Takagenji

Aki Day 2 Preview

Bruce H Abi (阿炎), Aki Basho 2019, Aoiyama, Asanoyama (朝乃山), Azumaryu, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daieisho (大栄翔), Daishoho, Endo (遠藤), Enho, Gōeidō (豪栄道), Hakuho (白鵬), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Ishiura (石浦), Kagayaki (輝), Kakuryu (鶴竜), Kotoeko, Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Kotoyuki, Meisei, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), Shimanoumi, Shohozan, Shōdai (正代直也), Takagenji, Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takarafuji (宝富士), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Terutsuyoshi, Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tochiozan (栃煌山), Tomokaze, Toyonoshima, Tsurugisho, Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲) , , , , , , ,

The scheduling committee has no business drawing up a day 2 card this compelling with a typhoon raging in the streets of Tokyo. But they did, and now I would gladly rather be standing in the driving rain to get a “day of” ticket in the upper reaches of the Kokugikan than spending a week at work.

What We Are Watching Day 2

Yutakayama vs Takagenji – Takagenji sputtered a bit on day 1, and he’s got to turn that around. But he’s facing down Yutakayama, who I would guess is on a mission to catch up to Asanoyama sooner rather than later and battle him for the lead of the Freshmen.

Daiamami vs Tochiozan – Daiamami is up from Juryo for the day to fill in the banzuke hole left by Takayasu. Tochiozan holds a 2-0 career lead over the Oitekaze man, and is not looking at all sharp to start Aki. He is another on my “watch list” of beloved veterans who might leave us in the near future.

Tsurugisho vs Ishiura – Ishiura suffered from being too low on day 1, and ate some Tokyo clay. Tsurugisho has gotten a formula for beating Ishiura (3-1) from their days in the lower divisions, so let’s see if Team Hakuho can pull out of the ditch on day 2.

Azumaryu vs Toyonoshima – A pair of storied vets go head to head? Oh do sign me up! Toyonoshima has not fared well in the past (1-3), but the typhoon may be blowing new atmosphere into the basho.

Shohozan vs Kagayaki – This makes 2 basho in a row where Kagayaki comes in encrusted with thick, heavy ring rust. Will we see the highly mobile combat style of Shohozan today, or will he continue with his new love of yotsu?

Nishikigi vs Daishoho – Nishikigi: living, walking proof that in sumo, you don’t really have to see your opponent to be victorious. Or even make it to the joi-jin it seems. He holds a 2-0 advantage over Daishoho. so maybe he squints out another win today.

Sadanoumi vs Onosho – Onosho’s red mawashi needs wins to power itself, and having failed to feed it on day 1, he tries again against Sadanoumi, whom has an 0-3 record against Onosho. We want that blazing belt of fire do its work. Let’s see some tadpole sumo!

Enho vs Meisei – Oh I am just very excited for this one. Something lit in Enho day 1, and it was magic. Maybe he is just racking wins in week 1 before everyone comes up to full basho level, or maybe he’s over that shoulder injury. What makes this great is that Meisei is no push-over, and seems to be bouncing back from his 4-11 make koshi in Nagoya.

Okinoumi vs Terutsuyoshi – As we saw in Nagoya, when Okinoumi fights a pixie, the normal mechanics seem to break down. This is his first ever match against Terutsuyoshi, and I think the young powerhouse is going to give the veteran a hard match.

Kotoyuki vs Takarafuji – I can’t believe that Kotoyuki is mid-Maegashira. If he somehow manages to kachi-koshi at this rank, it may be a sign of some sort. Kotoyuki has cut back on his crowd surfing, and it seems to have helped his sumo. Takarafuji will, of course, execute his excellent technical sumo.

Shimanoumi vs Kotoshogiku – I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised by how long Kotoshogiku has been able to persist in the Maegashira ranks. He has somehow manage to keep his banged up knees in just good enough condition to rack up 8 wins when he needs them. Today he’s got newcomer powerhouse Shimanoumi.

Kotoeko vs Myogiryu – A pair of strong, heavily muscled, compact rikishi who love to grab a hold of an opponent and toss them around. I am hoping we don’t get some kind of cheap slap down action from these two, and instead its a battle of stamina and guile.

Tamawashi vs Chiyotairyu – Chiyotairyu let himself get locked up, boxed up and shipped home to Arakawa on day 1. Day 2 it’s toe to toe against skilled pugilist Tamawashi in a battle that may feature a tachiai detectable on seismometers.

Ryuden vs Shodai – Shin-Ikioi takes on Shodai, who in spite of his soft, flaccid tachiai, can actually produce some effective sumo if he can survive the first step. Ryuden needs a bounce back, as all of the “cool kids” are going to vie to stuff the San’yaku party bus to Kyushu.

Tomokaze vs Endo – A first time meeting between two high skill rikishi who both tend to come into a match with a masterful battle plan? This one is either going to be an epic war of warriors, or end in a blink. This match just oozes potential.

Mitakeumi vs Daieisho – Mitakeumi spent too much time with Ryuden on TV eating the contents of various fields around Japan just prior to the basho. As a result, I think Mitakeumi is still trying to digest all of that daikon, and may feel much better soon. In the mean time, we may see Daieisho dredge him in potato starch and deep fry him for 90 seconds, before serving him on a bed of cabbage.

Aoiyama vs Takakeisho – Folks, each one of these is going to be a nail-biter. Although he holds a 3-1 advantage over the man-Mountain, Takakeisho is clearly only about 80% right now. We have yet to see a proper wave-action attack. Aoiyama, I am confident, is going to bat Takakeisho around to see if Weebils really can fall down.

Ichinojo vs Goeido – This should show us how sturdy Goeido’s injured ankle is. If he blasts into Ichinojo and can beat him moving forward, Goeido may be tough to beat this time. Ichinojo, I predict, will use his enormity to his utmost.

Tochinoshin vs Asanoyama – I am going to assume both men go for yotsu, with Asanoyama spending a lot of attention keeping Tochinoshin from landing that left hand grip to set up the lift-and-shift. Look for Asanoyama to go right-hand outside at the tachiai if he can.

Kakuryu vs Hokutofuji – Hokutofuji already had one Yokozuna scalp. If Kakuryu can prevail, that may in fact be the deciding difference in the last 5 days, when I expect both Yokozuna to be contending for the yusho. Handshake tachiai to be certain, but I expect Kakuryu to give ground and let Hokutofuji’s natural inclination to get too far forward do most of the work.

Abi vs Hakuho – I an going to guess Hakuho is pretty wound up after day 1, and Abi may be the discharge path for all of that coiled up sumo aggression. Will we see “The Boss” give our favorite sick-insect a flying lesson?

Day One Key Points

Andy Abi (阿炎), Aki Basho 2019, Aoiyama, Asanoyama (朝乃山), Azumaryu, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daieisho (大栄翔), Daishoho, Endo (遠藤), Enho, Gōeidō (豪栄道), Hakuho (白鵬), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Ishiura (石浦), Kagayaki (輝), Kakuryu (鶴竜), Kotoeko, Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Kotoyuki, Meisei, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), Shimanoumi, Shohozan, Shōdai (正代直也), Takagenji, Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takarafuji (宝富士), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Terutsuyoshi, Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tochiozan (栃煌山), Tomokaze, Toyonoshima, Tsurugisho, Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲) , , , , , ,

Now that the training bouts and special events are over, it’s showtime. Blood has been shed, kensho has been claimed, salt has been brushed away, and power water has been purged, we have learned a bit.

Race for the Yusho

Even with one kinboshi yielded on the first day, the Yokozunae are still the favorites to win. But who are we kidding, Endo’s still in it! He’s just got off to a rough start, knocking off a bit of ring rust. Or more precisely, having the ring rust knocked out of him by the sport’s new top dog. With Hakuho still in recovery, Kakuryu is rightly anchoring the East.

Clearly, Hokutofuji’s off to a great start, and he was absolutely chuffed after today’s fantastic win. The way he drove forward reminded me of…Goeido from the bout before. Juggernaut’s strength is bulldozing his opponents, advancing. Always advancing.

Takakeisho is hunting for 10, certainly not 15. I doubt anyone out there, even among his most ardent supporters, was expecting him to bounce back competing for a title in his come-back tournament. He had his hands full against Daieisho and that is not a good sign. It was a surprise he kept his feet and won this bout.

Race for the Exits

Tochinoshin’s knee is looking terrible. Gunning called it after the quick Ichinojo throw when he noted that GETTING UP was difficult. He had to keep the leg straight. I was reminded of when my Grandmother was in her eighties. OK, that was harsh. I was reminded of the aftermath of last month’s 5K when I couldn’t bend my knee after pushing myself to a fourth personal best in a row. Dr. Google calls it an IT Band and says no one really knows how to cure it. Ice and heating pads are good, maybe some pre-race stretching will help. I really hope his doctor is better than Dr. Google.

Hakuho’s loss was troubling for me. A slap to start the bout and full retreat from there, ending in a light shower of purple rain. As Bruce reported a few days ago, the Dai-Yokozuna has been granted Japanese citizenship. That was followed soon after by an announcement from Sokokurai along the same lines, as Herouth noted below. He looked positively spry crab-walking Kotonowaka out of the ring for his first win of the tournament, though. While Tochinoshin’s exit, due to injury, may be upon us sooner than any of us expected, these two are making moves off the dohyo to start their next chapter.

Race for Sanyaku

Enho’s win against Onosho today was an absolute gem. On the ropes at several points during the bout, it was definitely his bout to lose…until he twisted around and plucked a win from thin air. Terutsuyoshi dispatched a resurgent Kotoyuki. That pixie dust is potent. Of the four, who do you think will reach sanyaku first? One of those who has been there before? Or one the pixies?

Tomokaze’s even more rapid rise continues. His opponent today, Abi, is by this point a seasoned Makuuchi wrestler. Tomokaze studied that hatakikomi vulnerability and wasted no time dispatching the tadpole. Should Tomokaze be granted tadpole status? Or is his rise something else?

Race for Sekitori

In makushita and below, we’re only half-way through the first set of bouts. Several key ones are tonight, with Hoshoryu against Akiseyama and Chiyootori facing Tsurubayashi. With Naya losing his first bout against the veteran Toyohibiki, sekitori hopes for 2019 are likely for naught but 2020 is around the corner. The makushita joi is rough but the churn in the top ranks has yet to settle.

Chiyonokuni’s return was marked with a slapfest. I would put money on all seven of his bouts being fought this way, far from the belt. I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes kyujo if he manages four wins early in the tournament but I also wouldn’t be surprised if he’s hoping for yusho. Chiyonokuni’s injury forced him to fall much lower than his abilities and a return to the salaried ranks in early 2020.

Aki Day 1 Highlights

Bruce H Abi (阿炎), Aki Basho 2019, Aoiyama, Asanoyama (朝乃山), Azumaryu, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daieisho (大栄翔), Daishoho, Endo (遠藤), Enho, Gōeidō (豪栄道), Hakuho (白鵬), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Ishiura (石浦), Kagayaki (輝), Kakuryu (鶴竜), Kotoeko, Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Kotoyuki, Meisei, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), Shimanoumi, Shohozan, Shōdai (正代直也), Takagenji, Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takarafuji (宝富士), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Terutsuyoshi, Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tochiozan (栃煌山), Tomokaze, Toyonoshima, Tsurugisho, Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲) , , , , , , , , , , ,

Welcome all to the start of the fall tournament. The first few days of any tournament will typically feature a few shaky starts by some rikishi, as they work to get into tournament form. Some sumo fans refer to this as “ring rust”, and it can take a few days before some rikishi can shake off its effects.

The Freshmen (Asanoyama, Yutakayama, Abi, Hokutofuji) really had an excellent day today, and I am happy with the future of sumo featuring them in years to come. Sadly the same cannot be said about the Tadpoles, who struggled quite a bit today. But one should never count out the tadpoles…

Day 1 featured some solid sumo action, and those of you who were watching NHK World in the middle of the (USA) night time were treated to some solid matches. Let’s get started.

Highlight Matches

Chiyomaru defeats Takagenji – Takagenji comes out of the tachiai strong, but I was surprised that Chiyomaru did a much better job than normal keeping his weight centered over the arches of his feet, and used that stability to overpower Takagenji’s vigorous attack. The result was a sort of half throw / half tsukiotoshi that was uncharacteristically agile for Chiyomaru.

Yutakayama defeats Tochiozan – Yutakayama continues to battle his way back from injury, and a trip to Juryo, with some solid sumo today. Yutakayama took an inside route at the tachiai, but nearly all of this match was the two of them fighting for grip, while pushing as hard to the front as they could manage. Tochiozan had better footwork, but Yutakayama had more strength. Welcome back Yutakayama, the future has been waiting.

Azumaryu defeats Ishiura – Azumaryu deftly deploys a uwatehineri while the two grappled for position at the center of the dohyo.

Tsurugisho defeats Toyonoshima – Tsurugisho’s early try for a pull down nearly cost him the match, but he was able to rally well as Toyonoshima tried the same thing and blew his early advantage.

Nishikigi defeats Kagayaki – Neither man gets a solid tachiai. But Kagayaki inexplicably focuses on some kind of face-hold, leaving Nishikigi a solid path to center-mass. Kagayaki realizes that he’s thrown away an opening, but he found Nishikigi effectively able to turn his hips and deflect Kagayaki’s forward pressure.

Shohozan defeats Daishoho – Not the typical Shohozan mobility-based sumo, as Daishoho traps him in a double arm-bar. Shohozan gets stalemated for a while, but keeps raising Daishoho and backing him up until he can finish him with shitatenage (it was 2 for 1 shitatenage day).

Enho defeats Onosho – Big news for me, Onosho has the red mawashi back. Yes, he lost this one to Enho, who uncorked some really gob-smack amazing sumo today, but that red mawashi was (at least at one point) home to a potent kami that powered Onosho’s early rise. To my eye, Onosho had this one boxed up and ready to ship before Enho produced some hard to explain, Ura level space-time distortion and threw Onosho to the clay.

Meisei defeats Sadanoumi – With that injured right knee, Sadanoumi lacks a good amount of his expected maneuverability, and Meisei expertly stays in motion until he can get Sadanoumi off balance and rolls him to the clay with a katasukashi. Nice kimarite!

Terutsuyoshi defeats Kotoyuki – Kotoyuki has yet to take a single match from Terutsuyoshi, and we get a showcase of how that works today. Terutsuyoshi used some really fantastic ring sense to continue to give ground, forcing Kotoyuki to stay in motion and keep turning. When you are about as wide as you are tall (as Kotoyuki is), it’s a short amount of time before you find yourself off balance and in the wrong end of town. Terutsuyoshi chose his moment, and made it work. Great sumo from Terutsuyoshi today.

Takarafuji defeats Kotoeko – As always, journeyman sumo from Takarafuji, who absorbs everything Kotoeko can dish out. Takarafuji as Maegashira 8? Middle of the pack? This is the right spot for Takarafuji, and I am hoping he has a good basho this September.

Okinoumi defeats Kotoshogiku – The fun thing about Kotoshogiku these days is that he is frequently on fire the first week, before the strain on his injuries slows him down. Hugely energetic, high attack value sumo from him today, including an excellent throw at the end. Except that he stepped out quite some time before it got to that point, and the most exciting part of the match (Okinoumi was fighting well, too) was all for naught.

Myogiryu defeats Shimanoumi – When you watch this one, pay close attention to Myogiryu’s foot placement and stance. This is some class-A attention to detail in the middle of a match trying to constrain and contain a raging youngster who had the edge in speed and agility. Shimanoumi gets the advantage twice, but that fantastic defensive setup that Myogiryu had today carried the match.

Ryuden defeats Chiyotairyu – If Ryuden is genki, Maegashira 5 might be a bit low on the banzuke for him. He gets a left hand on Chiyotairyu’s mawashi, which puts him in the driver’s seat and takes away Chiyotairyu’s primary offensive technique. I was surprised that Chiyotairyu let him grab him and did not stay mobile.

Tamawashi defeats Shodai – Shodai looked a mess today, but if you want to see why Shodai can actually keep close to a winning record most basho, look at his multiple well-executed escapes from Tamawashi’s blistering attacks. If we could get that man a tachiai graft from ex-Kisenosato…

Tomokaze defeats Abi – Abi launches his traditional Abi-zumo opening, and Tomokaze is having none of it. Attempting a hatakikomi against Abi is a dangerous move, but Tomokaze makes it work. This guy needs to stay un-injured and fighting strong.

Takakeisho defeats Daieisho – I am not quite sure how Takakeisho recovered from that near-face-plant, but he threw everything including the kitchen sink at Daieisho, who was likewise dialed up to 11. The wave-action system does not seem to be quite up to battle-spec just yet, and I am going to assume that our tadpole has a lot of ring rust to overcome. But he’s on his march to 10, and sumo fans around the world are going to be riveted to his journey this September.

Asanoyama defeats Mitakeumi – This whole match came down to Asanoyama getting a shallow left hand grip at the tachiai, and never letting go. Mitakeumi then chose to rotate left and attempt a hatakikomi, and in the move to pull down Asanoyama, he more or less conceded the match. Asanoyama was too latched on to Mitakeumi to go down.

Ichinojo defeats Tochinoshin – I had a tough time watching both the match and the replays. It’s 100% clear now, from direct observation, that it’s never a good idea to make your crippled strong-man fight a giant. Tochinoshin does not look well enough to compete, and that knee is more or less done for. Grim.

Goeido defeats Aoiyama – Whatever injuries Goeido is nursing right now, he has contained. His blistering tachiai and all out center-mass attack against Aoiyama left the man-mountain nowhere to go. I recall with hopeful anticipation that for some reason Aki is always the time when we see Goeido shine.

Hokutofuji defeats Hakuho – Oh Great Sumo Cat of the Kokugikan, what have you done? This match had all of Hokutofuji’s best elements stitched together in a lightning fast, seat of the pants battle. Hakuho loves to deliver a face slap at the tachiai, and many times it effectively disrupts an opponents attack. Today if left him wide open for Hokutofuji’s brutal handshake tachiai. Oh, how long have I been waiting to see someone make Hakuho pay for that move. Today was payday on that desire. With the nodowa in place, it forced Hakuho to waste precious time clearing it out before he could start an attack, and just like that Hokutofuji is calling the terms of the match. Hokutofuji lands a mawashi grip, and I think the speed and strength of that move surprised the Yokozuna. Hakuho gives ground and attempts to load a throw, but with absolute perfect timing, Hokutofuji catches the Yokozuna shifting his weight and lunges ahead. That’s all that it took, and The Boss gives up a well earned kinboshi. I am going to be looping through this match all day. Just fantastic. Hokutofuji doesn’t need to win another match this basho to be proud of his efforts.

Kakuryu defeats Endo – Endo is a master technician, and I am sure he had a solid, well constructed attack plan against the Nagoya yusho winner. None of that mattered as Kakuryu did not give him a chance to unpack any of it. A little dodgy winning with a hatakikomi, but he needed to shut Endo down quickly before the man in gold could get started.

Aki Basho Day 1 Preview

Josh K Abi (阿炎), Aki Basho 2019, Aoiyama, Asanoyama (朝乃山), Chiyomaru, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daieisho (大栄翔), Daishoho, Endo (遠藤), Enho, Gōeidō (豪栄道), Hakuho (白鵬), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Ishiura (石浦), Kagayaki (輝), Kakuryu (鶴竜), Kotoeko, Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Kotoyuki, Meisei, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), Shimanoumi, Shohozan, Shōdai (正代直也), Takagenji, Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takarafuji (宝富士), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Terutsuyoshi, Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tochiozan (栃煌山), Tomokaze, Toyonoshima, Ōnoshō (阿武咲) ,

Aki Post Banner

Konnichiwa from Tokyo and welcome to the official start of the Aki 2019 Grand Sumo Tournament!

No one has taken the dohyo yet, and already what a start it has been! We have missing ozeki, a pair of kadoban ozeki, missing sekitori, scandals, looming retirements, newly naturalised rikishi (including one Yokozuna), health questions, the excitement factory that is Enho, future stars in the joi-jin for the first time… oh, and the small matter of one Mr. Takakeisho attempting to reclaim the rank of Ozeki.

Are you ready? I’m ready. Let’s go.

What We Are Watching on Day 1

(Spoiler alert: everything)

Takagenji vs Chiyomaru – With Takayasu kyujo, the bulbous Chiyomaru makes a visit to the top division from Juryo. Chiyomaru has taken both previous matches from Takagenji and I expect him to make it 3 from 3 here against a rikishi who will have been dealing all week with the anguish related to his twin brother’s latest scandal and probable expulsion from the sport. Perhaps he will prove us wrong, but after a weak finish to the Nagoya basho, Takagenji has got a lot of work to do to turn around his form.

Yutakayama vs Tochiozan – Yutakayama looks a bit like a man renewed, and returns to the top division with an opening match against fellow mountaineer Tochiozan. The well rounded veteran has been in declining form, although it’s worth mentioning he went through a similar spell last year before working his way back up the banzuke. He’ll be desperate to stop the rot here, lest he end up the way of other vets toiling on the Juryo scrap heap. This will be the first meeting of these two rikishi in a year, Yutakayama having taken 2 of 3 (plus a fusen-sho) previously.

Ishiura vs Azumaryu – Everybody put your hands up if you heartily celebrated the return of Azumaryu to the top division! Now put your hands down and stop lying. The 32 year old has been lost in Juryo for years and finally found his way out the correct exit by posting a succession of 8-7s. We can be happy for his achievement but consistently posting average results in the second division doesn’t bode well for success against a stronger slate of opponents. It’s well possible the Mongolian’s return will rejuvenate him, but even a AAAA man like Ishiura should be able to see him off.

Tsurugisho vs Toyonoshima – Following the promotion of Shimanoumi earlier this year, another veteran finally makes his top division bow in Oitekaze-beya’s Tsurugisho. Usually I’d say we can expect some forward momentum from Juryo yusho winners but given that he’s struggled with up and coming top division talent previously, I think he may find it quite difficult in this basho on the whole. On the other side, who would have pegged Toyonoshima a year or two ago to be one of the last vets of his generation standing? Bizarrely, these two have only met once, a match won by Toyonoshima and I’m tipping him to win again.

Kagayaki vs Nishikigi – Finally, a match with a bit more to analyse. “Fundamentals Kagayaki” has not been doing justice to his nickname much this year, failing to make the progress some of us had hoped to see. Underarm grappler Nishikigi will be looking to keep the tall man’s centre of gravity high by getting both hands inside and then looking to move forward with a yorikiri or to try and toss him with a sukuinage. The lifetime series is tied 6-6.

Shohozan vs Daishoho – But for Shohozan’s advancing years this would feel like a bit of a mismatch to me and I’m shocked that he’s never beaten Daishoho in two previous attempts. I think – if he’s fit – that ends on Sunday. The slap artist has surprisingly good belt ability and while Daishoho is adjusting (slowly) to top division life, if Shohozan is genki and can launch a multifaceted attack he really should be able to win.

Onosho vs Enho – I’d say this match almost depends more on the fitness of Onosho than Enho. The key to defeating Enho is to lock his mobility and/or to just absolutely flatten him from the tachiai. It’s also difficult for him to make use of leg picks and other such manoeuvres against someone with a tadpole build like Onosho. Onosho has taken the only previous match, and while this could be exciting especially if Onosho isn’t at full health, I think the Onomatsu man’s thrusting attack will win the day this time.

Sadanoumi vs Meisei – Very quietly, Sadanoumi has done a good job of maintaining a consistent run at the bottom of the Maegashira ranks for a year and a half now after returning from Juryo. He’s been a fixture of the top division for most of the past 5 years, and he doesn’t really get a lot of love. He doesn’t really have one standout skill that elevates him above his peers. The same can be said of Meisei who, while he shows great heart, hasn’t quite shown the same kind of tenacious never-say-die ability at the edge, compared to someone promoted at a similar moment, namely Ryuden. Sadanoumi has more or less owned Meisei (who took a real beating last tournament), and may get his 6th from 7 against him here.

Terutsuyoshi vs Kotoyuki – This, for me, is the match of the first half of proceedings, to be sure, both men having very good tournaments last time out. Thrill a minute funster Kotoyuki gets the Jr Salt Shaker in his opening bout, and I think this is all about the tachiai. If Kotoyuki can explode off the blocks with his pushing attack he’s got a shot, but any good movement or belt grip from Terutsuyoshi will send this match the Isegahama man’s direction. That’s likely to happen, as his career 3-0 record against Kotoyuki indicates. Still, a genki Kotoyuki is well worth his top division spot so here’s hoping he shows up in good health.

Takarafuji vs Kotoeko – I know how the torikumi works but this may be a bit of a damp squib after the previous match. Both men are primarily mawashi guys and defensive sumo’s Takarafuji loves to stalemate his opponents and exploit their vulnerabilities. Kotoeko, while improving at this level, certainly has those, so I think Takarafuji will pick up his second win and second win in succession against the Sadogatake man.

Kotoshogiku vs Okinoumi – Sadogatake-beya’s third consecutive match of the afternoon in the top division comes here with storied vet and some-time bulldozer Kotoshogiku getting his 25th opportunity to take on the man from Shimane-ken. Kotoshogiku has controlled this rivalry during his Ozeki years and beyond his demotion, but I’m tipping Okinoumi to get his 9th win against the former yusho winner here. I just think that as Kotoshogiku has aged, his footwork and lightness on his feet has been his undoing and a solid all-rounder with good mawashi skills like Okinoumi can take advantage of that so long as he doesn’t concede ground at the tachiai.

Shimanoumi vs Myogiryu – Shimanoumi’s start to his makuuchi career has been impressive. Myogiryu aka Old Endo has been trucking along. Myogiryu won their only prior matchup last time out. I don’t really have a horse in this race, both guys have decent all around skills without being spectacular in any one area, although Myogiryu probably has the edge in speed.

Chiyotairyu vs Ryuden – These early matches are important for both guys, as it’s likely they will get pulled into the meat grinder at some stage. Ryuden got pummelled on his san’yaku debut, something Chiyotairyu has lived to tell about. Both guys are better for the experience, but Ryuden’s multi-dimensional sumo might perhaps give him a more sustainable future towards the top of the banzuke and it’s not hard to at least project him as a future Sekiwake. If he’s going to start the march back now and even their rivalry at 2 wins apiece, then he needs to defuse the cannonball tachiai from Chiyotairyu and make this a belt match.

Tamawashi vs Shodai – Pusher-thruster vs No-tachiai. This should be a pretty straight forward one for Tamawashi, but he has flattered to deceive since his incredible yusho earlier this year. Tamawashi controls this rivalry 8-4, but Shodai will find a way in if Tamawashi can’t keep him off the belt.

Abi vs Tomokaze – This is where we get to some pretty exciting meaty stuff. These matches against the guys beneath him are the bouts that Abi needs to win if he’s going to continue to retain or improve upon his Komusubi position. But Tomokaze has done something that Abi hasn’t, and that is develop from a strong pusher-thruster into more of an all-round rikishi. He started to show glimpses of his ability to win with other moves toward the end of his time in Juryo, and his success in developing this further will inform how far he can go. We know what Abi will do, so the question is whether Tomokaze will go strength against strength, or pull one of his new tricks out of the bag? It’s their first ever meeting.

Daieisho vs Takakeisho – A battle of two mates at the start of one of the more intriguing storylines of the tournament: Takakeisho’s quest to reclaim his Ozeki rank with 10 wins. Like Abi, these are the matches he must win, because in week 2 the matches against other desperate Ozeki and yusho-chasing Yokozuna will follow. Both guys are extreme pusher-thrusters so this should be a quick one. Daieisho has a good record against Takakeisho (3 from 5), but his wins were years ago and Takakeisho has taken the last 2. Takakeisho has quite a bit of ring rust so I’d make this one a coin flip.

Mitakeumi vs Asanoyama – It wouldn’t be hard to frame this as a battle of two future Ozeki, although Mitakeumi is making it harder and harder to dream on him in that role with his inconsistent performances. Asanoyama came back down with a little bit of a bump after the dizzying heights of his hatsu yusho, but finished strong to end the last basho at 7-8 and is very much in the mix to challenge for a promotion to san’yaku this tournament. Asanoyama is an extreme yotsu-zumo rikishi and Mitakeumi will do well to engage his early-career pushing and thrusting strength, and utilise his lower centre of gravity to get Asanoyama – who has not beaten him in 2 prior attempts – high and out.

Tochinoshin vs Ichinojo – Tochinoshin is not in great condition, has a chronic knee injury, and is desperately seeking 8 wins to retain his Ozeki status. So, he’s surely super excited to start with his left-hand-outside-lift-and-yorikiri strategy against the heaviest person in the division. Ichinojo will be searching for his 6th win in the 23rd meeting of these two goliaths, but much will come down to his ability to simply dig in and stalemate Tochinshin. The Georgian may have difficulty digging in if he can’t get forward momentum at the tachiai.

Aoiyama vs Goeido – Goeido has won 22 out of 25 of these matches, including the last 9. Aoiyama can beat anyone on his day, and is always good for an upset, and his best strategy here may be to employ the Ichinojo-lite pull down manoeuvre if Goeido flies out of the blocks in typical attacking fashion from the tachiai. I actually think Aoiyama has a better chance of winning with that than his normal NC-17 rated twin piston attack, because Goeido on bad ankles may be more prone to the pull/slap down with forward momentum. If Goeido is able to land a grip however, he should win it pretty comfortably.

Hokutofuji vs Hakuho – I make Hakuho and Kakuryu joint favourites for this basho, but Hokutofuji could be a really annoying thorn in the side. He has the ability to disturb both Yokozuna with his extreme oshi-attack, and is going to be hungry for a higher position in the banzuke that he will see as there for the taking in November. Hakuho is the heavy favourite as he is in all encounters, but we should see some indication as to his current fitness as Hokutofuji will be looking to test and push the Yokozuna’s limits.

Kakuryu vs Endo – Endo makes his second appearance in san’yaku and gets rewarded with a Day 1 scrap against a Yokozuna. The current yusho holder, Kakuryu will be hoping to go for back-to-back championships for a second time his career, and probably sees an opportunity to inch closer to 10 yusho and climb the all time ranks a little more before he inevitably bows out. All indications are that Big K is in good condition, so I’d make an Endo win here to be an even bigger upset than if Hokutofuji were able to score a kinboshi in the earlier match.

But hey, predictions are only here to make us look silly, right? Bring on the sumo!