With day 12 in the record books, there is no yusho contest remaining, save the one between undefeated leaders Hakuho and Terunofuji. There is no mathematical way that anyone can challenge them now, and its down to the working through their last 2 matches that lead to the final contest on day 15, the “Brawl to end it all”.

Highlight Matches

Chiyonokuni defeats Akua – Akua visits the top division from Juryo, and rapidly eats a pull down from Chiyonokuni. I would rather see Chiyonokuni win by beating his opponents into submission, but he is now 1 win from kachi-koshi, and who can argue with that? Chiyonokuni ends the day at 7-5, Akua at 6-6.

Tokushoryu defeats Chiyomaru – Chiyomaru gets a sturdy right hand inside grip against Tokushoryu, but can’t convert that to any kind of offense at all. Tokushoryu stands him up and what can only be described as “Dancing with the stars” leads Chiyomaru on a waltz to his make-koshi. Both end the day at 4-8.

Ura defeats Tochinoshin – The two clash a bit tentatively at the tachiai, and then Ura reverts to grab-and-tug sumo. His second attack finds something to latch with his iron grip, Tochinoshin’s left shoulder. With Ura now affixed his body, Tochinoshin put all of his focus on detatching the pink attacker, landing a strong shove with his free right hand. The shove topples Tochinoshin, and sends Ura in a twisting fall off the dohyo, but Tochinoshin was down first. Tochinoshin with 8 losses and make-koshi, while Ura is kachi-koshi for Nagoya. Welcome back to the top division, Ura. May you remain for a long string of tournaments.

Kagayaki defeats Daiamami – Daiamami opened strong, getting the better of the tachiai and landing a right hand inside grip. The hold shut down any hopes Kagayaki had of using his motion based thrusting attacks, and he was forced out of “his brand of sumo”. Eventually he was able to land his own grip, left hand outside, but it was not nearly enough to do much against the heavier Daiamami, but Kagayaki attacked anyhow. As Daiamami went to load a throw, Kagayaki collapsed his pivot and Daiamami hit the clay. Kagayaki improves to 5-7 and staves off make-koshi.

Kotonowaka defeats Kaisei – Kotonowaka lands a left hand outside grip at the tachiai, and at that point has control of the match. Kaisei works and works to get any kind of grip to even the advantage, but Kotonowaka blocks all attempts. Kotonowaka works his right hand inside, and the moment his right hand gets the smallest piece of Kaisei’s mawashi, he drops him with an uwatenage. Kotonowaka improves to 9-3.

Tamawashi defeats Ishiura – Ishiura looked to be in command of the match, he was inside at the tachiai, getting a double arm thrust against Tamawashi, and then rapidly landing a deep left hand grip. At the moment he seems in control, Ishiura takes a step back to pivot a throw, but loses that left hand grip. With perfect timing Tamawashi uses a single well placed shove to launch Ishiura over the bales. Tamawashi improves to 9-3.

Shimanoumi defeats Tsurugisho – Tsurugisho attempts a hit and shift at the tachiai. But its neither rapid nor energetic, and simply provides Shimanoumi a clear inside advantage. The remainder of the match is Shimanoumi attacking while Tsurugisho tries almost everything to set up a reasonable defense or pull to Shimanoumi off balance in an attempt to recover from his tachiai. Shimanoumi stays focused and moves Tsurugisho over the bales for the win. Both are 7-5 to end the day.

Takarafuji defeats Ichiyamamoto – Ichiyamamoto opened strong with a solid thrusting combo, and keeps up the pressure on Takarafuji who absorbs the attacks, slowly giving ground to Ichiyamamoto’s advance. It seems Ichiyamamoto decided that Takarafuji was vulnerable, and attempted a pull, which was just the signal Takarafuji needed to switch to offense, bringing Ichiyamamoto down for his 8th win. Takarafuji picks up a well deserved kachi-koshi, his first since January.

Chiyonoo defeats Aoiyama – Aoiyama opens strong, gets his hands inside and moves Chiyonoo back to the bales. Chiyonoo manages to rally, and I can only guess that Aoiyama decides to try to pull against Chiyonoo’s charge, and ends up out of the ring in a hurry. I can only guess that Aoiyama is nursing some injury, and it has caused his sumo to suffer this July. Chiyonoo improves to 6-6.

Terutsuyoshi defeats Chiyoshoma – Both men’s tachiai has an element of hit and shift to the right, but it fell short of the coveted double-henka that is the stuff of legends. Both are a bit surprised, with Terutsuyoshi re-focusing himself first and getting a right hand inside grip. Suddenly they both focus on leg picks and trips, trading them back and forth a few times before Terutsuyoshi gets a hold of Chiyoshoma’s left thigh and propels him out. Both are 7-5 to end the day. Kimarite is the seldom seen komatasukui, an “over thigh scooping body drop”.

Hidenoumi defeats Hoshoryu – Hidenoumi had the stronger tachiai with a right hand inside position as the two go chest to chest. At first Hoshoryu attempts to shift his hands, and loses precious territory to Hidenoumi, and attempts to pivot into a throw. But Hidenoumi steps inside Hoshoryu’s pivot, pinching him against the bales and throwing him down. Hidenoumi improves to 6-6.

Myogiryu defeats Chiyotairyu – This was an odd match for both of these guys, a hybrid thrusting, leaning contest that featured a few moments of probing attacks at the start, followed by a long stalemate. Chiyotairyu lost patience with the situation first, and attacked into a Myogiryu hatakikomi. It was a gamble which paid off for Myogiryu, netting him just his 3rd win for July, sending him to 3-9.

Takanosho defeats Tobizaru – Tobizaru catches a Takanosho stiff-arm at the tachiai in the throat, and never has a moment to do anything other than try to escape. Not really effective sumo from Tobizaru, but that is why he is 3-9 at the end of day 12. Takanosho improves to 6-6.

Hokutofuji defeats Ichinojo – Hokutofuji handshake tachiai gives him a momentary nodowa that he trades for a right hand inside grip. This grip seems to shut down most of any offensive options Ichinojo may have had, and was the fulcrum Hokutofuji used to move the Boulder around and eventually out. That’s win number 7 for Hokutofuji, who picks up a welcome kachi-koshi.

Daieisho defeats Kotoeko – Daieisho had the advantage for most of the match, and finally seems to have some poewr to his thrusting attacks. Sadly it comes when he is already deeply make-koshi at 3-9. He gets a good hit on Kotoeko as he was charging forward to drop him in a heap to improve to 3-9. Kotoeko now 2-10.

Onosho defeats Wakatakakage – Wakatakakage got good position in the tachiai, but Onosho was able to counter well with a right hand high, left hand low thrusting attack. In response Wakatakakage attempted a pull, but it cost him his balance. Two steps later, Onosho had him on the clay to pick up his 5th win and keep just above the make-koshi line.

Kiribayama defeats Takayasu – I was happy to see Takayasu lock Kiribayama up, and then engage his stamina to wear his opponent down. Kiribayama tried to rally a several times, just to find himself being cuddled to death by a hairy giant. As this wears on, is Takayasu getting tired? Inconceivable! Kiribayama rallies again and gets a right hand outside grip and throws everything he can into a final attack. It does seem that Takayasu is out of gas, and is sent out for a loss by an impressively persistent Kiribayama. A hard earned win number 8 for Kiribayama, and kachi-koshi for July.

Shodai defeats Okinoumi – Shodai employs textbook sumo to grapple and dispatch Okinoumi with minimal risk. Shodai improves to 7-5, and is blessedly unlikely to be kadoban in September.

Terunofuji defeats Meisei – Meisei does an excellent job of keeping Terunofuji from setting up any kind of grip, but has to endure Terunofuji repeatedly slapping him in the head instead. But it’s only delaying what we all know is coming, the Kaiju arm-bars Meisei, and tosses him from the ring. A perfect 12-0 for Terunofuji.

Hakuho defeats Mitakeumi – I loved watching Hakuho’s mechanics in this match. Every time Mitakeumi advances, Hakuho deflects his forward motion to teh side, rotating him and moving him closer to the tawara. It seems Mitakeumi had no real solution to this move, and in his two forward surges, he lost a lot of ground, simplifying Hakuho’s task of lifting and shifting him over the bales. Hakuho is also undefeated at 12-0.

The yusho is down to a two-horse race, Hakuho and Terunofuji. Both face 6-5 opponents tonight, so that sets up all we need for massive upsets to create more drama heading into the final weekend.

The Bouts:

Chiyonokuni (6-5) vs Akua (Juryo, 6-5): Chiyonokuni will face Juryo visitor, Akua. Both wrestlers are well positioned to get their kachi-koshi. If Akua gets does well, he’ll be on the short list for a return to makuuchi. Chiyonokuni’s natural level is likely mid-maegashira, barring aggravation of his knee injury. Akua will likely pose little trouble to Chiyonokuni, who has won both previous meetings.

Chiyomaru (4-7) vs Tokushoryu (3-8): Chiyomaru and Tokushoryu are both having rather poor showings this basho. Chiyomaru is up against the wall, and with a loss will go make-koshi. Tokushoryu has been overpowered this tournament and is already make-koshi. Though Chiyomaru leads 9-4 in their head-to-head, Tokushoryu’s won three of the last four. Don’t expect a belt battle, but if I were Tokushoryu, that may be a good way to disrupt Chiyomaru. However, I do think a quick brawl is in the cards here.

Tochinoshin (4-7) vs Ura (7-4): Can Tochinoshin catch Ura and lock him up? If he fails, he’s make-koshi and staring into the abyss. The question is, how far will he drop from here? Ura, on the other hand, can pick up his kachi-koshi. He’s already done enough to secure another tournament in the top division.

Daiamami (3-8) vs Kagayaki (4-7): Daiamami and Kagayaki have not had a fun time this basho. Kagayaki, well, as our friends at GSB noted, likely didn’t appreciate having his head called into service as Kaisei’s zabuton. A loss tonight will add to his misery.

Thought I was having a tough day til I watched sumo and saw how Kagayaki's was going pic.twitter.com/jbpChn8BRM

— Jake Danger (@GSBJake) July 14, 2021

Kaisei (5-6) vs Kotonowaka (8-3): Kaisei will be fighting hard to get that kachi-koshi while Kotonowaka is already safe. Kaisei leads a tight rivalry 3-2 and I see him putting in the extra effort to get it done tonight.

Tamawashi (8-3) vs Ishiura (7-4): Tamawashi, like Ikioi, is always in the fray. Always in it to win it. He will batter Ishiura, though the latter has been known to throw in a henka now and then. The flying henka has already caught out Tamawashi this tournament. Will Ishiura pull it off to get his kachi-koshi?

Tsurugisho (7-4) vs Shimanoumi (6-5): Shimanoumi surprised me last night, dropping Kotonowaka and leads a tight rivalry with Tsurugisho. I think Shimanoumi will get his head too far out in front of his feet and leave himself open for a slapdown.

Takarafuji (7-4) vs Ichiyamamoto (7-4): It has been a while since Takarafuji faced Abi and he has not ever met Ichiyamamoto. Takarafuji had been doing well against Abi before the big demotion so he’s prepared for the attack of the clone.

Chiyonoo (5-6) vs Aoiyama (4-7): Chiyonoo and Aoiyama have split their two previous meetings but Aoiyama is not having a good time this tournament. I want to see more belt action from Big Dan. Why not mix things up tonight?

Terutsuyoshi (6-5) vs Chiyoshoma (7-4): Double henka.

Hidenoumi (5-6) vs Hoshoryu (8-3): Hidenoumi got beat up yesterday. Hoshoryu won’t be quite as brutal but he’s definitely more skilled, ambitious, and looking for a special prize. I think he’ll handle Hidenoumi quickly.

Myogiryu (2-9) vs Chiyotairyu (2-9): Myogiryu and Chiyotairyu have been having a dreadful basho. Chiyotairyu’s has been worse, though, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up kyujo in the closing days. If he shows up, Myogiryu will pick up win #3.

Takanosho (5-6) vs Tobizaru (3-8): The novelty of Tobizaru is wearing off. His style, if it can be called a style, needs refinement. Takanosho will want to get back into sanyaku and will need to fight hard to get back.

Hokutofuji (6-5) vs Ichinojo (8-3): Ichinojo has his kachi-koshi. Time for cruise control. Go Hokutofuji!!!

Kotoeko (2-9) vs Daieisho (2-9): Daieisho. Kotoeko is out of his depth.

Wakatakakage (3-8) vs Onosho (4-7): Onosho is performing as if he were the one in sanyaku. He’s taken a beating and it won’t end today. Wakatakakage needs to pick up as many easy wins this week as possible.

Takayasu (7-2-2) vs Kiribayama (7-4): Takayasu is on a tear. He’s looking better than at any point during the year. Kiribayama has shown cracks here and there. Both looking to go kachi-koshi but Takayasu needs to be spoiler in this yusho race.

Shodai (6-5) vs Okinoumi (5-6): Perhaps this is the time to go to the fridge and refill whatever you’re drinking. For me, it will be coffee.

Terunofuji (11-0) vs Meisei (6-5): Terunofuji has a one of those “once-in-a-lifetime” goals dangling there, just out of reach. Poor Meisei stands between him and another double-dose of celebratory sea bream.

Hakuho (11-0) vs Mitakeumi (6-5): Despite Kitanofuji’s stated disappointment in this tournament, Hakuho has proven he’s got the skills to continue to win. Mitakeumi, though, is in prime position for an upset. He’s got no real ambitions at this point, he’s got room to give and is under no pressure to get kachi-koshi. With his size and skills, he could be the sleeper who beats Hakuho.

Hakuho and Terunofuji opened Day 11 with a share of the lead. Schedulers pitted Mitakeumi against Terunofuji and Wakatakakage against Hakuho. Would either be able to trip up the leaders? They have quite the cushion between themselves and the field, with Kotonowaka two wins back.

Takayasu’s return to form also brings him and his potential Ozeki run back into frame, potentially as a spoiler in this yusho race. This is a massive IF, but if he wins out, he will finish on 11 wins and put himself in a better position for promotion in September than he ever was in going into this tournament. However, to achieve that, he will likely have to go through both Hakuho and Terunofuji. Losses to both men will effectively end this “run” completely, and force him to start over. He has been competing very well but he needs to start picking up 11- and 12-win tournaments. In this form, and with all these other competitors falling away, he may be able to start a real run in September. So, again, this is probably not the time but if he doesn’t want to start all over, he’s going to need to run the table.

Matches

Daiamami (3-8) defeated Shohozan: It was nice to see Shohozan back, briefly, in prime time. He attacked quickly off the tachiai but Daiamami cornered him well. Daiamami secured a solid belt grip and lifted Shohozan to the edge. Shohozan resisted at the tawara and briefly powered himself back to the center of the ring. He locked up one of Daiamami’s arms, looking for a kotenage, but Daiamami used his size well and brought Shohozan back under control. Cornered, again, at the tawara, Shohozan was forced out. Yorikiri.

Tochinoshin (4-7) defeated Tokushoryu (3-8): Tokushoryu was able to make one, solid offensive charge but Tochinoshin countered at the edge driving forward with a left hand inside grip. In a last, desperate attempt to stave off make-koshi, Tochinoshin summoned all of his upper-body power to twist and throw Tokushoryu down. Shitatenage.

Tsurugisho (7-4) defeated Kaisei (5-6): Tsurugisho pounded Kaisei at the tachiai and used his lower body position to attack from below and keep Kaisei too high. With a solid morozashi, he worked Kaisei back to the tawara and then over the edge. Yorikiri

Ishiura vs Terutsuyoshi (6-5) defeated Ishiura (7-4): Ishiura launched in low, and tried to keep Terutsuyoshi at arms length. Terutsuyoshi quickly gained the advantage and twisted Ishiura down from the shoulders. Ruled a Kotenage.

Tamawashi (8-3) defeated Ichiyamamoto (7-4): Tamawashi neutralized Ichiyamamoto’s slapping attack early, pushing powerfully at Ichiyamamoto’s left under arm and face. Tamawashi powered forward to his kachi-koshi. Oshidashi.

Shimanoumi (6-5) defeated Kotonowaka (8-3):  Shimanoumi broke the stalemate with forward-moving sumo. Kotonowaka seemed to want to play a pulling game today. He was able to reach in deeper and secure a belt grip while Shimanoumi couldn’t quite reach. But Shimanoumi drove forward, forcing Kotonowaka over the edge. Kotonowaka is now one more loss off pace. Oshidashi.

Chiyonokuni (6-5) defeated Hidenoumi (5-6): Matta because Hidenoumi was slow-rolling his tachiai. And boy did Chiyonokuni punish him for it, winning a one-sided bar fight. Tsukidashi.

Chiyoshoma (7-4) defeated Kagayaki (4-7): Kagayaki charged forward, forcing Chiyoshoma back to the edge. Chiyoshoma won with a brilliant, last second twisting throw at the edge. Sukuinage.

Chiyonoo (5-6) defeated Myogiryu (2-9): Chiyonoo played a dangerous game today. At the edge, he picked up Myogiryu, and fell backward, twisting Myogiryu to the left. The gunbai went to Myogiryu but a mono-ii reversed the decision. Chiyonoo’s gambit paid off.  Utchari.

Ura (7-4) defeated Kiribayama (7-4): Ura made Kiribayama jump at the tachiai, an awkward matta. Kiribayama locked up Ura’s left arm but Ura drove forward, then pulled back, freeing it so he could force Kiribayama’s head down as he twisted him down over the edge. Sukuinage.

Onosho (4-7) defeated Chiyomaru (4-7): Onosho dominated. He quickly overpowered Chiyomaru, forcing him back and over the edge. Oshidashi

Takarafuji (7-4) defeated Okinoumi (5-6): Takarafuji won a straight-forward left-hand inside yotsu battle. Okinoumi tried valiantly to keep that hand from getting in there. But the Takarabune locked on and sailed forward, forcing Okinoumi over the edge. Yorikiri

Hokutofuji (6-5) defeated Aoiyama (4-7): Hokutofuji kept Aoiyama in front and kept the pressure going. Aoiyama tried a hatakikomi but Hokutofuji kept his balance and pushed Aoiyama out. Oshidashi.

Ichinojo (8-3) defeated Takanosho (5-6): A motivated Ichinojo sprang out of his tachiai, guns blazing. He chased Takanosho around the ring, and wrangled his kachi-koshi. If he keeps this up, a special prize will be waiting. Oshidashi.

***Slow orders in effect.***

Wow, they really started killing for time here. I’ve wondered whether that messes with the rhythm of the wrestlers. Everything’s so business-like, and then…a work slow-down.

Daieisho (2-9) defeated Chiyotairyu (2-9): Chiyotairyu drove forward at the initial charge but Daieisho’s gentle shove forced him to the side. Daieisho pursued and finished him with another gentle shove. Oshidashi.

Meisei (6-5) defeated Kotoeko (2-9): Meisei charged forward, keeping Kotoeko from getting any kind of grip or having any time to figure out how to counter. When you do forward-moving sumo, good things happen. Yorikiri.

Takayasu (7-2-2) defeated Tobizaru (3-8): Tobizaru withstood a barrage of thrusts and slaps from Takayasu. But when Takayasu tired and the action settled down, he didn’t seem to have enough gas left in his own tank to launch an attack of his own. Instead, Takayasu backed up and slapped him down. Tobizaru now make-koshi. Hatakikomi.

Terunofuji (11-0) defeated Mitakeumi (6-5): Welp, I sure got this yusho call wrong, didn’t I? Mitakeumi capitulated as the Kaiju came looking for him. Yorikiri.

Hoshoryu (8-3) defeated Shodai (6-5): When Shodai pulled to the edge with a one handed belt grip, he tried and tried to tip Hoshoryu over. He had no plan B. Meanwhile, Hoshoryu’s feet were busy with Plans B, C, and D. He was maintaining balance while launching tripping attacks. He eventually got Shodai’s tightrope sidle out of alignment, forcing him down. Yoritaoshi

豊昇龍関✨勝ち越しインタビュー🎤
めっちゃ嬉しそう😊おめでとうございます🎉 pic.twitter.com/DrJMjWiwgv

— さくらの木。 (@crane018511) July 14, 2021

Hakuho (11-0) defeated Wakatakakage (3-8): Masterful body positioning and footwork from Hakuho. He cornered Wakatakakage even though Wakatakakage was still feet from the tawara, sprung forward, and forced Wakatakakage onto his butt. Yoritaoshi.

大相撲七月場所 十一日目 幕内
白鵬　十一連勝 pic.twitter.com/hzWR0tPRj6

— ZEAL (@MasakiKudo59) July 14, 2021

Wrap-up

No one is posing any challenge to Hakuho and Terunofuji. Terunofuji completely outclassed Mitakeumi. If Mitakeumi’s hiding an injury, well, it’s hard to say it’s something greater than what Terunofuji powers through every time he puts on his mawashi. He should have presented more of a roadbump on Terunofuji’s path to the yusho. I’ve got my popcorn ready for the next few days. Will it be an epic redemption of “The Greatest,” or will Terunofuji’s own comeback story reach greater heights?

With the start of day 11, we have the opening of the third and final act of this Nagoya basho. In act 3 we are going to sort everyone into make-koshi and kachi-koshi, and we are going to crown a yusho winner. As a bonus, we may also get to mint the first Yokozuna in about 4 years if everything plays out well. Unless something very strange indeed takes place, we are going to see the challenge for the yusho come down to Terunofuji and Hakuho in the final days of this basho. Both are fighting at Yokozuna level right now, and its possible that the yusho winner might finish with a perfect 15-0. Neither one shows any sign of letting up until they clash in the last match of the tournament.

On the other side of ledger, we already have 5 competing rikishi make-koshi, with a few more possible today. I might have thought this portends a pretty decent Makuuchi to Juryo rotation, but apart from Yutakayama, no one in the top latitudes of Juryo is really making a strong promotion case yet. With any luck, our resident ace prognosticator may look into the t a bit later this week.

Nagoya Leaderboard

Only Kotonowaka remains within the most unlikely cases to compete against the leaders now.

Leaders: Hakuho, Terunofuji
Hunter: Kotonowaka

5 matches remain

What We Are Watching Day 11

Daiamami vs Shohozan – A match of great sadness to start day 11, we have Shohozan (3-7) who is working hard to avoid a make-koshi up against an already make-koshi Daiamami (2-8). Neither one of them have fought well this July, and both of them are probably hoping to pick up a few more wins before Sunday. They split their 2 prior matches, so it’s anyone’s guess which one is going to be more terrible today.

Tochinoshin vs Tokushoryu – It seems day 11 is going to be an ugly day indeed. This match between two grizzled veterans, each who have a yusho, is to see which one goes make-koshi first. They have matching 3-7 records, so the loser faces demotion, and in the case of Tokushoryu likely return to Juryo. If Tokushoryu is paying attention, he will attack to his left and focus everything into making Tochinoshin protect that right knee.

Kaisei vs Tsurugisho – A pair of bigs going into today’s 3rd match, with a chance for Tsurugisho (6-4) to escape the funnel if he can win against Kaisei (5-5). With both of them close to 200kg, that almost half a ton of sumotori on the clay at one time.

Ishiura vs Terutsuyoshi – Again, the schedulers are having some fun, a pair of mega the a pair of mini. A win today by Ishiura (7-3) would give him his 8th win and kachi-koshi for July. Terutsuyoshi (5-5) had a cold start with a string of straight losses, but has won the last 4 out of 5, and seems to be back in control of his sumo.

Tamawashi vs Ichiyamamoto – A first time match between two solid rikishi. Both come in 7-3, and both are fighting well in Nagoya. Experience favors Tamawashi, agility favors Ichiyamamoto. Looking forward to this one!

Kotonowaka vs Shimanoumi – The lone man on the leaderboard behind to unbeaten pair, Kotonowaka (8-2) has a chance to press to double digits. He has 4-1 career advantage over Shimanoumi (5-5), and given that Shimanoumi is not fighting well, I like his chances to pick up his 9th win.

Hidenoumi vs Chiyonokuni – Both men are at 5-5, and are squarely in the middle of the funnel on day 11. No matter who wins this one, both of them have a tough road now to 8 wins, requiring them to win 3 of the last 5. Chiyonokuni seems to have lost some of his fighting spirit in the last few days, and I hope he can bounce back against Hidenoumi today.

Kagayaki vs Chiyoshoma – A win today, and Chiyoshoma (6-4) is out of the funnel. He has a 7-10 career deficit against Kagayaki (4-6). But given how well Chiyoshoma’s sumo is working right now, I would say he likely has a slight edge if he can stay mobile.

Myogiryu vs Chiyonoo – Another match between two rikishi with dismal and trending worse records. This is Myogiryu’s (2-8) third consecutive make-koshi, and signals a real problem for him. He has had some incredible banzuke luck the last two ranking sessions, and I have to wonder how far he might drop. He has a 3-1 career advantage over Chiyonoo (4-6), who needs to win 4 of the last 5 to reach his 8.

Ura vs Kiribayama – Another first time match, with Kiribayama (7-3) needing just one more win to reach kachi-koshi. He’s up against Ura (6-4), who’s grab and tug sumo has been paying off either in direct action, or by so disrupting his opponents that more than a couple of them have more or less refused to engage Ura in a fight. How Kiribayama is going to handle this is a subject of great interest today.

Onosho vs Chiyomaru – I think today may be the day that Onosho (3-7) picks up his 8th loss. Not that Chiyomaru (4-6) is overwhelmingly formidable on Wednesdays, but Onosho has continued to struggle with his balance. I vaguely recall he suffered some injury in early 2021, and has struggled to fight since. Should he lose today, it would be his 3rd consecutive make-koshi.

Okinoumi vs Takarafuji – A 24 career match history between them, with a narrow 14-10 margin favoring Takarafuji (6-4). Both of them need a to find a couple more wins, with Okinoumi (5-5) needs to win 3 of his last 5 to reach the safety of 8.

Hokutofuji vs Aoiyama – Aoiyama (4-6) is maybe suffering from another back injury that saw him sidelined for part of May. It’s one way I can try to explain why he is fighting poorly from the middle of the banzuke. Both he and Hokutofuji (5-5) are currently in the funnel, and have a very difficult path to escape. The 11-2 career advantage heavily favors Hokutofuji.

Takanosho vs Ichinojo – Takanosho (5-5) is part of that massive group of 10 rikishi in the middle of Darwin’s funnel, and he’s going to have to massive gamberize if he wants to beat a fairly genki Ichinojo (7-3), who has won the last 4 in a row, and seems to be using his enormous body to good effect this tournament.

Chiyotairyu vs Daieisho – A battle of two make-koshi wrestlers who really are performing well below their capabilities. So let’s chalk them both up to injuries. I guess this battle is to see if Chiyotairyu (2-8) or Daieisho (1-9) have worse scores. Chiyotairyu leads 9-3 across a 6 year history between their matches.

Kotoeko vs Meisei – Kotoeko is doomed to make-koshi at 2-8 at the start of day 11, and Meisei (5-5) finds himself in that group lodged in the middle of Darwin’s funnel. Kotoeko comes in to today with a 9-5 career advantage, but is his fighting spirit so demoralized by losing so many matches that it may not matter?

Takayasu vs Tobizaru – A Tobizaru (3-7) loss today sends him to a well deserved make-koshi, and would move Takayasu (6-4) a white star closer to 8 wins. While it is still possible for Takayasu to end the tournament with 10 wins, and keep hopes of an eventual Ozeki run alive, he would need to win 4 of his last 5. Tough, but not impossible.

Terunofuji vs Mitakeumi – Normally, this would be a fairly interesting match. But given that Mitakeumi (6-4) has lost 2 of his last 3, it’s clear he is fading into week 2, and Terunofuji (10-0) is about at maximum kaiju. So I am thinking Mitakeumi may be able to get some good moves in, but it’s likely win 11 for Terunofuji. Terunofuji holds a 9-3 career record on the dohyo.

Shodai vs Hoshoryu – Oh, now this IS a high interest match. Shodai just might have a handle on his sumo now, he has won the last 3 in a row, and seems to at least be able to hopefully make his 8. Hoshoryu is fighting a bit above his rank, and a white star today would make kachi-koshi for him. As a bonus, Hoshoryu won their only prior match, which was in May.

Hakuho vs Wakatakakage – A first ever match between the dai-Yokozuna, and a fellow who may one day take the rope himself. This is valuable experience for Wakatakakage (3-7), who has been learning a lot in his first posting to the named ranks. The expected loss today to Hakuho (10-0) would mark him make-koshi with at least 8 losses for July, but this is not unusual for a rising star’s first time at the top.