To start the day, we note that Tochinoshin is kyujo from the Hatsu basho. This likely means he would drop to Juryo. It would be a mistake to count Tochinoshin out, he seems to excel at survival, but something is going to send him out of the top division sooner rather than later. Takarafuji gets the freebie win today, and is now 4-1.

We have now ended act 1 of the 2023 Hatsu basho. I am surprised to see that Hoshoryu took his first loss, but I don’t think it ends his position to contend for the cup, if he can bounce back and continue to fight well. With him out of the undefeated club, the next question is Abi, who finished the day with a win thanks to a bit of slippiotoshi from Wakatakakge. Likewise Onosho found his first trip to the clay thanks to Ryuden knowing what do to to stop a rampaging tadpole.

Is it just me, or has the action this January been quite good? The matches have been fairly balanced, and most of the rikishi seem to be able to bring a good fight, even if they are not winning. No matter the reality, I find myself enjoying this tournament a lot.

Highlight Matches

Ichiyamamoto defeats Tsurugisho – Tsurugisho kept pace with Ichiyamamoto, until he got too far forward reaching to make contact on a thrusting attack. Not one to pass up a gift like this, brought him forward, changed his hand placement to Tsurugisho’s shoulder, and swing him down. Nice to see Ichiyamamoto use a katasukashi, and it takes him to 3-2.

Kotoeko defeats Chiyomaru – Chiyomaru attacked high, Kotoeko attacked center-mass. I am sure that Kotoeko knew that Chiyomaru’s focus telegraphed that the pull was coming. The eventual pull only served to give Kotoeko a free push, which he used to send Chiyomaru back. A moment later, Chiyomaru was out, and Kotoeko is now 3-2.

Kotoshoho defeats Mitoryu – Mitoryu seemed happy to take Kotoshoho to his chest, and wait. Kotoshoho paused a bit too long, letting Mitoryu get a right hand over the shoulder grip on Kotoshoho’s belt. As Mitoryu then lifted and tried to pivot, Kotoshoho advanced, and collapsed the throwing attempt. Kotoshoho remains perfect at 5-0.

Azumaryu defeats Okinoumi – I am going to guess that Okinoumi is running on empty right now. I hope he picks up a few wins this tournament, but I would not be surprised to see him already make-koshi early next week. I can only assume that Azumaryu was delighted to pick up his 4th win, and may be on his way to his first ever top division kachi-koshi at 4-1.

Hiradoumi defeats Kagayaki – Kagayaki looked to go for Hiradoumi’s head, which left his chest wide open for Hiradoumi to attack from below. Kagayaki quickly found Hiradoumi grappled into him with both hands inside, lifting him out. A short shove with the left hand from Hiradoumi finished him off, and Hiradoumi advances to 3-2.

Endo defeats Chiyoshoma – Chiyoshoma tried his henka, and it went exactly nowhere. Endo recovered, regained contact, and maintained balance under Chiyoshoma’s thrusting attacks. Chiyoshoma seems to have not been at all ready to actually fight today, so when it was clear he was in a tight spot, he tried a pull. This managed to get Endo off balance and tumbling forward, but it also sent him out of the ring. A monoii confirmed it, and Endo advanced to 3-2, leaving Chiyoshoma winless at 0-5.

Aoiyama defeats Oho – I compliment Oho for enduring Aoiyama’s bludgeoning attacks, but ultimately that was more than anyone could take, and he ended up face down in the clay. Twice Aoiyama opened the door with a pull, and twice Oho could not employ any offense to turn the tables on the Bulgarian giant. Aoiyama remains unbeaten at 5-0.

Takanosho defeats Ura – Ura came in low, Takanosho caught him about the neck, and helped him continue lower still. Onto the clay. Too clever by half today for Ura, and Takanosho gets a much needed win to advance to 3-2.

Ryuden defeats Onosho – That, dear readers, is how you beat Onosho when he’s on a hot streak. Ryuden absorbs the initial thrusts, and holds his ground, grappling Onosho with a right hand inside position. No longer able to thrust, Onosho squirms and flails as Ryuden walks him back, and drops him off the edge of the dohyo. That’s Onosho’s first loss, as Ryuden is now 3-2.

Sadanoumi defeats Hokutofuji – In keeping with the theme, Sadanoumi likewise closed the gap on Hokutofuji, keeping him from using either his thrusting attacks, or his nodowa today. Hokutofuji realized that Sadanoumi was latched in, and that he was too high to really counter. Out of ideas, he tried a pull with Sadanoumi tight to his chest, and released all forward pressure. Two steps later, Hokutofuji was landing on the nearest shimpan, and Sadanoumi scored his second win to improve to 2-3.

Nishikigi defeats Nishikifuji – I can only assume that Nishikigi had spent time over the Christmas break studying earthmoving equipment. His sumo has taken on some effects that one would consider common for a Komatsu D39EXi-24. The industry literature describes the D39EXi-24 as “powerful, versatile and nimble”. Seriously, the amount of forward power Nishikigi has shown in week one is impressive, I would rank it up near Kotoshogiku. He pushed Nishikifuji around easily today, and is now 4-1.

Midorifuji defeats Myogiryu – Myogiryu worked to dictate the form of this match, but a swipe at Midorifuji’s head left him standing tall, with Midorifuji holding his chest with a double inside grip. Myogiryu then worked to stalemate the match, holding steady near the center of the dohyo, and slowly worked to break Midorifuji’s grip. Midorifuji settled for a right hand ottsuke and a left hand outside belt grip. Myogiryu continued to work to free himself, Midorifuji pulled forward and twisted, unleashing a seldom seen uchimuso by simultaneously sweeping the leg. Wow, brilliant move. Midorifuji now 3-2.

Wakamotoharu defeats Mitakeumi – Mitakeumi’s power peaked early in this match, running Wakamotoharu back, but it was not enough for him to win. Wakamotoharu rallied. Squared his hips and advanced. It was three steps to the bales, and Mitakeumi was out. I have to guess that whatever robbed him of his performance the last two tournaments is still in force, as he just can’t fight at a rank appropriate level right now. Wakamotoharu now 2-3.

Tobizaru defeats Kiribayama – Henka? Henka-non-henka? Micro-henka? When Kiribayama came rushing forward, Tobizaru was not there. Kiribayama went flying off the dohyo, giving himself a bit of a sore knee. Monkey sumo bags Tobizaru an upgrade to 2-3.

Meisei defeats Shodai – Wow, Shodai looked completely lost. Maybe he thought there should have been a matta at the tachiai, which I thought as well. No excuse not to fight with everything you have. Meisei finally gets his first win as both men end the day 1-4.

Kotonowaka defeats Takayasu – Continuing the theme, Kotonowaka found his first win today, overcoming the frantic yet surprisingly underpowered Takayasu in a lengthy oshi/tsuki battle. At least twice, Takayasu had a winning position, but did not force Kotonowaka out. They spent a moment chest to chest in the middle, before reverting back to oshi/tsuki long enough for a stumbling Kotonowaka to push Takayasu out. Both end the day 1-4.

Daieisho defeats Hoshoryu – It was bound to happen sometime, and now we get to see if Hoshoryu has the mettle to be a champion. Rikishi can get on a hot streak, and it seems they keep winning. The greats can take a loss or two and come back and continue to be dominant. Hoshoryu found himself bracketed early by Daieisho’s thrusting attacks, and missed block left him wide open for a pair of “mega-thrust” volleys that sent him out. Solid work by Daieisho to improve to 4-1.

Abi defeats Wakatakakage – Abi-zumo came to play, and Wakatakakage could not get out of the way of those pulverizing double arm attacks. Wakatakakage was in trouble early as his right foot lost traction, sending him off balance. Abi blasted him to the side, complicating things, and finished him with a final push. Abi remains perfect at 5-0.

Takakeisho defeats Tamawashi – This match was matta central, as both struggled to get off the shikiri-sen together. Once underway, Tamawashi got a few solid blows in before Takakeisho’s wave action took over. The turning point was a failed grab for Takakeisho’s head, possibly to set up a pull down. Tamawashi was side open, and caught a a pair of double arm blasts in the chest. Nobody’s coming back from that. Takakeisho now 4-1.

It’s already the end of act 1, and it’s been a fun and exciting tournament so far. The team at Tachiai break the 15 days of the basho up into 3 fifteen day “acts”, each of which seem to have their own goals and purpose. In act 1, the goal is to remove the ring rust, and determine who is hot, and who is not.

The Hot List: Hoshoryu, Abi, Onosho, Aoiyama, Kotoshoho

From this list, Hoshoryu is the one to watch. Do I think he will finish 15-0? No, but it is possible. The big test will be into week 2, where we get to see if he can hold focus, assuming he is still on the hot list.

The Not List: Kotonowaka, Meisei, Oho, Chiyoshoma, Okinoumi, Chiyomaru

This list features rikishi who are hurt, or simply having a cold start. The name that stands out to me is Oho. He had a blazing 10-5 result from Kyushu, and has yet to find his first win. I hope that he is not hurt, as that would be a shame.

What We Are Watching Day 5

Ichiyamamoto vs Tsurugisho – Ichiyamamoto has not lost to Tsurugisho in any of their six prior fights. Both are 2-2, and I expect that Ichiyamamoto will continue to confound the 200 kg bruiser today. Both are 2-2.

Chiyomaru vs Kotoeko – Chiyomaru (0-4), part of the Not list, is hurt. That bandaged right foot and ankle tell his story all too plainly. Unable to really move at all, and compounded by his enormous mass, Chiyomaru is easy meat at this point. Kotoeko at 2-2 could use the win.

Kotoshoho vs Mitoryu – This is 4-0 Kotoshoho’s best start since is debut tournament in the top division in July of 2020, where he finished act 1 with a 5-0. I have had my eye on him for some time as a rikishi with the potential to be a mid to upper Maegashira main stay. He faces 2-2 Mitoryu who looked very strong day 4 against a resurgent Takarafuji. They share a 2-2 career record, thought Kotoshoho won their only match in 2022.

Azumaryu vs Okinoumi – A battle of the 35 and over club, I have to wonder if maybe dear Okinoumi (0-4) is about ready for his haircut. Saddled with chronic injuries, he shows up and competes to the best of what he has left, but increasingly he’s going through the motions. He has won 2 of the prior 3 against 3-1 Azumaryu, so maybe today is the day he rallies.

Takarafuji vs Tochinoshin – Twenty six career matches between these men, with Tochinoshin (2-2) on top 15-11. Takarafuji (3-1) looks like he simply made a bad choice in his day 4 loss to Mitoryu, and I would like to see him give Tochinoshin a double scoop full of frustrating defend and extend sumo today.

Kagayaki vs Hiradoumi – Both rikishi are 2-2, and they share a 1-1 career history. Their prior match was in Kyushu on day 6, and went to Kagayaki. Kagayaki’s sumo has been all about fundamentals for the longest time, but it seems that most of his opponents have figured him out. He also seems to have switched to preferring to attack high rather than center mass. I think this could be the key to why he went from a reliable mid-tier Maegashira to bouncing around the bottom of the top division and into Juryo.

Chiyoshoma vs Endo – Chiyoshoma (0-4) might be frustrated with his sumo. He has been fighting well, but has yet to win his first match. He had a 7-8 make-koshi for November which dropped him a half rank, but he seems to be off to his worst start since July of 2020, where he finished 6-9. Given how he seems to be a paper tiger right now, I expect 2-2 Endo to be able to best him and pick up a much needed 3rd win.

Aoiyama vs Oho – I think the schedulers are having a bit of fun here. We have 4-0 Aoiyama, part of the “hot list” up against 0-4 Oho, part of the “not list”. They have split their prior two matches, the last one was oh Kyushu day 10, and went to Oho. But given how poorly he is fighting now, and how well Aoiyama is doing, this may not be much of a contest.

Takanosho vs Ura – Both being the day at 2-2, and neither of them are fighting in anything close to normal style. I expect Takanosho to be more dominant, and ranked much higher. Likewise Ura seems to be a little cautious, and has not really deployed his “grab and tug” sumo much this month. The last two matches, both of which went to Takanosho, were won by oshitaoshi.

Ryuden vs Onosho – Will 2-2 Ryuden try to pull Onosho in the first two steps? The answer may determine if he stands a chance of winning this match. Onosho tends to have hot and cold basho, this one will likely be scored as “hot” at the end of senshuraku. His last 4-0 start was a year ago, and he ended that tournament 10-5.

Hokutofuji vs Sadanoumi – Sadanoumi (1-3) got the denshamichi treatment from Nishikigi on day 4, and I don’t like his chances against 3-1 Hokutofuji today. Sadanoumi has only won a single match against him in 6 tries. However, his sole win was day 1 of the prior tournament, in November.

Nishikifuji vs Nishikigi – A battle of the “Nishiki” rikishi, it pits 2-2 Nishikifuji vs 3-1 Nishikigi. (Nishiki means brocade, by the way). They share a 3-4 record, with only a single match in 2022, which Nishikifuji won on day 1 of Kyushu by yorikiri.

Myogiryu vs Midorifuji – Myogiryu has had some bad luck so far this basho. At least one match featured him losing by losing traction, or as Kintamayama calls it “Slippiotoshi”. On day 4 he goes up against 2-2 Midorifuji, who has won all 3 of their prior matches. Both men lost their day 4 matches.

Mitakeumi vs Wakamotoharu – To me its sad watching Mitakeumi (2-2) right now. Like a man who has suffered some kind of tragedy, he just seems a bit lost. I wonder if we will ever know what hobbled his sumo and caused him to lose his Ozeki rank. His day 3 loss to Hoshoryu stopped his win streak, and day 5 I don’t like his chances. He has lost both prior matches to Wakamotoharu (1-3), who tends to package and control Mitakeumi, robbing him of any real attack lanes.

Kiribayama vs Tobizaru – Hey, Tobizaru (1-3). Time to settle into the basho and start fighting like it matters. He has lost 2 in a row, and is starting to look sloppy. Hopefully he can use his 8-5 career advantage over Kiribayama (3-1), and find his second win today.

Meisei vs Shodai – Shodai (1-3) got his first win on day 3, and I wonder if we may be in for a long dry spell before we see his next. Having a dominant career history like 9-4 over winless Meisei (0-4) is no guarantee of a result right now, as Shodai seems completely disrupted by.. something.

Takayasu vs Kotonowaka – Also in the former Ozeki with one win group is dear old Takayasu (1-3). I have dropped all expectations for him this January, and just hope he can get his kachi-koshi. The scheduling team has given him a bit of a gift here, pairing him with winless Kotonowaka (0-4), whom was only beaten Takayasu once in 4 attempts.

Daieisho vs Hoshoryu – For now, any match featuring Hoshoryu is going to be must-watch sumo. Daieisho (3-1) seems to be a bit more potent every day, and if he can set up his “mega-thrust” can put his opponent several rows back on the zabuton. But he has a 2-4 career lost record against white-hot Hoshoryu at 4-0, and is the defacto man to beat for the lead right now.

Wakatakakage vs Abi – Right behind Hoshoryu in terms of potential for this January is November yusho winner Abi. Also at 4-0, his 1 ½ dimensional sumo works most of the time, and when he can set it up, it is tough to overcome. He shares a 2-2 record with 2-2 Wakatakakage, who is still struggling to get on a path for something better than an 8-7 kachi-koshi.

Tamawashi vs Takakeisho – 19 Matches between these two, with Takakeisho holding a 12-7 lead over Tamawashi. Both men are 3-1, and both can push you so hard your eyeballs might fall out. I will be watching to see who can connect something at full power into the other one’s body first.

It seems that a pillar of the sumo world, Kintamayama, has suffered a computer failure, and will for now not be producing his daily digests. These things happen with computers, but if you are a fan as I am, please consider donating to buying him parts for repair, or a new system. His PayPal can be found at

http://paypal.me/motisumo

I have given him a fair sum today to help defray the costs, thank you to those of you who do as well.

For today’s matches, I have to say that Wakamotoharu vs Meisei was one for the highlight reels, and shows the potential that Wakamotoharu has for great sumo. I would also say that Hoshoryu continues to impress me, as his form, power and confidence are off the charts right now.

Highlight Matches

Mitoryu defeats Takarafuji – Takarafuji finally picks up his first loss of the basho. He repulsed Mitoryu opening attack, but turned his body to an angle, which gave Mitoryu an opening to push him out. Mitoryu improves to 2-2.

Azumaryu defeats Chiyomaru – Chiyomaru can’t buy a win, even when it looks like things are going his way. Yet again today, Chiyomaru starts out strong, but can’t quite finish the match and win. That banged right foot tells the story, but I compliment him on putting as much into it today as he did. Azumaryu now 3-1.

Kotoeko defeats Tsurugisho – Kotoeko gets both hands around Tsurugisho’s bulbous mid-section, which triggers a response by Tsurugisho to clamp down on his arms. Now trapped against Tsurugisho, Kotoeko tries a number of moves to improve his position, while Tsurugisho holds on. But the match came down to determination and leg power, as Kotoeko kept pushing forward against the much broader Tsurugisho, leaving him no chance to dodge out of the way. Both end the day 2-2.

Ichiyamamoto defeats Okinoumi – Okinoumi take a full bast of double arm thrust to the neck, and then tries to disrupt Ichiyamamoto’s second volley. It’s partially successful, but leaves him unbalanced for Ichiyamamoto to slap him down. Ichiyamamoto improves to 2-2.

Kotoshoho defeats Tochinoshin – Kotoshoho’s first ever win over Tochinoshin in 6 attempts. Tochinoshin tries a double arm thrust at the tachiai it Kotoshoho’s neck. I am fairly certain it surprised him as much as it did the fans. But it left Tochinoshin without his left hand outside grip, and standing upright. Kotoshoho went to work at once, backing Tochinoshin to the bales and lifting. I applaud Tochinoshin for trying something different, sadly it did not work well. Kotoshoho remains unbeaten at 4-0.

Aoiyama defeats Kagayaki – Aoiyama decides that if Kagayaki wants to exchange blows to the face and neck, he is happy to participate. I think Aoiyama has people hit him for 20 minutes each morning just so he can learn to endure it. All the while Aoiyama is carefully backing up in between Kagayaki’s forward steps, timing it out until he is ready to deliver the hikiotoshi. Kagayaki gets a quick visit to the front row fans, and Aoiyama advances to 4-0.

Hiradoumi defeats Chiyoshoma – I am quite certain Chiyoshoma has to be immensely frustrated at this point. He takes the fight to Hiradoumi, attempting a pull down at the second step. When it fails, he attacks again, only to end up on his face in the clay as Hiradoumi is able to get out of the way. Hiradoumi now 2-2, Chiyoshoma 0-4.

Onosho defeats Endo – I have to complement Endo. He attacked from underneath, he did not try to pull, he had a couple of good combos. But then Onosho just turned up the tadpole power and froaked Endo out of the pond, with Ura receiving a rump first visit from sumo’s former golden boy. Onosho up to 4-0, and remains part of the unbeaten group.

Takanosho defeats Oho – I am happy to see the “Good” version of Takanosho back in action today. He gets Oho turned around as Oho tries to escape from Takanosho’s close range thrusting attack. Takanosho presses the advantage, pushing Oho out from behind, improving to 2-2.

Ryuden defeats Ura – That tachiai looked like it should have been a matta, and it almost seemed that bot contestants expected it all to be called back. But the fight was on, and soon enough Ryuden achieved a right hand outside grip that Ura could not shake. Ura defended very well for a time, but Ryuden’s right hand grip stayed strong. Out of options, Ura tried a moment of “grab and tug” only to collapse and lose the match. Both end the day 2-2.

Nishikifuji defeats Myogiryu – Myogiryu lost this one by what looks like part hatakikomi, and part slippiotoshi. Either way, Nishikifuji benefits and is now 2-2.

Nishikigi defeats Sadanoumi – Sadanomumi’s epic speed did nothing more than hasten the moment when Nishikigi bulldozed him straight out of the ring. Wow. Nishikigi now 3-1.

Hokutofuji defeats Midorifuji – A solid match, we got to see Midorifuji wrap up Hokutofuji a bit at a timing. He carefully cultivated a chest to chest double inside position, and looked to be doing well until Hokutofuji locked down his arms and started to lift. Now little more than ballast, Midorifuji was helpless to stop Hokutofuji walking him out, and winning by kimedashi, improving to 3-1.

Kiribayama defeats Kotonowaka – I am surprised that Kotonowaka is 0-4. As will all first runs in San’yaku, its going to be tough. But just how tough it is for him this month is unexpected. At the tachiai, Kiribayama sets up a left hand nodowa, followed by a left hand outside grip. Kiribayama tried to set up the uwatenage, but had to settle for a sukuinage as Kotonowaka was able to disrupt the pivot. Kiribayama now 3-1.

Wakamotoharu defeats Meisei – Wakamotoharu gets his first (long overdue) win in a San’yaku rank. Meisei went left hand inside at the tachiai, and kept his grip solid while Wakamotoharu struggled to escape capture. He countered with a right hand outside, and the two settled in, chest to chest, near the center of the dohyo. A Meisei surge allowed him to consolidate is grip, adding a right hand outside. Wakamotoharu tried to wait him out, but a second Meisei urge sent them both out of the ring and into the West side crew. The gumbai went to Meisei, but a monoii decided that was such a fine bit of sumo, they would need to try it again. The second match was a rapid oshidashi, where Wakamotoharu caught Meisei in the chest, and blasted him out of the ring. Well done both, and Wakamotoharu is now 1-3.

Takayasu defeats Tobizaru – I really liked what I saw from Takayasu today. The wild man sumo is still there, but its less wild, and more accurate. He took a big tsuki-oshi attack to Tobizaru immediately at the tachiai, and kept him reacting the whole way. I think it was three steps from tachiai to the moment that Tobizaru hit the clay. Both end the day 1-3.

Hoshoryu defeats Tamawashi – Right now, Hoshoryu looks like he might be the man to beat for the cup. Another day of powerful, confident and focused sumo from him, this time taking out fellow undefeated rikishi Tamawashi. Tamawashi had him on defense for just a moment, but when Hoshoryu rallied, he immediately took Tamawashi off balance, and then propelled him off of the dohyo. 4-0 for Hoshoryu.

Daieisho defeats Wakatakakage – When Daieisho gets into this mode, you would be advised to make sure your fillings are securely cemented into their teeth. Wakatakakage had a great opening counter move, attacking Daieisho’s armpits to try and blunt the thrusting attack. But Daieisho broke that, and then the mega-thrust counter attack caught Wakatakakage full in the chest. With a right hand nodowa, and a left forearm against Wakatakakage’s chest, there was exactly nothing he could do expect go along for the ride as Daieisho blasted him out of the ring. Wow, Daieisho now 3-1.

Abi defeats Shodai – Since we first saw Abi-zumo’s awkward looking double arm attack, he has gotten so much better at making it work in a variety of situations. Today, Shodai was able to disrupt the initial volley, but Abi calmly put it back together and ran the former Ozeki out of the ring. A well earned 4-0 for Abi, and I am keen to see him fight Hoshoryu in the coming days.

Takakeisho defeats Mitakeumi – For the first time in a while, we saw a hint of the “wave action” attack mode. The first blast moved Mitakeumi back a bit, but the second and third were unstoppable. Takakeisho now 3-1.