Nagoya 2024: Day Three Highlights

Andy Nagoya 2024, Nagoya Basho ,

I love the NHK shots of the two Nagoya stadiums. You have the 1960s Sweatbox Dolphin’s Arena on one side and the modern design of IG Arena on the other. Back away a little to add in the sleek, ancient Nagoya Castle for quite the contrast. I look forward to what I presume will be the demolition of the old building.

In lower division action, Enho did win his Day 3 matchup and will get tomorrow off.

NHK posts the video footage here. Day Three coverage of Juryo Part I and Part II. Makuuchi Part I and Part II.

Day Three Highlights

Nishikifuji (2-1) defeated Kagayaki (1-2). Kagayaki was in attack mode after the tachiai. Nishikifuji transformed the bout when he was able to get inside Kagayaki’s oshi attack and get a belt grip. Nishikifuji thend drove Kagayaki out. Yorikiri.

Bushozan (2-1) defeated Roga (1-2). Solid sumo from Bushozan today. He kept Roga in front of him and steadily cornered Roga at the edge with excellent footwork and constant tsuppari. He then shoved Roga over the edge. Oshidashi.

Roga will fight Nishikifuji on Day Four.

Wakatakakage (2-1) defeated Endo (1-2). Wakatakakage just overpowered Endo from the tachiai. Endo tried a slapdown as Wakatakakage drove him toward the edge. But Wakatakakage shrugged it off and drove Endo over the tawara. Oshidashi.

Wakatakakage will target Bushozan tomorrow. Endo will face Kagayaki.

Takarafuji (2-1) defeated the shadow of Hokutofuji (0-3). Hokutofuji pressed forward with his usual oshi attack. A nodowa drove Takarafuji back to the tawara. Hokutofuji then tried a slapdown but Takarafuji kept his balance and launched his counter attack. He quickly forced Hokutofuji to the edge and shoved him over. Yorikiri.

Asanoyama (3-0) defeated Churanoumi (2-1). Churanoumi immediately went for the maemitsu but Asanoyama batted his hands away. Asanoyama then fought hard to establish a right-hand inside position on Churanoumi’s belt. Once he locked in on the belt with both hands, he advanced quickly and drove Churanoumi over the edge.

Churanoumi will take on Takarafuji tomorrow.

Bizzaro-yamamoto (2-1) defeated Nishikigi (0-3). What the hell was Ichiyamamoto doing on the belt? Well, it sure worked. He fought to establish a hold of Nishikigi’s belt and drove his straight back and out. Remember back when Nishikigi was in sanyaku? He’s on his way to Juryo now. They must have beaten him up. Yorikiri.

Ichiyamamoto will not want anything to do with Asanoyama’s belt tomorrow. I can assure you of that. The shadow of Nishikigi will fight the shadow of Hokutofuji.

Shodai (1-2) defeated Midorifuji (1-2). No silliness from Shodai today. All business against Midorifuji as he patiently worked for a solid yotsu attack. The two-handed belt grip over Midorifuji’s back wasn’t getting Shodai anywhere. He released with his right and used his left-hand grip to spin Midorifuji around and out. Uwatenage.

Oshoma (3-0) defeated Tamawashi (2-1). As Tamawashi charged forward, Oshoma slapped him down. Hikiotoshi.

Oshoma will fight Midorifuji tomorrow.

Ryuden (1-2) defeated Kinbozan (0-3). Ryuden locked in. Two handed belt grip, head firmly in Kinbozan’s chest. Kinbozan did not seem to get much power from his own belt hold. Ryuden closed quickly and forced him to the edge. Ryuden patiently waited out his counter attack, maintained his own forward pressure and walked him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Ryuden will take on Shodai. Kinbozan will face Tamawashi.

Kotoshoho (2-1) destroyed Sadanoumi (2-1). Wow. Fierce tachiai, followed with firm tsuppari. Once he had Sadanoumi on the edge he blasted him into the third row. The kid must’ve eaten his Wheaties this morning. Tsukidashi with extreme prejudice. The highlight bout of the first half of action.

Halftime

Takanosho (1-2) defeated Oho (1-2). You can pinpoint the moment Takanosho won this bout. It’s the moment Oho pulled and tried that pathetic slapdown. Before that, it was a great, well contested battle. Oho was trying to advance and was looking good. As soon as he put the gear into reverse, however, he was toast. Oshidashi.

Sadanoumi will dust himself off and face Oho.

Shonannoumi (3-0) defeated Onosho (0-3). Onosho was super-charged and eager to slam into Shonannoumi at the tachiai. Shonannoumi shifted right and pulled the eager beaver onto his belly. Uwatedashinage.

Shonannoumi will fight Kotoshoho and hopefully one of the No-show’s will show up.

Tobizaru (2-1) defeated Ura (2-1). More like, Ura lost this one. The two locked horns early. Tobizaru steadily cornered Ura so Ura lashed out and blasted Tobizaru backward. From there, Ura tried a slapdown but Tobizaru was unfazed, pursued Ura and shoved him backwards. Ura lost his balance and fell hard on his butt. Oshitaoshi.

Sanyaku

Onosato (1-2) defeated Daieisho (1-2) Onosato read the brief. He withstood some powerful thrusts then shifted to the side and slapped Daieisho down onto his belly. It pays to prepare for a bout. Hatakikomi.

Hiradoumi (1-2) defeated Abi (1-2). Hiradoumi’s Abi-zumo was stronger than Abi’s. Oshidashi.

Kirishima (3-0) defeated Gonoyama (1-2). Gonoyama timed his charge simultaneous with Kirishima’s ill-advised pull. This forced Kirishima back to the edge quickly and I’m sure we all thought the same thing, “Oh, crap.” But Kirishima regrouped at the bales, locked in on Gonoyama’s belt and forced the action back to the center of the dohyo. After a brief tussle for belt grips. Gonoyama heaved the pair toward the edge where he tried a throw but Kirishima countered with one of his own and stayed up on his feet and in bounds a beat longer as Gonoyama flopped to his belly. Uwatenage.

Hoshoryu (2-1) defeated Mitakeumi (1-2). Mitakeumi’s strength does seem to be coming back. He wrapped up Hoshoryu and tried to power him backwards. He is just too high, though, in his attack. Hoshoryu quickly turned the tables by turning Mitakeumi. He spun him back to the edge, and walked him out. Yorikiri.

Kotozakura (2-1) defeated Meisei (1-2). Meisei pulled and Kotozakura followed, quickly ushering Meisei over the edge.

Atamifuji (2-1) defeated Takakeisho (1-2). Takakeisho tried a quick slapdown which caught Atamifuji by surprise; he stumbled forward but did not panic. He regained his balance, backed up and re-engaged with the Ozeki. Atamifuji hit the Ozeki from the side, grabbed his belt and forced him ingloriously to the ground. Yoritaoshi.

Terunofuji (3-0) defeated Wakamotoharu (2-1). Dominant. Terunofuji hit Wakamotoharu hard at the tachiai and did not stop until Wakamotoharu was falling from the dohyo.

Wrap-up

Terunofuji leads the charge. This is great to see. He has been powerful and dominant so far. He is not trying to overwhelm with the kimedashi strategy from earlier tournaments. Instead, he’s staying low and charging ahead with overwhelming force.

Atamifuji gets a bit of a reprieve after facing the three Ozeki. He will face Ura tomorrow. We shall see if Kirishima can keep his streak alive against Daieisho. Hiradoumi will need to dig deep against Onosato and Abi will fight Meisei. Tobizaru is being thrown to Takakeisho while Hoshoryu will face Gonoyama and Kotozakura will fight what’s left of Wakamotoharu. Terunofuji will fight Mitakeumi. I would not sleep on that musubi. Mitakeumi has a way of shaking things up…or being a Beard Papa cream puff. Let’s hope for the former, shall we?

Nagoya 2024: Day Two Highlights

Andy Enho, Nagoya 2024, Nagoya Basho ,

News from the infirmary is that Takayasu is kyujo. You may recall that on Shonichi he fought Kirishima in a long, tough, wild battle. But he suddenly pulled up and appeared to look for the exit. He has since been diagnosed with a partial tear of his left pectoral muscle, needing three weeks recovery. In Sumo time, he could be back by Sunday, provided he gets enough keiko in there. /sarcasm.

The big shock from the early action is that Enho lost his comeback bout. It was a bit careless but it was honestly not a bad beat. Solid work from Shimizuumi to keep Enho in front. The youngster was not intimidated. Kudos. Now that Enho is in the loser’s bracket, he will have an easier path. He will be back in action tomorrow against Takekuma-beya’s Kumanohana. Enho matches Kumanohana’s height, at 167cm and even has a few extra kilos. A loss tomorrow should ring alarm bells at Isegahama-beya. But coming back from such a serious neck injury? It was probably a bit presumptuous of us to assume he would run the table. Oh well. Glad he is back and seemingly recovered.

Bookmark this page. It’s where the NHK has all of their bout videos for Makuuchi and Juryo. Sorry, I forgot about that yesterday. Today’s Juryo bouts are here: Part I and Part II. The Makuuchi bouts are here: Part I and Part II. More bad news at former Miyagino-beya as Hakuoho was overpowered, plain-and-simple, by Juryo returnee Fujiseiun. The bout replay is the last one on that page, you’ll need to scroll down there.

Well, let’s get to today’s Top Division action.

Day 2 Highlights

Onokatsu (Juryo 2-0) defeated Kagayaki (1-1). Onokatsu backed away, walking along the tawara as Kagayaki stumbled out. LATE but quick mono-ii confirmed the gyoji’s decision. Tsukiotoshi.

Bushozan (1-1) defeated Nishikifuji (1-1). Bushozan was not going to fall for the pull as Kagayaki had. As Bushozan maintained his balance and focus as he advanced and shoved Nishikifuji out. Oshidashi.

Nishikifuji will face Kagayaki on Day 3.

Wakatakakage (1-1) defeated Roga (1-1). Roga initiated a pull and Wakatakakage made use of the momentum and his solid footwork, to usher Roga over the edge. Oshidashi.

Roga will fight Bushozan on Day 3.

Endo (1-1) defeated Takarafuji (1-1). A bit of a weird henka from Endo. He shifted to the right a bit late at the initial charge. The henka still caught Takarafuji, and the crowd, by surprise and he slipped in behind Takarafuji, wrapped him up and walked him out from behind. Okuridashi.

Endo will fight Wakatakakage tomorrow.

Asanoyama (2-0) defeated Hokutofuji (0-2). Asanoyama forced Hokutofuji into a grapple. He was not going to fight an oshi-style bout. Hokutofuji gave it a good effort and forced Asanoyama to change his grip several times. But Asanoyama maintained steady pressure, advanced toward the bales, and forced Hokutofuji out – regardless of whether his left arm was inside, or outside. Yorikiri.

Hokutofuji will take on Takarafuji tomorrow.

Churanoumi (2-0) defeated Nishikigi (0-2). Churanoumi got a left-hand grip up front and spun Nishikigi around. Nishikigi seemed unprepared for this method of attack and just tried his best to stay in the ring. Churanoumi’s strategy was effective and he forced Nishikigi over the bales. Yorikiri.

Churanoumi will fight Asanoyama on Day 3.

Ichiyamamoto (1-1) defeated Shodai (0-2). Ichiyamamoto drove forward and as Shodai shifted, Ichiyamamoto kept up his thrusts. Shodai tried his Shodai antics at the edge but Ichiyamamoto drove him out first. Oshidashi.

Ichiyamamoto is paired up with Nishikigi on Day 3.

Tamawashi (2-0) defeated Midorifuji (1-1). Tamawashi powered forward. Midorifuji wrapped up Tamawashi’s arm and shifted right, trying to pull Tamawashi out. But Tamawashi bulled forward forcing the pair off the dohyo. Yoritaoshi.

Midorifuji will try again tomorrow against Shodai.

Oshoma (2-0) defeated Ryuden (0-2). Oshoma pressed into Ryuden but used his hands effectively to keep Ryuden away from his belt. With Ryuden’s weight pressing forward, Oshoma suddenly pulled and slapped Ryuden down. Hatakikomi.

Oshoma asked for another opponent and for his sins, they gave him one: tomorrow he will fight Tamawashi.

Sadanoumi (2-0) defeated Kinbozan (0-2). Sadanoumi was all to happy to get a belt grip and Kinbozan did not want to keep him away. Sadanoumi lifted and spun Kinbozan around and then drove the Kazakh back and out. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan will face Ryuden on Day 3.

Kotoshoho (1-1) defeated Takanosho (0-2). Takanosho drove forward, forcing Kotoshoho to the bales. At the bales, Kotoshoho arched his back and tried to slip to the side as Takanosho stumbled forward. Gunbai Takanosho. Mono-ii was called and the gunbai was overturned. Kotoshoho had stayed in long enough. Takanosho fell forward first. Tsukiotoshi.

Kotoshoho will take on Sadanoumi on Day 3.

Halftime

Shonannoumi (2-0) defeated Oho (1-1). Fresh clay but no fresh ideas from Taiho’s grandson. Shonannoumi punished Oho for his lack of commitment to forward-moving sumo. Oho pulled and Shonannoumi just let him walk himself backwards and out. Oshidashi.

Oho will face Takanosho on Day 3. Hopefully he will bring his compass tomorrow and be ready to move in the right direction: forward.

Tobizaru (1-1) defeated Onosho (0-2). Another silly pull. As Onosho walked backwards, Tobizaru walked forwards and shoved him over the bales. Too easy. Oshidashi.

Onosho will battle Shonnanoumi tomorrow. Onosho is another candidate for Andy’s orienteering course. A Tachiai-branded compass, always pointing forward, will be provided.

Ura defeated Gonoyama. Where’d this Ura come from? Rather than finesse, Ura won with pure power. With his heels at the tawara, he wrapped up Gonoyama, set the gear for drive and plowed clear through the ring. Yorikiri.

Ura will face Tobizaru tomorrow.

Sanyaku

Abi (1-1) default win over the absent Takayasu (0-2).

Kirishima (2-0) defeated Mitakeumi (1-1). Maybe Onosato is taking notes. Kirishima met Mitakeumi’s drive head on and stopped him in the middle of the ring. As the two settled into a lean, Kirishima decided not to settle into a lean, picked up Mitakeumi like he was dead weight, and pressed forward. Yorikiri.

Wakamotoharu (2-0) defeated Onosato (0-2). Onosato pulled. When he reached the bales he tried to circle around the tawara but he fell backwards and landed before Wakamotoharu. Oshitaoshi.

Kotozakura (1-1) defeated Atamifuji (1-1). Atamifuji fought well against the Ozeki. Kotozakura tried the Shodai thing again today, shuffling along the bales and trying to wave Atamifuji over the edge. But Atamifuji needed more direct attention. Kotozakura moved to the center and shoved Atamifuji out. Yorikiri.

Takakeisho (1-1) defeated Daieisho (1-1). Takakeisho came out blasting today and forced Daieisho back to the edge. However, he could not finish. Daieisho resisted at the edge so the two competitors locked horns. Daieisho has always been vulnerable to flopping on his belly and that’s how Takakeisho won. He sensed when Daieisho was pitched too far forward and slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

Hoshoryu (1-1) defeated Hiradoumi (0-2). This was an old-fashioned street fight. Hoshoryu tried to move in quickly for a belt grip but Hiradoumi did not allow it. Instead, the two traded vicious blows. Hoshoryu advanced on Hiradoumi, whose back was to the edge, and blasted him from the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Terunofuji (2-0) defeated Meisei (1-1). A dominant Terunofuji blew Meisei away. The Yokozuna’s hard charging tachiai forced Meisei back to the bales. Terunofuji continued forward and drove Meisei out. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up

The Ozeki recovered from yesterday’s losses and turned in victories. They were a bit shaky but victories nonetheless. Terunofuji’s win, though, was anything but shaky. He won with the confidence and authority of a Yokozuna.

Tomorrow’s sanyaku bouts will continue the drama. First up, Onosato will try to get back to his winning ways against Daieisho. Hiradoumi will face Abi. Kirishima will take on Gonoyama. For the Ozeki, Hoshoryu faces Mitakeumi, Kotozakura gets his turn with Meisei and Takakeisho will have his hands full with Atamifuji. Last, but not least, Terunofuji will fight Wakamotoharu.

Nagoya 2024: Shonichi Highlights

Andy Nagoya 2024, Nagoya Basho , ,

Packed house in Nagoya. With Konishiki’s crew in Nashville, I keep thinking of “Nashville Hot Chicken.” I seriously think Nagoya needs to come up with some Nagoya Spicy-Hot Nanban or something because that sauna they call, “Dolphins Arena” gets oppressive in mid-July. Expect this tournament to offer up some spicy action of its own.

Hakuoho beat Kayo. Forward-moving sumo. Remember that. Enough dawdling. Let’s get to the Top Division action.

Shonichi Highlights

Nishikifuji defeated Tokihayate. Forward sumo won. Tokihayate was in retreat most of the bout, trying to shrug Nishikifuji out at the bales. Nishikifuji had a firm grip, though. When he switched for a right-hand inside, he quickly drove Tokihayate out. Yorikiri.

Kagayaki defeated Bushozan. Backed to the bales, Kagayaki reached over Bushozan with his left hand and pulled hard on his belt, pulling him forward for the uwatenage win.

Kagayaki will face Onokatsu tomorrow while Bushozan takes on Nishikifuji.

Roga defeated Endo. Roga’s right hand was too powerful for Endo today. Once Roga got that grip he pulled Endo hard to the left. Endo recovered from the first attack by batting Roga’s hand away. Roga pursued quickly, locked on with that right hand, and drove Endo out into the crowd for some fan service. Yorikiri.

Takarafuji defeated Wakatakakage. Well, I sure got that wrong. Wakatakakage pressed hard into Takarafuji’s armpit with some powerful ottsuke. This kept Takarafuji from getting a belt grip but he deftly shifted to Wakatakakage’s left, spun him around and pushed him over the bales from behind. Wily move! Okuridashi.

Endo will face Takarafuji tomorrow in the big rivalry bout. Out of their 29 bouts, Endo has taken 15. Wakatakakage will face Roga for the first time ever.

Churanoumi defeated Hokutofuji. Another one that I got wrong. Hokutofuji started out strong and forced Churanoumi to the edge but Churanoumi got inside on the belt and drove Hokutofuji out. Yorikiri.

Asanoyama defeated Nishikigi. Asanoyama hit Nishikigi hard. He locked in on the front of Nishikigi’s belt with the right, maemitsu. Nishikigi tried to keep Asanoyama’s right hand from getting inside but Asanoyama shifted his grip and wrapped Nishikigi’s trunk up with his right arm. He then twisted him down. Sukuinage.

Asanoyama will face Hokutofuji. Nishikigi will take on Churanoumi.

Midorifuji defeated Ichiyamamoto. Midorifuji slapped Ichiyamamoto’s right arm down and this forced Ichiyamamoto to stumble forward and touch the ground. Tsukiotoshi.

Tamawashi defeated Shodai. Shodai tried to slip away at the edge but Tamawashi kept him firmly in front. A quick shove and Shodai was out. Oshidashi.

Shodai trades for Ichiyamamoto tomorrow while Tamawashi will get Midorifuji.

Oshoma defeated Kinbozan. Oshoma hit Kinbozan hard with the right hand square on the jaw and locked on quickly to Kinbozan’s belt with his left hand. He then cycled around to the left, forcing Kinbozan to the edge and driving him down and out. Oshitaoshi.

Sadanoumi defeated Ryuden. At least I got this call right. I thought we’d see a good bout and we sure did. Ryuden tried really hard to keep Sadanoumi’s left hand off his belt. But Sadanoumi worked both arms inside and once he got that bear hug, he quickly twisted Ryuden down. Great Sukuinage.

Sadanoumi will face Kinbozan on Day 2 while Ryuden gets Oshoma.

Oho defeated Kotoshoho. Forward-moving Oho won! Kotoshoho tried to twist at the edge but Oho drove forward and forced him down. Yoritaoshi.

Halftime

Shonannoumi defeated Takanosho. After a bit of a lean-fest, Shonannoumi had enough, spun Takanosho around and shoved him over the bales. Yorikiri.

Shonannoumi will face Oho and Takanosho will take on Kotoshoho on Day 2.

Ura defeated Onosho. Ura kept circling backwards, nearly lost his balance but recovered. As Onosho desperately pursued, Ura eventually cast Onosho off to the side and slapped him down to the ground. Concern for Onosho’s left eye after this bout. Hatakikomi.

Gonoyama defeated Tobizaru. Gonoyama just kept his balance and moved forward. Tobizaru tried to slap him down while in retreat, and balanced on the bales as long as he could. But Gonoyama gently shoved Tobizaru over. Oshidashi.

Ura will battle Gonoyama and Tobizaru will regroup against Onosho.

Sanyaku

Kirishima defeated Takayasu. After a great bout, Takayasu pulled up and Kirishima shoved him out. Takayasu just kind of stopped fighting, turned, and looked for the exit. Maybe his back is acting up? It was a bit of a wild bout. Yorikiri.

Mitakeumi defeated Onosato. Mitakeumi put his head down and drove forward. As Onosato got to the bales, he shifted to the side and tried to force Mitakeumi down. Mitakeumi maintained his balance, kept Onosato in front, and shoved him over the edge. That might have ended the Ozeki run right there. Onosato walked quickly back down the hanamichi to watch the replay. Oshidashi.

Wakamotoharu defeated Abi. When Abi shifted to Pull-Mode immediately after the tachiai, Wakamotoharu pursued quickly and pressed him over the edge. Oshidashi.

Meisei defeated Takakeisho. There was no wave action. None of that overpowering tsuppari. The Guns of Taka-Navarone have fallen silent. Meisei pressed ahead, time and time again, leading with his head as he drove the Ozeki back and out. Oshidashi.

Atamifuji defeated Hoshoryu. Atamifuji gives Hoshoryu absolute fits. I think this will be a heated and interesting rivalry for some time. Atamifuji waited patiently at the center of the ring. Suddenly, Atamifuji pulled up and drove forward. Hoshoryu desperately tried everything he could try, a kick, a throw at the edge, anything… but Atamifuji pressed forward to payday. Yorikiri.

Daieisho defeated Kotozakura. Daieisho demonstrated the initiative today. Kotozakura was content to be driven (chauffeured) to the edge where he tried to reach over and grab onto Daieisho’s belt. Daieisho kept up the attack and shoved the Ozeki out. Oshidashi.

Terunofuji defeated Hiradoumi. Calmly, Terunofuji walked Hiradoumi to the edge but Hiradoumi slipped away. Terunofuji corralled him again, reached deep over Hiradoumi’s back for a right-hand grip and heaved Hiradoumi out. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up

Takakeisho looks done, frankly. Let’s see if he can bounce back from this but he really posed no danger to Meisei as Meisei powered into him and drove him backwards. Kotozakura, on the other hand, was far too passive. He needs to wake up and take the bout to his opponent. He seriously looked like Shodai out there today, “I’ll just pull one of these Acme gizmos out at the edge.” Daieisho was sure-footed today.

There were bright spots. Hoshoryu lost but it was a great bout. Kirishima was definitely spirited in his attack. The kitchen sink might have hit Takayasu square in the belly, though. I hope he is not an early casualty but I will keep my eyes peeled for news. Well, I’ll do that later today after I get some sleep. The brightest spot, though, was where it should be: The Yokozuna.

Looking Ahead

Abi will face Takayasu tomorrow, if Takayasu didn’t pick up an early injury. Looks like Kirishima will have his hands full with Mitakeumi. Onosato will try to rebound against Wakamotoharu but it won’t be easy. Kotozakura will face Atamifuji on Day 2. He’s not lost to the maegashira yet but we know he will have his hands full.

Takakeisho has beaten Daieisho 18 times to 9 losses but I do not think Daieisho will be intimidated tomorrow. Hoshoryu has not lost to Hiradoumi and the light-weight shin-Komusubi might be just what the doctor ordered. Lastly, Terunofuji will take on Meisei.

Nagoya is off to a spicy-hot start! Have a great day, everyone.

Nagoya 2024: Shonichi Preview

Andy Nagoya 2024, Nagoya Basho , ,

Shonichi is here! In just a few hours the familiar sound of hyoshigi will signal the start of action in Nagoya. This is scheduled to be the final tournament in the intimate, spicy-hot Dolphins Arena, built in the 1960s. From next summer they will move a few blocks to the new, larger IG Arena, on the other side of moat in front of Nagoya Castle. The new venue has an advertised capacity of 17,000 so we hope tickets will be cheaper and easier to come by from 2025.

Pivoting to Ngoya 2024, we have two sekitori who are kyujo from Day 1: Chiyoshoma and Takerufuji. Takerufuji is still nursing a ligament injury in his right ankle, suffered during his historic championship run earlier this year. He has fallen to the second rung on the Juryo ladder while Chiyoshoma has just earned a promotion back to Makuuchi. It is quite possible that one or both men will participate later in the tournament. News out of Isegahama states that Takerufuji has not been practicing with sekitori yet, still working with lower-ranked wresters. But he likely only needs one or two wins to secure his own sekitori status for Aki.

Day 1 Bouts

Top Division action will open with bottom-ranked Nishikifuji facing Tokihayate, visiting from Juryo. Kagayaki and Bushozan face off next, followed by Roga versus Endo. Wakatakakage should breeze past Takarafuji as he seeks to rejoin his brother at the top of the division.

Then, Hokutofuji will face Churanoumi and Asanoyama will fight Nishikigi. Hokutofuji and Asanoyama are ranked much lower than their abilities and could clean up down here. The difficult bit is that really seems to be the case for loads of guys. The next three bouts, for example, feature a mix of maegashira mainstays, former champions, and up-and-comers in Ichiyamamoto vs Midorifuji, Shodai vs Tamawashi, and Oshoma vs Kinbozan. I really hope both Shodai and Tamawashi are up to it this basho.

After those heated battles, we’ll have Ryuden vs Sadanoumi, which is a bout most people will sleep on. But on Day 1 these two belt-specialists could give us a real highlight. Next, Kotoshoho and Oho are still trying to find their way. Let’s hope Oho’s way is not stuck in reverse. Takanosho and Shonannoumi follow with Onosho battling crowd-favorite, Ura. The final rank-and-filer match features Tobizaru, who has yet to find an answer for Gonoyama.

Sanyaku

If Kirishima is to get his quest for 10 wins off to a good start, he will have his work cut out for him against fellow former Ozeki, Takayasu. Onosato is also eyeing Ozeki rank, and the Kyokai have put another former Ozeki as the first challenge on that path. Kirishima AND Onosato need wins.

Abi versus Wakamotoharu will be a firecracker bout…while I am eager to see what condition Takakeisho is in for his fight with Meisei. We’ll close out the night with three interesting pairings: Atamifuji vs Hoshoryu, Kotozakura vs Daieisho, and finally Yokozuna Terunofuji will face Hiradoumi in the musubi-no-ichiban.

Frankly, it will all come down to who is in relatively good condition and which wrestlers are still fighting with significant injuries. Shonichi will bring it all into focus. We could very well have a raft of upsets tonight with another free-for-all yusho race.

Lower Division Action

Enho will not begin his comeback tonight. He will be in action on Day 2. We will see Kotomotomura-kun fight his first professional bout against Isegahama’s Miyafuji. From next tournament, Kotomotomura will be fighting under Kotoshogiku’s banner in a newly-opened heya. Up in Makushita we will see both tsukedashi fighters in action. For more background on the men themselves, check out Justin’s introduction. Kawabuchi II will fight against Daishoki, under the shikona Kazuma. Ishizaki II will fight Daihisho. We’ll also be watching the Hakuoho – Kayo bout with rapt attention.

Let’s go, Miyagino Beya! Gambare!