Hatsu 2026: Day Fourteen

Andy Hatsu 2026, Hatsu Basho , , , , , ,

No new reports from the infirmary. Both Yokozuna are intent on completing this tournament. Don’t think they’ll get a bunch of rest until March. On February 7th and 8th, the Japanese Sumo Association will hold two annual events at Kokugikan. The NHK Sumo Charity event and the Annual one-day tournament which used to be sponsored by FujiTV.

Wakanosho continues to lead the Juryo yusho race with his oshidashi victory over Kotoeiho. Fujiseiun beat Hitoshi to keep the heat on for senshuraku. And Leonid has our makushita coverage here and gives an update on the Juryo promotion picture.

Tokiwayama-oyakata retires and former Takakeisho will assume the mantle as stablemaster after this tournament.

Your NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Kotoshoho (8-6) defeated Mitakeumi (6-8). Kotoshoho had Conservation Center duties today, cuddled the giant sloth and carried him over the tawara. Kotoshoho kachi-koshi, Mitakeumi make-koshi. Yorikiri.

Gonoyama (7-7) defeated Hatsuyama (2-12). Gonoyama overwhelmed Hatsuyama with tsuppari and drove him back over the edge. Oshidashi.

Asahakuryu (7-7) defeated Shodai (6-8). Asahakuryu drove Shodai back and over the tawara. Shodai’s loss makes him make-koshi for the tournament. Yorikiri.

Midorifuji (6-8) defeated Kinbozan (4-10). After an exchange of tsuppari, Midorifuji got a morozashi as he got both hands inside Kinbozan’s arms with his hands up behind Kinbozan’s shoulder. He then pulled Kinbozan down as he reversed along the tawara. Katasukashi.

Oshoma (7-7) defeated Ryuden (6-8). Oshoma held Ryuden at bay with a nodowa, then pivoted to his left and pulled Ryuden down to the clay. Hikiotoshi.

Fujinokawa (9-5) defeated Asakoryu (8-6). Fujinokawa engaged Asakoryu in a bit of a brawl but then moved inside to grab Asakoryu’s mawashi, ending Asakoryu’s slaps. With a solid migi-yotsu hold, Fujinokawa forced Asakoryu to the edge and then slammed him to the ground at the edge. Yoritaoshi.

Oshoumi (10-4) defeated Hiradoumi (9-5). Hiradoumi charged forward out of the gate, forcing Oshoumi to the edge. Oshoumi used the bales as a base to mount his counter attack. He hoisted Hiradoumi up, bulldozed through the dohyo and slammed Hiradoumi down to the ground at the edge. Abisetaoshi.

Tobizaru (6-8) defeated Onokatsu (7-7). Tobiaru kicked out at Onokatsu and then pulled. As he approached the tawara, though, Tobizaru slammed the gear into drive and advanced into Onokatsu. He grabbed Onokatsu’s mawashi deep at the back with his right hand and forced him back over the bales. Yorikiri.

Tamawashi (5-9) defeated Tomokaze (4-10). As both men traded tsuppari, Tamawashi pivoted as he backed to the edge. This forced Tomokaze’s back to the tawara. Tamawashi picked up the pace and power of his tsuppari to blast Tomokaze from the dohyo and into Kasugano-oyakata’s lap. Oshidashi.

Churanoumi (8-6) defeated Roga (6-8). Roga attempted a slapdown but Churanoumi drove through it and shoved Roga over the bales. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Chiyoshoma (6-8) defeated Takanosho (4-10). Takanosho tried to use a nodowa against Chiyoshoma but Chiyoshoma grabbed his arm and pulled him down. Tottari.

Wakatakakage (8-6) defeated Daieisho (6-8). Henka! Daieisho Superman-flopped his way to a make-koshi as Wakatakakage shifted left at the tachiai. Hikiotoshi.

Tokihayate (8-6) defeated Ichiyamamoto (3-11). Tokihayate grabbed Ichiyamamoto’s belt with his left hand, drove forward and shoved Ichiyamamoto over the edge. Oshidashi.

Yoshinofuji (7-7) defeated Shishi (9-5). Yoshinofuji used his right hand uwate to pull Shishi over the bales. Uwatenage.

Sanyaku

Ura (3-11) defeated Oho (4-10). Ura pivoted to his right and pulled. Oho tumbled to the ground, rolling forward with a bit of an Ura-esque flourish. If you’re going to fall out of sanyaku, fall with style. Hatakikomi.

Wakamotoharu (7-7) defeated Asanoyama (9-5). Wakamotoharu did not let Asanoyama get his right hand inside. Asanoyama tried again and again to slip that hand in there and that really put him at a disadvantage because he would rear back and Wakamotoharu would plow forward, advancing to the bales. Eventually, Wakamotoharu forced Asanoyama over the bales. Yorikiri.

Atamifuji (11-3) defeated Kirishima (10-4). Atamifuji got his left hand uwate hold on Kirishima’s belt. With his right-hand outside, he powered through Kirishima and crushed him over the edge. Ow. Kirishima struggled to get back up to the dohyo. That big ole bloody scrape on his left butt cheek hints at a new injury. Maybe lower back? Maybe hip? Maybe both? Yikes. Lastly, who kidnapped Atamifuji and replaced him with this kaiju? Abiseta-ouchi.

Abi (10-4) defeated Takayasu (8-6). Abi-zumo. Thrusts, slapdown attempts… Oh, no. Takayasu got turned around. That’s never good. Abi caught up and shoved him over the edge from behind. A dispirited Takayasu landed on Naruto-oyakata and took his time getting back up. The west side spectators are having a rough go of things today. Getting a lot of the “kinetic fansa.” Okuridashi.

Hoshoryu defeated Kotozakura. Gee–zuhs. Just when Kotozakura worked his right hand inside and got his morozashi, Hoshoryu yanked him hard with his right hand uwate and flipped the big bloke onto his back. In the movies, the camera would zoom in on the villain’s face, “That hurt.” In the Sumo Association, we just wait impatiently for him to walk back to his side and bow. While the gyoji scramble to figure out what the kimarite was, we move on to the much-anticipated musubi-no-ichiban. Uwatenage.

Onosato (10-4) defeated Aonishiki (11-3). Aonishiki’s borrowed shimekomi came enchanted with henka dust from its owner and previous bearer. He shifted left at the tachiai but Onosato adjusted really well. The Yokozuna pursued and shoved Anonishiki to the ground as the Ozeki stumbled in retreat. Well, it’s back to the drawing board, for sure, at Ajigawa. One Yokozuna solved. The other Yokozuna, decidedly unsolved. Oshitaoshi.

Wrap-up

Aonishiki’s loss opens things up quite a bit in the yusho race.

  • 3-losses: Aonishiki, Atamifuji
  • 4-losses: Onosato, Kirishima, Abi, Oshoumi.

Aonishiki and Atamifuji lead with Onosato, Kirishima, Abi and Oshoumi chasing and hoping for losses tomorrow. Aonishiki and Atamifuji fought on Day 12 with Aonishiki defeating the big man.

The senshuraku torikumi is not out yet but we can presume the musubi-no-ichiban will be the Yokozuna showdown and that will be preceded by the Ozeki showdown. If Atamifuji loses his bout, Aonishiki will fight with the yusho on the line. If Atamifuji wins his bout, Aonishiki will need to win to force a play-off.

The play-off possibilities get crazy if both Atamifuji and Aonishiki lose their bouts. Then Onosato will even be fighting for a spot in the playoff. I’ll post later when the pairings have been finalized.

One rule for comments today. I’m going to be strict. No mentioning Wakatakakage’s henka. It has nothing to do with the yusho. There’s no drama there, so no need for whining about it. It is what it is, let’s move on. Any mention and I’ll remove the comment and I might put the author into the penalty box. As a henka aficionato, I actually enjoy the firy henka debate — so long as the jabs don’t get personal. Going forward, I’m going to be strict about that from now on and start deleting comments that cross the line into personal barbs. But today, I’m going to be super-strict. No mentioning Wakatakakage’s henka. I said it twice, I mean it.

I’ll be back later today. If you need to go blow off steam about Wakatakakage’s henka, you have time to go take a walk around the neighborhood and clear your mind.

Hatsu 2026 Makushita Coverage, Day 13

lksumo Nagoya 2025

Enho’s quest for the yusho and immediate sekitori return came to an end today at the hands of Nobehara. His ankle injury in his previous bout can’t have helped. Nobehara takes the yusho; Enho should find himself ranked Ms2-Ms3 at Haru, where 4-5 wins could suffice for promotion.

Here are the updated standings in the promotion zone.

Himukamaru has completed his basho early, and currently leads the promotion queue. Toshinofuji, Fukuzaki, and Shimazuumi would all pass him with a final win, and Takakento can pass any of that trio by winning if they lose, while Inami can finish no better than 6th in line. The demotion queue in Juryo is: Hakuyozan, Hidenoumi, Kazekeno, Kotokuzan, Tochitaikai, Nishikigi. Hakuyozan is already demotable, but could yet stay up if he survives two exchange bouts, starting tomorrow with Toshinofuji. I am guessing we’ll see Fukuzaki, Shimazuumi, and Takakento visiting Juryo on senshuraku.

Thanks for following Tachiai’s third-division coverage. This is the final mid-basho post, but I will update the promotion picture once the action concludes.

Hatsu 2026: Day 13

Andy Hatsu 2026, Hatsu Basho , ,

One update from the infirmary. Hakunofuji is kyujo and with the loss will move to 5-8, make-koshi. Onokatsu will get the default win and improve to 7-6. That reminds me, while normal people will think of this as Day 13, for many of the youngsters, this is 6-7 day. Let’s see how many wrestlers finish the day with 6-7 records.

In Juryo, Wakanosho defeated Fujiseiun by oshitaoshi to move into sole possession of the lead.

Your NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Asahakuryu (6-7) defeated Kotoeiho (7-6). Kotoeiho shifted to his left but Asahakuryu caught up quickly, shoved Kotoeiho to the edge and lifted him over. Yorikiri.

Ryuden (6-7) defeated Chiyoshoma (5-8). Ryuden landed his right-hand uwate grip and took control of the bout. He tried to heave Chiyoshoma over but Chiyoshoma resisted well. Ryuden adjusted his grip to right on the thong and pulled up, giving Chiyoshoma an atomic wedgie. This straightened Chiyoshoma up and made it easier to drive forward and over the edge. Yorikiri.

Tokihayate (7-6) defeated Tomokaze (4-9). Tomokaze pulled and tried to slap Tokihayate down but he tripped over his own feet as he tried to move laterally along the bales. Oshitaoshi.

Roga (6-7) defeated Tobizaru (5-8). Roga immediately shoved Tobizaru down to the clay. Tsukiotoshi.

Gonoyama (6-7) defeated Midorifuji (5-8). Midorifuji tried a pull but Gonoyama did well to avoid the slapdown. He retaliated by moving laterally when Midorifuji charged forward, and demonstrated a proper slapdown. Hatakikomi.

Hatsuyama (2-11) defeated Kinbozan (4-9). Hatsuyama got his left hand on Kinbozan’s belt and spun, and spun, and spun. On the third attempt, Hatsuyama succeeded in pulling Kinbozan forward to the clay. Uwatedashinage.

Mitakeumi (6-7) defeated Shodai (6-7). Shodai drove forward but Mitakeumi pivoted and shoved Shodai over the edge. The 6-7 Twins. Oshidashi.

Fujinokawa (8-5) defeated Kotoshoho (7-6). Fujinokawa used his powerful tsuppari to shove Kotoshoho over the edge. Oshidashi.

Asakoryu (8-5) defeated Oshoma (6-7). Oshoma shifted to his left along the bales and pulled Asakoryu forward but slipped and touched the ground. The momentum from shoving Takasago’s heyagashira forward might have toppled Oshoma. He was destined to move to 6-7. Tsukite.

Atamifuji (10-3) defeated Abi (9-4). Abi tripped as he tried to pivot and Atamifuji shoved him down easily. Tsukiotoshi.

Onokatsu (6-7) default win over Hakunofuji (5-8).

Halftime

Wakatakakage (7-6) defeated Churanoumi (7-6). As Churanoumi pressed forward, Wakatakakage had the presence of mind to shift right and pull Churanoumi forward. Tsukiotoshi.

Takanosho (4-9) defeated Ura (2-11). Ura went low to avoid Takanosho’s tsuppari and nodowa so Takanosho slapped him down. Ura, being Ura, rolled forward with a flourish. Hatakikomi.

Daieisho (6-7) defeated Yoshinofuji (6-7). Daieisho-brand sumo here. Fierce tsuppari followed by the slapdown fatality. Jatakikomi, as they say in Español.

Ichiyamamoto (3-10) defeated Tamawashi (4-9). Ichiyamamoto laid into the veteran with tsuppari, driving him back and over the edge, into the front row of spectators. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Wakamotoharu (6-7) defeated Oshoumi (9-4). Wakamotoharu got his hidari-yotsu hold and drove Oshoumi back to the bales. Oshoumi broke Wakamotoharu’s left-hand grip at the edge and tried to spin him down but Wakamotoharu pressed through and forced Oshoumi out. Yorikiri.

Hiradoumi (9-4) defeated Oho (4-8). Hiradoumi got both hands inside and charged forward, finishing Oho with some gaburi hip action at the edge. Yorikiri.

Takayasu (8-5) defeated Asanoyama (9-4). Asanoyama succeeded in switching his grip to get both hands inside but Takayasu pivoted and hauled Asanoyama down with a powerful uwatenage.

Kirishima (10-3) defeated Shishi (9-4). Kirishima bear-hugged Shishi. Having both hands inside was effective as he held Shishi upright and quickly forced Shishi back and over the edge. Yorikiri.

Onosato (9-4) defeated Kotozakura (8-5). Kotozakura got a left-hand outside, right hand inside. However, he decided to pull. Onosato was more than happy to press forward as he shuffled along the bales to counter Kotozakura’s lateral movement. Onosato easily forced Kotozakura over the bales. Yorikiri.

Aonishiki (11-2) defeated Hoshoryu (8-5). Aonishiki’s ottsuke and body positioning were excellent as he kept Hoshoryu’s hands from getting inside for most of the bout. Aonishiki grabbed Hoshoryu’s belt with his left-hand outside, pivoted and hauled the Yokozuna down. Uwatenage.

Wrap-up

The field narrows considerably:

  • 2-losses: Aonishiki
  • 3-losses: Kirishima, Atamifuji

Our final tally of 6-7 wrestlers is, 11.

Wow, Aonishiki is in the lead. He still needs to fight Onosato and Kotozakura. Presumably Onosato will be his next opponent. The Day 14 torikumi has not been released as of yet, so I will try to post an update later.

Hatsu 2026: Day Twelve

Andy Hatsu 2026, Hatsu Basho , , , , , , ,

Unfortunately, we have news from the infirmary today that Nishikifuji is kyujo with herniated discs in his neck and arthritis in his elbow. He will not be back this tournament. Onokatsu will get the fusen victory. Nishikifuji will finish the tournament 6-6-3. At M11, six wins should be more than enough to keep him in the division. So far, the only passenger booked for the barge to Juryo is Hatsuyama. He’s even been given the captain’s hat.

Sadanoumi fell out of the leadership group with his yorikiri loss to Mototaro-san. Fujiseiun and Wakanosho improved to 9-3. Update: The two leaders are scheduled to fight on Day 13. Chaser Sadanoumi will fight Kyokukaiyu and 8-win Fujiryoga will fight Nishinoryu. With Nishikifuji’s kyujo, Kotoeiho will visit Makuuchi and fight Asahakuryu to kick off Top Division action.

NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Tobizaru (5-7) defeated Mitakeumi (5-7). Mitakeumi demonstrates the offensive output of a giant sloth as he allowed Tobizaru to wrap him up like staff at a conservation center, walk him around the ring and over the bales. Yorikiri.

Chiyoshoma (5-7) defeated Tomokaze (4-8). Chiyoshoma pressed forward and shoved Tomokaze over the bales, unfazed by Tomokaze’s slapdown attempt. Oshidashi.

Asakoryu (7-5) defeated Tokihayate (6-6). Asakoryu blitzed Tokihayate and assaulted him repeatedly with tsuppari, shoving him over the side. I think Tokihayate had made a joke about Asakoryu’s mother. Oshidashi.

Kotoshoho (7-5) defeated Asahakuryu (5-7). Kotoshoho charged forward to the bales before reversing course and dragging Asahakuryu down with his right-hand inside grip. Shitatenage.

Roga (5-7) defeated Hatsuyama (1-11). Roga used his migi-yotsu to drive through Hatsuyama’s attack and carry him over the bales. Yorikiri.

Shodai (6-6) defeated Midorifuji (5-7). Shodai trapped Midorifuji’s right arm and swung him over the edge. Kotenage.

Ryuden (5-7) defeated Kinbozan (4-8). Migiyotsu. Ryuden twisted and dragged Kinbozan toward the edge and shoved him over the bales. Yorikiri.

Asanoyama (9-3) defeated Fujinokawa (7-5). Fujinokawa wrapped his right shoulder inside Asanoyama’s left arm and tried to hoist him over. Asanoyama shuffled laterally to counter the throw and shoved Fujinokawa over the edge. Oshidashi.

Onokatsu (6-6) default victory over Nishikifuji (6-6).

Gonoyama (5-7) defeated Tamawashi (4-8). Tamawashi chugged forward but Gonoyama shifted to his left and pivoted, forcing Tamawashi to the edge. Gonoyama followed up with tsuppari and shoved Tamawashi out. Oshidashi.

Oshoumi (9-3) defeated Churanoumi (7-5). Churanoumi got a morozashi but Oshoumi used his left hand uwate to carry Chura to the bales. He lost his grip but as Churanoumi fought to survive but shoved Churanoumi over the tawara. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Daieisho (5-7) defeated Oshoma (6-6). Daieisho hit Oshoma with a few tsuppari before stepping left and thrusting Oshoma down. Tsukiotoshi.

Ura (2-10) defeated Hakunofuji (5-7). Ura got his left hand inside Hakunofuji’s armpit. As Hakunofuji pressed forward, Ura pivoted along the tawara brought his right hand up onto Hakunofuji’s head and pulled Hakunofuji forward with his left under Hakunofuji’s shoulder. Katasukashi.

Takanosho (3-9) defeated Ichiyamamoto (2-10). Takanosho held Ichiyamamoto with a right hand nodowa. He used his left hand to bat Ichiyamamoto’s attack away. Takanosho drove forward and forced Ichiyamamoto out. Oshidashi.

Wakatakakage (6-6) defeated Yoshinofuji (6-6). Wakatakakage kept steady as Yoshinofuji tried a slapdown, kubinage, kotenage,… Yoshinofuji pulled and tried another slapdown but Wakatakakage pursued, maintained his balance and forced him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Sanyaku

Shishi (9-3) defeated Oho (4-8). Who abducted the real Shishi and replaced him with someone with a skill approaching actual agility? Shishi nearly slapped Oho down earlier in the bout but he finished him off when Oho charged in for an attack and Shishi evaded it to the right and slapped Oho down. Hatakikomi.

Hiradoumi (8-4) defeated Wakamotoharu (5-7). Hiradoumi wrapped up WMH with a morozashi and charged forward. At the bales, Wakamotoharu twisted and tried an utchari. Both men tumbled into the crowd. Gunbai Hiradoumi. Hiradoumi got his kensho and was going to leave but the shimpan called a late mono-ii. Wakamotoharu’s foot touched over the bales, confirming the gyoji’s call. Yorikiri.

Kotozakura (8-4) defeated Abi (9-3). Kotozakura charged forward with his left hand uwate. At the edge, Kotozakura briefly got his right hand on Abi’s belt and lifted him up over the bales. Tsuridashi.

Aonishiki (10-2) defeated Atamifuji (9-3). Aonishiki stayed low and got his left hand inside. As he charged forward, Atamifuji raised up and batted him away. Aonishiki re-engaged, this time with the right hand. Again, Atamifuji defended. Aonishiki kept coming, though, and eventually worked both hands briefly inside on Atamifuji’s belt. Atamifuji tried to escape but Aonishiki was relentless and drove him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Kirishima (9-3) defeated Hoshoryu (8-4). Kirishima quickly got a morozashi. Hoshoryu reared back to attempt a makikae, change of grip. He wanted his right hand inside. Kirishima used the opening to press forward and force the Yokozuna over the bales. Their momentum forced both men to hop down from the dohyo. Hoshoryu doubled over as the shock to his knee probably smarted a wee bit with that torn meniscus. “Don’t remind me, Andy.” Yorikiri.

Onosato (8-4) defeated Takayasu (7-5). Onosato’s Houdini act was on display again. Takayasu had him.  Takayasu got the left hand inside and when Onosato pulled, he forced the Yokozuna to the edge. Onosato recovered at the bales, though. This time, Takayasu tried the pull and pulled himself right out of the ring. MOVE FORWARD. BACKWARD BAD. FORWARD GOOD. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up

Aonishiki is in the driver’s seat with hands firmly at 10 and 2. “Andy, you’ve used that joke before. Come up with something new.”

  • 2-losses: Aonishiki
  • 3-losses: Kirishima, Atamifuji, Abi, Shishi, Asanoyama, Oshoumi

Oho’s makekoshi puts a komusubi slot on the market. Yoshinofuji and Wakatakakage have three more days to make a case for why they deserve it, or Atamifuji might steal it from under their noses.

As of this writing, the Day 13 pairings are not set. I might be able to get an update out later but expect a lot of maegashira fighting folks in sanyaku. Aonishiki has two Yokozuna bouts and an Ozeki bout remaining, however. If one of those Yokozuna quietly mentions they will go kyujo, though, maybe they slot in a Aonishiki versus Asanoyama or Aonishiki versus Abi bout?

Update: Yokozuna/Ozeki fights begin. Hoshoryu will fight Aonishiki. Onosato will fight Kotozakura. Before that, sanyaku will be a mix of low-rankers fighting sanyaku. Wakamotoharu will start things off fighting Oshoumi. Then, Oho will fight Hiradoumi, Takayasu (with kachi-koshi on the line) will fight Asanoyama, and Kirishima will fight Shishi. Near the mid-way point, Abi will face off with Atamifuji. That’s a wild night of action.