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.

Hatsu 2024: Day One Highlights

Andy Hatsu 2024 , , ,

After a long wait, sumo is finally back in our lives. On Shonichi we got to reflect on the action of last year and see the new yusho portraits unveiled for Takakeisho and Kirishima. Kirishima was also given with the award for Best Rikishi of the Year, presented by Hochi News. Atamifuji was presented with the Best New Rikishi of the Year, presented by Chunichi Sports.

Makuuchi Bouts

Shimazuumi defeated Aoiyama. Aoiyama’s pull was the more poorly executed of the two. Shimazuumi attempted a pull at the tachiai but Aoiyama pressed forward. Shimazuumi recovered and was able to cycle around the ring. Aoiyama then tried a pull but Shimazuumi drove forward and shoved Aoiyama out of the ring. Yorikiri.

Onosato defeated Bushozan. Another pull?!?! Onosato met Bushozan head on at the tachiai but pulled him down for the quick hatakikomi win. Onosato’s first win in Makuuchi. Shimazuumi will face Bushozan tomorrow.

Takarafuji defeated Tomokaze. Tomokaze’s tsuppari was never powerful enough to really force Takarafuji back. Takarafuji just focused on batting Tomokaze’s arms away. The decisive moment came when Takarafuji grabbed Tomokaze’s arm and pulled him forward while pivoting to the right. This got him in behind Tomokaze where he was able to easily shove him out. Okuridashi. Takarafuji will take on Aoiyama on Day Two.

Kotoshoho defeated Onosho. Another pull? Onosho tried a pull and Kotoshoho tried to press him out. But did Kotoshoho touch down before Onosho was out or dead? Gunbai to Onosho. Mono-ii. The gyoji’s decision was overruled. Kotoshoho’s forward-moving sumo is awarded the win. Oshidashi. Kotoshoho will face Onosato in a rematch of their Juryo yusho battle; Onosho will take on Tomokaze on Day Two.

Churanoumi defeated Endo. Endo made some forward progress with his initial charge but Churanoumi resisted at the bales. From there, his tsuppari was dominant and he was able to drive Endo backwards. At the bales, it was an easy force out. Yorikiri.

Takanosho defeated Myogiryu. Takanosho was the stronger rikishi today. He weathered Myogiryu’s nodowa and pressed forward, forcing Myogiryu back and out. Oshidashi. Takanosho will face Endo. Myogiryu will take on Churanoumi.

Oho defeated Tsurugisho. Tsurugisho fought well and used fierce tsuppari to pressure Oho backwards, even pressuring him to the edge. Survival-mode Oho countered effectively and forced Tsurugisho down with a nice twisting throw. Sukuinage.

Sadanoumi defeated Tamawashi. Strong, forward-moving sumo from Tamawashi. Sadanoumi was able to counter in the same way as Takarafuji. Grab the arm and pull the opponent forward while shifting to the side. Like Takarafuji, Sadanoumi got in behind Tamawashi and forced him out from behind. Okuridashi. Tamawashi will take on Oho. Sadanoumi gets Tsurugisho.

Mitakeumi defeated Meisei. Mitakeumi drove forward while Meisei pulled. Both fell down and out at the same time. A slow decision from the gyoji in favor of Mitakeumi but the shimpan weren’t sure. Mono-ii and the shimpan decide both men fell out at the same time. Torinaoshi. We nearly got the same bout as Meisei tried, again, to let Mitakeumi’s forward momentum take him out. But Mitakeumi kept stayed in this time. He kept Meisei in front and continued to drive forward, eventually pushing Meisei out. Oshidashi.

Hiradoumi defeated Hokuseiho. Hiradoumi was on offense and Hokuseiho was on defense. Hiradoumi charged forward and eventually worked Hokuseiho out over the edge. Yorikiri. Hiradoumi will face Mitakeumi in the battle of the Umis. Hokuseiho will face Meisei as he tries to work out his arboreal-brand of sumo.

Asanoyama defeated Ichiyamamoto. Ichiyamamoto layed into Asanoyama with his tsuppari but Asanoyama was too strong. Asanoyama weathered the blows and drove forward, pushing Ichiyamamoto out. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Kinbozan defeated Shonannoumi. Kinbozan’s forward-moving sumo dominated this bout. He avoided Shonannoumi’s twisting and turning. He persevered through the kotenage arm bar. Through it all, Kinbozan kept his opponent in front and charged forward. That’s good sumo. Yorikiri. Asanoyama vs Kinbozan will be a highlight. Shonannoumi will try to claim his first win against Ichiyamamoto.

Nishikigi defeated Ryuden. Ryuden blasted Nishikigi at the tachiai with a powerful headbutt. Nishikigi absorbed it and pressed forward, throwing Ryuden off the dohyo. Sukuinage.

Shodai defeated Tobizaru. Shodai is staying in this and using forward-moving sumo. I’m shocked. He tried a kotenage but ultimately he won by corralling Tobizaru and charging forward, blasting Tobizaru from the surface of the dohyo. Oshidashi. Nishikigi vs Tobizaru will be entertaining. Ryuden gets the Modfather, Shodai.

Sanyaku

Takayasu defeated Hokutofuji. Takayasu shrugged off Hokutofuji’s attempt to grab his arm and pull him back. Instead, he drove forward and forced Hokutofuji out. Oshidashi.

Daieisho defeated Gonoyama. Powerful tsuppari from Daieisho drove Gonoyama back and a quick thrust from the side forced Gonoyama to the floor. I am eager to see if his powerful brand of sumo takes him deep into the yusho race this tournament. Tsukiotoshi.

Kotonowaka defeated Abi. Abi-zumo is difficult when the opponent is in your face. He needs a bit of separation and had that at the tachiai. He fired everything he had at Kotonowaka. Kotonowaka countered by stepping up and stayed right up in Abi’s mug, forcing him back and eventually over the edge. Oshidashi. Kotonowaka will face Gonoyama and Abi will face Daieisho on Day 2.

Takakeisho defeated Midorifuji. Midorifuji was too eager and jumped early. Matta and they reset. Takakeisho knows what’s up. Henka! Regular readers of the blog will note that matta sometimes foreshadow side-steps. It’s like an declaration of “I’m coming for you, I’m just so eager!” Takakeisho wasn’t fooled. He held back on his initial charge, rotated, and pushed Midorifuji out, easily. Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu defeated Atamifuji. Hoshoryu’s left arm battled Atamifuji’s right to keep Atamifuji from wrapping up that belt. Hoshoryu used his right arm grip to try to throw Atamifuji. While Atamifuji fought to stay upright, Hoshoryu forced him to the bales and out. Yorikiri. Atamifuji will try to recover from this loss to take on Takakeisho tomorrow. Hoshoryu will get Midorifuji.

Kirishima defeated Wakamotoharu. Quick Slapdown. Hikiotoshi. Kirishima will battle Takayasu.

Terunofuji defeated Ura. Terunofuji locked in on Ura’s arm and spun him around the ring like a little toy. Ura clawed at Terunofuji in terror as the Kaiju threatened to rip his arm off. Suddenly, he then released and let Ura’s momentum carry him out. I think “flung” is the correct verb to use here. Oshidashi? I don’t think I’ve ever seen an oshidashi where the winner is in the center of the ring, and the propelling force was centripital rather than an old-fashioned mechanical push. Terunofuji will face Wakamotoharu and Ura’s arm will be safe with Hokutofuji.

Wrap-up

The awards ceremonies and dohyo-iri — which finally included a Yokozuna dohyo-iri — built up a sense of hype going into the first few bouts. That hype was quickly flushed down the toilet with the terrible quality of sumo in the first half of Makuuchi bouts. A significant number of rikishi came into Day One prepared to run away. Thankfully, they were for the most part eliminated by alert competitors who were keen to win by actually taking on their opponents. Unfortunately, this included Onosato’s first makuuchi bout.

The Sadanoumi/Tamawashi bout, as well as Ichiyamamoto/Asanoyama, were welcome reminders that some of these guys are actually here to fight. Sadanoumi found a way to slip away from Tamawashi’s assault and won via my favorite kimarite, the almost comical Okuridashi. Ichiyamamoto might be punching above his weight at this level but he is always ready to bring it. Asanoyama is just on his path back to Ozeki.

Our spirits were again lifted in the second half of action with several great bouts, culminating in highly competitive and entertaining fights from the Sanyaku. The difference might be that these guys know they are competing for a yusho. Is this a sign that the era of the Hiramaku champion or the Hiramaku challenger is over? It just felt that even within the sanyaku, we have developed a separation…and I am not talking about how Terunofuji nearly separated Ura from his arm. If the Sekiwake and Ozeki — and Yokozuna — stay healthy, there will be a tremendous brawl to win it all in two weeks’ time. I am so eager to see it.