Introductory news of day 8 is that former Ozeki Asanoyama has withdrawn from competition citing problems with his left bicep. In his day 7 match against Hoshoryu, it seems Asanoyama injured that muscle and its associated tissue, and will wisely decide not to pull a Kisenosato by letting it recover. This will set back Asanoyama’s hopes of climbing the ranks by at least 4 months.

The leader group has narrowed to three: Hoshoryu, Nishikigi and Hokutofuji. None of them have prior yusho experience, and in my mind this is going to be a total toss up. There are 6 rikishi one win behind, and week 2 is going to be a rolling battle to sort that group out.

I would be remiss if I did not revisit a the subject of tate-gyoji Shikimori Inosuke. It’s been some time since he was declared a “hazard to the proper conduct of honbasho”, but that session in the middle of the final match today even had the shimpan a bit unhappy. Maybe it’s time for him to hang up the gumbai?

Highlight Matches

Ryuden defeats Ichiyamamoto – Ichiyamamoto still does not have his first win after Ryuden sets up a solid hold at the tachiai and simply muscles him back and out. I am sure Ichiyamamoto came back from kyujo to try and find any win he can, but that was a tough way to return, he is now 0-8 while Ryuden improves to 4-4.

Daishoho defeats Aoiyama – I am starting to accept that Aoiyama is just too banged up to execute “his brand of sumo” right now. He willingly goes chest to chest with Daishoho, with poor results. Whatever injuries Aoiyama is trying to work through have limited his mobility and his forward power. Daishoho now 3-5, Aoiyama possibly on the barge to Juryo for September.

Hakuoho defeats Shonannoumi – Shonannoumi gets a right hand inside at the tachiai, and looks to have a strong early position. But watch what Hakuoho does to counter that advantage – that’s some of the more clever, coordinated and energetic reactive sumo I have seen in a while. Shonannoumi finds he can’t maintain his grip, or his stance, as Hakuoho continues to disrupt him, shoving Shonannoumi out as he struggles to set his feet. Brilliant defensive work, Hakuoho now 6-2.

Endo defeats Kotoshoho – Kotoshoho looked to be to keep his mawashi far enough back from Endo that he could not set up a grip. This worked, but left Kotoshoho leaning too far forward, and Endo brought him down with a tottari, advancing to 6-2.

Takarafuji defeats Kotoeko – Takarafuji did a great job of capturing Kotoeko’s upper body while he was pushing Takarafuji back to set up a yorikiri. But at the bales Takarafuji was able to move to the side and twist back and down to drop Kotoeko for the win. Takarafuji now 6-2.

Tsurugisho defeats Bushozan – Tsurugisho’s does not see to have a lot of forward power this July, and today he quickly moved from thrusting attack at the tachiai to pulling Bushozan down. Fast work and Tsurugisho is now 2-6.

Chiyoshoma defeats Kinbozan – I was surprised that Kinbozan allowed Chiyoshoma to change his grip at the third step. This set up the throw that put Kinbozan on the clay and handed him his 4th loss. Chiyoshoma now 5-3 with some nice moves today.

Myogiryu defeats Gonoyama – Gonoyama has now lost three in a row, and I wonder if it’s injury, nerves or a bug in his real time sumo operating system. I like how Myogiryu focused center-mass immediately at the tachiai, breaking Gonoyama’s stance. Good move at the bales by Gonoyama to try and stop the force out, but the slap down was too late, Myogiryu took the match and advances to 4-4.

Hokutofuji defeats Takayasu – When Hokutofuji is dialed into his sumo, his lower body is akin to the 1980s and 1990s Chicago Bears. No matter what crummy stuff might be happening offensively (Hokutofuji’s upper body), the defense (lower body) may just carry the day. Thought the hazu (armpit) grip that Hokutofuji sets up as he starts to push Takayasu back is damn near perfect. Hokutofuji maintains his portion of the lead at 7-1.

Takanosho defeats Tamawashi – Tamawashi attempted an angled strike at the tachiai, but rather than put Takanosho off balance, it left Tamawashi on the wrong foot. Takanosho countered with expert hand placement center mass and quickly moved to push Tamawashi out by oshidashi, dropping Tamawashi out of the leader group. Takanosho now 3-5.

Hokuseiho defeats Sadanoumi – Sadanoumi worked hard to keep an ottsuke in place to block Hokuseiho’s right hand. It only worked for a short time, and then Sadanoumi found he had no tools left to counter the shitatenage. 4th win for Hokuseiho at 4-4.

Hiradoumi defeats Nishikifuji – Both men got into an energetic battle for grip which saw them rapidly change foot placement to break the other’s grip. But Nishikifuji lost track of his spot in the ring, and hopped out as he was moving to pull Hiradoumi forward. Hiradoumi now 3-5.

Oho defeats Onosho – Oho took full advantage of Onosho’s tendency toward having his weight too far forward, timing a slap on the back and step to the left to send Onosho out of the ring and into the front row, much to that lady in blue’s delight. Both end the day 3-5.

Meisei defeats Mitakeumi – Meisei delivered a nice combo attack at the tachiai that raised Mitakeumi’s center of gravity, allowing Meisei to push from underneath. Great sumo fundamentals to set up the yorikiri against a bigger opponent. Meisei now 4-4.

Nishikigi defeats Tobizaru – Nishikigi’s stand-up tachiai was a risky move, but I think given his poor eyesight and the chances that Tobizaru would try a lateral combo at the open, it was the safe bet. Tobizaru went directly into Nishikigi’s grip, which Nishikigi converted to a combo arm-bar and forearm to Tobizaru’s throat. An oshidashi finished him, and Nishikigi stays with the leader group at 7-1.

Abi defeats Shodai – Straight Abi-zumo win. Sadly Shodai had no counter moves today, and simply just rode the tsuki express to the Ryogoku station. Abi now 4-4.

Hoshoryu defeats Ura – Quite the rational strategy from Hoshoryu. Ura is going to come in super low, why not just see if you can help him travel the rest of the distance to the clay. It took two tries to get the hatakikomi, but it worked. Hoshoryu improves to 7-1 and stays in the leader group.

Wakamotoharu defeats Kotonowaka – Kotonowaka’s surge from the tachiai was almost enough to carry the match. But once Wakamotoharu’s heels touched straw, he rallied. The counter attack was enough to break Kotonowaka’s stance, which he was never able to recover. A quick walk to the east side bales, and it was yorikiri time. Wakamotoharu now 6-2.

Midorifuji defeats Kirishima – Kirishima was able to capture Midorifuji by the second step, and the two battled it out chest to chest. Some excellent move and counter move from both of them, and it turned into an endurance battle. As they leaned into each other, to my surprise, Inosuke ordered them to halt. I guess he wanted to cinch up Kirishima’s mawashi? Looked ok to me. Nah? not right? Get a yobidashi in to help too. Hell, I am sure there is at least someone from the fashion industry in the crowd, why not call them down too? Inosuke seems to get a bit lost, time to talk to the shimpan too! After all that haberdashery, the fight resumes to see Midorifuji finally put that left hand frontal grip to work, tossing Kirishima down and out of the ring. Weird match, but sure… Midorifuji 2-6. The crowd in Nagoya, amped up at the thoughts of a wardrobe malfunction that almost was, throws cushions in celebration.

Welcome to Nakabi! The middle day of a 15 day sumo tournament. Those of you wonderful readers who have never had the chance to enjoy a summer in Japan, let me share with you that it has its own special flavor of hot. Yes, Texas is like satan’s front porch, Florida is a sauna and Tucson will melt your shoes, but the combination of relentless high UV sun, the crushing humidity, and the general lack of industrial cooling in the country make for a very moist and drippy season. You can see it among the fans watching sumo at Nagoya’s Dolphins Arena. Some of them start fanning themselves the moment they sit down, some seem to instantly regret not finding some way to politely wear less clothing. The Arena is famous for having weak cooling systems in place, and you can see that the heat is taking a toll on the athletes as well.

With the start of Nakabi, it’s time for us to look at the race for the Emperor’s Cup.

Nagoya Leaderboard

It’s quite early in the yusho race, and I expect we are going to see the scheduling committee whittle this group down quite a bit in the final days of act 2. Looking at the 1 loss group, the only rikishi with prior yusho experience is none other than Tamawashi. A second third yusho coming at age 38 would be quite the accomplishment for one of the great stalwarts of the sport for the last two decades.

Leaders: Hoshoryu, Nishikigi, Tamawashi, Hokutofuji
Chasers: Daieisho, Wakamotoharu, Kotonowaka, Takayasu, Gonoyama, Shonannoumi, Takarafuji, Endo, Hakuoho

8 Matches Remain

What We Are Watching Day 8

Ryuden (3-4) vs Ichiyamamoto (0-5-2) – Ichiyamamoto is our Juryo visitor today. Those of you hoping he might stage a quick return to the top division will not be pleased to know he has not won a single match. He went kyujo on day 5, and is back to start day 8. Of course they put him in the top division match for the day and let him fight Ryuden. Oof.

Daishoho (2-5) vs Aoiyama (2-5) – Matching 2-5 records for these two rikishi on the make-koshi trail. I am pretty sure I like Aoiyama’s chances today in this match, but with his primary and secondary attack modes not nearly as potent as they should be, we can expect him to lose matches he’s favored in. I expect Aoiyama to try a push down / thrust down by the third or fourth step.

Hakuoho (5-2) vs Shonannoumi (5-2) – We can be pretty sure that short of an injury, both of these guys are going to be kachi-koshi. The fun now is to see if they can both make it to double digits. Clearly Hakuoho has the broad sumo recognition, but Shonannoumi has been fighting quite well, even looking good in his losses to Endo and Chiyoshoma. I think this match could be a fun one.

Endo (5-2) vs Kotoshoho (3-4) – I am expecting to see Endo continue his run toward kachi-koshi, with him also having a strong chance of hitting double digits and putting himself far enough up the banzuke for September that consideration of him ending up in Juryo for the first time in this decade are put to rest. Kotoshoho can hold his own with Endo, but Endo needs to escape from the bottom of the banzuke.

Kotoeko (4-3) vs Takarafuji (5-2) – An excellent match for these two. Neither one of them are fighting at their optimum, but I give an advantage to Takarafuji for today. Not only does he hold a 6-3 career lead, he shares Endo’s motivation to move away from the bottom of the banzuke and gain some distance from Juryo. Each have won one so far this year.

Bushozan (1-6) vs Tsurugisho (1-6) – Another battle of the soon to be make-koshi rikishi. Tsurugisho has a 4-2 career lead, but right now it’s pretty certain that both of these men are hurt in some way that is limiting their sumo. Since both were ranking in Juryo early this decade, their record is a more even 2-2, and I think we will see an even, if painful, fight today. I just hope nobody compounds their injuries.

Kinbozan (4-3) vs Chiyoshoma (4-3) – Both of these rikishi are in the middle lane of any kind of funnel that may or may not be underway. They have only fought once before, in Osaka this year, where Kinbozan dispatched Chiyoshoma with a tsuridashi. I know some of you may groan, but what would be nicer than a nice henka today?

Gonoyama (5-2) vs Myogiryu (3-4) – First ever match, and I am looking for Gonoyama to bounce back from his 2 consecutive losses. No, I don’t mean activating some secret “Bouncy Castle” mode in his GoeiDOS operating system… some people. If Gonoyama can avoid the slap down / pull down attempts which seem to be Myogiryu’s go-to combo this July, he should be able to thrust him out.

Takayasu (5-2) vs Hokutofuji (6-1) – For longtime sumo fans, this one is a classic. These two have 20 matches on the clay, with Takayasu having a distinct 13-7 advantage. Since Nagoya of 2021, it’s been 5 straight wins for Takayasu, so we may see him continue that streak again. That is unless Hokutofuji can disrupt the former Ozeki’s balance with his uncanny defensive moves.

Takanosho (2-5) vs Tamawashi (6-1) – In spite of Takanosho’s 6-2 career advantage, I don’t see this match going his way today. Tamawashi is part of the team at 1 loss that share the lead in the yusho race, and he’s fighting some of his best sumo since his second yusho last September. A third yusho this month is certainly not out of the question.

Hokuseiho (3-4) vs Sadanoumi (1-6) – First ever match that is likely in place A) because Hokuseiho has to fight someone, and B) Hokuseiho could really use a win, and why not use ailing Sadanoumi to donate a white star? Sadanoumi’s speed and agility won’t help him much today against Hokuseiho’s limited mobility and overwhelming enormity.

Hiradoumi (2-5) vs Nishikifuji (4-3) – At his highest ever rank, Hiradoumi is finding the competition tough this July. Given the strength of his fundamentals and sumo mechanics, this is his chance to grow. Nishikifuji still has a good chance of leaving Nagoya with 8 wins, but he will need to take 4 of the last 8 to get there. Nishikifuji has a 5-1 career lead.

Oho (2-5) vs Onosho (3-4) – Likewise, Oho is at his highest ever rank, and is finding himself falling short most days. Again, natural progression, and it’s his motivation to improve. Onosho has won his last 2 in a row, and I am hoping he has shed whatever ring rust was plaguing him at the start of Nagoya. He has only won once against Oho in their 4 prior matches.

Meisei (3-4) vs Mitakeumi (1-6) – I really don’t have expectations on Mitakeumi for this July. He’s kind of at a low point personally and physically, so any win he can come up with should be celebrated. He has at 10-5 career advantage over Meisei, but unless we get to see the “old” form of the Original Tadpole as we did on day 7, this may not be much of a contest.

Nishikigi (6-1) vs Tobizaru (4-3) – Having picked up his first loss on day 7, all eyes are on Nishikigi to see if he can go back to winning. Even if he does not, I am certain he will reach 8 wins, and quite possibly double digits. He has done remarkably well thus far, and I am impressed by his simple but effective sumo. He gets hyper-mobile chaos bot Tobizaru for an opponent today. Given Nishikigi’s limited eyesight and questionable mobility, he needs to get a grip at the tachiai if he wants to dictate the form of the match.

Shodai (2-5) vs Abi (3-4) – I want to see at least one match this basho with “good” Shodai from the non-crummy time line. Chances are fair we may get that against Abi today, as Shodai does tend to win against him.

Hoshoryu (6-1) vs Ura (4-3) – Hoshoryu is looking for 12 or maybe 11 wins this tournament. The fact that the Yokozuna and one Ozeki are in dry dock elevate his chances of reaching that goal. For today, I think the best Ura could do is try to play spoiler for Hoshoryu’s Ozeki hopes. He has an even 2-2 record against the Sekiwake, and I think it will come down to Hoshoryu making sure Ura does not latch on to some stray body part and start tugging on it.

Kotonowaka (5-2) vs Wakamotoharu (5-2) – Wakamotoharu is likewise looking for 11 or 12 wins this July. He has a stiff contest against Kotonowaka, who has a solid formula for dominating their matches. Kotonowaka holds a 6-3 career lead, and won both of their 2 most recent matches.

Asanoyama (4-3) vs Daieisho (5-2) – Daieisho is looking for 10 or 11 wins this tournament, and I like his chances against Asanoyama today. Asanoyama’s mechanics are still Ozeki grade, but the core strength, endurance and intensity are still in need of a bit of a tune up. Daieisho will look to keep Asanoyama at thrusting distance and disrupt him until he’s out or down.

Midorifuji (1-6) vs Kirishima (2-3-2) – Kirishima needs to win 6 of the final 8 to reach kachi-koshi and avoid joining Takakeisho in being kadoban for September. He has a 4-1 career record against Midorifuji, so the chances are good he can rack up win #3 today. But it would be great to see a Midorifuji katasukashi today.

Day 7 sees the Ozeki hopefuls continuing to maintain their push to double digits. Mathematically, they won’t all hit their goals, but it would be thrilling to see at least one new Ozeki minted this month. Let’s face it, Terunofuji’s knees left the building some time ago, and we are just counting down the months until he can’t maintain his position. So it’s time to warm up more Ozeki to fill in the top of the banzuke for a change.

Tonight we will take out first look at the yusho race, and we will find that we no longer have a sole leader in Nishikigi. My compliments to Kotonowaka for choosing a great strategy to nullify Nishikigi’s primary attack mode. That does not drop him from serious consideration at a yusho contender, but it has made the race quite interesting.

Highlight Matches

Hakuoho defeats Endo – Endo’s grab attempt at the tachiai misses it’s mark and he finds Hakuoho at his chest with a working hold on Endo’s body. Endo had to choose to counter or to try and break the hold, he chose to try and break via a series of hip twisting moves that Hakuoho completely bracketed (look at his stance), allowing Endo to reduce his forward pressure to zero. With Endo turned to the side, Hakuoho shoved him out. I hope this guy can stay healthy, he has outstanding defensive footwork. Hakuoho takes the win to end the day 5-2.

Takarafuji defeats Shimazuumi – The second first ever match in a row, Shimazuumi got a small taste of Takarafuji’s defensive sumo. I counted at least 4 attempts by Shimazuumi to reach in and get any kind of hand placement, just to find himself blocked. When he did get his hands in some kind of working position, his hips were already too high, with Takarafuji hustling him out. Takarafuji now 5-2.

Ryuden defeats Aoiyama – This was really a fight over the inside pushing lane. As Aoiyama ages out of the top division (he’s 37) we don’t get to see him really swing those enormous arms for the round house blows that would wreck an opponent’s focus. So he and fellow vet Ryuden work to push center mass, mixing in pull attempts as they go. Completely stalemated, Aoiyama tries a leg pick that fails, but leaves him unable to repel Ryuden’s next push. Good endurance and persistence from Ryuden as he advances to 3-4.

Kotoshoho defeats Bushozan – The key to this match was Kotoshoho not letting Bushozan square his hips. A bit at a time, Kotoshoho worked to get Bushozan off angle, which set up the tsukiotoshi that got him his 3rd win, now 3-4.

Shonannoumi defeats Gonoyama – Gonoyama’s tachiai was quite good, and netted him both hands inside against Shonannoumi’s chest, but he broke contact with the left just in time to receive a thrust to the head. With Gonoyama’s balance broken, Shonannoumi pulled him forward and across. I am kind of surprised that Gonoyama fell for this combo, but Shonannoumi played it well. Both end the day 5-2.

Kotoeko defeats Daishoho – There are days when Kotoeko really does some superb sumo, including today. Daishoho supplied the power and moved forward while Kotoeko gave ground and stayed mobile. It did not take long for him to get an opportunity to slip behind Daishoho and move for an okuridashi. Kotoeko now 4-3.

Chiyoshoma defeats Myogiryu – No trickery today from Chiyoshoma, they two exchanged head grab-n-twist moves,b ut setttled in for left hand inside yotsu. Myogiryu’s left hand grip was not strong, and Chiyoshoma took advantage, pulling Myogiryu forward into a katasukashi. Nice combo executed well, Chiyoshoma now 4-3.

Hokutofuji defeats Tsurugisho – Hokutofuji got a working grip at the tachiai and had control of the match from the second step. But for whatever reason he was not happy with his hand placement, allowing Tsurugisho to rally has Hokutofuji tried to change. It seems Hokutofuji realized he had flubbed it, and tried to pull Tsurugisho down. Only Hokutofuji’s impressive lower body skills kept him inside long enough for Tsurugisho to hit the clay, improving to 6-1.

Takanosho defeats Kinbozan – Delighted to see Takanosho pick up his second win. He opened with a nodowa to raise Kinbozan and push him back, and followed with a quick push to center mass to send Kinbozan out. Good combo work for Takanosho, now 2-5 by oshidashi.

Nishikifuji defeats Takayasu – Did anyone else see Takayasu turn his face to the right at the tachiai? That turn of the head was all it took to miss Nishikifuji slipping to the side, taking advantage of the subtle weight shift to Takayasu’s body and hurl him down. Super clever move, as Takayasu likes to look away at the moment of contact. Nishikifuji improves to 4-3.

Tamawashi defeats Hokuseiho – Tamawashi has been around forever, and while his potency has faded a bit with age, his skill and sheer combativeness is not diminished at all. In his time, Tamawashi used to nodowa the crap out of everyone. Neat to see him bring it out today to make sure Hokuseiho’s lug nuts are sufficiently torqued. It prevented Hokuseiho from setting up any kind of grip, and allowed Tamawashi to raise him up (how can you tell?) box him in and walk him back for a yorikiri. Excellent effort for the veteran now at 6-1.

Onosho defeats Sadanoumi – Onosho has now won 2 in a row, and I am starting to have hope that he has gotten rid of his ring rust and is in fighting form. Sadanoumi had no speed, mobility or stability today, and was an easy mark. Kind of tough to watch him struggle. Onosho applies a hatakikomi to improve to 3-4.

Hiradoumi defeats Oho – This match highlights my frustrations with Oho. The guy is clearly capable, and can bring some solid if unexciting sumo to the clay the marjority of the time. But what the hell was that? He let Hiradoumi inside, and had no real counter. I guess I should just chalk it up to status quo as Hiradoumi does tend to dominate him. Fine – both end the day 2-5.

Meisei defeats Midorifuji – A well choreographed Midorifuji step to the side nearly works, but Meisei is able to pivot and go right hand inside. Midorifuji had neither the mass or the muscle to shut down Meisei yotsu, and walked him out for a yorikiri, now 3-4.

Tobizaru defeats Shodai – The Ozeki sumo is still in Shodai. I know there are fans who think he was never worthy, but this guy can fight and is quite potent when his sumo is working. It was not working today. You can see him try to summon his power, but it never lasts for more than 2 steps and he’s on to something else. The net result is a chaotic mess of reaction to Tobizaru’s chaos. A bit of a surprise that Konosuke got tangled up in the scrum, he tends to stay clear. Tobizaru improves to 4-3.

Kotonowaka defeats Nishikigi – We all knew that this day would come, when the inexplicable unbeaten run of Nishikigi would come to an end. I adore that Kotonowaka did it by applying a more potent battle-hug to the master of that move. The key was that Kotonowaka took his second step before Nishikigi could stiffen up his back foot. Superb! Kotonowaka now 5-2.

Wakamotoharu defeats Abi – Only the second time that Wakamotoharu has been able to overcome Abi-zumo in 7 tries. Maybe he’s getting a recipe down to nullify Abi’s attack? The fundamental seems to be enduring the double arm thrusting volleys, wait for Abi to make a lateral move, and slap his wildly unbalanced hide down. Wakamotoharu improves to 5-2.

Daieisho defeats Ura – Pure Daieisho sumo here today. He hit hard at the tachiai, and never gave Ura a chance to set up any kind of defense. You can see Ura try for at least one grab in there, but there is just too much forward power coming from Daieisho’s mega-thrust sumo. He keeps his Ozeki dream happy by advancing to 5-2.

Hoshoryu defeats Asanoyama – You know Asanoyama wants back in the named ranks, and he’s working hard to get back there. But it’s been a few years since he fought the men who are the current san’yaku, and all of them have improved quite a bit. Evidenced today against Hoshoryu as both men execute “their brand of sumo” against each other. Asanoyama did not quite have the power to brute Hoshoryu out, but Hoshoryu had the balance and patience to set up that throw until it connected. Hoshoryu also keeping his Ozeki dream happy at 6-1.

Mitakeumi defeats Kirishima – Mitakeumi is in a crummy portion of his life. His father died, he lost Ozeki and he’s probably in daily pain from his sumo injuries. That’s what make’s today’s match even more enjoyable. Pure Mitakeumi top drawer sumo. For a man that wide and round, it amazes me how narrow a force vector he can produce when all the pieces come together. Unstoppable power into the middle of Kirishima popped the lone Ozeki on his heels and ran him out of the ring. First win for Mitakeumi, and he is 1-6.

Hello again sumo fans! It’s Bruce back on the basho beat after being kyujo for the first week. I salute blog creator Andy for filling in while we welcomed our second child into this big wonderful world of ours. With the baby safely home and in regular rotation, it’s time for me to return to tournament coverage, and give Andy a well earned break.

That’s right – I know some of you are now going to be disappointed that the king of typos and odd terms has made is return. If you find the Bruce commentary too tedious, I would encourage you to check out the amazing sumoforum.net – with information from actual sumo experts rather than some junkyard, half-assed guy in Texas. Trust me, you will be glad you did!

We are starting the middle weekend of the sweltering Nagoya tournament, and I think most sumo fans around the world stare at the sole leader – Nishikigi – in abject amazement. He’s 32 years old, and he has been a journeyman Maegashira since 2016. But that includes him frequently dipping back into Juryo to tinker on his sumo. In fact, his most recent Juryo posting was January of last year. He can’t see squat without his glasses, so he fights via hearty application of a fierce “battle hug” yotsu. Now he has 5 straight wins on the clay, a kinboshi and one fusensho – what the hell?

I think we may be seeing a run similar to Tokushoryu’s magical 14-1 yusho in January of 2020, where everything aligned just right for him and he completely dominated all opponents. If that same kami has a hold of Nishikigi, it could not happen to a nicer fellow, but he has 9 more matches to go.

What We Are Watching Day 7

Endo (5-1) vs Hakuoho (4-2) – Endo is slumming down at M16e for one reason only, injury. Facing the prospect of being ranked in Juryo for the first time in nearly 7 years, the guy found some mojo. He is a high-skill rikishi who has a whopping 7 kinboshi over his 62 tournament career history. But this is his first time fighting Hakuoho, who is nothing short of phenomenal. I look forward to Endo applying some of his razor sharp technique in today’s opener.

Shimazuumi (3-3) vs Takarafuji (4-2) – Shimazuumi is up from Juryo today to fill the banzuke gap against a thankfully resurgent Takarafuji. Like Endo, the years of battling it out in the top division have resulted in a number of performance limiting injuries that have cut back his ability to dominate his matches. This is the first time he has matched against Shimazuumi, thought I am quite certain they will go chest to chest at the tachiai. Could be a strong yotsu battle today.

Ryuden (2-4) vs Aoiyama (2-4) – Both of these veterans are on the path toward a make-koshi as of the middle weekend. Aoiyama has only managed to beat Endo and Bushozan so far this July. Like the other vets, the years and injuries take their toll, and both are at risk of dropping to Juryo for September. Ryuden has won 3 of the last 4.

Bushozan (1-5) vs Kotoshoho (2-4) – After a blistering 10-5 in May, Bushozan has only won a signle match in his second posting to the top division. His prior tour was in March where he finished 5-10, and seems to be on course for something similar. Kotoshoho is not doing much better, and I expect will struggle quite a bit in the second week against the likes of Endo, Aoiyama and Takarafuji.

Gonoyama (5-1) vs Shonannoumi (4-2) – I have been itching to write about Gonoyama. He’s Goeido’s disciple, and living proof that upgrades can happen. It’s been years since anyone has been running a stable version of GoeiDOS, let along using it to win matches. The guy even looks a bit like Goeido with that strong Jomon face. He has won against Shonannoumi in 3 of their 4 prior matches, all of them in the 3 prior tournaments this year.

Kotoeko (3-3) vs Daishoho (2-4) – What? Kotoeko struggling with a middling score going into the weekend of a tournament? I think we will see him on target for a 7-7 a week from today. He once again has “Darwin written all over him”.

Chiyoshoma (3-3) vs Myogiryu (3-3) – To funnel or not to funnel? I am looking at the 2-4 / 3-3 / 4-2 all facing each other, and I get the feeling that the schedulers, after taking a few tournaments off, are trying this pattern over the weekend. Maegashira 10 seems to be a bit of a “sweet spot” for Myogiryu, so he should be right on the 7-7 line through next week.

Tsurugisho (1-5) vs Hokutofuji (5-1) – I had to check and re-check, but yes, this is the first time that Tsurugisho and Hokutofuji have ever fought. Tsurugisho is having a bad tournament, likely due to injury, so he will be donating white stars for the remaining 9 days. Thankfully he is ranked high enough at M11w that with a few more wins he should be safe in the top division.

Takanosho (1-5) vs Kinbozan (4-2) – Takanosho seems to be remarkably lucky. After a 11-4 jun-yusho in May of 2022, he has been fighting hurt for the past year. He managed a pair of 8 win kachi-koshi, but is meandering around his current Maegashira 9 rank. The man has a lot of skill and power, when he’s heathy. But I would say that after a year now, this is possibly something close to his new normal. He should be easy meat for Kinbozan today.

Takayasu (5-1) vs Nishikifuji (3-3) – At 33 and with 3 kyujo in the past year, we can safely say that Takayasu’s body has had just about enough sumo. It’s a shame because he’s had 7 jun-yusho in his career, but never hoisted the cup. Currently at 5-1, he has to be considered a contender at this point. I know his fans would love to see his picture added to the hall of fame in the rafters of the Kokugikan.

Hokuseiho (3-3) vs Tamawashi (5-1) – I adored Ura’s take down of Hokuseiho on day 6. Quite the well considered approach to fighting a man that big and that strong. But I think today we will see Tamawashi go more head on. Tamawashi fights best mobile, moving and striking his opponent with maximum force. This is a great opposite of Hokuseiho’s tendency to treat everyone like a piece of oversized luggage refusing to be loaded into the cargo hold. First ever fight, could be sparks flying.

Sadanoumi (1-5) vs Onosho (2-4) – I really want to see Onosho break out of this losing rut. He seems to have hot and cold streaks in his sumo, and this is certainly part of a cold streak. He tends to blast Sadanoumi away when he can connect with his big frontal power, which happens about ¾ of the time. They have both won one match so far this year against the other.

Hiradoumi (1-5) vs Oho (2-4) – I continue to view Oho’s sumo as pedestrian and lack luster. But he has managed to get himself to Maegashira 6 with that kind of sumo, so it’s working for him. He’s on the “make-koshi” side of the sorting funnel right now, possibly over promoted where his sumo can function well enough to win. I still expect that he has a lot more headroom in his technique and his power, so just another step along the way for him.

Midorifuji (1-5) vs Meisei (2-4) – Another pair on the make-koshi side of the funnel, it’s tough stakes for both of these men, who are not fighting well at all this month. Given how bloody terribly hot it is both in Nagoya and inside the venue, it’s an actual consideration if the environment is causing trouble for the athletes. It’s crummy enough there that I am tempted to start a fund raiser to buy Dolphin’s Arena an industrial cooling unit.

Shodai (2-4) vs Tobizaru (3-3) – Whatever robbed us of the “good” Shodai is certainly in effect this July. It’s a shame as I could really use a good dose of his brand of sumo this week. He has been kachi-koshi at Nagoya the last 3 years, but I think it’s kind of a tall order for 2023. He has beaten Tobizaru in 7 of their prior 9 matches, including all 3 this year.

Kotonowaka (4-2) vs Nishikigi (6-0) – Will the battle-hug sustain Nishikigi for a 6th straight match? I know that Kotonowaka uses a variation of that technique himself at times, so I would hope he has an antidote to it ready to employ. Much as it would delight me to see Nishikigi 8-0 at the end of nakabi, I think the chances of him picking up his first black star this weekend are strong. Kotonowaka holds a minor 3-2 career lead over Nishikigi.

Abi (3-3) vs Wakamotoharu (4-2) – Big thrusting power against one of the best yotsu men in sumo today. A pure classing clash of sumo styles, and it tends to go in Abi’s favor (5-1). Wakamotoharu will need to get inside of the thrusting attack and get some kind of hold to pick up a much needed win.

Ura (4-2) vs Daieisho (4-2) – Daieisho’s hopes for Ozeki are in peril, and he needs to dispatch Ura in the first moments of the match before “Plasticman” cooks up some kind of unlikely and physics defying combo to put him on the clay. History says it’s Daieisho’s match to lose with an 8-2 career lead, but I am certain Ura is powered up after that win against Hokuseiho.

Hoshoryu (5-1) vs Asanoyama (4-2) – They have only fought once before, in May of 2021, and that match went to Hoshoryu. I am eager to see Asanoyama fight his way back into the top ranks, and he’s going to have to tear up Hoshoryu to do it. Bonus motivation – Hoshoryu is working toward a goal of 12 wins to make a big for Ozeki promotion.

Mitakeumi (0-6) vs Kirishima (2-2-2) – The freshly minted but only competing Ozeki is looking solid after returning from kyujo on day 4. He should have an easy match against an utterly moribund Mitakeumi, who has yet to show us any real sumo this July. I don’t blame him. I was completely useless for a few months after my father died, too. Buckets of sympathy to the original tadpole, he must have been a heck of a man to raise someone with that kind of drive and determination.