Tachiai is reluctant to report that Shin-Ozeki Takakeisho has pulled out of the Natsu Basho after suffering a medial collateral ligament injury in his right knee during his Day 4 match with Mitakeumi. Immediately after winning his match, Takakeisho bent down into a squat before limping back to his side of the dohyo and down the hanamichi. Following his match, Takakeisho maintained that the knee didn’t cause him any pain, despite the obviously laboured walking, and that he would see a doctor before making a decision on competing further. After a visit to the doctor and consulting with his Oyakata, Takakeisho pulled out of competition. In regards to his deshi’s injury, Chiganoura Oyakata stated that he would not let Takakeisho force himself to compete and that the Shin-Ozeki should take the necessary time to heal.
In addition to spoiling his first basho as Ozeki, this injury also means that Takakeisho will enter the Nagoya basho as a kadoban Ozeki. That being said, we at Tachiai are glad that both Takakiehso and his Oyakata are committed to letting him get the rest and recovery he needs to return and defend his Ozeki rank come July, and we will be cheering him on every step of the way.
Update: Takakeisho has been prescribed three weeks of treatment for his injured knee.
Welcome to the end of act 1 – In the lower divisions, it has less of an effect than it does for sekitori, but we can already see how the lower division “Ones to Watch” are setting up for the remainder of the Natsu basho. In day 4 action, we had a large number of our cohort in action, with many of them in Sandanme. Amakaze, Terunofuji and Roga all won, while Musashikuni and Shoji lost, further lowering the overall Musashigawa heya’s record.
On to the matches!
Wakamotoharu vs Fujiazuma – A 0-2 bracket match, both of these rikishi share the Makushita 1 rank, and as is typical for the bloody battlefield at the top of sumo’s 3rd division, there is carnage everywhere. For these two, it’s about survival now. Both of them need 4 wins to get their ticket stamped to Juryo, but that looks like a long, steep climb from here.
Ichiyamamoto vs Tobizaru – It’s Ichiyamamoto’s turn to head to Juryo, this time to face the flying monkey; Tobizaru. Ichiyamamoto has tied his highest ever rank this basho, and with both Makushita 1’s in a tight spot, the Juryo promotion lanes my be a bit more open than usual. Time to step on the gas, guys.
Hoshoryu vs Kotokamatani – Two early favorites for the front of any promotion queue, the only two rikishi at the top of Makushita who are unbeaten face each other tonight for sole possession of the overtaking lane. Both are sharp, capable and healthy. Furthermore, both of them show considerable amount of planning in each match, and I think this could be a highlight bout of the day.
Midorifuji vs Kototebakari – A 1-1 bracket match, Midorifuji is still in great shape working towards 4 wins. He has faced Kototebakari once before, for a loss.
Terunofuji vs Komakiryu – For these two it’s 2-0 head to head on day 5, but it’s an odd match up to be certain. Komakiryu is a 34 year old veteran from Kise heya, and spent a good amount of time in Makushita before drifting back down to Sandanme. Terunofuji is still not even close to his real capabilities, but is improved from Osaka. Winner advances to the 3-0 bracket.
Wakaichiro vs Amamidake – For Wakaichiro fans, the numbers are grim. Currently at 0-2, both matches featured frustrating surprises that has left Wakaichiro without a win. The good news is that there is still a path to kachi-koshi, and Wakaichiro has recovered from this situation in the past.
Kitanowaka vs Yabugasaki – The young Jonokuchi sensation will face another newcomer who is a height and weight match for him. As always, its tough to rank new recruits straight from Maezumo, and we expect the Nagoya banzuke to have a better sort order. If anything, Kitanowaka may be under-ranked right now.
Welcome to the final day of Act 1! As you may recall, act 1 is all about bringing the rikishi up to tournament performance while getting the ring-rust knocked off and scraped away. It’s clear that there are some rikishi who are in terrible condition coming into the end of act 1, and a surprisingly small number who have managed to remain undefeated. I think this portends a very flat, even competition for act 2 of the basho, where we sort the survivors from the damned. So far it looks like we will get to keep Kakuryu, and avoid the “No-kazuna” situation that was scandalous and unthinkable 2 years ago.
Meanwhile, shin-Ozeki Takakeisho is in unknown condition following him injuring himself in his day 4 match against Mitakeumi. Team Tachiai’s best medical consultants have declared that the attempt to graft even the smallest element of yotsu-sumo onto his body has resulted in a kimarite malfunction, and the damage could be extensive. Reports from Japan have stated that Chiganoura Oyakata is taking special care of his Ozeki. They are going to have a medical work-up done, and he is inclined to keep Takakeisho out of competition if he’s not 100%. Good Oyakata! EDIT: News reports from Japan now indicate that Takakeisho will be absent tomorrow. It is unclear at this point whether he will return later in the tournament. -lksumo
One of the aforementioned 4-0 score-holders is Ozekiwake Tochinoshin, who is on a mission to rack up 10 wins and reclaim his Ozeki rank. When he’s healthy, as he seems right now, the man is a force of nature. As with most other sumo fans around the world, we are eager to see him overcome the challenge in front of him and regain his title.
What We Are Watching Day 5.
Terutsuyoshi vs Kyokushuho – Kyokushuho visits from Juryo to face off against Terutsuyoshi, who may, at long last, be finding a working formula for his sumo in the top division. Mongolian Kyokushuho is looking for a path that returns him to the top division, with his last posting being as Maegashira 14 during Osaka 2017!
Chiyoshoma vs Enho – Oh this has train-wreck written all over it. You have the highly maneuverable Enho facing off for the first time against a known henka master. Not only henka, but flying henka! Will Chiyoshoma take flight before Enho can catch a grip, or will Enho find a way to lock his feet to the clay?
Tokushoryu vs Yago – Bottom-heavy Tokushoryu will square off against Yago in this battle of the twos. Both men have 2-2 records, and their career record is tied 2-2. Math-oriented fans can only hope that the first match is indecisive, and after a monoii, a torinaoshi is called, resulting in there being 2 matches between these 2.
Chiyomaru vs Tochiozan – I might say “keep on rolling!” to 3-1 Chiyomaru, but that is actually possible, and probably dangerous. In fact it has been learned by Tachiai that Chiyomaru is forbidden to climb hills or even steep sidewalks, as any slip or fall could cause damage to local buildings, parked cars and any nearby fishing fleet.
Shimanoumi vs Onosho – At Maegashira 10, Onosho should be cleaning up handily. Instead he is still struggling. So today’s match against Shimanoumi looks like a favor, as Shimanoumi has yet to find a way to beat the Mighty Tadpole on the dohyo.
Kagayaki vs Asanoyama – Oh, what a great match. Clearly the schedulers want to throw a wrinkle at Asanoyama, who has only beaten Kagayaki one time in their 6 prior meetings. Asanoyama comes in undefeated, and frankly looking to be executing the best sumo of his top-division career. Can Mr. Fundamentals make it 6 by putting the leading member of the Freshmen on the clay?
Shodai vs Yoshikaze – How is Shodai at 3-1? I am going to guess Yoshikaze is going to have a tough time with this match, as Yoshikaze has been hampered by a shocking lack of mobility this basho, and Shodai seems to be bouncing around every match, win or lose.
Myogiryu vs Abi – After it seemed that Abi-zumo had run out of useful life earlier this year, somehow it’s back to being quite potent. Maybe it’s the oddball “Chanko Napolitan” they serve at the heya. Myogiryu still seems to be looking for his sumo in a box somewhere at the heya, and needs to find it soon.
Okinoumi vs Ryuden – Only one rikishi in active competition still has zero wins: Okinoumi. Which is odd because he is fighting well. Maybe he can work out some of his frustrations against Shin-Ikioi / Ryuden, as Ryuden is quietly putting together quite a winning streak when you consider Osaka as well.
Endo vs Kotoshogiku – Both men are 1-3, and need to start turning things around if they want to avoid a typical Maegashira 1 / 2 outcome for this basho. Kotoshogiku’s attacks are still wonderfully effective, but he seems to lack the strength to get them to pay against the named ranks.
Hokutofuji vs Tochinoshin – The key to this match will be if Hokutofuji can land his nodowa before Tochinoshin can get that left hand grip. Hokutofuji will want to hit and shift; Tochinoshin will want to hold and lift. Hokutofuji holds a slight career advantage (3-2), and I think he may be the first rikishi to put dirt on the Ozekiwake.
Ichinojo vs Mitakeumi – I think we may see Ichinojo revert to his Osaka form sooner rather than later. Mitakeumi likes to rush in, and so the stand them up / knock them down tactic might carry this match. Of course it’s possible that Mitakeumi is still trying to figure out what happened against Takakeisho, and will be too baffled 24 hours later to execute proper sumo.
Goeido vs Daieisho – Engineers worked frantically to patch that Endo bug, and Goeido is now running GoeiDOS 2.4.1, which should be more than effective against Daieisho. (Perhaps surprisingly, Daieisho holds a 2-1 career edge, including the upset that derailed Goeido after his strong start last basho. -lksumo)
Takakeisho vs Tamawashi – I would say 50/50 chance this match does not take place, and Tamawashi ends up with a fusensho to boost him to 2-3. If it does take place, I am going to expect a real roaming oshi-battle with a lot of force, and maybe a couple of crowd-pleasing haymakers.
Chiyotairyu vs Takayasu – It’s clear that we likely won’t be talking about how Takayasu is finally going to get his first yusho. In fact, I am still trying to decide what he is up to these days. He is still winning, but he’s frankly all over the sumo spectrum every day. While it makes it tough on his opponents to guess what he’s going to do, it’s not really helping his score.
Kakuryu vs Aoiyama – Kakuryu is a delightful contrast to Hakuho, as Kakuryu allows his opponent to dictate the terms of the match to start, and them brutally applies his magic. The net result in terms of Aoiyama is a 17-1 career advantage that may not in fact improve on Natsu day 5.
A surprising match that came late in the day’s torikumi – we got to see a pair of tadpoles go chest to chest, with a unexpectedly good yotsu-zumo battle from… Takakeisho?
Highlight Matches
Chiyoshoma defeats Terutsuyoshi – Terutsuyoshi comes in low, but can’t generate any forward pressure against Chiyoshoma, who grabs a shoulder and swings him down to the clay.
Tokushoryu defeats Ishiura – Ishiura attempts a hit-and-shift mini henka, and Tokushoryu is having none of it. After Ishiura’s opening gambit fails, he spends the next few moments dodging Tokushoryu who runs him down and tosses him out.
Kotoeko defeats Wakatakakage – Wakatakakage took the tachiai, and got inside to take initiative and dictate the match. But he took too low of a body position, and while Kotoeko’s attempt at a pull down failed, it did disrupt Wakatakakage enough for Kotoeko to go on offense. Kotoeko kept his head, stayed focused and seized his chance.
Enho defeats Daishoho – It looks like Enho attempts another leg-pick, but Daishoho keeps moving, and so Enho settles for a unique shoulder-to-mawashi hold that he converts to a shitatenage. It’s almost an entirely different form of sumo that most of the giants are completely helpless to stop.
Sadanoumi defeats Shimanoumi – Shimanoumi continues to struggle, to the dismay of his fans. Although Shimanoumi seems to get the better for the tachiai, Sadanoumi gets a shallow left hand inside grip that he uses to carry the match.
Yago defeats Chiyomaru – Chiyomaru picks up his first loss after Yago puts him on the clay. Chiyomaru had a number of problems this match, including a soft tachiai, an inability to finish Yago once his heels were on the tawara, and getting that giant belly too far forward to enable Yago’s slap down.
Tochiozan defeats Kagayaki – Tochiozan was the model of calm efficiency in dismantling Kagayaki in this match. He kept pushing inside Kagayaki’s defenses and driving forward. Mr Fundamentals defeated by excellent fundamentals from Tochiozan.
Shohozan defeats Onosho – Shohozan went chest to chest with Onosho, and rolled him around with great effect. The biggest knock against Onosho is that he focused his osha-attack against Shohozan’s head and shoulders, rather than center-mass. When they grapple, Shohozan had the superior body position with his hips lower and primed for offense. Onosho had only a tentative grip on Shohozan’s mawashi, and there was little he could do to prevent the throw.
Kaisei defeats Tomokaze – Tomokaze wisely tried to get Kaisei off-axis, and succeeded. But the Brazilian was low enough and stable enough that the attempt to convert that body position to a throw failed, and Tomokaze attempted to pull Kaisei down. It was successful, but Tomokaze fell / stepped out first, handing Kaisei his second win.
Asanoyama defeats Nishikigi – Watching Asanoyama today is a great visual study in excellent sumo mechanics. This version of Asanoyama is strong, confident and winning without fail. With his brother from another mother, Yutakayama, in the Juryo bush-league getting rebuilt, Asanoyama has stepped up and started to shine.
Meisei defeats Takarafuji – Meisei picks up his first win of the basho with a tottari, sending Takarafuji sliding belly first.
Yoshikaze defeats Myogiryu – Yoshikaze is finally showing some offensive sumo and forward pressure, though the start was quite tentative. The match was mostly fought chest to chest after a separation following the tachiai. Fans hope that Yoshikaze brings more vigor to his sumo for the rest of the basho.
Shodai defeats Ryuden – Once again Ryuden can’t seem to find a way to beat Shodai, even though Ryuden seemed to have superior body position, foot placement and higher energy. Shodai’s sumo somehow took over and carried the match. I have watched it three times and I am still not sure what happened.
Abi defeats Daieisho – Traditional Abi-zumo match here, but ended with a ballet pull-down kimarite that was listed as uwatenage. In spite of his fairly one dimensional sumo, Abi is tough to beat at this rank and when he is on his game.
Chiyotairyu defeats Aoiyama – A surprisingly soft tachiai from these two, I think both suspected the other of a henka, or side-step. But once Aoiyama pushed forward, Chiyotairyu’s side-step took place sending Aoiyama diving for the west side clay. Chiyotairyu’s first win of the basho.
Ichinojo defeats Okinoumi – Ichinojo’s hiji-yotsu (elbow lock out) really paid off as Okinoumi found himself unable to do anything offensive or defensive. Is Ichinojo’s ring rust fading yet?
Tochinoshin defeats Tamawashi – Great hazuoshi (armpit attack) from Tamawashi shut down Tochinoshin’s early efforts to get his left hand grip in place for the sky crane. But land it he did, although Tamawashi continued to dance around, not letting the Ozekiwake plant his feet for the lift. Tochinoshin kept tight cover and moved forward, getting the white star to reach 4-0. If he can stay healthy he is on course to re-take his Ozeki rank.
Takakeisho defeats Mitakeumi – Some readers may have noted that I pointed out that in the run-up to Natsu, there was video of Takakeisho going chest to chest with Ozeki Takayasu, and winning. Some folks on Twitter tried to downplay this video evidence that the tadpole was at least trying to diversify, but here we are again. This may be the most interesting match in the next few months, so let’s break it down. Takakeisho tries to start the wave-train at the tachiai, but loses traction and falls into Mitakeumi’s chest, and finds he cannot push. Much to the crowds surprise, Takakeisho settles into yotsu fighting position and proceeds to get to work. I am sure Mitakeumi is surprised at this point, and they stand leaning on each other for a moment as if to say, “ok, this is odd – what do we do now?”. Takakeisho takes the initiative and lifts Mitakeumi from the clay, the crowd loses its mind, but Takakeisho can’t find any advantage. The two continue to dance atop the shikiri-sen, and Mitakeumi seems to decide to lean in and make the shin-Ozeki support his massive body. Again Takakeisho lifts, and advances – to win! But immediately following he drops to a crouch, and it’s clear that the effort caused at least a minor injury. But yes, Takakeisho won via Yorikiri, and did it well, and made it work. I think this is only the 3rd or 4th time in his sumo career he has done that. I am even more impressed with him now.
Late word is that Takakeisho did in fact strain his knee, and that Chiganoura Oyakata is saying that they will decide Thursday morning if the shin-Ozeki will go kyujo.
Takayasu defeats Hokutofuji – Takayasu seems to have recovered his sumo. He gets a thrusting attack going against Hokutofuji’s chest while Hokutofuji is still trying to get his hands on the Ozeki. Hopefully Takayasu’s ring-rust is under control now.
Goeido defeats Kotoshogiku – With 30 wins over Kotoshogiku, Goeido has a formula for shutting down the Kyushu Bulldozer, and he employed it with great effect on day 4. That shallow right hand grip was the key, as it gives Goeido leverage right at the focus point for Kotoshogiku’s “Hug-n-chug” attack.
Kakuryu defeats Endo – Reactive sumo strikes again. The pull down attempt against Endo fails but the Yokozuna follows up against Endo’s disrupted balance and gives him the propulsion needed to exit the dohyo. Not the best sumo from Kakuryu, but his 4th white star to remain undefeated.
