Natsu 2025: Day Nine

Andy Natsu 2025, Natsu Basho , ,

Kusano picked up his kachi-koshi today with an Oshidashi win over Hitoshi. Tomorrow, he will fight Daiseizan. Tohakuryu will take on Shimanoumi for his kachi-koshi.

The NHK videos for Day Nine are here: Juryo, Makuuchi Part I & Part II.

Makuuchi Action

Tamashoho (4-5) defeated Kayo (4-5). Kayo was doing great when he was moving forward, for the first three seconds of the bout. Once he started to pull for his slapdowns, Tamashoho pressured him, worked his way inside to his belt and drove him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Asakoryu (7-2) defeated Ryuden (4-5). Asakoryu stood up Ryuden at the tachiai. None of the evasive stuff you often see from smaller wrestlers. He reached inside with his left hand, deep on the back of Ryuden’s mawashi and pulled him down. Shitatenage.

Kotoshoho (3-1-5) defeated Nishikigi (5-4). Abi-sumo from Kotoshoho today. He blasted Nishikigi at the tachiai with tsuppari to the face and upper body. As Nishikigi pressed forward, Kotoshoho pulled back on Nishikigi’s left arm and thrust him down. Four straight losses from Nishikigi. Tsukiotoshi.

Sadanoumi (6-3) defeated Tochitaikai (3-6). Tochitaikai refused to allow Sadanoumi inside to get his preferred belt grip. Sadanoumi pressed forward and Tochitaikai backed away to the side, allowing Sadanoumi to fall to the ground as Tochitaikai fell off the dohyo. Gunbai Tochitaikai as his foot appeared to still be on the tawara as Sadanoumi landed. Mono-ii. Video replay showed Tochitaikai’s heel appeared to touch outside the ring before Sadanoumi fell forward. Gunbai Sashi-Chigae, Sadanoumi was ruled the winner. Oshidashi.

Takanosho (5-4) defeated Shonannoumi (3-6). After a long grapple and lean, Takanosho suddenly pressed forward and shoved Shonannoumi out. Yorikiri.

Atamifuji (6-3) defeated Roga (6-3). Both men locked in for a belt battle. Atamifuji pressed forward with gaburi leg thrusts. Once he finally got that left hand grip, he hoisted Roga over the bales. Yorikiri.

Tokihayate (4-5) defeated Shishi (1-8). Shishi lumbered forward and Tokihayate slapped him down. Shishi just seemed off balance the entire bout, ready to fall forward. He eventually did. Hatakikomi.

Onokatsu (5-4) defeated Endo (5-4). First time meeting between Endo and Onokatsu. As long as Onokatsu has been here, these guys haven’t met? This is his fifth tournament in the top division so, I find that surprising. As Endo backed away, pulling on Onokatsu’s left arm, Onokatsu shifted his weight slightly and pulled Endo down. Hikiotoshi.

Meisei (6-3) defeated Churanoumi (1-8). Meisei tried for a quick slapdown. If failed but seemed to get Churanoumi completely off balance. Meisei followed up quickly and drove forward, forcing Churanoumi off the dohyo. If you shove a guy off a cliff, you should at least check on him to make sure he’s okay. And Meisei did, he’s a gentleman. Oshidashi.

Hakuoho (8-1) obliterated Shodai (3-6). Hard hit at the tachiai, quick left hand inside, three pumps of gaburi yotsu and Shodai was out. The bad news is, Hakuoho’s right arm is not 100%. He chatted with Hakuho in the hanamichi on his way to the shitakubeya. Yorikiri.

Tobizaru (5-4) defeated Midorifuji (0-9). Midorifuji’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Basho continues. Tobizaru attacked Midorifuji’s face before grabbing his belt with his right hand. Once Tobizaru got his left hand overarm grip, he pressed forward and threw Midorifuji onto the bales. Uwatenage.

Halftime

Oshoma (6-3) defeated Kinbozan (6-3). Kinbozan charged forward but Oshoma slipped to the side and got behind Kinbozan, shoving him out. Okuridashi.

Aonishiki (8-1) defeated Chiyoshoma (2-7). Aonishiki hit Chiyoshoma with a steady flurry of tsuppari, allowing Chiyoshoma no chance to get inside. Aonishiki worked Chiyoshoma to the edge where he reached in with his left and grabbed Chiyoshoma’s belt and ushered him out. Oshidashi.

Gonoyama (2-7) defeated Hiradoumi (3-6). Hiradoumi launched out at the tachiai. Gonoyama pivoted and pulled, shoving Hiradoumi down with his right hand. Tsukiotoshi.

Wakamotoharu (4-5) defeated Oho (3-6). Oho blasted away with a flurry of tsuppari, then tried a slapdown which Wakamotoharu resisted. Oho seemed tired and out of ideas so he slowed things down with a grapple. When Oho reached in and got hold of Wakamotoharu’s trunk, he stopped, asking his opponent, “what do I do now?” Wakamotoharu demonstrated by bulldozing Oho and throwing him to the ground along the bales. Uwatenage.

Sanyaku

Abi (5-4) defeated Wakatakakage (7-2). Indigo Abi shoved Wakatakakage’s face then stepped to the side and pulled him down. Wakatakakage yelled loudly, within himself, “Goddamnit!” Hikiotoshi.

Kirishima (6-3) defeated Takerufuji (3-6). Takerufuji charged forward but Kirishima wrapped his arm around his neck and pulled him down the the ground. Kirishima landed face first outside the dohyo. Gunbai Kirishima. Mono-ii to confer and confirm the gyoji’s ruling. Meanwhile, Kirishima was slow to get up. Finally standing with a massive scrape on his right temple, he thought, “Please make this quick, I don’t feel so good.” Tradition dictates the winner must stand there to provide chikaramizu to the next wrestler, pondering the mistakes of his life. For Kirishima, that mistake includes The Most Painful Kubinage Ever.

Tamawashi (3-6) defeated Daieisho (6-3). Daieisho launched out with his tsuppari and met a face full of Tamawashi. This threw Daieisho’s attack into disarray as he short-circuited and moved backwards, pulling aimlessly. Tamawashi pursued and shoved him out. Tsukidashi.

Kotozakura (6-3) defeated Takayasu (2-7). Kotozakura shifted to the right at the tachiai, grabbed Takayasu’s belt and pulled him down. Uwatedashinage.

Onosato (9-0) defeated Ura (2-7). After a few volleys of tsuppari, Onosato went for a slapdown. That knocked Ura forward but Ura stopped right at the bales. Onosato charged forward and finished Ura with a shove from behind. Okuridashi.

Hoshoryu (7-2) defeated Ichiyamamoto (4-5). Hoshoryu hit Ichiyamamoto’s left arm and slapped him forward to the ground. Hatakikomi.

Wrap-up

Onosato’s rope run continues. Tomorrow, he will face Ichiyamamoto, then he will close out the tournament against the meat of his schedule: Sanyaku. But when you look at this sanyaku, they’re cracked, broken, defeated. So far, Onosato’s wins have been dominant. But as we saw today with Kirishima, these guys will throw everything at him to check for any cracks in his defense. With they find any this tournament? Or will Onosato cruise to his fourth yusho?

Hoshoryu will take on Ura. Kirishima will face off against Kotozakura. Onosato will fight Ichiyamamoto, as I mentioned above. Hakuoho will move up to fight Daieisho. Aonishiki will take on Wakatakakage. Welcome to the meat grinder, boys. I can’t wait.

Makushita Day 8, Natsu 2025

lksumo Aki Basho 2022

The quarterfinal bracket is set, with Nishinoryu, Fukuzaki, and Chiyooga joining the 5 quarterfinalists from yesterday. The bouts to determine the 4 semifinalists will take place tomorrow. In terms of the promotion race, Ms3e Otsuji (4-0) is in great shape; the 4 wins he’s already recorded might be enough for an immediate return to Juryo, and one more win should ensure it. Ms8e Nishinoryu’s only shot at promotion is to win out. The other contenders are in the Ms1-Ms5 promotion zone. Both Ms1’s, Kitanowaka and Akua, are 2-2. They must chalk up at least two more wins apiece, which would make Kitanowaka’s promotion certain and Akua’s very likely. Ms2e Dewanoryu (1-3) must win out to have a shot, as do Ms4e Ishizaki (3-2) and Ms5e Kyokukaiyu (2-2), while Ms4w Kotokuzan (3-1) might be able to afford one more loss. Everyone else is out of the running. Kotokuzan visits Juryo tomorrow to fight Kazekeno. Kitanowaka goes head-to-head with Kyokukaiyu, Akua fights Ms7e Satorufuji, and Dewanoryu takes on Ms5w Tochimusashi. Come back tomorrow for updates on the yusho and promotion races.

Natsu 2025: Nakabi

Andy Natsu 2025, Natsu Basho , , ,

Nakabi. No kyujo updates. Kusano continues to roll in Juryo, picking up his seventh consecutive win. With Tohakuryu’s defeat at the hands of Miyanokaze, Kusano leads by himself. He will fight Hitoshi tomorrow.

Your NHK videos are here: Juryo, Makuuchi Part I & Part II.

Makuuchi Action

Tamashoho (3-5) defeated Nishikigi (5-3). Tamashoho backed to the edge and slapped Nishikigi down while jumping off the dohyo. Hatakikomi.

Roga (6-2) defeated Tochitaikai (3-5). Tochitaikai tried to slap Roga down but Roga’s footwork and balance were solid. That jump was a huge gambit because it left Tochitaikai with no space to maneuver. Roga wrapped up Tochitaikai with a right hand inside and drove him through the ring and over the edge. Yorikiri.

Kayo (4-4) defeated Tokihayate (3-5). Kayo retreated and retreated, repeatedly trying to slap Tokihayate down. Tokihayate was in constant pursuit. Kayo grabbed Tokihayate’s right arm and pulled it forward, gaining access to his belt which Kayo yanked on to finish Tokihayate off. Uwatenage.

Asakoryu (6-2) defeated Sadanoumi (5-3). Asakoryu slipped to his left after the tachiai. As Sadanoumi stumbled forward, Asakoryu attacked from the side and shoved Sadanoumi out. Clearly not a henka but just as effective. Oshidashi.

Shonannoumi (3-5) defeated Atamifuji (5-3). Shonannoumi’s gameplan was similar to Kayo. Retreat and slapdown. Atamifuji constantly moved forward to keep the pressure on. Eventually, Shonannoumi ran out of room at the edge and had no choice but to reach for Atamifuji’s belt and try to grapple. Shonannoumi grabbed Atamifuji’s belt with his right hand outside. Rather than press forward, though, or use gaburi yotsu, he shifted laterally along the bales and threw Atamifuji. Uwatenage.

Endo (5-3) defeated Ryuden (4-4). Endo grabbed at Ryuden’s left arm. This made Ryuden stumble forward. Endo then attacked from the side as Ryuden tried to recover. Endo grabbed Ryuden’s belt and put everything into throwing Ryuden. He succeeded and won but still ended up stumbling off the dohyo and into the third row. “These were great tickets, Junpei!” Uwatenage.

Kotoshoho (2-1-5) defeated Shishi (1-7). Kotoshoho had a right arm inside grip and drove forward as Shishi pulled backward and both men went down. Gunbai Kotoshoho. No mono-ii. Yoritaoshi.

Shodai (3-5) defeated Takanosho (4-4). Shodai backed away along the bales and pulled Takanosho down. Sukuinage.

Meisei (5-3) defeated Hakuoho (7-1). While Hakuoho bulled forward, Meisei grabbed Hakuoho’s right arm and pulled him down along the bales. Their combined momentum carried both men off the dohyo. Gunbai Meisei. Both men looked incredulous. Meisei even took his time getting back to the dohyo, like, “y’all want to look at that, right? No?” No, dude. You won. Kotenage.

Oshoma (5-3) defeated Midorifuji (0-8). Oshoma’s style is rather boring. He kept Midorifuji at arms length, not allowing him to come inside and attempt his famous katasukashi. But he couldn’t slap him down, either, after numerous attempts. He eventually caught Midorifuji a bit off balance and ran him out from behind. Midorifuji makekoshi. Okuridashi.

Aonishiki (7-1) defeated Tobizaru (4-4). Solid tsuppari from Aonishiki forced Tobizaru to the edge but he wouldn’t go over. He pulled and tried a slapdown, but Tobizaru didn’t go down. Aonishiki then followed with a nodowa and a trip but Tobizaru wouldn’t go out. He pulled again and Tobizaru took two steps forward. Aonishiki grabbed Tobizaru’s thong and ran him out.

Halftime

Onokatsu (4-4) defeated Ura (2-6). After an initial pull, Ura took it to Onokatsu. Maybe he had built some confidence with his yotsu win against Tobizaru yesterday. Well, it was a mistake today. As Ura pressed forward, Onokatsu got a right hand inside, left hand outside grip. Once he settled Ura down, he drove forward and out. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (6-2) defeated Chiyoshoma (2-6). Kinbozan overpowered Chiyoshoma after a lengthy yotsu battle that required a mawashi adjustment. Yorikiri.

Ichiyamamoto (4-4) defeated Churanoumi (1-7). Ichiyamamoto had to give it three attempts with the tsuppari/slapdown combo but finally pulled Churanoumi down with the help of a belt grip. Uwatenage.

Wakamotoharu (3-5) defeated Gonoyama (1-7). Gonoyama tried an il-advised pull and slapdown. Wakamotoharu kept his footing and rushed him out. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Abi (4-4) defeated Takayasu (2-6). Abi did Abi things and blasted Takayasu with a nodowa at the tachiai. Takayasu finally relieved the pressure by batting Abi’s hands away. Takayasu then pulled, and pulled, and pulled himself right out of the ring. Oshidashi.

Wakatakakage (7-1) defeated Oho (3-5). Oho is back to his reversing sumo and Wakatakakage made him pay. Oho pulled and WTK charged forward, keeping his balance and forcing him off the edge. Oshitaoshi.

Daieisho (6-2) defeated Kirishima (5-3). Daieisho forced Kirishima backwards with his thrusts. Kirishima retreated to the bales and Daieisho shoved him out. Tsukidashi.

Onosato (8-0) defeated Hiradoumi (3-5). Onosato charged forward and forced Hiradoumi back with ease. Oshidashi.

Kotozakura (5-3) defeated Tamawashi (2-6). No tsuppari or thrusts from Tamawashi. He tried to take on Kotozakura, chest to chest, and Kotozakura forced him out. Yorikiri.

Hoshoryu (6-2) defeated Takerufuji (3-5). Takerufuji henka! Hoshoryu adjusted well. Shonosuke did not as he stumbled over his own feet trying to move out of the way. Hoshoryu advanced and wrapped up Takerufuji’s left arm, twisted, and threw him to the ground. Kotenage.

Wrap-up

Onosato has dominated his Week One competition. He will face Ura tomorrow and that should be an easy bout for him if he sticks to his fundamentals. But the five other sanyaku bouts are ahead of him this week, culminating in a fight with the Yokozuna on senshuraku. These rank-and-filers, and Takayasu, were the appetizers. After he finishes his final chicken wing tomorrow, it will be on to the main course.

Hoshoryu had a bit of a stumble today. That win over Takerufuji was close. Takerufuji was looking for a mono-ii but it was the right call. Hakuoho’s loss was the result of a great move from Meisei. He and Aonishiki might get pulled up to face sanyaku competition later this week but we clearly saw cracks in Hakuoho’s attack today.

Tomorrow, Hoshoryu will fight Ichiyamamoto. I mentioned Onosato vs Ura, which should be fun. Kotozakura versus Takayasu, though? Let’s just say I think Daieisho versus Tamawashi will be a better match. Wakatakakage will fight Abi, Aonishiki will fight Chiyoshoma and Hakuoho will take on Shodai.

Makushita Day 7 Update, Natsu 2025

lksumo Aki Basho 2022

Sometimes things work out. My concerns yesterday proved unfounded as Ms3e Otsuji won his bout in Juryo against J12w Nabatame. Combined with Ms60TD Gyotoku’s win over Sd3w Kiyota, we should have a straightforward quarterfinal bracket featuring eight 4-0 third-division wrestlers. Five of the participants booked their spots in the quarterfinals today; the other three will be determined tomorrow as shown in the bracket below. With Tenshoho and Yago getting knocked out, Takakento is the only remaining ex-sekitori. The Day 9 quarterfinal bouts will give us four 5-0 semifinalists, who will meet on Day 11 to determine our two 6-0 finalists. The only potential complication left is if these two are Goshima and Fukuzaki, who both hail from Fujishima beya and can’t meet outside of a playoff. But we’ll deal with that scenario if it comes to pass. I’ll update the full quarterfinal bracket and take a first look at the Juryo promotion picture tomorrow.