Nishikigi

Aki Day 2 Preview

Bruce H Aki Basho 2022, Aoiyama, Chiyoshoma, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daieisho (大栄翔), Endo (遠藤), Hiradoumi (平戸海), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Hoshoryu, Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Ichiyamamoto (一山本), Kiribayama (霧馬山), Kotoeko, Kotonowaka, Kotoshoho, Meisei, Midorifuji, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Mitoryu (水戸龍), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikifuji (錦富士), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), Shimanoumi, Shōdai (正代直也), Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanosho, Takarafuji (宝富士), Takayasu (高安), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Terunofuji (照ノ富士), Terutsuyoshi, Tobizaru, Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tsurugisho, Ura (宇良), Wakamotoharu (若元春), Wakatakakage, Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲)

Day two action at Aki is going to feature some matches I am really keen to watch. I think chief among these will be Takayasu vs Ura, as it will tell us if Takayasu is coming into Aki strong and rested, or kind of rusty and getting by. Both outcomes are possible, but as most of you know, I would love to see Takayasu have a strong performance this month.

I think the other big match for me is Ichinojo vs Mitakeumi. I am going to assume for now that Mitakeumi is in good condition, and if so it’s high time to give the Snorlax a clay facial to test his resolve to contend once again for the cup. A healthy Mitakeumi is up to that task, so consider his day 2 match a test.

Also, after wonder if the “Sumo Prime Time” YouTube channel would produce daily videos during the basho, we seem to have our answer. Hiro Morita and the crew from the Japan Sumo Association are off to a fine start, and if you have not take the chance to watch some of their content, please do so soon. You can find them here – Sumo Prime Time YouTube

What We Are Watching Day 2

Mitoryu vs Chiyomaru – With Abi’s vacancy unbalanced, its time for another visitor from Juryo, and who do we get? Beloved spheroid of sumo, Chiyomaru! He has never lost to Mitoryu, and I would certainly appreciate the bulbous on delivering a day 2 loss to Mitoryu, as a way of saying “Don’t get to comfortable up here”.

Hiradoumi vs Tsurugisho – A drastic mis-match in size, but it was Hiradoumi who won their only prior match. I am not sure that establishes any kind of dominant record. Tsurugisho showed a fair amount of ring rust on day 1, and I hope he will come in today with better organized sumo.

Chiyoshoma vs Terutsuyoshi – Both rikishi have a lot of agility, and good sumo mechanics. This has the making for a high energy match, as I am sure that Chiyoshoma is disappointed after his hair lost his day 1 contest against Oho. Chiyoshoma leads 7-5 across their thirteen career matches.

Yutakayama vs Oho – Two big, bulky men who can hit with power, this could be a force on force struggle, or it might just feature Oho dropping Yutakayama like a sack of sweet potatoes. Oho does hold a 4-1 career advantage, and looked in good fighting form day 1 against Chiyoshoma.

Okinoumi vs Ichiyamamoto – Grizzled veteran against rowdy new talent, this match will come down to Okinoumi getting working hand placement within the first 2 steps. As we saw day 1, if Ichiyamamoto can get a thrust cadence running, with good contact to center mass, its difficult for his opponents to keep their feet.

Ryuden vs Chiyotairyu – I am not sure if it was ring rust or his chronic lower body injuries, but Ryuden was completely off his sumo on day 1. Going up against Chiyotairyu today, his balance will have to be in top form, as it seems sumo’s thunder-god is back to his “stand them up and slap them down” mode. They have an even 4-4 career record, last having fought in Osaka 2021.

Nishikifuji vs Kotoshoho – Kotoshoho has shown quite a bit of promise in the past. He has 2 Juryo yusho to his name, but each time he is in the top division, he seems to struggle. He was in the middle of the funnel at 5-5 when his stable went COVID kyujo on day 11 in Nagoya. I suspect that if Kotoshoho is nursing an injury, this will be a rough tournament for him. Nishikifuji has a narrow 3-2 advatage across their careers.

Takanosho vs Kotoeko – Speaking of Takanosho, he is severely under ranked this time around. At Maegashira 10, he’s going to be cracking a lot of heads and taking a lot of white stars. He’s this far down the banzuke because of his single win in Nagoya, followed by a day 7 kyujo. I am going to guess he is in better condition. He’s more or less a san’yaku class rikishi, and so he’s going be bring a lot of power to his matches. Kotoeko has beaten him twice in their 5 match career history, but the last time Kotoeko won a head to match fight on the clay was May of 2018.

Tochinoshin vs Myogiryu – 31 career matches, with Myogiryu having a distinct advantage at 17-14. Tochinoshin looked good enough on day 1, but given what we have seen over the past 2 years, he tends to start well, then his knee starts to act up, then he suffers. He is still in the “Good enough” stage right now, so I am looking for him to give Myogiryu a stiff fight.

Hokutofuji vs Onosho – Two men with poor balance and over-active sumo. This is actually a great match up, and their 7-7 career record underscores that each will try to overcome their weaknesses as best they can in this “all in” battle of the power-thrusting sumotori. The question will be which one falls down first.

Wakamotoharu vs Aoiyama – Wakamotoharu’s sumo is very efficent. I don’t see much in the way of movement from his body that is not connected to an intentional sumo action. As such, he can prove challenging for an opponent like Aoiyama, as Big Dan tens tends to come into a match ready to flail his big meaty arms about, delivering maximum punishment to his opponent. As long as Wakamotoharu can keep his balance, it should be his match to lose.

Endo vs Sadanoumi – This match is very much “who get there first”. There being a grip of some kind. We know Endo will try to land something during the tachiai, but more times than not will miss. He will then need to contend with Sadanoumi’s massive speed advantage. I think this is probably why they have a 6-5 career record, it’s down to who gets the first advantage. I am guessing this one is over before anyone takes a 5th step.

Nishikigi vs Takarafuji – Nishikigi will go for the belt straight away, and I am going to guess this will suit Takarafuji just fine. He seems to be in good enough condition that he can keep his defensive sumo up for a long period of time right now. He has a 5-2 career advantage over Nishikigi, but the bulk of their matches are pre-covid. It has been some time since Nishikigi was this far up the banzuke (2018 or so).

Takayasu vs Ura – If Takayasu brings his “wild man sumo” to the dohyo today, Ura is likely to make him pay for it. If instead Takayasu executes a match like his day one win over Takarafuji, I see him starting Aki with a 2-0.

Wakatakakage vs Meisei – Both of these rikishi lost their day one matches, and I have to think that Wakatakakage is facing a “gut check”. He is a solid san’yaku rikishi, and I think headed for higher rank. But his big challenges now are all in his head. He needs focus, and crisp execution. He has a 5-2 career record against Meisei, so perhaps today he can get a recovery win to pull up to 1-1 for Aki.

Daieisho vs Tamawashi – Two very aggressive rikishi who are going to do their best to get their hands inside and around the other one’s neck. They have met 4 times in 2022, and Tamawashi has taken 3 of those matches. Both one their day 1 contests, and both are looking good. Could be sparks flying in this one.

Kotonowaka vs Hoshoryu – Having dispatched Wakatakakage, it’s time for Kotonowaka to take on the next Sekiwake in the rotation in the form of Hoshoryu. He has beaten Hoshoryu 5 times out of their 8 career matches, and I am hoping to see some more of Kotonowaka’s “witty and aggressive sumo” today. I think that after the loss to Tamawashi, he may sharpen his resolve.

Takakeisho vs Midorifuji – I am hoping to see some power and balance out of Takakeisho. He looked terrible day one, and not at all in fighting form. Maybe he was just not quite ready to start a tournament, and he will tune up over the next day or two. Luckily he is not kadoban, so he can take a few losses. He has never face Midorifuji before.

Ichinojo vs Mitakeumi – I hope that Mitakeumi puts on more of a battle than Takakeisho did when he faced the Boulder on day 1. Granted Ichinojo is mighty large, but Mitakeumi has a reliable formula for getting the big man down. He holds a 14-7 career advantage, winning mostly by oshidashi. So get him off balance, get him moving, and never let his set is feet.

Kiribayama vs Shodai – I would love for Shodai to have a good tournament. A solid double digit, competing for the cup, strong Ozeki sumo kind of fortnight. Fans of Kiribayama please take note, he’s a chew-toy for the upper ranks for most of this week, so he may rack up quite a few losses. If he can keep his fighting spirit intact, he can more than make up for it in week 2.

Terunofuji vs Tobizaru – Terunofuji has not lost to Tobizaru since he returned to the paid ranks in 2020. Although we can never quite tell what condition the Yokozuna’s lower body is in on any given day, I expect him to continue to deliver strong, patient sumo. If Terunofuji makes today “capture and squeeze” contest against the flying monkey – so be it.

Aki Day 1 Highlights

Bruce H Aki Basho 2022, Aoiyama, Chiyoshoma, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daieisho (大栄翔), Endo (遠藤), Hiradoumi (平戸海), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Hoshoryu, Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Ichiyamamoto (一山本), Kiribayama (霧馬山), Kotoeko, Kotonowaka, Kotoshoho, Meisei, Midorifuji, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Mitoryu (水戸龍), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikifuji (錦富士), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), Shimanoumi, Shōdai (正代直也), Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanosho, Takarafuji (宝富士), Takayasu (高安), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Terunofuji (照ノ富士), Terutsuyoshi, Tobizaru, Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tsurugisho, Ura (宇良), Wakamotoharu (若元春), Wakatakakage, Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲) , ,

I am very pleased with day 1. A solid day of sumo with some great finishing moves, good sumo from some of the Ozeki corps and solid effort overall. Nobody seemed to “phone it in” and there were no howlers from the gyoji. What more could one ask for?

I want to call specific attention to Kotonowaka, who was probably robbed in Nagoya. He had a 7-3 record at the end of day 10, when his stable was declared COVID-kyujo. Now note that Ichinojo won the cup with 3 losses. I am not saying Kotonowaka would have taken the Emperor’s cup, but we did not get to see him vie for the yusho in the final act of Nagoya. Given that he picked up right where he left off today with strong, witty and aggressive sumo, I think he would have played an important role in the final weekend. If he can stay healthy, I predict he will be in the mix this September.

Highlight Matches

Hiradoumi defeats Shimanoumi – Shimanoumi kept himself compact, and all of his energy forward. He looked strong for the first few moments, but Hiradoumi made sure to shift the pressure to Shimanoumi’s right knee. From there, there was a big opening, Hiradoumi took it and won the match after he broke Shimanoumi’s stance. Intelligent, if brutal, sumo for Hiradoumi to start 1-0.

Mitoryu defeats Tsurugisho – A new battle of the mega-fauna, with each man around 200kg. The were even into the tachiai and the initial exchange. It looked to me that Tsurugisho attempted to pivot left, but lost his right hand grip. With his body turned, Mitoryu drove forward against minimal defense and walked Tsurugisho out. Mitoryu starts 1-0.

Terutsuyoshi defeats Yutakayama – Yutakayama had a clear advantage in size and strength, but I loved watching Terutsuyoshi stay mobile, and keep Yutakayama from squaring his hips and driving forward. Terutsuyoshi ended up breaking Yutakayama’s right hand inside, and Yutakayama knew he was at risk. Terutsuyoshi proceeded to take control of the match, setting up a twist down. The kainahineri took the match, looked great and delighted fans around the world. Good start for Terutsuyoshi now at 1-0.

Oho defeats Chiyoshoma – Oho showed a lot of power to try and counter Chiyoshoma’s superior sumo technique. The match ended with a mutual throw that saw Oho hit the clay, and Chiyoshoma get the gumbai. But a monoii was called, and it seems Chiyoshoma’s top knot hit first, losing him the match. Tough break for him, but that was sharp sumo from Chiyoshoma. Oho improves to 1-0.

Ichiyamamoto defeats Ryuden – Returnee Ryuden did not look strong today, as Ichiyamamoto got his hands inside, and proceeded to unload volley after volley on Ryuden’s upper body. Unable to set his feet or lower his hips, Ryuden was pushed back and eventually out on the east side for an Ichiyamamoto win. He starts Aki 1-0.

Chiyotairyu defeats Okinoumi – Classic Chiyotairyu sumo – stand them up then slap them down. He does this so very well that even when experience rikishi like Okinoumi face him, and know it’s coming, there is not much you can do about it. Chiyotairyu starts with a win at 1-0.

Takanosho defeats Kotoshoho – A healthy Takanosho at this rank should turn in double-digit wins. On opening day, he completely dominated Kotoshoho, taking an inside hand position and dialing up the pressure. Takanosho wins day one, to start 1-0.

Nishikifuji defeats Kotoeko – Nishikifuji had his body all over the dohyo in this match, and while he did not look like he was in control, he was imparting most of that chaos into Kotoeko, who had no answer to any of it. Tossed like a cork in the sea, Kotoeko was quickly tossed off the dohyo as Nishikifuji advances to 1-0.

Hokutofuji defeats Myogiryu – Myogiryu dominated the start of this match but could not finish Hokutofuji on the opening combo. Hokutofuji managed to break Myogiryu’s right hand grip, and it was a his turn to attack. I liked that we saw a bit of gaburi-yori in there. I would love to see a healthy Hokutofuji turn in a good tournament this September. He’s 1-0.

Tochinoshin defeats Onosho – Onosho, come on man. Classic balance problems from Onosho, coupled with strong performance from Tochinoshin means Onosho takes a tumble and roll. Who didn’t see this one coming? Tochinoshin 1-0.

Endo defeats Aoiyama – Big Dan had his match plan disrupted by Endo’s opening combo. He tried to recover with a kotenage, but Endo’s balance was excellent, and he was not giving Aoiyama one centimeter of space to recover. Endo starts 1-0.

Wakamotoharu defeats Sadanoumi – Day one award for best improvisational sumo goes to Wakamotoharu. Sadanoumi expertly dismantled Wakamotoharu’s defense, had his hips low and his body chest to chest against Wakamotoharu. But Wakamotoharu found a grip, lifted and turned. It worked, and we got to see an utchari today! I do love Wakamotoharu’s expression of satisfaction following the win. I see that from my cat when she does something crazy that actually works. Wakamotoharu 1-0.

Takayasu defeats Takarafuji – Man, another chance to appreciate the sumo technique of Takarafuji, which was just fantastic for the first moments of today’s match. He would not let Takayasu get his lower body in any kind of working position. But Takarafuji did not wait him out, and attempted a pull down. This was a risky move, and he handed the match to Takayasu as a result.

Nishikigi defeats Ura – Ura got captured immediately by Nishikigi, and really seemed to have no workable “Plan B”. As Nishikigi drove forward, Ura tried anything he could, which was pulling on Nishikigi’s head. He may have gotten a handful of hair, but it really did not matter as Nishikigi cleanly drove him off the dohyo to win his first match.

Daieisho defeats Meisei – Daieisho seems to be lacking some of his speed an power of last year. Rumor is he hurt his lower back, and that has sapped some of his performance. Today, he saw a mistake from Meisei, and instantly switched attack to slap him down, and take his day 1 match. Daieisho is now 1-0.

Tamawashi defeats Hoshoryu – This match went somewhat like I thought it might. Hoshoryu, always earnest, wants to use his best technique and overcome Tamawashi. Tamawashi, a long serving veteran of the top division, just says, “Hey kid, what’s that on our chin?”, then proceeds to lay about 100kg of iron will right on Hoshoryu’s face. Hoshoryu’s completely disrupted, and gets tugged, pushed, crumpled and pushed out from an oblique angle. Hopefully he is ok. Tamawashi starts 1-0.

Kotonowaka defeats Wakatakakage – Kotonowaka picks up where he left off in Nagoya: strong confident sumo. He takes the fight to Wakatakakage and leaves him off balance at the initial merge. At no point does he allow Wakatakakage to regain any kind of foot placement, useful body position or execute any strong sumo. With the Ozeki hopeful boxed up and contained, he drives forward and Wakatakakage is unable to stop him. Nice work, Kotonowaka 1-0.

Mitakeumi defeats Midorifuji – This is the kind of sumo I want to see from Mitakeumi. A lot of power, relentless drive forward, and not giving Midorifuji a single moment when he is not off balance and struggling to stay in the match. Mitakeumi 1-0.

Shodai defeats Tobizaru – Oddly enough, Shodai won his first match and looked like “good” Shodai int he process. We did not get to see the “Wall of Daikon”, but Shodai made sure that Tobizaru’s only attempt at offense did not take him off his feet. Points to Tobizaru for improvising that last-ditch counter attack. Shodai 1-0.

Ichinojo defeats Takakeisho – Friggen Snorlax gets his yusho picture hung from the rafters, and dispatches an Ozeki. What a day! I am somewhat concerned that Takakeisho’s opening volley really seemed to lack any strength, and he quickly tried to switch gears while Ichinojo was running him down. Better luck tomorrow, tadpole! Ichinojo 1-0.

Terunofuji defeats Kiribayama – I know this is going to seem so very odd, but I find Terunofuji’s patient Yokozuna sumo kind of calming. I give a lot of credit to Kiribayama for bringing a vigorous attack to Terunofuji, but at least for now he’s looking healthy enough to do the sumo he wants to do. Terunofuji 1-0.

Aki Day 1 Preview

Bruce H Aki Basho 2022, Aoiyama, Chiyoshoma, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daieisho (大栄翔), Endo (遠藤), Hiradoumi (平戸海), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Hoshoryu, Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Ichiyamamoto (一山本), Kiribayama (霧馬山), Kotoeko, Kotonowaka, Kotoshoho, Meisei, Midorifuji, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Mitoryu (水戸龍), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikifuji (錦富士), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), Shimanoumi, Shōdai (正代直也), Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanosho, Takarafuji (宝富士), Takayasu (高安), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Terunofuji (照ノ富士), Terutsuyoshi, Tobizaru, Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tsurugisho, Ura (宇良), Wakamotoharu (若元春), Wakatakakage, Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲)
Image Shamelessly Stolen From NSK’s Twitter Feed

Welcome back dear readers, after a long break, its time for sumo! Much to my surprise, everyone but Abi is going to start the tournament, and with modified COVID kyujo rules, maybe we will not see a repeat of the train-wreck that was Nagoya. People who test positive will not be required to sit out the entire tournament, but rather more likely only a series of days until you test negative. We will see if it is even needed this September. Hopefully not.

If will be interesting to see if the new Sumo Prime Time channel will have content during the tournament. I do hope so. Thus far Hiro Morita’s channel has been an excellent addition to video for sumo fans to digest. I know the pace of media production during a tournament is grueling, so I wish Hiro and whatever team he has backing him up good health and buckets of endurance if they give it a try.

What We Are Watching Day 1

Shimanoumi vs Hiradoumi – With Abi out for Aki, we start the basho with an imbalance, and we will see Juryo visitors in the top division until someone else drops out. Today it’s Hiradoumi facing his first ever match ranked in the top division against recently demoted to Juryo Shimanoumi. After struggling to make it through the brutal battleground of upper Makushita, he slogged his way to the middle Juryo. After at 10-5 from Juryo 8 in Nagoya, I was surprised to see that they had posted him to the bottom slot of the top division. Hey, congrats Hiradoumi!

Mitoryu vs Tsurugisho – Likewise we have Juryo mainstay Mitoryu suddenly finding himself at the bottom rung of the Makuuchi ranks. After entering sumo in 2017 as a college tsukidashi ranked Makushita 15, he was in Juryo 6 months later, and there he has stayed. He’s up against oft injured Tsurugisho, whose enormous body takes a lot of damage and keeps him from realizing his potential. They have a 15 match career record that favors Tsurugisho 9-6.

Terutsuyoshi vs Yutakayama – Something happened to Terutsuyoshi in the fall of 2020, where at a career high of Maegashira 3, he ended Aki with a 5-10 record, and then began a long slide that two years later see him near the bottom of the banzuke, and in real risk of finishing Aki with a ticket for the Juryo barge of the damned. It would have to be an injury of some sort, and it’s really quite a shame, as we have not seen much of his normally energetic sumo since then.

Chiyoshoma vs Oho – Chiyoshoma is himself on a blazing make-koshi streak as well. He has turned in losing records for 5 of his previous 6 tournaments. His sumo mechanics seem pretty solid, but he’s just been unable to win most of his matches in each of the prior tournaments. I find it a bit of a shame that after he abandoned his slipper henka-centric sumo style, he’s not been able to really capitalize on some good fundamentals that sometimes reminds me of dear departed Harumafuji. Oho has won their only prior match.

Ichiyamamoto vs Ryuden – A hearty welcome back to the top division to Ryuden. After serving a 3 tournament suspension that started in May of 2021, he dropped to lower Makushita and has been blasting his way back up the banzuke since. Along the way he scored one Makushita and two Juryo yusho, and went 47 – 12 over five tournaments – wow. I am going to guess his lower back / hip problems are not bothering him too much right now, and he may continue to show strong sumo this September. He has never fought Ichiyamamoto.

Okinoumi vs Chiyotairyu – A battle of the fading veterans (we will get quite a few of those this basho), we have Okinoumi, who tends to turn in a strong record this far down the banzuke, against Chiyotairyu. Chiyotairyu seems to have injured himself in the last year, and he’s not quite been the same since. He has a 11-7 career advantage over Okinoumi, so maybe he will start Aki 2022 with a win.

Kotoshoho vs Takanosho – In the category of “Brutal kick down the banzuke” we have Takanosho. Who withdrew from Nagoya after just a single win, and found himself displaced from Maegashira 1 down to Maegashira 10. He and Kotoshoho have split their two prior matches.

Nishikifuji vs Kotoeko – As much as I enjoy Kotoeko’s powerhouse sumo, I look at what Nishikifuji has been able to do since the start of the year and marvel. Of the four tournaments this year, all but one has featured double digit wins. Granted, in Nagoya that featured 3 fusensho wins against opponents who pulled out of the tournament, but his sumo was very sharp in July. This is a first time match, and I am hoping that Kotoeko can give him a surprise on the clay today.

Myogiryu vs Hokutofuji – With make-koshi in 3 of his last 4 tournaments, I would say that Hokutofuji is struggling. It’s a shame as he has so much potential, but I would say that an accumulation of injuries has left him a couple of notches lower that what his talent might support. Myogiryu tends to do pretty well this far down the banzuke, but make-koshi much higher ranked than this. They have a 13 match career record with Hokutofuji having a tiny 7-6 lead.

Tochinoshin vs Onosho – I continue to marvel at the perseverance of Tochinoshin. You know that right knee is little more than gristle and stubbornness at this time, yet he manages to win more matches that he loses at least ⅔ of the time. Onosho had an excellent 10-5 record in Nagoya after being horrifically under ranked at Maegashia 15 following a kyujo in May. This will probably be a solid match today, with Onosho going for overpowering core-body thrusting and Tochinoshin hoping to deploy his enormous strength.

Aoiyama vs Endo – Aoiyama had a rough run in Nagoya, finishing 6-9, and that included a freebee win over Daieisho on day 13. With any luck, Big Dan will be back in fine form for Aki. He has a 10-6 career advantage over Endo who had an abysmal 3-10 record before COVID kyujo saved him from a brutal demotion for September.

Wakamotoharu vs Sadanoumi – After his career best 11-4 record in May, fans of Sadanoumi had high hopes for Nagoya. But he squeaked by with a mild 7-8 make-koshi. his first week was terrible, going 2-5, before bouncing back to win a majority in week 2. He has won 5 of the 6 career matches against Wakamotoharu, who tends to lose by yoritaoshi.

Takarafuji vs Takayasu – Welcome back Takayasu. After sitting out Nagoya due to COVID kyujo, the former Ozeki is back in action, and he’s drawn Takarafuji for day one. I am eager to see if Josh’s forecast of a strong performance from Takayasu is something we might start to see from day one.

Nishikigi vs Ura – Nishikigi, who has naturally poor eyesight, likes to close the distance to his opponents, grapple them and then its on to yotsu-zumo. Ura is the master of grab and tug. I expect Ura to give Nishikigi a rough ride and toss him out with a bit of a flourish today, provided that Ura is healthy.

Daieisho vs Meisei – Our first match featuring a member of the oversized San’yaku sees Daieisho work to score an opening day win over Meisei. Daieisho has a 9-2 career advantage, so as long has Daieisho’s body is in fighting condition, it should be fairly straightforward.

Tamawashi vs Hoshoryu – Hoshoryu, at his highest ever rank, will face a tough opponent in Tamawashi day 1. Hoshoryu has won 4 of their six matches, and I expect him to have a clear advantage today. But one must never underestimate Tamawashi. If he can find an open path to Hoshoryu’s chest, he could send the shin-Sekiwake tumbling.

Wakatakakage vs Kotonowaka – Time to rebuild the case for an Ozeki promotion. After a 8-7 kachi-koshi fell short of the double digit digit mark he needed to make the case for promotion, Wakatakakage needs to win early and win big. In Nagoya he dropped 3 of his first 4 matches, and that more or less sealed his fate. I contrast that with Kotonowaka who was on a hot streak in Nagoya before COVID kyujo parked him after day 10, where he was 7-3. Should be a solid fight.

Midorifuji vs Mitakeumi – Most of our readers seem to agree that Midorifuji and Tobizaru are going to be shredded this basho. I will point to this year’s theme of “weak Ozeki” and look at that forecast with skepticism. I think Midorifuji may have been over-promoted with a 10-5 from M11w, but this banzuke was a absolute mess to begin with. These two have never fought before.

Tobizaru vs Shodai – I really hate that we have to start the basho wondering what flavor of Shodai is going to be on the menu this September. Japan loves seasonal food, and I wonder of “giant daikon” is going to be served hot or cold this month. He’s beaten Tobizaru 3 out of their 4 prior matches.

Takakeisho vs Ichinojo – We have the July yusho winner, Ichinojo, going up against the rather questionable lead of the Ozeki corps. Takakeisho can launch him into next week if he is feeling up to it. But I worry Takakeisho is about 20kg above his optimum fighting weight, and will struggle to move The Boulder. They have a fairly even 9-7 career record.

Terunofuji vs Kiribayama – Kiribayama has not won against Terunofuji in any of the previous 8 attempts. There are some questions about the state of Terunofuji’s knees, and his overall health. So I am hoping the Yokozuna shows up strong and able to fight well.

Nagoya Day 12 Preview

Bruce H Abi (阿炎), Aoiyama, Chiyomaru, Chiyoshoma, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daiamami (大奄美), Daieisho (大栄翔), Endo (遠藤), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Hoshoryu, Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Ichiyamamoto (一山本), Kiribayama (霧馬山), Kotoeko, Kotonowaka, Kotoshoho, Meisei, Midorifuji, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nagoya Basho 2022, Natsu Basho 2022, Nishikifuji (錦富士), Nishikigi, Oho (王鵬), Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), Shimanoumi, Shōdai (正代直也), Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanosho, Takarafuji (宝富士), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Terunofuji (照ノ富士), Terutsuyoshi, Tobizaru, Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tsurugisho, Ura (宇良), Wakamotoharu (若元春), Wakatakakage, Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲)

It’s time for one last discussion of the funnel from me this basho. At the end of today, the funnel narrows quite a bit, and so the goal is to steer as many as possible to a 6-6 score today. True you can get someone to 7-5 and then try to hand them 2 losses, but that seems to be less likely than to keep them on a win-one, lose-one tempo that the schedulers have been trying to maintain. Right now there are twenty (20!) rikishi in the sweet spot of 5-6 or 6-5. Absolutely brutal.

Of course any rikishi can escape the funnel just by winning more matches, or losing them. The funnel consume those that can’t quite give any more on the clay, and are stuck looking like they are just “going through the motions”. The real make or break day will be Saturday, when the schedulers need to make sure the 7-6 and 6-7 scores all end up in the right place. I would guess we could have as many as six Darwin matches on day 15.

With all of the COVID kyujo, we are down to 18 matches in the top division from 21 on day 1.

Nagoya Leaderboard

Day eleven did a fantastic job of narrowing down the leader board, giving us 2 men at 9-2 in the lead, and a group of 4 at 8-3 waiting in the wings. For the schedulers, its time to see if they can get dirt on the two leaders and notch up the hype around the race to the cup. Looking at the matches today, it looks like they are not wasting any time getting that project underway.

Leaders: Terunofuji, Ichinojo
Chasers: Takakeisho, Tobizaru, Nishikigi, Nishikifuji

4 matches remain

What We Are Watching Day 12

Yutakayama vs Kagayaki – Look who it is! Kagayaki gets a second visit to the top division. At 6-5 and ranked Juryo 3e, he may be harboring dreams of a rapid return to the top division. But right now his score is just as middling as all of the other salaried ranks, so he should think again. He does have a 9-6 career advantage over 5-6 Yutakayama, so maybe he can knock Shodai’s stablemate out of what’s left of the funnel.

Onosho vs Chiyoshoma – With Onosho at 6-5 and Chiyoshoma at 5-6, the goal is to have them both finish the day at 6-6. Chiyoshoma has not been consistent in his sumo this July, and it’s anyone’s guess how this one will end up. I do note that he and Onosho at a 5-4 career record that has a 1 win advantage for Chiyoshoma, but Chiyoshoma has won the last 3 matches in a row. The most recent one was January of this year.

Daiamami vs Takarafuji – With Daiamami deeply make-koshi and headed lower, they are using him to donate wins to rikishi they want to keep their score up. In the case of his opponent today, 5-6 Takarafuji, he needs a win here to stay in the funnel, so its Daiamami and his gimpy ankle to the rescue.

Chiyomaru vs Midorifuji – This should be kachi-koshi day for Midorifuji, as he is up against a 3-8 Chiyomaru who has already booked passage on the Juryo barge of the damned. He just needs to increase his 1-0 career score over Chiyomaru to take him his 8th win today.

Chiyotairyu vs Myogiryu – 21 career matches between these two, with Myogiryu at 7-4 to start the day against Chiyotairyu’s 6-5. A Myogiryu win is kachi-koshi for him, but pushes Chiyotairyu back into the middle of the funnel. A Chiyotairyu win puts him one whit star to go with 3 days left in the basho.

Oho vs Meisei – Possibly kachi-koshi day for Oho, a win here against Meisei and he will have his 8. At 6-5, Meisei can pull himself out of the funnel with a win today, or drop back to 6-6 with a loss to remain in the neck of the this July’s funnel.

Tochinoshin vs Nishikifuji – First ever meet up, and I am curious to see if Nishikifuji’s “oversized sumo” works against Tochinoshin, who is (lets face it) larger than life in most cases. Nishikifuji is already kachi-koshi at 8-3, but I am expecting him to get at least 2 more wins before the end of day 15 and finish double digits. Tochinoshin is at 6-5 and very much one of the Darwin candidates.

Endo vs Shimanoumi – Another battle of the make-koshi, with 2-9 Endo looking for a few more wins to keep away from a double digit losing record. He’s likely to find one today from 1-10 Shimanoumi, who seems too banged up to overpower anyone right now.

Terutsuyoshi vs Sadanoumi – This one interests me, as it seems that they could have found a better opponent for Terutsuyoshi today. I would think they want him to pick up a win and end the day 6-6, but there is a strong case that 3-8 Sadanoumi has a solid formula for winning against him, as he has the last 2 of their 3 fights.

Tamawashi vs Tsurugisho – It delighted me that Tamawashi halted his losing streak at 7 yesterday, but I have a lot of confidence that he is going to be deeply make-koshi this July because of some injury we sumo fans know nothing about. That may explain how he drew Tsurugisho today, in hopes that Tsurugisho can pick a win and finish the day 6-6.

Tobizaru vs Ichinojo – The first big match of the day. 8-3 Tobizaru’s job is to get 9-2 Ichinojo down. I don’t think he will be able to force him out, so he will need to try and win by guile, agility and sheer crazy ass sumo. Should he succeed, it will knock Ichinojo out of the leader position he shares with Terunofuji. He holds a 4-2 lead over Ichinojo on the clay.

Kiribayama vs Ura – Does Ura get to deliver a make-koshi to Kiribayama today? I don’t worry about Kiribayama at all right now. He’s going to be a big deal as long as he can avoid serious injury, and these crummy basho scores are part of the learning process. An Ura win would take him to 6-6 and put him square into the lane for a Darwin match on Sunday.

Hoshoryu vs Hokutofuji – Oh goodie – both men are 6-5 to start the day. Hokutofuji can push Hoshoryu back to 6-6 and queue him up for the Darwin run by just bashing the daylights out of him with some brutal nodowa sumo today. Sadly he has never done that, failing to win a single match from Hoshoryu in 4 attempts. Winner likely exits the funnel.

Wakamotoharu vs Abi – Well, we had a pair of 6-5’s, now it’s time for a pair of 5-6 rikishi. Winner centers to 6-6 and walks the Darwin path, loser likely headed for make-koshi by Sunday. Abi has won their 2 prior matches, but I am not sure that will matter for much today.

Wakatakakage vs Okinoumi – Time to save Wakatakakage, it seems. He has a 3-0 record against Okinoumi, and at 6-5 he needs 2 wins out of the last 4 days to keep his Sekiwake slot. At one point a couple of weeks ago there was serious Ozeki hype around him. Hopefully he did not believe that noise. Most rikishi stumble their first attempt to get to Ozeki, it’s part of the process.

Takakeisho vs Nishikigi – This match is for fun and rank, as both are kachi-koshi at 8-3. Takakeisho has a 4-1 advantage over Nishikigi, and this might be thought of as a “gimmie” match for Takakeisho, except that Nishikigi insists on going chest to chest early, grappling his opponent and using that sumo body of his to control his opponent. This is absolute kryptonite to Takakeisho. So I think the schedulers matched these two to see if Nishikigi could pull it off.

Aoiyama vs Shodai – What’s Aoiyama doing all the way up here? Who cares, two guys with out-sized bodies trying to get the other one to leap into the front row. Sign me up. If Shodai wins, it’s kachi-koshi for him, and he clears kadoban. An Aoiyama win and he ends the day 6-6 and centered in the funnel.

Terunofuji vs Daieisho – Daieisho has a tall order today, he needs to find a way to get Terunofuji out or down. With his mega-thrust sumo technique, he can in fact move the Yokozuna around, and has managed to do so three in the last year. I expect Terunofuji will focus on defense for the opening moments of this fight, and wait for Daieisho to expend his first couple of combos before he tries to move to offense. A Daieisho loss and he is back in the middle of the funnel.