Takanoiwa (貴ノ岩)

Kyushu Day 12 Preview

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

Takakeisho vs Tamawashi

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

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

Kyushu Leaderboard

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

4 Matches Remain

What We Are Watching Day 12

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kyushu Day 11 Preview

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

Kyushu Banzuke 2

Welcome to the final act of the Kyushu basho. This is where we crown the yusho winner, and a lot of people suffer. For Makuuchi and Juryo rikishi, fifteen solid days of top form sumo is exhausting, and the final five days in particular are a huge grind. Many of the rikishi are already losing energy, while others seem to be limitless heading into act three.

During act three, many of the normal match ranges amongst the rank and file are set aside, as the schedulers are eager to shape the yusho race and sort the make- from the kachi-koshi. We see this kicking in already on day 11, and you may notice my rank annotations on some matches from here on out to highlight the wide gaps between competitors.

Kyushu Leaderboard

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

5 Matches Remain

What We Are Watching Day 11

Arawashi vs Yago – While we give our heartfelt condolences to Arawashi for his impending demotion to Juryo, we marvel at the possibility that our Juryo visitor for the day, the 6-4 Yago, might get two more wins and possibly make a top division debut in January. Yago is a bit of a protege, and we will be looking for his typical good fighting form. Sadly Arawashi is in no condition to give him much of a fight.

Chiyoshoma vs Okinoumi – A win today would be an Okinoumi kachi-koshi, and it would be Okinoumi’s third in a row. For a man with a chronic injury that might have ended his career, his perseverance is humbling.

Aoiyama vs Yutakayama – Aoiyama is, at times, a sumo puzzle. When his health is good, his body is working and he is on his sumo, he’s a bit unstoppable except for rikishi in the named ranks. He appears to be in that mode going into day 11, and he faces a disrupted Yutakayama, who is still not quite right after injury, kyujo and returning to a beating or five during Aki. Should Aoiyama win again on day 11, we will see him face higher ranked opponents soon.

Kotoshogiku (M9e) vs Daiamami (M15e) – First match between these two, and I can almost imagine that they are feeding the smaller rikishi into the maws of hometown favorite Kotoshogiku to see what he will do. I think a kachi-koshi for the “Kyushu Bulldozer” could come before day 14, and maybe he can run up the score.

Onosho (M13e) vs Shohozan (M7w) – I have been saying since the start of the basho that Onosho was woefully under-ranked. Now it’s time for him to deliver some of his typically aggressive sumo to another hometown favorite, Shohozan. Both of these rikishi like to knock their opponents around, but I am going to give an edge to “Big Guns” today, as he seems to soak up the enthusiasm from the crowd.

Abi (M7e) vs Endo (M12w) – Endo has yet to beat Abi, so lets see if he can use the same disruption technique that saw Abi lose the prior two days with the same effect.

Daieisho vs Kagayaki – Daieisho holds a share of the chase group, and will look to hand Kagayaki his make-koshi today to remain one loss behind Takakeisho. Kagayaki is in no danger of a deep demotion at this point, and I expect that he will benefit from a period at the bottom end of Makuuchi.

Shodai vs Takanoiwa – Takanoiwa holds a 5-2 career advantage, but is only fighting at a fraction of his normal power. Shodai, aside from his tachiai, is showing consistent and strong sumo for the past 5 days, and I give him the advantage today.

Asanoyama vs Ryuden – Ryuden is also one loss away from make-koshi, which is not an uncommon result when a rikishi joins the joi-jin for the first time. It’s a rougher schedule at the top, and Ryuden will walk away from Kyushu with plenty of sore joints and bruises, but also a couple of great wins over high ranking opponents.

Nishikigi vs Hokutofuji – Hokutofuji has never beaten Nishikigi, and given how he faltered in his match against tournament leader Takakeisho on day 10, we have to wonder if it was nerves or indication that he’s running out of gas in the marathon to senshuraku. Nishikigi has surprised everyone a few times, and I am sure we will all be watching to see if he can do it again. While I think a kachi-koshi is unlikely this time, I think he may actually be able to hold his own at Maegashira 3 some time in 2019.

Myogiryu vs Tamawashi – It took Tamawashi a while to get warmed up, but he seems dialed into his sumo now. I expect he is going to give Myogiryu a fierce battle on day 11. Myogiryu holds the edge in agility and speed, Tamawashi the edge in strength and precision. This will either be over in the blink of an eye, or a great battle.

Takakeisho vs Tochiozan – After opening strong, Tochiozan has lost 4 of the last 5 matches. But he is the same rikishi who defeated Takayasu, Goeido and Kisenosato last week, and given the right scenario, he could be trouble for yusho race leader Takakeisho. The odds are against it, as Takakeisho holds a 5-1 career advantage.

Mitakeumi vs Yoshikaze – What’s going to happen here? Lord, who knows. I would like to think Mitakeumi is going to break out of his doldrums against the always intense Yoshikaze. Yoshikaze is still on a trajectory that could see him secure a kachi-koshi, but he is not nearly as genki right now as he was during Aki.

Goeido vs Kaisei – Go ahead Goeido, I dare you.

Chiyotairyu vs Tochinoshin – Tochinoshin’s opponents seem to have gotten very good at keeping the Ozeki away from a working mawashi grip this tournament, and it would seem to be frustrating the Georgian’s sumo. Chiyotairyu has a lot of fast power, but seldom shows much stamina, which Tochinoshin seems to possess in buckets. So I am going to expect for the Ozeki to let Chiyotairyu discharge his opening gambit, then get to work.

Ichinojo vs Takayasu – It seems that Takayasu might give Ichinojo his 8th loss today, and many in the sumo world would be sad to see the big Mongolian behemoth vacate the Sekiwake slot that had to be enlarged, at great cost, just to hold him. The one redeeming thought in this match up is that Takayasu has a lot of trouble winning against Ichinojo, with a slim 5-4 margin. A loss by Takayasu would disrupt his chances to contend for the yusho.

Kyushu Day 10 Highlights

Bruce H Abi (阿炎), Aoiyama, Arawashi (荒鷲), Chiyomaru, Chiyonokuni (千代の国), Chiyoshoma, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daieisho (大栄翔), Endo (遠藤), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Kagayaki (輝), Kaisei (魁聖), Kotoeko, Kyushu Basho 2018, Meisei, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), Shohozan, Shōdai (正代直也), Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanoiwa (貴ノ岩), Takanosho, Takarafuji (宝富士), Takayasu (高安), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tochiozan (栃煌山), Yoshikaze (嘉風), Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲)

Kyushu Day 10

It’s the end of act 2, and we saw another narrowing of the yusho race. But there is still a broad set of genki rikishi that remain in the hunt, waiting for Takakeisho to lose another match. Takakeisho thus far shows no signs of easing up. As we had expected, Takakeisho is likely to be an important rikishi in the future, provided he can keep his body healthy and his mind sharp.

There may be a few new folks reading the web site, and it’s been a while since I have done this, so let me explain some of the “why” of Tachiai.

Tachiai is purely a fan weblog. It is a non-revenue site, meaning we don’t sell ads, we don’t sell your data, and we don’t ask our readers to do anything more than spend some time with us and enjoy sumo with us. The contributors to this site, myself included, receive no compensation for our efforts, and do it purely for the love of the sport, and our shared desire to bring sumo to more people in the English speaking world. That means all of us have “day jobs” that pay the bills, and allow us enough free time to follow sumo.

As far as I know, none of the contributors are journalists, or people who write for a living. On Tachiai, there should be no expectations of the following:

  • Protection from “spoilers”: Sumo happens in the middle of the night, US time. Most US fans won’t get a chance to see results until much later in the day. But we report on proceedings well before most sumo fans have watched video of the matches. It’s ok to wait to read Tachiai until after you have enjoyed your favorite video feed (we recommend the excellent NHK World, Jason’s All Sumo Channel on Youtube, and of course Kintamayama).
  • Objective reporting: As fans, all of the contributors have favorites. We have things we like in sumo, and things we don’t like. All of the contributors (along with the readers and commenters) can and should feel free to chime in with their views too, but we insist you keep it polite.
  • Comprehension of Japan, Japanese custom XYZ, mastery of Japanese culture: To “get” sumo, it helps to have some knowledge of how it came about, and how it relates to the broader cultural landscape of Japan. That being said, I am pretty sure none of the contributors to this site are Japanese, or wish to replace their own cultural aesthetic with that of Japan. We do our best, but we are not, and never will be Japanese.

Good, with that back in writing for the first time in several months, let’s enjoy today’s mayhem.

Highlight Matches

Kotoeko defeats Chiyomaru – Big Chiyomaru goes down to Kotoeko’s slapping attack, and is now make-koshi. Barring some improbable circumstance, he will return to Juryo to sort out his health and his sumo. His most recent tour of Makuuchi began in July of 2017, and he has gathered a following. We hope whatever is plaguing him, he overcomes in short order.

Onosho defeats Chiyoshoma – Onosho stays in the yusho hunt, and picks up his kachi-koshi. Chiyoshoma took an early advantage, but Onosho rallied and repulsed the Mongolian, with both visiting the west side zabuton.

Endo defeats Arawashi – Arawashi can barely stand on his injured leg, so this was a “gimme” for Endo. Arawashi will be joining the barge of sadness sailing back to Juryo.

Meisei defeats Sadanoumi – Meisei picks up his first ever win over Sadanoumi, and Sadanoumi made him work very hard for it. In fact Sadanoumi was in the driver’s seat for the balance of the match, but Meisei unleaded a well time hatakikomi at the edge to rescue the win.

Daieisho defeats Takanosho – Daieisho stays in the hunt group and scores his kochi-kochi. The match was a messy thrusting battle that could have gone either way, but Daieisho got the gumbai, and the shimpan upheld.

Aoiyama defeats Takarafuji – Aoiyama may be the only man in sumo to accomplish the nearly impossible: finding and then attacking Takarafuji’s neck. Takarafuji battled bravely, but Aoiyama had too much forward pressure interleaved with powerful blows to Takarafuji’s upper body. Aoiyama joins the rest of the crew who achieved kachi-koshi today, and remain 1 loss behind Takakeisho.

Okinoumi defeats Abi – Veteran Okinoumi completely disrupts Abi-zumo, the second straight loss via the same processes. We may have reached the expiration date on the daily use of the double arm thrusting attack from Abi. Now it gets interesting, because we will see what else this guy can do.

Shohozan defeats Chiyonokuni – Chiyonokuni was protecting his right arm the past two days, but that was gone in today’s match against “Big Guns” Shohozan. Both men are brawlers, and both men got their match today. A running brawl that traversed the dohyo repeatedly, they exchanged fierce blows, thrusts and anything they could think of. The crowd was going wild for home town boy Shohozan, and then the two went chest to chest. Go watch this match. Then go watch it again. Chiyonokuni is now make-koshi, but he fought was great vigor today.

Yutakayama defeats Kagayaki – Another high effort bout, and it was unusual to see Kagayaki having a difficult time controlling his balance. Yutakayama is still less than 100%, but he put forth a great effort today, and was rewarded with a much needed win.

Takanoiwa defeats Ryuden – Ryuden’s false start / matta likely blew his concentration, and Takanoiwa applied an expertly timed slap down for the win.

Yoshikaze defeats Tochiozan – A brief struggle for grip or inside position at the tachiai quickly evolved to Yoshikaze bracketing Tochiozan and motoring ahead in 2nd gear. A monoii reviewed the final moments, but Yoshikaze got a much needed 5th win to keep kachi-koshi hopes alive.

Nishikigi defeats Myogiryu – I dare say that after his string of strong wins, Myogiryu’s loss to Nishikigi may come as something of a surprise. But Nishikigi was able to contain Myogiryu, and progressively work his position into a win. Nishikigi is holding up to his tour through the upper ranks much better than I could have hoped.

Takakeisho defeats Hokutofuji – An uneven tachiai that might have been a matta, or just Hokutofuji missing the launch, but the goyji did not call it and the fight was on. Hokutofuji had no chance to set up either offense or defense in any real sense, and Takakeisho completely blasted him up and back.

Tamawashi defeats Kaisei – Tamawashi had to put in a lot of effort, as there is just a tremendous amount of Kaisei to move. Tamawashi’s normal bash-bash-push approach was rendered, but yielded little forward motion, as Kaisei for a moment reminded me of Andre the Giant in “The Princess Bride”, looking at Wesley mid battle, and saying “I want you to feel like you are doing well…”

Shodai defeats Mitakeumi – I kid a lot about Shodai, but his effort at Kyushu has been noteworthy. Today against the one time Ozeki hopefully once again illustrates that if he can survive the tachiai, Shodai has solid fundamentals, and acres of strength. Mitakeumi is in dire need of 3 more wins in the next 5 days.

Tochinoshin defeats Ichinojo – and the Tochinoshin fans breath a well-earned sigh of relief. Ichinojo consents to allow the Ozeki an attempt at a lift and shift, and Tochinoshin is all to happy to oblige.

Takayasu defeats Chiyotairyu – A solid yotzu battle from two enormous, burly rikishi. This is not Chiyotairyu’s strong sumo, but he put up a good battle. Takayasu prevailed for his kachi-koshi, and remains in the yusho hunt group.

Kyushu Day 10 Preview

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

Kyushu Banzuke 1

Welcome to the end of act 2! As described earlier, 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. Much to my delight, the field for the yusho is still fairly broad, with 9 rikishi occupying the leader board with 6 matches left, though there were 14 yesterday. We can expect a different mix of matches in act 3, and we will see much larger rank gaps between competitors as the schedule works to whittle down everything to an entertaining conclusion.

Kyushu Leaderboard

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

6 Matches Remain

What We Are Watching Day 10

Kotoeko vs Chiyomaru – These two rikishi could well trade places for January, as Chiyomaru is one loss away from nearly certain demotion to Juryo, and Kotoeko is on a kachi-koshi trajectory that would make him a good candidate to return to the top division.

Onosho vs Chiyoshoma – Onosho looks to stay in the yusho hunt, and seem to be dialed into his sumo. I am still hoping we might see a playoff between Onosho and Takakeisho, but the odds of that are long indeed.

Kotoshogiku vs Daishomaru – The crowd in the venue love Kotoshogiku, and he seems to be eating it up. He won the only prior match with Daishomaru, and as long as he can lock up the Oitekaze man, he should be able to score the white star for day 10.

Takanosho vs Daieisho – Daieisho also seeks to stay in the yusho race, and I predict he will make short work of Takanosho, who is not looking very competitive this tournament.

Aoiyama vs Takarafuji – Also a member of the yusho race team, the giant Bulgarian has an impressive combination of size, speed and strength. Takarafuji’s performance has been middling at best, and I don’t see him overcoming the 16-3 career advantage of Aoiyama today.

Abi vs Okinoumi – Both of these rikishi are in the hunt group. The winner gets a clear advantage in remaining in the hunt for the yusho. Now that his opponents are starting to disable Abi’s preferred attack, will he move to change things up?

Chiyonokuni vs Shohozan – How badly is Chiyonokuni’s arm hurt? A loss on day 10 against local favorite, and unapologetic street brawler Shohozan will relegate Chiyonokuni to a make-koshi. If he can’t find a few more wins, he could face a brutal drop down the banzuke for New Years.

Takanoiwa vs Ryuden – Ryuden is in much better physical condition than Takanoiwa as of day 10. Frankly it’s guts and iron will that keeps Takanoiwa in the basho at this point. I am sure he is looking to prove to his new oyakata that he’s tough and willing to do whatever it takes to compete. Given Takanoiwa’s preferred sumo style, I would not expect to see Ryuden draw him into another endurance contest, but we can always hope!

Tochiozan vs Yoshikaze – Tochiozan’s impressive start has sputtered to a stop. Likewise, Yoshikaze (who is from Kyushu) has been struggling for wins. These two are evenly matched over their career, but Yoshikaze needs the win badly to stay away from a make-koshi trajectory.

Myogiryu vs Nishikigi – I am inclinde to favor Myogiryu in this match, if for no other reason that his intensity has been off the scale thus far. It’s tough to keep that kind of drive going for 2 solid weeks of brutal grinding sumo, but I think he still has some stamina left.

Takakeisho vs Hokutofuji – Both are pugilistic powerhouses, but right now Takakeisho is on an unrestricted afterburner run at the yusho. Hokutofuji has the size and strength to stop him, but can he overcome the “wave action” attack? I am looking for Hokutofuji’s “handshake tachiai” today, and an early gambit to get inside no matter what the cost. If he can break through the first wave, Takakeisho may have his hands full.

Tamawashi vs Kaisei – I think of this match as good clean sumo fun. Tamawashi will try to push and muscle Kaisei around. Its like putting a huge set of plates on the bar, and then showing off for your buddies. Kaisei knows he’s huge, and he knows how to use that amazing bulk to confound and conquer the strong and the mighty. Can’t wait to see how this one goes.

Mitakeumi vs Shodai – I will say it for certain now, Mitakeumi is off his sumo. He’s struggled this basho more than he should in a No-kozuna situation, which was tailor made for him to run up the score and push for Ozeki. But instead he has faded, and is struggling against the likes of Ryuden. Baring any physical problems we don’t know about, the problem is in that brain of his. Perhaps he was rattled by missing the Ozeki bid at Aki, who can tell. But don’t go into a match against Shodai, as his cartoon sumo will eat you alive and leave you wondering how.

Ichinojo vs Tochinoshin – Tochinoshin can in fact lift Ichinojo, if it comes to that. We have seen it before, but I still worry about that odd knee motion at the end of his day 9 match against Takakeisho. Above all, I would like to see the newest Ozeki continue to stay healthy and in the fight. This may be a good test match: if Tochinoshin is healthy, he should hand Ichinojo his 7th loss.

Chiyotairyu vs Takayasu – Hopefully Takayasu will give Chiyotairyu a better fight on day 10 than he got from Goeido on day 9. I am still mumbling to myself about that henka. Both men love to do giant blast-off tachiais, so it may be loud and brutal as they launch off the shikiri-sen.

Goeido vs Asanoyama – Goeido, please don’t henka again today. This is your first time fighting Asanoyama, but he’s still not quite up to his full potential. Respect what he will become and give him the benefit of a good battle with the top Ozeki in the sport.