The Nihon Sumo Kyokai released the Day 1 & Day 2 schedule for the top division, as well as the Day 1 schedule for Juryo, and in-so-doing confirmed that Yokozuna Terunofuji would be absent. Unfortunately, this has become rather normal but we are heartened that at least some of the No-Zeki drama has been put to rest as Takakeisho will participate and he is joined by two fellow Ozeki. Both he and Kirishima aim to clear their kadoban status (must have winning records or will be demoted to Sekiwake) but shin-Ozeki Hoshoryu will be eager to follow up his yusho with a strong performance in Tokyo.
Despite Terunofuji’s kyujo, there will be night full of interesting match-ups, culminating in Kirishima vs Tobizaru for the musubi-no-ichiban. There looks to be a lot of risk for upsets so many fans will probably be relieved if the three Ozeki start out strong. However, I have circled the Nishikigi/Tamawashi bout as a potential highlight. We will quickly learn how ready Nishikigi is after the injury suffered during last week’s open practice.
Asanoyama can potentially start his own Ozeki run with an exceptionally strong tournament from Maegashira 2. I know many of his fans are eager to see if he can quickly reclaim his former rank. Injuries are certainly taking their toll, though. But if we are realistic, this is the first opportunity he has to start making moves for Ozeki. There have been rare promotions where Ozeki runs begin from, or near, the top of the rank-and-file. He’ll face Wakamotoharu in his opener, whose own promotion hopes withered in the heat of Nagoya. Daieisho will also be starting from zero this tournament as he faces Meisei. Kotonowaka will face Shodai, who seems to be more reliable as a spoiler than anything. Will one of these four men be the next Ozeki? Will any be promoted by Osaka, or much later?
A lot of excellent action last night, with a dash of controversy. Hakuoho and several of the young guns impressed. But was Tobizaru dead? Why did no one bother to look? It may have just been a missed call or a conscious decision that the off-balance, tumbling monkey didn’t deserve to win. Frankly, that’s my view but why not throw in a torinaoshi; have them do it again. Well, we’ll put that aside as we gear up for Day 2 with the expectation that the debate will fire back up as Hoshoryu inches closer to 12 wins.
Torikumi
Kagayaki (J1-0) vs Hakuoho (1-0): Hakuoho took a battering from Aoiyama but emerged victorious. Kagayaki visits from Juryo tonight and will have much the same game plan, though a bit less forceful. Hakuoho’s left shoulder, though, is a bit of a concern and might present an opportunity to Kagayaki.
Aoiyama (0-1) vs Bushozan (0-1): We saw Aoiyama on the offense against Hakuoho but Bushozan didn’t get to illustrate much of his brand of sumo last night as he fell, quickly and easily, to Endo. Expect guns blazing from Aoiyama and possibly another quick bout.
Ryuden (0-1) vs Endo (1-0): Endo holds the numerical edge in this rivalry and certainly put his best face forward last night, while Ryuden just fell face forward. Ryuden has won their last few meetings but Endo’s a different challenge for Ryuden, compared to Takarafuji, and likely a healthier opponent. We’ll get a better sense tonight if Ryuden belongs kyujo and if Endo can put together a strong run.
Takarafuji (1-0) vs Shonannoumi (1-0): “Down. Go down.” Takarafuji had one plan against Ryden, and it worked. I don’t think that he will find the same success tonight against Shonannoumi, without changing things up. A long bout would seem to favor Shonannoumi.
Daishoho (0-1) vs Kotoshoho (0-1): After his loss yesterday, Kotoshoho seemed to stare at the heavens and wonder, “why am I here?” If he loses convincingly again today, I think we’ll all wonder the same thing.
Chiyoshoma (1-0) vs Gonoyama (1-0): Chiyoshoma will face a healthier opponent today, certainly one who can fight back with more than token resistance. It’s also their first ever meeting. I expect this bout to be a highlight bout from the bottom third of the division.
Kotoeko (1-0) vs Tsurugisho (0-1): Kotoeko was rather dominant in his win over Myogiryu while Tsurugisho appeared lame, unable to press forward with the left leg. This could be another quick one.
Kinbozan (0-1) vs Myogiryu (0-1): Young gun on his way up meets grizzled veteran on his way down in their first ever clash. Kinbozan needs this one.
Takanosho (0-1) vs Hokutofuji (1-0): Hokutofuji was on his game last night while Takanosho may have had a bit of that ring rust. Both are ranked a bit lower than their talents suggest so they should have good tournaments but Hokutofuji should have the edge in this bout.
Sadanoumi (0-1) vs Nishikifuji (1-0): Nishikifuji is no Tamawashi. Sadanoumi should be able to wrangle him and knotch a victory tonight.
Takayasu (1-0) vs Tamawashi (1-0): Expect fireworks. I have no idea who will win but I’m eager to see both of these geezers try.
Hokuseiho (1-0) vs Oho (0-1): This will be another exciting clash. They’ve split their first two meetings but after watching Hokuseiho dismantle Onosho, Oho may just be a bigger bump on the road to the joi-jin.
Hiradoumi (1-0) vs Onosho (0-1): Hiradoumi is ready while we didn’t get to see much of an attack from Onosho. Hopefully Hokuseiho knocked the ring-rust loose and Onosho comes back with the quality we’ve seen before.
Asanoyama (0-1) vs Ura (0-1): Asanoyama needs to bounce back from that loss to Meisei. He seemed to have the edge but the desperation lunge caught Asanoyama out. Ura’s whole thing seems to be desperation acrobatics at the edge. Asanoyama needs this, so he’ll need to keep his wits about him and not let Ura do anything crazy.
Sanyaku
Kotonowaka (1-0) vs Meisei (1-0): These guys are evenly matched demonstrated by the 4-4 record in this rivalry. Meisei did what he needed to win against Asanoyama. Will the confidence boost from that upset carry over to tonight?
Midorifuji (1-0) vs Abi (0-1): Is it as surprising to you as it is to me that Abi has never beaten Midorifuji? After seeing how stablemate and Yokozuna, Terunofuji, completely dismantled Abi’s big guns, maybe it shouldn’t. I would normally expect Abi to blast Midorifuji, repeatedly, and pick up the win. I will pay closer attention tonight to see if Abi is actually able to use his main weapon.
Hoshoryu (1-0) vs Shodai (0-1): We saw dreadful sumo from both of these guys last night. Shodai is nowhere near as mobile or dynamic as Tobizaru, however, so should be easy prey for the dragon.
Tobizaru (0-1) vs Wakamotoharu (1-0): Tobizaru snatched defeat from the jaws of victory yesterday with that wild, off-balance display. Wakamotoharu will need to contain him.
Mitakeumi (0-1) vs Daieisho (1-0): I’m eagerly anticipating this fight. Mitakeumi came in a bit high last night and was shown the exit…but at least he looks healthy. Daieisho has fire in his belly and laser-guided tsuppari. Of the three Ozeki candidates, I thought he put on the most convincing performance.
Terunofuji (1-0) vs Nishikigi (1-0): We haven’t seen Nishikigi in action yet but that shouldn’t matter. Terunofuji should dismantle Nishikigi with the ease that he displayed against Abi.
With everything but 2 Darwin matches decided, it was a nice step down in intensity from the prior 14 days of action. What a great tournament! An odd fact, the winning score for both Makuuchi and Juryo was 14-1, that’s some power! Speaking of the Juryo yusho, it features a playoff between Gonoyama and Ochiai that was a scorcher.
Even though he lost his day 15 match, we expect the formalities around Kiribayama’s promotion to Ozeki to start in the coming week. We encourage sumo fans to keep an eye on that process, as it has been a while since we minted an Ozeki (Mitakeumi was the last one, in January of 2022).
Congratulations to Yokozuna Terunofuji on your 8th yusho. Coming back from serious injury and corrective surgery, this was a big hill to climb, and you made it happen. Nothing but acres of respect for your dedication to the sport and your competitive spirit.
Highlight Matches
Mitoryu defeats Tohakuryu – Sort of a ridiculous match to me, Tohakuryu really could not do much of anything to Mitoryu, who chucked him aside to win by hatakikomi. Mitoryu gets a final win before boarding the barge for Juryo.
Asanoyama defeats Tsurugisho – I have read some fans on social media citing that Asanoyama, getting a final score of 12-3 and being in the yusho race did not get a special prize. I would say “get used to it”. He’s a former Ozeki who got punished, and they are not going to go easy on this guy – ever. It will either make him wilt away, or make him incredibly tough. I can’t wait to find out which one. When the two lockup at the tachiai, the difference in sumo posture is quite shocking. As soon as Asanoyama can land that left hand on Tsurugisho’s mawashi, he is done. One last win for Asanoyama and he is 12-3, and headed much higher in the ranks.
Kagayaki defeats Hokuseiho – Kagayaki gets one final win, and if that somehow translates into him staying in the top division, I am going to lose all hope. Hokuseiho faded out in week 2, losing 5 in a row. Sure, he was a lower rank and file guy fighting the san’yaku, but he should have been able to rally today to get rid of the last man on the banzuke. How did Kagayaki defeat the “immobile” Hokuseiho? Hokuseiho’s foot placement was about an good as mine would be, maybe he just did not feel like putting in too much effort as he already had his 8th win.
Takarafuji defeats Ichiyamamoto – Takarafuji wins one more. You can see Ichiyamamoto trying to get his sumo going, but he just falls apart. Takarafuji grabs his head and flings him to the clay, finishing 5-10.
Kotoeko defeats Ryuden – I continue to admire Kotoeko. He needs one more win for kachi-koshi, and he’s all forward power and sharp offense today. He manages to yorkikiri Ryuden into the second row of the zabuton section to secure his 8th win and finish Natsu kachi-koshi.
Hiradoumi defeats Chiyoshoma – I think Chiyoshoma was surprised to find Hiradoumi inside with a morozashi by the second step. Chiyoshoma attempted an escape, but Hiradoumi deployed a leg trip and brought him down, finishing Natsu at 9-6.
Takanosho defeats Myogiryu – Myogiryu had the stronger offense today, and I am not sure why he decided his path to victory was trying to pull Takanosho down. Such a move is always a gamble, because the rikishi initiating the pull releases forward pressure. Takanosho new exactly what to do, and ran Myogiryu by oshitaoshi, finishing Natsu 7-8.
Aoiyama defeats Hokutofuji – Aoiyama gets a fortunate hand placement, and immediately employs the katasukashi to bring down Hokutofuji just as Hokutofuji is charging forward to push Aoiyama out. The final win brings Aoiyama’s score for May to 5-10.
Daishoho defeats Kinbozan – That was too slow to be considered denshamichi, but Daishoho marched Kinbozan directly back and out for a quick yorikiri. Hopefully Kinbozan can recover for July. Daishoho ends the tournament 6-9.
Nishikigi defeats Onosho – Nishikigi goes for the battle hug at the tachiai, Onosho succeeds in blocking him, but shows poor foot placement when executing an ill advised pulling attempt. Nishikigi knows just what to do, and runs Onosho down to win by yoritaoshi, finishing 9-6. Eight (8!) consecutive wins for Nishikigi to conclude Natsu. What happened to this guy?
Sadanoumi defeats Nishikifuji – Nishikifuji has no effective offense and is quickly removed from the ring by Sadanoumi’s oshidashi. He completes his 15 days with just 3 wins; a final score of 3-12.
Tobizaru defeats Tamawashi – Excellent evasive sumo from Tobizaru. I note that he was able to keep his thrusting attack mostly center mass the whole time he was dodging just about everything that Tamawashi was trying to employ. Each time Tamawashi went for a thrust, or to grab Tobizaru for a pull, he was no longer where Tamawashi was aiming. Our first Darwin match ends with Tobizaru kachi-koshi at 8-7, Tamawashi make-koshi at 7-8.
Takayasu defeats Kotoshoho – The battle of the kyujo features Takayasu attacking then releasing forward pressure as Kotoshoho falls forward. A hikiotoshi win, and Takayasu finishes Natsu 3-12.
Oho defeats Midorifuji – I counted twice that Midorifuji was on the cusp of winning this one, just to have Oho battle back. Oho is then able to grapple Midorifuji, and eventually Midorifuji works himself into a jam by trying to get lower and lower to get under Oho to attack. When he’s too low to recover, Oho brings him to the clay with a hikiotoshi. 11-4 final score for Oho, including an amazing 7 consecutive wins in the final week.
Abi defeats Ura – These two were both expecting some manner of complexity in the tachiai, and there was non. As a result, Ura was low and worked lower as he tried to counter Abi’s thrusting attack. The challenge with this kind of position for Ura is that it’s tough to keep your balance, and Abi was able to catch him out of step, and push him out of the ring. The final Darwin match ends with Abi kachi-koshi at 8-7, Ura make-koshi at 7-8.
Mitakeumi defeats Shodai – Excellent focus from Mitakeumi, he ensures all power is headed to center mass. Shodai has no answer, and is first stood up, then pushed out in this battle of the former Ozeki. Mitakeumi with a final win at 9-6.
Kotonowaka defeats Meisei – Ah, Meisei. He was one part of the lead for the yusho race, then 6 consecutive losses took him to a 8-7 kachi-koshi. Good enough if you ask me. Meisei did seem to melt under Kotonowaka’s attack, and maybe those losses for Meisei are thanks to some injury. Kotonowaka finishes Natsu 8-7. Meisei does end up with the Shukun-sho (Outstanding Performance Award).
Daieisho defeats Wakamotoharu – Daieisho shows that standing between him and his 10th win is not a safe place to be. This may be the first time this basho we see him really uncork the intensity of sumo that won him a yusho in January of 2021. Wakamotoharu is lucky if he still has all of his dental work, as Daieisho finishes 10-5. Wakamotoharu is awarded the Gino-sho (Technique Prize).
Hoshoryu defeats Kiribayama – Future Ozeki Kiribayama gets captured, passivated and tossed like a salad by Kiribayama in his last match of the tournament. That was some over the top intensity from Hoshoryu, and he needs that every day. Both end with respectable 11-4 records, and Kiribayama ends with the Gino-sho (Technique Prize). Anyone else notice that all of the special prize winners lost their matches today?
Terunofuji defeats Takakeisho – I have no clue what Takakeisho was trying to do here, but the whole match was a disorganized mess. He had a double inside “grip” on Terunofuji for a moment, then went mad trying to pull the Yokozuna. It’s ok, he cleared kadoban, and he’s going to be back in July. Terunofuji’s final score is 14-1.
Thank you, dear readers, for following along for the last 15 days. Team Tachiai has enjoyed bring you are coverage of the 2023 Natsu basho, and we hope you will follow along as we wait for the formalities of Kiribayama’s promotion to Ozeki. This concludes are daily coverage of the May tournament. Thanks for sharing our love of sumo!
The final day of Natsu 2023, a glorious senshuraku is in store. Most of the story lines have been resolved or we at least understand them.
The yusho goes to Terunofuji with at least a 13-2 score. This is his 8th yusho, putting him one behind Harumafuji.
Kiribayama should be promoted to Ozeki. He has 33 wins over the last 3 basho, including a yusho, a jun-yusho, and probably another jun-yusho today. There is no doubt he is second on the dohyo only to Terunofuji right now.
Takakeisho remains Ozeki. He cleared kadoban by hook or by crook, but he has his 8 wins.
The san’yaku has not looked better in recent memory, very reminiscent of the era just before we had 6 Ozeki. This really means the sport is about to be very interesting.
Hokuseiho is going to be a big deal, but he’s still in a mostly larval form, and needs a fair number of upgrades. With Miyagino oyakata, he is in excellent hands.
Former Ozeki Asanoyama is not quite back to Ozeki power levels, but we can expect that later this year. He still needs to work on finding a way to beat Terunofuji.
All in all, a fantastic basho. There are only six rikishi left to decide their status as make-koshi or kachi-koshi, and to help us get there we have a couple of nice Darwin matches today.
What We Are Watching Day 15
Mitoryu (4-10) vs Tohakuryu (4-10) – A battle of 4-10 rikishi to see who can get a 5th win. Tohakuryu is visiting from Juryo, where he has struggled all month. Mitoryu is likewise Juryo bound for July, and this match be to help determine rank on the July banzuke. Mitoryu has won all 6 prior matches.
Asanoyama (11-3) vs Tsurugisho (9-5) – Asanoyama had to fight someone on the final day, may as well be Tsurugisho. A Tsurugisho win would be double digits for him, but frankly right now Asanoyama is fighting better. They have split their prior two matches, both of which occurred six years ago in 2017.
Hokuseiho (8-6) vs Kagayaki (6-8) – How lovely of Hokuseiho to give Kagayaki a nice send off as he makes his way back to Juryo. I have been a Kagayaki booster in the past, mostly because he at one point had solid sumo fundamentals and simple but effective moves. I can’t wait to see what he tries against Hokuseiho.
Ichiyamamoto (4-10) vs Takarafuji (4-10) – Another battle of the miserable 4-10 rikishi. Both are fighting well below their abilities probably due to injury. I think that Takarafuji is currently in poorer condition between the two, so I think its likely Ichiyamamoto will prevail and advance to 5-10.
Ryuden (5-9) vs Kotoeko (7-7) – Kotoeko was eligible for a Darwin match, but instead will face Ryuden, who is already make-koshi. They are fairly even in their 11 match career record at 6-5.
Chiyoshoma (8-6) vs Hiradoumi (8-6) – Both kachi-koshi at matching 8-6 scores, with two prior matches split 1-1. I like Hiradoumi in this match because he has fought better against higher ranked people this past week. Does anything think Chiyoshoma will finish with a henka?
Myogiryu (9-5) vs Takanosho (6-8) – Takanosho would like a final win to finish 7-8, but he won’t have an easy time of it given whatever has been limiting his sumo this month, and the fact that Myogiryu has been fighting pretty well. I expect this to be Myogiryu’s match.
Hokutofuji (6-8) vs Aoiyama (4-10) – This match was likely drawn up to give Hokutofuji a final win to end 7-8. But then again Big Dan Aoiyama needs to fight someone unless he goes kyujo.
Kinbozan (4-10) vs Daishoho (5-9) – Daishoho has won 3 of their 4 prior matches, and is slightly less dreadful at 5-9 to start the day. I am certain that Kinbozan is going to be a big deal in a year or two, but as long as he is going to swallow his first make-koshi of his professional career, he may as well make it a big one.
Onosho (8-6) vs Nishikigi (8-6) – The match you didn’t know you wanted to see, but could be quite the battle. Nishikigi has racked 7 (SEVEN!) straight wins, not sure how he did that, but please keep doing it through Nagoya. If he can grapple Onosho today, he’s liable to make it 8 straight wins to finish Natsu.
Sadanoumi (6-8) vs Nishikifuji (3-11) – Both are already make-koshi, this final match is to help figure out where everyone goes on the banzuke. I would say Sadanoumi his heavily favored given how poorly Nishikifuji has been fighting this month.
Tobizaru (7-7) vs Tamawashi (7-7) – The first of our Darwin matches. Tamawashi is at best maybe 80% of his expected sumo power, and he tends to struggle fighting the highly mobile Tobizaru. If Tobizaru can ensure that he keeps to a hit and move pattern, he should be able to avoid any big attacks from Tamawashi, which is where he wins his matches. Winner kachi-koshi, the loser make-koshi.
Takayasu (2-3-9) vs Kotoshoho (2-9-3) – Great idea! Battle of the kyujo warriors. Both withdrew from the competition and then came back to try and pad their fall. Both of them have 2-12 scores to start the day, and one of them will get a final win. It’s kind of like a Darwin match, only much uglier.
Oho (10-4) vs Midorifuji (6-8) – What on earth is Oho doing up here. Ok, fine. He’s got a double digit winning record, and his sumo looks terrible but wins matches. Go ahead and fight Midorifuji. We have yet to see him deliver a katasukashi this basho.
Abi (7-7) vs Ura (7-7) – The last of our Darwin matches, and this is a pairing of the high mobility rikishi. Abi has a 4-2 career lead as he is good at keeping Ura from employing his grab-and-tug attack combos. If Ura can get a grip on one of Abi’s arms, I am guessing Ura will give him enough air time to reach Hanada. Winner kachi-koshi, the loser make-koshi.
Shodai (6-8) vs Mitakeumi (8-6) – An astounding 31 match career record, with advantage to Mitakeumi by 17-14. Shodai is already make-koshi, and Mitakeumi is already kachi-koshi, so this one is just for the final score. I would guess that it comes down to which of these hit-or-miss guys is in the groove today.
Kotonowaka (7-7) vs Meisei (8-6) – Kotonowaka came into day 15 with a Darwin eligible 7-7 score, but he gets to fight Meisei instead of another 7-7. Meisei is already kachi-koshi, so he does not have a huge motivation to ramp up the sumo power to beat Kotonowaka, add to that the fact that Meisei has lost the last 5 in a row. Kind of looks like a “gimmie” for Kotonowaka to hold rank.
Daieisho (9-5) vs Wakamotoharu (10-4) – Oh, this is such a stroke of scheduling genius. Clash of sumo styles in oshi vs yotsu, the oshi-zumo man needs one more win to keep his push toward Ozeki alive. The yotsu man is already double digits, but needs that last win to set up his Ozeki bid in July. This one could be crazy!
Kiribayama (11-3) vs Hoshoryu (10-4) – The soon to be Ozeki will face the guy he left in the dust. A final chance this month for Hoshoryu to possibly channel any frustration he may have into useful sumo. Hoshoryu was torpedoed already in any hopes he had for Ozeki by the fact that 2 of his wins were by default thanks to an opponent going kyujo. He could use the win to push his score to 11 in hopes of racking 12 wins in July.
Terunofuji (13-1) vs Takakeisho (8-6) – The final match on the final day between the two highest ranked rikishi. It’s traditional, and I think we are going to see Terunofuji do a bit of tadpole bowling. Given Takakeisho’s general spheroid shape, the Yokozuna should be able to get him rolling quite far down the hanamichi.
