Yokozuna Hakuho held serve to move to 11-1. His closest pursuer, Asanoyama, ran into Sekiwake Mitakeumi, who reminded us that he hasn’t logged 17 consecutive san’yaku appearances by accident, defeating the Komusubi and dropping him to 9-3, two off the pace. Asanoyama and M10w Shodai, the other man with 9 wins, now have to win out, hope that Hakuho drops two of his final three bouts against Abi, Mitakeumi, and Takakeisho, and then defeat the Dai-Yokozuna in a playoff in order to keep him from picking up his 43rd top-division championship.
The San’yaku ranks
Mitakeumi (6-6) needs 2 wins to prolong his stay at Sekiwake for a 4th consecutive basho, and 1 win to extend his san’yaku streak to 18 tournaments, one short of Wakanosato’s record. He’ll have to do it against Takakeisho, Hakuho, and Abi.
Asanoyama has already clinched a san’yaku stay; for him to move up to Sekiwake will take either two more wins or a failure to retain the rank by Mitakeumi. Abi (7-5) needs another victory to extend his reign at Komusubi, but faces a tough slate of bouts: Hakuho, Takakeisho, and Mitakeumi. Finally, Endo and Hokutofuji, both (5-7), have their backs to the wall and cannot afford any more losses if they want to avoid a drop into the rank-and-file.
It remains to be seen whether any regular Komusubi slots open up, and there are currently no winning records among the joi maegashira, but M1e Daieisho (6-6) is the leading candidate to claim an open slot or possibly even force the creation of an extra one.
Demotion danger
Among the absentees, we know that Ichinojo and Wakatakakage will be demoted to Juryo, while Tomokaze’s banzuke fate depends on how the rest of the demotion/promotion scenarios play out. M15w Daishoho (3-9) is the first among those competing to clinch demotion; today M14w Nishikigi (3-9) probably joined him, and M15e Daishomary (4-8) is right on the brink. M9e Kotoshogiku (4-8) and M14e Terutshuyoshi (7-5) picked up the wins they needed for safety, leaving only M10e Shimanoumi (4-8) needing one more victory.
For those keeping count, that’s at least 4 open slots in the top division—likely 5, and possibly as many as 7. Two of them are now set to be filled by J1e Azumaryu (8-4) and J3e Ikioi (9-3). J2e Tochiozan (8-7) and J5e Kaisei (9-3) are good bets to join them. J5w Kiribayama (8-4) and J7w Kotonowaka (9-3) need to win two out of three to stake a promotion claim, and a couple of others could make the banzuke committee’s task more difficult by winning out.
We are kicking off the final 3 days of the Kyushu basho. It looks almost certain that Hakuho will pick up the Emperor’s cup for the 43rd time, and he will need yet another warehouse in Chiba to store all of that beef he has coming his way. While we wait for “The Boss” to once again face limp condemnation from the YDC over even the slightest breech of protocol, the schedulers are showing us that with so many middling records, it’s Darwin matches for everyone. Coming out of today, we will have at least 3 new make-koshi rikishi, and possibly a few new cremates for the rikishi already aboard the slow, smelly barge back to Juryo.
On the subject of Hakuho, its true that I am a fan. But I have a secret hope, in that Hakuho lingers a while longer past his 2020 Olympics goal. Just long enough to have one of the new generation beat him straight up for a yusho. Bonus points if it’s Takakeisho or Asanoyama. Why? He’s the greatest rikishi of our time, and possibly any time. But some of his stuff just seems to beg for a “comeuppance”. The passing of the torch basho have been punctuations to end of dominant Yokozuna careers since I became a fan of sumo before Chiyonofuji faded from dominance. May “The Boss” face a fitting and noble close to his the career, going out guns blazing, but no longer able to dominate the new generation.
Daishomaru vs Azumaryu – Azumaryu has a kachi-koshi at the top of Juryo, and a healthy number of Makuuchi rikishi eligible for demotion. I would guess “Mr A” is coming back for January. He faces the bosun of the Juryo barge, Daishomaru, who holds a 3-1 career advantage. May not help him today.
Shimanoumi vs Nishikigi – More of “Club Make-Koshi” fight it out in this first ever match between a flagging Nishikigi and a surprisingly low-scoring Shimanoumi. Shimanoumi has had a few very good fights in those 4 wins, but it seems he’s headed downward as well.
Daishoho vs Yutakayama – The captain of the Juryo barge meets a man on the hunt for his 8th win. Daishoho is 0-3 against Yutakayama, so I am going to guess this is a “gimme” match, it’s also a Maegashira 15 facing off against a Maegashira 9. Hoo boy. I am looking forward to lksumo’s assessment in a few weeks of where a few of these pivotal rikishi of the new era are going to rank for Hatsu.
Kotoshogiku vs Ishiura – Ishiura is operating at a new level of sumo, one not seen since his Makuuchi debut 3 years ago in Kyushu. The relic of Kotoshogiku will do his best to blunt Ishiura’s superior agility with strength, bulk and forward power. Let’s hope the Kyushu bulldozer has a few more big matches in him.
Kagayaki vs Sadanoumi – Is it just me, or do you hear Kagayaki grumbling all the way from Kyushu. He seemed genuinely cranky following his day 12 loss to Ishiura, and I expect that he has frustrations he needs to express. Via hitting Sadanoumi. Sadanoumi, for his part, still needs 2 wins, and seems very focused and orderly about the process. I think this comes down to who’s head is in the match.
Shohozan vs Chiyomaru – One more win needed by hometown brawler “Big Guns” Shohozan to pick up his kachi-koshi, and it may come today against Chiyomaru. Big Maru may have good cause to not push things too hard, he is already kachi-koshi, and needs to make sure he stays healthy for January.
Terutsuyoshi vs Kotoeko – Terutsuyoshi is also in the “needs one more win” club, and although he and Kotoeko are evenly matched on paper, Kotoeko is having a terrible tournament. If Terutsuyoshi fights like he has during week 2, this should be kachi-koshi interview for him.
Tsurugisho vs Chiyotairyu – A Tsurugisho loss here would sort him into the make-koshi bin, and he comes in with a 4 bout losing streak. Chiyotairyu, however, is my candidate for a day 15 Darwin match.
Shodai vs Enho – These two have never fought before, and I am eager to see how Enho’s busy “grab anything and tug” technique works against Shodai’s cartoon sumo. Shodai has the size, and some kind of other-worldly luck, but Enho has speed, agility and a solid belief that he can win against anyone. Guess if you practice against the dai-Yokozuna and beat him once in a while, everyone else seems like a bag of Showa-era rice.
Onosho vs Takanosho – Onosho gets my second nomination for day 7 Darwin match, and I think he’s got quite the hill to climb to get to 8 wins, but I think he can do it. Today’s fight against Takanosho is going to be tough for him, as Takanosho has much better footwork and balance. Onosho holds the power and speed advantage, and they are tied 1-1 from their 2 prior matches.
Aoiyama vs Ryuden – Hey, Big Dan, do us a favor and knock Ryuden around a bit before you give him a clay facial. I love Ryuden / Shin-Ikioi’s sumo, but yesterday’s henka feels like we need a penalty round for him. Please do oblige.
Meisei vs Okinoumi – Loser of this match is make-koshi, and Meisei is 0-3 against Okinoumi over his career. The winner of this bout is another good candidate for a Darwin match on day 15.
Daieisho vs Myogiryu – More Darwin appointees ahoy! I think that this one favors Daieisho due to his superior osha-attack form, so it will come down to if Daieisho can get the inside position at the tachiai, or if Myogiryu can disrupt him and get a mawashi hold.
Kotoyuki vs Asanoyama – Asanoyama has fallen out of the yusho hunt, but the possibility of him stamping his card for his first ever Ozeki bid is still very much in play. Informed prognosticators (like Tachiai’s very own lksumo) tend to think he needs to be at least 11-4 at Kyushu, so the man is on the hunt fo 2 more wins. Today he goes up against “The Penguin” Kotoyuki, who has upped the power of his flipper attacks. Regardless of the outcome, he is another strong candidate for a Darwin match on day 15.
Hokutofuji vs Tamawashi – The scheduler decide that one of these men is make-koshi today, call it a “Mini Darwin” if you would. Both of them are big, strong and pack a lot of power in their thrusts. I give stability advantage to Tamawashi, and speed advantage and “willing to try anything twice” advantage to Hokutofuji.
Takarafuji vs Endo – Our second “Mini Darwin” of the day, as the schedulers telegraph in big, ultra-blobby Kanji that day 15 is going to be survival of the fittest. Loser is make-koshi, and we get to see if that day 12 upper-cut left Endo dazed or stunned. If Takarafuji can shut down his opening gambit, it’s going to be a tough day for the Golden One.
Takakeisho vs Mitakeumi – Mitakeumi surprised me on day 12, and maybe he’s doing a bit better after that day 3 knock to the head. I am sure Takakeisho’s ego is smarting from that day 12 Ryuden henka, and I hope we see a big battle of frustration and angst played out between these two. Mitakeumi needs 2 more wins to hold Sekiwake, and I am sure that having his 3rd bid for Ozeki slip away from him is not bothering him at all…
Abi vs Hakuho – Abi has beaten Hakuho once in their 2 matches. Can he catch lightning in a bottle today? I would not count on it, as Hakuho knows how to win no matter what. I would suppose it comes down to the tachiai face slap coming from “The Boss”. If that fails to find its mark, it might be just the chance Abi needs to apply his sumo. Kintamayama has been including comments on Abi’s “one dimensional” style, and there are many who cite that as a limit to his sumo. But I recall that the same was true of Kotoshogiku. Regardless of todays outcome, Abi is part of the future of sumo, and Hakuho is increasingly part of sumo history.
Here we are, approaching the last “act” of the basho. First, we’ll look at the closing day of the second “act”, and then we’ll switch over to day 11, to see some of the yusho developments.
Some great sumo from the smaller rikishi today. Ishiura and Terutsuyoshi seem to have hit their stride, and are causing their opponents real challenges figuring what, if anything, they can do to overcome their sumo. It’s fun to watch, and will make for some fantastic sumo during the deepening transition era going into 2020. With Asanoyama’s loss and Hakuho’s win today, the yusho is almost certainly going to Hakuho. This would mark his 43rd yusho, further running up the score into territory that will make future generations question the accuracy of the statistics.
Highlight Matches
Daishoho defeats Yago – Yago has no ability to generate any forward pressure, so I would say the big fellow is nursing an injury. Maybe those taped up knees are some indication. But it seems clear that Oguruma will be without a Sekitori in competition in January. Quite a shame as they are had 2 promising young rikishi in Yago and Tomokaze, both of which are injured.
Ishiura defeats Kagayaki – New-mode Ishiura completely overwhelmed Mr Fundamentals today with flurries of combo attacks that kept the bigger rikishi off plan. From the time Ishiura got his mawashi hold, Kagayaki was little more than ballast for whatever Ishiura wanted to use to win. Ishiura improves to 7-5 with another unusual kimarite: kirikaeshi.
Terutsuyoshi defeats Chiyotairyu – Win #2 for team tiny, this time Terutsuyoshi pops at the tachiai and dives for a deep left hand grip. He takes the much larger Chiyotairyu to his chest, and attacks with surprising strength and vigor. Chiyotairyu attempts to roll into a throw as Terutsuyoshi is powering him out, but Terutsuyoshi collapses the pivot for the win. Wow!
Shodai defeats Daishomaru – In spite of Shodai’s weak tachiai, Daishomaru can’t generate much if any forward pressure against Shodai, and goes down to his 8th defeat. Now make-koshi, he joins stablemate Daishoho waiting to see if he is relegated back to Juryo to start 2020.
Kotoshogiku defeats Nishikigi – Seemingly eager to muscle the Diasho pair out of line for the Juryo barge, Nishikigi takes his 9th loss as Kotoshogiku somehow musters enough strength to employ a fairly low energy version of his trademark attack.
Shohozan defeats Shimanoumi – Shohozan landed a deep right hand grip shortly after his face-slap tachiai. From there he activated the spin cycle and gave Shimanoumi a toss to the dohyo. The home town crowd loves it, and so do I. Shimanoumi picks up his 8th loss, and is make-koshi.
Chiyomaru defeats Sadanoumi – Chiyomaru takes Sadanoumi and marches forward like he’s late for the chanko line at Kokonoe heya. Chiyomaru gets his 8th win and is kachi-koshi for November.
Onosho defeats Yutakayama – These two oshi-rikishi go chest to chest, and it’s Yutakayama who seems to dominate. But with his heels on the tawara, Onosho does a weight shift via his feet that I am still trying to figure out, and pivots to fall forward, crushing Yutakayama beneath him. 2 more to go for Onosho, 1 more to go for Yutakayama.
Takanosho defeats Enho – Enho executes his submarine tachiai, and latches onto the front of Takanosho’s mawashi, but Takanosho thinks it through and pauses. Re-engaging he pivots and pushes down, sending Enho to the clay. Great recovery from Takanosho today.
Aoiyama defeats Tsurugisho – Traditional Aoiyama match, stand them up, then thrust them down. Tsurugisho struggling to maintain energy in his sumo as we near the end of the tournament. He’s now one loss from make-koshi.
Takarafuji defeats Kotoeko – Complex dance for grip as the two are chest to chest from the tachiai. This is a poor game to play with Takarafuji, who seems to be effective no matter where his hands end up. Takarafuji keeps his focus, and keeps moving Kotoeko toward the bales. Kotoeko picks up his 8th loss and is now make-koshi for November.
Kotoyuki defeats Daieisho – These two are very evenly matched, and both of them brought a lot of energy to an their thrusting attacks. When Daieisho lunged to finish Kotoyuki, Kotoyuki deftly moved to his right, and Daieisho met nothing but clay at the end of his charge.
Myogiryu defeats Okinoumi – Myogiryu had the better of the tachiai, and the match transitioned into a fierce chest to chest battle for control. Okinoumi rallied several times, but could not overcome Myogiryu’s inside grip.
Hokutofuji defeats Meisei – A wild, frantic match, as many of Hokutofuji’s bouts are. The combatants broke contact multiple times, to slam into each other again and again. Nobody had superior balance or position, it was a straight up brawl that was nearly a Meisei victory. But somehow Hokutofuji kept his feet, and was able to spin away, return and catch Meisei over extended, and thrust him down.
Abi defeats Tamawashi – I am not sure what kind of battle plan Tamawashi had for this match, but it seems to have not fired off correctly. Abi took control early, and drove the match in the manner he wanted. Tamawashi could really only muster one solid counter attack, but Abi broke contact, and re-engaged in full Abi-zumo mode.
Mitakeumi defeats Asanoyama – Asanoyama could not land his favored left hand grip, and was maybe surprised by the vigor Mitakeumi brought to the match today. Clearly the Sekiwake has some power left, and he’s going to push to hold onto his rank a bit longer. With his loss, Asanoyama drops away from any credible yusho contention.
Ryuden defeats Takakeisho – Rather crummy henka today, as I was hoping to see Ryuden use actual sumo to possibly beat the sole Ozeki in good standing in the sumo world today. It would have been a function of Ryuden getting that left hand on Takakeisho’s mawashi and going to work. But instead we got this dud. Oh well.
Hakuho defeats Endo – Kind of crappy sumo from Hakuho today. The face slap is annoying, but that’s Hakuho. That forearm to the jaw is another matter all together. Is it legit in sumo? Yes, it is. But honestly, it’s probably a bit huge given that he can beat Endo without using a combo that has a high change of injury. With his win, Hakuho is now 2 wins in front of the closest pursuit for the yusho, and has likely Locked up #43.
