The big, ultra wide mega match of the day is a pair of 2-0 rikishi who have been fighting well above their rank so far. It’s Ozeki hopeful Hoshoryu vs recently demoted Ozeki Mitakeumi. This could be the highlight match for the first week if the stars align, and I am eager to see how it plays out. Hoshoryu has the speed and power to put Mitakeumi away at the tachiai. If the match goes longer than that, I am looking for Mitakeumi to summon is tadpole power and dominate the much smaller Hoshoryu. I hope we may see both of them contend for the cup in week 2.

On the trail of Ozeki hopefuls, dear old Takayasu is looking very humble. His wild man sumo that served him well last basho has him looking a shambles right now. Its still possible for him to get on the path to success, but he has to overcome his arch competitor Tamawashi today to turn thing around.

All in all, a surprisingly important day of sumo for it only being day 3.

What We Are Watching Day 3

Takarafuji vs Azumaryu – Lower rungs of the banzuke are at times an interesting place, they collect the damaged and the up and comer alike. Today we have Takarafuji who is in an 8 wins or head to Juryo situation up against Azumaryu, a long serving vet who has yet to have his first time division kachi-koshi. Both have a 2-0 start, and one of them will take their first loss today. If Takarafuji is still in fighting form, he should be able to dispatch Azumaryu without too much worry.

Ichiyamamoto vs Chiyomaru – In contrast, two men who are 0-2, both hoping to be the one that will receive their first win today. Ichiyamamoto has a narrow 3-2 career lead, and he’s going to be up against the sumo spheroid, Chiyomaru. Chiyomaru is thus far not fighting well, and may be facing an immediate return to Juryo if he can’t shake off the ring rust and fight with more skill.

Mitoryu vs Kotoeko – Mitoryu at 0-2 has had a tough pair of matches to start the new year, losing to super-jumbo Tsurugisho, and then Azumaryu. He has not won against Kotoeko, with 2 tries, and today looks to be another rough day on the clay for Mitoryu.

Kotoshoho vs Tsurugisho – Speaking of Tsurugisho, he faces Kotoshoho, both of whom are 2-0. They have split their two prior matches. Tsurugisho as an enormous size advantage, and Kotoshoho does too, in that he does not have nearly 200 kg of stored chanko nabe to cart around the dohyo.

Okinoumi vs Tochinoshin – Two long-serving veterans with 23 career matches between them, split 11-12, narrowly favoring Tochinoshin. With 0-2 Okinoumi looking much worse right now than 1-1 Tochinoshin. Okinoumi’s best attack path is to follow what Hiradoumi did on day 2, deny Tochinoshin that left hand outside grip and wait for him to get off balance.

Chiyoshoma vs Kagayaki – To me this is a high interest match. Kagayaki (1-1) has the mass and strength, and Chiyoshoma (0-2) has the overwhelming urge to henka. I know it will make the readers howl, but I think he should deploy the henka today. Mostly because Kagayaki is likely to buy it wholesale.

Hiradoumi vs Endo – When they fought for the first time in November, Hiradoumi surprised Endo with his power and speed. I am keen to see if he will approach today’s match with Hiradoumi with more caution, and a plan to draw Hiradoumi into an ill considered move. Both are 1-1.

Takanosho vs Aoiyama – Takanosho (1-1) continues to be hit or miss so far, with a solid opening day against Endo, and a severe miscalculation against Onosho on day 2. Aoiyama (2-0) has dominated both of his prior matches. If he is healthy, we have to look for him to rack up the wins this far down the banzuke. They have an evenly split 3-3 record.

Oho vs Ura – 0-2 Oho has been fighting with a lot of vigor, and nothing to show for it. Perhaps he will find the sumo today to take his first win against 1-1 Ura, who has beaten him both prior matches. Given Oho’s performance in November, we now know he has all the pieces for a solid Maegashira, if he can just put them together. Thus far in January, he cannot.

Onosho vs Myogiryu – I know when I comment on Onosho (2-0), I tend to cite his habit of being too far forward. So far his opponents have all seemed to assume that he is so far forward, he is an easy pull down target. Both times so far this basho, it has been a costly mistake. Today we will see if 1-1 Myogiryu will follow the crowd, or time something else. Hint: try something else.

Ryuden vs Sadanoumi – Sadanoumi at 0-2 is having is worst start since July of 2022, and I would like to think he’s going to find his first win some time in act 1. But he’s not got a strong record against 1-1 Ryuden, who wants to bounce back after his loss on day 2 to Midorifuji.

Nishikifuji vs Hokutofuji – A battle of the ‘fuji crew. Both of them come to the dohyo on day 3 at 1-1, and I expect both of them to be 7-7 at the end of day 14. They have each won one of their two prior matches, with both of them in the two prior tournaments.

Nishikigi vs Midorifuji – Nishikigi (1-1) will have a tough opponent in Midorifuji today (2-0). Not only is katasukashi specialist undefeated so far this month, he also holds a 2-5 career lead. Nishikigi’s typical fight style is battle hug and dance. This does tend to leave the door wide open for the katasukashi, which I would not mind seeing for two days in a row.

Kiribayama vs Wakamotoharu – Wakamotoharu spent 2022 quietly climbing the banzuke, happy to let his brother Wakatakakage attract all of the attention. But now he finds himself as a Komusubi, its nothing but tough matches all day every day for 15 days, thus the 0-2 score. He’s held his own against Kiribayama (1-1) in the past (3-3), with Wakamotoharu winning 2 of their 3 matches last year. Should be a good fight.

Meisei vs Abi – At this point I am expecting 2-0 Abi to contend in week 2. So his opponents this week are more or less training ballast. He has a 4-4 career record against Meisei (0-2), but I don’t think that’s going to count for much on day 3. They split their two matches in 2022, but right now Meisei has yet to find his first win, and with Abi’s sumo looking very sharp, he may not get his shonichi today.

Mitakeumi vs Hoshoryu – In my opinion, the big match of the day. This might have been a miserable watch in November, but in the early stages of the 2023 Hatsu basho, this one is red hot. Both of them come in at 2-0, both of them are fighting quite well, with Hoshoryu’s sumo bordering on brilliant. Although dethroned from his Ozeki rank, the Original Tadpole has plenty of fight left in him, and I am looking for him to use his big body to counter Hoshoryu’s speed an agility.

Wakatakakage vs Tobizaru – Wakatakakage had a tough fight day 2 against a resurgent Mitakeumi, but I still think he is going to be pushing for double digits this January. Tobizaru is a surprisingly good match for him, as sumo’s flying monkey is able to dodge and weave better than most of the opponents Wakatakakage faces. Their 12 prior matches have includes a couple of brilliant “kitchen sink” battles that were part of the highlight reels, but Tobizaru’s record against Wakatakakage since joining the top division is only 2-5. Both come into today 1-1.

Kotonowaka vs Shodai – All of Shodai’s easy days are behind him. Much as I would love to see him rally, and for the ur-Shodai to rise and summon the Wall of Daikon to crush his opponents, I don’t think it’s going to happen. Instead these two 0-2 rikishi will battle it out today to see who will get their first win of the basho. But it should be mentioned that Shodai has only beaten Kotonowaka once in six attempts.

Takayasu vs Tamawashi – Thirty Three (33!) career matches between these two, including one where Tamawashi wrecked Takayasu’s arm. The come in with mirror image records: Takayasu at 0-2, Tamawashi at 2-0. Given how they have performed in the first two days of Hatsu, I think Tamawashi will be the favorite today.

Daieisho vs Takakeisho – These two long time friends are nose to nose today on the clay. I have not seen Daieisho in this kind of form since his 11-4 finish in May of 2022. Takakeisho day 2 loss to Tobizaru is a head scratcher, but anyone can have an off day. Takakeisho holds a 15-6 career advantage on the clay.

Much as I worry about Hoshoryu and his big attitude, so far this January he has shown that he is the best of the named ranks. Two days in a row he fought like a champion, and prevailed. Day one he delivered the kind of speed and power I have not seen on the clay in many months. Today we saw him wait out a skilled opponent, and then turn the tables on him when it was to his best advantage. Today’s sumo reminded me of dear departed Harumafuji in many ways, including the little right hand pick, that set up the shitatenage. I hope he can carry this power forward through the rest of the 15 days.

I also must note that after a brutal absence that saw him stripped of Ozeki, the “good” Mitakeumi is back on the dohyo. When this guy is healthy, he so very potent. His big body and surprisingly good balance shut down so many avenues of attack that are normally open, as Wakatakakage found out today. Underestimate him at your own peril.

I think the schedulers see it this way too. We get Hoshoryu vs Mitakeumi on day 3…

Highlight Matches

Tsurugisho defeats Chiyomaru – Chiyomaru’s initial attacks were high, as was his body. He was wide open to Tsurugisho’s left hand, which latched on with an iron grip and gave Tsurugisho control. There were a couple of good attempts by Chiyomaru to break that grip, but it was all done 4 steps later. Tsurugisho advances to 2-0.

Takarafuji defeats Ichiyamamoto – It’s great to see Takarafuji back in fighting form. Today he prevented Ichiyamamoto from running his double arm thrusting attacks by continuing to close in and rob Ichiyamamoto of a full arm extension. I saw a couple of nice forearm blocks, and that right hand pushing back against Ichiyamamoto’s chest. Ichiyamamoto rallied for a moment, and looked to take control, but Takarafuji kept focused, saw that Ichiyamamoto had left his feet back, and delivered an hatakikomi to send Ichiyamamoto to the clay. He starts Hatsu with 2-0.

Azumaryu defeats Mitoryu – An outstanding, if sloppy, yotsu-zumo battle. Mitoryu had the advantage at the start of the match, but Azumaryu kept his balance centered and his stance wide. As Mitoryu kept working to get Azumaryu off balance, he missed the uwate, Azumaryu rotated into the throw and put Mitoryu down, giving him a 2-0 start.

Kotoshoho defeats Kagayaki – Oh dear, just what I have hopes that Kagayaki has his sumo straightened out, along comes this match. He opens up attacking Kotoshoho’s face. Sure that my be fun, but its not really as effective as Kagayaki’s better attack route to the chest. Its double frustrating in that Kotoshoho left his chest exposed twice, but Kagayaki just had to attack the face. Of course everyone knew that face attack was trying to set up a pull, and when it came Kotoshoho rammed him out in a hurry. Kotoshoho picks up a second win and is 2-0.

Kotoeko defeats Okinoumi – Much more true to form sumo from Kotoeko today. I like how he broke Okinoumi’s grip, and moments later his stance. Off balance and out of contact with Kotoeko, Okinoumi was not too tough to push out. Kotoeko’s first win puts him at 1-1.

Aoiyama defeats Chiyoshoma – Chiyoshoma chose to bash Aoiyama in the face for a bit. Unfortunately for Chiyoshoma that is interpreted by “Big Dan” as flirtation. This was not helped when Chiyoshoma put both hands around Aoiyama to apply a battle hug. Aoiyama clamped onto Chiyoshoma’s arms, and muscled Chiyoshoma out 2 steps later. Aoiyama with a solid 2-0 start.

Hiradoumi defeats Tochinoshin – That may not have looked like much, but I was well impressed with Hiradoumi’s sumo today. He bet that if he could deny Tochinoshin a left hand outside grip, that the former Ozeki would be completely driven to set that up. Indeed Tochinoshin ignored multiple opportunities to keep reaching with his left, so much so that it left him perilously off balance. Hiradoumi finished the job with an uwatenage to swing Tochinoshin to the clay, and score his first win to improve to 1-1.

Onosho defeats Takanosho – What he hell was that? Two days in a row someone gambles that Onosho is going to be off balance and instead finds themselves launched off the dohyo. Don’t pull this guy right now, he seems to be dialed into his sumo for January. Onosho now 2-0.

Endo defeats Oho – This was a fine match indeed. I had hoped that Endo could employ his experience to out-wit Oho, and he played it just right. Oho brought a lot of power and eager attacks to the match. Endo kept him from winning and waited for an opening, which happened when Oho’s body was out of position, and already half way to the clay. Endo finished him with a shitatenage to score his first win, improving to 1-1.

Ura defeats Hokutofuji – Ura continues his dominance over Hokutofuji, now with a 9-1 career lead. Beautiful focus on center-mass, he seems to have caught Hokutofuji by surprise. There was no recovery and three steps later Ura had the win. Both finished the day 1-1.

Nishikigi defeats Myogiryu – I feel for Myogiryu. That matta tipped his tachiai plan, and he really struggled to pull it off the second time. Nishikigi countered well and just waited Myogiryu out, charging forward when he got the chance and winning by oshidashi. Both are now 1-1.

Nishikifuji defeats Sadanoumi – Excellent, sharp tachiai from Nishikifuji. It seems to have triggered a half step forward from Sadanoumi, leaving him off balance. Nishikifuji ripped into an hatakikomi in response and sent Sadanoumi tumbling. Wow, that was fast and aggressive sumo from Nishikifuji, he is now 1-1.

Midorifuji defeats Ryuden – No, no indeed. That katasukashi never gets old, and I love it each time Midorifuji puts it to work. Today’s passenger was Ryuden, who I hope enjoyed it as much as the rest of us did. Midorifuji opening perfect with 2-0.

Abi defeats Wakamotoharu – It started as Abi-zumo punishing Wakamotoharu, but credit to Wakamotoharu, he was able to grab a hold and shut it down. From then on it was a straight up playground brawl, with both men hitting the clay more or less together. A monoii resulted, and replay showed Abi touching down last. Having started now at 2-0, we have to wonder if Abi is going to be strong through week 1. Could be an interesting wrinkle to the story line.

Tamawashi defeats Meisei – It was almost denshamichi, with Tamawashi playing the part of the Tohoku Shinkansen. Meisei ended up in Aomori without a return fare. Tamawashi now 2-0.

Mitakeumi defeats Wakatakakage – As much as I loved this match, I wish we could have seen this in November. Mitakeumi is clearly back in fighting form now, and he’s using his tadpole body to full advantage. He basted Wakatakakage back at the tachiai, and dominated him even when Wakatakakage managed to rally and fight back. A poorly constructed throw attempt was greeted with Mitakeumi bodily pushing him from the ring. Mitakeumi now 2-0.

Daieisho defeats Shodai – Its been a while since Daieisho was in good form, but this is his sumo when he’s dialed in. Shodai left his chest wide open, and Daieisho decided, “sure why not”. The windmill thrusts where more than Shodai could absorb, and there was no sign of the “Wall of Daikon”, which would have saved him. Daieisho starts 2-0.

Kiribayama defeats Takayasu – What could be more Takayasu than being on the cusp of an important winning streak, and starting 0-2? Again we had Takayasu wild man sumo, and his balance was all over the map. Kiribayama took full advantage of this, and kept Takayasu from regaining control. He picks up his first win and is now 1-1.

Hoshoryu defeats Kotonowaka – Second day in a row we see Hoshoryu really dominating his match. Even when Kotonowaka had what looked to be a commanding hold. Hoshoryu waited him out and put him down like a rookie in this first basho. Hoshoryu now 2-0, and looking like maybe he has taken the next step. We should know better by nakabi.

Tobizaru defeats Takakeisho – I have to wonder if Takayasu landing on Takakeisho earlier may have put the lone Ozeki off of his sumo. He missed the initial strike against Tobizaru, and Tobizaru proceeded to keep Takakeisho out of thrusting range, and turning to face him. It did not take too long for there to be a lost of balance, and Tobizaru finished him with a hatakikomi. Both end the day 1-1.

With the Yokozuna out recuperating from surgery to extend his career, and the Ozeki ranks in shambles, the promotion lanes are wide open. Everyone with an itch to be Ozeki will be opening the throttle wide in the first week, hoping to salt away as many white stars as they can grab. This will make for some exciting sumo, and possibly some raucous matches. Today we get to see if Hoshoryu can repeat the kind of sumo that gave him that lightning fast win on day 1, and if Wakatakakage can overcome his habit of losing to Mitakeumi. I suspect if Mitakeumi is finally past whatever his health problems were, he might be looking to run up the score. We can only hope.

What We Are Watching Day 2

Tsurugisho vs Chiyomaru – These two have a 20 match career record, with a definitive 13-7 advantage in favor of Tsurugisho. They are both in the “super jumbo” class of rikishi that are near 200kg, so I expect them to not let this one drag on too long. I think we all know that Chiyomaru is going to try a slap or pull down in the first five seconds, the real question is what happens following that.

Ichiyamamoto vs Takarafuji – After back to back dud tournaments for Takarafuji in September and November, we saw signs of life on day one. Now we get to see if it he can bring some power against Ichiyamamoto, who is likely to hit him with some high thrust attacks straight out of the tachiai. A healthy Takarafuji is able to endure this, as evidenced by his 3-1 career record against Ichiyamamoto.

Mitoryu vs Azumaryu – Both of these rikishi are hoping to get their first ever kachi-koshi in the top division this January. For each of them they have a tough road ahead. Today, we get 0-1 Mitoryu against 1-0 Azumaryu. both are long serving Juryo mainstays, and they last fought in July, with the match going to Azumaryu by uwatedashinage. Overall, Azumaryu leads their series 8-3.

Kagayaki vs Kotoshoho – Both of them won their opening day matches, and I like that they were put head to head for day 2. Everyone can assume that Kagayaki is going to attack center mass, and drive hard to get his hands inside. It’s what he does best, and when he can do it, he tends to win. Kotoshoho is more of an open ended opponent, and I would like to see him employ the unexpected today. If he can close the gap and go chest to chest against Kagayaki, he should be able to get the win. Kotoshoho leads the series 2-1.

Kotoeko vs Okinoumi – Kotoeko really looked out of sorts and a bit disoriented on day 1. I hope it’s just ring rust and none of of his chronic injuries at work. He is probably going to be bracketed to the lower half of the top division for the near term future, but I do enjoy his high energy fighting approach. He has a 4-5 record against veteran Okinoumi.

Aoiyama vs Chiyoshoma – Big Dan has been fighting hurt since July, and has not managed more than 7 wins in any tournament since then. He looked much better on day one, picking up a win. He’s against 0-1 Chiyoshoma today, who has won the last two matches against him. If we see Aoiyama win today, we can assume his body is working well for Hatsu.

Tochinoshin vs Hiradoumi – They have only a single prior match, at Aki 2022, that saw Hiradoumi win by yorikiri. Hiradoumi’s mobility is a problem for Tochinoshin, who has to fight with that bad knee keeping him largely stationary at times.

Onosho vs Takanosho – A battle of the “nosho”, both are 1-0. Onosho tends to be hot or cold in any given basho, and it’s tough to know how things will work this January. They have 13 prior matches (Takanosho leads 7-5) with Onosho taking the last 2 in a row. I would really like to see Takanosho rally this January, and make progress toward returning to the named ranks.

Endo vs Oho – First ever match. We get the former “Golden Boy”, Enho, up against a possible future “Golden Boy” in Oho. Both lost their day 1 matches and start today at 0-1. Endo is not nearly as formidable as he was a few years ago, but he has a deep knowledge of sumo, and may be able to surprise Oho today.

Hokutofuji vs Ura – The 8-1 career record favors Ura, but Ura seems to still be hurt, as he was in November. If he’s injure and competing, this is match is not likely to be much fun at all. Hokutofuji is a merciless competitor, and will quickly box and ship Ura to Aogashima before anyone knows what happened.

Myogiryu vs Nishikigi – These two share a 14 match history, split 7-7. Myogiryu looked strong day 1, and comes in 1-0. Nishikigi was shut down while he was getting his fight together on day one, and is 0-1. While they are evenly matched, it has been Myogiryu who has won the last thre in a row in 2022.

Nishikifuji vs Sadanoumi – Another battle of the 0-1, one of these two will get their first win today. They only fought once in the top division, during Kyushu 2022. That match went to Sadanoumi by hikiotoshi on day 3. Overall, Sadanoumi holds a 3-1 career lead. I expect he will try to use speed to get his hands around Nishikifuji early, and move him out before Nishikifuji can employ his superior agility.

Ryuden vs Midorifuji – From a 0-1 match, to a 1-0 match. We have Ryuden, who squeeked out a win day 1 due to Nishikifuji stepping out accidentally, against his stable mate Midorifuji. Their only prior match was in March of last year, when both were still in Juryo. That match went to Ryuden by yoritaoshi.

Abi vs Wakamotoharu – I love Wakamotoharu’s deliberate, straight ahead sumo style. But each time he comes up against Abi, the double arm thrusting technique of Abi-zumo completely overwhelms him. With a 3-0 career advantage, it’s really Abi’s match to lose today. Wakamotoharu’s first posting the the named ranks could be shaping up to be a rough ride.

Meisei vs Tamawashi – 1-0 Tamawashi and 0-1 Meisei share an 8 match career history, split evenly at 4-4. Out of their four matches in 2022, Tamawashi took 3 of them. Meisei will need to make sure he does not catch a frontal blast from Tamawashi early on to have a hope of putting his first win on the board.

Wakatakakage vs Mitakeumi – Even thought Mitakeumi is no longer an Ozeki, a healthy Mitakeumi is still capable of 10+ wins at this rank and higher. Both he and Wakatakakage won their day 1 matches, and I think this will be a big fight. Of their 4 matches in 2022, both of them won 2. I will be looking to see if Mitakeumi can get his right hand inside against Wakatakakage’s chest by the second step.

Daieisho vs Shodai – No breaks for Shodai right now. He’s got an 8-14 career deficit against Daieisho, and I am going to guess Daieisho is going to give him a full measure today. Over their last seven fights, Daieisho is 6-1. Buckle up, Daikon.

Takayasu vs Kiribayama – Some of our readers are concerned after watching Takayasu’s day 1 performance that the injury he sustained at the end of Kyushu in November may still be impacting his sumo. I agree it’s a worry, and today’s fight against Kiribayama will give us a second data point to guess. Takayasu has a 6-3 career advantage, including both of the last two fight.

Kotonowaka vs Hoshoryu – Hoshoryu’s day 1 performance was commanding and impressive. I would like to see if he can do it again. He’s got a distinct 7-3 career advantage over Kotonowaka, who I think is still trying to figure out how spell Komusubi. For most of 2022, it’s been evident that Hoshoryu’s sumo was about to make a step change, it would be great if Hatsu 2023 is where we was that come to fruition.

Tobizaru vs Takakeisho – Much as I love flying monkey sumo, I expect that Takakeisho is going to toss Tobizaru back into the front row, where he enjoys greeting the fans. The Grand Tadpole has won 3 of the last 4, and enjoys an overall 4-2 career advantage.

A solid day of sumo, with special recognition to both Sekiwake 1 men, who fought like they are ready to be Ozeki. Neither has the consistent record to make the bid yet, but the form was there today. I like that the rules have been relaxed somewhat in the Kokugikan, and fans can now cheer during the fight. It’s starting to feel a bit more like sumo again.

Highlight Matches

Takarafuji defeats Chiyomaru – Its quite a relief to see Takarafuji moving well, and generally not looking like an orthopedic ward patient this January. Chiyomaru tries his traditional slap and shove sumo, but Takarafuji’s balance is unshaken. A healthy Takarafuji will wear you down, and thus he does. Kimarite is listed as hatakikomi, and Chiyomaru was looking pretty tired before he fell.

Tsurugisho defeats Mitoryu – Tsurugisho set up a left hand outside grip at the tachiai, and Mitoryu could do exactly zero from that point. Reduced to practice ballast, Mitoryu was quickly bounced out of the ring, and Tsurugisho starts Hatsu with a win.

Azumaryu defeats Kotoeko – I don’t recall seeing Kotoeko look that unprepared and disrupted before. Even when he loses, he tends to bring a lot of power and energy to any match. Ring rust? Injury? No matter. Azumaryu is happy to book the win on opening day and start 1-0.

Kotoshoho defeats Ichiyamamoto – Ichiyamamoto started strong, but lost his nerve and attempted a pull at the end of his second volley. Kotoshoho knew just what to do, and attacked center mass. Three steps later, Ichiyamamoto was out of the ring, giving Kotoshoho an opening day win.

Kagayaki defeats Okinoumi – What a joy to see Kagayaki’s classic style of sumo. He was relentlessly focused on Okinoumi’s center-mass. Okinoumi worked to fight back, but could not find an opening for anything other than a half hearted pull attempt, and received an oshidashi for his trouble. Kagayaki starts 1-0.

Tochinoshin defeats Chiyoshoma – It looked to me like Chiyoshoma did not really have a solid match plan, and ended up chest to chest with Tochinoshin. This is not where you want to find yourself, and Chiyoshoma seemed to take a moment to think it through. His only advantage was that he had forced Tochinoshin into a left hand inside grip, and we know that simply will not do. After a nice, lengthy endurance check, Tochinoshin switched his grip to left hand outside, and put Chiyoshoma out.

Aoiyama defeats Hiradoumi – Some great technique from Hiradoumi at the start of this match. I like how he kept his attacks low, and forced Aoiyama to go chest to chest. But much like the prior match, you can quickly find that there are problems with holding on to nearly 200kg of veteran rikishi. Big Dan Aoiyama quickly tired of cuddling Hiradoumi, and threw him out of the ring.

Takanosho defeats Endo – Takanosho did an excellent job of working his hands inside Endo’s defenses early, and only lost the attack for a moment. Dare we hope that he’s finally up to bouncing back from his July kyujo, and resume his dominance near the top of the banzuke? He takes Endo down and out with a resounding oshitaoshi to start Hatsu with a bloody 1-0.

Onosho defeats Oho – The match started with an excellent exchange of pushing attacks, and the two were evenly fighting it out. But Oho decided to test the theory that Onosho is always too far forward, and found that instead Onosho was ready to press the attack into Oho’s pull. Three steps later and a shove to Oho’s chest put him into the front row, as Onosho starts Hatsu with a win.

Myogiryu defeats Ura – Ura picks up in January where he left off in November, looking vague and unable to handle much forward pressure. An early pull by Ura only amplified Myogiryu’s dominance, and it was four steps from the tachiai to the win, with Myogiryu starting 1-0.

Hokutofuji defeats Nishikigi – Nishikigi had a strong opening to this match, but Hokutofuji’s ottsuke kept Nishikigi from getting a workable grip on Hokutofuji’s body. Hokutofuji masterfully contained Nishikigi, shifted his balance and set up a slap down. It was so well done, I had to watch it twice.

Ryuden defeats Nishikifuji – Nishikifuji dominated this match, bundling up and moving Ryuden out of the ring with solid sumo. But at the moment of victory, he accidentally stepped out of the ring. The initial win was reversed in the mono-ii, and the kimarite was assigned as isamiashi. Ryuden 1-0.

Midorifuji defeats Sadanoumi – Midorifuji’s did not like his initial hand placement, and worked to switch it up. This seems to have distracted Sadanoumi enough that he did not figure out the uwate was set up, and he was going for a ride.

Abi defeats Kotonowaka – Abi connected with force early, putting Kotonowaka on defense. He was never able to recover, as Abi kept pouring on the pressure, moving Kotonowaka back, then out. Abi’s sumo, when he’s dialed in, is tough to overcome. He starts hatsu 1-0.

Tamawashi defeats Kiribayama – Kiribayama was attacking well, but Tamawashi employed his remarkable ring sense and agility to upend Kiribayama the moment he pushed Tamawashi out. Tamawashi got the gumbai, and a monoii ensued. Even though Tamawashi’s right foot was out long before Kiribayama hit the clay, a rematch is directed. The second match, Kiribayama gets a double inside grip, and once against moves Tamawashi to the bales. For the second time, Tamawashi pivots into Kiribayama’s final attack, and drops him to the clay.

Mitakeumi defeats Shodai – Shodai fans expecting the previously seen “mighty Shodai” appear to rescue his rank may have to wait longer for the trans-dimensional conduit to form. I did like his counterattack to Mitakeumi’s opening gambit, but he could not sustain the power, and Mitakeumi sharpened his focus center-mass and drove Shodai from the ring to start 1-0.

Daieisho defeats Takayasu – This came down to Takayasu being too high at the tachiai. Daieisho was able to attack from below, and Takayasu never got back into the match. This is my problem with Takayasu’s “wild man” tachiai. He is out of control at a crucial moment in the match, and a skilled opponent can use that moment to gain the advantage.

Hoshoryu defeats Tobizaru – Tobizaru attempted a face slap at the tachiai. This left his body wide open, and Hoshoryu hit him at full strength. Three steps later, Tobizaru is out in the zabuton cuddling a fan, and Hoshoryu has the win.

Wakatakakage defeats Meisei – Solid opening attack set from Meisei, he put Wakatakakage on defense for the first moments of the match. Great to see Wakatakakage get a challenge, overcome it, and attack with that kind of focused power. A big yorikiri takes him to a 1-0 start.

Takakeisho defeats Wakamotoharu – Takakeisho did a masterful job of dictating the form of this match, making sure that Wakamotoharu never got the chance to even try to reach for the Ozeki’s mawashi. Once that was settled, it was a question of how many times Takakeisho was going to hit Wakamotoharu before he tumbled out of the ring. The answer was “about three”.