Nagoya 2026: Day Three

Andy Nagoya 2026, Nagoya Basho

Day Three in Nagoya. No new kyujo to report.

Maezumo kicked off today. Eisei, the Minato-beya recruit from Leeds and on the left in the video below, looked solid with a force out win over Yamaguchi. The NHK coverage on JME.tv included clips from Maezumo, so you will see it in the replays today on their sumo channel.

In Makushita, Asahifuji used mis-direction to pick off Otsuji to continue his winning streak at 23. Y’all counting that as a henka? Looked close to me, a bit over the line when we think of the old HNH from Harumafuji. Nevertheless, he will have the day off tomorrow. Tanji, in that coveted Makushita 1 East slot, also picked up his second win, against Gojinyu. Kachi-koshi will guarantee promotion and he’s got two down and two wins to go.

https://x.com/abema_sumo/status/2076911644928868652?s=20

Enho picked up his first win today, overpowering Tamashoho in Juryo. Nishikigi defeated Kayo but Meisei picked up his third loss this tournament against Kazekeno. Shin-Juryo Arashifuji won his third straight and remains undefeated. He joins Shirokuma, Midorifuji, Shonannoumi, Toshinofuji, and Asasuiryu at 3-0.

The NHK video link is here.

Makuuchi Action

Kazuma (2-1) defeated Tokihayate (Juryo 1-2). Tokihayate visited from Juryo and quickly secured the grip he wanted. But so did Kazuma. Kazuma pumped his legs forward and forced Tokihayate over the bales. Yorikiri.

Asakoryu (2-1) defeated Onokatsu (0-3). Asakoryu wrapped up Onokatsu in a big ole bear hug and quickly forced him back and out. Onokatsu still seems hurt and not competitive at this level. Yorikiri.

Shishi (3-0) defeated Daiseizan (1-2). Shishi used his left hand uwate to slowly guide Daiseizan toward the bales. Daiseizan tried to use his right arm sukuinage but Shishi was too heavy. Shishi continued to press forward and calmly ushered Daiseizan out. Yorikiri.

Nishikifuji (2-1) defeated Kinbozan (1-2). Nishikifuji blitzed Kinbozan, held him high and drove him backward like a blocking sled. Yorikiri.

Takerufuji (2-1) defeated Abi (2-1). Abi henka! Takerufuji was prepared and adjusted well, charging into Abi and shoving him back and down. We got our answer to our question from yesterday. In truth, Abi was too far forward and fell. Oshitaoshi.

Wakanosho defeated Asahakuryu. Wakanosho layed into Asahakuryu with tsuppari, aiming for the face and chest. Asahakuryu had enough, turned and ran. Okuridashi.

Chiyoshoma (1-2) defeated Mitakeumi (0-3). Chiyoshoma forced Mitakeumi back and out in a rather one-sided affair. Yorikiri.

Fujiryoga (2-1) defeated Asanoyama (1-2). The most competitive bout of these early fights with Asanoyama pressing forward to get inside while Fujiryoga tried to keep him off and shove him away. Unfortunately, it ended as Fujiroga rotated right and Asanoyama seemed to put too much weight on his left leg and he went down. Oshitaoshi.

Roga (1-2) defeated Tobizaru (1-2). Roga locked on with his left hand uwate (over-arm grip) and patiently forced Tobizaru backward. As they neared the bales, Tobizaru tried a last ditch slapdown but Roga’s form was solid and he forced Tobizaru out. Yorikiri.

Kotoeiho (2-1) defeated Wakamotoharu (1-2). Kotoeiho got both hands inside and powered forward. His left hand got to the back of Wakamotoharu’s mawashi and he was able to turn him to the side. Wakamotoharu tried to trip Kotoeiho but Kotoeiho was unphazed, forcing Wakamotoharu back and out. A solid, dominant win for the youngster. Yorikiri.

Takayasu (3-0) defeated Fujiseiun (2-1). Takayasu shoved Fujiseiun away. When Fujiseiun pressed forward, Takayasu slapped him down. Gunbai Takayasu. Mono-ii? The replay booth checked for a hairpull. There was none. Hatakikomi.

Halftime

Shodai (1-2) defeated Ura (0-3). Shodai doesn’t play when it comes to Ura. He charged forward but Ura’s legs coiled in the bales and sprung the pair back to center. Ura tried to pull and slap Shodai down but Shodai crushed him out. Yoritaoshi.

Ichiyamamoto (2-1) defeated Oshoma (1-2). Ichiyama-zumo as he assaulted Oshoma with tsuppari and took his lunch money. Oshidashi.

Daieisho (2-1) defeated Hiradoumi (0-3). Fearless Hiradoumi charged into Daieisho’s tsuppari but Daieisho quickly deployed his Phase Two attack, the slapdown, and pulled Hiradoumi down. Hikiotoshi.

Sanyaku

Kotoshoho (3-0) defeated Yoshinofuji (1-2). Kotoshoho used powerful thrusts to force Yoshinofuji into reverse. Yoshinofuji tried to slap him down but Kotoshoho drove forward and forced him out. Oshidashi.

Atamifuji (3-0) defeated Oho (0-3). Oho used his gaburi yotsu to force Atamifuji back toward the bales but Atamifuji used his left hand uwate to tip Oho off balance and then push him down. Uwatedashinage.

Aonishiki (3-0) defeated Hakunofuji (2-1). Aonishiki secured his left-hand inside grip and tried to throw Hakunofuji. Hakunofuji kept his balance but Aonishiki got a right hand grip and drove forward, forcing Hakunofuji back and out. Yorikiri.

Churanoumi (1-2) defeated Kotozakura (2-1). Kotozakura was over-confident. Churanoumi grabbed the Ozeki’s left arm and pulled him forward to the bales. As Kotozakura stumbled forward, Churanoumi reached around and seized the back of Kotozakura’s belt, getting in behind and driving him forward. Kotozakura turned around but Churanoumi kept up the pressure and drove him out. Yorikiri.

Kirishima (3-0) defeated Gonoyama (0-3). Kirishima made his stand at the center of the ring. Gonoyama rotated and kept up his tsuppari to no effect. Kirishima charged ahead and shoved Gonoyama out. Oshidashi.

Onosato (1-2) defeated Takanosho (0-3). Onosato batted Takanosho’s right arm away with his left hand. Takanosho tried to go back with the right but Onosato swatted it away again and charged forward, shoving Takanosho off the dohyo. Onosato breathed a sigh of relief as he stood with the powerwater and waited ringside after the bout. One down. Oshidashi.

Fujinokawa (2-1) defeated Hoshoryu (2-1). Hoshoryu did not take Fujinokawa seriously and paid for it, just like Kotozakura against Churanoumi. Hoshoryu lead with a kachi-age…his right forearm to Fujinokawa’s chin. Hoshoryu charged ahead blindly while Fujinokawa shifted right along the tawara, pivoted, and thrust the Yokozuna down. More Purple Rain. Tsukiotoshi.

Wrap-Up

Sloppy sumo from Hoshoryu. There’s no other way to put it. Same with Kotozakura. They were riding high and seemed confident going into their bouts…over-confident. They were going to bully their opponents out and instead both got beat. Hoshoryu will face Churanoumi tomorrow. Onosato will take on Gonoyama. Kirishima will have his turn against Takanosho and Kotozakura will have to adjust and take on Fujinokawa.

Our Sekiwake have some good bouts on their hands, too. Atamifuji will take on Daieisho, Kotoshoho will fight Oho and Aonishiki will battle Yoshinofuji. In the rank-and-file, Hiradoumi will face Hakunofuji, Ichiyamamoto will take on Shodai, Ura will hope to cash in against Oshoma and Takayasu will fight Kotoeiho.

Lots of good bouts on the docket for tomorrow. See you then!

Nagoya 2026: Day Two

Andy Nagoya 2026, Nagoya Basho

Day Two in Nagoya. A wild boar is on the loose, attacking salarymen. However, no new kyujo to report.

In Makushita, Asahifuji defeated Kaiseijo with a kotenage, video below courtesy of Abema’s Twitter feed. Calm and collected. His competition is getting stiff but Asahifuji is still racking up solid wins. He will face Otsuji tomorrow.

In Juryo, Arashifuji picked up his second win, this time against veteran Nishikigi (0-2). Ryuden (1-1) defeated Sadanoumi (0-2) and Kagayaki beat Tamashoho. But Tamawashi (1-1), Meisei (0-2), and Enho (0-2) lost.

Your NHK videos for Day Two are here.

Makuuchi Action

Asasuiryu (Juryo 2-0) defeated Daiseizan (1-1). Henka! Asasuiryu shifted left at the tachiai and slapped Daiseizan down, collecting a good chunk of kensho. Remember what I said yesterday about incentives? People do interesting things when there’s money on the line and there were seven envelopes there, apparently including Spotify sponsorship and the financial services group, Saison Fundex. Hatakikomi.

Kazuma (1-1) defeated Asakoryu (1-1). Kazuma steamrolled Asakoryu, drove him straight back and out. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (1-1) defeated Onokatsu (0-2). Kazuma let Kinbozan rent his steamroller. Kinbozan drove forward and forced Onokatsu out. Yorikiri.

Shishi (2-0) defeated Takerufuji (1-1). Shishi seemed to have watched tape and switched up his plan against Takerufuji. Takerufuji charged ahead and Shishi fairly quickly jammed his gear in reverse and slapped Takerufuji down. Hatakikomi.

Nishikifuji (1-1) defeated Asahakuryu (1-1). Hidari-yotsu. Nishikifuji pulled up on Asahakuryu’s mawashi and used his gaburi yotsu to force Asahakuryu out. Yorikiri.

Abi (2-0) defeated Mitakeumi (0-2). Mitakeumi pivoted and pulled after the tachiai but Abi was able to keep his footing and shove Mitakeumi out. Oshidashi.

Wakanosho (2-0) defeated Asanoyama (1-1). Excellent sumo from Wakanosho who seemed to be operating a beat faster than Asanoyama. Wakanosho kept Asanoyama from his belt with steady tsuppari and well-timed pulls. Then he put his head down and charged into Asanoyama, grabbing the former Ozeki under the armpits and driving him back and off the dohyo. Yoritaoshi.

Tobizaru (1-1) defeated Chiyoshoma (0-2). Tobizaru pressed Chiyoshoma backwards. Chiyoshoma seemed to want to use the tawara to brace himself but his left foot skidded over the top and landed out. Oshidashi.

Wakamotoharu (1-1) defeated Fujiryoga (1-1). Wakamotoharu got his left-hand inside and forced Fujiryoga back to the bales. Fujiryoga pivoted but slipped and Wakamotoharu shoved him to the ground. Yorikiri.

Takayasu (2-0) defeated Roga (0-2). Takayasu spun away from Roga’s initial attack. As Roga re-engaged, Takayasu reached over his back with his left hand and grabbed his belt, pulling him down to the ground. Uwatenage.

Kotoeiho (1-1) defeated Shodai (0-2). Shodai thought he had a good hold of Kotoeiho’s right arm and pulled. Kotoeiho wrested his arm free and shoved Shodai out. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Fujiseiun (2-0) defeated Oshoma (1-1). Oshoma tried to pull on Fujiseiun’s left arm. Fujiseiun was able to wrap up Oshoma and force him back and out. Fujiseiun smiled happily and picked up a big stack of kensho. Yorikiri.

Daieisho (1-1) defeated Ura (0-2). Daieisho hit Ura with powerful thrusts but Ura grabbed him and charged forward. Daieisho pivoted, grabbed Ura’s left arm and pulled him down. Kotenage.

Hakunofuji (2-0) defeated Ichiyamamoto (1-1). Hakunofuji used a well-timed pull to disrupt Ichiyamamoto’s tsuppari attack. Ichiyamamoto turned to meet Hakunofuji again and took the brunt of Hakunofuji at full-force. Hakunofuji blasted Ichiyamamoto from the ring. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Atamifuji (2-0) defeated Hiradoumi (0-2). Hiradoumi forced Atamifuji back to the edge. Atamifuji remained calm and began to churn his legs forward, gaining some space from the tawara. He worked hard to inch his right arm up under Hiradoumi’s left armpit and heaved him over to the side. Sukuinage.

Aonishiki (2-0) defeated Churanoumi (0-2). Churanoumi was alert to Aonishiki’s left arm and did his best to avoid it by pivoting and retreating, using ottsuke, or just heaving Aonishiki away with all of his might. However, Aonishiki’s pressure was relentless and eventually Churanoumi ran out of room to run. Aonishiki finally got the left hand uwate and forced Churanoumi back over the edge. Yorikiri.

Kotoshoho (2-0) defeated Gonoyama (0-2). Kotoshoho backed away to his right after the initial charge and calmly slapped Gonoyama down eliciting groans from the assembled masses. Tsukiotoshi.

Kirishima (2-0) defeated Oho (0-2). Kirishima got both hands inside, twisted and toppled him over the edge. Sukuinage.

Kotozakura (2-0) defeated Yoshinofuji (1-1). Kotozakura did what Onosato should have done yesterday and moved forward. Yoshinofuji tried to pivot and throw him with his right-hand inside grip but Kotozakura shoved him out from behind. Truth be told, I can’t shout “Move Forward!!” without flashbacks of my cousin and my recent vacation. His mother, my aunt, was testing out my dad’s e-Foil over the break. As she struggled to get up and maintain her balance, my cousin kept yelling, “Move Forward!!!” Over and over. It was rather hilarious and she gave it right back to him when it was his turn. That e-Foil sure is fun. It’s like an electronic surfboard with an engine mounted at the bottom of a long keel. But back in Nagoya, the kimarite was Okuridashi.

Hoshoryu (2-0) defeated Takanosho (0-2). Takanosho layed into the Yokozuna with tsuppari but Hoshoryu got his right arm up under Takanosho’s shoulder and heaved him over, forcefully. Ouch. Sukuinage.

Fujinokawa (1-1) defeated Onosato (0-2). Fujinokawa pivoted and pulled Onosato forward by the Yokozuna’s right shoulder. “Purple Rain, Purple Rain.” Tsukiotoshi.

Wrap-Up

Since Onosato closed out the match day with his loss, he didn’t have to sit around and wait, uncomfortably at the dohyo’s edge. He was able to exit the building quickly but not before shouting something into his hand towel. I imagine that whatever he shouted rhymes with “LUCK!!!” or its Japanese variant. Onosato is set to face Takanosho tomorrow. There is still time to chalk this up to nerves and scrap together a decent tournament and Takanosho is a great option for a first win. If Takanosho beats him, I’m sure kyujo would be imminent. Hoshoryu will get his turn against Fujinokawa, fresh from his latest kinboshi.

Kirishima will fight Gonoyama tomorrow and fellow Ozeki Kotozakura will face Churanoumi. Atamifuji gets to battle Oho, Kotoshoho will take on Yoshinofuji and Aonishiki will fight Hakunofuji. That last matchup promises to be a firecracker.

Further down the banzuke, Shodai will take on Ura. Ichiyamamoto will salivate at all of the kensho from Oshoma. Veteran Takayasu will fight up-and-comer Fujiseiun. Kotoeiho will get a huge test against Wakamotoharu. Asanoyama will try to bounce back against Fujiryoga and Abi will fight Takerufuji to see who can lean forward the most without falling. We all know Michael Jackson is the GOAT at that.

Join us tomorrow for Day Three! I’m off to get some donuts.

Nagoya 2026: Day One

Andy Nagoya 2026, Nagoya Basho

Day One in Nagoya. The Sumo Association is riding high after its big Paris tour. One visible indicator, aside from the sold-out arena, is the massive growth in kensho banners. This tournament breaks the record for kensho banners at a regional honbasho (Osaka/Nagoya/Fukuoka) with 3504. The previous Regional Tournament record was set this spring in Osaka with 2724, a 29% increase and the new mark is a 47% jump from last year’s Nagoya Basho.

Returning Yokozuna Onosato has received the most kensho applications with 170. Fellow Yokozuna, Hoshoryu, has 108 bounties pledged. Kadoban Ozeki Kotozakura actually comes in second place with 159 and Oshoma third with 145. Oho is fourth with 140 and Aonishiki fifth with 139. Newly promoted Kirishima has 137 banners pledged. Frankly, I think a lot must be said of the fund-raising prowess of Sadogatake and Naruto-oyakata.

As mentioned in the preview, the top stories involve the Yokozuna and Ozeki. We’ve got both Hoshoryu and Onosato returning from injury. Kirishima was re-promoted to Ozeki. Frankly, it’s just great to have a real sport to watch again. I’ve quickly grown tired of the melodramatic rolling around on the ground and crying, emblematic of that other competition. So, it’s great to have sumo back. There’s no advantage given to miming and diving here.

In Juryo, Asasuiryu took his first step toward promotion by defeated Sadanoumi. Iron-Man Tamawashi beat Hatsuyama but many from The Old Guard fell, including Meisei, Ryuden, Kagayaki and Nishikigi. Enho also lost to Hitoshi. He will face Tohakuryu tomorrow. Geez, it’s really painful to have to think about the kabu negotiations. Imagine what share prices would be like if we had to wait for Tim Cook to retire to buy some Apple shares — and only employees would be eligible to purchase, anyway. The economics of this sport, particularly the various incentive structures, always fascinates me (see also: kensho-kin, sansho, kinboshi, and macarons).

Anyhoo, down in the third division, Asahifuji will battle Kaiseijo of Asakayama-beya tomorrow. Kaida will take on former top division wrestler, Daishomaru. Unfortunate news from Isegahama that Sachinofuji, also mentioned in Justin’s article of shin-makushita, is kyujo. He finally made it to Makushita and back issues appear to be keeping him out of action and in Tokyo.

Your NHK link for videos of today’s action is here. If you want a generic link to bookmark, use this one. It has links to footage from the previous three tournaments as well. The current tournament is at the top, and just shows the Day One link right now (obvs). Anyway, on to the action:

Makuuchi Action

Asakoryu defeated Kyokukaiyu. Kyokukaiyu visited from Juryo due to the WTK kyujo. Asakoryu held Kyokukaiyu at arm’s length before shifting right, grabbing Kyokukaiyu’s left arm and pulling him down with an arm bar. Kotenage.

Daiseizan defeated Kazuma. Kazuma pulled up on Daiseizan’s mawashi and bulldozed forward. Somehow, Daiseizan pivoted at the edge and pulled Kazuma forward in a remarkable escape. Shitatenage.

Shishi defeated Onokatsu. Shishi prevailed after a lengthy hidari-yotsu battle. Shishi drove forward and Onokatsu tried to brace his right foot on the tawara to pivot but missed and stepped out. Yorikiri.

Takerufuji defeated Kinbozan. Takerufuji displayed great strength as he quickly established his left-hand uwate hold and dragged Kinbozan over the bales. Great to see Takerufuji back in the top division and it’s a promising sign to see him dispatching a formidible opponent like Kinbozan. New fans might not remember Takerufuji’s remarkable yusho. Yorikiri.

Abi defeated Nishikifuji. Abi battered Nishikifuji and shoved him over the edge behind right-hand tsuppari to the face and a bintsuke-flavored chaser, driving his head forward into his opponent. Oshidashi.

Asahakuryu defeated Mitakeumi. Asahakuryu used his right hand ottsuke to neutralize Mitakeumi’s left-hand attack. He then landed a belt grip with that right hand, pressed forward and forced Mitakeumi back and out. Yorikiri.

Wakanosho defeated Chiyoshoma. Chiyoshoma made a hugem mistake as he tried to spin away from Wakanosho’s slaps. Wakanosho pursued well and thrust Chiyoshoma from the dohyo. “You Shall Not Pass!!” Tsukidashi.

Asanoyama defeated Tobizaru. Asanoyama overpowered Tobizaru and shoved him backward off the dohyo. A powerful right hand shove to Tobizaru’s left arm forced the flying monkey to stumble all the way back to the bales. He let up but was still inside the ring so Asanoyama finished him with a shove. The unprepared Tobizaru tumbled back onto his butt, nearly receiving a complimentary salt enema. As they say in boxing, “protect yourself at all times.” Tsukiotoshi.

Fujiryoga defeated Roga. Fujiryoga got both hands outside and quickly charged ahead, ushering Roga out over the bales. Yorikiri.

Takayasu defeated Wakamotoharu. Wakamotoharu loves to use the bales as leverage for starting an attack. Takayasu anticipated this well, pulled and slapped Wakamotoharu down. Hatakikomi.

Fujiseiun defeated Kotoeiho. A faint voice whispers from the ether, “There is another.” Kotoeiho may not like being the Princess Leia of the sumo universe — but here we are. As his brother storms into the Sekiwake rank, Kotoeiho is steadily climbing the ladder behind him, and now is Maegashira 7. However, today Fujiseiun wrangled Kotoeiho by using his left leg, sweeping forward from Kotoeiho’s right and shoving him backwards. Sotogake.

Halftime

Oshoma defeated Shodai. Shodai pulled, as is his wont, and Oshoma happily shoved him back and out. Oshidashi.

Ichiyamamoto defeated Ura. Ichiyamamoto charged ahead with his tsuppari. Ura braced against the bales and springloaded his thighs. But Ichiyamamoto pulled, releasing the spring and Ura fell forward onto his belly. Hikiotoshi.

Hakunofuji defeated Daieisho. Hakunofuji weathered the torrent of tsuppari from Tropical Cyclone Daieisho, downgraded from hurricane strength. As Daieisho shifted from thrusting to pulling, Hakunofuji powered ahead and shoved Daieisho out. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Aonishiki defeated Hiradoumi. As Hiradoumi charged ahead blindly, Aonishiki shifted left, grabbed Hiradoumi’s mawashi and bowled him into the crowd. Is it a henka? He doesn’t care. Nine more wins to go. Uwatenage.

Kotoshoho defeated Churanoumi. Kotoshoho shifted right, bouncing Churanoumi to the bales at an angle. Churanoumi was caught completely unprepared and he stumbled forward and stepped out of the ring. Oshidashi.

Atamifuji defeated Gonoyama. Gonoyama pulled and ran backward along the edge. Atamifuji calmly pressed forward and shoved Gonoyama out. Oshidashi.

Kotozakura defeated Takanosho. Takanosho deployed his right arm nodowa forcing Kotozakura high, but Kotozakura used his left hand to swat Takanosho’s arm away. This forced Takanosho to stumble forward and fall. Tsukiotoshi.

Kirishima defeated Fujinokawa. Kirishima blasted Fujinokawa with his forearm at the tachiai, sending Fujinokawa sprawling to the floor. Oshitaoshi.

Yoshinofuji defeated Onosato. Onosato hit Yoshinofuji well at the tachiai but then decided to pull. Yoshinofuji avoided the slapdown and pressed ahead. As Onosato flailed away with his feet on the tawara, Yoshinofuji calmly shoved Onosato out. Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu defeated Oho. Oho pulled and tried to slap Hoshoryu down. Hoshoryu charged forward and pulled on Oho’s right leg, driving him back and off the dohyo. Watashikomi.

Wrap-Up

Oh, Dear. While Hoshoryu is back at the fancy stuff, Onosato can’t get the basics right. The Yokozuna fell yet again to Yoshinofuji, the third loss in a row (not counting fusen). Astonishingly, Onosato has never beaten this upstart. In Japanese, you would say, “Aikuchi ga warui.” From Onosato’s perspective, Yoshinofuji certainly has his number. Onosato will face Fujinokawa tomorrow.

Thankfully, Hoshoryu won against Oho, who is likewise known to give him fits. Hoshoryu will take on Takanosho on Day Two. But this is Onosato’s return from extended kyujo. While we hope this is ring rust and not a sign that the shoulder injury is still hobbling him, we will only know for certain as the tournament unfolds.

At least the Ozeki and Sekiwake picked up white stars. Kotozakura will fight Yoshinofuji, Kirishima will take on Oho, Kotoshoho will fight Gonoyama, Aonishiki will square off against Churanoumi, and Atamifuji will rumble with Hiradoumi.

Nagoya 2026: Preview

Andy Nagoya 2026, Nagoya Basho ,

As action in that other competition heats up, our gladiators will square off this Sunday to kick off the Nagoya Basho. (I would not be surprised if a lot of sumo wrestlers are pulling for France in the World Cup. It looks like they had a lot of fun last month in Paris.)

The biggest storyline is the sudden kyujo of May’s tournament winner, Wakatakakage. He was rushed to hospital after experiencing severe pain in his thigh. He underwent surgery and we hope for a swift recovery. Thus, he is absent from the Day One match-ups. Another prolonged, multi-basho absence would be a real gut-check. He’d climbed back from the knee injury and we’d just started muttering the words, “Ozeki Run,” but now that’s gone. He will tumble into the midst of the rank-and-file for Aki, likely as far as Maegashira 10 or 11.

Hakuyozan, Juryo 13 West, will also be missing from action. He tore his achilles in June and is doubtful for a return this year. Let us hope the dohyo is suitably purified for the upcoming tournament. Matsuri broadcast will be live soon:

Welp, if you are a kadoban Ozeki, or a freshly demoted Ozeki, the Wakatakakage news is probably a welcome distraction. But let’s not forget that we will be looking for convincing performances from both Kotozakura and Aonishiki. Kotozakura will need eight wins to maintain his rank but he was not very competitive in several bouts last tournament. One feels it is a matter of time before he joins the crop of former Ozeki among the rank-and-file. He will face Takanosho on Day One. The pressure is on.

Aonishiki will need 10 wins to regain his Ozeki rank as he earned his demotion in May. Aonishiki will fight Hiradoumi on Sunday. The pressure is on.

Shall we turn to our pair of Yokozuna? Onosato was the shock kyujo from Natsu Basho with Hoshoryu pulling up lame in a disastrous tournamet start. Nevertheless, both men made the trip to Paris for the Exhibition. They returned to perform their dohyo-iri at Atsuta Jingu (above). Hoshoryu will fight his nemesis, Oho. Onosato will take on Yoshinofuji. The pressure is certainly on.

Meanwhile, Kirishima will fight Fujinokawa. Both men had a mixed-bag basho in May. A lot going for these guys but there is are certainly some faults in the armor, shall we say? Atamifuji will fight Gonoyama. Frankly, the same thing could be said of that pair. And Kotoshoho finds himself at Sekiwake, ready to battle Churanoumi. Lastly, somehow Takayasu is expected to show up and fight Wakamotoharu. Day One action might give us an early read on whether these men are “production ready.”

Apologies for the brief preview. I hope you get to watch the dohyo matsuri. As a reminder, it’s on in a few minutes.