Shohozan

Kyushu 2018 Final Day

Bruce H Abi (阿炎), Aoiyama, Chiyoshoma, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daieisho (大栄翔), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Kagayaki (輝), Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Kyushu Basho 2018, Meisei, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Shohozan, Shōdai (正代直也), Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanosho, Takayasu (高安), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tochiozan (栃煌山), Yoshikaze (嘉風), Yutakayama, Yūshō (優勝), Ōnoshō (阿武咲) , ,

Victory Fish Madai 5

Personally, I was worried that once again the special prize committee would rule that “no one deserves a special prize” as they did at Aki. That decision was not popular in my circle of sumo fans, but as an outsider (which I assure you I am), you just shrug and go about your business. For Kyushu, the special prizes were a tadpole sweep:

Takakeisho: Shukun-sho & Kanto-sho
Onosho: Kanto-sho

I do wonder about consideration for Aoiyama and Okinoumi, who performed very well indeed. Then there is Nishikigi, who defied expectations and actually was able to put together 8 wins at a rank far above anything he has ever held before. Some additional information if you want to pick through he kanji here.

The final result is quite the signal for the road ahead. With Takakeisho winning the Kyushu yusho, we have 2 tadpole yusho this year (Mitakeumi and Takakeisho). Interestingly enough, it was Mitakeumi who sealed the deal with his win over Takayasu in the final match of the tournament. For Takayasu, he is forming a record surprisingly like his senpai, consistent good scores, but no Yusho to show for it. This is his 4th Jun-Yusho, all with a 12-3 finish.

At 22 years old, yusho winner Takakeisho continues on his meteoric rise. Over the past 3 basho he has racked 32 wins, over the past 4 that number goes to 42. In the past year he has honed his trademark attack, that we have taken to calling “Wave Action Tsuppari”. Where most rikishi land blows and thrusts in an alternating left / right arm cycle, Takakeisho works to set up a period group of double arm thrusts that arrive in waves. The net result is visually obvious, his opponent has just enough time to react just a bit before the next wave arrives. In many cases that reaction is to either escape or counter attack, and almost always leaves the opponent on less than excellent footing. If he can stay healthy, young Takakeisho has a lot to offer the sumo world.

Notable Matches

Onosho defeats Yutakayama – Onosho picks up the Kanto-sho, and blasts Yutakayama out directly. Yutakayama finishes 5-10, and is in dire need of repair to his body. At one time a promising member of the Freshmen cohort, he has suffered greatly since posting to Maegashira 2 at Aki.

Kotoshogiku defeats Meisei – No special prize here, but it’s great to see Kotoshogiku shine again. Meisei’s hopes of double digits bit the clay with his first trip on the hug-n-chug Kyushu Bulldozer. Kotoshogiku is probably looking at a big lift in rank for January, and I am curious to see what he can do with it.

Chiyoshoma defeats Abi – Is it reasonable to consider the dominance of Abi-zumo is past its peak? Chiyoshoma dismantles the obligatory double arm attack and makes fairly easy work of Abi. Fans know Abi has a lot of potential, and are wondering when the next evolutionary stage will hit. Not that I think he will (or should) abandon the double arm attack, just as Tochinoshin will never abandon the lift and shift when he can get there. But we know Abi has more in his sumo book.

Aoiyama defeats Yoshikaze – Aoiyama has really gotten his sumo together this basho. He typically does quite well in the Maegashira 12-9 rank, but seems to falter more the closer he gets to the top. With a 11-4 finish, he’s headed for the joi-jin, and he will have another chance to demonstrate if his sumo is effective against the top rikishi. Yoshikaze make-koshi on the final day, he could not get close enough to the man-mountain to produce an effective offense.

Ryuden defeats Daieisho – Deeply make-koshi, Ryuden never the less continues to work on his sumo, and battles for every win. The guy’s work ethic seems solid, and at Maegashira 3, he was out-matched, even in a nokazuna tournament like Kyushu. All of the freshmen were make-koshi this time out, so it’s time for them to heal up and get ready for 2019. They are about 18-24 months behind the tadpoles in their evolution, so we should see them start to contend in a serious way late next year, early into 2020.

Okinoumi defeats Tamawashi – Matching his 11-4 from Kyushu last year (at about the same rank), Okinoumi seems to really improve in the western basho, and then pays for it in January. While I am sure Tamawashi would have rather closed with 10 wins, he is still in solid shape to return to the San’yaku for the New Years basho.

Shodai defeats Tochiozan – Tochiozan ends Kyushu with a kachi-koshi, but he certainly faded after a blistering start. Tochiozan opened the match in good position, but Shodai was able to break contact and recover, gaining the inside pushing position and focusing his force center-mass. Solid defense-offense change up combo from Shodai to pull a kachi-koshi out at the last minute.

Hokutofuji defeats Takanosho – I kind of feel for Takanosho, he got his head handed to him this basho, but kept his positive outlook. He’s going back to Juryo for January, but first he had the honor of being Takakeisho’s standard bearer for the yusho parade. I am going to guess that Takakesiho will have a happy, willing new Kouhai for his future career at Chiganoura. Hokutofuji finishes 7-8, and may get a chance to face more named ranked rikishi in January.

Myogiryu defeats Chiyotairyu – The Darwin match, where only one survives. After Chiyotairyu launches early and a matta is called, his primary offensive gambit, the cannon ball Tachiai, is defused and Myogiryu makes quick work of him.

Takakeisho defeats Nishikigi – For a brief moment, Takakeisho found himself perilously off balance as he yet again lost his footing near the edge. Nishikigi was not fast enough to put him away, and Takakeisho showed why he’s a force in sumo by rallying and taking the fight back to Nishikigi.

Kagayaki defeats Ichinojo – What should have been a gimme match for Ichinojo turns into a one-sided battle, with Kagayaki taking control and making surprisingly easy work of the ex-Sekiwake. A healthy Ichinojo is to be feared, sadly this Ichinojo needs recuperation.

Shohozan defeats Tochinoshin – One of the poorest run matches in memory, I have to wonder if the NSK is really going to promote Kandayu in 2019 after that mess. Tochinoshin spent his stamina in the first match, and maybe a bit more in the second. Shohozan had something left in reserve, and battled through a cut lip to win the 3rd and final attempt. Tough to describe the level of nonsense here, so please watch it via NHK, Jason or Kintamayama.

Mitakeumi defeats Takayasu – After some lackluster matches out of the future Ozeki, he rallies and brings his “A” sumo to Takayasu for the final match of the basho. When the match went to a leading contest, I thought it was Takayasu’s for sure, as he seems to have an almost inhuman endurance and can carry out a contest like this for a good long time. But Mitakeumi wore him down, and was able to find his time and make his move. My heart goes out to Takayasu, as a win at Kyushu would have been an important step towards supplanting Kisenosato, who may not be in sumo much longer. But that is for another day.

Thank to all our readers who spent part of their time enjoying the Kyushu basho with us. These nokazuna tournaments make for interesting contests, and November delivered an excellent fortnight of sumo. We count down the 49 days to Hatsu, and hope you will join us again when you think of sumo.

Kyushu Day 14 Highlights

Bruce H Abi (阿炎), Aoiyama, Asanoyama (朝乃山), Chiyomaru, Chiyonokuni (千代の国), Chiyoshoma, Daieisho (大栄翔), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Ikioi (勢), Kagayaki (輝), Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Kyushu Basho 2018, Meisei, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Shohozan, Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanosho, Takarafuji (宝富士), Takayasu (高安), Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tochiozan (栃煌山), Yoshikaze (嘉風), Ōnoshō (阿武咲)

Kyushu Day 14

Brief update for the day 14 action: This was some solid sumo for a Saturday, and a fine set up for Sunday’s final. Also, remember that NHK World will be streaming the last 50 minutes of Makuuchi live with their “Grand Sumo Live” program. Do note, day 15 features less sumo, and a lot of coverage surrounding the yusho ceremony. Having now gotten to see the yusho ceremony in person, I have to admit I kind of like it. The wacky trophies, the tossing of the gyoji – good times.

Highlight Matches

Daishoho defeats Takanosho – Daishoho visits from Juryo, and gets his 8th win by testing the structural integrity of Takanosho’s right arm and shoulder.

Meisei defeats Chiyonokuni – Chiyonokuni remains consistently just 5% short of what he needs to win. I am a fan of the guy, and I like his sumo, but I keep hoping that he will find that extra energy to win.

Kotoshogiku defeats Okinoumi – Kotoshogiku gets his preferred set up, and immediately engages hug-n-chug mode, with its usual effect. Kotoshogiku is now at 9 wins, and it would be great to see him get double-digits in front of his home town fans.

Aoiyama defeats Daieisho – Aoiyama finally gets to deliver the pounding he had envisioned for Takakeisho. Daieisho stands there and takes it for a time, but then wisely decides it’s time to run. This only encourages Aoiyama who chases him down to finish the job. Good mobility from Aoiyama today.

Ikioi defeats Chiyoshoma – The Tylenol maximum pain match, both men look like hell as they crouch next to the dohyo, mustering the energy to stand and return to the ring. Chiyoshoma is now make-koshi.

Onosho defeats Abi – The first bout ended with both rikishi in flight and no clear winner. The torinaoshi (rematch) was all Onosho, who now has double digit wins. Abi is make-koshi with this eighth loss.

Chiyomaru defeats Kagayaki – Kagayaki continues to fade as Chiyomaru finally finds his sumo and his energy. Chiyomaru worked to stalemate Kagayaki for the opening moments of the bout, with great effect. When Kagayaki faltered, Chiyomaru drove forward with energy and force, setting up a flurry of thrusts that took Kagayaki out.

Nishikigi defeats Takarafuji – Count me as celebratory that Nishikigi picked up his 8th win. Granted it was in a No-kozuna tournament, but this is a real achievement for a man who had struggled at any rank above Maegashira 9 in the past, and had a constant berth at the bottom of the banzuke for the longest time. In the interview following his match, the reporter asks him how he feels facing Takakeisho for day 15. The look is priceless.

Shohozan defeats Tochiozan – Shohozan rallies after stumbling and having Tochiozan back him up to the bales. Another home town rikishi who has performed well in front of his fans. Tochiozan’s multiple attempts at pulling left him in a defenseless position, and likely cost him the match.

Myogiryu defeats Yoshikaze – Yoshikaze’s dohyo exit fall was broken by the yobidashi’s pedestal, more or less to the lower back. Yoshikaze, being the consummate warrior, gets up and exits the arena without any sign of pain or injury. But you know that had to hurt.

Hokutofuji defeats Ryuden – Hokutofuji’s handshake tachiai finds its mark today, connecting immediately with Ryuden’s neck. Hokutofuji raises Ryuden, and charges for the inside position. Now in control of the tempo and format of the match, Hokutofuji bats Ryuden around for a while before forcing him over the bales.

Ichinojo defeats Asanoyama – The Mongolian Behemoth shows surprising mobility today, delivering an angled tachiai against Asanoyama and rapidly landing a deep left hand grip. From this position, there is zero Asanoyama can do to resist Ichinojo’s forward motion, and the match is over in a flash. Solid, excellent sumo from the soon-to-be-former Sekiwake.

Takayasu defeats Takakeisho – Takakeisho was clearly on offense from the tachiai, and the first wave to break against the Ozeki blasted him backward and put him dangerously off balance. As Takakeisho set up the second blast, he lost footing at the same moment Takayasu pivoted, and Takakeisho could not remain on his feet. Nice defensive gambit by Takayasu that paid off due to fortunate timing. This could set up a day 15 playoff that would be for all the prizes, including a giant pile of mushrooms.

Tochinoshin defeats Mitakeumi – Tochinoshin lands his left hand grip early, and Mitakeumi has no leverage to counter in any way. Mitakeumi gets his 8th loss, and will vacate his long held Sekiwake slot (8 of the last 9 basho), just 2 tournaments after winning the yusho. Tochinoshin scores win #8, and does not have to fear kadoban for January.

Kyushu Day 13 Highlights

Bruce H Abi (阿炎), Aoiyama, Asanoyama (朝乃山), Chiyoshoma, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daiamami (大奄美), Daieisho (大栄翔), Daishomaru, Endo (遠藤), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Ikioi (勢), Kagayaki (輝), Kaisei (魁聖), Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Kyushu Basho 2018, Meisei, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), Shohozan, Shōdai (正代直也), Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanoiwa (貴ノ岩), Takanosho, Takayasu (高安), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tochiozan (栃煌山), Yoshikaze (嘉風), Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲) , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Takakiesho

We had a solid day of sumo for Friday, a good number of ‘koshis were decided (make- and kachi-), and everyone works their sumo while fans wait for what Team Tachiai stalwart PinkMawashi calls the “Taka Bowl”. With the basho in a No-kozuna status since Act 1, the completion has been impressively equal. With no grand champions harvesting white stars from the upper Maegashira (like we saw at Aki), and the Ozeki corps only ⅔ genki, the field has been wide open. The result is not quite the sumo that some fans are used to, with a handful of ur-rikishi winning everything every day with overwhelming sumo.

The Juryo ranks finds Mr 5×5 – Kotoyuki, with double digits wins. At Juryo 3, we will likely seem him return to the top division yet again, where he always seems to struggle, and frequently crowd-surf. The other story is the strength of Yago and Kotokaze, two rikishi from Oguruma who are young, strong and on the ascent. With Yago on the ferry to Makuuchi for January, and Kotokaze on the path for later in 2019, we could see a lot of new power from the stable that gave us long-serving veterans Yoshikaze and Takekaze.

Highlight Matches

Daishomaru defeats Yutakayama – Don’t blink. Solid tachiai, then Daishomaru outright decks Yutakayama, sending him sprawling to the clay. Boom! Yutakayama gets a headache, and his make-koshi.

Chiyoshoma defeats Sadanoumi – Chiyoshoma hands Sadanoumi a make-koshi while avoiding one himself. Impressive lift and twist at the tawara! There was a brief mono-ii as the shimpan wanted to make sure Chiyoshoma’s toe did not touch out during the lift. Sadanoumi went from a solid opening week to a string of losses. Injury? Stamina?

Kotoshogiku defeats Onosho – Onosho succumbs to the Kyushu Bulldozer’s preferred attack, and rides the hug-n-chug express all the way to kuroboshi (black star) land. Kotoshogiku secures kachi-koshi in front of his adoring home town crowd, and everyone can celebrate that.

Takanosho defeats Ikioi – Takanosho maintains his enthusiasm and finds a way to stalemate Ikioi’s repeated attempts to throw him. To be fair, Ikioi is a big, sore mess right now. Takanosho uses Ikioi’s perpendicular throwing stance to advance and motor him out. Both are now 4-9.

Okinoumi defeats Shohozan – Okinoumi goes to double digits with a big win over Shohozan. It’s impressive that Okinoumi managed to get Shohozan contained, and then packaged for shipment for a clay facial. When Okinoumi is in good health and his body cooperates, he is a solid sumotori for mid-rank Maegashira. May his fine health continue.

Meisei defeats Abi – Abi-zumo seems to be past its sell-by date for now, as fellow shiko-peacock Meisei shrugs off the double-arm attack in the opening seconds. A quick left hand to the armpit and a strong lateral shove and down goes Abi.

Endo defeats Kagayaki – Kagayaki’s normally un-glamorous sumo seems to have taken on a lethargic sludge in week 2, and Endo finds his 8th win against the increasingly make-koshi Kagayaki. We know Kagayaki is strong, and is becoming quite the master of sumo mechanics, so we have to wonder if he’s nursing an undisclosed injury.

Nishikigi defeats Daiamami – Maegashira 3 vs Maegashira 15, you have to wonder what this match was for except to transfer a white star to Nishikigi. Granted, I am really impressed by what Nishikigi has been able to do in Kyushu, and he made fairly easy work of Daiamami, who ends the match with a make-koshi.

Tochiozan defeats Asanoyama – The experience and efficiency of Tochiozan’s sumo was on display in this match. Asanoyama put a lot of vigor and energy into his sumo, but it’s striking to see how minimal Tochiozan’s body movements are. The bout ends with Tochiozan hurling Asanoyama from the dohyo in dramatic fashion. Tochiozan kachi-koshi at Maegashira 2, interesting times indeed.

Tamawashi defeats Hokutofuji – Tamawashi expertly executes a mini-henka (a completely different animal from the henka), and Hokutofuji buys it. I still see a great potential for Hokutofuji, but in this basho he has gotten himself too far forward more than a few times. Part of it is that handshake tachiai, which – when it works – gives him a half-step advantage in the match. But it also broadcasts he’s coming forward with authority. If you can watch the match in slow-motion replay, note that Hokutofuji lowers his head and takes his eyes off of Tamawashi’s center mass. Tamawashi times his move to the left perfectly to coincide with this breaking of focus, and by the time Hokutofuji senses the opening gambit, he is unrecoverable. Tamawashi is also kachi-koshi at Maegashira 2. There’s going to be a scramble for the higher slots, I think.

Myogiryu defeats Shodai – Shodai has found an interesting solution to his tachiai mechanics. He has become increasily skillful at absorbing the initial charge and rapidly gaining control of the initial merge. Myogiryu was fast enough and strong enough to maintain the inside position, and kept Shodai reacting.

Ryuden defeats Kaisei – Notable in that it looks like Kaisei appears to have tweaked his left leg as he resisted Ryuden’s effort for a throw. Kaisei went down in an awkward way, and was visibly hurt following the match.

Takakeisho defeats Aoiyama – Takakeisho remains in the lead, but Aoiyama made him work for it. Aoiyama can deliver a IJN Yamato class pounding when he can get set up, and certainly brought the big armament out today. But what really caught my eye was that Takakeisho was not quite able to set up his wave action attack. Aoiyama’s solid offense and long reach (compared to Takakeisho’s much shorter reach) seems to have kept the yusho race leader constrained. But impressively, Takakeisho adjusted and tossed the man-mountain to the clay anyhow.

Ichinojo defeats Yoshikaze – Excellent example of just how powerful Ichinojo is. Yoshikaze was tossed around like a pony, and had almost nothing to say about it.

Chiyotairyu defeats Mitakeumi – Mitakeumi inches closer to the make-koshi line against some off-balance but effective sumo from Chiyotairyu. I don’t think Chiyotairyu had a firm stance for any moment of this bout, but he managed to maintain control of Mitakeumi and win. For Mitakeumi fans (which includes me), many Ozeki applicants fail their first attempt, and are forced to swallow demotion, re-group and re-ascend in stronger form. I look forward to the next evolutionary stage of Mitakeumi!

Tochinoshin defeats Takanoiwa – A much needed win for the Ozeki, who struggled a bit even though he was able to land a left hand grip on Takanoiwa. Takanoiwa’s athleticism and keen balance were on display today, as he managed to thwart Tochinoshin’s offense against several solid, strong moves to win. The match ended with Takanoiwa losing grip on the dohyo, and falling backward, with the kimarite listed as koshikudake (inadvertent collapse), and is considered a non-winning move.

Takayasu defeats Daieisho – Though the outcome was fairly certain, Daieisho put up a good fight, and the Ozeki put up an odd offense. Multiple attempts to pull Daieisho down left Takayasu off balance, but Daieisho was too reactive to capitalize on these moments. Will Takayasu uses this strategy in the Taka Bowl on day 14? I think that Takakeisho won’t pass up these openings. Bring on the doom-match of day 14!

Kyushu Day 12 Highlights

Bruce H Abi (阿炎), Aoiyama, Asanoyama (朝乃山), Chiyonokuni (千代の国), Chiyoshoma, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daiamami (大奄美), Daieisho (大栄翔), Daishomaru, Endo (遠藤), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Ikioi (勢), Kagayaki (輝), Kaisei (魁聖), Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Kyushu Basho 2018, Meisei, Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Shohozan, Shōdai (正代直也), Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanoiwa (貴ノ岩), Takanosho, Takarafuji (宝富士), Takayasu (高安), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tochiozan (栃煌山), Yoshikaze (嘉風), Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲) , , , , , , , , , , ,

shohozan

Day 12 was a solid day of sumo, but it did bring a couple of questions to the front. The first for me is that with a number of lower ranked rikishi approaching double digits, and fighting very well this basho, will the NSK once again decide that “nobody deserved a special prize”? Many fans were shocked by that declaration at Aki, as several rikishi put together successful campaigns in the face of a resurgent Yokozuna and Ozeki corps.

The yusho race narrowed considerably, and that was clearly intended given the day 12 schedule. The matches involving the chasers were all solid sumo that saw each candidate produce a fierce effort.

For those readers who are keeping up with Juryo (and who wouldn’t with Herouth doing a masterful job covering it), Oguruma rising star and certified sumo battle-cruiser Yago secured his kachi-koshi at Juryo 1 East, meaning short of some kind of bizarre incident, we will see this sumo phenomenon in the top division in January. He has been in Juryo for the past 5 tournaments – 7 total over his short 10 basho career. His sumo looks strong, low and heavy.

Highlight Matches

Chiyonokuni defeats Daiamami – A notable match because Chiyonokuni goes for the mawashi and engages in a solid yotzu match against Daiamami. Is it just me, or is Daiamami looking surprised there? Even though he is make-koshi, it’s great to see Chiyonokuni rack up a much-needed win.

Okinoumi defeats Meisei – Okinoumi continues to rack up wins, and it’s wonderful. Meisei denied a kachi-koshi today, and he seems a bit frustrated. Okinoumi could hit double-digits this tournament, and might end up with a substantial re-ranking upward for January. While his fans might cheer this, Okinoumi suffers from a chronic medical condition that sometimes impacts his sumo, and I would hate to see it worsen.

Yutakayama defeats Endo – Yutakayama very effectively kept Endo from going for his mawashi, and instead set the tone and format for the match, which took the form of a windmill thrusting contest. Endo’s last minute attempt at a pull down failed, and Yutakayama got a much needed win.

Kotoshogiku defeats Aoiyama – As much as I admire and respect Kotoshogiku, I was really pulling for Aoiyama to prevail. Aoiyama opened strong, and began with his expected thrusting attack, but could not stop Kotoshogiku going chest to chest with him. At that point, I think Aoiyama began to worry, and that may have been the start of trouble. The Kyushu Bulldozer’s knees are not what they once were, but he contained and pushed with enough force to move Aoiyama out. With this loss, Aoiyama falls out of the group 1 loss behind Takakeisho.

Onosho defeats Daieisho – Yusho leader Takakeisho’s friend Onosho does him a solid favor and quenches the higher ranked Daieisho’s aspirations for a day 15 parade. From the match you can see just how much Daieisho was putting into this match, he met Onosho thrust for thrust, but left himself open for the hatakikomi at just the wrong moment.

Daishomaru defeats Ikioi – I bring this match up because it’s clear just how hurt Ikioi is, watching him gather his strength just to stand following his defeat. The man is a true competitor, and its amazing to see true determination and courage on display.

Takanoiwa defeats Chiyoshoma – Bit by bit we see Takanoiwa get his sumo back. I would assume by the middle of 2019 he is back to being a serious full time contender for the upper Maegashira / lower San’yaku. Chiyshoma is now one step closer to make-koshi, and he is perilously far down the banzuke for end November with a losing record.

Kagayaki defeats Takanosho – Both men are make-koshi, but this is a match to watch. Firstly, Kagayaki’s school of sumo fundamentals carries the day. Second, is I have started to take note of Takanosho, this guy, much like Asanoyama, seems to have a very positive attitude about competition, even on days when he loses.

Shohozan defeats Chiyotairyu – If any wonder why I call Shohozan “Big Guns” or refer to him as a “Street Fighter”. Behold exhibit A. His match with Chiyotairyu featured a few loud and forceful blows the the face that probably left a mark, and certainly got the crowd’s attention.  Chiyotairyu goes chest to chest, removing the immediate threat for more blows to the face. Sadly for Chiyotairyu, he’s somewhat stuck at this point, as his yotzu card is not strong, and his stamina tends to be expended in the first few seconds. Shohozan correctly waits him out, injecting a few harassing moves moment to moment, and bides his time. Shohozan wins his kachi-koshi, and the home town fans are delighted.

Asanoyama defeats Takarafuji – The happy rikishi staves off make-koshi for another day, but its sadly at the expense of long suffering Takarafuji.

Yoshikaze defeats Abi – As expected, Yoshikaze learned well from Ikioi, Endo and Okinoumi. You can see him apply upward pressure at Abi’s elbows, disrupting his preferred double arm thrust attack. Time and again Yoshikaze drives inside, just to be awarded a hand to the face. His persistence is rewarded by control of the inside, and he pushes Abi back, back and out. Although it’s at a bit slower speed and lower energy than a few years ago, Yoshikaze still has the goods when he can rouse his fighting spirit.

Tochiozan defeats Myogiryu – I have to wonder if Myogiryu has run low on stamina, his brilliant opening week seems to have turned into a bit of a rout. Tochiozan succeeds in getting him turned sideways, and off balance for the win.

Shodai defeats Hokutofuji – Wow, Shodai was on his sumo today. Hokutofuji put a fair amount of genki into the tachiai, but Shodai absorbed it masterfully, and kept Hokutofuji from executing any successful offense. Shodai instead stalemated Hokutofuji, and waited for his opening, which he found and exploited with exquisite timing.

Takakeisho defeats Tamawashi – Takakeisho seems close to unstoppable at this point. Tamawashi always has strength and balance, but in reaction to the “Wave Action” attack, it seems that few can maintain their footing for long. After the second wave, Tamawashi is too far forward, working to bring maximum force to bear on Takakeisho, who senses the imbalance and deftly steps aside.

Nishikigi defeats Kaisei – As stated in the preview, Nishikigi surprises every couple of days, and today he was somehow able to use an off balance position to load up enough energy to push Kaisei out. Dare I say it? Nishikigi could still end this basho with a winning record at Maegashira 3. A new day in sumo indeed.

Ichinojo defeats Ryuden – In hitting his make-koshi, Ryuden gave Ichinojo a solid fight. But it seems the Mongolian giant is working through whatever pain or injuries are blunting his sumo. Twice Ryuden had Ichinojo’s heels on the tawara, twice he rallied. Ichinojo closes the match with a hearty lift and drop. Well fought both.

Takayasu defeats Tochinoshin – I am worried about Tochinoshin, and I think Goeido’s kyujo may rescue him from a make-koshi and a kadoban status for New Years. Takayasu seems to be focused and driven to bring himself to his eventual showdown with Takakeisho as a fierce contender who is ready to claim the Emperor’s cup by eliminating the upstart contender.

Kyushu Day 12 Preview

Bruce H Abi (阿炎), Aoiyama, Chiyonokuni (千代の国), Chiyoshoma, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daiamami (大奄美), Daieisho (大栄翔), Daishomaru, Endo (遠藤), Gōeidō (豪栄道), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Ikioi (勢), Kaisei (魁聖), Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Kyushu Basho 2018, Meisei, Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Shohozan, Shōdai (正代直也), Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanoiwa (貴ノ岩), Takayasu (高安), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tochiozan (栃煌山), Yoshikaze (嘉風), Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲)

Takakeisho vs Tamawashi

The Kyushu basho is picking up speed, and as mentioned earlier, the scheduling team have forestalled the much anticipated match between Takakeisho and Takayasu until at least day 13. While all eyes are on the yusho race, there is another race unfolding that impacts a broad number or rikishi. I am talking about 9 rikishi who ended day 11 at 5-6. These men are on a perilous road that increasingly runs the risk of a day 15 “Darwin” match where two 7-7 rikishi face off with only one able to walk away with a winning record [the torikumi committee love these bouts because they reduce the risk of “lethargic sumo” on the last day –PinkMawashi]. Slightly less perilous are the 6 rikishi who finished the day at 6-5. What is quite amazing to me is that the competition has been even enough that there are this many men who could end up make or kachi-koshi.

In the yusho race, there are two names that continue to impress me: Daieisho (M9w) and Aoiyama (M12e). While they are much further down the banzuke (and it could be said had easier schedules), that both of them have reached day 12 with nine wins underscores that they are having terrific tournaments. Aoiyama looked weak and disorganized for the first two days, and has been on a full-throttle nine-bout winning streak ever since. He has not just been winning, but completely dominating his matches. When the Man-Mountain is healthy, he is a very effective combatant.

Kyushu Leaderboard

Leader: Takakeisho
Chasers: Takayasu, Daieisho, Aoiyama
Hunt Group: Goeido, Okinoumi, Onosho

4 Matches Remain

What We Are Watching Day 12

Chiyonokuni vs Daiamami – I really feel for Chiyonokuni. He starts day 12 already make-koshi, with only 3 wins. But he competes every day with fire and vigor, and frankly looks like he should or could win many of these matches. To be honest, though, this has been the case for most of his upper division career. I remain hopeful he can find the key to unlock the last 5%, and achieve greatness.

Meisei vs Okinoumi – I am likewise pleased and surprised to find Okinoumi a member of the hunt group, two losses back from Takakeisho. Okinoumi is a long serving veteran, who seems to have hot and cold tournaments, and Kyushu seems to be on the warm side for the man from rural Shimane prefecture. Should Meisei win today, it would secure his kachi-koshi.

Endo vs Yutakayama – If this goes as expected where Endo wins and Yutakayama loses, Endo would walk away with a kachi-koshi and Yutakayama with his make-koshi. I maintain that Yutakayama is still not back together after his disastrous posting to Maegashira 1 during the brutal Aki basho.

Kotoshogiku vs Aoiyama – Will Aoiyama be able to keep the Kyushu-bulldozer away from his mawashi? Kotoshogiku holds a 13-5 career lead, so this will be just the match to test the Man-Mountain’s ability to enter the final weekend in competition for the cup. Kotoshogiku is a member of the 6-5 club, but draws a lot of energy from the enthusiastic Fukuoka crowd.

Onosho (M13) vs Daieisho (M9) – Onosho’s day 11 loss knocked him out of the group one win behind his friend Takakeisho, and now he has a chance to return the favor by dropping Daieisho down a notch. He holds a small 4-2 career advantage, but this will come down to who gets inside at the tachiai and establishes the offensive position first.

Ikioi (M8) vs Daishomaru (M14) – We all assume Ikioi is hurt to some extent, but normally he will be up for giving Daishomaru a solid fight (3-3 career). But Ikioi seems to be resorting to an “all or nothing” opening gambit this tournament, likely reflecting his desire to resolve matches quickly before his injuries wear him down.

Takanoiwa (M6) vs Chiyoshoma (M14) – Another even match with a huge gap in rank. I liked what I saw from Takanoiwa on day 11. He looked more like his old self, and I am sure fans are hoping that he is finding his sumo again. Both are members of the 5-6 danger club.

Chiyotairyu vs Shohozan – Shohozan’s triumphant win over Onosho on day 11 lies in stark contrast to Chiyotairyu’s loss via slippiotoshi [if you watch closely, it may have been a harite knockdown -lksumo]. Both men are brawlers, Chiyotairyu has his cannonball tachiai, and “Big Guns” Shohozan likes to start beating his opponents around the head and neck early. Chiyotairyu has a 7-2 series advantage, largely owing to the fact that Shohozan does not always survive the tachiai.

Abi vs Yoshikaze – Two members of the 6-5 club face off. Yoshikaze is a thinking man’s rikishi, and is quite the smart fellow himself. I would assume he has watched Abi’s opponents disarm the double-arm attack the past few days, and will apply similar measures to shut down Abi-zumo.

Myogiryu vs Tochiozan – It’s always tough to deliver a kachi-koshi as Maegashira 1, but Myogiryu has been fighting with a lot of heart and a lot of power. In fact better than I have seen him compete in years. He enters day 12 as a member of the 5-6 “danger club”, and he dearly needs a win against Tochiozan. They have an evenly balanced 13-12 career record.

Shodai vs Hokutofuji – Two more members of the 5-6 “danger club” face off in a mini “Darwin” match. Both men seem to have faded into week 2, which happens as a rikishi’s stamina starts to run dry. Hokutofuji has never won against Shodai, so here’s to hoping that he gives it his all on day 12.

Takakeisho vs Tamawashi – The yusho leader steps up against one of the most powerful oshi-zumo men left in the basho. This will be an epic battle of pushing, slapping and possibly a haymaker or two. Takakeisho will try to set up his devastating wave attacks, and Tamawashi needs to land the first couple of blows. If he can get Takakeisho to react to him rather than attack with his own sumo, he could carry the day and blow the yusho race wide open.

Nishikigi vs Kaisei – Day 12 brings us a battle of the “nice guys”, and frankly I couldn’t even begin to guess how this one is going to unfold. Nishikigi continues to surprise every couple of days, but I always try to imagine anyone short of Ichinojo or Tochinoshin being able to move a man that big, and just shrug. I get the impression that this contest might be better solved by putting two kegs on the dohyo, and seeing which rikishi could drain theirs first.

Ryuden vs Ichinojo – Ryuden is one loss away from make-koshi, but has improved into the second week (in my opinion). Taking on Ichinojo is always a logistical challenge, as he is one enormous fellow. Seriously, seeing him in person at fairly close range, you can’t believe how big this guy is. But Ryuden is up for a challenge, and I am sure he will do his best against the Boulder.

Goeido vs Mitakeumi – The member of the “danger club” I am most worried about is dear old “Future Ozeki Mitakeumi”. It’s apparent his Ozeki bid is reset to zero, and that he needs to regroup. Will he be distracted going into day 12? Will Goeido use his “surprise” move against him? Guys, please don’t make this boring. [With Goeido’s withdrawal, Mitakeumi gets a crucial 6th win by fusen (default) -lksumo]

Tochinoshin vs Takayasu – Not an easy match for either Ozeki, but both of them need the win. Tochinoshin is perilously close to the “Darwin” trajectory, and I would rather not see him struggle during the final weekend. Takayasu needs to win in order for the hoped for showdown with Takakeisho to have full impact. They hold a series 8-9 score between them, so this is as even as you could want.