With day 9 in the history books, the yusho race is taking a bit of a turn, though both leaders are still out in front. Rather the group that was 1 win behind suffered a catastrophic spate of losses, leaving on Tsurugisho, who won his match against Mitakeumi, in the chase position. What this means as far as I can tell is that both Takayasu and Atamifuji would need to suffer 2 losses to make this competitive. This is me assuming that Tsurugisho is going to take at least 1 more dive to the dirt before senshuraku. More on this in the day 10 preview.

Hoshoryu dropped another match today, and it’s getting rather serious. He would not be the first or last Ozeki to start with a kadoban tournament, but you would just rather not see it at all. I am sure he will get his sumo, his body and his mind back together before Kyushu. He needs to win 5 of the last 6 matches it hit 8.

Highlight Matches

Kotoshoho defeats Myogiryu – Glad to see that Kotoshoho is still able to win a match. Myogiryu let him get a right hand inside belt grip when he made what looked like a half hearted attempt at a neck pull on Kotoshoho. Myogiryu’s grip change cost him the match, as he opened himself up to the uwatenage. Kotoshoho improves to 3-6.

Sadanoumi defeats Daishoho – Daishoho opened strong, had good hand placement, and was moving Sadanoumi back. Sadanoumi knew he was overpowered, but tried for a hatakikomi at the bales, and it worked. Daishoho goes down, and Sadanoumi improves to 5-4 after a monoii to review the call.

Aoiyama defeats Takarafuji – I will add Aoiyama to the “not quite ready for his make-koshi” group. He manages a hatakikomi against Takarafuji’s forward push, and brings him down. Aoiyama now 3-6.

Hokuseiho defeats Chiyoshoma – Chiyoshoma is not a small fellow, but it’s comical to see how high up he has to reach to try for a nodowa. The normal rules of sumo just don’t seem to apply at times fighting his guy. Chiyoshoma figures this out, and abandons attacks against Hokuseiho’s neck or chest, and simply goes for a leg trip. I am actually impressed none of that work, and Hokuseiho seems quite adept at hopping around on one foot and continuing to fight. As Chiyoshoma tries to rotate faster, they both tumble with Chiyoshoma landing first. They score it as an abisetaoshi, and Hokuseiho is now 5-4.

Tsurugisho defeats Mitakeumi – Mitakeumi had control of the opening moments of the match, enough so that Tsurugisho gave into the desire to pull Mitakeumi down. It did not work, but it allowed Tsurugisho to move behind the former Ozeki and push him out from behind. Tsurugisho now 7-2.

Endo defeats Kagayaki – Kagayaki did a solid job of defending his belt during the tachiai and the subsequent set of volleys from Endo. Endo settled for a body hold, and dialed up the forward power, settling for a direct yorikiri. Endo improves to 6-3.

Atamifuji defeats Kinbozan – A fine example of denshamichi-sumo, Atamifuji switches on the express track and delivers the goods. Not sure what Kinbozan had in mind, but I am sure it was not that. Atamifuji kachi-koshi at 8-1.

Oho defeats Nishikifuji – Nishikifuji gets a good hit in at the tachiai, but misses his tries to get a grip. Oho responds and shuts him down, then runs him out of the east side. Oho improves to 3-6 by oshidashi.

Takayasu defeats Kotoeko – Kotoeko just does not have the bulk to stand up to a rampaging Takayasu, and is quickly shown the west side salt basket. Takayasu kachi-koshi at 8-1.

Onosho defeats Hiradoumi – My compliments to Hiradoumi, for really bringing the fight to Onosho today. In response Onosho was forced to amplify his sumo, eventually catching Hiradoumi too far forward and swatting him to the clay. Onosho improves to 6-3 by hatakikomi.

Midorifuji defeats Shonannoumi – Midorifuji gets his hands inside and immediately sets up a pull throw combo. The results is the seldom seen makiotoshi, dropping Shonannoumi to the clay. Midorifuji is now 4-5.

Takanosho defeats Ryuden – Ryuden had the stronger attacks today, but kept finding himself too far forward. Takanosho would move aside, and Ryuden would stumble forward. I appreciate that he did not lose fall, but it was still a bit too much chaos. Takanosho breaks contact, re-engages and drives forward for a yorikiri, he is now 5-4 after winning the last 3 in a row.

Asanoyama defeats Tamawashi – Sigh… Tamawashi’s got nothing this basho. Though he almost had Asanoyama out first by an edge of the ring uwatenage. The former Ozeki improves to 5-4 by yorikiri.

Meisei defeats Shodai – I think Shodai was going to try for his “wall of Daikon” move again today, and Meisei shut that down with a well timed sotogake. Did Shodai even know Meisei’s leg was around his knee? Meisei now 4-5.

Abi defeats Tobizaru – Abi connected on target at the tachiai, and his opening combo took away whatever response Tobizaru had in mind. From there it was 3 steps to the tawara, and Tobizaru never got a chance to make a forward move. Abi improves to 5-4.

Hokutofuji defeats Nishikigi – Brilliant work by Hokutofuji to keep Nishikigi close enough to clobber, but far enough away he can’t set up his battle hug. This left Nishikigi without most of his offensive weaponry, and allowed Hokutofuji to dictate the form and pace of the match.

Daieisho defeats Wakamotoharu – It’s great to see Daieisho get the kind of match where he excels. It was all power forward, and in the brief time that Wakamotoharu was able to counter attack, Daieisho evaded quite well. Wakamotoharu’s rally was short lived, and Daieisho drove him from the ring by oshidashi. Daieisho now 5-4.

Takakeisho defeats Gonoyama – Anyone else thankful we got to see Takakeisho’s classic form today? Nice wave-action tsuppari, obliterating young Gonoyama, dumping him back to the east side to visit Kotonowaka. Both end the day 6-3.

Kirishima defeats Ura – Beautiful attack plan from Ura to start the match. He had Kirishima on defense, and made him work for the win. But it was Ura who succumbed to the mind bending manifold of Thurston geometry as he seems to have thrown himself so hard he got airborne. Kirishima now 6-3, needing 2 more wins to clear kadoban.

Kotonowaka defeats Hoshoryu – Hoshoryu opened with a lighting fast move to the side, allowing him to capture a right hand outside belt grip. This should have set him up for a fair number of winning moves, but Kotonowaka broke Hoshoryu’s grip, grabbed an arm, and twisted into Hoshoryu’s forward rush. The resulting kotenage was tangled enough that it required a monoii to figure out. The shimpan award the match to Kotonowaka, and he receives a kensho pile diorama of Sakurajima, improving to 5-4.

With the middle weekend of the basho behind us, it’s time to march ahead to week 2 and the conclusion of Aki. During the second week, experience and stamina play an increasing role in rikishi’s daily performance. It’s where the yusho race will become refined, and we will see who has what it takes to compete for the cup.

Yesterday’s Ozeki blowout means that none of them are in serious contention right now, and may not play much of a role in the yusho race. Let’s see what their situation looks like:

• O1E Kirishima – Needs 3 more wins over the final 7 days to clear kadoban and retain rank. Short of picking up a new mechanical injury, he should be able to pull this off.
• O1W Takakeisho – Also needs 3 more wins over the final 7 days, but was in a bit more uncertain condition before the basho. His day 8 loss to Tobizaru saw him ejected off the dohyo to land in the front row. We don’t know if he injured himself, but it’s something to look out for.
• O2E Hoshoryu – Needs 5 wins out of the final 7 matches to avoid kadoban in his opening tournament. This is a tough situation for him, and I hope it is motivating him to focus more on his sumo technique.

Aki Leaderboard

The leaders both won on day 8, but the chase group suffered some casualties. The hunt group is 10 men wide, and we will wait to list them until things narrow down a bit. I am keeping my eye on Wakamotoharu, who could be in a good position to contend for the cup next weekend.

Leaders: Takayasu, Atamifuji
Chasers: Wakamotoharu, Gonoyama, Myogiryu, Tsurugisho
Hunt Group: Too many to list

7 Matches Remain

What We Are Watching Day 9

Myogiryu (6-2) vs Kotoshoho (2-6) – Within the next few days, we may get to see lksumo publish some of his promotion/demotion forecasts. I am starting to worry about Kotoshoho, who can’t seem to find a win. He’s not got better odds today, as he has only beaten Myogiryu once in six attempts. That win came on day 9 of Kyushu 2022.

Daishoho (2-6) vs Sadanoumi (4-4) – My favorite for captain of the Juryo barge of the damed faces off against speed rikishi Sadanoumi today. He has a 2-2 record, but given how poorly Daishoho has been fighting this month, I am not sure there is much hope. He likely has some injury that is disrupting his sumo, and will need to try to recover following the basho.

Takarafuji (4-4) vs Aoiyama (2-6) – An impressive 31 career matches between these two, with 22 of them going to Aoiyama. Aoiyama can still execute sumo moves well enough, but he really does not seem to have the ability to deliver power through his arms, or his legs. I think it’s also indicative of Aoiyama’s overall fade that Takarafuji has won both prior matches this year, and six of the last 7 head to head fights.

Chiyoshoma (2-6) vs Hokuseiho (4-4) – I am pretty sure we won’t see another henka today, but who knows. Chiyoshoma is part of an ignoble group of 8 rikishi with only 2 wins who are fairly certain to end up make-koshi. At his spot on the banzuke, he would be considered for demotion back to Juryo. Chiyoshoma won their only prior contest, day 9 of Osaka, by uwatedashinage. That’s a long way to fall.

Mitakeumi (5-3) vs Tsurugisho (6-2) – What I like about this contests is that Mitakeumi certainly has the strength to push Tsurugisho, and has the technique to produce a win. They have two prior matches, the most recent went to Tsurugisho on day 11 of Natsu. The one before that? Day 11 of Natsu, 2015 – when both were in Makushita!

Kagayaki (4-4) vs Endo (5-3) – Kagayaki is big, and his sumo is simple. When he can execute crisply, he tends to win because his fundamentals have been so strong in the past. Endo is a master technician, and tends to to dismantle Kagayaki’s simple sumo. Endo holds an 11-5 career lead, and I think he will likely expand that today.

Kinbozan (5-3) vs Atamifuji (7-1) – Much as I think Kinbozan has a bright future in sumo, right now Atamifuji is on fire, and shares a portion of the yusho race lead. They have never fought before, but I give Atamifuji the edge to pick up his 8th win and kachi-koshi today.

Nishikifuji (4-4) vs Oho (2-6) – Oho is part of that ignoble 2 win group, and I think there is not much that can save him from make-koshi at this point. The good news is that he’s at no risk of being demoted out of the top division, so whatever injury or problem he is having is something he will have time to resolve. He has a nearly even (5-4) record against Nishikifuji, and normally this would be an interesting fight. But an diminished Oho may not have much sumo to employ today,

Takayasu (7-1) vs Kotoeko (2-6) – The second of the co-leaders fights against Kotoeko next. Kotoeko is one of these rikishi that I am usually surprised by their low or poor score. He fights well, and puts a lot of energy into his matches, but he just can’t seem to win on a day to day basis. He hand Takayasu have fought twice before, with each taking 1 win apiece. Should Takayasu win today, he would be kachi-koshi.

Onosho (5-3) vs Hiradoumi (2-6) – Onosho gets the job of handing Hiradoumi his 7th loss, and I predict as long as the junior tadpole can keep his feet and not get too eager to win, he’s got this one locked up. He holds a 3-1 career lead over Hiradoumi, and I see no reason for Hiradoumi to win today.

Midorifuji (3-5) vs Shonannoumi (5-3) – In spite of the score gap, this is (at least to myself) an interesting match. I know that Midorifuji has enough sumo skill to put the much more massive Shonannoumi on the clay if he can get things to align. But right now Shonannoumi is having a better basho, and is not likely to give Midorifuji an opening to use his attacks. Their only prior match, day 2 of Kyushu 2018, was a Shonannoumi win.

Takanosho (4-4) vs Ryuden (2-6) – Takanosho has pulled up even to 4-4 following is somewhat unexplainable pasting of Kirishima on day 8. Can he carry forward his good sumo and beat Ryuden today? Ryuden is part of the group of rikishi with just 2 wins who are likely headed for make-koshi. He suffers from chronic hip and lower back problems, and if I had to guess he is enduring some of that this basho.

Tamawashi (0-8) vs Asanoyama (4-4) – It’s sad to watch Tamawashi struggle this much. He’s never missed a day of sumo, so he’s not going kyujo in the last week. He will instead mount the dohyo and lose matches. I know Asanoyama could use the white star, so I am sure he is thankful for Tamawashi’s “iron man” reputation.

Shodai (3-5) vs Meisei (3-5) – Both rikishi start the day with 3-5 records, and both are having hit or miss (mostly miss) daily battles. I chalk this one up to “Shodai had to fight somebody…” He has a 9-6 career advantage over Meisei, but the last 4 in a row have all gone to Meisei. This could be one to watch.

Abi (4-4) vs Tobizaru (5-3) – Two rikishi who have rapid attack style. Abi with his predictable double arm blast ahead sumo, and Tobizaru with best in class combos and lateral mobility. Abi tends to win these matches by a 6-3 ratio, winning 3 of the last 4 matches in a row.

Nishikigi (4-4) vs Hokutofuji (5-3) – I really, dearly want to see Nishikigi reach 8 wins and secure a kachi-koshi in the san’yaku. But to do that, he must win the majority of the remaining matches. His record against Hokutofuji is hit or miss (5-6), with 2 of the 3 matches this year going to Hokutofuji.

Daieisho (4-4) vs Wakamotoharu (6-2) – As mentioned in the commentary, I am starting to think that Wakamotoharu will contend for the cup in act 3. To get there, he will need to win through the rest of act 2, starting with power attack monster Daieisho. Wakamotoharu holds a narrow 4-3 career record against Daieisho, with both winning 2 so far this year. This will likely be a tough fight.

Gonoyama (6-2) vs Takakeisho (5-3) – Oh, this is a match worth staying up in the middle of the night to see. The Grand Tadpole against Shin-Goeido. Hey, anyone else catch Raja slip up on day 8 and call him Goeido? Apologies to the NHK crew for polluting your thought space, just having a bit of fun drawing parallels between the coach and his star athlete. This is their first ever match, and I am hoping that Takakeisho did not pick up an injury on day 8 flying off the dohyo, and is able to show Gonoyama a proper wave-action welcome to the joi-jin.

Kirishima (5-3) vs Ura (5-3) – Just when you think its safe to go back on the dohyo. Like Tobizaru, you can’t take your eye off of Ura, even for a moment. he will gladly discombobulate your sumo and run your match plan amok. You will find yourself pulled through an unknown dimension on your way to eating a face full of clay. Yes, Kirishima holds a 5-2 career lead, but on any given day, Ura may suspend the laws of physics and give you a lesson in Thurston geometries.

Kotonowaka (4-4) vs Hoshoryu (3-5) – Kotonowaka has a difficult task ahead of him today. He has only won against Hoshoryu 4 times in 14 attempts, but he is one of the 3 people who won against him during his 12-3 yusho run that saw him promoted to Ozeki. I would expect Hoshoryu to bring overwhelming focus and motivation to today’s match, and that may be part of the problem. I am going to guess he is worried, and rather than just relax and act on his best sumo instincts, he may let his thoughts get in the way of his actions. Should be a good fight.

With the middle day of sumo in the books, it’s on to the second half of the basho. The matches will increasingly focus on shaping the yusho race, and sorting everyone into make-koshi and kachi-koshi. So far there has been no sign of a “Darwin Funnel” to pen people into a lane, which I think is the right way to approach things for now.

Today was a day of chaos, and there was plenty to go around, capped with Tobizaru giving a master class of winning by not losing. But San’yaku gyoji Kimura Yodo should probably take a breather and get his wits about him, something was not quite right today. All three Ozeki lost, and the risk of shin-Ozeki Hoshoryu going kadoban on this first tournament grows. Both Kirishima and Takakeisho need 3 wins out of the final 7 days to clear their kadoban, and I have confidence they can.

Highlight Matches

Atamifuji defeats Aoiyama – Aoiyama gets a thrusting attack going against Atamifuji’s face, but there is really no power to it, it’s more of a ¥2500 facial massage, leaving Atamifuji refreshed, ready to fight, and looking fabulous. It’s a quick shove and a push to apply the oshidashi, and Atamifuji maintains his share of the lead at 7-1.

Myogiryu defeats Daishoho – Daishoho moves ever closer to his spot on the Juryo barge with yet another loss. Myogiryu takes him to his chest, and if you are looking at it, it seems Daishoho’s fully into the fight. But Myogiryu taps his back and steps away, resulting in Daishoho casually falling forward. Odd ending to that match, Myogiryu 6-2.

Chiyoshoma defeats Nishikifuji – Chiyoshoma, what took you so long? The long awaited henka was finally delivered, with Nishikifuji finding pushing him from behind. Granted, Nishikifuji did put up a bit of a defense, but there was not too much he could do from that position. Chiyoshoma improves to 2-6.

Tsurugisho defeats Takarafuji – Takarafuji has enough time to set up his hand placement, and get his feet set. As he moves to attack, he finds Tsurugisho easily able to move him about, and places him across the bales. The yorikiri advances Tsurugisho to 6-2.

Kagayaki defeats Sadanoumi – Kagayaki gets his hands into the inside thrusting lane early, and never lets Sadanoumi set up any kind of defense or counter attack. Forced to break his stance, Sadanoumi is moved back and out by tsukidashi for a Kagayaki win. Both end the day 4-4.

Hokuseiho defeats Kotoshoho – Humming the tune “I fought the bridge, and the bridge won”, Hokuseiho shows us just how much power he can generate when he feels like fighting. He man handles Kotoshoho about and tosses him bodily from the ring. A yoritaoshi win for Hokuseiho, and he is now 4-4. Nice opening move from Hokuseiho too.

Takayasu defeats Mitakeumi – Outstanding power to power battle. I really appreciated that Mitakeumi was maniacal about setting up and maintaining that hazu-oshi to keep Takayasu back and too high to be effective. They locked up with Mitakeumi’s left hand in Takayasu’s armpit, and Takayasu’s left arm blocked by Mitakeumi’s ottsuke. After a brief pause, Mitakeumi attacked well from below, but could not maintain his balance when Takayasu turned away at the tawara, and slammed Mitakeumi to the clay. The hatakikomi win maintains Takayasu’s share of the lead at 7-1.

Endo defeats Oho – Oho does a poor job of defending his belt, allowing Endo to establish a grip more than once. That grip finally hauls Oho over and down, with Endo landing first. The gumbai went to Oho, and a monoii was called. The replay shows Oho’s left foot sliding off the tawara and onto the janome, giving the win to Endo by isamiashi. Endo us now 5-3.

Onosho defeats Kinbozan – Classic combo – stand him up and throw him down. Onosho does not even take a moment to dispatch Kinbozan by hatakikomi, and both are now 5-3.

Midorifuji defeats Ryuden – Ryuden continues to suffer, but at least we get to see a Midorifuji katasukashi in the process! Ryuden was too far forward, and ripe for that move. Midorifuji now 3-5.

Gonoyama defeats Kotoeko – Almost looked like Kotoeko attempted some kind of partial henka, leaping to the side at the tachiai. Gonoyama was having none of that. He caught Kotoeko mid flight and rushed him to the exit. Gonoyama improves to 6-2.

Shonannoumi defeats Hiradoumi – Hiradoumi failed to protect his left, allowing Shonannoumi to get a big grip of Hiradoumi’s belt. From there it was lift and tote to the tawara, with Shonannoumi delivering Hiradoumi to the clay like the local UPS driver delivers my fragile parcels. Shonannoumi now 5-3.

Abi defeats Shodai – Abi had a good opening combo, and may have assumed that Shodai would rush forward and try a “Wall of Daikon” against him. Sure enough, Shodai rushes forward, but Abi decided not to wait around and find out. Shodai launches face first into the waiting gyoji, and Abi improves to 4-4.

Asanoyama defeats Meisei – Solid performance by Asanoyama, who maintained contact with Meisei and kept the pressure forward. Meisei did his best to escape, but found himself across the tawara in rapid order. Asanoyama now 4-4.

Daieisho defeats Nishikigi – Daieisho does exactly what is needed, he keeps Nishikigi away from his belt no matter what. Of course Nishikigi dials up his power trying to get inside and get close. All Daieisho needed to do was time one of Nishikigi’s lunges forward, and apply a bit of downward pressure. The chaos ensues, and there’s a monoii with kensho being handed out at the same time. The whole thing devolves into a bit of chaos before the shimpan sort it all out, reviewing the video and figuring out that Daieisho really did win, both are 4-4.

Hokutofuji defeats Kotonowaka – So the question must be asked, did gyoji Kimura Yodo get rattled by what happened in the prior bout, because then this beauty takes place. A half hearted tachiai that probably should have been a matta, but Yodo calls out Hakkeyoi!! So the fight is sort of on? Hokutofuji’s right hand did most of the work, progressively pushing Kotonowaka to the side, disrupting his balance. The resulting oshitaoshi gave Hokutofuji his 5th win, and he is now 5-3.

Wakamotoharu defeats Tamawashi – Tamawashi put some energy into this match, but still had no forward power. Wakamotoharu took his time, absorbing Tamawashi’s partially powered thrusts. Wakamotoharu was able to get beside Tamawashi, and thrust him down, winning by hatakikomi. Tamawashi is now 0-8 and make-koshi, while Wakamotoharu improves to 6-2.

Takanosho defeats Kirishima – Takanosho continues his domination over Kirishima, it’s the craziest thing. Takanosho can be having a crummy basho. If he fights Kirishima, suddenly the big sumo comes out and he wins decisively. Takanosho put a lot of power forward with almost no defense by Kirishima, and he was into the front row visiting Tobizaru in a hurry. Takanosho improves to 4-4.

Ura defeats Hoshoryu – Hoshoryu makes a fatal assumption in the tachiai, assuming Ura will be low and off balance. Well, he might have been right, but was not today. It left Hoshoryu wide open for the push-pull combo that dropped him to the clay by the second step. Even Ura was surprised that worked, he is now 5-3.

Tobizaru defeats Takakeisho – One of the reasons I have like Tobizaru for years is that he has enough variations to his sumo that his opponents are always going to struggle trying to contain him. Takakeisho missed with most of his early thrusting and tsuppari attacks, which allowed Tobizaru to start his plan of light power but heavy disruption moves to keep the Ozeki from powering up. Tobizaru’s impressive mobility and sense of just where he is in the ring and how far away his opponent is was on full display. Takakeisho could not land anything, and became increasingly off balance. A final double hand push against Takakeisho’s undefended chest set the Ozeki falling off the dohyo. Hopefully he was not hurt. Both end the day 5-3.

Welcome to nakabi, the middle day of a 15 day sumo tournament. From today, it’s time to start tracking the yusho race as an increasingly narrow group of rikishi battle to take home the emperor’s cup. Our previews will feature our break down of the yusho leader board, and who we think has the best chance at all the trophies on day 15.

Aki Leaderboard

The well earned “Wacky Aki” is once again appropriate, as we have a very jumbled up yusho race to begin the middle day. Our leaders have no top division yusho experience, though Takayasu has been close more than once. Both Ozeki are a win behind that pair, with a large crowd at 4 wins and 3 losses to start the day. Before Takayasu fans get too dreamy, please keep in mind our big hairy “Papyasu” is a bigger choke machine than his sempai Kisenosato ever was. I would love for Takayasu to take home the cup, but it seems like a long shot right now.

Leaders: Takayasu, Atamifuji
Chasers: Kirishima, Takakeisho, Wakamotoharu, Gonoyama, Kinbozan, Mitakeumi, Myogiryu, Tsurugisho
Hunt Group: Too many to list

8 Matches Remain

What We Are Watching Day 8

Aoiyama (2-5) vs Atamifuji (6-1) – I don’t think there is going to be too much of a chance that Aoiyama will beat Atamifuji today. Aoiyama still has the bulk to dominate matches at this end of the banzuke, but his body can no longer support any kind of defense, it seems. As soon as an opponent puts pressure against him, he must move back, I think he’s headed for a fairly deep make-koshi unless he can somehow find some sumo.

Myogiryu (5-2) vs Daishoho (2-5) – Still getting my vote for captain of the Juryo barge is Daishoho, who at the rump end of the banzuke just needs 8 losses to be punted back down to the junior division. He has no wins again Myogiryu in 3 attempts, so this is likely to be ugly.

Chiyoshoma (1-6) vs Nishikifuji (4-3) – Juryo barge first officer Chiyoshoma will likely reach make-koshi before captain Daishoho. That’s just what a good executive officer does, makes sure everything is ready for the boss to come aboard. He has a 2-2 record against Nishikifuji, but like a cadre of rikishi this month, seems hurt and unable to fight very well at all. Nishikifuji won their most recent match, day 11 of Osaka.

Takarafuji (4-3) vs Tsurugisho (5-2) – After three likely beat downs to start the day, some interest. Both rikishi are fighting pretty well, with Tsurugisho picking up only his second loss on day 7 against Myogiryu. He has an even 4-4 record against Takarafuji, with Takarafuji winning 2 of the 3 prior matches this year. It will come down to how well Takarafuji can move laterally, I am going to guess. If he can keep evasive, he is a favorite to pick up his 5th win today.

Kagayaki (3-4) vs Sadanoumi (4-3) – 18 prior matches between these two, with Sadanoumi holding an 11-7 lead. They have only had one match per year for the past two years, with both going to Sadanoumi. I would love to see Kagayaki do better, but I am not sure his body is up to it any more.

Kotoshoho (2-5) vs Hokuseiho (3-4) – We saw actual sumo from Hokuseiho on day 7, and it was a most welcome sight indeed. Maybe Miyagino found some way to motivate him? I do hope so, because the Ichinojo technique was not winning him points on the clay or with the fans. Should he decide to be active and aggressive today, he will likely overpower Kotoshoho, who won their only prior match on day 13 of Nagoya.

Takayasu (6-1) vs Mitakeumi (5-2) – For a long time sumo fan, it’s odd to see these two former Ozeki battle this early in they day. They have 30 prior matches with the score being 21-9 in favor of Takayasu. A Takayasu win, and he keeps his share of the leader board. This means that Mitakeumi will be well motivated to bring the hairy beast down.

Endo (4-3) vs Oho (2-5) – Endo won their only prior match, day 2 of Hatsu this year, using a shitatenage. Oho has not done much to justify his M7 rank this September. This is likely a combination of poor body condition, and slight over promotion. You can look at a big strapping lad like Oho, and he looks a picture of health, But we do cannot know what level of pain or mechanical strain his body is under. I do hope he can bounce back in November.

Onosho (4-3) vs Kinbozan (5-2) – First ever match, we get to see if Kinbozan is going to bounce back after fighting and losing to Hakuho’s civil engineer project on day 7. Onosho, who is famous for winning and losing streaks, has now lost 3 in a row, and I would not be surprised if he keeps on losing for a bit longer.

Midorifuji (2-5) vs Ryuden (2-5) – A pair of 2-5 rikishi battle it out to see which one gets that extra shove toward make-koshi and 8 or more losses. Both men’s sumo is technically quite strong, but their bodies are just not ready to do it at a power level needed to dominate top division matches. They have split their 2 prior matches, so this one is quite the toss up.

Gonoyama (5-2) vs Kotoeko (2-5) – If someone is going to surprise Gonoyama, I would think that Kotoeko might be the person to do it. He is compact, fast and given a chance, able to beat you before you know what happened. I would say his speed is about on part with Gonoyama, who took their only prior match on day 5 of Nagoya.

Hiradoumi (2-5) vs Shonannoumi (4-3) – Shonannoumi needs to take advantage of an “easier” portion of his rotation to pick up wins, like today when he takes on the lower ranked Hiradoumi. Hiradoumi only has 2 wins so far, and I would expect he will be in the make-koshi queue soon enough, too. He won their only prior match day 4 of the November tournament of 2020, when both were ranked in Makushita.

Abi (3-4) vs Shodai (3-4) – This is an excellent match making choice. Two chaos generators can spend their match today disrupting each other’s sumo. Abi – we know what he is going to do. But I am quite curious if Shodai is going to save his big moves for the higher ranked opponents, or if he is going to try and practice them on the likes of Abi first. They have 16 prior matches, with Shodai in the majority 9-7.

Asanoyama (3-4) vs Meisei (3-4) – I am readying stories in the Japanese sumo press about how Asanoyama is critical of his own performance. This worries me, as he takes things so very seriously right now. There was a day not so very long ago where he was just having fun with it, and his sumo was so much better. Yeah, you are 3-4 for Aki on the middle day, and you are not even up to the named ranks yet. Just go beat up Meisei and stop worrying about it.

Daieisho (3-4) vs Nishikigi (4-3) – If Daieisho harbors any notion of being a competent rikishi (which he certainly is), he will have that world view tested by Nishikigi today. We can’t tell right now which version will mount the dohyo, but if he gets a hold of Daieisho, it may be over quickly after that. They have split all of their 14 prior matches, 7-7, with Nishikigi winning the most recent one on day 4 of Nagoya.

Kotonowaka (4-3) vs Hokutofuji (4-3) – Hokutofuji has lost 3 of the last 4, and the heady days of him winning against all 3 Ozeki on consecutive days are just a pleasant memory now. He is evenly matched against Kotonowaka at 2-3, and they have matching 4-3 scores to start the day. I have to wonder if ole’ Stompy is injured right now, and thats why his sumo took such a hit.

Tamawashi (0-7) vs Wakamotoharu (5-2) – A loss today, and Tamawashi is make-koshi, without a single win to start the Aki basho. Whatever is limiting his sumo, its bad enough that we have yet to see him really generate much offense, and we have seen that he cannot withstand an attack. Wakamotoharu has a 3-1 career lead anyhow, so this is likely performative at this point.

Kirishima (5-2) vs Takanosho (3-4) – The stats tell a strange tale. Kirishima and Takanosho have 13 career matches, with a stark majority. For the Ozeki? No, Takanosho by 11-2. Granted Kirishima won only his second bout against Takanosho on day 5 in Nagoya (the prior win was day 11 of Nagoya… 2019 when both were in Juryo). I do wonder about seeing a struggling Takanosho taking a fat nakabi kensho stack from Kirishima.

Ura (4-3) vs Hoshoryu (3-4) – Hoshoryu has a mildly losing record as of nakabi. Is it a crisis? The end of his career? No, not a chance. But it’s fun to think that Ura might be able to make things slightly worse today. He and Hoshoryu share a close to even 2-3 career record, with Ura’s most recent win 1 year ago on day 8 of Aki 2022.

Tobizaru (4-3) vs Takakeisho (5-2) – Takakeisho needs 3 wins over the final 7 days to clear kadoban. Should be able to do it as long as he does not pick up a new performance limiting injury. He’s 4-5 vs Tobizaru, who is too mobile for Takakeisho’s tadpole sumo to work very well.