The last thing this tournament needed was for Hokutofuji to start bleeding all over the place in the musubi-no-ichiban. The scent, and now presence of blood/chum will bring more piranha out to play. As we close out the first third of the tournament, Act 1 as Bruce calls it, it’s quite possible no one will be left with an unblemished record. Only two remain undefeated, Terunofuji and Myogiryu and both had scares in the form of very entertaining bouts with Meisei and Tamawashi, respectively. As we move into Act 2, the ring rust better be well and knocked-off as we head into the meat of the campaign.

What we’re watching:

Kaisei vs Daiamami: Kaisei has been pushing his weight around the ring pretty effectively this tournament which is good news as we have seen several makuuchi regulars with a decided downward trajectory of late. Surely, a mere kachi-koshi record will not be enough for the former Sekiwake so I believe he’ll pull out all the stops against Daiamami. Daiamami has yet to establish himself in makuuchi, peaking at M11 back in 2018. Kaisei owns their short head-to-head rivalry, 3-1.

Chiyomaru vs Tsurugisho: Chiyomaru visits from Juryo while Tsurugisho needs to turn his ship around if he wants to avoid heading back. Tsurugisho, along with Daiamami form a new wave of Oitekaze sekitori in Makuuchi. Tsurugisho seems more likely to take it to the next level and establish himself alongside Tobizaru, Endo, and Daieisho as solid maegashira. Meanwhile, Chiyomaru has taken a great first step back to the division but will need to keep the wins coming to make it official.

Kotoeko vs Hidenoumi: Kotoeko’s strong start is at risk against Hidenoumi. The difference between a 4-1 start and 3-2 seems more significant than just a win.

Terutsuyoshi vs Yutakayama: Case in point, the mirror situation of Terutsuyoshi’s 2-2 start seems worlds away from Yutakayama’s 1-3. Yutakayama has yet to get into his groove. Yesterday’s loss to Daishomaru demonstrated little maneuverability or power as he was driven back and hog-tied into submission by yesterday’s Juryo visitor. Despite the size advantage, Terutsuyoshi should win this handily.

Akiseyama vs Chiyoshoma: The henka is coming. We know it. Akiseyama has been having a good basho and I need a reason to break out my new nickname: Chiyosho-mua-ha-ha. Am I the only one who imagines Chiyoshoma as Snidely Whiplash?

Chiyotairyu vs Aoiyama: As we climb up the banzuke, the matchups only get better. This bout should be a barn-stormer. The two giant pusher-thrusters should make for quite the barroom brawl. I’ve got my popcorn ready.

Chiyonokuni vs Ryuden: Ryuden has seemed hapless of late. He has had one kachi-koshi since this whole Covid business started, back in November. At that tournament, though, he jumped out to a 9-2 record before cooling off. His lone win comes from Kotoshoho’s kyujo. Meanwhile, Chiyonokuni has come off Covid-kyujo looking fresh. It’s great to see him back, ready to re-establish himself in the division after his injury recovery dropped him back into the Abi-reaches of Makushita.

Midorifuji vs Tobizaru: This is where the fireworks are scheduled to really begin. Tobizaru will want to avoid the katasukashi but he’s yet to find a solution for Midorifuji. Shimpan, beware! I’m expecting a kitchen sink thrown here.

Kotonowaka vs Hoshoryu: Kotonowaka is heyagashira for the storied Sadogatake-beya. He will face a very frustrated but agile and beguiling Hoshoryu. Have a nice trip!

Tamawashi vs Kagayaki: Tamawashi battled with a lot of skill and enthusiasm in his loss against Myogiryu. I expect Kagayaki to be greeted as if he were back in the joi and sent packing under heavy fire.

Tochinoshin vs Okinoumi: Was I the only one very pleased to see Tochinoshin’s skillful throw yesterday? As yorikiri begin to be deployed against him rather than by him, I hope he will deploy more tools other than henka.

Ichinojo vs Myogiryu: Ichinojo quit when he was still 6 feet from the edge. (If a Creed song did not just involuntarily pop into your head, I did not do my job and will need to Knock a Little Harder.) Myogiryu will put everything he’s got into this match and he won’t quit.

Endo vs Shimanoumi: Endo’s not kyujo yet. If he loses today, kyujo may be eminent for that calf injury. Shimanoumi is not enjoying the fruits of his recent strong performances, only picking up one win so far. Interestingly, these two have met twice. The first time was way back in 2013 during Endo’s inaugural tournament, the other in 2019. Shimanoumi has clearly improved while Endo is injured. This could be Shimanoumi’s chance to turn that frown upside-down.

Takayasu vs Kiribayama: What else is there to say about Takayasu’s Houdini act yesterday? It was great to hear the insight from Morita Hiroshi last night that his former Oyakata instilled within him the idea that matches are won on the edge. That work produced a win that I will remember for a long time. Kiribayama will have his work cut out as Takayasu is about to make a charge. Takayasu may need to force a Sekiwake slot if Terunofuji comes up just shy in his quest.

Daieisho vs Mitakeumi: At this point, Daieisho will be desperate to rid himself of the bagel while Mitakeumi’s loss reminds us of his streaky tendencies, hot then cold. Mitakeumi has a slight edge, 8-6, in their head-to-head. I expect both to bring their best and this could be a surprising match of the day.

Takarafuji vs Takanosho: If Takarafuji had hoped to bring himself back into sanyaku, he’s left with a lot of work to do. It will be hard to turn things around against Takanosho. He has the experience but seems a bit listless after his losses. I think Onigiri-kun gets the nod today.

Terunofuji vs Onosho: Kaiju fought back and powered through a very strong Meisei last night. That had to take a lot out of him to turn around and get back out there today. Onosho, meanwhile, has been a bit more disappointing than Mitakeumi of late in that he’s been forgotten and excluded from most conversations about rikishi who could take the next step during this time of flux. Just the formula for an upset.

Shodai vs Wakatakakage: Shodai suffered a humiliating loss against Hokutofuji yesterday. He’s likely out of any yusho contention, fighting to ensure he doesn’t go kadoban again. That’s not much of a goal. Aside from his win over Takakeisho, Wakatakakage has not been able to get things going in the joi. Shodai should be able to pull this off.

Takakeisho vs Hokutofuji: I’m going with Hokutofuji on this one. He’ll pick up yet another Ozeki scalp and go 7-8 for the tournament. Come on T-Rex! Get out there and fight like you want to be Yokozuna! There wasn’t much wave action there yesterday, luckily it wasn’t really needed.

Meisei vs Asanoyama: Asanoyama won yesterday, but not with good sumo. Meisei lost yesterday despite demonstrating excellent power sumo. With a fat stack of kensho on the line, Meisei will try to put aside the soreness and bitterness from yesterday’s disappointment and pull off the upset. Then again, this could be the first day of the tournament when all three Ozeki win. Yeah, right.

On Day 3 of Hatsu basho, Akiseyama and Midorifuji remained undefeated and established strong little runs. Haru is a different story with no strong runs out of the gate from the lower ranks. We’ve got only three undefeated wrestlers left, Terunofuji, Myogiryu, and Ichinojo.

Highlights

Daishomaru (1-3) defeated Yutakayama (1-3) vs: As Bruce alluded to, Yutakayama has not been firing on all cylinders of late. An oshi-/tsuki- “pusher-thruster,” he seemed to want a yotsu-battle against Kotoeko on Day 2 but seemed out of his depth, couldn’t secure a grip on the lavender mawashi, and lost the bout. Yesterday, it was back to an oshi style against Daiamami, which he also lost but he was moving forward with solid tsuppari until Daiamami shrugged him off to the side at the tawara.

The shift in style just makes me wonder if he’s trying to change things up and develop more tools, possibly out of frustration with his inability to find much success recently.

Today, versus Daishomaru he was unable to get any sort of offense going. Daishomaru slipped to the side at the tachiai. When Yutakayama did not fall, Daishomaru launched an attack, driving Yutakayama back to the edge. When Yutakayama’s right leg reached the tawara, he went down. tsukiotoshi.

Kotoeko (3-1) defeats Daiamami (2-2): Kotoeko lodged his right arm up in Daiamami’s armpit. His left arm remained active, trying to keep Daiamami’s right arm away from his own belt. With a quick pivot, Kotoeko yanked Daiamami around to his left side, and then pushed Daiamami over the bales. Yorikiri.

Tsurugisho (1-3) defeated Hidenoumi (2-2): Tsurugisho secured a left-hand grip on Hidenoumi’s belt and drove forward, forcing Hidenoumi back and out for his first win. Yorikiri.

Kaisei (3-1) defeated Chiyoshoma (2-2): Chiyoshoma took on Kaisei head-to-head and attempted an early throw, nearly getting Kaisei off-balance. Kaisei recovered and wrapped up Chiyoshoma, driving him backwards and over the bales. Yorikiri.

Terutsuyoshi (2-2) defeated Chiyotairyu (2-2): Chiyotairyu battered Terutsuyoshi around the shoulders and pushed forward a few steps but then decided to pull. Terutsuyoshi maintained his balance, pushed forward and pushed Chiyotairyu over the bales. Oshidashi.

Aoiyama (3-1) defeated Midorifuji (2-2): After a couple of false starts that Aoiyama objected to, Aoiyama battered the smaller Midorifuji around the ring. He established separation with very strong thrusting, then as Midorifuji recoiled, he deployed his patented force down. Hatakikomi.

Akiseyama (3-1) defeated Ryuden (1-3): Ryuden’s wiggle summoned no extra power today. Akiseyama got a strong right-hand grip at the front of Ryuden’s belt and stopped the twerker’s forward progress. With his secure grip he drove forward and forced Ryuden over the bales.

Chiyonokuni (3-1) defeated Hoshoryu (1-3): Bruce tapped this bout for its potential with good reason. Both wrestlers are adept with their footwork and sometimes use that footwork to deploy exciting tripping attacks. Hoshoryu started with a sidestep on the tachiai and Chiyonokuni kept up a fierce pace with his slaps and thrusts. Hoshoryu’s footwork let us all down under the torrent as he lost his balance. Chiyonokuni pounced and pushed Clark Kent forward, from his behind. Okuritaoshi.

Tobizaru (2-2) defeated Kotonowaka (1-3): We got a little of everything in this bout. A brawl, a tussle on the belt, a leanfest, and then a throw to finish things off. A long, exciting bout. Kotonowaka had several opportunities to dispatch the flying monkey but Tobizaru prevailed. Shitatenage.

Tochinoshin (2-2) defeated Kagayaki (2-2): A strong tachiai, and Kagayaki thrust Tochinoshin in the face, getting that head up. I thought he’d follow with some more oshi but maybe he needed a hug? Kagayaki wrapped up Tochinoshin and drove forward but at the tawara Tochinoshin launched a powerful throw. Sukuinage.

Halftime (Time to grab some coffee)

Endo (1-3) defeated Ichinojo (3-1): Endo sidestepped at the tachiai and Ichinojo pursued, wrapping him up. Endo perserveres through several of Ichinojo’s wrenching throw attempts. As he got Ichinojo to the edge, Endo got his right hand belt grip. With his head embedded in Ichinojo’s chest, Endo easily guided Ichinojo out. Yorikiri.

Kiribayama (2-2) defeated Okinoumi (1-3): After a short brawl, Kiribayama locked in on Okinoumi’s belt with his left hand. However, the winning attack came from the right as Kiribayama clenched Okinoumi’s arm, pivoted, and dragged Okinoumi around for a beautiful throw. Kotenage.

Myogiryu (4-0) defeated Tamawashi (2-2): Myogiryu launched into a strong tachiai but Tamawashi recovered, assaulting Myogiryu about the face and shoulders. However, Myogiryu got some separation and when Tamawashi went to attack again, Myogiryu blocked Tamawashi’s attack and pushed Tamawashi’s arms down, putting Tamawashi on his belly. Hikiotoshi.

Mitakeumi (3-1) defeated Wakatakakage (1-3): Wakatakakage had a powerful tachiai, using his head as a missile and launching into Mitakeumi’s head. However, Mitakeumi recovered and powerfully drove through the smaller Wakatakakage, sending him over the edge. There was no sign of the guy who was able to defeat Ozeki Takakeisho yesterday. Yorikiri.

Takayasu (3-1) defeated Daieisho (0-4): Wow. A Houdini escape here. Damn. Morita-san used the term Houdini, too. Think fast, Andy. Who’s another escape artist? A real David Blane escape here by Takayasu. Daieisho with a powerful tachiai, drives strongly through Takayau, nearly pushes him down in the middle of the ring. But as Takayasu recovered, Daieisho thrust his big paw into Takayasu’s chin with a strong nodowa. However, Takayasu unbelievably slipped to the side at the last second, pushing Daieisho out. Tsukiotoshi.

Terunofuji (4-0) defeated Meisei (2-2): The drama. The buildup, then what a blistering tachiai! Meisei demonstrated speed, power and guile. He nearly tripped Terunofuji but the Kaiju powered through from a very high, unfavorable position. With both of Meisei’s arms secured, drove back to the center of the ring, wrapped up Meisei’s arm and threw him to the clay. Kotenage.

大相撲三月場所 四日目 幕内
照ノ富士　四連勝 pic.twitter.com/Mt8bArWCAz

— ZEAL (@MasakiKudo59) March 17, 2021

Takanosho (3-1) defeated Shimanoumi (1-3): Shimanoumi hit with a strong tachiai and drove Takanosho to the tawara. From here, though, Takanosho drove Shimanoumi back all the way across the dohyo. It looked like the worst pull ever attempted in the history of sumo as he couldn’t get his right arm out to try a thrust down. Takanosho had Shimanoumi’s arm securely locked up. Takanosho maintained his balance and pushed Shimanoumi out. Oshidashi.

Takakeisho (3-1) defeated Takarafuji (0-4): Takakeisho blasted Takarafuji around the ring and out with some straight-forward oshi. He followed the familiar pattern of Juggernaut headbutt, then powerful arm thrusts as he pursued Takarafuji around the ring. Oshidashi.

Asanoyama (3-1) defeated Onosho (1-3): Onosho hit the Ozeki solidly and looked to be on his way to an upset. Asanoyama was upright and backpedaling. But Asanoyama pivoted at the edge and angrily cast Onosho into the Yobidashi. Tsukiotoshi.

Hokutofuji (2-2) defeated Shodai (2-2): Shodai absorbed Hokutofuji’s tachiai. Hokutofuji tried a pull which didn’t work. But rather than make him pay for it, Shodai does his own terrible pull attempt. Hokutofuji kept his legs under him and his head in Shodai’s chest and forced the Ozeki over the bales for the upset. Oshidashi.

Wrap-up

Remember Freytag’s pyramid? Well, the drama today followed that pattern as the action built to its climax well before the final bouts, probably there with Takayasu’s miracle win and Terunofuji’s scare. After that, the action and drama fell as the Ozeki appear to have resolved amongst themselves that they do not want to challenge for any rope. Takakeisho and Asanoyama’s wins were rather uninspired and Shodai’s loss (the denouement of today’s play) underscored the lack of dominant, quality sumo in the top ranks. It certainly appears that the wrestler with the most ambition for advancement at the moment is our Kaiju. With his fourth win, he’s almost half-way to that magic number of 9 that Hiroshi Morita was citing on tonight’s broadcast. Personally, I think he’s aiming higher, for more wins. And he may be the only one. Well, him and Myogiryu.

With the lone Yokozuna now out, and unlikely to return for several months, we are back to what sumo has been for most of the last year. A battle of near-peer rikishi, each trying to do their utmost to emerge as the next top athlete. Looking across the banzuke, the name that stands out the most is former Ozeki Terunofuji. Readers will note, I have followed his bid to return first to the salaried ranks, then the top division, then the named ranks, and now his bid to do the unthinkable – return to Ozeki. It’s possibly the greatest comeback story in sumo, but the fact that he seems to be the man to beat this March underscores the challenge sumo faces.

Terunofuji is a testament to how much the human spirit can drive the body to overcome injury and illness. The man possesses an iron will and should he succeed in his return to Ozeki, may be one of the toughest people of the current crop. But what does it say about sumo that this man, who could be forced to retire at any moment when his body has just had enough, is the current strongest, most competitive man on the dohyo? To me it means that the rest of the crowd are doing their utmost today, but there is still no one worthy of Yokozuna promotion. That does not mean that the sumo association won’t mint a Yokozuna. But it does mean we have a period of a few years where anyone bold enough to take up the rope may not hold it for long.

What We Are Watching Day 4

Yutakayama vs Daishomaru – I would love to know what ails Yutakayama. He has the size, the skills and the drive to be a top Maegashira. But something is clearly wrong with this guy. He has a 3-4 career deficit against Daishomaru, who comes to visit the top division with a cold 0-3 start to Haru.

Kotoeko vs Daiamami – Both rikishi are 2-1 starting day 4, and Kotoeko has only won 1 match from their 6 career matches. But I keep in mind that Kotoeko is showing some of his best sumo in at least a year thus far at Haru, and I would give him a slight edge today.

Hidenoumi vs Tsurugisho – After taking the Juryo yusho in January, it’s tough to watch Tsurugisho start 0-3. I would guess that knee injury is back to bothering him, and it may limit his sumo quite a bit for the rest of Haru. He holds an even 9-9 career record with Hidenoumi, but I would give a strong advantage to Hidenoumi today.

Kaisei vs Chiyoshoma – Chiyoshoma has been a pleasant surprise so far. He has shown so genuinely clever, straight ahead, thinking sumo. This is a stark contrast to some of his typical shenanigans of the past, and it’s a welcome change. I would love to see him out fight everyone for rest of the basho, but there is a huge size difference between himself and Kaisei (about 70kg!). In spite of the size difference, Chiyoshoma holds a 4-3 career advantage over Kaisei. Could be a fun match.

Chiyotairyu vs Terutsuyoshi – Terutsuyoshi’s high mobility sumo might be a good foil for Chiyotairyu’s thunder demon attacks. He tends to rush ahead with a huge burst of power at the tachiai, and quickly lose stamina. If Terutsuyoshi can keep his feet, and stay in the match, he can engage once Chiyotairyu spins down 20 seconds in.

Midorifuji vs Aoiyama – After the pasting Aoiyama gave Terutsuyoshi day 1, little guys are not safe from the big V-Twin attack. In fact, it was amazing to see both Terutsuyoshi and Kotoeko leave the dohyo checking their nose for blood. So if Big Dan can achieve lock-on, its bound to be a rough ride for Midorifuji.

Akiseyama vs Ryuden – Ryuden has yet to win a match this March, and I hope that he can put a white star (vs a fusensho) up against Akiseyama on day 4. Like so many rikishi, Ryuden suffers with chronic injuries that fade in and out, limiting his sumo when they bite.

Chiyonokuni vs Hoshoryu – This one has a lot of potential. In a perfect world, it would be a running oshi-zumo battle featuring a glorious joint throwing attempt at the bales to finish it off. Both of them are in good fighting form, so the ingredients are all in place.

Kotonowaka vs Tobizaru – We got to see Tobizaru crack that grin on day 3 when he picked up his first win, and I am sure he wants to keep smiling. In his way is faltering hopeful Kotonowaka, who needs to consolidate his sumo and focus on getting his 8. Kotonowaka won their only prior match, during Aki 2019.

Tochinoshin vs Kagayaki – I am tempted to make a witticism about “Goth Mode Kagayaki” doing battle against someone who kind of looks like “The Count” from Sesame street. But let’s just say that in their 6 prior matches, Tochinoshin has shown himself more than capable of pitching Kagayaki about as hard and far as he wants to (5-1).

Endo vs Ichinojo – I almost fear this match. You have a struggling Endo trying to find some way to pick up his win, going up against a rampaging Mongolian behemoth in Ichinojo. I am certain that Endo could get his shallow frontal grip and do a lot of good sumo against Ichinojo. But when that guy is on a tear, you may find yourself being the pony in a game of “Pony toss”.

Kiribayama vs Okinoumi – Okinoumi looks really vague and unfocused right now. I wonder if this is one of those basho where he will safely get 8 losses, then dial up the sumo and win the remaining matches for a neat 7-8 final score.

Tamawashi vs Myogiryu – A hearty 15 match history between these two, 10-5 favoring Tamawashi. But Myogiryu has not looked this sharp and aggressive in a long time. So I am going to give him a slight advantage today.

Wakatakakage vs Mitakeumi – Wakatakakage rolled the Grand Tadpole on day 3, I want to see if he can make it a pair with a first ever win over Mitakeumi. Mitakeumi really flubbed his day 3 fight against the human onigiri, Takanosho. I hope he tunes up his sumo accordingly.

Takayasu vs Daieisho – After being on a monumental hot streak that took him to the yusho in January, Daieisho has yet to find his first win in March. He will have a rough time of it today, as Takayasu seems to be in fairly good form, and he holds a 7-3 career advantage over Daieisho.

Terunofuji vs Meisei – Terunofuji has remained consistent since New Years, and his sumo is continuing to be the best match after match. He faces Meisei, who has never won a match against the Kaiju in 3 attempts. I think the chances are strong we will see Terunofuji pick up his 4th win today.

Shimanoumi vs Takanosho – Shimanoumi is a reliably competitive opponent for Takanosho, so I am looking for a good combo oshi-yotzu zumo match today from these two. If Takanosho gets the superior fighting position, we may see a kotenage for good measure.

Takakeisho vs Takarafuji – Takarafuji put out the word prior to the basho that he intends to return to the san’yaku. Always a tough thing to say, as it begs every mischievous spirit to spit on your worthy intentions. Thus we find Takarafuji with zero wins at the start of day 4, facing a kadoban Ozeki that needs every white star he can slap out of every opponent.

Onosho vs Asanoyama – Asanoyama needs to be careful of his defensive foot placement today. I believe that Onosho wants an Ozeki scalp, and this is his last chance. Sadly Onosho has yet to have a win this basho, being the recipient of a fusensho win yesterday when he was slated to face Hakuho.

Shodai vs Hokutofuji – Once again Hokutofuji looks to be 15% less than what is needed to really win against the Ozeki, and he relies far too much on that right hand nodowa. Everyone sees it coming now, and they have practiced how to disarm you. So use your excellent sumo, and your fantastic natural skills to cook up a few new attack strategies, it will be amazing.

Andy broke the news last night – Hakuho has withdrawn from Haru, and his future is now in doubt. Both Yokozuna had been admonished to return to competition, and participate in a full basho, or retire. It’s clear that Hakuho’s knee is still damaged, and we have no idea if he is suffering any long lasting effects from his bout with COVID-19. While it’s very nice to see him back in action, we may have now reached the point where we say goodbye to the Yokozuna, and hope that new ones might arise. I very much doubt we will hear anything before the end of the basho, though there is speculation that he might seek surgery on his knee, and attempt to return in July. It’s his life, and his body, but everyone can see it’s probably time for him to step down. I realize I said I preferred that Kakuryu go down fighting, and that is true for Hakuho as well. But perhaps both of their bodies have already retired, and their minds are just slow to follow.

Highlight Matches

Ishiura defeats Hidenoumi – Ok, that was a fun one! I wondered why the two of them were shoulder to shoulder with such frantic hand action in side. Hidenoumi wanted to prevent Ishiura from setting up the throw. But Ishiura stuck to his target and found his mark with a glorious uwatehineri. If you get to watch a slow motion replay, note Ishiura’s foot placement and balance into that uwatehineri. Both end the day 2-1.

Daiamami defeats Yutakayama – Yutakayama got the inside position at the tachiai, and went to work. He looked to have a clean oshi-zumo win about to happen, but Daiamami converted Yutakayama’s big (off-balance) finishing thrust into a deflection to the side, sending Yutakayama to the clay. Daiamami improves to 2-1.

Kaisei defeats Tsurugisho – Two giant men going chest to chest in a battle of strength? Yes please! Tsurugisho seemed to have an early advantage, but either his knees lost strength, or Kaisei found his sumo underneath that rust. Kaisei went on the advance and took the win, finishing 2-1.

Terutsuyoshi defeats Kotoeko – Power pixie battle deluxe! Kotoeko started strong and had Terutsuyoshi on the run. But a following a Kotoeko pulling attempt, Terutsuyoshi cranked up the power to 11 and ran Kotoeko out across the bales. That’s a first win of March for Terutsuyoshi, and he looked good winning, too.

Chiyoshoma defeats Aoiyama – I know he lost, but Aoiyama is on fire! I have not seen him consistently make use of his brutal thrusting attack in this manner in years. I was even more impressed that Chiyoshoma endured all of that, and stayed patient, looking for his opening. He finally got a grip on one of Aoiyama’s enormous arms, and converted that to a sukuinage. Both finish the day at 2-1.

Chiyotairyu defeats Akiseyama – The big belly battle goes to Chiyotairyu, who uses his cannon-ball tachiai to stand Akiseyama upright, thrust to the chest to raise him higher, and then pulls him down. Textbook Chiyotairyu sumo. Both end the day 2-1.

Ryuden defeats Kotoshoho – Kotoshoho joins the kyujo ranks with both Yokozuna, Ryuden gets his first win by default.

Chiyonokuni defeats Midorifuji – Midorifuji had early advantage, but when he tried to rotate into a pull, it failed. In response he pulled against Chiyonokuni, and that was an open invitation for Chiyonokuni to run him across the dohyo and over the tawara. Invitation accepted. Both end the day 2-1.

Tobizaru defeats Hoshoryu – Tobizaru gets his first win of March. It looked like he started the match trying to grapple Hoshoryu, who used a combination of thrusts, ottsuke and maneuver to stalemate Tobizaru. But Tobizaru kept the pressure center mass, and kept Hoshoryu closer to the tawara, where he finished him with a mighty shove.

Tochinoshin defeats Kotonowaka – A Tochinoshin pulling attempt left both men stumbling and off balance. Tochinoshin regained some level of footing and pushed Kotonowaka out for his first win of the basho, improving to 1-2.

Ichinojo defeats Kagayaki – The haunting melodies of the Fields of the Nephilim could not help Goth-Mode Kagayaki today. Ichinojo’s attack was over in just a moment, as he grabbed Kagayaki’s neck, then pulled and twisted. Thankfully Kagayaki’s neck is more durable than a bottle of Heineken, but he went tumbling, giving Ichinojo his 3rd straight win.

Tamawashi defeats Endo – This was really Tamawashi vs Endo’s face. Endo has a famous face, but clearly it was not created to stand up to that much Mongolian patty-cake. For some reason, the master tactician has a 0-3 start to March, and across Japan, little old grannies are worried.

Myogiryu defeats Okinoumi – They went chest to chest at the tachiai, with Myogiryu in control, and Okinoumi with just half of a working grip. Before Okinoumi could get a hold with his left hand, Myogiryu drove forward and finished the match, to improve his score to 3-0.

Meisei defeats Kiribayama – Kiribayama was blasted off the shikiri-sen, and as he was accelerating in reverse, he attempted to set up a throw at the tawara. Meisei was not going to allow any of that, and drove Kiribayama out, crushing him to the clay.

Takayasu defeats Shimanoumi – Wow, Takayasu came out of the tachiai, with his hands in perfect position. He found center mass, and his first push moved Shimanoumi back. Takayasu just kept the pressure going, and quickly put Shimanoumi over the tawara on the west sdie for his second win of March.

Takanosho defeats Mitakeumi – Mitakeumi attempted an arm grab on the second step after the tachiai, which was only partially successful. This left his chest wide open, and Takanosho applied maximum force center-mass, and got Mitakeumi on the move. Takanosho kept the pressure going, and three steps later, Mitakeumi was out. Both end the day 2-1.

Terunofuji defeats Daieisho – Terunofuji takes the tachiai, and immediately gets Daieisho with his feet not set for defense. As Daieisho moves to try and recover, Terunofuji stays with him. Daieisho tried to improves something at the bales, but it was over by then and he takes his third straight loss of March.

Asanoyama defeats Hokutofuji – Hokutofuji got his right hand nodowa at the tachiai, and drove Asanoyama back. At this stage, Hokutofuji normally has his left hand against his opponents chest to apply the energy to move them out. But Asanoyama was ready for this, and managed to shift left, breaking the nodowa and applying pressure to Hokutofuji’s right shoulder. That moment of energy was so off-axis for Hokutofuji, it sent him tumbling to the clay.

Shodai defeats Takarafuji – Shodai got good hand position at the tachiai, and removed most of Terunofuji’s options to defend and extend. It was a quick march across the clay for Shodai’s second win of March.

Wakatakakage defeats Takakeisho – Impressive effort by Wakatakakage, he really earned that win. He took a fierce set of volleys from Takakeisho. There was a crucial leap to the right that gave Wakatakakage an opening, as it caused Takakeisho to pause and re-acquire his target. In that pause, Wakatakakage took initiative, and got Takakeisho on the move, then used that momentum to drive him out.