I received my banzuke today so I wanted to update folks on two news items related to this tournament’s ranking sheet. Sumo fans will remember the big news last tournament which resulted in Isegahama-oyakata being kyujo while the Sumo Association conducted its investigation.
As a refresher or a brief summary for those who were under a rock last month: there was an Isegahama event where an intoxicated Hakunofuji was getting fresh with a female guest at the event. Isegahama got angry and struck Hakunofuji. Due to the power harassment and anti-bullying policies, this was obviously “an incident”. Isegahama got ahead of things and reported the incident, himself, to the Sumo Association…thus the kyujo in March while the Sumo Association investigated and deliberated.
Ultimately, Isegahama was docked pay and demoted because of his actions. Hakunofuji was also admonished for his behavior. What I wanted to illustrate to readers was what the impact of the demotion actually looked like on the banzuke. What I’ve got below is a picture of the March banzuke on top of the current, May, banzuke. I highlighted Isegahama on each.
Back in March, Isegahama was ranked next to Minatogawa (Takakeisho). Now, he’s just ahead of Sendagawa (Tokushoryu). Isegahama was shifted in rank below Kise oyakata, as well as recent retirees you all will be familiar with as former Kotoeko, Myogiryu, and Aoiyama. Anyway, when this punishment came down, I was curious what that meant in the grand hierarchy of the Kyokai.
Now, for the second update. Among our recent retirees, we saw Chiyomaru retire from active sumo at the end of last tournament. However, he stayed with the sumo association as an employee called, “Wakaimonogashira.” It’s an auxillary role which acts primarily as a guide to young wrestlers.
You’ll see him associated with the sumo school course work as well as active during maezumo activities, like the upcoming gyoji toss, and in a ring-side support role. So, he moved from his position in Sandanme in March (above) to being listed on the bottom row of the ranking sheet, to the right of the central column with the other wakaimonogashira (below).
I hope this helps give a bit more context to those previous news stories. Sorry I didn’t publish this earlier but I wanted a copy of the current sheet in my hands so I could blow up these pictures better.
Day 13 in Tokyo. No new top division kyujo to report.
Kazuma defeated Kazekeno and equalized their records at 10 wins, 3 losses. Takerufuji defeated Tamashoho to improve to 9-4, and remain one loss back. Enho beat Meisei to finally pick up his kachi-koshi and join a group of eight men with 8 wins. It was their first meeting since November 2020. Onokatsu, at Juryo 1 East, is another of those kachi-koshi wrestlers and will earn his top division return. Takerufuji is likely to join him.
Shosei from Nakamura-beya claimed the Jonidan yusho, easily shoving out Maniwayama. Hakugetsuro slapped down 28-year veteran wrestler Hienriki to claim the Jonokuchi yusho for Asahiyama-beya, its first yusho under ex-Kotonishiki. And in Sandanme, Asahifuji defeated Mita to pick up his 7th win and officially join the 21 Club, with members like Enho, Hokuseiho and Fujiseiun.
Thus, the sandanme yusho has come down to another playoff between Asahifuji and Kiryuko. I think Kiryuko will be the first competitor to earn a second crack at the Isegahama phenom. Will that previous experience help him for their second senshuraku showdown? And jmotzi asked, “What happened to D’s nuts?” They’re all in Makushita. The Makushita yusho is nuts. But on to the top division.
Asasuiryu (9-4) defeated Ryuden (5-8). Asasuiryu fired straight ahead at the tachiai, drawing Ryuden to plow ahead with full force. Asasuiryu timed his shift and slapdown perfectly and he pulled Ryuden down to a make-koshi record and possible Juryo demotion. Hikiotoshi.
Oshoumi defeated Tamawashi. You could tell these two were fighting for their top division lives. Fierce tsuppari. Oshoumi pressed forward and got inside, grabbing Tamawashi’s belt with his left-hand inside. He charged forward and forced Tamawashi back over the edge. Yorikiri.
Roga (8-5) defeated Tokihayate. Roga quickly got his left hand uwate, charged forward and overwhelmed Tokihayate. Yorikiri.
Wakanosho (7-6) defeated Nishikifuji (3-10). Wakanosho drove Nishikifuji back to the bales with his tsuppari. Nishikifuji could tell he was done so he turned and looked for a place to land as he stepped of the dohyo. With the barge rapidly filling up, Nishikifuji even seems in danger of getting a ticket if he can’t pick up a win in the final two days. Tsukidashi.
Abi (5-8) defeated Mitakeumi (7-6). Abi pulled and slapped Mitakeumi down. “Pivot? Andy, what is this pivot? I don’t need no stinking pivot.” Hatakikomi.
Shishi (4-9) defeated Asahakuryu (4-9). Shishi got his left hand uwate, pulled up and churned his legs until Asahakuryu was off the dohyo. He then gave him a little extra shove, causing Asahakuryu to fall into the lap of a fan in the front row. Yorikiri.
Fujiryoga (9-4) defeated Churanoumi (8-5). Fujiryoga ended the East-side win streak with powerful blasts, sending Churanoumi flailing off the dohyo. Fujiryoga will earn some breathing space from the bottom of the banzuke when the Nagoya ranking sheet comes out. Oshidashi.
Wakamotoharu (4-9) defeated Kinbozan (5-8). Kinbozan was trying to reach back over Wakamotoharu for his left hand belt grip. He was way too damn high. Wakamotoharu stayed low and drove forward into Kinbozan, forcing him back over the edge. It feels like Wakamotoharu has found his comfort level. Yorikiri.
Hakunofuji (9-4) defeated Gonoyama (8-5). Hakunofuji let Gonoyama press forward because he shuffled to his right and slapped Gonoyama down on the bales. Hatakikomi.
Halftime
Hiradoumi (6-7) defeated Daieisho (5-8). Hiradoumi overpowered Daieisho and shoved him out. Daieisho had that Ozeki run last year and has fallen off since his kyujo. He picked up his makekoshi and may fall deeper into the rank-and-file. Oshidashi.
Oho (7-6) defeated Ichiyamamoto (5-8). Ichiyamamoto needed to pivot or do something to change his direction. Oho shoved his gear in drive – which is massively appreciated – and forced Ichiyamamoto back and out. Oshidashi.
Yoshinofuji (10-3) defeated Ura (9-4). Yoshinofuji charged into Ura with tsuppari and nodowa. Ura shifted to the side and nearly brought Yoshinofuji down. Yoshinofuji avoided touching down, chased after Ura and shoved him out. Oshidashi.
Oshoma (7-6) defeated Takanosho (5-8). Oshoma got Takanosho dizzy as they both spun and pulled at the edge and easily pushed him out. Oshidashi. Video replay shows Takanosho’s hand dragging along the dohyo earlier in the bout so the kimarite might change. Ah! They changed it. Hatakikomi.
Fujiseiun (6-7) defeated Fujinokawa (6-7). Fujiseiun crushed Fujinokawa out at the edge after a great bout. Fujiseiun did an exceptional job of keeping Fujinokawa contained and not letting him slip away. Once he had him cornered, he pressed forward with all of his strength and forced Fujinokawa backwards. Yoritaoshi.
Sanyaku
Wakatakakage (10-3) defeated Tobizaru (9-4). Wakatakakage put the “Flying” in “Flying monkey” as he picked Tobizaru up and chucked him into the crowd. Not a yeet but still hilarious. Tsuridashi.
Kotoshoho (8-5) defeated Shodai (6-7). Kotoshoho slapped Shodai to the edge. At the edge Shodai shifted right and pulled Kotoshoho forward as if that should have done something spectacular. It did not. Kotoshoho re-engaged and wore Shodai down, steadily moving forward and eventually pushing him over the bales. Oshidashi.
Atamifuji (7-6) defeated Chiyoshoma (5-8). Atamifuji’s pre-tachiai nonsense took the power out of Chiyoshoma’s tachiai. Atamifuji attacked and pushed out Chiyoshoma, barely. Oshidashi.
Kirishima (11-2) defeated Kotoeiho (10-3). OK, This bout was fantastic. Worth the price of admission. Back and forth, sukuinage attempts, kicks and trips before Kotoeiho corners Kirishima and shoved him backwards and over the bales while Kirishima simultaneously twisted and pulled Kotoeiho forward. Gunbai Kotoeiho. Mono-ii. Kotoeiho’s sumo was excellent. He did a great job. But that was the most freaking ridiculous, Matrix-level comeback move I have ever seen. Slo-mo clearly shows Kirishima’s left leg pop out and trip Kotoeiho, and Kirishima’s ability to pull Kotoeiho back so Kotoeiho touched first. Utchari.
As Kirishima’s walking down the hanamichi he hands his massive stack of kensho to his tsukebito and stops by the video monitor, “Hold on a minute, bruh. I gotta see this for myself.”
Wrap-Up
Say what you will about the kyujo and the quality of this basho as a whole but damn we’ve seen some excellent sumo this tournament and that final move by Kirishima is top of my list so far. Frankly, the kimarite feels insufficient because the trip was so vital to this takedown. It wasn’t just a normal, run-of-the-mill utchari, as if there ever was a “normal, run-of-the-mill utchari.” Wow.
If you ask me, this should have been the lead story on the NHK news broadcast which followed the bout. “Ozeki Kirishima Successfully Bends Spacetime.” You just have to feel for Kotoeiho. After the decision, he had the look of a kid who’d just had a seagull swoop down and poop on his ice cream before he’d had a chance to take a lick. The innocence. The anticipation. And the utter loss. Gutshot.
Yusho Arasoi:
Two Losses: Kirishima
Three Losses: Wakatakakage, Yoshinofuji, the Ghost of Kotoeiho
The Kyokai has yet to publish the bouts for tomorrow. I’m thinking either Tobizaru or Churanoumi for Kirishima, maybe Ura if they want to see who can out-Neo whom. Atamifuji is out of this but the lone sanyaku competitor that he hasn’t faced, so I’m leaning towards that senshuraku showdown.
The Kyokai could go completely the other way, though, and pair the two tomorrow with a yusho contender on Sunday. Your guess is as good as mine. I bet Wakatakakage will face Kotoeiho. (Of course Atamifuji won’t fight Yoshinofuji, Andy.) I’ll try to post an update later today but there are a few other items on my plate today so it might not happen. I will definitely be sitting here tomorrow, though, to see what happens next.
Day 11 in Tokyo. No new kyujo to report. However, due to a record number of kensho banners, Sasaki Ichiro reports that the text size for the sheet listing the bouts used the smallest text ever for one of these sheets. This had to be scaled to 65% for the sponsor list and 80% for the actual bouts.
In Juryo, Kazekeno took on Enho head-to-head. With the push down victory, Kazekeno improved to 10-1 and now has a two-win lead over Kazuma, who lost to Onokatsu. As Leonid mentioned in his Day 9 post, they pitted Asahifuji against tsukedashi Omori; Asahifuji won. Enho will fight Hatsuyama tomorrow as he still seeks that all important kachi-koshi to seal his status as sekitori for Nagoya.
Mitakeumi (6-5) defeated Hatsuyama (3-8). After a failed slapdown attempt, Mitakeumi overpowered Hatsuyama and drove him back over the bales. Oshidashi.
Oshoumi (3-8) defeated Shishi (3-8). Shishi hauled Oshoumi around using his right arm tucked under Oshoumi’s left. Oshoumi resisted at the bales and grabbed Shishi in a bear hug. He held Shishi high and drove him back through the ring and over the edge. Yorikiri.
Tamawashi (2-9) defeated Kinbozan. Both men took turns charging forward behind their tsuppari and nodowa. Tamawashi shifted his weight to the side and thrust Kinbozan down. With the win, Tamawashi is now tied with Kisenosato for 7th on the all-time top division wins list on 714 Makuuchi wins. Tsukiotoshi.
Ura (8-3) defeated Wakanosho (6-5). Ura resisted at the bales and used the leverage to grab Wakanosho in a bear hug. He then rotated and pulled Wakanosho down by his shoulder. Katasukashi.
Hakanofuji (8-3) defeated Fujiryoga (8-3). Hakanofuji grabbed Fujiryoga inder the right shoulder with his left arm. Once he secured an overarm belt grip with his right hand, he rotated and dragged Fujiryoga down. Uwatenage.
Tobizaru (9-2) defeated Asanoyama (7-4). Asanoyama drove forward with his right hand inside. At the bales, Tobizaru spun, slipped his grasp and pulled him down. Hikiotoshi.
Ryuden (4-7) defeated Nishikifuji (3-8). Ryuden used his right hand uwate to turn Nishikifuji around and then chased him out from behind. Nishikifuji locks in his make-koshi while Ryuden staves it off. Okuridashi.
Roga (6-5) defeated Abi (4-7). Roga quickly forced his way forward, immediately getting inside any of Abi’s tsuppari. Roga drove him all the way back over the edge. Yorikiri.
Tokihayate (4-7) defeated Asahakuryu (3-8). In an excellent and exciting grapple, Tokihayate used his right hand inside to pull Asahakuryu around the ring. Once he got his left hand inside, too, he was able to rotate and topple Asahakuryu to the ground. Shitatenage.
Kotoeiho defeated Oshoma. Both men dragged each other to the bales and teetered over the edge. Kotoeiho seemed to push Oshoma forward as he was falling out backwards. Gunbai Kotoeiho. Mono-ii. Video review confirmed Motoki’s call that Oshoma fell out just before Kotoeiho. We saw that Kotoeiho’s foot had not stepped out prior to the throw but rested on the bales. Okurinage.
Halftime
Wakamotoharu (3-8) defeated Chiyoshoma (4-7). Chiyoshoma pulled so Wakamotoharu drove forward through him and shoved him backward, out of the ring. Oshitaoshi.
Ichiyamamoto (5-6) defeated Gonoyama (8-3). Ichiyamamoto caught Gonoyama too far forward, shifted right and slapped Gonoyama down. Hikiotoshi.
Yoshinofuji (8-3) defeated Hiradoumi (4-7). Yoshinofuji really wanted his left hand overarm grip but Hiradoumi continued to deny access. Yoshinofuji had to rely on his right hand inside to haul Hiradoumi over onto his head. Ouch! Shitatenage.
Daieisho (5-6) defeated Takanosho (4-7). Daieisho quickly thrust Takanosho back and over the bales. Oshidashi.
Oho (5-6) defeated Fujinokawa (5-6). Oho offered no quarter today as he hugged Fujinokawa and charged forward, crushing Fujinokawa out at the edge. Yoritaoshi.
Sanyaku
Kotoshoho (7-4) defeated Fujiseiun (5-6). Kotoshoho used angles to beat Fujiseiun. He deflected Fujiseiun’s tachiai to the left and then attacked from the right to knock him down. Oshitaoshi.
Churanoumi (7-4) defeated Atamifuji (5-6). Churanoumi used his left-hand belt grip to pivot and haul Atamifuji to the edge. He then followed up by pressing forward to force Atamifuji to step back and out. Yorikiri.
Kirishima (9-2) defeated Wakatakakage (8-3). Kirishima’s morozashi won this bout. Wakatakakage kept trying to improve his own grip, never quite getting a great hold and never sneaking his arms inside. Kirishima pulled up and steadily pressed forward. Yorikiri.
I love seeing women with inflatable daikon radishes in the stands. I mean, step back for a second and appreciate the absolute WTF-ness of this sport.
Shodai (5-6) defeated Kotozakura (3-8). Was there ever any doubt? The Kyokai required a small army of yobidashi to display all of the kenho banners on this bout. In the end, Daikon-Power dominated as Shodai pulled Kotozakura forward from the bales, snuck around back as the Ozeki stumbled forward, and shoved Kotozakura out from behind. Okuridashi.
Kotozakura is officially kadoban. Will he drop out of the tournament? I doubt it. There must be a bit of pressure to keep two Ozeki in the basho in order to close things out with some sort of High-Ranker Showdown on senshuraku.
As we turn to look at the schedule remaining, Kirishima will face Kotoshoho tomorrow. That leaves Atamifuji and Kotozakura as his only sanyaku competition remaining. Kotozakura kyujo would bring yet another rank-and-filer into play.
Kotozakura will fight Churanoumi tomorrow. Atamifuji will fight Fujiseiun and Wakatakakage will take on Gonoyama.
Down in the rank-and-file, Yoshinofuji will fight Tobizaru. They want to put the kibosh on the Monkey’s run soon. Hakunofuji will fight Oho. Kotoeiho will battle Asanoyama who fell out of the running today but is still seeking his kachi-koshi. And Ura will fight Fujiryoga.
Day Nine in Tokyo. No new kyujo in the top divisions.
Kazekeno picked up his first loss against Shonannoumi. At 8-1, he still holds a solo lead in the Juryo yusho race. Kazuma and Enho trail at 7-2. Enho defeated Nishikigi, a fading member of the old guard – and one of the larger members of the old guard. If I recall correctly, at one point he was the largest guy in Makuuchi. Enho still took him on head-on and managed to shove him out. No tricks.
Down in makushita, Omori slid out of the way of Tatsubayama to stay in the hunt for the third division title. Asahifuji survived a scare against Fudoho. The pair teetered at the edge with Asahifuji succeeding in pulling Fudoho down a fraction of a second before he went down. He’s still on the path to join the 21-win club but it’s obvious the competition will only get more difficult from here.
Takerufuji (6-3 Juryo) defeated Oshoumi (1-8). Oshoumi shifted to his left at the tachiai but Takerufuji still blanketed him and quickly blasted him from the ring. Yoritaoshi.
Wakanosho (5-4) defeated Roga (5-4). Roga attacked Wakanosho from the side and shoved him toward the bales. Wakanosho countered by shifting to the side and shoving Roga down. Tsukiotoshi.
Fujiryoga defeated Mitakeumi. Fujiryoga hit Mitakeumi with a solid tachiai and drove him back to the bales, attacking his face. Oshidashi.
Kotoeiho (7-2) defeated Tobizaru (7-2). Tobizaru allowed Kotoeiho to drive him back to the tawara, opting to use the bales to mount his counter attack. He shifted to the side but Kotoeiho adjusted well. Kotoeiho drove forward again and this time shoved Tobizaru clear from the ring. Oshidashi.
Shishi (3-6) defeated Tamawashi (0-9). Henka! Shishi jumped left and Tamawashi rolled to a stop at 0-9. Tsukiotoshi.
Kinbozan (5-4) defeated Ryuden (3-6). As Ryuden sought Kinbozan’s belt, Kinbozan rotated clockwise, eventually succeeding in making Ryuden dizzy and slapping him down. Hatakikomi.
Ura (6-3) defeated Tokihayate (3-6). Kokonoe-oyakata stopped the fight with the probably the most delayed “matta” call I’ve ever seen. People wondered if shinpan had the ability to stop a fight and he proved it today. The fight was well under way when he raised his hand. The gyoji saw it and stopped the fight. Everyone looked at the head shimpan. “What’s up?” Kokonoe-oyakata raised his fist. At first, I thought he was calling Ura for a forbidden closed fist strike. “Get your hands down!” “Okay. Yessir.” Extraordinary. So, everyone reset and went at it again. On the second tachiai, Ura had the clear upper hand, got behind Tokihayate and shoved him out from behind. Okuridashi.
Hakunofuji (6-3) defeated Abi (4-5). Abi seemed to have adopted Shodai’s “Stand-up” Tachiai. Regardless, Hakunofuji took advantage of Abi-zumo. He absorbed Abi’s tsuppari and moved forward when Abi retreated for his slapdown attempts. After a few hops, Abi was at the edge and Hakuoho – I mean, Hakunofuji – easily forced him out. Yorikiri.
Asanoyama (6-3) defeated Chiyoshoma (4-5). Asanoyama charged ahead and cast Chiyoshoma into the second row of spectators — under the watchful gaze of Lord Dark Helmet’s okamisan. (Oh dear, I might just have to do that fanfic. It would be brilliant. I’d have to write her as the not-so secret patron of the former Ozeki.) Oshidashi.
Nishikifuji (3-6) defeated Fujiseiun (5-4). I think Fujiseiun was a bit stunned by Nishikifuji’s head-first tachiai. Nishikifuji got his right arm under Fujiseiun’s left, rotated, and pulled Fujiseiun down. Kotenage.
Halftime
Churanoumi (6-3) defeated Oshoma (5-4). Churanoumi steadily beat Oshoma back with tsuppari. Tsukidashi.
Shodai (3-6) defeated Asahakuryu (3-6). It looked like Shodai was going to eat it there but he recovered, pressed forward and shoved Asahakuryu back to the bales. Some sloppy footwork from Asahakuryu and he stepped out instead of working his way along the tawara. Oshidashi.
Yoshinofuji (6-3) defeated Oho (3-6). Oho tried the double-outside arm hold. Unfortunately for him, Yoshinofuji was still able to use his arms. He put Oho in a bear hug, held him up and drove him to the bales and over. Yoshinofuji was glad to be free of Oho’s hold, stretching his elbow afterwards. Yorikiri.
Takanosho (4-5) defeated Hiradoumi (4-5). Takanosho shifted to his left and slapped Hiradoumi down. Hatakikomi.
Ichiyamamoto (4-5) defeated Fujinokawa (4-5). This was the best and most effective I have ever seen Ichiyamamoto’s tsuppari game. The thrusts kept Fujinokawa at bay. The subtle shifts and slapdowns forced him off balance. Fujinokawa was left with no way in. So, he went out. Oshidashi.
Sanyaku
Kotoshoho (6-3) defeated Wakatakakage (7-2). After an initial flurry of tsuppari from both men, Wakatakakage made the mistake of pulling. Kotoshoho was all over him and easily pressed forward and forced him out. Yorikiri.
Atamifuji (5-4) defeated Daieisho (3-6). Daieisho used his tsuppari to no effect. Atamifuji batted some volleys away but focused on pressing forward, forcing Daieisho to the bales. As he lost ground, Daieisho shuffled clockwise around the ring but Atamifuji pursued well and shoved Daieisho from the fighting surface. Oshidashi.
Kirishima (8-1) defeated Wakamotoharu (2-7). Kirishima forced Wakamotoharu back to the edge. Wakamotoharu tried to shift to the side but Kirishima drove straight through him, crushing him backwards. Wakamotoharu fell back on his but while Kirishima dove headlong over the edge. Kirishima was bloodied, possibly from landing face first on the step leading up to the dohyo. He rolled into a few Chads at the side of the ring and came up with a forehead and nose covered in blood. The way he was touching his face afterwards makes me think he might need some new dental work. But at least he got his kachi-koshi! Yoritaoshi.
Gonoyama (7-2) defeated Kotozakura (2-7). Kotozakura charged forward while Gonoyama shifted right along the tawara. Kotozakura fell forward and Gonoyama stepped out. Gunbai Gonoyama. Mono-ii. The shimpan judged Kotozakura out first, confirming the ruling on the field. Hatakikomi.
Wrap-up
Kotozakura will, in all likelihood be officially kadoban in the coming days. Will he go kyujo? Will Kirishima go kyujo to get his grill looked at? I just think we were inches from a real medical emergency today and hopefully Kirishima heads straight to the hospital to get sorted.
That said, this yusho race is pulling in some really interesting names. Wakatakakage and Tobizaru fall into the chase group. Kirishima regains his position as sole leader with his winning record secured.
On the other end of the spectrum, we’re getting a bit more clarity with the Makuuchi/Juryo exchanges. I’m interested to hear your opinions on this. In my humble opinion, at the current pace we could be getting three to five promotion cases from the second division. Onokatsu, Daiseizan, Takerufuji and maybe Sadanoumi seem determined to put in a good word. Kyokukaiyu or maybe even Kazuma might be able to get in there with great finishes to the tournament but I’m thinking three is most likely the number.
If that’s the case, Tamawashi, Oshoumi and Ryuden appear closest to earning slots on “the barge.” Everyone else at the bottom of Makuuchi seem determined to avoid the drop. Shishi and Tokihayate would really need to fall apart this week to join the other three.
We close out “Act Two” tomorrow. Already? Geez this basho is going by quickly. Kirishima will face Shodai tomorrow. Maybe Shodai can point the Ozeki to a good reference for the dental work. Kotozakura will fight Wakamotoharu and one of them will be make-koshi. Gonoyama will fight Kotoshoho. Kotoshoho’s been looking quite solid and might be a dark horse. In the final sanyaku bout, Wakatakakage will fight Atamifuji.
Down in the rank-and-file, Tobizaru will fight Abi, Fujiryoga will fight Tokihayate and Kotoeiho will take on Ryuden. I would have thought they would move Fujiryoga and Kotoeiho up a bit but no. Feeding them some chum for now. Will see you back here tomorrow.
