With the preview of day 6, it’s the start of Kyushu basho’s second act. Act 2 is where we narrow the field to find out who has what it takes to compete for the yusho, and to start sorting the survivors from the damned. This is also the time when the crafty schedulers start working out if they are going to try to funnel as many rikishi as possible into ending day 14 with 7-7 scores. I have called this process “Darwin’s Funnel”. The goal is to stage as many make/kachi koshi deciding matches for day 15. It’s cruel, it’s brutal, but it’s a vital part of sumo. The strong advance.

Right now, from the bottom third of the banzuke, the only one who is really having a cold start is dear old “Big Guns” Shohozan. Frankly, it breaks my heart. But if some of the other sumo fans are right, we will see him as a oyakata soon enough.

What We Are Watching Day 6

Chiyomaru vs Kaisei – Our first battle of the mega-fauna in act 2! With this much mass on the dohyo, the yobidashi will be offering prayers that their careful construction work last week is not ruined. Chiyomaru is fighting marginally better this November, so I am going to guess he will have a slight edge. But it comes down to if Kaisei can get a hold of Chiyomaru’s belt. If he does, it’s his match today.

Sadanoumi vs Abi – The two strongest men from the bottom end of the banzuke face off to see who has the strong run into the middle weekend. I know that Abi has a solid 4-2 career advantage, but somebody is going to put dirt on Abi soon, and it may as well be Sadanoumi.

Kagayaki vs Shohozan – Much as I like Kagayaki’s fundamentals based sumo, I want to see Shohozan womp somebody up’side the head. Just once. Chiyonokuni would be a better target for that, as it would probably be returned in kind. Kagayaki comes in with a strong 10-5 career advantage, and Shohozan is anything but genki right now. Ugh.

Chiyonokuni vs Tochinoshin – Chiyonokuni’s hit and move tactics are essential to his sumo. What happens when Tochinoshin is able to grab him and hold him still? Well, a 9-1 career advantage for Tochinoshin for start. Add to it that Tochinoshin really needs wins to stay off the Juryo barge, and it’s a tough match for Chiyonokuni.

Ishiura vs Akua – Ishiura’s sumo has really gone hit or miss now. Akua has a huge mass advantage over him (well, almost everyone does). Their last match was July, which Ishiura won by a resounding yoritaoshi, so maybe he can repeat in Kyushu today.

Chiyotairyu vs Yutakayama – Chiyotairyu has now used both his cannon-ball and his “stand them up and knock them down” opening gambits in the last few days. It’s going to leave Yutakayama guessing, and that’s just how Chiyotairyu wants it. Yutakayama has been very reactive this basho, I have not really seen him set the tone or pace of a match, and that may be part of why he is struggling at this low of a rank. Hopefully he shakes off his role as Shodai’s sparing partner and takes on some fighting spirit.

Aoiyama vs Kotonowaka – Sadly, this one is an easy call this basho. Kotonowaka seems to be doomed right now, and Aoiyama is fighting very well. We have seen him break out the V-Twin a couple of times, and I would guess “Big Dan” is going to stay on the north end of the kachi-koshi line all the way.

Hokutofuji vs Hidenoumi – I don’t know what the hell happened to Hokutofuji on day 5, but that was terrible! Maybe his lower body was hung over from partying with Kotoshogiku’s long departed knees, which are rumored to hang out in one of the small back alley beer joints in Fukuoka. With any luck his body will be in fighting shape today, and he will nodowa his frustrations out on Hidenoumi.

Terutsuyoshi vs Tobizaru – Well, if you wanted a pair of over-active rikishi to go low, stay low, and try to put their opponent lower still, this is your match. I have a gut feeling that Tobizaru has a slight edge this time, but it’s only a gut feeling. In general Terutsuyoshi gets the better of these matches with a 6-4 career score.

Shimanoumi vs Kotoeko – Well, anyone surprised the schedulers did this? At least we can take comfort that one of these poor rikishi will get their shonichi today. Kotoeko holds an 11-2 career record. Hopefully Abema does not go into a god-cursed Tapple commercial marathon right before the tachiai.

Takayasu vs Ura – Well, if they give us the dud derby just before this match, why not make it the chaos twins next? No way Takayasu is going to be able to use his stamina today. He’s going to be lucky if he can keep all of his body within local space time given some of the hyper-dimensional tricks Ura likes to execute. Where is this one going? Who can tell, their last match was in 2017, about 10 surgeries ago between the two of them. My advice to you, dear readers, is wear your 3D glasses during this match.

Chiyoshoma vs Hoshoryu – Why does Chiyoshoma hold a 3-0 career lead over Hoshoryu? Their prior matches looks like a set of hatakikomi and a throw. They are the same height, the same weight more or less, and both from Mongolia. With only 1 win, Hoshoryu could really use a white star today. With that be motivation enough?

Tamawashi vs Endo – Twenty Six career matches between these two, going back to 2013. Its a 15-11 advantage Tamawashi, and I like his sumo this November better than what I have seen from Endo, so I think advantage Tamawashi.

Onosho vs Wakatakakage – Onosho is uncalibrated right now. He can’t keep his feet under him most days, and it has robbed him of the confidence he need to really fight in the top division. So I expect him to have many more losses, as he is very much a “I think I can” sort of tadpole.

Ichinojo vs Kiribayama – Another inter-mongolia battle here, with 0-5 Kiribayama needing to find some why to move the boulder, who while not quite blowing the doors off of the san’yaku, seems to be doing well enough. I don’t think this one is going to be a good time for Kiribayama.

Mitakeumi vs Myogiryu – Mitakeumi as a real chance to start an Ozeki run here. All he has to do is stay strong and keep racking up the wins. Myogiryu is not quite genki yet, and has been trading wins back and forth with Mitakeumi since 2019. If the pattern holds, its Myogiryu this time.

Daieisho vs Meisei – I want to see Meisei do that lightning fast throw down again today. It was so good on day 5, I think I watched it 5 or 6 times. Great stuff. Daieisho could use the win at 2-3, and has a 7-2 career record of Meisei, so it’s Daieisho’s match to lose.

Shodai vs Takanosho – Shodai, you puss bucket. Just when I think you have your sumo together, you get stuff like day 5. Okinoumi took you to the wood shed, and you watched it happen. Try again today with Onigiri-kun, and make it right, please. You are starting to look like Goeido to me.

Takarafuji vs Takakeisho – It comes down to Takarafuji getting a hold of Takakeisho’s mawashi. He was last able to do that in January, and since then has eaten dirt twice at the hands of the grand tadpole. Takakeisho wants to keep pace with Terunofuji, and we hope he does. Onward. chieftain of the tadpole tribe!

Terunofuji vs Okinoumi – Okinoumi has such a lexicon of sumo skill, he can upset any rikishi on the right day. Terunofuji holds a staggering 13-3 career advantage, and Okinoumi has not beaten him since 2016, meaning Terunofuji has won the last 7 in a row.

On the final day of act 1, the crowd of undefeated rikishi was thinned out, as three took their first loss in a day of rebound sumo. Sadly the same was not true for the winless crew, who fought with spirit, but still managed to not find their first wins.

With act 1 now complete, we have an idea of who is hot and who is not. The leaders coming out of the first five days are no surprise with Terunofuji and Takakeisho at 5-0, and joined by Abi near the bottom of the banzuke. Abi has been fighting his way back up the ranks after a suspension that ended in March, and he has been blasting his way higher ever since, scoring 3 lower division yusho along the way. He’s more focused, a bit heavier, and a bit stronger now than his first incarnation, and I have to wonder how long it will take him to fight his way up to the named ranks.

On the “who is not” list, a few surprising names. Chief among them Hoshoryu and Kiribayama. Both of them are capable young rikishi who will be top division mainstays for some time to come barring injury. What has sapped their performance now? It’s hard to say, and is traditional in the sumo world, no one is telling.

Highlight Matches

Abi defeats Akua – That opening tow-arm attack from Abi seems to be unstoppable. There was a time during his first period in the top division where nearly everyone took a loss because of it. Then folks figured it out and had a ready defense. I wonder if that will happen this time too. But for today, the guy is unbeaten at the lower end of the banzuke, 5-0, as Akua crumples his way his 3rd loss.

Chiyomaru defeats Shohozan – Readers know that I am eager to see Shohozan smack the curry out of someone, just because it’s his brand of sumo. But today we get to see Chiyomaru disrupt him from the tachiai, land a pull, and quickly put Shohozan’s feet over the bales for a loss. Chiyomaru improves to 2-3.

Chiyonokuni defeats Sadanoumi – Sadanoumi picks up his first loss in a torinaoshi. Chiyonokuni heaped on the offense from the tachiai, moving Sadanoumi back. Sadanoumi managed a reverse at the tawara, which Chiyonokuni countered with a throw. But it looked like he had a foot out, and a monoii declared dotai, and it was rematch time. The second time, Chiyonokuni left no doubt, keeping Sadanoumi squarely in his front quarter, and delivering a stomping yorikiri. Chiyonokuni improves to 2-3.

Tochinoshin defeats Kagayaki – Tochinoshin got a right hand inside while Kagayaki tried to initiate his oshi-zumo. Unable to get his left hand in place, Tochinoshin improvised a bit, and found he could move forward. With Kagayaki at the bales, Tochinoshin’s left hand found the mawashi, and the win soon followed. Welcome back sir, he picks up his first win of November to improve to 1-4.

Kaisei defeats Yutakayama – Kaisei was able to set up a left arm ottsuke at the tachiai to prevent Yutakayama’s right hand from finding a hold. This put Kaisei in control, and he used it to pin Yutakayama to his front, keep him from lowering his hips. Kaisei converted that to a right hand inside grip, and once that much rikishi has a hold of you, you are in trouble. Kaisei improves to 2-3.

Chiyotairyu defeats Hokutofuji – Hokutofuji’s handshake tachiai failed to find it’s mark, and Chiyotairyu gave him the denshamichi express. Chiyotairyu improves to 3-2.

Hidenoumi defeats Ishiura – Ishiura went for a big hit, then shift left at the tachiai. This did not work quite as well as hoped, as Hidenoumi was now to the side of Ishiura, grabbing him an lifting him like a bin on trash day, carrying him out and tossing him toward the timekeeper. Hidenoumi improves to 3-2.

Terutsuyoshi defeats Aoiyama – Terutsuyoshi tried to get close at the tachiai, but Aoiyama pushed him away, and turned on the V-Twin. But Terutsuyoshi was relentless, and pushed low and inside. Aoiyama broke contact, and back to another session with the V-Twin applied to Terutsuyoshi’s face. Still Terutsuyoshi did not give up, and was rewarded with a right hand inside grip. With both men tiring, Terutsuyoshi unleashed a shitatenage, dropping Aoiyama to the clay and claiming his 3rd win. Nice work, and persistence payed off for Terutsuyoshi today.

Tobizaru defeats Kotonowaka – Tobizaru with a low flying henka today put him behind Kotonowaka at the tachiai, and he made fast work of the hapless Kotonowaka from there. Tobizaru improves to 3-2.

Ura defeats Chiyoshoma – Ura lined up almost to the tokudawara, as both of them were eyeing the other for tachiai shenanigans. Sadly, no acrobatics were forthcoming, and the two grappled and the fight was on. Chiyoshoma had better hand placement, but as usual, Ura was impossibly low. With the two stalemated for a moment, Ura pulled down on his right and twisted, dropping Chiyoshoma with the lowest tottari possibly ever seen in modern times. Brilliant! Ura improves to 4-1.

Tamawashi defeats Kotoeko – Everyone is besting Kotoeko, and its kind of depressing. Tamawashi makes short work of him today, improving to 4-1.

Takayasu defeats Hoshoryu – No chance to use that inhuman endurance today, Hoshoryu had a workable offensive position at the tachiai, and Takayasu decided he was going to need to be dispatched. Hoshoryu engaged in some very nice rescue moves at the bales, but in the process of trying to twist away, put a foot over the bales and into the janome, giving Takayasu his fourth win.

Endo defeats Shimanoumi – Much like Kotoeko, Shimanoumi is unable to find any wins in act 2, and exits the initial phase of the basho with 0-5. Shimanoumi has the bulk of the offense today, and had Endo hurtling back when Endo applied a slap down. Shimanoumi hit the clay, Endo went over the West side, and the gumbai pointed East. But some times at the height of our reverie, a monoii is called, and a bunch of guys in black robes wreck the party. Endo is declared the winner, and improves to 3-2.

Takarafuji defeats Onosho – Fine, can we at least have Onosho break the winless spell? Well, no. He blasts in hard to Takarafuji’s waiting defense, but if its Onosho, you know he is probably off balance. Takarafuji tips him to the side a time or two, then slaps him past to crash over the edge of the dohyo. Takarafuji improves to 3-2, as both men linger on the dohyo expecting a monoii.

Daieisho defeats Ichinojo – Daieisho dials it up to “11” again today, and gets Ichinojo moving. Once the Boulder is rolling, best to get out of the way and let it land. Ichinojo responds in kind, but thrusting against Ichinojo’s massive body is akin to hitting the broad side of a barn. You just can’t miss. Ichinojo survives about 10 second and steps out, as Daieisho improves to 2-3.

Meisei defeats Kiribayama – The final fellow in the winless tribe can’t find a white star either, and I hope all of them go out for steamed crabs and tall beers together to commiserate. To me, it had to be a bit of a heartbreak for Kiribayama, as he had Meisei on defense, and moving astern. Then some sort of ur-Meisei took possession for the briefest moment, and hurled Kiribayama with monster-truck force. Where the hell did that come from? Meisei improves to 3-2.

Wakatakakage defeats Mitakeumi – Mitakeumi had fantastic defensive sumo going for a while, but after Wakatakakage’s first and second offensive combo, the two paused, and Mitakumi did not guard his left side. In went Wakatakakage’s right hand, giving him a two hand grip, and there was nothing Mitakeumi could do to prevent Wakatakakage’s advance and win. Wakatakakage improves to 2-3.

Takakeisho defeats Myogiryu – It was not flashy or overly exciting, but we did get to see Takakeisho broadly apply “his brand of sumo” and dispatch Myogiryu without too much resistance. If Takakeisho can stay in this groove, I am hoping to see him compete for the cup in week two. Some of his best sumo in the past year, and I love it. He improves to 5-0.

Okinoumi defeats Shodai – Well, Okinoumi had this one in the bag from the tachiai. Shodai seemed a bit surprised to be captured with a deep left from Okinoumi at the tachiai. Shodai tried some of his pivoting escape moves, but look at that lateral motion from Okinoumi! No escape there, Ozeki, and out you go. Okinoumi improves to 2-3.

Terunofuji defeats Takanosho – I do love Onigiri-kun, and he put on a heck of a fight. But again we see Terunofuji’s opponent appear to do well for a few moments, maybe even gain some level of advantage and try a finishing move. But out comes the kaiju and in a blink of an eye, the Yokozuna’s opponent is sprawled out on the clay. 5-0 for Terunofuji. Wow.

Welcome to the end of Kyushu Act 1!

I am compelled to call out Takayasu. We fans have taken note that his matches are going long, several over 3 minutes. This is quite unusual for sumo, and I suspect it heralds a new combat form for the former Ozeki. The man has always possessed supernatural endurance. Even Kisenosato called it out back in the day. The man seems to have the ability to take a refreshing nap while holding a fully stocked refrigerator over his head.

His old technique was what I would call “Wild Man Sumo”. He would have arms and legs going every which way, mass energy looking for a way to discharge through his opponents body and win the match. Sometimes it worked, many times it left him out of position and off balance and just the wrong time. It was also instrumental in delivering career changing injuries to his body. But something seems to have happened after Araiso moved to the hinterlands to set up his marvelous new stable.

This new technique is actually a bit subtle, and it appears to be devastating. Objective one – get your opponent tangled up and in a somewhat yotsu fight, he does not need to consent, just prevent him from breaking contact. His natural reaction will be to try to escape, or to push into you. That’s what you want. Dial up the counter pressure just to the point he begins to slip, then back off enough to stalemate him, but be careful to keep your balance back in case they release pressure suddenly. Bonus points if you can turn them a bit to the side so it’s tough for them to drop pressure. Then wait. Wait some more. Think about repainting your deck. Wait some more. Think about that trip to Miyajima with the wife and baby daughter. Wait some more. See the time keeper, he’s got a lot of fingers in the air, this match must be going on a while. Maybe its time to balance your bank statement in your head. Wow, more fingers. Is the other guy still alive? Yes? ok, now go wild man on his ass, he’s too tired to care.

Honestly, I think with some refinement, this can take him back to Ozeki. I am eager to see him try it on Terunofuji, who does not tire easily. I think of it as an extension of butsugari into competition. Wear the other guy to the point of exhaustion, then throw what’s left the the clay. I can’t wait to see it again.

Also of note, no more Juryo visitors for now, the banzuke gap has been closed thanks to the return of Tochinoshin. I was strongly considering if he would try to return, as his absence from a full tournament would punt him deep into Juryo. He’s not going down without a fight.

What We Are Watching Day 5

Akua vs Abi – Can Abi make it 5 in a row? I would guess he will, Akua has never found a formula to best him on the clay, and right now Abi seems to have speed and a commitment to inflicting pain on his opponents going for him. So I am thinking he may start 5-0.

Chiyomaru vs Shohozan – Can anything get “Big Guns” to break out the hitting bashing wonder that is the Shohozan we all love? I am not sure he has it in him any more. He has lost the last 2 in a row to Chiyomaru, who seems to be able to get Shohozan off balance and down. With both of them coming into day 5 with dismal 1-3 scores, they need to pick up wins.

Sadanoumi vs Chiyonokuni – Is Chiyonokuni hurt? He’s fighting well below his capabilities right now, and at M14, he is well below the rank I would expect to find him if he is healthy. He takes his dismal 1-3 record up against lossless speed demon Sadanoumi today. I think Sadanoumi is going to have a fair time of it, if he can keep his feet against Chiyonokuni’s thrash.

Kagayaki vs Tochinoshin – Welcome back Tochinoshin! If he’s healthy enough, he should be able to capture Kagayaki with a left hand outside grip, and then choose what to do. Tochinoshin has won 3 of his last 4 matches with Kagayaki, and holds an 8-2 career advantage. A loss today might indicate just how banged up the former Ozeki might be.

Yutakayama vs Kaisei – I want to see Kaisei rally and win this one. Sure he’s part of the old guard who are likely on the sunset road, but one more ride for glory is always nice. At M17e, he will drop to Juryo should he end with a make-koshi.

Chiyotairyu vs Hokutofuji – Chiyotairyu may not have a chance to employ the “Stand them up, slap them down” combo he adores. So maybe we get the cannon-ball tachiai today? Hokutofuji comes in a 4-0, and is clearly in fine form and quite genki. He looks like a good pick to end act one at 5-0.

Ishiura vs Hidenoumi – We saw some actual good sumo from Ishiura on day 4, and I hope this means he has gotten settled into honbasho form. Given that Hidenoumi has not really been that strong so far, I think he will be struggling to deal with Ishiura’s agility and mobility today.

Aoiyama vs Terutsuyoshi – A traditional crowd pleaser, the big man / little man match. Much as I adore “Big Dan” Aoiyama, I would love to see Terutsuyoshi crank it up today. He has 2 wins for November, but has yet to unleash any of his brilliant techniques. With any luck we will see him evade the V-Twin smash and grab, and get inside to work some mischief.

Kotonowaka vs Tobizaru – Tobizaru looked really solid against Ura, who can be a difficult, unusual challenge. He knew what to do and what to wait for, and pulled it off well. Kotonowaka continues is slump from September, and I can only guess that the injury that sent him kyujo on day 10 continues to trouble him.

Ura vs Chiyoshoma – I am really up for this match. Chiyoshoma is fighting the best I have ever seen him fight, and he has never won against Ura in 5 tries. If he pulls it off today, I am going to declare a new era for (formerly) sumo’s least favorite knucklehead. Ura has a solid recipe to take out Chiyoshoma, get behind him and push like a freight train. Can’t wait for this one.

Kotoeko vs Tamawashi – Will Kotoeko ever find a win? Not today, is my guess. Tamawashi is looking better than he has since July, where he finished Nagoya with 11-4 from Maegashira 10. Given the size and mass difference, Tamawashi may get him airborne today.

Takayasu vs Hoshoryu – Hooboy! What a match! Hoshoryu has been underperforming thus far, with a paltry 1-3 score going into the final day of act 1. Takayasu seems to be trying out a new, rather powerful technique. I can’t wait to see how these two work this out. Hoshoryu is going to be tough to capture and pin, and what will Takayasu do when his opponent can execute an effective hit-and-move match plan?

Shimanoumi vs Endo – I am surprised that we get to this stage of the tournament and Shimanoumi has yet to score his first win. He’s got Endo today, and that can’t be good for his chances at a kachi-koshi. Endo took a gnarly gash to the head on day 4, but I am going to guess it was just a flesh wound, and he may show up with one of those crazy giant bandages that Takayasu wore for a few days earlier in the year. Oh, and Shimanoumi has a 0-5 record against Endo. Tough day for him.

Onosho vs Takarafuji – Hey, junior tadpole! 0-4? What the hell. Get your balance down and mega thrust these guys out of your way. Oh, Takarafuji today? Well, good luck sir. He’s going to try to box you up and put you on hold until he’s ready to work with you.

Ichinojo vs Daieisho – Daieisho seems to be coming up short this tournament, in spite of his normal high-energy, somewhat frantic oshi-zumo style being in full battle mode. Ichinojo’s favorite response to this guy is to let him really get lost in his thrusting attack, let him get over his toes, and apply a giant boulder hand on the back of Daieisho’s neck for a quick drop to the deck.

Kiribayama vs Meisei – At this point, the whole Kiribayama may mostly be mental. Its the biggest problem with an up and coming rikishi getting into the named ranks, they gets spanked hard and sent home. It can really wreck some of them, but the best ones bounce back. On a good day, Kiribayama should be able to drop Meisei with a stout effort, but given that he has an 0-4 losing streak right now, the mental baggage make a win today a tough order indeed.

Mitakeumi vs Wakatakakage – Mitakeumi looks sharp right now. I know, we need to wait for his traditional week 2 fade, but I am going to revel in his sumo for now. Wakatakakage has only beaten him once, on his home turf of Nagyoa no less. The challenge Wakatakakage may face is that Mitakeumi is moving better side to side than I remember him doing for at least a year. Wakatakakage’s agility is his edge in this contest, and it may not be as useful as it was in July.

Myogiryu vs Takakeisho – Is today the day we get to see the full power “wave action tsuppari”? It’s been such a long time since the Grand Tadpole unleashed the doom weapon and blasted someone out of the prefecture. Given his 1-13 career deficit, I don’t think Myogiryu represents a large enough threat to power up the wave action system. Maybe week 2.

Shodai vs Okinoumi – Now that I am looking for it, I want to see more of the “Wall of Daikon”. Against Okinoumi it may be tough to execute, as the man from Shimane has a large body made for blocking and pushing himself. I look at it as a variation on the Kotoshogiku signature move, but rather than pelvic thrusts transmitted through a prominent belly, it’s a wide stance and just smothering your opponent with layers of pasty Kumamoto flesh. If anyone can land this beluga, its Okinoumi.

Terunofuji vs Takanosho – Takanosho has actually beaten Terunofuji 4 times, all of them in his run up to Ozeki. For today, I think he will go chest to chest early, and struggle to keep his arms out of the kaiju lock that is a Terunofuji staple. Chance for a Takanosho win are slim to none.

As much as I wrote about the transition to a post-Hakuho era that I wrote or contributed to on Tachiai over the past few years, I may not have appreciated the mental change his retirement would bring to sumo. I have noticed important changes in some rikishi’s sumo, and much of it is for the better. Is it the case that some of the higher ranked folks sense an easier route to higher rank now, and have allowed themselves to try variations on their technique? We will never know. But if you think about Takakeisho, Mitakeumi, Shodai, Takayasu – their sumo is in fact different this November than it was in September. One or two of them trying something new or showing a noticeable improvement would be natural, but all of them? To me that seems more like some manner of mental process that has given them new motivation. Maybe it was Hakuho’s retirement. Maybe its something else.

No matter what the cause, I am becoming hopeful we are going to see some of these guys shine for the next several tournaments.

Highlight Matches

Akua defeats Shohozan – We only saw a little offense at the beginning from Shohozan, and then it was all Akua. He set up a right hand outside mawashi grip, backed Shohozan up, and threw him down at the edge. I think Shohozan was unable to do anything with his own right hand as Akua had it tangled up, eliminating Shohozan’s primary weapon. Akua improves to 2-2.

Sadanoumi defeats Daiamami – Daiamami going to 0-4 is not a huge surprise, but it’s damn impressive that Sadanoumi is now 4-0. He’s never had a top division tournament start with 4 straight wins, and I have to guess he’s headed for double digits if he can maintain. He gave Daiamami the inside route at the tachiai, but it turned out to be no disadvantage, as Sadanoumi had much more power and quickly took him to the clay.

Abi defeats Kaisei – That one looked rough, Abi grabbed Kaisei’s throat at the tachiai, and rode that nodowa all the way home. That had to have hurt. Abi is also in the undefeated crowd at 4-0, and Kaisei is looking for a chiropractor.

Kagayaki defeats Chiyomaru – That’s the kind of sumo I want to see more of from Kagayaki. He took the inside lane away from Chiyomaru after the tachiai, and just poured on the pressure. If you want a replay, notice where Kagayaki is looking, directly at center mass. It’s natural for humans to look each other in the face, and I give points to Kagayaki to have the training and discipline to watch Chiyomaru like that. It kept him positioned correctly when Chiyomaru tried to escape, and ensured that he continued to land his thrusting attack where they did the most good. Kagayaki improves to 2-2.

Yutakayama defeats Chiyonokuni – Chiyonokuni opened strong, with a left hand pushing against Yutakayama’s neck. But he was clearly off balance at the moment of maximum force, opening the door for Yutakayama to step aside, swatting him to the clay as he fell. Yutakayama improves to 2-2.

Ishiura defeats Kotonowaka – Nice display of a simple attack plan done well today from Ishiura. He was able to get inside at the tachiai, and worked his left hand in, and then into a grip on Kotonowaka’s mawashi. He tried a leg trip, which did not quite work, but ruined Kotonowaka’s defensive foot placement, opening the door for Ishiura’s yorikiri. Ishiura improves to 2-2.

Hokutofuji defeats Terutsuyoshi – This match shows the versatility that Hokutofuji can bring to a match. Most rikishi will use their lower body for defense – a stable stance to blunt any attempt to put them off balance. But here, the risk is that Terutsuyoshi will use his size and speed to get underneath or to the side. So Hokutofuji appears to use his upper body for defense, and his lower body is on offense. He blocks and contains every attack from Terutsuyoshi, all the while inching forward. This match took a while, as Hokutofuji was in no rush, but it was great tactical sumo. Hokutofuji improves to 4-0.

Chiyotairyu defeats Aoiyama – Well, kind of surprised and more than a bit delighted that Chiyotairyu picked up his second win today. He used his traditional “stand him up, then slap him down” technique, which is also a favorite of Aoiyama. Why Big Day ran blindly into that, we will never now. Chiyotairyu improves to 2-2.

Hidenoumi defeats Kotoeko – Its getting frustrating to watch Kotoeko. He is winning for 90% of this match, but crumples when Hidenoumi counter attacks. Maybe that reveals whats going on, some sort of injury to Kotoeko’s undercarriage. Hidenoumi improves to 2-2, and Kotoeko stays winless at 0-4.

Tobizaru defeats Ura – How low can you go? These two are not tall to begin with, and the spent the whole match fighting nearly bent double at the waist. Tobizaru coaxed Ura into upping forward pressure, until the moment he was ready. Stepping to the side, Ura came rushing forward off balance, and Tobizaru expertly shoved him from the side, sending Ura rolling across the dohyo. Tobizaru improves to 2-2.

Tamawashi defeats Chiyoshoma – Solid opening combo from Chiyoshoma, but Tamawashi is a master at this form of sumo, countering with speed and strength, and relegating Chiyoshoma to a blocking defense. Tamawashi raised him up, and with a double hand push, sent him over the west side. Both end the day at 3-1.

Takayasu defeats Shimanoumi – Another 3 minute plus grind from Takayasu, and I have to guess this is what he is going to use as much as he can this basho. Yes please, bring it on! Takayasu nearly took Shimanoumi out immediately after the tachiai, but may have decided to wait and avoid any kind of throw from Shimanoumi at the bales, an so they went into endurance mode. I think everyone is going to figure this out, and do anything they can to keep Takayasu from these marathon grapples. Honestly, I love them. Takayasu improves to 3-1.

Endo defeats Hoshoryu – Firstly, great body position from Hoshoryu for 95% of this match. It’s one of the sharpest components of his sumo, and he needed it against Endo. Hoshoryu was able to block Endo’s opening move, and continue to shut down every attack route Endo tried. But when Hoshoryu switched to attack and loaded up a throw, Endo had his opening to get a left hand inside, and he put Hoshoryu down before he could complete the nage. Endo advances to 2-2.

Takarafuji defeats Okinoumi – Very smooth and patient match today from Takarafuji, and rather than defend and extend, Takarafuji went for a left hand inside grip, and straight into offense. It payed off as he walked Okinoumi back to the bales, stood him up, and moved him out. Takarafuji improves to 2-2.

Takanosho defeats Kiribayama – Kiribayama loses again, and is 0-4 to start November. I worried that he would struggle in his first posting to Komusubi, but not quiet to this degree. He had a strong enough open, but tried a pull in the first 10 seconds, handing Takanosho a free moment of undefended offense, and Takanosho did not refuse. A quick double arm thrust, and Kiribayama was out. Takanosho improves to 2-2.

Mitakeumi defeats Ichinojo – Great opening combo from Ichinojo moved Mitakeumi back, and seemed to give The Boulder a clear route to a win. But Mitakeumi is surprisingly nimble, and was able to escape and circle to the side. I like how Ichinojo maintained control of the center of the dohyo, and made Mitakeumi come to him. But he did go soft once Mitakeumi had hazuoshi, and that was the match. Mitakeumi remains flawless at 4-0.

Meisei defeats Myogiryu – Meisei had the advantage at the tachiai, and timed his slap down perfectly to the moment when Myogiryu attempted to rally. Both end the day at 2-2.

Shodai defeats Wakatakakage – Wakatakakage was lower, with his hands inside at the tachiai. But immediately we saw Shodai start his “wall of daikon” attack. It’s simple, does not look like much, but its proven amazingly effective thus far. Block your opponent’s hands from any offensive placement, and just bodily shove them back with your massive frame. It was good enough today to chase Wakatakakage off the clay, and give Shodai a 3-1 score at the end of day 4. If this is what becomes his signature Ozeki style, I think that’s good and proper. He can ride this one a long long way.

Takakeisho defeats Daieisho – I was delighted that Daieisho was able to stay in the match as long as he did. It gave us a chance to see Takakeisho crank it up a bit more than we have seen in a while, and he really got into attack form well. Not quite “wave action” yet, but the push-push-slap combo cycled a few times, and eventually brought Daieisho down. Takakeisho remains perfect at 4-0.

Terunofuji defeats Onosho – Well now. Onosho attacked well, and Terunofuji even gave him a moment for his perfect attack. The shoulders and hips square mega-thrust. It did move the Yokozuna back just a bit, but somehow it did not deliver nearly enough force to make a dent in Terunofuji’s defense. Sadly Onosho is having one of his cold basho, and Terunofuji is looking excellent, and is now at 4-0.