The anticipated shuffle in the leader board has started, and not a moment too soon. I am sure that the schedulers are looking for a good fight to the finish for the cup this weekend, and they need to get as many rikishi as possible lined up with a chance to fight it out for sumo’s big prize.

I started this basho out be remarking that Oho had yet to show himself, and was underperforming his potential. I think that is no longer entirely the case, but I still think he is sloppy, a bit too conservative in his sumo, and underperforming his potential. But you would be right to respond that he has had a share of the lead in the yusho race, and I am fully of three week old tapioca pudding, and you might have a point. But you can see underneath the flabby, somewhat unfocused sumo tiny flashes of greatness. I don’t know if his coaches are just taking their time with him, or he does not see it himself, or he does not believe it can happen. But I hope against hope that maybe he can help turn this poorly differentiated mass of rikishi that is the Kyushu Maku-no-uchi division into something a bit more exciting next year.

But the day really belongs to Hoshoryu. So far, we have not seen the big attitude this November, just solid, strong sumo. He has sole possession of the lead now, and he has earned it. If he can hold steady for the next 4 days, he will win the cup. But I suspect that if the stars align, Takayasu might still have one more chance to play spoiler.

Highlight Matches

Kotoeko defeats Ichiyamamoto – I just noticed a big piece of tape around Kotoeko’s right thigh, maybe that’s new? He has a rough tachiai, and works to endure Ichiyamamoto’s double arm thrust train. Just as Ichiyamamoto get’s him off balance, Kotoeko grabs onto Ichiyamamoto’s right hand, pulling him down and across. It was enough to make Ichiyamamoto step out first, and both end the day 6-5.

Kotoshoho defeats Azumaryu – Kotoshoho made contact at the tachiai with his right shoulder, standing Azumaryu up, and immediately put his hands behind Azumaryu’s neck and pulled him down. Quick, effective and successful. Both end the day 6-5.

Onosho defeats Hiradoumi – Hiradoumi could not reach around Onosho’s belly to get that left hand frontal grip he tried for at the tachiai, and ended up needing to step back as Onosho’s first thrust connected. What followed was a series of attack-evade exchanges that were impressively good from both men, and especially noteworthy given Onosho frequently having balance problems. When Onosho grappled Hiradoumi to force him out, Hiradoumi nearly escaped again! I am impressed with Hiradoumi’s sumo this November. Both men end the day 7-4.

Kagayaki defeats Chiyoshoma – Chiyoshoma looked to have a good start, but immedately tried to pull, and Kagayaki responded with a strong advance. Chiyoshoma quickly lost his balance, and Kagayaki had his kachi-koshi at 8-3. Welcome back to the top division, sir.

Abi defeats Oho – Oho continues to have real trouble with Abi-zumo, and loses for the 3rd time by catching a series of volleys directly to center mass. Oho takes his second loss, and drops out of the leader group for the Cup, and Abi improves to 8-3 and secures his kachi-koshi for November.

Takanosho defeats Terutsuyoshi – Takanosho got to use two finishing moves against Terutsuyoshi, when the first oshitaoshi failed to get the nimble Terutsuyoshi. The second was a bit more forceful, and saw Terutsuyoshi fall from the dohyo and land in front of his oyakata. That’s 0-11 for Terutsuyoshi, and a welcome 4th win for Takanosho, and he is now 4-7.

Tochinoshin defeats Atamifuji – Atamifuji is low and leaning forward at the tachiai, and is easily dropped by Tochinoshin win a hatakikomi. Not sure where Atamifuji’s sumo went, but it’s not been around Fukuoka since day 5, as Atamifuji has now lost 6 in a row, and is now make-koshi. Tochinoshin improves to 5-6.

Takarafuji defeats Okinoumi – Takarafuji finally picks up his first win, and there will be no zenpai playoff after regulation on day 15 after all. I was kind of looking forward to it. This win was a quick set up at the tachiai into an immediate tsukiotoshi. Takarafuji now 1-10.

Sadanoumi defeats Aoiyama – Aoiyama delivers a couple of big blows to Sadanoumi’s face, but he rotates Aoiyama around, grabs a double handful of rubbery flesh and pushes him right out. Sadanoumi up to 5-6.

Wakamotoharu defeats Myogiryu – Myogiryu put a lot into this match, but could not get Wakamotoharu close to going out, in spite of some rather upright body posture from Wakamotoharu. Wakamotoharu manages to lower his hips, turn Myogiryu around, and turns on the forward power for a yorikiri. Both end the day 6-5.
Myogiryu: 6-5

Endo defeats Ura – Probably the best effort from Ura in the last few days, he gave Endo a solid fight, including some grab and tug sumo, which we have not really seen in Kyushu. Ura tries to lift and put Endo out, but just does not have the power to do it. Surprising given just how strong Ura’s upper body is. Endo responds with an uwatedashinage, taking the win and advancing to 5-9.
Endo: 5-6

Kotonowaka defeats Ichinojo – Kotonowaka got a left hand outside grip early, and used it to stay firmly in the match, even when Ichinojo rallied. The two then locked up and went about testing their endurance in the center of the dohyo. Kotonowaka was able to break the stalemate and get Ichinojo on the move, tossing him out with an okuridashi. Kotonowaka one away from kachi-koshi at 7-4.

Takayasu defeats Nishikifuji – Takayasu looked more out of control in this match than he has all November. He was off balance half of the match, and twice on one leg (briefly). But he was pouring massive power into his attacks on Nishikifuji, and was connecting more than he was not. With a mighty shove he sent Nishikifuji out, improving to 9-3.

Kiribayama defeats Ryuden – Kiribayama thought he had Ryuden out the first time, but failed to finish him, and Ryuden re-engaged, and they ended up chest to chest in the middle of the dohyo. They began to tire out their hands, and Kiribayama advanced, Ryuden attacked, and Kiribayama dropped him with a sotogake. Both end the day at 7-4, solid sumo!

Nishikigi defeats Tamawashi – Tamawashi comes in strong with a good series of oshi attacks, completely disrupting Nishikigi’s match plan. Twice Nishikigi tried to recover, and get some kind of grip on Tamawashi, but eventually gave up when he found Tamawashi’s chest wide open. Three big thrusts later, Tamawashi was out, and Nishikigi had his first win against Tamawashi in 7 attempts. That’s 5-6 for Nishikigi while Tamawashi picks up his 8th loss and is make-koshi.

Daieisho defeats Meisei – I am impressed that Meisei was able to absorb Daieisho’s opening volleys, and returned in kind with enough power to keep Daieisho from advancing. Things fell apart from him when it looks like he tried some kind of pull or slap down, missed Daieisho completely, and lost his good balance. Daieisho attacked, and put him out of the ring by oshitaoshi. Daieisho improves to 5-6.

Midorifuji defeats Tobizaru – Blazing combo attacks were the order of the day in this match. It was glorious, and both delivered a lot of power in those blows. Midorifuji ended the exchange by slipping a right hand under Tobizaru’s arm, and throwing him down by sukuinage. Great stuff, and Midorifuji is up to 6-5.

Hoshoryu defeats Mitakeumi – Hoshoryu made fast work of the former Ozeki, getting a shallow left hand grip, lifting Mitakeumi’s considerable bulk, and walking him out. I wish we knew what injury is plaguing Mitakeumi, but we don’t. I just hope it’s something he can eventually recover from. Hoshoryu now the sole leader of the yusho race at 10-1.

Shodai defeats Wakatakakage – Just when you think you know how things are going to turn out, Shodai decided this is a fine day for sumo. Wakatakakage comes in strong, and finds that Shodai actually put some power into his tachiai. Shodai’s stance is wide, low and angled. What is this? He spreads his shoulders wide, it’s the Wall of Daikon! The alternate universe Yokozuna Shodai decided to fight for us today, and he dispatches Ozeki hopeful Wakatakakage without much fuss at all. What the hell? Shodai at 5-6, and may still clear kadoban.

Takakeisho defeats Hokutofuji – So much oshi-zumo power in the opening moments of this match. It was almost enough to set the front row’s hair on fire. But today Takakeisho was able to get Hoshoryu’s lower body off balance and stumbling forward – not an easy task. As Hokutofuji exited the ring and went to go visit the fans, Takakeisho’s record improved to 8-3 and he is kachi-koshi for November.

Ready or not, act 3 here we come. Act 3 is all about the yusho race, and sorting everyone into make-koshi and kachi-koshi. One of the first jobs of act 3 is to take the two men at the top of the leader board, and try to get them dirty. An additional loss each would add a lot of interest to the rest of the tournament, though a fresh face hoisting the Emperor’s Cup is always a possibility. Only one rikishi with prior yusho experience, Takakeisho, is even in the race, and he is 2 wins behind the leaders. Possible, but unlikely.

On the Ozeki subject, Shodai is 2 losses away from following Mitakeumi into the purgatory of Ozekiwake, leaving only one Ozeki (Takakeisho) still competing in the sport. Given that Shodai does not seem to be able to summon his “good” sumo for any reason now, I think this outcome is increasingly likely. The bright spot is that Wakatakakage can still rally and get to double digits, keeping his Ozeki hopes alive.

Kyushu Leaderboard

While we have what passes for a leader board, the overwhelming bulk of the rikishi corps are struggling in the middle of the score range. It’s possible there could be a Darwin list of almost biblical proportions on Sunday.

Leaders: Hoshoryu, Oho
Chasers: Takayasu, Nishikifuji
Hunt Group: Takakeisho, Ryuden, Abi, Kagayaki, Hiradoumi

5 matches remain

What We Are Watching Day 11

Kotoeko vs Ichiyamamoto – After having a good start, Kotoeko (5-5) has lost 3 of the last 4, and is squarely on the line between winning and losing. He’s got 6-4 Ichiyamamoto, who is himself close to the center-line for November. They have had 3 prior matches this year, and Kotoeko won 2 of them.

Azumaryu vs Kotoshoho – Another pair who are straddling the line between winning and losing. It’s 6-4 Azumaryu, who is looking for his first ever kachi-koshi in the top division, if he can just find 2 more wins. He’s got a 2-4 career deficit against 5-5 Kotoshoho, who has lost his last 2 matches.

Onosho vs Hiradoumi – A first every match, and the door is open for 7-3 Hiradoumi to pick up his kachi-koshi, his first ever in the top division. He needs to overcome 6-4 Onosho’s big forward power thrusts, which are brutally effective so long as he can keep his feet.

Kagayaki vs Chiyoshoma – These two have a 20 match career history which favors 7-3 Kagayaki by 12-8. Chiyoshoma has not been fighting well, and at only 4-6 he is likewise close the the win/lose line, needing 4 wins out of the final 5 to achieve a winning record. A Kagayaki win today would be kachi-koshi.

Oho vs Abi – A big match for the day, as 7-3 Abi has won both prior matches against 9-1 Oho. An Oho loss today would likely knock him out of the leader group, and either leave Hoshoryu alone at the front of the yusho race, or possible allow Takayasu or Nishikifuji to enter the fray.

Takanosho vs Terutsuyoshi – Terutsuyoshi is still on course for the incredibly rare zenpai finish (perfect 0-15), but has a 5-1 career advantage over 3-7 Takanosho. Takanosho is well motivated, as his next loss will be his 8th, and a make-koshi for November.

Atamifuji vs Tochinoshin – Likewise in the 3-7 camp is newcomer Atamifuji, who has his first ever match against 4-6 Tochinoshin. We did get to see Tochinoshin lift and carry Terutsuyoshi on day 10, but I think it’s asking too much for Atamifuji to receive the sky-cane treatment today.

Takarafuji vs Okinoumi – Also in the running for a rare zenpai is 0-10 Takarafuji. He faces 5-5 Okinoumi, who really could use the win. I have to wonder, if you have two rikishi with zensho scores at the end of 15 days, they have a final match to determine who comes out on top. Will they do the same if Terutsuyoshi and Takarafuji both finish 0-15?

Aoiyama vs Sadanoumi – A pair of 4-6 rikishi face off today, with one being pushed to the brink of make-koshi. Aoiyama holds a narrow 11-9 lead across their 20 match career record, but he is not anything close to his normal power and intensity. So this is going to come down to Sadanoumi being able to withstand the bashing Big Dan will deliver long enough to get inside, get a grip, and control the match.

Wakamotoharu vs Myogiryu – Yet another match at the win/lose center line. We have Wakamotoharu at 5-5, who has had some very good matches this month, against 6-4 Myogiryu. Wakamotoharu has never lost to Myogiryu, so I think he will come into this fight with a distinct edge.

Ura vs Endo – I would not be surprised if Ura (2-8) does not get another win this tournament. He’s not fighting at anything close to his normal ability, and so he is struggling quite a bit. In addition, I think Endo (4-6) is less damaged than Ura is, and could really use the win.

Ichinojo vs Kotonowaka – Sadly, 2-8 Ichinojo is having another terrible tournament, and he’s not had much success (1-5) winning against Kotonowaka, so I am looking for the top man in Sadogatake to pick up his 7th win today.

Takayasu vs Nishikifuji – This is one way to shape the leader board. Take both men in second place with 8-2 records, and have them compete to leave just one to challenge. Should Oho lose today, it would give me great delight to see him fight either of these men tomorrow. This is their first ever match, and I doubt Nishikifuji can adequately train would be to stand outside the Isegahama stable while the okamisan drove a mini-truck into him repeatedly for an hour.

Ryuden vs Kiribayama – I have no doubt that 6-4 Kiribayama will get his 8 wins this November. I think this is one of those tournaments where he just needs to hold tight and focus on improving his sumo. He’s not won against 7-3 Ryuden in two attempts, though he may be able to break through today and score his 7th win. A Ryuden victory would be kachi-koshi for him.

Tamawashi vs Nishikigi – High time for 3-7 Tamawashi to rally. He’s never lost to 4-6 Nishikigi, who’s deliberate yotsu-zumo makes him an easy mark for Tamawashi. I think an early thrusting attack followed by a nodowa and a quick run out of the ring for today.

Meisei vs Daieisho – Another match of two rikishi squarely in the middle band of scores with Meisei at 6-4, and Daieisho at 4-6. Daieisho has the overwhelming lead in the series, at 10-2, so I am going to assume he will take the win today, and keep himself closer to the win/loss center line.

Tobizaru vs Midorifuji – Two rikishi at 5-5, and it’s a wonderful match up between two high energy, high mobility rikishi. Midorifuji is on a 3 match winning streak, so he may have a bit of an edge today, in addition to his narrow 2-1 career lead.

Mitakeumi vs Hoshoryu – A bigger match than it might seem, given 4-6 Mitakeumi has lost any chance to regain his Ozeki rank. But he can still play spoiler if he can muster enough energy to give co-leader Hoshoryu (9-1) the business today. He has won 3 of their 4 matches on the clay, and although Mitakeumi only seems to be operating at about 80% of his normal power, I would like to think he could win this one.

Wakatakakage vs Shodai – Another match that is actually bigger than it might appear. With Ozeki hopeful Wakatakakage at 6-4, and kadoban Ozeki Shodai at 4-6, who wins and who loses this match will determine much for 2023. A Shodai loss puts him one away from giving up his Ozeki rank, while at the same time advancing Wakatakakage’s bid to take up that same rank. I know Shodai is capable of winning this match, as their career record favors him 6-4, but something is wrong with him, and there is no telling what.

Takakeisho vs Hokutofuji – Amazingly these two have fought 23 times going back to 2016 when Takakeisho (7-3) was Sato and Hokutofuji (6-4) was Daiki. In spite of the fact one became an Ozeki and the other has never been ranked higher than Komusubi, Takakeisho only holds a 13-10 career lead. They are both oshi-zumo practitioners, so this match could feature a lot big hits and painful impacts.