The day 4 preview will hopefully match what I am looking for in the day 4 matches. Swift, kind of ugly, and highly entertaining.

What We Are Watching Day 4

Akua vs Shohozan – I am beginning to think I won’t get to see Shohozan play “little bunny fu-fu” with anyone. Gone are the days when he and Yoshikaze would leave each other bloody on the home town clay just for the hell of it. Sadly he’s 0-3 against Akua, so not too hopeful here.

Daiamami vs Sadanoumi – Daiamami up from juryo with a 0-3 record that smells as bad as his Makushita mawashi did the day before he retired it. Worse yet, he has never beaten Sadanoumi in 4 tries. Get out the Lysol, folks. It may be messy.

Kaisei vs Abi – Oh this is one of great interest. The large self-propelled monument known as Kaisei is going to take on Abi-zumo 1.5. As one of our valiant commenters pointed out (quite correctly) Abi seems to be attacking at closer range now, and the force x distance math has really dialed up the force per blow. Remember, accelerate through your opponent’s body for maximum energy transfer.

Kagayaki vs Chiyomaru – Both of these guys have crummy 1-2 records, and even though its the first act, I can tell some of the schedulers are already salivating at the thought of setting up funnels this weekend. I would not like to see these guys herded into a 7-7 death march, so they need to get winning, or get losing. Thankfully one of them gets their second win today.

Yutakayama vs Chiyonokuni – Also in 1-2 disappointment roster, this pair. They are both capable fighters, so they need to buckle down and brawl. I give an edge to Chiyonokuni (5-2) if for no other reason that Yutakayama seems to think he is about to win, and loses mojo right before he takes a loss.

Kotonowaka vs Ishiura – Do you spot a theme? It’s 1-2 time again, and I have to go with Ishiura, if for no other reason that I think Kotonowaka is hurt. He’s been moribund for a while now, and it’s a real shame.

Hokutofuji vs Terutsuyoshi – Oh yay! Next match of great interest. Terutsuyoshi may yet come face to face with Hokutofuji’s indomitable lower half. If that sounds anatomically impossible, you may yet be surprised. Frankly, if Hokutofuji is not double digits at the end of day 15, it will be a huge miss for him.

Aoiyama vs Chiyotairyu – When the mega-fauna clash, even the trees get scared. Thankfully they don’t grow in the Fukuoka area. But it seems to me that with Aoiyama pretty darn genki at 3-0, they are more or less feeding Chiyomaru to him, as they want to bash another of the hapless 1-2 herd. These two have a 20 match career history with Aoiyama holding a 13-7 advantage.

Kotoeko vs Hidenoumi – Oh they are having some fun, with the 3-0 vs 1-2, lets try 0-3 vs 1-2. The 0-3 door mat being played by perpetual max effort / low score champion, Kotoeko. I want him to start winning some time soon. Maybe today he can overcome his 4-9 career deficit against Hidenoumi? Nah…

Ura vs Tobizaru – You may have guessed, it 3-0 vs 1-2 again, with Ura set to play a game of “pull my finger” with sumo’s flying monkey. Word to Tobizaru – don’t pull his finger.

Chiyoshoma vs Tamawashi – Having run fresh out of 1-2’s, it’s time to play with the 2-1’s. What is it with these guys and numbers? Do they have all of the Jonidan and below down in the basement on treadmills powering some kind of crypto mining rig? Anyhow, its Chiyoshoma from the Star Trek mirror universe, where he is the most straightforward, hinkaku rikishi in early 21st century sumo. (How else can you explain this?) at 3-0 taking a stand against ace brawler Tamawashi. I have enjoyed Chiyoshoma’s 3-0 run so far, but if he takes down Tamawashi, well, I will look for evil Spock to show up next.

Takayasu vs Shimanoumi – Yes yes, we get the joke guys, its bloody goroawase up and down the banzuke. Now 0-3 Shimanoumi can face 2-1 Takayasu. Will Takayasu take the time to get that pose of his and force Shimanoumi to grapple for minutes at a time? Can Shimanoumi even take that much hamburger helper? It’s got to be like hugging Grizzly Adams….

Hoshoryu vs Endo – When you run out of 3’s go back to your 1-2 parade of guys that need a win. Are you surprised to find both Endo and Hoshoryu at 1-2 heading into day 4? Both of these guys have the potential to be cleaning up. Endo won their only prior match, so he may have a slight edge. Hoshoryu seems to have gained some weight, and may be struggling to adjust to his new higher mass.

Okinoumi vs Takarafuji – Another pair of 1-2, both of whom are solid journeyman rikishi. They will go chest to chest early, but that’s where it gets murky. Takarafuji holds a slim 15-11 career lead, but neither one of them has really hit their stride yet.

Takanosho vs Kiribayama – And around we go again with the number 3, its 0-3 Kiribayama against 1-2 Takanosho. Takanosho has an 8-1 career advantage, but its about time for Kiribayama to rack up his first win. He’s fighting better than his 0-3 score would indicate, and he’s fighting better than his historical norm. So I am looking for Takanosho to take a loss.

Mitakeumi vs Ichinojo – Oh man, what fun this one is going to be. Mitakeumi has been fighting very well, and Ichinojo is doing well enough. If Ichinojo can keep from going soft and stepping out, this clash of the “bigs” is going to get heavy fast. I like Mitakeumi in this fight, but only narrowly.

Myogiryu vs Meisei – Meisei finally showed us some sumo day 3 against Okinoumi, and I would give him a bit of an advantage today over Myogiryu, who took down both endurance champs this November. I just think that Meisei is sharper / faster / harder in the hit and move sumo that these two use when they fight each other.

Shodai vs Wakatakakage – This would seem to be a clear advantage for Ozeki Shodai, but he struggles against fast, agile Wakatakakage. I would love to see Wakatakakage get inside, get past that flabby abdomen, maybe get to the side and really put some leverage on Shodai. With any luck, such a situation would force him to bring out some of his cartoon sumo, which we have seen very little of in the past 6 months.

Daieisho vs Takakeisho – A pair of frantic pusher thrusters hitting each other rapidly with overpowering force? Sign me up! I know that Daieisho could really use a win, but thus far Takakeisho seems to be 100% in the sweet spot of his sumo. I predict much froaking in the Tokiwayama lillypond tonight.

Terunofuji vs Onosho – The ultimate WTF match, its unbeaten and for the moment unassailable Yokozuna Terunofuji against winless junior tadpole Onosho. The question is not the outcome, but the process, and will Onosho have any bones left when it’s all done.

A massive crowd of 0-2 rikishi picked up their first wins today, dropping the ranks of 0-3 competitors to just 4. On the other side of the spectrum, 9 rikishi has flawless 3-0 starts to Kyushu. A lot of rikishi are looking very sharp and dialed into their sumo at the start of this tournament, and I think we are going to see some fierce competition just behind Terunofuji’s run to the yusho.

I know I have mentioned it already this basho, but I am marveling at Chiyoshoma. Its like the friend who lost 60 pounds over the course of a summer, and now you are not quite sure you recognize them. A short time ago, he set the global standard for cheap tricks and crummy sumo. But presently, he looks like a serious rikishi. He’s fighting well, with solid and effective sumo. I am hoping he can continue this run, and become a much needed journeyman rikishi on the top half of the banzuke.

Highlight Matches

Wakamotoharu defeats Kaisei – Today was not a day where being enormous was an effective sumo strategy. Kaisei filed to defend against Wakamotoharu’s left, and allowed him to get a deep mawashi grip. It was 3 steps to the bales, and over he went. Wakamotoharu improves to 2-1 on the hunt for kachi-koshi and a top division debut.

Abi defeats Shohozan – I would have liked to see more hitting from Shohozan in this one. But instead he absorbed a couple of volleys of Abi-zumo, and had no room to back up. Abi improves to 3-0 for Kyushu, and seems to be continuing his roll from September.

Sadanoumi defeats Chiyomaru – Sadanoumi seldom beats Chiyomaru, mostly because Chiyomaru is tough to get your hands around, but Sadanoumi landed right hand outside, left hand inside and gave Chiyomaru no space to escape Sadanoumi’s forward run to the edge. Sadanoumi has a blistering 3-0 start for Nomvember.

Akua defeats Chiyonokuni – Akua finally picks up his first win, when Chiyonokuni unwisely attempts an immediate pull just after the tachiai. The release of forward pressure by Chiyonokuni opened the door for Akua to move forward, and move he did. Akua improves to 1-2.

Hokutofuji defeats Kagayaki – Kagayaki put a lot of his attention on a right side ottsuke, and it more or less worked to prevent Hokutofuji from getting a right hand inside grip. But while Kagayaki was working to defeat Hokutofuji’s upper body, his lower body was moving forward, and winning the match. Hokutofuji with a 3-0 start, and his over demotion is looking rather silly right now.

Ishiura defeats Yutakayama – Ishiura finally showing “his brand of sumo” today. That rapid shift and grab outside was flawless, and Yutakayama never recovered. That double arm shove to finish the match was likewise well timed, with great hand placement. Superb sumo today. Ishiura picks up his first win, and Yutakayama gets to hurdle the salt basket.

Terutsuyoshi defeats Chiyotairyu – Terutsuyoshi showed fantastic reactions today, reading that Chiyotairyu was not going for the cannon ball tachiai, but instead wanted an immediate slap down. Chiyotairyu’s lack of forward pressure at the tachiai cost him the match, with Terutsuyoshi clear to push center-mass, and run Chiyotairyu out. Terutsuyoshi improves to 2-1.

Hidenoumi defeats Kotonowaka – Both men were looking to go chest to chest, and quickly settled into their favorite grip. But once entangled, neither had enough power to overwhelm the other, and the match devolved into a chest-to-chest endurance test. About a minute went by before Hidenoumi began to gradually move Kotonowaka back, and finally out, scoring his first white star of November, improving to 1-2.

Aoiyama defeats Kotoeko – Aoiyama fired up the big V-Twin straight off the shikiri-sen, with great effect. I counted two times Kotoeko tried to break in close enough to attack, each time to catch a meaty hand to the body that pushed him back. When Aoiyama is on his sumo, like he is right now, he’s tough to beat this far down the banzuke. Aoiyama improves to 3-0.

Chiyoshoma defeats Tobizaru – Well now, for the first time in 6 attempts, Chiyoshoma scored a win against Tobizaru. He took his time, kept his feet solid, and just dismantled Tobizaru a piece at a time. This is some solid, mature and well executed sumo. From Chiyoshoma? Where is the real Chiyoshoma? (checks under the cushions). 3-0 starting score for him.

Tamawashi defeats Shimanoumi – Shimanoumi eats another loss for a stone cold 0-3 start to Kyushu. He caught the first Tamawashi volley square in the chest, and had no path to recovery. The second one took him out, and that was 3. Tamawashi improves to 2-1.

Ura defeats Hoshoryu – Ura used his traditional submarine tachiai, with the hit and hop to the right variation. This left Hoshoryu without a leaning buddy, and Ura gave him a forceful shove to the back of the neck to send him to the clay. Sadly the hoped for wild sumo never had a chance today from this pair. Ura improves to 3-0.

Takarafuji defeats Endo – Endo went high rather than low, and found no proper grip against one of the best defensive sumo rikishi on the planet. Endo responded by putting a lot of motion into his sumo, trying everything to find a gap in Takarafuji’s defense. But none was found, and by the time Takarafuji took a hold of him, Endo had little stamina left, and was an easy mark. Takarafuji picks up his first win of November.

Myogiryu defeats Takayasu – A Takayasu match that goes into endurance mode? No surprise there, but what was a nice surprise is that Myogiryu came out of the 90 second strength contest with enough mojo to press the attack once again. The two broke contact, and when the clashed again, Myogiryu was able to collapse Takayasu’s throw attempt to hand the former Ozeki his first loss. Both end the day 2-1.

Ichinojo defeats Takanosho – When Ichinojo gets like this, the only think you can really do is feed him to Terunofuji. Takanosho comes in strong at the tachiai, and sets up an arm bar hold, but did not mind his feet. He was forward, and an easy target for Ichinojo’s thrust down. The boulder improves to 2-1.

Meisei defeats Okinoumi – Another first win, and this was the first success in 8 attempt by Meisei to defeat Okinoumi. Meisei got advantage early, with multiple escape and rescue attempts by Okinoumi never quite succeeding. A final pivot at the bales met a Meisei leg trip attempt, and robbed Okinoumi of his balance. Both end the day 1-2.

Mitakeumi defeats Daieisho – Mitakeumi’s solid defense, and unassailable lower body / foot placement kept him in this match until the point that Daieisho lost his balance. Mitakeumi rapidly converted to attack mode and scored his 3rd victory to maintain his perfect start to Kyushu. Great effort from both. But if you want to see a rock solid defense, check out the effort Mitakeumi put into today’s match to stay upright and in the fight. Top level stuff.

Takakeisho defeats Kiribayama – You just know that Takakeisho reherses that combo at least twice a day with the deshi at Tokiwayama. That was too fluid, too sharp to be a random attack. Hit-Hit-Hit-pull and move. Kiribayama has a lot of potential for the future, but he’s going to have to come up with ways to beat these higher ranked men to get there. Takakeisho maintains a perfect 3-0.

Shodai defeats Onosho – Onosho opened big, with a nodowa and then a shapr thrust combo. These things don’t always have the desired effect on Shodai. who uses his huge “wall of daikon” body to absorb the offense. Onosho can be counted on to put so much effort into his initial attack that he is not well balanced for defense, and Shodai took full advantage of this, brining Onosho swiftly down to the clay. Onosho still looking for his first win at 0-3, Shodai improves to 2-1.

Terunofuji defeats Wakatakakage – I counted three times Wakatakakage rushed in to push against Terunofuji’s chest with a meaty slap of hands, and each time the Yokozuna did not move back. Well, about that time Terunofuji decided he had seen enough, and launched Wakatakakage into the east side zabuton section. Perfect 3-0 start for the Yokozuna.

There are some great matches in store for day 3, and I am eager to see how the top division rikishi end the day. One thing that I have heard from sumo fans is a level of concern that the lone Yokozuna, Terunofuji, got in trouble two days in a row. Welcome to the post Hakuho era dear readers. Terunofuji is the most dangerous man on the dohyo for the foreseeable future, but he may never dominate at the level of “The Boss”. Personally, it’s a hell of a lot more thrilling to see a contender really take the fight to the top man, and see him (for the last two days) reach in and win with overwhelming force.

I myself got a bit spoiled with Hakuho and to some extent Harumafuji. These guys were just so blasted good that nobody had a chance against them if they were on top of their sumo. We may see a Yokozuna like that again in the next several years, but I think that the “flat” landscape that Tachiai contributor Josh talks about is here to stay. From the top to the bottom, the level of skill and fighting potential is closer than what we had enjoyed for some time in the world of sumo. To me that means that on any given day, you can see upsets and surprises.

What We Are Watching Day 3

Kaisei vs Wakamotoharu – I really thought that Wakamotoharu was going to be in the top division by now. But at Juryo 1 west, all he needs to do is hit kachi-koshi and he is likely in. With a 1-1 start, he is not yet making a strong case to join his brother Wakatakakage. He has never faced Kaisei, and that’s going to count for quite a bit. I think everyone who fights Kaisei for the first time remembers it. Kind of like the first time you tried cow tipping. Cows don’t tip. And they are really large. And they don’t like to be woken up in the middle of the night.

Shohozan vs Abi – Its clear to me that Shohozan is not quite the brawler he was a few years ago, but its great to see him in the top division in front of his home town crowd. He has a 7=2 career deficit against Abi, so I think we may see Mr long-arms rack up win #3 today.

Chiyomaru vs Sadanoumi – Time to put some dirt on speedy Sadanoumi. Out of the 17 career matches against the bulbous Chiyomaru, he has only won 3. Although Sadanoumi is quick, there are just very few grab points on the dyson sphere that is Chiyomaru. Yes, it’s true, there is a whole civilization inside of him. And a star too. Don’t question it!

Akua vs Chiyonokuni – I kind of hate that Akua comes to the top division and gets the tar beaten out of him every single time. But I guess with sumo being a “win or else” sport, you take what happens as fact. Today the grumpy badger that is Chiyonokuni gets to have a go with Akua, who has a 0-3 career crater against Chiyonokuni.

Kagayaki vs Hokutofuji – Oh, how I would love to see Kagayaki go all fundamentals and just haul Hokutofuji around for a bit and then rocket him over the bales. But in reality, Kagayaki may defeat Hokutofuji’s upper body in the first 5 seconds, and still lose to his lower body, who is perfectly happy to fight on without the rest of him. In fact, word from Hakkaku hey is that long after the top half of Hokutofuji is soaking the the tub, the lower half is doing butsgari with the youngsters. Grim tidings for Kagayaki.

Ishiura vs Yutakayama – Ishiura has a 7-4 career advantage over Yutakayama, and he best put that advantage to use today. Suffering a 0-2 opening to Kyushu, he needs wins in a big way. That day 2 match was border line ridiculous, and I know that Ishiura has some potent sumo to deliver. Get on with it sir!

Chiyotairyu vs Terutsuyoshi – If Terutsuyoshi is going to employ a side step or a leg pick this basho, this is a good day to use it. Chiyotairyu has one forward gear, one reverse gear, and almost no lateral sumo to speak of. It’s perfect for a high agility opponent.

Kotonowaka vs Hidenoumi – Man, Hidenoumi has really started cold. Zero and two, with very little offensive sumo in the first two days. I know he has the skill, the strength and the guts to fight at this level. So hopefully whatever has him doing poorly is resolved from today. On the other hand, I am surprised that Kotonowaka is at M11, and at 1-1. I think that if he is healthy he is better than this.

Kotoeko vs Aoiyama – The worst part about following Kotoeko’s sumo, he fights like champion but scores like a dud. Today he’s got Aoiyama, who seems to be well enough at the start (2-0), so I would expect some long-arm bludgeoning from Big Dan to start. Kotoeko will be working to close the gap, and get as close as he can to Big Dan in order to attack with some measure of safety. Tied at 3-3 over their career.

Tobizaru vs Chiyoshoma – As mentioned in the day 2 highlights, I am really impressed by Chiyoshoma’s sumo the last few tournaments. I know that he is 0-5 against Tobizaru, but I would not be at all surprised to see him uncork something goofy yet effective today against sumo’s flying monkey.

Shimanoumi vs Tamawashi – At some point in act 2, Shimanoumi is going to snap out of his cold start and rack his first win. I think there is a good chance today, if he can set aside the spanking he has gotten the last two. He will need to take great care at the tachiai, if Tamawashi gets his first hit inside, it’s going to be tough to recover.

Ura vs Hoshoryu – Oh what joyous times we live in, when we can see these two battle. On the east side, the master of WTF sumo… Ura! On the west side, a man who can take out your ankles and leave you guessing, the rock’n rolla from Mongolia… Hoshoryu! Don’t be surprised if Ura tries something like an ipponzeoi at the same moment that Hoshoryu tries a leg pick, and both of them become a fast spinning closed system of infinite quantum energy, rotating at hypersonic speed inches above the clay.

Takarafuji vs Endo – Like Kotoeko, but with more stability, I get bummed thinking about Takarafuji and his 0-2 start. He had Takayasu for 3 full minutes of battle hugging on day 2, and all he came home with was a painful rash in his bikini area. Now we are set to see Endo try to get a front grip, on that same area, and toss Takarafuji about the clay. Sure they have an even 9-10 record, but it’s got to hurt.

Takayasu vs Myogiryu – These two have a 23 match history that goes back to 2012. That’s a long way back. Myogiryu leads 13-10, but in the past couple of years it has been Takayasu dominating 5-2. So let’s see if the former Ozeki can keep his feet heavy, his opponent in front of him, and that left elbow clamped to his body.

Ichinojo vs Takanosho – This one is even all around. Both are 1-1, they have a 2-2 career record, and both have strong associations with popular food items. Will it be the ice cream, or the onigiri today? Personally I give Ichinojo a slight edge, mostly because he is huge. I am in that kind of mood today.

Okinoumi vs Meisei – Very little doubt about this match, in 7 attempts, Meisei has yet to beat Okinoumi even once. So I expect the veteran from rural Shimane to dispatch his smaller rival with a bit of wrap, tangle and slide. It will suck if Meisei finishes the day at 0-3. Maybe he can rally?

Mitakeumi vs Daieisho – Some sumo fans labeled Mitakeumi’s day 2 match as “lethargic”. I think of it as “heavy”. He had some kind of gravity amplifier going, and everything slowed down at his event horizon. Not sure that will work on Daieisho day 3, who is more likely to just rapidly smack Mitakeumi around like a fat pasta chef making ravioli. Bolognese, per favore!

Kiribayama vs Takakeisho – Two straight days of watching Takakeisho blast folks off the dohyo, and its never enough for fans like me. I am glad he has no signs of neurological trouble, and I hope it stays that way. Kiribayama has beaten him a couple of times over the past few years, but today I am looking for a good, old-fashioned double arm blast to the sternum.

Shodai vs Onosho – Oh man, what do we have here? The Wall of Daikon vs the Junior Tadpole. Shodai has a career lead against him, but right now 0-2 Onosho has to be pretty pissed off. Do I think he’s going to be able to win against the Ozeki? Not really, but I would like to see him get a few good hits in.

Terunofuji vs Wakatakakage – Wakatakakage has only beaten Terunofuji once on the clay, and that was March of 2020 in that weird “Silent Basho” in Osaka just as COVID was hitting Japan. Since then its been all manner of tossing, hitting, smashing, pushing, crushing and general violence from the Yokozuna toward the lead Onami brother. Is it time to see how much of that first aid training Hakuho actually retained?

In the blink of an eye, today’s final match went from a raucous contest between rikishi into a momentary appearance of the kaiju. No other way to explain it for this sumo blogger.

But let’s not gloss over some of the great fundamental sumo and solid matches the top division crew brought to the dohyo today. Immensely satisfying series of contests, and I have to call out Abi, Ura, Chiyo-friggen-shoma, and Mitakeumi for bringing their best today. Great work guys, please maintain this good form as long as you are able.

Highlight Matches

Shohozan defeats Tsurugisho – Shohozan got the better of the tachiai, and left Tsurugisho too far forward. the two traded blows, each trying to open up an attack route or a hold. In apparent frustration at Shohozan’s blocking, Tsurugisho tried to pull Shohozan down, and “Big Guns” poured on the pressure, taking the match. Shohozan pick up his first win to improve to 1-1.

Sadanoumi defeats Kaisei – Sadanoumi quickly set up with a shallow left hand outside grip, but once you have a hold of Kaisei, he usually also has a hold of you. Given the mass difference, Sadanoumi did not have a lot of time to get things just right. He paused into a lean for a moment, then rallied to move Kaisei back and out. Sadanoumi improves to 2-0.

Chiyomaru defeats Akua – Akua had a good tachiai, but Chiyomaru deftly set his hands for the tsukiotoshi on the second step out of the tachiai. He pivoted to his right, and dropped Akua without further notice. Chiyomaru picks up his first win in November to advance to 1-1.

Abi defeats Chiyonokuni – I had anticipated some frantic oshi-zumo between these two, but Chiyonokuni never really got started. He caught an Abi attack in the tachiai, and never really got his body ready to counter-attack. Abi improves to 2.0.

Kagayaki defeats Yutakayama – If you want a clear cut example of Kagayaki winning a match via solid sumo fundamentals, this is the best one in the last couple of tournaments. He attacks hands low at the tachiai, and lets Yutakayama get his left hand grip started. Kagayaki keeps his hips low, reciprocates with his own left hand inside, then dials up the power. He tries a throw, but can’t get Yutakayama over, and settles for just shoving him out. Both end the day 1-1.

Hokutofuji defeats Kotonowaka – Hokutofuji’s handshake tachiai missed its mark, and Kotonowaka sets up a nodowa himself, ending Hokutofuji’s initial attack combo. But rather than dominate Hokutofuji, whose head is down, Kotonowaka decides to pull instead. This gives Hokutofuji control, and he rapidly runs Kotonowaka out. Pulling seldom works against Hokutofuji, his lower body is far too stabled. Hokutofuji improves to 2-0.

Terutsuyoshi defeats Ishiura – A battle of the smalls, and both of them go low at the tachiai, but Ishiura ends up crumpled and captured. Terutsuyoshi is not sure what to do with this, but has a double arm grip on the back of Ishiura’s mawashi. So he lifts and carries as best he can, getting Ishiura over the bales in a unusual tsuridashi. Terutsuyoshi picks up his first win of November to improve to 1-1.

Aoiyama defeats Hidenoumi – Aoiyama opens with a lot of power square into center-mass, and gets Hidenoumi against the tawara in a hurry. Hidenoumi rallies for a moment, but Aoiyama pulls him forward, gets behind and runs him out to improve to 2-0.

Tobizaru defeats Chiyotairyu – Tobizaru was able to survive the first 5 seconds of the match, keeping on his feet, and on the attack. After 5 seconds, Chiyotairyu becomes decreasingly potent, and Tobizaru played this very well, getting a right arm under Chiyotairyu’s left, and unleashing a belt-less arm throw to improve to 1-1.

Ura defeats Kotoeko – Kotoeko gets an early launch, and lays down a series of blistering combos into Ura’s face and upper body. Ura stayed in his defensive stance, and held ground well. He found a gap in Kotoeko’s attack, and countered with power and speed. Kotoeko could not absorb that much power, and found himself pushed over the edge for his second loss. Ura improves to 2-0.

Chiyoshoma defeats Shimanoumi – I am really liking this version of Chiyoshoma, he was a solid block of offense again today, and never really gave Shimanoumi any opportunity to produce more than defense. He was able to break contact once, but Chiyoshoma parlayed that in a double inside grip that included catching Shimanoumi without his feet set. Chiyoshoma at 2-0 to start November.

Tamawashi defeats Hoshoryu – Hoshoryu looks like he went for some kind of face slap at the tachiai, and left his chest wide open for Tamawashi’s opening salvo. That single push set the tone for the match, as Tamawashi dominated the offense, and Hoshoryu was relegated to countering Tamawashi’s moves. His only real offense was a rescue throw at the edge, which looked to me like it probably worked. But the gumbai wen to Tamawashi, and the Shimpan agreed. Both end the day at 1-1.

Takayasu defeats Takarafuji – We guessed that this was going to be a contest of endurance, and it turned into a protected battle, with neither man able to set up an offensive grip at first, but both willing to wear the other one down. Time and again, Takarafuji tried to get his left hand attached to Takayasu’s mawashi, and could not make it stick thanks to Takayasu’s defense. They went at it for over 3 minutes, which is an eternity in sumo, and the match ended when Takarafuji simply could not put up the stamina to fight any longer. Nice win by Takayasu and he improves to 2-0.

Endo defeats Myogiryu – Endo got into trouble straight out of the tachiai, letting Myogiryu turn him and get behind. But genki Endo is so sharp and quick, he got re-positioned as Myogiryu lunged forward, and used Myogiryu’s power to drive the pivot that rolled into a fluid tsukiotoshi. Endo picks up his first win of November, and improves to 1-1.

Okinoumi defeats Kiribayama – A quick forearm hit by Okinoumi at the tachiai connected with Kiribayama’s chin, and I think disrupted whatever idea of offense he may have had. Okinoumi’s right hand did he rest of the work to move Kiribayama around, and finally out to give Okinoumi his first win for Kyushu.

Mitakeumi defeats Takanosho – Takanosho delivered a lot of power at the tachiai, and pressed the attack. I like how Mitakeumi stayed very calm, wrapped up Takanosho, then circled around so that in spite of all of Takanosho’s effort, Mitakeumi finished with his feet squarely in the center of the ring. He worked to raise Takanosho up, and placed his right hand into a pushing position, and moved forward. Nice opening combo from Takanosho, but Mitakeumi took the match to improve to 2-0.

Wakatakakage defeats Meisei – Meisei again opened quite strong, and had Wakatakakage moving back and attempting to defend, but was unable to finish him. Wakatakakage manage to break contact, and rally to apply some offensive tsuparri. But to my eye, Meisei lost footing and went down. They applied the kimarite of hatakikomi, but to my eye it looks quite a bit more like one of Kintamayama’s slippiotoshi.

Shodai defeats Ichinojo – Well good, Ozeki Shodai mounted the dohyo today, and matched the Boulder’s power at the tachiai. Neither man was especially fast or strong at the start of the match, but Shodai was able to get a solid body position, and walk Ichinojo over the edge before he could rally and put together an offense. Shodai picks up his first win of November, to improve to 1-1.

Takakeisho defeats Onosho – This tadpole battle gave me a huge smile, as we got to see Takakeisho’s Ozeki form. Onosho came in a little less aggressive than usual, but left his chest open to Takakeisho’s attack. I counted 4 volleys before Onosho was over the bales, and into the front row. Very nice, Takakeisho improves to 2-0.

Terunofuji defeats Daieisho – I love Daieisho’s enthusiasm and fighting spirit in this match. He cranks up hard and early, and takes the fight to the Yokozuna. About the time he has Terunofuji with his heels against the bales, and balancing on one foot, the Yokozuna seems to switch modes. “Hey, this guy is serious…” The Terunofuji person goes into warm standby, and out comes the Kaiju. “I go this” roars the inner Kaiju, and somehow his strength doubles or triples, and we see Terunofuji unleash a one handed, off balance sukuinage that got 160kg Daieisho airborne. What are you going to do when the guy you are fighting can uncork that. Damn!