Yoshikaze (嘉風)

Heya Hunters International

Josh K Gōeidō (豪栄道), Hakuho (白鵬), Heya, Kisenosato (稀勢の里), Stables (Heya), Takekaze (豪風), Yoshikaze (嘉風) , ,

As detailed by Andy in his recent post (and via Twitter from Herouth, and throughout the usual dispatches from our friend Kintamayama over the preceding weeks), a number of heya changes have recently taken place. Additional changes will follow in the coming days… and in fact, there will be even more changes yet to follow later this year!

The kabu stock market tends to be an interest that’s restricted to the most intense of sumo anoraks. It’s not a topic of conversation for most normal sumo fans, confusing to others, and many changes and name transfers are often administrative in nature. However, for those wishing for a deeper dive, it seems like a good time to do some recap and analysis.

Nishonoseki Ichimon

The major story is the former Yokozuna Kisenosato taking over the prestigious headline Nishonoseki name, renaming his relatively new heya from Araiso beya to Nishonoseki beya. We have often wondered what kind of heya Araiso beya would be, and we don’t have to wonder anymore, because it won’t exist. Nishonoseki beya will be augmented by the arrival of eight rikishi from the soon to close Oguruma beya.

Oguruma oyakata reaches retirement age this spring, and the stable had long been rumoured to split into Yoshikaze (Nakamura oyakata) and Takekaze (Oshiogawa oyakata) factions. We have known for some time that Oshiogawa beya would be a new stable opening this year, but the division of the rikishi and what would happen to the existing stable and Nakamura oyakata had yet to be announced.

It was somewhat of a surprise, then, that Nakamura oyakata will make the big move up to Ibaraki prefecture to join up with Nishonoseki beya. And it was equally a surprise that the vast majority of Oguruma beya’s rikishi will not accompany the outgoing oyakata or the former Takekaze, with whom they will have had a much longer relationship, but instead be heading north with the former Yoshikaze to work under the former Yokozuna at his new stable. Kisenosato had long spoken – and even published a paper as part of his studies – about how to run a new type of modern sumo stable, and it seems that alongside his own recruits, 8 of the Oguruma beya rikishi will get a chance to experience that first hand when his new lodging opens.

Additionally, Nishonoseki beya gets an immediate quality boost with the presence of former sekitori Tomokaze, who will now almost certainly be the first sekitori of the new Nishonoseki beya as he continues his rehabilitation in the Makushita joi over the next couple of basho. While the former Yoshikaze certainly could have inherited and renamed the former Oguruma stable, and also qualifies as someone able to branch out and create a new heya in the future, he is also known to have a number of extra-curricular circumstances outside of sumo that would seem to have prevented him from running a stable at this time.

Working with Nishonoseki oyakata in the meantime, of course, does not prevent him from branching out in the future, and would appear to be a great experience for all involved: a number of the former Oguruma rikishi will certainly relish the opportunity to work under a former Yokozuna known for his fundamentals, and both coaches had very different sumo styles serving them well throughout their lengthy top division careers. And with Nishonoseki oyakata known to be both ambitious about his plans for the stable and shorthanded in the support department (most stables have an okamisan on hand to help with stable running – although this is certainly not a requirement and may be viewed as another way that Nishonoseki is progressing the tradition of stable management), the addition of a capable, young new coach should certainly help a stable master who is known to be extremely busy, between overseeing heya construction, kyokai and frequent media duties, and his various brand partnerships and endorsement deals.

As for Oshiogawa beya, former Takekaze will bring Oguruma oyakata, current sekitori Yago, and a couple others along with him to his own innovative new building (which was at one point said to include lodgings for students, and with the absence of a gym as his rikishi will apparently make use of community facilities as he seeks to integrate the stable with the local community).

Meanwhile, the man who held the Nishonoseki name for most of the last decade, former Ozeki Wakashimazu, continues as a consultant using Kisenosato’s former Araiso name. A number of his stable’s rikishi have retired following the Hatsu basho, but those opting to continue will do so under the tutelage of former Sekiwake Tamanoshima, who has long held the name of Hanaregoma oyakata, and as such, with the transfer of power complete at the former Nishonoseki beya, will run the stable – also soon to be at new premises – under the name Hanaregoma beya. The longtime shimpan and sometime heartthrob Hanaregoma will look back fondly at his move from Kataonami beya – where he was developed himself as a rikishi – to work under the former Wakashimazu, a move that certainly paid off in the long run as the legendary Kataonami beya (once home to Yokozuna Tamanoumi) fell into sharp decline.

Hanaregoma oyakata will preside over a stable with no fewer than three sekitori, as Wakashimazu’s (presumably) final recruit to make the jump to the salaried ranks, Shimazuumi, will move to Juryo in the forthcoming basho (joining stablemates Ichiyamamoto and veteran Shohozan there). I had pegged Shohozan to retire and inherit both the name and stable from Wakashimazu, having been his greatest success story as an oyakata and given Shohozan’s advancing years, but the wheeling and dealing behind the scenes, transferring names and stables, caught many sumo observers as a bit of a surprise. It’s probable however, that the deal for former Tamanoshima to take over the stable from former Wakashimazu had been in the works for a long time.

Dewanoumi Ichimon

It’s not quite as complicated here, as former Ozeki Goeido (Takekuma oyakata) and his new haircut have branched out from Sakaigawa beya, taking Makushita champ Nishikawa and promising youngster Goseiryu with him, to form Takekuma beya.

Given that Goseiryu has taken the first character of Goeido’s shikona, it will be interesting to see if this is an indicator of future shikona in the new Takekuma beya, and if more rikishi will take a “Go” prefix in deference to the new yusho-winning stablemaster. That said, the character also matches the first character of the rikishi’s given name, so it’s a little early to call.

Curiously, it’s the first time since the war that Takekuma beya will exist outside of the Tatsunami-Isegahama ichimon, and Goeido’s assumption of the name upon his retirement a couple years back marked what may become a more normal transfer of less prestigious names across ichimon lines.

Isegahama Ichimon

2021 had been a big year for this group of stables, but largely for reasons on the dohyo, with the retirement of Yokozuna Hakuho (Miyagino beya), the elevation of Yokozuna Terunofuji (Isegahama beya), and the kanreki dohyo-iri of Isegahama oyakata.

But a series of moves are now in the offing outside of the ring, and the first of these is the administrative name switch of Tomozuna oyakata (former yusho winner Kyokutenho) and Oshima oyakata (former sekiwake Kaiki), who ran Tomozuna beya for many years before his retirement, developing current sekitori Kaisei and long-time former Ozeki Kaio (for the vast majority of Kaio’s career, anyway).

Kyokutenho was brought up in the now legendary former Oshima beya under the tutelage of ex-Ozeki Asahikuni, who oversaw a decades-long production line running from Yokozuna Asahifuji (possibly now the best developer of talent in sumo as Isegahama oyakata) all the way through to Kyokutenho and his younger mates Kyokutaisei (as detailed in the film “A Normal Life”) and the newly-retired Kyokushuho.

Following the successful merger of the former Oshima beya with Tomozuna beya following former Asahikuni’s retirement, Kaiki ran the stable until his mandatory retirement in 2017 when Kyokutenho switched elder names to continue running the stable under the Tomozuna banner, in deference to Kaiki. Kaiki continued as a sanyo (consultant), and as he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 for sanyo this summer and leaves the kyokai for good, the two have switched names again to allow Kyokutenho to revive the Oshima beya name, which he will presumably run for many years to come. There are no fundamental changes to the stable beyond the name swap.

This, of course, will generate debate as to who will take the Tomozuna name when it becomes available later this year. Isegahama ichimon has no shortage of aging rikishi that may require a myoseki. And while there are those in other stables (Miyagino, Isegahama) who meet the requirements, Oshima beya will have its own coaching logjam. Former Asahisho is already using a loaner kabu (Kiriyama), which, coming from the Isegahama stable, is presumed to be Takarafuji’s in waiting. Meanwhile, Kyokutaisei, having been beset by numerous injuries and punted out of the salaried ranks, may need a kabu himself in the near future if he wishes to continue his career as an elder in the kyokai, having reached the required number of basho. While he hadn’t always seemed an obvious choice to become a coach, he assisted in the recent recruitment of one of the stable’s relatively few new recruits under Kyokutenho, the fellow Hokkaido native Kyokutaiga. It is possible he may unlock further recruits in the future from his home in the north.

All of this of course ignores the presence of 35 year old Kaisei, the veteran most closely linked to the Tomozuna name, having been the last sekitori to have reached the top division from the old heya under Kaiki’s tutelage. The Brazilian born rikishi has already taken Japanese nationality, but has also given mixed signals in the past about his desire to remain in sumo. In any case, it would be a major surprise not to see the Tomozuna name ultimately go to Kaisei, but in the meantime the name may be shuffled around the heya to protect the employment statuses of others.

If you’ve made it this far, you can accuse me of burying the lede a bit, because August brings the mandatory retirement of Miyagino oyakata in what will signal the official power transfer of the storied stable to the former Yokozuna Hakuho. Hakuho – now Magaki oyakata – has of course already become one of the sport’s most prolific recruiters and developers of talent in recent years, even while still active (to some extent) on the dohyo.

Hakuho was made to sign a statement by the Kyokai with regards to his future conduct and behaviour upon retirement, but this is not thought to be an impediment to the future transfer of the stable into his control at this time. We already know that Hakuho has indicated an intention to build a new home for the heya, but the two questions currently unresolved are 1) whether he will switch names with the current Miyagino oyakata so that the stable can continue to operate under the Miyagino name, or if it will be given a fresh start and renamed Magaki beya; and 2) whether the current Miyagino oyakata and Takashima oyakata, who reach age 65 within a few days of each other, will both continue as sanyo for another five years in support of Hakuho. If either the current Takashima or Miyagino decide to leave, it could free up a name to be used for – speculatively – Ishiura. Hakuho has longtime links to the Ishiura family – Ishiura’s father runs the powerhouse Tottori Johoku sumo club, and the continued employ of the 32 year old Ishiura in the stable after his career could further deepen the recruitment pipeline for Hakuho’s stable over the next two decades.

Takasago Ichimon

Not much happening here, but the Oyama name will become available for the first time in 36 years by October, when former Onobori reaches the mandatory sanyo retirement age of 70. The Nishikijima name was also occupied by the former Takasago oyakata and Ozeki Asashio before his scandal related departure from the Kyokai last year. Speculatively speaking, either name could come into play on loan for the former Kotoyuki, who is currently borrowing soon-to-be-37-year-old Okinoumi’s myoseki Kimigahama. Both names could also be acquisition targets for Hokutofuji, who turns 30 later this year.

Tokitsukaze Ichimon

Michinoku beya’s Tatsutayama oyakata reaches the retirement age of 65 in June, and has yet to indicate whether he intends to continue as a sanyo. This will be of interest largely because of the situations regarding the former Toyonoshima (currently borrowing Izutsu from the deceased former shisho of that stable, Sakahoko) and former Yokozuna Kakuryu (currently operating under his ring name as the rank allows for a temporary period of up to 5 years). At some point, both former rikishi will need to acquire their own name.

Toyonoshima was said to have been making payments towards the Nishikijima name for years, and the Nishikijima name belonged to the Tokitsukaze ichimon for decades before being picked up by the Takasago family more recently. So, it would not be a surprise to see it come back into play as an option for him, especially if Tatsutayama (or Isenoumi beya’s coach and a former stable master in his own right, Kagamiyama, upon his retirement in 12 months) elects not to continue as a sanyo.

The wild card in all of this is that the former Izutsu’s widow was rumoured to be adamant the name would go only to the rikishi who married her daughter, and the rikishi to have taken that particular challenge on is none other than current maegashira Shimanoumi, of Dewanoumi ichimon’s Kise beya. While Shimanoumi seems likely to qualify for elder status by 2023, it seems incredibly unlikely that the prestigious Izutsu name, having never been associated with any other ichimon (barring a brief period under Kitanofuji’s control in the 70s), would be moved to Dewanoumi ichimon (though stranger things have happened).

So, in summary, watch this space in 2022 as there may be an update regarding the statuses of former Toyonoshima and Kakuryu, as any one of the Nishikijima, Tatsutayama, Izutsu or Kagamiyama names could come into play… or maybe not!

Intai Watch: Arawashi Retires

Andy Aminishiki (安美錦), Arawashi (荒鷲), Retirement, Takekaze (豪風), Yoshikaze (嘉風) , , , , ,
Harumafuji’s Haircut by Nicola

The sumo world is undergoing a huge shift as aging wrestlers retire and new names make their mark on the banzuke. The latest shikona to add to the list is Arawashi. He was a makuuchi regular from 2014 through 2018, twice almost cracking into sanyaku, reaching Maegashira #2 three years ago at Hatsu ’17 where he claimed two kinboshi, one from Hakuho and the other from Kakuryu a few days later. A third kinboshi came in March from Harumafuji.

Arawashi had been a committed grappler, determined to win or lose in a belt battle rather than the slapping and thrusting of oshi-tsuki styles. After that first tournament at Maegashira #2 he fell a bit as the knee injuries set in. He crawled back to Maegashira #2 in 2018 when then chronic knee injuries forced a rapid slide into the lower ranks of Juryo, and then Makushita last year. After two straight kyujo tournaments, he was likely looking at further demotion to Sandanme, and decided to call it a career. Any news of retirement ceremonies will be posted here on Tachiai.

Intai Watch 2020

Hakuho’s shock admission that he plans to retire this year has put the sumo world on notice that change is coming. Obviously, the date for Hakuho’s retirement is likely in the latter half of the year but a massive question mark remains. With his and Kakuryu’s kyujo, dates for both announcements may be soon.

There are also several big name retirement ceremonies on the docket this year.

Takekaze

Takekaze’s intai celebration will take place at Kokugikan, next Saturday, Feb. 1. We should all get used to his elder name: Oshiogawa (押尾川). Below is the announcement from his official Twitter profile. If you’ll be in Tokyo next week there are only a few seats left in the A and B rings of the upper level!

Aminishiki

Uncle Sumo’s storied career came to an end in Nagoya last year. Versatility was his virtue, having won using some 46 kimarite. He was well adapted to win using both yotsu and oshi styles…though late in his career he became quite fond of the henka. Now known as Ajigawa-oyakata (安治川), you can go watch his retirement ceremony on October 4. Some seating has sold out but you can get lower level MASU boxes in the B and C rings, as well as A, B, and C rings of the second level.

Yoshikaze

Yoshikaze followed Aminishiki off the dohyo the following tournament after falling into Juryo. However, he’s getting his haircut one day earlier, on October 3 at Kokugikan. Tickets have not yet gone on sale but that is expected to happen around Feb. 2.

The berserker’s wild, aggressive style was still quite successful in the lower ranks of the maegashira so his kyujo and subsequent retirement appeared to be quite sudden compared to the longer slides we have seen. We look forward to seeing the deshi Nakamura-oyakata (中村) produces.

Aki Day 6 Preview

Josh K Abi (阿炎), Aki Basho 2019, Aoiyama, Asanoyama (朝乃山), Azumaryu, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daieisho (大栄翔), Daishoho, Endo (遠藤), Enho, Gōeidō (豪栄道), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ishiura (石浦), Kagayaki (輝), Kakuryu (鶴竜), Kotoeko, Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Kotoyuki, Meisei, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), Shimanoumi, Shohozan, Shōdai (正代直也), Takagenji, Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanosho, Takarafuji (宝富士), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Terutsuyoshi, Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tochiozan (栃煌山), Tomokaze, Toyonoshima, Tsurugisho, Yoshikaze (嘉風), Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲) ,

Aki Post Banner

I am in attendance on Day 6 of the Aki Basho, so here I am to tell you what I’m going to be looking for when the men in the top division set foot on the dohyo. If any of our readers are also in the building, come say hi! You can probably find me in a Tachiai t-shirt.

As Herouth related earlier, Yoshikaze’s retirement is now official. On a personal level I am sad not to see him take the dohyo again. Seeing him in person was always a great opportunity to tell a friend or a new sumo fan, “watch this” whenever he prepared for the tachiai. His head-first, fearless style of sumo when he was at his best was a joy to behold. In some ways he was very unique. Here’s wishing him the best in retirement, and I’ll look forward to trying to track down “Mr. Feisty” at Kokugikan some day in a blue jacket for a handshake. Of course, by then we’ll have to call him “Feisty oyakata.”

What We’re Watching on Day 6

Yutakayama vs Takanosho – Takanosho comes up from Juryo, where he’s been having a fine (4-1) tournament to make up the numbers after Ichinojo’s kyujo announcement unbalanced the torikumi. It’s a good opportunity for him to test his mettle against top division opposition again, as we’ll likely see him at this level in the next basho should he continue his good form. Yutakayama will sleep well tonight after Day 5’s epic with Kagayaki. I’d look for him to establish his pushing-thrusting style early and overwhelm Takanosho.

Ishiura vs Tochiozan – While I’ve never minded the henkas, I’ve always preferred Ishiura’s sumo moving forward because he is an incredibly strong, compact machine when he wants to be. Tochiozan is a wily opponent but I’d still expect Ishiura to get in low from the tachiai and try and establish an inside position, possibly with a hand on the front of Tochiozan’s mawashi to try and drive him out. Their all time rivalry is split 2-2.

Takagenji vs Toyonoshima – I actually would posit that Toyonoshima is in okay condition, he just doesn’t really have the power to go up against some of these really strong, much younger and powerful rikishi. He has trouble moving people, and I think that will be a problem against Takagenji. If you throw out fusen-sho, Takagenji trails Toyonoshima 3-2 over their lifetime matchups but if he loses this one I think it’s because he beats himself (which can’t be ruled out).

Azumaryu vs Nishikigi – The wheels have come off in the last few days for both of these guys, so both will be looking for a win here to right the ship. Nishikigi has a 3-2 edge in this and will be the favourite having displayed better sumo (even in this basho) and operated at a higher level, though his grappling style may play into Azumaryu’s hands.

Shohozan vs Tsurugisho – This is a first time matchup, which is always exciting! Shohozan rolled back the clock and looked like an animal on Day 5, which I loved. I’ll be curious to see if another all-action melee is on the cards, because if you’re not used to his style of sumo, it has to be a bit shocking the first time you face it.

Onosho vs Daishoho – Daishoho has just looked like a mess, so Onosho will have probably been thankful to see this one pop up on his dance card. A lot of credit is due to Enho for the silky manner which he simply disappeared from Daishoho in their Day 5 bout. I think Onosho, while rusty, has still looked better than his 2-3 record would indicate. He will want some explosiveness from the tachiai. He’s won 4 out of 5 against Daishoho and in their current conditions, a kuroboshi for the man in the magic red mawashi would be a shock.

Kagayaki vs Enho – These two have been rivals since they were kids, so it’s going to be a yet another can’t miss match involving the red flame. Kagayaki has won their only prior bout in professional sumo, however, and he looked in rude health on Day 5. Enho has brought magic to all five of his bouts so far, so I can’t wait both to see what he will have planned for Kagayaki as well as the special atmosphere that surely now awaits his bouts.

Terutsuyoshi vs Sadanoumi – Terutsuyoshi (1-4) desperately needs a win, and I’m backing him to get it here. I don’t think that his losses have necessarily come from a lack of aptitude so much as he’s just been outfought by fine margins on a couple occasions. Sadanoumi is really decent in straightforward bouts, but where the opponent shows a bit more in terms of mobility then he can suffer. If Terutusyoshi can use his speed and his lighter frame to stay mobile and use his style to pummel away at his larger, veteran opponent, then he has a good shot to win this.

Meisei vs Kotoyuki – Meisei has turned on the style in the past few days and he is looking on course to bounce back from his tough July tournament. Kotoyuki looks to be in decent condition and is bringing his A game. Their respective records would indicate a lopsided situation, but the lifetime tally is 3-0 to Kotoyuki. If he brings his style of oshi-zumo, I think the Sadogatake man has it in him here to bring Meisei back down to earth a bit.

Kotoshogiku vs Takarafuji – Kotoshogiku has done really well to execute his gaburi-yori in situations where opponents will not either be experienced, prepared or best suited to deal with it. None of those descriptors should apply to Takarafuji, despite him holding an 8 win deficit against the “Kyushu Bulldozer” heading into their 25th meeting. Takarafuji hasn’t looked absolutely brilliant this basho, and I don’t think his defensive style of yotsu-zumo is necessarily well suited to defending Kotoshogiku as it may invite pressure, but Kotoshogiku’s advancing age and lessening ability to execute his patented move makes this a little more of a coin toss for me.

Shimanoumi vs Okinoumi – Shimanoumi has won their only prior bout, but Okinoumi has looked impressive and prepared en route to his co-leading five wins in this basho. We still haven’t seen enough of Shimanoumi at this level to know if he has the ability to play spoiler up against a veteran makuuchi rikishi at the top of his game, but this match will go some way to informing that. Okinoumi is the favourite heading into this… on paper.

Chiyotairyu vs Myogiryu – Chiyotairyu’s record after five days is not great at 1-4, but like any match of his, this one will mostly be decided at the tachiai, and by his ability to leave his opponent off balance. Myogiryu, like Okinoumi, is showing a bit of a latter-career renaissance and Old Endo is smart enough to know that if he can take the hit and immediately land a mawashi grip, then his opponent is going to be mostly defenseless. Chiyotairyu has won the last 3 here and 5 of 6, but I think Myogiryu should be narrowly tipped for the kensho under the current circumstances.

Kotoeko vs Ryuden – Kotoeko reaches the dizzying heights of midway through the second half of action in this bout, as he takes on a somewhat struggling Ryuden. It’s a concern for Ryuden that he’s sitting on three losses without having faced many top ranked opponents, and if he doesn’t turn it around then he might not. Ryuden holds a 4-1 edge in this rivalry, and given that this is likely to be a mawashi battle against Kotoeko, I tend to favour his style both attacking and defending on the belt in this matchup.

Shodai vs Tomokaze – These guys are both 2-3. One thing about Tomokaze is that even if he takes a second to settle in at a level (this in spite of his much vaunted unbroken kachi-kochi streak), you can always see him watching and learning and then later applying. This has really helped him develop. That said, he’s been lethargic for parts of this tournament, and I thought he absolutely got out of jail when executing a second pull down moving backwards against an extreme pusher-thruster. You just can’t do that all the time. Shodai is not an extreme pusher-thruster, and this should be a good match because in a tournament where Tomokaze has looked a bit deferential, it will require him to take the initiative from the tachiai. Shodai has won their only prior match.

Abi vs Aoiyama – Abi got paid by Mitakeumi on Day 5 for the loss he should have had from Tochinoshin on Day 4. Aoiyama looks absolutely abysmal and has been moving backwards and trying really weak pull down moves all basho long rather than firing up his old V2 engine. Abi should not let himself get beat by this, and if he can execute his own tsuppari then the Komusubi should easily be the favourite. Big Dan holds the 3-1 all-time edge.

Mitakeumi vs Hokutofuji – This is a really tough one to call, simply because I think Hokutofuji has been a lot better than his 1-4 record would indicate, but he’s had the hardest possible schedule so far. Mitakeumi has done well to very professionally eliminate a couple of recent opponents and keep himself in the yusho race at one off the pace. Mitakeumi can absolutely cope with Hokutofuji’s oshi-zumo style and has more tricks besides, but he doesn’t always show up right from the tachiai and this is the nugget of hope that Hokutofuji will hold on to. I don’t think Hokutofuji’s san’yaku challenge is dead yet but a win here would go a long way to reviving it, if he hasn’t mentally beat himself up about his record.

Endo vs Takakeisho – This one looks like the match of the day, with 4-1 Endo coming up against undefeated Takakeisho. With Kakuryu’s loss on Day 5, Takakeisho now finds himself in the driver’s seat for the yusho race, and it will be interesting to see how this affects his sumo going forward. He has shown incredible positioning and ring sense in the first five days which have helped make up for his physicality not being where it usually is. This being said, he was as close to 100% against Hokutofuji as we have seen in a long time, and holds a 2-1 edge in this rivalry. Endo has performed above expectations, dropping only his bout to Kakuryu and winning several in impressive fashion. This should be Takakeisho’s toughest challenge yet.

Asanoyama vs Goeido – Just when it was looking like the lustre had faded a bit, up pops Asanoyama again with a stunning win against a Yokozuna and his first kinboshi. Goeido has by and large been a ruthless killing machine as he looks to both shed the kadoban tag and get in yusho contention. Goeido needs to execute his high octane brand of sumo straight from the tachiai. If he comes forward hassling and harrying Asanoyama into a defensive position, it will be very tough for the Maegashira to defend. But if Asanoyama is afforded time to get his preferred left hand outside grip, then Goeido will be in trouble.

Tochinoshin vs Tamawashi – Tochinoshin comes in 2-3 but has a load of reasons to feel good about where his sumo is going at this stage of the tournament. He faces another pull-down candidate here in Tamawashi, though it might be a thought to maybe try a different technique than grabbing the back of the head as he was dangerously close to the top-knot again against Tomokaze. Tamawashi only has one style of sumo which is a brutal tsuppari, usually incorporating a strong nodowa, with the plan B of an arm-breaking kotenage if his thrusting doesn’t get the job done. Tochinoshin is already down one limb but given that his weakness has always been pusher-thrusters, I can see him trying another pulling manoeuvre even if his quality of opponent means he may end up circling the dohyo a few times to do it. Tamawashi trails 18-10 in the rivalry, but has won the last two and I’d make the odds here fairly even.

Kakuryu vs Daieisho – NHK has spent a lot of time talking about Kakuryu’s desire for a first zensho yusho, but after his upset loss on Day 5, it won’t be happening here. Prior to that, he had shown an almost Hakuho-like approach to tailoring his game plan to his opponent’s strengths. However, he walked right into the battle Asanoyama wanted, and if he doesn’t want to cough up another kinboshi, then he will need to have a think about how he’s going to deal with Daieisho. I think Daieisho actually did a fabulous job of executing his style of sumo for the first four days of the tournament, and I don’t think his record reflects his form particularly well. When he starts to get rank-and-filers again, we should see the wins come back, but he’s a massive underdog against a Yokozuna he has never beaten in four prior attempts.

Yoshikaze’s retirement is official

Herouth Retirement, Yoshikaze (嘉風)

Although there were previous reports about this in the Japanese press, they had ambiguous language, and were based on “associates”. Today, the report comes in directly from the NSK: “Former Sekiwake Yoshikaze (Real name Masatsugu Onishi) has retired, and taken on the toshiyori name Nakamura”.

His stablemaster, Oguruma oyakata, complimented Yoshikaze for doing straight-forward sumo.

Yoshikaze will now become Nakamura oyakata. The date of his danpatsu-shiki is not known at this time, but given the number of retirements lately, and that Aminishiki’s ceremony will take place on October 2020, there is a distinct possibility of this not happening before 2021.