Hoo boy. We get right to it today. I think there are four prospects with any shot for the Jonokuchi yusho in this basho and the Kyokai paired them up on the first match day. If they have the winners of these two bouts fight together on Match Day 2, we may end up with the decisive bout on early in Week 1, or end up late in Week 2 with a heated race and no undefeated wrestlers. The video starts with a nice little establishing shot from inside the arena there in Osaka. Ain’t it great to be back?
First up, I’ve got Sadogatake beya’s Kototebakari against Toseiryu. As I noted on Twitter, Kototebakari is Kotoshoho’s younger brother. Josh reminded me that Kotoshoho also used the same shikona early in his career (derived from their last name, Tebakari). There is just a wee family resemblance here, don’t you think?
Back on the dohyo, he squared up with Toseiryu and won with solid, fundamental sumo. He stayed low and met his opponent head-on. After establishing a grip on Toseiryu’s belt, he tried to spin while forcing him down but Toseiryu maintained his balance and wrapped Kototebakari up. Unfortunately, his grip was tenuous and far too high, up around Tebakari’s shoulders. The Sadogatake disciple had a Kotoshogiku-like grip on the mawashi, backed him to the bales and dropped Toseiryu with a thud.
Next, Daiseizan faces Wakanosho. Daiseizan is Arashio-oyakata’s nephew. His debut is just one of a number of storylines from the stable. His opponent, Wakanosho, was a successful high-school sumo wrestler and a finalist in the high-school championships. Daiseizan had a bit of a size advantage but Wakanosho’s competitive sumo experience showed in today’s bout. He stayed low and forced Daiseizan back with a blitz of tsuppari, before a clever side-step allowed him to get in behind his opponent and finish him with a shove.
Both Toseiryu and Daiseizan certainly have the build for sumo and while they were outmatched today, I’m sure they’re well on their way to eventual promotion to Jonidan after this tournament is over.
Later tonight in Makushita, Shishi will take on Yutakasho. A few bouts later, Roga will face off against Shiden, back from his non-suspension. I’ll try to include video of those bouts tomorrow.
It’s day 2 in Osaka, and the big matches are (for me) Ishiura and Hokutofuji, Chiyoshoma and Okinoumi, Onosho and Wakatakakage, and Ura against Mitakeumi. Lets take a look at the fight card.
I will point out to folks that Team Tachiai tend to divide the basho in 3 distinct acts, as each 5 day period seem to have different goals, and purpose. For Act 1, the purpose is to remove ring rust, see who is hot and who is not. With just one day behind us, its still quite early to see who will emerge hot from the first few days, but day 2 always has a surprise or two.
What We Are Watching Day 2
Ichiyamamoto vs Kotokuzan – Was day 1 an improvisation for Ichiyamamoto, or a peek at a broader array of sumo skills? I would love to think that it’s the latter. I know that one dimensional sumo can still be quite successful sumo, but I find myself missing the versatilty of some rikishi of recent days. Kotokuzan is still looking for his first win of March, and he has a 1-1 record against Ichiyamamoto, so I am looking for an even battle here today.
Akua vs Kagayaki – Neither one of these guys won their day 1 match, with Akua absorbing that brutal forearm strike from Tochinoshin that may have left him a bit disoriented. He has not lost to Kagayaki in either of their 2 prior matches, so this may be a fair test to see if there is any lasting damage for Akua from his day 1 fight.
Nishikigi vs Tochinoshin – Nishikigi’s poor eyesight means he always fights from close range, and his sumo is squarely in the yotsu school. Will we see Tochinoshin attempt another first step win today? That was a bold move on his part, brutal and quite effective. While I don’t prefer to see rikishi injuring their opponents, it’s still well within the rules.
Chiyomaru vs Yutakayama – In spite of his day 1 win, Yutakayama looks really sloppy. That right arm seems to almost have some kind of soft cast on it, and it is going to limit his performance this March. I would think that Chiyomaru, if he can resist the urge to pull, should have the upper hand today.
Kotoshoho vs Chiyonokuni – I worry that Chiyonokuni is still hurt enough that his sumo is not up to top division standards. He just seems to struggle to generate the power needed to make his move and strike sumo really pay off. His whole technique comes down to massive hits from the side as he shifts away from where you are working to counter attack. Kotoshoho lost their prior match back in November, but I think he has a strong chance to prevail today.
Myogiryu vs Chiyotairyu – Myogiryu got dropped on the first step on day 1, and I am sure he was duly embarrassed by that. I expect he is going to come back strong against Chiyotairyu today. Chiyotairyu managed a very clever win on day 1, but I am going to guess he can’t quite muster the power he once enjoyed, so lets see what he can employ today.
Kotoeko vs Terutsuyoshi – Two compact, highly aggressive rikishi going head to head, yes please! Hopefully Kotoeko keeps his eyes on Terutsuyoshi’s center mass. It would be a shame for “Little T” to pull a stunt two days in a row.
Tobizaru vs Aoiyama – Great clash of styles here, megafauna Aoiyama’s low-gear stump blasting power vs Tobizaru’s high agility combo attack style. They have an even 2-2 record across their career, and history shows that they are going to have an even fight. Make sure to have your sake ready for this one.
Shimanoumi vs Wakamotoharu – Both men are looking for their first win of Haru, and the bad news is that one of them will exit today’s match 0-2. I think Wakamotoharu may have a slight edge in dexterity, and Shimanoumi going to have an edge in overall power. So I expect this will come down to who can get their hands to the inside, and who can get a working defensive foot placement first.
Takayasu vs Sadanoumi – This one should be a “gimme” for Takayasu. He looked strong, calm and confident on day 1, which I would expect after getting forced into taking a basho off due to COVID kyujo. He has a 5-0 record over Sadanoumi, and I see no reason for him not to continue his winning streak today.
Chiyoshoma vs Okinoumi – Chiyoshoma continues to show skillful, clever sumo. But I really prefer Okinoumi’s chance in this match. His superior catalog of sumo moves and counter moves should be enough to overcome whatever advantage Chiyoshoma may have in terms of youth and speed.
Takarafuji vs Kotonowaka – I say that I think Kotonowaka is “going to be a big deal”. This match is a way for him to underscore that prognosis, if he is overcome Takarafuji’s strong defensive sumo. Kotonowaka bring plenty of mass and power tp this match, but Takarafuji gets to train with Terunofuji, which more or less prepares him to survive any opponent.
Hokutofuji vs Ishiura – Great clash of styles here, we have the smaller more “inside” fighter in Ishiura, and the larger more thrust powered Hokutofuji. I like Hokutofuji’s chances today, even though they share as 3-3 career record, and both have yet to score their first win.
Endo vs Meisei – Endo showed up with what I am going to guess is a healthy amount of ring rust. He looked vague and not very focused on day 1. I know he can fight, and I know he can win. He has a 6-2 record over Meisei, so hopefully he will be sharp and aggressive today.
Kiribayama vs Hoshoryu – I did not expect Hoshoryu to really give much of a contest to Terunofuji on day one. So for me, this is the first “real” day of the basho for him. I hope he can bring his best sumo against Kiribayama, who would probably like to get a named rank back some time soon.
Wakatakakage vs Onosho – This match just oozes blinding offense. Will Onosho get too far over his toes again and eat Osaka clay, or will we see Wakatakakage catch a full broadside and end up in the 3rd row? Either way, I think this match has a high potential for fireworks.
Tamawashi vs Abi – I am surprised that Abi tends to dominate matches with Tamawashi (4-2), when Tamawashi has more mass and excellent stability in most cases. But I supposed Abi puts so much power in each thrust, it just takes one to get any opponent in trouble.
Shodai vs Takanosho – I am going to dread watching Shodai’s matches, knowing that he’s still trying to shake the effects of his COVID infection from weeks ago. Although he has an 8-4 career advantage over Takanosho, I would give onigiri-kun a clear advantage over the man with the damaged lungs.
Ura vs Mitakeumi – Ura could not get a win on day 1 against Takakeisho, but he looked solid enough in his match that I don’t think he’s anything short of “good” for week 1. He has a 0-2 record against Mitakeumi, so I guess he is going to get bounced around today and tossed out for loss. I hope Ura can keep his fighting sprint intact until his “easier” week 2.
Ichinojo vs Takakeisho – I think Takakeisho is probably healthy, and if he is, he should dominate Ichinojo. I know myself and Ichinojo fans get frustrated the the Boulder seems to lose patience when he’s in the drivers seat in a match, and let advantages slip through his fingers. I don’t expect him to do much against Takakeisho today.
Terunofuji vs Daieisho – This should be a good fight, much more chance for real battle than the day 1 match against Hoshoryu. Daieisho is happy to fight full power against anyone, any time, and I think we will get to see how tuned up Terunofuji is for Osaka.
Lordy lord, its wonderful to have sumo back. Everyone is looking fairly solid, with the exception of Shodai. I know I give Shodai a tough time, much as I did Goeido. The reason is that you can see the greatness in them, but something keeps them from employing the peak of their sport, and it is a shame to watch a great athlete under perform. But this is another matter entirely. I can state that the degrading effects of long term damage from COVID-19 can be enduring and quite limiting, even if you are not a highly trained competitor at the top of your sport. So in this matter, I have acres of sympathy for Shodai, and I salute that he’s mounting the dohyo anyhow and fighting on. Fans of his, don’t be surprised if he loses Ozeki, he may only have about 60% of his normal strength and stamina.
Highlight Matches
Ichiyamamoto defeats Kagayaki – Kagayaki had a good initial combo, landing at least one hand center mass, but Ichiyamamoto countered with a left hand outside grip, and just overpowered Kagayaki. Unusual sumo for Ichiyamamoto who would much rather have shoved Kagayaki around, but it’s what there was. I am going to guess Kagayaki is going to show us some of his traditional ring rust. Ichiyamamoto starts 1-0.
Nishikigi defeats Kotokuzan – Nishikigi had his hands low at the tachiai, it looked like he wanted a right hand frontal grip, but instead he surrendered the inside route to Kotokuzan, who immediately attacked high. At the moment that Nishikigi, Kotokuzan attempts to pull, and that was all Nishikigi needed to finish the match, giving him a 1-0 opening day.
Tochinoshin defeats Akua – Wow, Tochinoshin delivers a left hand forearm smash to Akua’s face, dropping him in place, and eliciting a gasp from the crowd. Brutal. Tochinoshin need every win he can bag, and he is off to a 1-0 start.
Yutakayama defeats Chiyonokuni – That’s a lot of tape on Yutakayama, it would seem that right arm is still a worry. Chiyonokuni’s tachiai seemed to have been formulated around a pair of round house blows, which gave Yutakayama a clear path to Chiyonokuni’s chest. He took full advantage of that, landing solid thrusts while Chiyonokuni was still trying to get his arms moving. This quickly put Chiyonokuni on the bales, and Yutakayama found the power to finish him off. Yutakayama at 1-0.
Kotoshoho defeats Chiyomaru – Two separate pulling attempts by Chiyomaru were completely ineffective. Kotoshoho kept his feet and kept the power applied center-mass. He had Chiyomaru on the move, and kept him from setting up any real defense. 1-0 start for Kotoshoho.
Chiyotairyu defeats Kotoeko – I do enjoy Kotoeko’s enthusiasm, and many times its enough to carry the match. But today it could not help him, even his double inside grip could not help him, as Chiyotairyu calmly pivots at the tawara and deposits him out of bounds. A for effort, F for results. Chiyotairyu 1-0.
Terutsuyoshi defeats Myogiryu – Terutsuyoshi wanted an ashitori, but had to settle for a somewhat clumsy henka / hikiotoshi instead. Its been a fair amount of time since we have seen Terutsuyoshi actually execute a solid ashitori, I wonder if he’s still got the mojo to pull it off.
Aoiyama defeats Shimanoumi – Solid hand placement today by Aoiyama, he continues to struggle to transmit power to ground through that bandaged up left knee, and I think it’s going to keep him from really fighting at much above lower Maegashira level until he can get it in working order. Shimanoumi puts in a couple of good combos, but with Aoiyama latched onto your throat like that, there is not much you can do if you can’t break his grip.
Tobizaru defeats Wakamotoharu – I am not sure if Wakamotoharu was not quite ready to start, or not, but Tobizaru charged in strong and overwhelmed whatever Wakamotoharu had in mind for this match. Power sumo from the flying monkey to start 1-0.
Chiyoshoma defeats Sadanoumi – Sadanoumi was not going to let Chiyoshoma get the advantage at the tachiai, and you can see him really push hard to maintain the advantage. Chiyoshoma attempts to break off the attack, and both rikishi end up at the tawara, and move to throw. Its a mutual toss out, with Sadanoumi stepping out first (confirmed after a monoii) to give Chiyoshoma a win on day 1. Pretty good sumo from both in this match.
Takayasu defeats Okinoumi – It’s been 2 basho since we have seen Takayasu, and I think today’s tachiai is the best one I have seen from him in a while. There was not shouting, no crazy antics. He just takes the fight strongly to Okinoumi. They lock up chest to chest, and for a moment I was hoping there was a stamina contest about to break out. I think Okinoumi worried about that too, and executed a couple of weight shifts to improve his position. Takayasu read this perfectly and used Okinoumi’s moving balance to throw, sending Okinoumi down via uwatenage, and picking up a day 1 win.
Kotonowaka defeats Hokutofuji – I had assumed since his top division debut that Kotonowaka was going to turn into a powerful mainstay of the top division. Today’s match against Hokutofuji shows some of the mechanics that I think is going to take him into the named ranks before very long, and to be honest I am thrilled. Hokutofuji put in a solid match, but Kotonowaka had an answer for every attack. Moreover Kotonowaka’s defensive work today was exemplary, and it kept him in the match until he could corral Hokutofuji and put him off the dohyo.
Takarafuji defeats Ishiura – A poorly time tachiai, that could have been called a matta. Ishiura struggled to get any kind of offense started against Takarafuji’s world class “defend and extend” sumo. When Ishiura went for the leg sweep, he bet the whole match on that move. It missed, and two steps later Takarafuji slapped him down for a day 1. win. Solid match plan for Ishiura, but when Takarafuji is dialed into his sumo, it’s tough to find a way to attack.
Kiribayama defeats Endo – Endo tried to impose his offense at the tachiai, and it worked for just a moment. But a poorly conceived leg trip really handed the match to Kiribayama, who knew exactly what to do with that move. Sadly in the present day, most of his opponents have a good formula for shutting down Endo’s preferred attacks, and its tough for him to dominate a match. Kiribayama starts 1-0.
Meisei defeats Takanosho – Meisei instantly dumps onigiri-kun at the tachiai. Did Takanosho forget to take a second step? If he had moved that left foot forward, even a few inches, he could have prevented Meisei’s uwatedashinage.
Onosho defeats Abi – I was looking forward to this match, and it did not disappoint. One of the important elements is that Abi produces so much forward pressure with that double arm thrusting attack that there is zero chance that Onosho will fall forward onto his face as is his custom. So he was free to dial up the power to maximum and just plow Abi like a country lane covered in snow.
Wakatakakage defeats Tamawashi – Tamawashi responded strongly to Wakatakakage’s opening combo, but found himself pushing Osaka air as Wakatakakage moved to the side. I am going to chalk this one up to ring rust, as normally Tamawashi tracks is opponent quite well. Wakatakakage gets a 1-0s start for Osaka.
Mitakeumi defeats Ichinojo – I loved the fact that Ichinojo was the aggressor in the opening moments of this match. I think he surprised Mitakeumi with a fierce start. It all went for naught as Ichinojo tried to pull, and handed advantage to Mitakeumi who instantly capitalized on this mistake and took control. Three steps later, Ichinojo was out and Mitakeumi had won his first match ranked as an Ozeki.
Takakeisho defeats Ura – Ura worked to stay low, but given Takakeisho’s stature, it was not really to Ura’s advantage. As Takakeisho’s thrusting attacks stood him up, Ura could not find anything to grab and tug, and quickly ran out of space on the dohyo. Solid day 1 win for Takakeisho, who needs to make his 8 to clear kadoban.
Daieisho defeats Shodai – Yeah, this is going to be a rough basho for Shodai, I would guess. Suffering for lingering COVID effects, he is up against the best in the sumo world. He has a “Ozeki Black” mawashi now, which is nice to see, but his body is going to be a problem for him. Daieisho gets the upper hand almost at once, and proceeds to have his way for the short duration of this match. Daieisho starts 1-0.
Terunofuji defeats Hoshoryu – Hoshoryu put a lot of power into that tachiai, and you could hear it literally make a “splat” noise as he impacted Terunofuji’s body. We did even get to see signs of the kaiju today, as the Yokozuna calmly bundled Hoshoryu up and tossed him back off the dohyo to think again. Terunofuji 1-0.
Welcome to Tachiai’s coverage of the Haru basho, it’s been a nice break since January, and we have had a lot happen in the sumo world. We have a shin-Ozeki in Mitakeumi going up against the two current Ozeki, both of whom are kadoban and must reach 8 wins to retain their rank. This would be dramatic enough, but a streak of COVID Omicron ripped through multiple heya following retirement ceremonies for some of sumo’s beloved veterans. Reports from Tokyo indicate the Ozeki Shodai continues to suffer lingering effects from his bout with Omicron, which is sadly not uncommon. Then this morning comes word, just hours before the start of the tournament, that Onoe heya is going to be COVID kyujo for this basho, as several rikishi have displayed symptoms and tested positive. With luck, this will be the end of the kyujo announcements for this tournament.
On the positive side, we have Kotokuzan’s top division debut at Maegashira 16w. A long serving Makushita mainstay, he found a big bucket of genki somewhere, and blasted his way through Juryo in just 2 basho with back to back 11-4 and 10-5 scores. Also locking in career highs: Wakamotoharu at Maegashira 9w, Ura at Maegashira 1w, Hoshoryu debuts in san’yaku at Komusubi east, Wakatakakage reaches Sekiwake east, with Abi blasting back into san’yaku at Sekiwake west. A fierce squad to battle two kadoban Ozeki, one of which is suffering with long COVID. This could be a barn-burner of a basho, and we are eager to get underway.
What We Are Watching Day 1
Kagayaki vs Ichiyamamoto – Kagayaki is back in the top division. The man who seems to have infinite banzuke luck managed an 8-7 from Juryo 1e, and finds himself on the bottom run of the banzuke. Long time readers will remember I have been a fan of his non-nonsense, fundamentals focused sumo. But he has been completely moribund for the last 18 months or so. I hope he can get it together this tournament. Ichiyamamoto is the absolute last name on the banzuke this March, after turning in a 5-10 at Hatsu from Maegashira 14w.
Nishikigi vs Kotokuzan – A long-serving top division regular, Nishikigi has been knocking around Juryo since 2020. At 31 years old, he is likely starting to feel the effects of 15 or so years in sumo. I am happy to see him return to the top division for at least one more run. Today he has shin-makku Kotokuzan, who has finally broken in to the upper ranks.
Akua vs Tochinoshin – Its a grizzled veteran match though they have only met twice. Both of them are in their 30s, and working hard to still compete in spite of compounding injuries. Given how hurt Tochinoshin looked at the start of Hatsu in January, I am impressed he was able to rally to a 7-8 score. But unless some miracle happens to his knee, he is on the slow path out of the top division.
Yutakayama vs Chiyonokuni – Also in the “scratch and dent” group, its Grumpy Badge Chiyonokuni. With a 4-11 score in January, he could have seen a much bigger drop down the banzuke, and will have to regroup from Maegashira 13, and work from there. Yutakayama displayed exceptional banzuke luck, dropping a single rank in on a 6-9 final score. This was after dropping a half rank from November to January on a 7-8 result. He is also struggling with injury, and unless he was able to heal up, it’s going to be tough for him this March.
Chiyomaru vs Kotoshoho – Kotoshoho had reached as high as Maegashira 3 before injury left him with a string of abysmal scores, and a return to Juryo. He may have gotten his sumo back together, as he blasts his way back into the top division after a 12-3 Juryo yusho in January. He won his only prior match against the bulbous Chiyomaru, so I hope to see some fierce action from these two today.
Kotoeko vs Chiyotairyu – Chiyotairyu has not had a winning record since last May, and I fear he has become injured enough that he can no longer really fight with much power. As he was strictly a forward power rikishi, this spells a slow and dwindling future for sumo’s thunder-god. Kotoeko has been having alternating good / bad tournaments, and after a 8-7 finish in January, we may be in store for another dud.
Myogiryu vs Terutsuyoshi – Myogiryu as clearly fighting hurt in January, but his last two tournaments have been 2-13 and 5-10, so this guy is a mess. I think that if he is still struggling with his injuries, Terutsuyoshi is going to spank him in short order.
Shimanoumi vs Aoiyama – Also in the “not quite genki” category, we have Aoiyama. When Aoiyama is healthy and dialed into his sumo, he can thump the stuffing out of just about anyone except the named ranks. But we have not seen “Big Dan” really deliver since a year ago when he took the Jun-Yusho with a sterling 11-4 record. Maybe he likes the food in Osaka? If so, I would love to see a genki Aoiyama start day one improving his 2-4 record against Shimanoumi.
Tobizaru vs Wakamotoharu – Oh thank you for this wonderful day 1 match, scheduling team. I think this may be my most anticipated for the first half. Tobizaru has had five straight make-koshi, and seems to be somehow Velcro’d into the Maegashira 8 rank. How that works of why is for the NSK to figure out, but I am sure the answer is “tradition”. Someone faxed over a request that was notarized, which was faxed over to minister for debate, and was faxed back to the heya for authorization, and finally faxed back to the Kokugikan. This is the way in Japan. Regardless of the slow motion paperwork, Tobizaru has a 5-1 career advantage over Wakamotoharu, and I think a flying monkey win would be a great way to start Haru.
Chiyoshoma vs Sadanoumi – Fans have a durable image of Chiyoshoma as a slipper henka salesman, and there is reason to hold that view. But his sumo of late has been focused, refined and genuinely enjoyable. As Kokenoe’s heyagashira, he’s the top guy in that triple-wide stable, and he’s in need of a bounce back after an 4-11 record in January. There was a cluster of terrible records that only received mild demotions, but as the saying goes: “I don’t need to out run that bear, I just need to out run you”.
Takayasu vs Okinoumi – The start of the second half features Takayasu, who was COVID-Kyujo last time up against veteran Okinoumi. Did the break help him or degrade him? Time to find out. He has a 15-5 advantage over Okinoumi. Takayasu has suffered a host of injuries in the last 3 years that really degraded his sumo, and it would be great to see him back in top fighting form once more. Dare we hope?
Hokutofuji vs Kotonowaka – Maegashira 6 is a good rank for Hokutofuji at this point. He seems to struggle quite a bit any place further up the banzuke, and I would love to see at least a kachi-koshi from him this March. Last time Kotonowaka was this far up the ranks, he was sent packing with a brutal 3-12, so I am hoping to see if he has gotten his sumo in better shape this time. Hokutofuji won their only prior match.
Takarafuji vs Ishiura – What he heck is Ishiura doing all the way up here? I could say “go home” or “about time!”. I think I will chose the second one. I would love to see him really fight well at this rank, and his first match is going to be a solid test. He has only defeated Takarafuji once in 4 attempts, and that was back in May of 2017.
Kiribayama vs Endo – Which version of Endo do we get in Osaka? Endo has not had a kachi-koshi in Haru since 2018, and I worry we are going to get another “going through the motions” basho out of this guy. Kiribayama has only beaten him once, so maybe Endo can start with a win.
Takanosho vs Meisei – Takanosho ia a solid san’yaku rikishi, and I expect he will prove a tough opponent for Meisei today. While Meisei has a 7-4 career advantage, I think Takanosho will have an advantage of better overall health and energy. We know that both of them are going to be laying the tsuki/oshi moves in hard and fast, so there could be some nice action in this bout.
Onosho vs Abi – Oh goodie, sumo’s #1 balance disrupting force in the form of Abi against one of the least well balanced rikishi in the top division in Onosho. You would think this would be one sided, but they are even at 5-5. The trick is if Onosho connects, he can focus so much power in a single thrust, it is sometimes enough to blast Abi off of his tippy-toes and into the fans. Who is going to connect with power today? I can’t wait to find out…
Wakatakakage vs Tamawashi – Wakatakakage at Sekiwake 1e, I do love that he has managed to advance this far. His opening day match is against powerhouse vet Tamawashi, who has yet to find a formula for beating Wakatakakage. I pin this advantage on Wakatakakage’s superior agility and his hit-and-move sumo combos.
Ichinojo vs Mitakeumi – The shin-Ozeki gets to fight the Boulder straight out on the first day. A pattern with Ichinojo, he tends to show up big and strong in the first week, and fade into week 2 some times. A genki Ichinojo will be quite the handful for Mitakeumi, and I hope we get a big ugly struggle. Sometimes, being enormous is a valid sumo strategy.
Ura vs Takakeisho – Takakeisho has a lot of tough work accomplish this March. If he is healthy, he should be able to make his 8. He may start healthy, but I wonder if he can remain healthy through all 15 days. First match is Ura, who is going to employ his grab and tug approach straight from the tachiai. As Takakeisho tends to open with power thrusts to the upper body, it’s a great opportunity for Ura to latch on and attack. The last match went to Ura on Hatsu day 3, before Takakeisho pulled out.
Shodai vs Daieisho – Shodai gets a tough match on his first day. Even when he is healthy he struggles with Daieisho’s mega-thrust sumo. But given his stamina and energy depletion form his battle with COVID, this could be an ugly match that begins an ugly first week for the kadoban Ozeki. I know I complain about Shodai on the blog, but I would like nothing better than to see him excel.
Terunofuji vs Hoshoryu – Hoshoryu is 0-5 against Terunofuji. I don’t think that will change today. Terunofuji also fought off COVID during the break, and I hope he is in fighting form this March.
