Sumo News Round-up 2024.2.3

Andy Festivals, Japanese Culture, Kotonowaka, promotion, Tochinoshin (栃ノ心) , , , ,

Yes, the tournament is over. Terunofuji won in spectacular fashion against the impressive Kotonowaka. Our coverage from the tournament is collected here. Nevertheless, this week is jam-packed with sumo news.

Shin-Ozeki Kotonowaka

Kotonowaka was promoted to Ozeki, as expected. He came tantalizingly close to a yusho and was understandably disappointed to lose in the playoff. His performance over the past three basho has been of a consistent, high quality. But if we look back further, we can see a reliable, top-level sekitori since May of 2022.

Sumo fans everywhere were expecting him to change his shikona to Kotozakura, the shikona used by his grandfather. However, he has decided to stick with Kotonowaka for the time being, and will change his shikona in May.

Juryo Promotions Released

Along with Kotonowaka’s Ozeki promotion, the Banzuke Committee released the names of those makushita wrestlers who earned promotion to Juryo. This time, four rikishi return to juryo, no debutantes. We finally see the long-awaited returns of Wakatakakage and Hakuoho to the ranks of sekitori, along with journeymen Tsushimanada and Kitaharima.

You will remember that Wakatakakage and Hakuoho were top division wrestlers who suffered unfortunate injuries to the knee and shoulder, respectively, which required surgery and long rehab. In Wakatakakage’s case, he was Sekiwake in March of 2023 when he blew up his knee falling onto the tawara. Hakuoho’s shoulder had been a nagging concern going back to his amateur days. His other shoulder had surgery before going pro and the intense action of Makuuchi seemed to require the same surgery to be repeated on the opposite side after Nagoya 2023.

Both men dropped into Makushita during their rehab but will rise together in March 2024. Wakatakakage won the yusho, following up on his 5-2 in Kyushu. Hakuoho lost one bout to another standout, Onokatsu, to finish 6-1. Onokatsu lost his next match to Wakatakakage and he also finished 6-1, narrowly missing out on promotion.

Setsubun (February 3)

I’ve written about this a few times. Setsubun is a festival to celebrate the coming of spring. You have just cleaned the house at the beginning of January during “oosouji,” so let’s make an absolute mess of things again by throwing beans or peanuts at one of the kids, who runs around the house wearing a devil mask, and shouting “oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi” (“Bad spirits out! Fortune in!”) Brilliant. And, let’s top it off by standing up and eating a long sushi roll (eho-maki) while facing the same direction. This year, for those who observe, it’s east-north-east. With all of the kyujo from January, we need all the help we can get!

Tochinoshin Retirement Ceremony

Tochinoshin had his retirement ceremony at Kokugikan. These events feature exhibition bouts and various demonstrations, building up to the main event…the haircut. Yobidashi perform drum demonstrations while Tokoyama show how they make the infamous oicho-mage hairstyle donned by sekitori during tournaments. The Kasugano stable’s own Jiro is the top-ranked tate-yobidashi, and did the taiko demonstration while Tokotakumi, the level four Tokoyama, used Tochimusashi as his model. This was likely to be a role for Aoiyama but he was kyujo, as was Hokuseiho.

Kasugano-oyakata with the final snip

Gyoji certainly do not get the day off as they officiate bouts as well as participate in the Shokkiri. The comedy duo of Wakazakura and Tochimitsuru teamed up with Nishikido-beya’s Kimura Kintaro to lighten the mood with the famous “How NOT to Sumo” routine. Jinku included Yuki and Kasugano’s Tochigidake. At the end of the makuuchi bouts, Tochikodai closed things out with the bow-twirling ceremony.

Tochinoshin has been one of the most successful foreign wrestlers, reaching the level of Ozeki largely through the brute force of what sumo fans knew as his “sky-crane.” He was particularly known for his rivalry with Ichinojo, with whom he fought several epic bouts, including the famous water-break bout. It seems that many wrestlers have had spectacular comebacks from injury lately, and Tochinoshin’s career is certainly notable for how he overcame a knee injury, dropped out of the professional ranks, and clawed his way back past his previous best rank to reach Ozeki.

A long list of sumo dignitaries took turns with the scissors, taking a snip of his topknot, including Asashoryu, Hakuho, Terunofuji, and his compatriots, Kokkai and Gagamaru. Former stablemate Tochiozan was also in attendance but, as mentioned above, kyujo Aoiyama was not.

Tochinoshin will not continue his career in the sumo association. He has been working with wine makers of his native Georgia to help promote Georgian wine. If one thinks that there are only two major types of wine, red and white, you likely have not had an opportunity to enjoy a Georgian “Amber.” Georgia is famous for being the birthplace of wine — no, not Italy or France. Yes, they have red and white wine, as well. But not many wines from the region (of any variety) find themselves in our shops or restaurants, so there is certainly lots of work ahead for Mr. Sky Crane.

Kirishima and the Sliding Doors Moment

Josh K Kirishima, Kotonowaka, Terunofuji (照ノ富士), Tobizaru, Yokozuna (横綱)

Let’s just hope he doesn’t start selling new age accessories on his online shop

Well, that was an unbelievable basho, in a lot of ways. It had everything, including some incredible individual moments and performances. It had the best guys in the sport putting up the biggest wins and the best results, it had both the predictable and the unpredictable. Probably the only real regrettable things about the basho were that Asanoyama and (predictably) Takayasu’s fitness couldn’t sustain themselves for 15 days. Asanoyama is otherwise in the yusho race or at least putting up a score that vaults him to the top of the rank-and-file.

Two of my other top moments were scenes you could just telegraph: Terunofuji reading Onosho’s tachiai perfectly to showcase his ability to win with the minimum of hit points to his beleaguered physique, and Hoshoryu’s perfect read of Takanosho’s in-and-under-the-arms tachiai into what has become his signature throw. Kirishima of course was involved in two of the most significant bouts of the tournament, against the other top dogs.

Sumo has a lot of these “Sliding Doors” moments, incredible victories that signal a turn in results or that have an impact on the banzuke or a rikishi’s career well into the future. Moments that could have well gone another way. These incidents are normally forgotten. In sumo, it’s not really about what almost happened, it either happened or it didn’t. You get no points for “almost.”

Heading into senshuraku, there was an altogether other set of events that could have occurred and profoundly altered the future of sumo in 2024 (and beyond) as we know it. But neither match broke in the direction that was required: Kotonowaka knocked off a stubborn Tobizaru to deal the flying monkey his makekoshi, clinching Kotonowaka his Ozeki promotion and – at least – a trip to the yusho playoff. Terunofuji, of course, won against the Ozeki Kirishima in dominant fashion to clinch his own playoff spot.

Kirishima entered the final day one off the pace, at 11-3. A win and a 12-3 record would not ordinarily be the kind of result that would set the weavers in motion, but had these results broken the other way, it would have landed him in a three way yusho playoff and with the chance to seal a second consecutive yusho (and third overall) which would have certainly established an overwhelming claim to promote him to the sport’s highest rank.

After all, Terunofuji entered this basho following a run of seven kyujo from his previous eight tournaments, and with increasing speculation as to his long term future in the sport. Most observers – including the NHK Sumo Preview team – didn’t seem to place much faith in him still being in the sport at year’s end, and with Terunofuji’s shisho set to step down in 2025 (upon reaching mandatory retirement age, presumably leaving the heya in the Yokozuna’s care after Ajigawa-beya’s recent branch-out), it is likely that there will be a need for a new Yokozuna sooner than later. It’s possible that a Kirishima defeat of the Yokozuna and his presence in a playoff (win or lose, but probably contingent on a win) might have been enough to see the Michinoku-beya man promoted and the long term future of the rank secured.

However, for that to have happened, Kirishima would also have needed Tobizaru to have secured kachi-koshi against Kotonowaka. While the feisty underdog put forward a spirited challenge, the Sadogatake man-mountain was simply immovable.

In the end, of course, Kirishima’s 11-4 restarts his challenge. But, it certainly is the best performance we’ve seen from a yusho-winning Ozeki under the circumstances since Terunofuji’s own yokozuna promotion. It is difficult to say that Kirishima didn’t take the challenge all the way to the death, although he is doubtlessly counting the cost of losses to Midorifuji and Tobizaru, which in the end are the reason why his promotion challenge was so cruelly undermined.

A reversal of Tobizaru’s fortunes wouldn’t have done much for his own standing in Osaka, but Kotonowaka would have been sitting on a less attractive 32 wins from the previous three basho. While there is no de facto standard for Ozeki promotion, it can be argued that the Kyokai might have asked for another strong tournament in light of the fact he’d only need to upgrade on the 9 wins in the tournament at the beginning of the run. As is, the 9-11-13 nature of improvement, all at the Sekiwake rank, and taking the Yokozuna literally to the edge (in a playoff that was in fact closer than it might have looked), was enough to get the job done.

While Kotonowaka will fight at least one more basho under the ring name of his father and shisho (before presumably succeeding to the vaunted name of his grandfather Kotozakura), the future propects of another man carrying the weight of his shisho’s shikona are less certain. Kirishima will again enter the Haru basho as one of the favourites, but now on level standing with three other Ozeki who will all have hopes of fulfilling the criteria to become the 74th Yokozuna this year.

The upcoming Haru basho will be the final basho to take place with the current iteration of Michinoku beya intact, and Kirishima will not have be able to make the step up to the sumo’s ultimate rank before his stablemaster reaches retirement age: had the fates aligned differently, Kirishima II would have reached Yokozuna in Kirishima I’s final basho as head of Michinoku beya. If the Ozeki ever does make it, it will be under yet-to-be determined leadership at a different heya (presumably, one of the five other heya within the ichimon) at some point in the future.

Looking forward, Takakeisho will be looking for a repeat of his fourth yusho, which also took place in a basho he entered kadoban following a kyujo withdrawal from the previous tournament. Hoshoryu will have correctly decided that his late injury withdrawal from Hatsu will give him better chance to fully recover and challenge for honours in March. And Kotonowaka will want to prove worthy of the Kotozakura name. It will not be easy for Kirishima.

Going forward, we won’t think about another future that might have been possible. Takakeisho himself has had multiple near-misses over the years, but going into senshuraku a different future was very much in play. Instead, Kirishima’s 11-4 record is all that, more likely that not, will barely be remembered about this tournament. What might have been won’t matter when the next basho begins. This was a basho where Kotonowaka punched his ticket to the big time and Terunofuji let us all know he was still the man to beat. Everything else is just a subtext for those of us desperately seeking narrative in this mad world of sumo. And for that, let’s hope the next affair at the EDION Arena can match the outstanding tournament just gone.

Looking Ahead to the Haru Banzuke

lksumo Aki Basho 2022

Congratulations to Yokozuna Terunofuji on a well-deserved 9th career yusho! Now that the dust has settled on the Hatsu basho, it’s time for our usual look at what the results might mean for the Haru banzuke. Unlike last time, when the ranking changes were quite predictable, this banzuke is a challenge to put together. This is a largely a consequence of the strong performance of the upper ranks. The Yokozuna, Ozeki, Sekiwake, and M1e Wakamotoharu combined for a total win-loss differential of +43, and someone had to eat all those losses. Both Komusubi had losing records, and between Wakamotoharu going 10-5 at M1e and Asanoyama achieving 9 wins at M7w, there were only two winning records: M2w Abi (8-7) and M5w Nishikigi (8-7). Combine that with Kotonowaka’s upcoming Ozeki promotion, which expands the san’yaku ranks from 8 to 9, and there are a lot of open slots to fill, which will require some extreme over-promotions and under-demotions.

Yokozuna and Ozeki

This is the easy part. With Kirishima falling short of 13 wins and/or yusho that might have led to promotion, Terunofuji will remain as our sole Yokozuna since Hakuho’s retirement. But we will have 4 Ozeki for the first time since July, 2021 and only the 4th time since the quartet of Kisenosato, Terunofuji, Kotoshogiku, and Goeido held the rank for 10 straight basho in 2015-2017. The three incumbents—Kirishima, Hoshoryu, and Takakeisho—will be joined by newcomer Kotonowaka (or will it be Kotozakura?) Only Takakeisho, who withdrew after 3 days, will be kadoban at Haru, where he will require a winning record to maintain his rank.

Sekiwake and Komusubi

S1w Daieisho (9-6) is the only incumbent member of the lower san’yaku who will stay there, reaching 6 straight basho at Sekiwake. He will be joined at the rank by the only maegashira with a clear promotion case—Wakamotoharu, who’ll be returning to the rank he’d occupied since last May after a one-basho absence. With Takayasu withdrawing (twice) and Ura only managing 6 wins, we have two Komusubi slots to fill. The first has to go to Abi. The second is a coin flip between Nishikigi and Asanoyama; whoever gets it will receive one of the luckiest promotions to Komusubi in the modern era in terms of his rank and record.

Upper Maegashira

This is where things get really challenging. Remember, we only had 4 winning records at M1-M7, and we’ll have used up 3 of them to fill the lower san’yaku. The two obvious candidates here are Ura and whoever between Nishikigi and Asanoyama misses out on the last Komusubi slot. After that, it has to be a combination of very lenient demotions of incumbents like M1w Atamifuji (6-9), M2e Midorifuji and M3e Gonoyama, both 5-10, and M4e Tobizaru and M6e Kinbozan (7-8). That only gets us up to 7 rikishi to occupy the 12 slots from M1 to M6, so we’ll need to rely on some very generous promotions for wrestlers like M8w Hiradoumi (8-7), M9w Meisei (9-6), M11e Tsurugisho (9-6), M11w Oho (10-5), and M12e Takanosho (10-5). Not the kind of rank-record combinations we’d like to see in the joi, but beggars can’t be choosers.

Division Exchanges

This is also not completely straightforward. Some rikishi clearly earned a seat on the Juryo barge, and there are clear-cut promotion candidates to replace them, but there’s also a middle ground of potential exchanges that could go either way. The three obvious demotions are winless M17w Aoiyama, M16w Bushozan (4-11), whose third appearance in the top division wasn’t any more successful than the first two, and M15e Tomokaze (5-10). The top two candidates to take their places are making an immediate return to Makuuchi: J2e Nishikifuji (10-5) and J3w Kitanowaka (10-5). Three other Juryo men have rank-record combinations that warrant promotion. New sekitori J10e Takerufuji (13-2) is looking to become only the 9th wrestler in the six-basho era to get through Juryo in a single basho. The latest Isegahama phenom just completed his 8th professional basho, owns a career record of 56-8, and added the Juryo yusho to the ones he won in Jonokuchi and Jonidan; he has yet to lose more than 2 bouts in any tournament. J3e Roga (9-6) is looking to rebound right back to Makuuchi after his rough first basho there, and J1e Daiamami (8-7) managed the 8 wins that almost always suffice for promotion of the top-ranked man in the division; the last of his several top-division appearances came in July of 2022. To make room for this trio, we need two more demotions, and the likeliest candidates are M16e Takarafuji (6-9), who owns the longest current uninterrupted run in the top division, starting in January, 2013, and injury victim M8e Hokuseiho (2-4-9).

We could get the 5 exchanges as above, or someone (Takerufuji, by virtue of his lower rank?) could miss out in favor of keeping either Takarafuji or Hokuseiho. One could also make a case for demoting M12w Myogiryu or (more likely) M13w Endo, both 5-10, and bringing up J2w Tohakuryu (8-7) and/or J6e Tokihayate (10-5), though such borderline calls usually go in favor of the incumbents.

The March banzuke comes out on February 26, and I should have a more complete banzuke prediction post up before then. In the meantime, let me know what you think in the comments!

Hatsu 2024: Day 15 Highlights

Andy Hatsu 2024, Hatsu Basho , , ,

The injuries sure piled up during this tournament. Coming into the tournament I was most concerned with Terunofuji, our sole reigning Yokozuna. Would he be able to compete and finish the tournament? Do we need to rush to crown a new Yokozuna so that the ailing champion can be allowed to retire? If the other Ozeki are shaky, we probably need another backup, so let’s get this Kotonowaka kid elevated quickly!

Fifteen days into the tournament, Terunofuji is still here. And not only is he on the dohyo, he is in the yusho race! Only days ago, I had been very concerned about his physical conditioning and wondered aloud if it were time for intai. It is great to see him back, no matter today’s outcome.

Kirishima has put in a good effort but will very likely come up short. He needs a lot of help if the rope run is to be sustained. I think we all want to see him win it because of a dominant performance, not because the two guys ahead of him lost. The only path forward requires him to put in that dominant performance in a playoff but the odds are slim that he will be taking part.

Kotonowaka’s performance, on the other hand, has been excellent. He still has a lot to learn but he has competed over the past four tournaments at a consistently high level and is worthy of promotion to Ozeki. It is not set in stone yet and today’s bout will be crucial as the Kyokai decides whether to elevate him. Tobizaru stands in his way.

Lastly, I do want to mention Terunofuji’s stablemate, Takarafuji. The man has been in makuuchi for nearly 1000 consecutive bouts but he is set to be demoted to Juryo. Thankfully, he has expressed in the Japanese media that he intends to stay on. He enjoys sumo and will not retire. The Takarabune will still rig his sails in Juryo.

Makuuchi Action

Takarafuji (6-9) defeated Kotoshoho (9-6). Persistence paid off for the Takarabune. Patched up and wobbly, the Takarabune set a course for home. Kotoshoho buffeted the Takarabune with hearty blows. But the Takarabune charged forward and defeated Kotoshoho. Oshidashi.

Oho (10-5) defeated Tomokaze (5-10). Oho hit Tomokaze hard at the tachiai and drove him back to the edge. Tomokaze used a nodowa to defend himself but Oho withstood the pressure and shoved Tomokaze’s arm away. This turned Tomokaze around and Oho chased him out from behind. Okuridashi.

Tsurugisho (9-6) defeated Bushozan (4-11). Tsurugisho shifted left and slapped Bushozan down. Hatakikomi.

Onosho (10-5) defeated Sadanoumi (6-9). Onosho charged forward and shoved Sadanoumi over the edge. Oshidashi.

Onosato (11-4) defeated Tamawashi (8-7). Again, no tsuppari from already kachi-koshi Tamawashi. He took on Onosato at the initial charge, let him drive him back to the bales, and then resisted at the edge with all of his might. Onosato pulled, and Tamawashi fell back to the center of the dohyo. Hikiotoshi.

Meisei (9-6) defeated Shimazuumi (9-6). Meisei forced Shimazuumi into an oshi/tsuki bout. Shimazuumi was doing his best to deflect Meisei’s tsuppari and push Meisei. Suddenly Meisei shifted and thrust Shimazuumi down. Unfortunately, the defeat meant that Shimazuumi lost his chance at a special prize. Tsukiotoshi.

Mitakeumi (6-9) defeated Endo (5-10). Endo drove forward with powerful tsuppari. Mitakeumi shifted along the tawara and drove Endo down. Gunbai to Mitakeumi. A quick mono-ii was called to confirm the judge’s call. Mitakeumi’s foot was very close to out but never touched. Tsukiotoshi.

Myogiryu (5-10) defeated Ichiyamamoto (5-10). Myogiryu’s tsuppari simply overpowered Ichiyamamoto. Oshidashi.

Churanoumi defeated Shodai. Churanoumi’s hidari-yotsu chugged and chugged, reversed Shodai’s forward progress and then drove him back and out. Tsukiotoshi.

Halftime

Takanosho (10-5) defeated Gonoyama (5-10). Gonoyama drove forward but Takanosho danced along the tawara, slipped to the side, and drove Gonoyama down. Gunbai Takanosho. The shimpan gathered in a mono-ii to review the tape and confirm Takanosho’s foot did not step out. Tsukiotoshi.

Hiradoumi (8-7) defeated Abi (8-7). Hiradoumi baited Abi forward and slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

Kinbozan (7-8) defeated Midorifuji (5-10). Kinbozan bulldozed Midorifuji with powerful tsuppari. Tsukidashi.

Shonannoumi (4-11) defeated Atamifuji (6-9). Shonannoumi moved forward! He acquired a left-hand inside grip, hefted up on Atamifuji’s mawashi, drove him forward and out. Did I see a little dame-oshi there at the end? Yorikiri.

Wakamotoharu (10-5) defeated Nishikigi (8-7). Nishikigi was just a passenger on the Wakamotoharu freight train. Nishikigi held on tight while Wakamotoharu chugged forward. Yorikiri.

Sanyaku

Ura defeated Ryuden. Ura hefted Ryuden onto his shoulders and threw him off the dohyo. Gunbai The shimpan called a mono-ii. Gumbai confirmed. Tsutaezori.

Kore-yori-Sanyaku.

I always loved this. The final three bouts of Senshuraku. This is why we watch.

Daieisho (9-6) defeated Asanoyama (9-3-3). Daieisho did his sumo and blasted Asanoyama back. But this time Daieisho slipped to the side and his opponent fell down. Daieisho got the arrows. Tsukiotoshi.

Kotonowaka (13-2) defeated Tobizaru (7-8). “I said, Get Down, Dude!” Kotonowaka brought his big mitt down on Tobizaru’s head and drove him to the ground. He then had to hang out and pass the power water to Terunofuji. Kirishima is eliminated from the yusho contention and his rope-run evaporated. Uwatenage.

Terunofuji (13-2) defeated Kirishima (11-4). Terunofuji lifted Kirishima and threw him from the dohyo. Holy moly. Yorikiri is a polite way to put it. More like Yori-gtfoh (“Get The F*** Out of Here,” for non-Millennials).

Bonus sumo

Terunofuji defeated Kotonowaka. Terunofuji yusho. Kotonowaka got his morozashi…but when Terunofuji started to pull on him, his switched to a migi-yotsu and pulled. Terunofuji preferred a hidari-yotsu, so he switched his grip (makikae) and drove forward, forcing Kotonowaka out. The big bois fell onto the Shimpan. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up

Wow. The drama! Terunofuji came from behind to secure his 9th career yusho. What an amazing start to 2024. Terunofuji is back. His knees are still a concern, obviously, as we could see him wince and struggle to make it through the lengthy award ceremony. Every so often he would bend over and try to take some of the pressure off those knees. He may not be indestructible but in each bout he finds a way to destroy just about everyone else. He started out a bit rusty and had to win all of his matches over the past week to mount his comeback. But he is used to those, no?

In the next few days we will find out if Kotonowaka did enough for Ozeki promotion. He hit that 33-win mark and has been confident and steady. To be frank, it’s also 44-wins over 4 tournaments. He has put in some solid sumo over the past two years, advancing steadily. It is time but as today’s final bout showed, there is still so far to go.

Tomorrow, I will try to get the tournament main page set-up and cleaned up. It is live. You can already navigate to it. I have been updating it as the tournament went along but it needs some attention tomorrow and a few more updates. The Year in 2024 page will be the page with more updates after the tournament, such as any promotions or further retirements announced after this tournament. I already can’t wait for March! Holy-moly. How will Kirishima react to this…humbling?