) defeated Ryuden (5-2). Tokihayate got the jump at the tachiai, dragged Ryuden around the ring, and threw him into the shimpan. Rather satisfying to watch that. Uwatenage.

Churanoumi (5-2) defeated Tsurugisho (2-5). Tsurugisho had the energy for a few pulldown attempts but got walked out quickly and easily. Kyujo in…5, 4, 3… Yorikiri.

Takarafuji (6-1) defeated Mitoryu (1-6). Mitoryu hit Takarafuji with a solid nodowa. Just as he cornered Takarafuji at the edge of the ring, his ankle gave way and he fell. Kyujo in 5, 4, 3…Koshikudake.

Tomokaze (1-6) defeated Ichiyamamoto (3-4). Tomokaze shifted to the side and Ichiyamamoto flopped forward. Hikiotoshi.

Hokutofuji (4-3) defeated Oshoma (5-2). Hokutofuji hit Oshoma hard and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Nishikifuji (2-5) defeated Sadanoumi (3-4). A well-executed change of direction and slapdown. Hatakikomi.

Shonannoumi (6-1) defeated Kinbozan (4-3). Kinbozan had an inside left-hand grip and tried hard to get his right hand inside as well. It’s a great bout to see Shonannoumi’s otsuke. The way he squeezed Kinbozan to keep his arm from going inside was great technique. Shonannoumi then used that right arm to throw Kinbozan. Uwatenage.

Shodai (3-4) defeated Mitakeumi (5-2). Shodai hit Mitakeumi well at the tachiai and walked him back and over the bales. Yorikiri.

Nishikigi (2-5) defeated Tamawashi (2-5). Tamawashi started out with some fire but that engine sputtered. After the initial shove, Nishikigi corralled him, drove him back and out. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Kotoshoho (4-3) defeated Midorifuji (2-5). Kotoshoho battered Midorifuji with tsuppari and when Midorifuji moved in to end the abuse, Kotoshoho used his size advantage to hoist Midorifuji over the bales. Yorikiri.

Meisei (5-2) defeated Takanosho (2-5). Meisei hit Takanosho hard at the tachiai and drove forward. Takanosho began mounting a counter attack near the edge and it appeared he wanted to use the tawara for leverage but his foot went over the bales and touched out. Yorikiri.

Onosho (4-3) defeated Gonoyama (3-4). Gonoyama pulled and attempted to slap Onosho down but Onosho drove Gonoyama out. This bout seems relevant to my ever-evolving understanding of the applicability of the dead body rule. If you find yourself confused by it, check out this lengthy Twitter thread where Herouth, Leonid, and Tim patiently explain to me how Tobizaru was not robbed of anything the other night. Oshidashi.

Tobizaru was robbed

— 立ち合い (@tachiai_blog) May 16, 2024

Daieisho (6-1) defeated Hiradoumi (2-5). Carbon copy of the previous bout. Hiradoumi tried to slap Daieisho down but Hiradoumi went out. Oshidashi.

Onosato (6-1) defeated Atamifuji (2-5). Atamifuji pressed forward, forcing Onosato toward the bales. Onosato used the bales to help him shift to the side and Atamifuji flopped on his belly. Uwatedashinage.

Abi default win. Wakamotoharu kyujo.

Tobizaru default win. Kirishima kyujo.

Kotozakura (5-2) defeated Ura (6-1). Ura drove Kotozakura to the bales after the tachiai. Ura attempted a pull but Kotozakura was ready for it and let Ura fall out the opposite side of the ring. Oshitaoshi.

Oho (3-4) defeated Hoshoryu (4-3). Oho shoved Hoshoryu hard. Hoshoryu seemed to over-compensate while trying to keep his balance. The Ozeki pitched himself forward and stumbled toward the center of the ring. Oho won with an easy slapdown. Oho has struggled with this style of his but he got the power and timing right today. He was also able to pivot well, his ring awareness meant he was never in danger of stepping out or being pushed out. Hikiotoshi.

Wrap-up

Wow, the second half of action was slow today with two kyujo and seven bouts. Hopefully the time-wasting won’t be as bad tomorrow. Endo will visit from Juryo. Still undefeated, he is the only sekitori with a shot at kachi-koshi on Nakabi. What a turnaround for he and the Takarabune!

Ura’s loss means that heading into Nakabi we have a larger leadership group of five guys with one loss: Onosato, Daieisho, Ura, Shonannoumi and Takarafuji. Onosato and Daieisho will face-off tomorrow. Ura will take on Hoshoryu, Shonannoumi will face Mitakeumi and Takarafuji will square up against Ryuden.

No news from the infirmary today. I was not able to get highlights going for the first half of action. The Takarabune has been roaring through the southern Makuuchi seas with little attention. We will have to get our act together and get some reporters out there.

The Bouts

Takarafuji (5-0) defeated Daiamami (2-3). Yorikiri.

Roga (3-2) defeated Tsurugisho (2-3). Yorikiri.

Ryuden (4-1) defeated Tomokaze (0-5). Yorikiri.

Tokihayate (1-4) defeated Churanoumi (3-2). Yorikiri.

Oshoma (4-1) defeated Mitoryu (1-4). Yorikiri.

Hokutofuji (2-3) defeated Nishikifuji (1-4). Oshidashi.

Ichiyamamoto (3-2) defeated Shonannoumi (4-1). Oshidashi.

Sadanoumi (3-2) defeated Shodai (2-3). Yorikiri.

Kotoshoho (2-3) defeated Kinbozan (3-2). Oshidashi.

Takanosho (1-4) defeated Tamawashi (2-3). Tsukiotoshi.

Halftime

Mitakeumi (5-0) defeated Meisei (3-2). The bout started with an oshi-style brawl where neither man really gained an advantage. Mitakeumi tried to press forward and he tried a quick pull but Meisei’s footwork was excellent. The two settled into a grapple to catch their breaths. From here, Mitakeumi was able to press forward and force Meisei out. Yorikiri.

Onosho (2-3) defeated Midorifuji (2-3). The two locked each other up on the belt quickly after the tachiai. Onosho was not making any progress so he extracted his arms from Midorifuji and began to lay into Midorifuji with some tsuppari. This forced Midorifuji out. Oshidashi.

Ura (5-0) defeated Nishikigi (1-4). At the initial charge, Nishikigi wrapped up Ura and pulled. He attempted a twisting throw. Ura countered with his own pull and yanked Nishikigi down. Katasukashi.

Oho (1-4) defeated Hiradoumi (1-4). Hiradoumi made excellent penetration into Oho’s side of the dohyo with a fierce initial charge. But Oho used his left arm to shove Hiradoumi to the side, erasing Hiradoumi’s gains and forcing Hiradoumi back to the tawara. Oho used his size advantage well and shoved Hiradoumi over the bales. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Daieisho (4-1) defeated Abi (3-2). Daieisho outlasted Abi-zumo today. Abi opened with his characteristic high-intensity tsuppari but he made no forward progress. Abi then pivoted and attacked Daieisho from the side but again Daieisho weathered his blasts. As Abi tired, Daieisho charged ahead and walked Abi over the bales. Tsukidashi.

Wakamotoharu (3-2) defeated Atamifuji (2-3). Atamifuji started off with his lefthand inside and using his right to block Wakamotoharu’s left. He reared up to try to slip his right hand inside and secure a morozashi, double-inside grip. But Wakamotoharu charged forward and threw Atamifuji over the bales. Uwatenage.

Hoshoryu (3-2) defeated Gonoyama (2-3). Solid tachiai but Hoshoryu stopped Gonoyama’s forward progress. Maybe Gonoyama tried a very poorly timed pull? Suddenly there was a jailbreak and Hoshoryu rushed forward and blasted Gonoyama from the fighting surface. Yorikiri.

Onosato (3-2) defeated Kirishima (1-4). As Onosato pressed Kirishima over the tawara with his right arm, Kirishima pulled Onosato forward with his left. Gunbai Onosato. Mono-ii was called. Video replay shows Onosato’s right foot landing on the outer tawara while Kirishima is in the air, falling from the dohyo. But Kirishima was dead as his feet had left the fighting surface when Onosato pushed him out. Onosato was still clearly in when he forced Kirishima into the air. Yoritaoshi.

Kotozakura (4-1) defeated Tobizaru (2-3). Kotozakura forced Tobizaru to the edge and drove him out. Oshitaoshi.

Wrap-up

Tobizaru was robbed. Half of me is happy they did not call a mono-ii. I enjoy forward-moving, aggressive sumo. Here was a case where the aggressor (Kotozakura) just got tripped up and could have lost on a technicality. But, another virtue that I look for in sumo wrestlers is guys who don’t give up. Kirishima gave up yesterday and got nailed for it, rightfully, by Daieisho.

Today, Kotozakura and the shimpan took it for granted that Kotozakura had one and shoved Tobizaru out. The thing is, Tobizaru was not out. He yanked Kotozakura forward and Kotozakura stepped out while Tobizaru appeared to have his foot still on the tawara and he was not otherwise out. And I would think that Tobizaru’s physical contact with the tawara would negate any invocation of “dead bodies.”

I say this, but Kotozakura had the better sumo and he won. For whatever reason, the judges did not take another look at it. It probably would have required the gunbai going to Tobizaru for them to look at it. If that were the case, I think they would have confirmed the gunbai to Tobizaru.

Looking at the whole division we have three new guys leading, completely out of the blue: Ura, Mitakeumi, and Takarafuji. I have little hope that any of them will last through the weekend, though. In my eyes, this yusho is still wide open to just about anyone but Kirishima. I am eager to see Sekiwake Kiribayama climb his way back up to the rank in July. But Ura is doing well because he is not in Sanyaku. When he starts facing top opponents, they’d chew him up and yeet him back out. Mitakeumi will get his eight in week two and coast. Takarafuji will face tougher guys than Tsurugisho and be brought back to earth. Most likely. Then again, what do I know?