Over the course of day 14, a magical feast of sumo was set for us to enjoy on senshuraku, the final day. Four Darwin matches, rank battles and the “Brawl to end it all” to finish it all off for the Emperor’s Cup. For the first basho in a year to feature Hakuho on day 15, the Sumo kyokai milked it for every drop, and I could not be happier with how it has unfolded.

Four more rikishi hit kachi-koshi today, and the safety of 8 wins, and a total of eight who enter day 15 with 7-7 records.

No matter what happens tomorrow, the yusho will go to a perfect 15-0 score, which has not happened since March of 2019, when Hakuho took the cup in Osaka. From the two leaders, this has been nothing short of maximum sumo for the full 14 days, and sumo fans around the world are happy to see such dominant execution from not just one, but two rikishi during this Nagoya basho. It’s been a hell of a ride so far, with day 15 yet to come.

Highlight Matches

Daiamami defeats Wakamotoharu – Nice ottsuke from Daiamami today shut down any attempt by Wakamotoharu to get that left hand inside to set up an attack. Daiamami shuts it down, and then marches him out. Simple, clean, effective. Daiamami improves to 4-10.

Tochinoshin defeats Ichiyamamoto – Tochinoshin found a way to stay in the ring as Ichiyamamoto attacked well early. But then his left hand found its mark. That right knee is still little more than gristle and old UCC coffee cans taped together, but out came the sky-crane. Ichiyamamoto had never faced Tochinoshin before, so he had no idea what this guy was capable of. 140kg of rikishi left the clay as Tochinoshin bodily carried him out to advance to 6-8. Ichiyamamoto ends the day at 7-7, and will face his first top division Darwin match to decide if he gets to stay in Makuuchi.

Tokushoryu defeats Kaisei – Tokushoryu hit and shift left at the tachiai by Tokushoryu had almost zero effect, and Kaisei responded by landing a deep left hand grip. Kaisei appeared to have advantage as the two pressed forward against each other. Tokushoryu lifted with his right, got Kaisei off balance and threw him down with a sukuinage for the win. Tokushoryu improves to 6-8, Kaisei picks up his 8th loss, and he is make-koshi.

Tsurugisho defeats Terutsuyoshi – Terutsuyoshi hits fast at the tachiai, and latches on with his left hand, his head buried in Tsurugisho’s chest. This only slows Tsurugisho down for a moment, who is strong enough to lift Terutsuyoshi and carry him over the bales. Tsurugisho improves to 8-6 and is kachi-koshi for July.

Shimanoumi defeats Chiyonokuni – I once again marvel at just how frantic Chiyonokuni’s thrusting attacks can be. Shimanoumi tries to respond, but Chiyonokuni is delivering 3 hits for every 1 he receives. Shimanoumi decides thats not going to work and takes Chiyonokuni to his chest. Shimanoumi’s left hand drives the rest of the match, setting up the uwatenage that drops Chiyonokuni to the clay. Shimanoumi improves to 8-6 and is kachi-koshi. Chiyonokuni is 7-7 and it’s Darwin for him.

Kotonowaka defeats Takarafuji – Kotonowaka is really on his sumo this July, and we have not seen anything like this level of performance from him since January during his second tournament in the top division. Takarafuji got his preferred grip at the tachiai, and even the esteemed Murray Johnson said of Kotonowaka, “Now, he’s in trouble”, and for a moment it looked like he was. But Kotonowaka was able to blunt each of Takarafuji’s probing attacks, as the veteran inched Kotonowaka closer to the bales. But Kotonowaka was well aware of the edge of the ring. He lifted and pivoted and placed Takarafuji out to rack his 11th win. Wow, the sky’s the limit for you sir.

Chiyoshoma defeats Ishiura – Chiyoshoma had his hands up early at the tachiai, in an attempt to keep Ishiura at a good distance while the Chiyoshoma set up his match plan. Chiyoshoma gets the right hand deep, near the mawashi knot, and finds a shallow right hand grip. He did not wait a moment for Ishiura to defend, as Chiyoshoma has the uwatenage cocked, and he lets it fly with glorious effect. That’s Chiyoshoma’s 8th win and he picks up a well deserved kachi-koshi.

Onosho defeats Chiyonoo – Chiyonoo let Onosho get both hands inside and square his shoulders. At that point, Onosho could push forward with all of his considerable strength without fear of slap down, and he drove Chiyonoo quickly out. Chiyonoo drops to 7-7 and will enjoy a day 15 Darwin match, while Onosho improves to 6-8.

Kagayaki defeats Okinoumi – Okinoumi picks up his 6th consecutive loss, as he yielded the inside route to Kagayaki. Perhaps he was looking to get a hand hold on Kagayaki’s mawashi and work for a belt attack? None of it was working for him, he tried a pull, which failed as well. All this time Kagayaki keeps up the pressure against center mass, and Okinoumi finds himself pushed out to drop to 5-9. Kagayaki improves to 7-7, and joins the Darwin group.

Chiyomaru defeats Kotoeko – I don’t know whats broken inside of Kotoeko, but I do hope that he can get it fixed. As with all other matches of this basho, Kotoeko attacked with vigor, but Chiyomaru endured and gave as well as he received, up to the point where Kotoeko was off balance, and then Chiyomaru delivered the hatakikomi. Chiyomaru improves to 6-8.

Tamawashi defeats Hokutofuji – Woah! Hokutofuji charges in at full power, Tamawashi puts a left on Hokutofuji’s shoulder, and a right hand on his neck and just tosses 162kg of Hokutofuji bodily to the clay. Tamawashi improves to 11-3. One of the biggest oshitaoshi I have seen in a while.

Myogiryu defeats Tobizaru – Tobizaru really put some effort into today’s match, but he left sense center of balance back in the heya again today, and found himself stumbling at the moment he should have put the doom on Myogiryu. Myogiryu obliges with a hatakikomi to send Tobizaru to a blistering 11th loss for Nagoya. Myogiryu improves to 4-10.

Takanosho defeats Hidenoumi – The schedulers made sure there were no winners to this match, only someone who lost somewhat more than the other. Takanosho opened strong, landed a nodowa, and drove Hidenoumi out for his 8th loss and make-koshi. Takanosho picks up his 7th win and joins the Darwin clan for day 15 special treatment.

Ichinojo defeats Kiribayama – The Ichinojo matta is almost obligatory now. I think he’s had one almost every day this week. When the fight gets underway, it’s all a contest for hand placement. Ichinojo manages to get a right hand inside, but Kiribayama establishes an arm bar, and it’s stalemate. Another volley of grip change and struggle for placement, now Ichinojo has right hand outside. But still no one has enough leverage to attack, stalemate again. Ichinojo executes a grip shift to go right hand inside, consolidates his stance, lowers his hips and delivers the yorikiri. Ichinojo improves to 9-5.

Aoiyama defeats Daieisho – Aoiyama reaches in for an immediate pull down in the tachiai, catching Daieisho before he can take his first step, and drops him to the clay. Ugly win, but it worked. Aoiyama improves to 6-8.

Chiyotairyu defeats Wakatakakage – Chiyotairyu, where has that been for the last 2 weeks? That’s traditional cannonball tachiai from him, straight into a thrusting combo delivered center mass. Wakatakakage can’t withstand that much force, and finds himself thrusted out of the ring. Both end the day with dismal 4-10 records.

Ura defeats Meisei – We mused about Ura appearing so late in the day when he is ranked at only Maegashira 13, but the schedulers knew what they were doing with this one. Meisei comes in hard and fast, and nearly overpowers Ura in the opening salvo. Ura is forced back and has to absorb a volley to his chin to stay in the match. But Meisei can’t finish him. Ura goes low, gets a left hand outside grip, and goes to work. The key to what happened here seems to be a right hand grab and tug against Meisei’s left, which caused Meisei to pull that left arm back, opening up a route for Ura’s right hand to find Meisei’s mawashi. Meisei was too high following his opening attack, Ura drops his hips, and rushes him out for the win. Ura improves to 9-5, and Meisei joins the Darwin crowd.

Mitakeumi defeats Hoshoryu – Points to Hoshoryu for a well executed match. He comes in hard with a straight ahead opening gambit, but there is just too much Mitakeumi for him to really move. Mitakeumi absorbs this first salvo, closes the distance and grapples. With Hoshoryu pinned against his body, he marches forward to score his 8th win, and secure kachi-koshi in Nagoya.

Terunofuji defeats Takayasu – Takayasu opened well, getting his hands inside and piling up the pressure against the Ozeki’s chest and neck. But as we have seen several times in the past week, Terunofuji has remarkable hip flexibility and power. He shifts his upper body to the right and shuts down Takayasu’s attacks. The two stalemate for a minute, neither able to get any hand placement or deliver power into their opponent’s body. Again Terunofuji’s hips come into play as he applies a lot of lateral force into Takayasu, which turns him just a bit to the side. With Takayasu turned and off balance, Terunofuji attacks and runs Takayasu out. 14-0 for Terunofuji, just amazing sumo this month. If they don’t give this man a rope, they will wish they had.

Hakuho defeats Shodai – A number of commenters on Twitter wondered what Hakuho was up to with this match. He lined up at the tawara, and had to take two steps to first contact. I thought it was brilliant, as it shut down all manner of Shodai cartoon sumo. In fact, you could imagine that Hakuho wanted to use cartoon sumo himself against Shodai. As his frequently the case with Hakuho, he delights in using his opponent’s favorite techiques against them to win. It clearly confounded Shodai, and whatever he had in mind for a fight plan was out the window. Hakuho keeps out of Shodai’s battle-embrace, and keeps slapping him in the face. When Hakuho does dive in, he outright tackles Shodai for the win. 14-0 for the Boss. Frankly I loved this match. I am quite certain Shodai had no idea what to do with Hakuho’s sumo today. Bloody brilliant.

Oh, final weekend, here you are! What a joy and delight this July tournament has been. We have two top men in sumo going into day 14 undefeated, and the winning score will be at least 14 or 15 wins, a worthy tournament indeed. Both Hakuho and Terunofuji have fought very well, and I am delighted that they have a big show down at the end of day 15.

While we have two who are flying towards sumo’s stratospheric heights, there is a broad set of 14 rikishi caught in what I have named “Darwin’s funnel”. The schedulers clearly are trying to shape the field to have as many rikishi as possible start day 15 with 7-7 records, setting up a series of “Darwin matches”, where one man takes home a winning record, and the other a losing record. Survival of the fittest in a pure and brutal form. Its tough to guess how many of these rikishi will end today at 7-7, but the list of candidates includes kanban names like Takayasu, Shodai, Mitakeumi, Chiyoshoma, Chiyonokuni, Takanosho and Kagayaki. What a roster!

The final question left unanswered, will Terunofuji get promoted to Yokozuna. It seems that the Shimpan, who have the final say, are already thinking this one over, including his oyakata who is the lead. Herouth brings us the details

Isegahama: "This is only a personal opinion, but today Terunofuji ensured at least a jun-yusho. While it's better if he wins the yusho proper, as far as results go I think he has enough for promotion". https://t.co/gQA1AagEpS

— ヘルット (@SumoFollower) July 16, 2021

No matter what happens in his match against Takayasu today, the last match on Sunday will decide the yusho, it only means that Terunofuji would need to beat Hakuho twice to take the cup. This means that no matter what, Terunofuji has achieved the jun-yusho for Nagoya 2021. This will be his 6th yusho or jun-yusho since his return to the top division, out of 7 basho. Honestly, a 13-0 record with that count in the past year screams “Yokozuna”, but I suspect that Terunofuji is not quite done with Nagoya yet. But he may, in fact, have convinced the judges that he is ready.

What We Are Watching Day 14

Daiamami vs Wakamotoharu – I have to wonder if Wakamotoharu (7-6) might end up in the top division for November. One of the big factors that has kept turnover from Makuuchi back down to Juryo low is the tendency to have a lack of demoteable or promotable records at the end of the basho. We may be heading to that again in July. Wakamotoharu has a 4-0 career advantage over Daiamami, who at 3-10 is unlikely to reverse that trend today.

Tochinoshin vs Ichiyamamoto – A first ever match, and I am sure Ichiyamamoto (7-6) knows enough to attack from his left against Tochinoshin’s (5-8) right. We saw that the former Ozeki can still muster a fractional sky-crane if he can get his hands set and his feet planted. So Ichiyamamoto will be wise to keep moving and not let Tochinoshin get that left hand outside grip.

Kaisei vs Tokushoryu – Kaisei (6-7) is in the heart of the funnel right now, and can only exit it by accepting make-koshi, or winning out. He has make-koshi Tokushoryu (5-8) today, whom he dominates with at 10-5 career record. They both will want to go chest to chest, so this will be a straight up mega-fauna yotsu battle. Yosh!

Tsurugisho vs Terutsuyoshi – Terutsuyoshi (8-5) has a solid chance to send Tsurugisho (7-6) to Darwin land today. Sure Tsurugisho has a 8-6 career advantage, but Terutsuyoshi has a 6 match winning streak, and is already kachi-koshi. He finally found his sumo in week 2, and he has been belting out the wins.

Chiyonokuni vs Shimanoumi – The winner of this match will be kachi-koshi, the loser will be eligible for a Darwin match tomorrow. I love it, this is brutal stuff and only one of them is going to make it to 8 today. They have a 1-1 career history, but to my eye, Chiyonokuni is fighting better this tournament. Both are 7-6.

Takarafuji vs Kotonowaka – Both Takarafuji (8-5) and Kotonowaka (10-3) will leave Nagoya with winning records, but it seems Kotonowaka is looking to run up the score. The Great Sumo Cat approves of this kind of behavior, and I would love to see if Takarafuji can employ the “frustration defense” against Kotonowaka today.

Ishiura vs Chiyoshoma – Oh lord, what a great match. Might we see the blazing double henka today? I think perhaps not. But Ishiura at 8-5 has less motivation than 7-6 Chiyoshoma. A win today and he gets a well deserved kachi-koshi. A loss, and it’s Darwin time for him.

Onosho vs Chiyonoo – Onosho (5-8) has a chance to toss Chiyonoo (7-6) bodily back into Darwin’s funnel, if he manages to summon his best sumo and attack with measured aggression. They have never faced off in the top division, but during their tenure in Juryo then went 4-4. Their last match was in 2016.

Okinoumi vs Kagayaki – The best that Kagayaki (6-7) can manage coming out of today would be a 7-7 score, and a trip to a Darwin match tomorrow. He has a 6-6 record against Okinoumi (5-8), and the things that catche my eye are the 5 straight losses Okinoumi has sustained since day 9’s loss to Terunofuji.

Kotoeko vs Chiyomaru – A make-koshi battle, with Kotoeko (2-11) looking to be in free fall territory in terms of rank. It’s a real shame, as I think that for starters, he a solid rikishi. But I also think due to the odd results coming from Natsu, he was over promoted on the back of his 9-6 record in May. Chiyomaru (5-8) is likewise make-koshi, so this match is really all about figuring out who gets the bigger demotion.

Hokutofuji vs Tamawashi – I am certain that this match is going to be fun. They are both kachi-koshi, so there is no real threat in any loss. Both are expert thrusters with a strong mobility aspect to their sumo. They have a 13 match history with a 1 match lead to Tamawashi (10-3). I am looking forward to see if Hokutofuji (8-5) can continue his good sumo that we have seen since opening day.

Myogiryu vs Tobizaru – Matching 3-10 records. The only good news about this match is that one of these dismal and roundly defeated rikishi gets to pick up their 4th win. But I worry that Tobizaru can find some way to foul that up.

Takanosho vs Hidenoumi – One of these guys gets make-koshi, the winner gets invited to play Darwin on Sunday. I kind of like Takanosho’s chances on this one.

Kiribayama vs Ichinojo – This pair have matching 8-5 records, and following lksumo’s write up, I am going to guess they are looking to see if Ichinojo can rack up enough wins to make a bid for an san’yaku rank in September. They have only had 1 prior match, which went to Ichinojo.

Aoiyama vs Daieisho – Another battle of the make-koshi duds. One of these guys may end up with a 5-10 record at the end of the basho. I do like that we saw some of the old fire from Daieisho (4-9) on day 13. Maybe he can rally again and dispatch Aoiyama (5-8) for good measure.

Wakatakakage vs Chiyotairyu – More candidates for double-digit losses. Rising star Wakatakakage (4-9) is going to take a few tournaments before he can get his sumo together enough to try the joi-jin again. I think he’s another rikishi who, thanks to the crazy results in May, ended up over promoted and is getting hammered. My only thought for Chiyotairyu (3-10) is that he’s got to be injured in some way, and that’s a shame given the improvement to his sumo from last tournament.

Ura vs Meisei – Someone decided to haul crowd favorite Ura (8-5) up the banzuke form M13 to face a Komusubi. In addition, this is their first ever match. Meisei (7-6) needs one more win to hit kachi-koshi. Should he fail to get his 8th today, it’s a Darwin match for him on Sunday.

Hoshoryu vs Mitakeumi – I am sensing a bit of a theme here, and I DO like it. We have san’yaku hopeful Hoshoryu (9-4), needing a few more wins to raise the chances up against Mitakeumi (7-6) for the first time. Mitakeumi is on the bubble as well, and needs a win today to escape a Darwin match on Sunday. Mitakeumi is in his traditional week 2 fade, having lost 4 of his last 5 matches, and generally showing us scruffy sumo.

Terunofuji vs Takayasu – Takayasu has a 12-8 career advantage over Terunofuji. Yes, most of that is from before 2018, and since returning to the top division, the score has been 4-1 in favor of Terunofuji. This matters only just a little bit, as Terunofuji seems to be operating at the highest levels of sumo right now, and I would guess that Takayasu is going to be Darwin fodder on day 15.

Hakuho vs Shodai – Shodai showed us on day 13 that he has not lost all of his cartoon sumo moves. He nearly got the upper hand against Terunofuji, causing the Yokozuna hopeful to shift into 3rd gear to dispatch the human daikon. His record of 2-9 against Hakuho portends a pasty, blubbery mess taken airborne for a 7th loss, and a Darwin match against Takayasu.

With day 13 in the record books, it’s on to the final weekend. The funnel has 14 rikishi that may become candidates for day 15 Darwin matches, and it’s clear that unless Shodai or Takayasu get a lucky move, it’s going to be Terunofuji vs Hakuho to decide the cup. There is a strong chance that the winning score is going to be a 15-0, and that’s some really potent sumo for a hot, sweaty summer tournament in Nagoya.

It was torinaoshi theme day today, as two matches went to re-runs, and we had 3 rikishi pick up their kachi-koshi today. Solid day of sumo, and it has me very excited for this weekend’s action.

Highlight Matches

Tokushoryu defeats Kyokutaisei – It was an uneven tachiai, with Kyokutaisei leaping in early, but it did him little good. Tokushoryu had the inside lane and dialed up he pressure in his opening thrusting attack. It was enough to get Kyokutaisei to move back a step, and Tokushoryu kept him moving. It was 6 steps around the ring and then out for Tokushoryu to improve to 5-8. Tokushoryu is still hungry for wins in order to make the bid to either stay in the top division, or land in the top two ranks of Juryo.

Tochinoshin defeats Tsurugisho – With his back against the wall, Tochinoshin finds an opponent who permits him his left hand outside grip. With that set up, it’s just a matter of time before he can lift and shift Tsurugisho for a much needed win. I have to wonder what Tsurugisho though would happen once the former Ozeki had his grip. Tochinoshin improves to 5-8.

Kaisei defeats Ura – Ura goes in very low at the tachiai, and attempts a leg pick. He gets a hold, but can’t seem to maintain it, and choses to go chest to chest with Kaisei. He has to know where that move leads, I said to myself. Ura attempts his magic shoulder lift move and throw, but Ura’s left hand finds Kaisei’s mage, and in spite of putting Kaisei on the clay, he is disqualified, handing Kaisei a welcome win advancing him to 6-7.

Terutsuyoshi defeats Ichiyamamoto – When Terutsuyoshi is dialed into his sumo, you get matches like this. It’s hard to tell what the exact combo was that sent Ichiyamamoto to the clay, but it was a combination of Terutsuyoshi’s hand placement and Ichiyamamoto’s attempt to back away and turn that set up the oshitaoshi. Terutsuyoshi picks up his 8th win and is kachi-koshi for July, and Ichiyamamoto is pushed back into the funnel.

Ishiura defeats Shimanoumi – Ishiura’s sumo today was excellent in opposition to Shimanoumi. His tachiai was low, fast and rewarded him with the inside position. His hand placement was direct, crisp and efficient. At the 3rd step back, Shimanoumi realizes he’s been out-classed and tries to rally, but Ishiura just increases the attack power, finishing Shimanoumi with a shitatenage. That’s Ishiura’s 8th win, and he is also kachi-koshi for July. Shimanoumi gets tossed back into Darwin’s funnel.

Chiyonoo defeats Hidenoumi – Chiyonoo overcame Hidenoumi’s defenses to get both hands inside, and that was all it took. Simple and effective. Both are still in the funnel with Hidenoumi at 6-7 and Chiyonoo at 7-6.

Aoiyama defeats Chiyonokuni – Big Dan – what the hell was that? You already won the match, and a cheap shot like that is a bit much, sir. I hope it’s not because Chiyonokuni made him work for it, because that would be sad indeed. Chiyonokuni did pour on the hot sauce in this thrusting battle royale, escaping each time Aoiyama moved to overpower him. Aoiyama improves to 5-8, and is still make-koshi both in score and attitude today. Chiyonokuni gets dame-oshi’d back into the funnel.

Tamawashi defeats Takarafuji – Takarafuji opened defensive, and nearly was able to shut down Tamawashi’s thrusting attack. But with the long history these two have fighting each other, Tamawashi was capable of blowing past the traps. Tamawashi focused center mass, and 3 volleys later, had Takarafuji out. Tamawashi improves to 10-3, a great score for him.

Kotonowaka defeats Chiyoshoma – A quick grapple and battle for hand placement at the tachiai, that quickly converted into a mutual throw attempt. In spite of Chiyoshoma’s somewhat better body position, Kotonowaka manages to stay aloft a moment longer, as Chiyoshoma’s right forearm touches down first. Kotonowaka reaches double-digits, finishing the day at 10-3, while Chiyoshoma returns to the funnel.

Chiyomaru defeats Myogiryu – Chiyomaru opens with a thrusting combo, but Myogiryu manages to capture him and they go chest to chest, with Myogiryu getting a right hand inside position. After a moment, Myogiryu manages for a brief moment to get both hands inside, just as Chiyomaru unleashes a combo thrust that breaks contact and sets him up to battle-charge Myogiryu out for the win. Chiyomaru improves to 5-8, Myogiryu with double digit losses at 3-10.

Chiyotairyu defeats Daiamami – Traditional big tachiai hit from Chiyotairyu rocks Daiamami back, and robs him of any defensive foot placement. Chiyotairyu rushes forward to close the deal, and has Daiamami out 3 steps later. Both end the day with dismal 3-10 records.

Kagayaki defeats Tobizaru – Tobizaru can’t find the force to stop Kagayaki’s opening combo, and Tobizaru knows it. With his feet on the tawara, he spirals away, and both fall. Even the mighty Konosuke is not quite sure who lost, and points his gumbai to Tobizaru. But of course that one was going to be a monoii. Even the video replay was not conclusive, and it was torinaoshi time. The second time through, Kagayaki ran the same attack plan but Tobizaru responded well, shutting down the charge. An attempt to crank up a throw saw Tobizaru lose his grip an spin away. Kagayaki lunges to pursue, and lands a mighty thrust that sends Tobizaru tumbling out and into the stands. Kagayaki improves to 6-7, and remains in the funnel.

Hoshoryu defeats Ichinojo – Very nice tachiai from Hoshoryu today. He gets a right hand inside grip almost at once, as Ichinojo happily grabs the outside left. In spite of Ichinojo’s enormity, its Hoshoryu who seems to have the offensive advantage, and is fighting it out for a place to put his left hand on Ichinojo’s body. Ichinojo is going nowhere, and decides to hold tight and let Hoshoryu burn stamina trying to attack. Hoshoryu recognizes his burn rate does not end in a win, and tries to load a throw, and Ichinojo responds by belly bucking Hoshoryu to the ring and out. But who stepped out first? The Shimpan declared it a tie, and it was the second re-match in a row. The second match, Hoshoryu tries to take Ichinojo out before Ichinojo can set up a defense, and it nearly works. But the two settle into more or less the same stance as in the first match, and we are back to the where the first match left off. Hoshoryu knows the clock is not his friend, and puts on a huge burst of energy to sling Ichinojo around in a partially successful shitatenage to pick up his 9th win. Personally, I think Ichinojo was robbed.

Hokutofuji defeats Takanosho – Really good left side ottsuke work today from Hokutofuji, who shuts down any offense that Takanosho may have wanted to deliver. With Takanosho neutralized, it was Hokutofuji waiting for his opening, which came when Takanosho became frustrated and tried a pull. Hokutofuji’s independently operated lower body attacked and won the match. Thats a well earned kachi-koshi for Hokutofuji, and Takanosho returns to the funnel.

Daieisho defeats Onosho – In an impressive flash back, Daieisho channels his genki self and obliterates Onosho, sending him to make-koshi by scoring his 4th win. Great intensity from Daieisho today, glad to see he can still muster that kind of sumo.

Meisei defeats Kiribayama – Kiribayama let this match get away from him, attempting an early slap down and really blowing the advantage he had coming out of the tachiai. Meisei took the double inside grip, and dominated the match. Meisei’s win improves his score to 7-6.

Wakatakakage defeats Kotoeko – Kotoeko attacked well, but could not muster any power to do more than blunt Wakatakakage’s attack. This is more or less the story of Nagoya for hapless Kotoeko, who is now at 11 losses for the tournament. Wakatakakage improves to 4-9.

Mitakeumi defeats Okinoumi – Mitakeumi had a solid tachiai, and was able to strike low, and press hard. Okinoumi could only slow him down for just a moment, and Mitakeumi rushed forward and took him over the bales for the win. Okinoumi picks up his 8th loss and is make-koshi, and Mitakeumi improves to 7-6 and remains in the funnel.

Terunofuji defeats Shodai – Shodai gets a moment of dominance against Terunofuji, but just a moment. He’s not able to do anything too forceful with it, and Terunofuji rallies to drive Shodai from the ring. He stays perfect and improves to 13-0.

Hakuho defeats Takayasu – Hakuho knows well that Takayasu’s sumo tends to be chaotic and poorly balanced. He always leads with a big left shoulder strike, and its easy to anticipate. If you are not intimidated by it, it sets up a really nice opportunity, which Hakuho exploited with grace and power. Folks, I could watch that tottari combo all day long, beautifully done. Hakuho also improves to 13-0.

We have two solid days of quality sumo ahead of us before we can find out who will take home the cup. I love that Shodai is going to face Hakuho and Terunofuji before day 15, and I am going to guess that both he and Takayasu will enter day 15 at 7-7. That would be a most impressive Darwin match indeed. But there is also a good chance they will give them both a bit softer opponents on the final day to give them an opportunity to hit 8 without having to eliminate each other.

Of course all eyes will be on the final two matches as the leaders rotate through the highest ranked opponents that still remain. The lack of Takakeisho and Asanoyama are now keenly felt, as they both held a special threat to our two leaders. But as we always say – You can only fight who shows up.

We may get to see a few kachi-koshi scores achieved today, and some rikishi heading home happy. But there are still a fair number of rikishi that are in the Darwin funnel, and run the risk of facing an elimination match on the final day. I am looking forward to day 15, it should be a stomping good time!

What We Are Watching Day 13

Kyokutaisei vs Tokushoryu – Kyokutaisei (7-5) is visiting today from Juryo, and a win today over Tokushoryu (4-8) would give him 8 wins, and render him promotable back to the top division in September. Kyokutaisei has a 6-3 career advantage, so a win today is not a long shot at all.

Tochinoshin vs Tsurugisho – Tochinoshin (4-8) has already hit 8 losses, and the question is how low he might fall in the September banzuke. He certainly might take a dip, but given the lack of promotable scores from Juryo, he’s probably safe in the top division for now. Tsurugisho (7-5) has one more win to reach his 8, and he will be fighting hard today.

Kaisei vs Ura – Ura (8-4) has been improving into week 2, and he is currently on a 4 match winning streak. With a 2-0 career lead over Kaisei, it may be 5 in a row before the day is done. Should Kaisei (5-7) lose today, it would be make-koshi for him.

Ichiyamamoto vs Terutsuyoshi – The winner today gets kachi-koshi, and its the first time that Ichiyamamoto (7-5) and Terutsuyoshi (7-5) have ever fought. Terutsuyoshi is on a 5 match winning streak, and Ichiyamamoto on a 3 match losing streak, so the advantage may be to Terutsuyoshi today. Both of them are mobile, aggressive and fit to fight.

Ishiura vs Shimanoumi – Another promotion match, where the winner gets kachi-koshi and the loser remains in the funnel for now. Shimanoumi (7-5) has a 5-2 career lead, I would give him an advantage over Ishiura (7-5) today, as he seems to have shaken off the week 1 ring rust.

Hidenoumi vs Chiyonoo – Both are square in the middle of the funnel with 6-6 scores, and the winner of today’s match has a chance to reach kachi-koshi. I think that Hidenoumi has been hitting harder this week, and I like his chances over Chiyonoo. They have a 14 match career record going back to 2015, with Hidenoumi having a narrow 8-6 lead. This is their first ever match in the top division.

Chiyonokuni vs Aoiyama – A win today would give Chiyonokuni (7-5) his kachi-koshi. Chiyonokuni has a healthy career lead (9-5), and would have the advantage in today’s match, even before we take into account that Aoiyama (4-8) is fighting like he is hurt. Big Dan has not really been able to fire up the V-Twin this July, and I hope he can bounce back strong and ready in September.

Takarafuji vs Tamawashi – Two long serving top division vets face off, with 26 career matches going back to 2011. Both are already kachi-koshi, healthy and fighting well. Will it be Tamawashi (9-3) dominating on attack, or Takarafuji’s (8-4) masterful defense blunting every move?

Kotonowaka vs Chiyoshoma – Chiyoshoma needs one more win to get to 8, but he’s never won in 5 tries against Kotonowaka (7-5). While I do enjoy a Chiyoshoma henka, I don’t think today is the day to let one fly. I would much rather see him use his agility and guile to put Kotonowaka (9-3) on the clay, in spite of his 30 kg disadvantage.

Myogiryu vs Chiyomaru – A battle of the damned, both are make-koshi and going to face demotion for September. I would guess Chiyomaru (4-8) is safe in the top division for now, as is Myogiryu (3-9). So this fight is all about rank at Aki.

Daiamami vs Chiyotairyu – Another pair the probably wish they could just get on the Shinkansen today and head home. Instead we get 3-9 Daiamami trying to overcome Chiyotairyu 2-10. I would guess both are hurt, and are hoping to muster a few wins before the end of day 15. For Daiamami, there is a real risk that he would get a score that would send him back to Juryo, unless he can rack up a few more wins.

Kagayaki vs Tobizaru – I don’t know what happened to Tobizaru (3-9). He was long on attitude and short on sumo, to be sure. But he should not be nursing a 3-9 record going into the final weekend. Likewise Kagayaki (5-7) has been make-koshi for 4 straight tournaments, and needs to get his sumo back from the cleaners. I think he left it stuffed in that bronze mawashi, which had better make a comeback in September.

Hoshoryu vs Ichinojo – Both are kachi-koshi, both are looking forward to promotion higher into the joi-jin on the next banzuke, both have 8-4 records to start the day, and both are from Mongolia. Thus the stage is set an interesting head to head match. Will Ichinojo matta at the start? Will Hoshoryu use a fancy leg trip? We can find out in just a few hours.

Takanosho vs Hokutofuji – Takanosho (6-6) is, sadly, part of the funnel group right now. He needs to win 2 of his last 3 to reach kachi-koshi, and one of his opponents is a fairly genki Hokutofuji (7-5) who wants his 8th win today. With a 4-2 career advantage, I fear Takanosho will remain in the funnel, and might be part of the Darwin group on Sunday.

Onosho vs Daieisho – Onosho needs to win all 3 of his remaining matches to reach kachi-koshi, a tall order to be certain. His day 13 opponent is Hatsu yusho winner Daieisho, who is suffering from a severe case of make-koshi. Onosho has a 10-6 career advantage, and I am fairly certain he will be heavily favored today, as Daieisho is clearly only at about 70% of his normal strength.

Kiribayama vs Meisei – Meisei (6-6) is also part of the funnel group, and needs to win 2 of the last 3 to reach the safety of 8 wins. Kiribayama (8-4) is already kachi-koshi, and I am curious if he is going to ease up at all, or keep blasting ahead and hoping for a steep promotion in September.

Wakatakakage vs Kotoeko – One last contest of the damned, both of these rikishi are likely to finish with deep, double digit make-koshi. Both of Wakatakakage (3-9) and Kotoeko (2-10) have had a string of unanswered losses this July. Kotoeko losing 9 in a row.

Okinoumi vs Mitakeumi – I would call this a funnel fight, as both of them are in the range for a day 15 Darwin match. A Mitakeumi (6-6) win today would make Okinoumi (5-7) make-koshi for July, sending the veteran to the middle of Maegashira for September.

Terunofuji vs Shodai – Surprisingly, Shodai (7-5) has a workable formula for beating Terunofuji (12-0). While the Kaiju holds a 7-4 career advantage on the clay, it’s still possible we may see Shodai’s cartoon sumo come into play. Shodai just needs a single win in the last 3 days to avoid kadoban for the 3rd time in his 5 tournament career as an Ozeki. Of course Terunofuji is looking for win 13 in his march to day 15, and a bid to assume sumo’s highest rank.

Hakuho vs Takayasu – Takayasu (7-5) fights bravely against Hakuho (12-0), but out of 22 fights, Takayasu has only won 2. I would guess the Boss is going to send Takayasu to his 6th loss, and set the stage for day 15.