Hatsu 2024: Day 5 Highlights

Andy Hatsu 2024, Hatsu Basho ,

Day 5 is upon us.

Before we get to the action, there is some good news. Takayasu will be back for Day 6. He will face Ura, tomorrow. At 1-2-2, he can certainly still turn in a decent scorecard. This is recoverable. I’m going to be positive and not worry about him coming back early just to be an easy mark for the sanyaku sharks. I promise.

Now, where were we? Day 5 is upon us. We are deep enough into the tournament that the cream is rising to the top. We have had stellar matches in the top half of the division. Fantastic upsets of the top dogs, but the top dogs are still performing well and putting up dominant wins, as well. That said, Takakeisho has departed for the infirmary with a reaggravated neck injury and will probably sit at home and begin researching the status of available and soon-to-be-available kabu.

The lower half of the division has not quite been fighting as inspired as we have grown accustomed, lately. The funny thing about having yusho races that feature guys at the bottom of the banzuke is that we were getting a lot of dominant performances from guys at the bottom of the banzuke. Now they are at the top half, for the most part and the lower half has not been as electric. Will we see that action heat up?

Makuuchi Highlights

Onosato (4-1) defeated Aoiyama (0-5). Oshidashi. Aoiyama is hurt and not long for this division. Frankly, in this condition, I’m surprised that he did so well in Juryo. He is headed back there, certainly.

Tomokaze (1-4) defeated Shimazuumi (3-2). Tomokaze wisely denied Shimazuumi’s attempt to get inside and get that left-hand grip. After a few seconds of tsuppari, he pulled and brought Shimazuumi down. The call is katasukashi but it sure looked like a hatakikomi to me.

Onosho (4-1) defeated Bushozan (2-3). Onosho was too strong for Bushozan and drove him out quickly. We see the difference in quality here between a guy who was as high as Kobusubi, and a guy who was as high as M14. I am not saying Onosho is ready for sanyaku and certainly not making calls for a yusho run but he should clean up down here, and is delivering on that expectation.

Takarafuji (3-2) defeated Endo (1-4). Endo is doing so poorly that one would think he is hiding a serious injury. The Takarabune picked him up and set sail. “It was a breeze.” Yorikiri.

Kotoshoho (4-1) defeated Churanoumi (3-2). Perhaps Kotoshoho is trying to emulate what he sees in sanyaku. He wrapped up Churanoumi’s arm and dragged him to the tawara, as we’ve seen Terunofuji do quite successfully. The finish was not quite so easy as Churanoumi wriggled away and began to lay into Kotoshoho with tsuppari. Kotoshoho gave chase as Churanoumi retreated and eventually caught up and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Oho (4-1) defeated Myogiryu (1-4). Myogiryu charged forward early, matta. Once the two got going “for realz,” Oho easily overpowered Myogiryu. Myogiryu evaded the slapdown and stayed alive to try his own. But once that failed, he had effectively cornered himself and Oho moved in for the easy shove. Oshidashi.

Takanosho (3-2) defeated Sadanoumi (1-4). Takanosho was all over Sadanoumi like shirasu on rice. Sadanoumi tried a last ditch slapdown but Takanosho just steamed ahead. Yorikiri.

Meisei (3-2) defeated Tsurugisho (1-4). Meisei plowed into Tsurugisho at the tachiai and didn’t relent until Tsurugisho was out. Tsukidashi.

Tamawashi (3-2) defeated Mitakeumi (3-2). Historically, Mitakeumi has been able to dominate Tamawashi but not of late. Today, we got the oshi version of a lean-fest. A slick mis-direction from Mitakeumi nearly sent Tamawashi sprawling but the old man recovered. Mitakeumi slipped his right-hand inside for a belt grip but Tamawashi dug deep and pressed forward with all his might and shoved Mitakeumi out. Oshidashi. “What are you talking about, Andy? There are good bouts in the first half.”

Asanoyama (5-0) defeated Hiradoumi (3-2). Hiradoumi was not quite ready for Asanoyama’s charge and was punished for it. Asanoyama wrapped him up with his right-hand inside and led him out. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Hokuseiho (2-3) defeated Shonannoumi (1-4). Hokuseiho locked up Shonannoumi’s right arm but didn’t seem to know what to do with it. He let go with the right so he could get a grasp of Shonannoumi’s mawashi…and completely let go with the left hand. As Shonannoumi took the initiative and started forward, Hokuseiho reacted and swung him down on the tawara. Shitatenage. Imagine what Hokuseiho would be capable of if he learned how to do sumo with two hands.

Ichiyamamoto (1-4) defeated Nishikigi (3-2). Ichiyamamoto launched ahead and blasted Nishikigi out. Oshidashi. As Ichiyamamoto went to go pick up his kensho, he should have thanked the gyoji for not calling a matta.

Ryuden (2-3) defeated Kinbozan (2-3). Kinbozan, uncomfortable in a yotsu situation, ended up getting spun around somehow and walked out from behind. Okuridashi.

Shodai (3-2) defeated Midorifuji (1-4). If Shodai could do it, why couldn’t Haruma…oops, I mean Kirishima? Shodai let Midorifuji inside and Midorifuji tried his signature shoulder attacks. But Shodai kept pressing forward and forced the newlywed out – even with his right arm waving in the air like he just don’t care. Oshidashi.

Atamifuji (1-4) defeated Tobizaru (3-2). Both men quickly locked in. Tobizaru with his right-hand inside, Atamifuji with his left hand over and Tobizaru used his left hand to hold Atamifuji’s other arm at bay. Atamifuji pressured forward and each tried to throw the other but Atamifuji kept moving forward until Tobizaru ran out of real estate and dropped off the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Daieisho (4-1) defeated Wakamotoharu (2-3). Wakamotoharu brushed Daieisho to the side at the tachiai, and nearly sent him out. Daieisho recovered and locked in with a left-hand inside. You read that right, Daieisho was on the belt here. He then twisted, and threw Wakamotoharu to the floor. Tsukiotoshi? I’m not sure how that wasn’t a shitatenage or sukuinage. Maybe because he had help from the right hand pushing on Wakamotoharu’s left shoulder. Regardless, that was a surprising yotsu win from Daieisho.

Kotonowaka (5-0) defeated Ura (1-4). The slippery, hyper-active Ura sure kept Kotonowaka on his toes here. Kotonowaka’s excellent footwork made sure he kept his balance and never overcommitted, never pitched forward as he chased. He was always in control. He got a solid grip of Ura’s mawashi, spun him around, and ushered him out from behind. Okuridashi.

Kirishima (4-1) defeated Abi (0-5). Abi got Kirishima in trouble at the edge but Kirishima circled back in and Abi stepped out. A bit dicey there from the Ozeki. Tsukiotoshi.

Gonoyama (2-3) defeated Hoshoryu (4-1). Gonoyama drove forward and Hoshoryu let himself be pushed back to the edge. Instead of resisting at the bales, Hoshoryu got shoved out. Well, that was a surprise. Yorikiri.

Terunofuji (4-1) defeated Hokutofuji (3-2). Terunofuji’s right arm corralled Hokutofuji under the shoulder. This forced Hokutofuji’s left arm to flail around awkward and useless. Terunofuji pressed forward and showed his opponent the exit. Oshidashi.

Wrap-up

“And then there were two.”

Kotonowaka and Asanoyama lead and a pack of solid competitors, headed by Terunofuji, Kirishima, and Hoshoryu give chase. Kotonowaka and Asanoyama have certainly been fighting at a high level. That is very exciting. Asanoyama will face Nishikigi tomorrow and Kotonowaka will be tested against Wakamotoharu.

Terunofuji will take on Tobizaru, Kirishima will face Gonoyama, and Hoshoryu will get Abi. Daieisho, also at 4-1, will have his hands full with Atamifuji. Will we see more yotsu from Daieisho? Or will he succeed in keeping Atamifuji off his belt? Stay tuned…

Hatsu 2024: Day 4 Highlights

Andy Hatsu 2024, Hatsu Basho , ,

We get late word before the action starts that Takakeisho joins Takayasu, kyujo. Takayasu’s kyujo turns out to be his nagging back injury. For Takakeisho, it’s his neck. Takayasu’s absence means we get to see Daiamami visit from Juryo today.

“And then there were five.”

We have three sanyaku wrestlers undefeated, as well as Asanoyama, a former Ozeki. Lastly, we have the newly promoted Shimazuumi who has been cleaning up at the bottom of the division. It’s still early but he will be paired off against Nishonoseki’s top recruit, Onosato. The good news is that we’re getting some great performances from our sanyaku stars. Asanoyama, the former Ozeki, should almost be considered one. How long can they keep it up?

Makuuchi Highlights

Daiamami (2-2) defeated Aoiyama (0-4). Daiamami a little eager, charged early. Matta. Aoiyama got the tsuppari going but his feet were only working in reverse. Oshidashi.

Bushozan (2-2) defeated Takarafuji (2-2). Takarafuji pulled and was shoved out by a falling Bushozan. Gunbai Bushozan. No mono-ii. Oshidashi.

Onosato (3-1) defeated Shimazuumi (3-1). Onosato bulldozed Shimazuumi, handing Shimazuumi his first loss of the tournament.

Churanoumi (3-1) defeated Tomokaze (0-4). Churanoumi pivoted and shoved Tomokaze out. Oshidashi. What else?

Onosho (3-1) defeated Endo (1-3). Endo charged forward but it was a feint. Onosho slipped to the side and Endo stumbled but stayed in. Onosho pounced and shoved Endo while he was off-balance, and cast him off the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Kotoshoho (3-1) defeated Myogiryu (1-3). Kotoshoho outlasted Myogiryu and shoved him out and to the ground. Since Myogiryu landed on his butt we’ve got some variety here, oshitaoshi.

Oho (3-1) defeated Takanosho (2-2) by oshidashi. Takanosho tried a nodowa and some tsuppari but Oho struck at Takanosho’s extended right arm, driving him forward from the side.

Mitakeumi (3-1) defeated Tsurugisho (1-3). Mitakeumi with the hit-and-shift tachiai. Tsurugisho wasn’t ready for the change in direction, stumbled forward and Mitakeumi shoved him out from behind, easily. Okuridashi.

Meisei (2-2) defeated Sadanoumi (1-3) with powerful thrusts, with a couple of headbutts thrown in for good measure. Oshidashi.

Hiradoumi (3-1) defeated Tamawashi (2-2). Hiradoumi fought hard to get inside and establish that belt grip with his right. From there he plowed forward forced Tamawashi over the tawara. We’ve got an actual yorikiri!

Asanoyama (4-0) defeated Hokuseiho (1-3). Asanoyama wrapped up Hokuseiho and drove forward. Hokuseiho resisted at the edge but had no counter attack. So, Asanoyama kept up the pressure and pushed until Hokuseiho stepped out. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Ryuden (1-3) defeated Ichiyamamoto (0-4). Ichiyamamoto almost scored a hatakikomi win. Ryuden kept his balance, though, and countered when Ichiyamamoto re-engaged. Ryuden thrust Ichiyamamoto to the dohyo. Tsukiotoshi.

Nishikigi (3-1) defeated Shonannoumi (1-3). Nishikigi locked in on Shonannoumi and drove forward. Shonannoumi tried to shake Nishikigi loose but failed. Yorikiri.

Tobizaru (3-1) defeated Kinbozan (2-2). Tobizaru with the henka-light as he sidestepped his tachiai. Kinbozan caught it out but Tobizaru wrapped him up, turned him around, and shoved him out from behind. Okuridashi.

Hokutofuji (3-1) defeated Abi (0-4). Abi kept up the pressure with his thrusts and nodowa but Hokutofuji was able to resist for a long time. Hokutofuji kept his balance at the slapdown attempt and re-engaged, only to get a strong nodowa for his reward. With Abi’s weight so far forward, Hokutofuji finally caught him off balance and thrust him down to the clay. I was actually impressed with both men today. Abi’s attack lasted a long time. That’s the kind of endurance I wish we could see from Takakeisho. Hokutofuji, though, had solid footwork and perseverance. Paid off today. Tsukiotoshi.

Sanyaku

Kotonowaka (4-0) defeated Atamifuji (0-4). Solid tachiai and the competitors locked in for a grapple. Perhaps sensing Atamifuji’s weight was too far forward, Kotonowaka quickly disengaged and yanked him down. Katasukashi was the call but it looked like a hatakikomi to me. Either way, smart, well executed slapdown from Kotonowaka.

Daieisho (3-1) defeated Shodai (2-2). Shodai weathered Daieisho’s tsuppari in and entertaining, back-and-forth bout, but when he tried to deflect Daieisho to the side, Daieisho shoved him down. Oshitaoshi.

Ura (1-3) fusen win. Takakeisho (2-2) kyujo. Many in the crowd heard the news for the first time as a collective, “へええええ” rose from the assembled masses.

Hoshoryu (4-0) defeated Wakamotoharu (2-2) Houdiniryu escaped again! Wakamotoharu fought well and nearly caught Hoshoryu a couple of times. But Hoshoryu maintained his balance when he needed to. And at the edge, the slippery dragon wriggled free from Wakamotoharu’s grasp, somehow slipped in behind and threw Wakamotoharu from the dohyo. Okurinage.

Midorifuji (1-3) defeated Kirishima (3-1) Kirishima may have been too passive and patient here. He wrapped up Midorifuji and seemed to want to ride out the attacks before launching his own. “Settle down, son.” Midorifuji responded with a resounding, “No!” Midorifuji wriggled free and yanked the Ozeki down by the shoulder with his patented katasukashi.

Terunofuji (3-1) defeated Gonoyama (1-3). Terunofuji quickly wrapped up Gonoyama’s arm at the tachiai. Then he reached back with his left hand, got a handle on Gonoyama’s belt, and threw him from the dohyo. Uwatenage.

Wrap-up

Well, the huge upset of the day is Midorifuji’s win over Kirishima. It puts the brakes on Kirishima’s charge for Yokozuna promotion. He will have to regroup and fight flawlessly for the rest of the tournament. But I am not sure that was even the best bout of the day. I loved that escape move from Hoshoryu, and that had been a great bout even before the spectacular finish. Then, we have Terunofuji’s utter destruction of Gonoyama. It was the complete humbling of Goeido’s protégé. He charged in with such pep and vigor, only to be dispatched so handily. Last, we may need to include Kotonowaka’s domination of Atamifuji.

This sets up some great matches for tomorrow! We have three men remaining undefeated: Hoshoryu, Kotonowaka, and Asanoyama. Hoshoryu will face Gonoyama, Kotonowaka will face Ura. Asanoyama will take on Hiradoumi.

In the chase group with one loss, we’ve got Terunofuji and Hokutofuji, who face each other tomorrow. We also have Kirishima, who will take on the winless (but always dangerous) Abi, as well as Daieisho, who will take on Wakamotoharu (2-2) and Tobizaru will face Atamifuji (0-4).

Yes, there is a pack of rank-and-filers with one loss but they will have to impress me more to get mentioned here. The rank-and-file have been stinking up the place, to be honest. I might just start waking up an hour later if they keep up the crappy, uninspired “sumo.” The bouts to watch are those I’ve mentioned.

Well, Nishikigi vs Ichiyamamoto might be entertaining. Midorifuji vs Shodai could go either way. And Mitakeumi vs Tamawashi could be a good one, as well. Mitakeumi used to own Tamawashi, with a staggering 29-7 record. But he has lost four of their last six.

Hatsu 2024: Day 3 Highlights

Andy Hatsu 2024, Hatsu Basho , , , ,

Day Two was rather eventful. Wakamotoharu picked up the biggest win of the night but there were several great bouts and, with the exception of a rusty Terunofuji, it was great to see a strong collective performance from the sanyaku.

Makuuchi Highlights

Bushozan (1-2) defeated Aoiyama (0-3). Aoiyama glided straight back and stepped out under Bushozan’s tsuppari. Oshidashi.

Shimazuumi (3-0) defeated Takarafuji (2-1). Shimazuumi fought hard to get his lefthand inside grip. Failing that, he wrapped Takarafuji up in a bear hug and drove forward with all his might. Impressive start for the rookie. Yorikiri.

Onosho (2-1) defeated Onosato (2-1). Onosho charged forward too early, matta. Reset. At the tachiai, Onosho blasted Onosato, drove him straight back and out. This is Onosato’s first loss in the top division. Oshidashi.

Kotoshoho (2-1) defeated (0-3) Tomokaze. Kachiage from Tomokaze at the tachiai but Kotoshoho was able to shove Tomokaze back, almost to the straw bales. Both men blasted their opponent with powerful tsuppari. Tomokaze generated some forward motion under the power of his slaps. As the pair started to move across the ring, Kotoshoho grabbed Tomokaze by the armpit and yanked him forward over the bales. Hikkake.

Myogiryu (1-2) defeated Endo (1-2). Just as Endo drove Myogiryu to the edge, Myogiryu stepped to the side and shoved Endo down, hard. Tsukiotoshi.

Takanosho (2-1) defeated Churanoumi (2-1). Another powerful oshi contest. Takanosho demonstrated the most powerful shoving ability, pushing Churanoumi out. Oshidashi.

Oho (2-1) defeated Sadanoumi (1-2). Oho yanked Sadanoumi around and shoved him out. Another oshidashi.

Tamawashi (2-1) defeated Tsurugisho (1-2). What the hell is this? Tsurugisho forced Tamawashi into a belt battle? Tsurugisho wrapped up Tamawashi with his left-hand inside. He drove Tamawashi across the ring but Tamawashi used his own grip to counter, guiding Tsurugisho over the bales – and over the edge! Impressive power from Tamawashi. He fought Tsurugisho at Tsurugisho’s game and won. Nice. Thank you, Tamawashi. Yorikiri.

Meisei (1-2) defeated Hiradoumi (2-1). Back to the oshi-tsuki battles. Meisei won this one with powerful thrusts, shoving Hiradoumi off the dohyo and into the crowd. Oshidashi.

Mitakeumi (2-1) defeated Hokuseiho (1-2). Mitakeumi denied Hokuseiho a grip by crushing him, driving forward powerfully, and quickly out. Oshidashi.

Asanoyama (3-0) defeated Shonannoumi (1-2). Asanoyama is strong. He drove forcefully into Shonannoumi, forcing him back. Shonannoumi tried to slip to the side at the edge but Asanoyama had him wrapped up, kept his opponent in front of him and drove him out. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Kinbozan (2-1) defeated Ichiyamamoto (0-3). Ichiyamamoto hit Kinbozan with a strong tachiai but Kinbozan was far too powerful for Ichiyamamoto. Kinbozan drove forward and thrust Ichi out. Tsukidashi.

Nishikigi (2-1) defeated Shodai (2-1). Nishikigi did not allow Shodai to escape. The winning formula was simple: Move forward, push out. Yorikiri.

Tobizaru (2-1) defeated Ryuden (0-3). Tobizaru fought hard for that morozashi. Once he got that right hand grip in there, he yanked Ryuden around, powerfully. He nearly got the shitatenage but Ryuden kept his balance and resisted with all his might at the edge. Tobizaru drove forward and finished him by shoving him over the bales. Excellent effort from both men but Tobizaru was the stronger man today.

Sanyaku

Gonoyama (1-2) fusensho. Takayasu (1-2) kyujo.

Hokutofuji (2-1) defeated Daieisho (2-1). Daieisho, what the hell was that? “I’m going to use my powerful tsuppari to blast Hokutofuji…and then give up and let him run me out the other side of the dohyo.” Seriously, he hit Hokutofuji hard, blasts him with tsuppari and drove him back to the tawara. Then he completely gave up and Hokutofuji chased him out. Yes, Daieisho tried to slip to the side and tried to catch him with a hatakikomi. But Hokutofuji maintained his balance this time, kept his sights on Daieisho, and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Kotonowaka (3-0) defeated Midorifuji (0-3). Kotonowaka was in total control. Impressive. Katasukashi. That’s usually Midorifuji’s thing but in the center of the ring, Kotonowaka yanked Midorifuji down by the shoulder, almost crushing him with that weight.

Hoshoryu (3-0) defeated Ura (0-3). Ura locked on to Hoshoryu’s belt and drove forward with purpose. Hoshoryu tried to trip him but completely whiffed, sending him, off balance toward the edge. At the last moment, Hoshoryu summoned all of the strength he had to twist and throw Ura to the ground. Wow. Where did that come from? He was off-balance and about to go out. Sukuinage.

Kirishima (3-0) defeated Atamifuji (0-3). Kirishima’s hatakikomi didn’t work, so he tried to topple Atamifuji with a throw. Atamifuji resisted and grabbed on to Kirishima’s belt but his back was on the ropes. Kirishima grabbed him and drove forward, dumping Atamifuji into the crowd below. Yorikiri.

Wakamotoharu (2-1) defeated Takakeisho (2-1). Takakeisho tried to use his tsuppari and was able to force Wakamotoharu to the edge. But he tired quickly and Wakamotoharu thrust him through the ring and out for his second consecutive scalp. Tsukidashi.

Terunofuji (2-1) defeated Abi (0-3). Terunofuji grabbed Abi by the arm and yanked him forward to the floor. Tottari.

Wrap-up

Takayasu’s kyujo was a bit of a surprise to me so I will report on any updates I find about the length of his absence. If he is out for the whole tournament, he will basically have until March to recover and will fall into the midst of the rank-and-file.

Some rather wintery weather here means this summary will be a bit brief while we dig out. Wakamotoharu has now scored two great upset victories, prepping him for special prizes and a return to sanyaku if his performance holds out.

Other than some rather “blah” hiramaku bouts, we did get some humdingers in sanyaku, especially that Ura/Hoshoryu bout. That was a thrill and I still don’t know how Hoshoryu not only recovered but slammed Ura so hard after throwing himself off-balance after whiffing on that trip — all while being shoved by Ura. That was impressive. The Ozeki were definitely tested, with only Takakeisho falling to WMH. Kotonowaka was the most in control and dominant against Midorifuji, defeating him by Midori’s own signature katasukashi. Kotonowaka’s size difference gave a bit of a katasu-crushy flavor.

Hatsu 2024: Day 2 Highlights

Andy Hatsu 2024, Hatsu Basho ,

Well, Day One had its highlights and lowlights, that’s for sure. Terunofuji sure made an impression with the way he dispatched Ura last night. We’ll be worried about that elbow for the next fortnight, won’t we? I can honestly say that I have never seen that before and I’ve been watching sumo for a few days now.

I’m going to try something new here on the blog. The infinite scroll is rather annoying, so I’m going to try to resurrect and old idea I had a couple years ago. I hope to re-establish the “tournament archives” page with a few tweaks so that this content will hopefully be easier to find as we go deeper into the action. I’ll still have a central page for each tournament, like this one for Hatsu 2024 but I will also have a year-long wrap up since there is a lot of action and news that comes outside of the tournaments.

This way will hopefully help organize these “current events” and “news” type posts. Other feature posts that are more focused on individual topics will be organized separately. More on that to come. We’ll see how it goes. Keep in mind that these pages are living and will be updated with content frequently during the tournament. They look rather Spartan now.

Makuuchi Highlights

Takarafuji (2-0) defeated Aoiyama (0-2). Takarafuji weathered the Aoiyama tsuppari storm for a good long while. To lessen the impact of the blows, he deflected what he could by batting away at Aoiyama’s elbows. Aoiyama’s forward motion started picking up steam and Takarafuji slipped quickly to the side, gently ushering Aoiyama out. Hikkake.

Shimazuumi (2-0) defeated Bushozan (0-2). Two quick slaps after the tachiai and Shimazuumi established superior position at the center of the ring, with Bushozan on the ropes. From there, he pursued the retreating Bushozan halfway around the ring, while applying constant pressure before finally hoisting him over the tawara. Yorikiri.

Bushozan will face Aoiyama. Shimazuumi will take on Takarafuji.

Onosato (2-0) defeated Kotoshoho (1-1). Kotoshoho’s tsuppari gave Onosato a bit of a challenge at the tachiai but he gave up on it for a slapdown attempt. This provided Onosato an opening to press forward. Kotoshoho tried a throw at the edge but Onosato kept Kotoshoho in front. With a powerful shove, Onosato cast Kotoshoho down into the crowd. Oshitaoshi.

Onosho (1-1) defeated Tomokaze (0-2). So, Onosho does know how to move forward! Excellent work here. Solid tachiai and powerful tsuppari forced Tomokaze back. When Tomokaze attempted a slapdown, Onosho dodged it and pressed Tomokaze out. Oshidashi.

Oh, no! Onosho versus Onosato on the ‘morrow. Kotoshoho and Tomokaze to follow.

Endo (1-1) defeated Takanosho (1-1). Endo picked up his shonichi, first win, with a powerful shove at the tachiai. That left hand hit on Takanosho’s elbow at the right time to deflect Takanosho headlong toward the tawara. Simple pursuit and he ushered Takanosho out. Oshidashi.

Churanoumi (2-0) defeated Myogiryu (0-2). Powerful tsuppari from both competitors. I think Churanoumi had a gripe about a hair pull there in all that slapping. Regardless, he won by pressing Myogiryu down to the side and slipping in behind as Myogiryu tried to keep his balance. A simple push out from behind. Okuridashi.

Endo will get Myogiryu while Takanosho will try to get some dirt on Churanoumi.

Tamawashi (1-1) defeated Oho (1-1). In the ring, Tamawashi is not the gentle geezer that he is on the jungyo trail. He showed Oho no mercy and blasted him from the fighting surface with his standard fierce tsuppari. Oshidashi.

Tsurugisho (1-1) defeated Sadanoumi (1-1). Wow. One blast from that right arm of Tsurugisho was enough to send Sadanoumi sprawling. Shibatayama-oyakata (a big dude, himself) was chatting with the Abema commentator about Tsurugisho’s girth and how much he weighs. There sure is a lot of power in that mass. Oshitaoshi.

Tsurugisho will battle Tamawashi and Sadanoumi will face Oho.

Hokuseiho (1-1) defeated Meisei (0-2). This was an entertaining, evenly matched yotsu battle. Certainly unexpected from Meisei. Meisei started with a morozashi but as the grapple evolved, he switched to a migi maemitsu grip, with his left hand at the back of Hokuseiho’s mawashi. Hokuseiho had his usual deep grip over Meisei’s back. There were several flurries of action and resistance. Meisei finally worked Hokuseiho over to the edge but Hokuseiho threw Meisei to the ground. Uwatenage.

Hiradoumi (2-0) defeated Mitakeumi (1-1). A strong, head-butt tachiai from Hiradoumi, followed by a right-hand blast to the face and Hiradoumi thrust Mitakeumi back, off the dohyo and into the lap of an elderly fan. Mitakeumi’s offense and defense have been rather uninspired. Oshidashi.

Hiradoumi is set to take on winless Meisei; Hokuseiho is scheduled to take on Mitakeumi.

Asanoyama (2-0) defeated Kinbozan (1-1). Kinbozan tried twice at the very start of the bout to heave Asanoyama to the ground, casting to and fro, but Asanoyama’s solid footwork kept him upright. He then wrapped up Kinbozan with his right-hand inside and pressed forward forcefully. Yorikiri

Halftime

Shonannoumi (1-1) defeated Ichiyamamoto (0-2). Shonannoumi was all in on the slapdown strategy. The third time was the charm as he finally forced Ichiyamamoto to the clay. Hatakikomi.

Shonannoumi will try to get his first win against Asanoyama in his sixth attempt. Ichiyamamoto will fight Kinbozan.

Tobizaru (1-1) defeated Nishikigi (1-1). Nishikigi pressed forward and Tobizaru hopped to the side, thrusting Nishikigi’s head down. A quick slapdown win. Tsukiotoshi.

Shodai (2-0) defeated Ryuden (0-2). Excellent, powerful, twisting throw from Shodai. He absorbed Ryuden’s powerful charge, spun around, and twisted Ryuden down. Sukuinage.

Shodai will face Nishikigi and Tobizaru gets Ryuden.

Sanyaku

Hokutofuji (1-1) defeated Ura (0-2). “Past performance is no guarantee of future results.” Hokutofuji was committed to that slapdown from the word, “jump.” He met Ura at the tachiai with his arm already extended, ready to press down. This should have been one of Ura’s easy wins. He’s got a heavy advantage in this rivalry but Hokutofuji had a plan and executed well. Ura stood at the side of the ring, defeated. That lonely feeling in the pit of your stomach when she doesn’t even answer the phone. Hatakikomi.

Kotonowaka (2-0) defeated Gonoyama (0-2). What a throw! Two powerful youngsters locked into a great grapple. Gonoyama, holding Kotonowaka’s right arm at bay with his left, charged forward into his opponent. Kotonowaka apparently did not need a right-handed grip, as Gonoyama charged forward, he just threw him into the crowd with the left. BEAUTIFUL. Uwatenage.

Daieisho (2-0) defeated Abi (0-2). I thought Abi had this one. He was laying into Daieisho with powerful thrusts to the face, forcing Daieisho’s head back. But that was all that moved back, Daieisho’s head. His body remained firm, resolute in the center of the dohyo. Daieisho used his left hand to shove Abi to the side and then pursued with his own, more powerful shoves. Oshidashi.

Daieisho will fight Hokutofuji tomorrow.

Kirishima (2-0) defeated Takayasu (1-1). Plan A, deflection and slapdown, didn’t work. So Kirishima followed up with Plan B, raw power, as he drove Takayasu backwards and out of the ring. Oshidashi.

Takayasu will take on Gonoyama on Day 3.

Takakeisho (2-0) defeated Atamifuji (0-2). Oof. Atamifuji put up a valiant effort. He forced T-Rex into Plan C. The tsuppari and headbutts didn’t work. The pull and slapdown didn’t work. So, Takakeisho launched forward into Atamifuji with everything. Atamifuji tried a slapdown of his own but ran out of real estate as he retreated over the bales. Yorikiri.

Atamifuji will face Kirishima on Day 3.

Hoshoryu (2-0) defeated Midorifuji (0-2). Hoshoryu went for a spin with Midorifuji, wrapped up his arm, and then cast him into the crowd. Oshidashi.

Midorifuji will face Kotonowaka and Hoshoryu gets Ura.

Wakamotoharu (1-1) defeated Terunofuji (1-1). After the initial flurry, Terunofuji was unable to mount an offense against Wakamotoharu. He was not able to counter; it took enough strength just to resist going out. The initiative was all WMH. I am not sure what attack Terunofuji had in mind once the bout settled into a grapple because it seemed like he was only reacting to WMH’s charges. The final charge forward and WMH was finally able to work the Yokozuna over the tawara. With Covid and Kyujo, the crowd was clearly out of practice when it came to zabuton tossing. Yorikiri.

Wakamotoharu will need to rest soundly tonight as he will face Takakeisho mañana. Terunofuji will face Abi.

Wrap-up

Well, we have to start our wrap-up with how the match day ended there. Wakamotoharu is a solid, sanyaku-quality wrestler, though he’s down at the top of the rank-and-file. He has earned his first kinboshi. Congratulations! My concern here is not so much that he defeated the Yokozuna. My concern was that I’m not sure what Terunofuji had in mind beyond, “survive.” If any of you saw differently, please feel free to note it in the comments. But in my mind, Terunofuji seemed gassed after that initial flurry. He was not able to overpower Wakamotoharu at the very start and it took all of the energy he had to keep himself in the match.

It is only Day Two. After six months of leave from work, I would be quite rusty, too. I was (and still am) hopeful that the Yokozuna can come back from his kyujo, dominate, and win another yusho. Hopes are still there but the probability of that occurring has taken a real hit. We’ll just have to take this day by day. Even if he finishes 7-8, to be honest, I think the most important thing would be to see him compete and finish a tournament after that time off. If his record is that bad, I’m sure he will pull out long before he is makekoshi but I really hope it doesn’t come to that.