Natsu 2024 Day 14 Highlights

Andy Natsu 2024, Natsu Basho ,

On Twitter and Instagram I have noticed a lot of great pictures of the kimono worn by the top division wrestlers so I am collecting those that I can find (which importantly show front and back) and am posting polls to see which wrestler wins the fashion yusho. The first heat is here:

Wearing these kimono is a special privilege of top division wrestlers during the three “summertime” tournaments. They have fantastic designs and feature the shikona of the wrestler. It’s called somenuki (染抜き) after the technique of removing dye for what are often white shikona. Sometimes you will see gold and so I don’t think all of them use the somenuki technique.

I plan to have the second heat posted later today. I am just wondering if in the future, I should move the polls to the website rather than on Twitter itself. If there are a lot of readers who are not on Twitter, and who are interested in these fashionable kimono, I’ll move it here.

In Juryo, the schedulers have done something very interesting. Wakatakakage is in the lead with Onokatsu and Endo one win behind. All three have already faced each other. So, the Kyokai are pairing all of the leaders with guys who are 7-7 and thus fighting for kachi-koshi. Brutal.

NHK Videos Here

Juryo Part I & Part II

Makuuchi Part I & Part II

The Action

Sadanoumi (9-5) defeated Roga (6-8). Both men battled on the belt, right-hand inside. Sadanoumi won the position battle, driving Roga backwards. Roga would not go out, however, so Sadanoumi rotated from his left and threw Roga down. Uwatenage.

Tokihayate (6-8) defeated Hokutofuji (6-8). Hokutofuji popped Tokihayate at the tachiai. Both locked in for a grapple which was probably not wise for Hokutofuji. Tokihayate dragged him to the edge of the ring and tried to throw him but Hokutofuji hung on. Tokihayate then back peddled and dragged Hokutofuji down. Tsukiotoshi.

Tamawashi (7-7) defeated Churanoumi (8-6). Tamawashi deflected Churanoumi’s arms and drove forward, blasting him from the dohyo in grand Tamawashi style. Unfortunately, Churanoumi was slow to get up and seemed to be favoring his left hip. Oshidashi.

Shodai (6-8) defeated Tsurugisho (3-11). Shodai locked in with his right hand, ottsuke with the left to block Tsurugisho from holding on with his right. From there, Shodai ushered Tsurugisho over the bales. Yorikiri.

Takanosho (7-7) defeated Ichiyamamoto (7-7). Ichiyamamoto tried a slapdown but failed. Takanosho kept his balance and drove Ichiyamamoto to the ground. Oshidashi.

Takarafuji (9-5) defeated Kotoshoho (8-6). Strong tsuppari and forward motion from Kotoshoho but Takarafuji deflected and rotated back through the center. As Kotoshoho launched forward again, Takarafuji slipped to the right and got behind Kotoshoho. He then shoved Kotoshoho from the back. Okuridashi.

Nishikifuji (5-9) defeated Nishikigi (4-10). Nishikifuji pulled and slapped Nishikigi down. Gunbai to Nishikifuji. Nishikifuji was going out so the shimpan gathered for a mono-ii. Who was “dead” first?  Nishikigi who was propelled forward, or Nishikifuji who was jumping out? Answer…neither. We get a redo. In the redo, Nishikigi backed to the bales and tried to twist Nishikifuji over it but Nishikifuji plowed forward for the yoritaoshi win.

Ryuden (9-5) defeated Mitakeumi (8-6). Ryuden locked up Mitakeumi quickly and walked him back and out. Yorikiri. Why is Mitakeumi here?

Onosho (6-8) defeated Tomokaze (2-12). Onosho hit Tomokaze hard and used a forceful nodowa to finish him off. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Meisei (9-5) defeated Kinbozan (8-6). Kinbozan sure hit Meisei hard but Meisei was able to shift to the side and Kinbozan could not adjust quickly. Meisei kept rotating and shoved Kinbozan out. Oshidashi.

Hiradoumi (8-6) defeated Tobizaru (5-9). Hiradoumi hit Tobizaru hard and drove him through the back of the dohyo. Oshitaoshi.

Gonoyama (6-8) defeated Midorifuji (5-9). Similar result from the opposite side here. Gonoyama overpowered Midorifuji but was a bit more gentle and even extended a hand to keep Midorifuji from going over the edge. Oshidashi.

Atamifuji (7-7) defeated Ura (6-8). It is always amazing that Ura can hang with guys as big as Atamufuji, going head-to-head, big boi-zumo here. Atamifuji was able to work Ura toward the edge and as Ura resisted Atamifuji adjusted his grip first to try a kimidashi. But when that didn’t work he let go with his right, pivoted, and pulled Ura down from the left…while shoving his head to the ground with his right…just for good measure. Brutal. Kotenage.

Daieisho (10-4) defeated Takayasu (6-3-5). Takayasu had the tsuppari going here but Daieisho was able to pick a few key moments to thrust Takayasu backwards. He seemed to target those times that Takayasu’s right shoulder were exposed. This way, Daieisho drove Takayasu back and out. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Onosato (11-3) defeated Shonannoumi (9-5). Shonannoumi is a big dude but Onosato is a future Yokozuna. Onosato made this look easy as he forced Shonannoumi out. Oshidashi.

Oho (5-9) defeated Wakamotoharu (4-7-3). That’s it! Move forward, kid! So satisfying to watch this one. I don’t think the NHK lets me directly link to their videos so they play from this site, so please find this bout in their videos. Oho pressed forward and drove Wakamotoharu through the ring and over the bales. Yorikiri.

Hoshoryu (10-4) defeated Oshoma (9-5). Hoshoryu shifted to his right (henka?) at the tachiai and reached in for Oshoma’s belt. With that grip he continued to rotate and dragged Oshoma over the bales. Yorikiri.

Abi (10-4) defeated Kotozakura (10-4). Kotozakura drove into Abi’s tsuppari, driving him back. At the edge, Abi shifted to the side and yanked hard on Kotozakura’s arm. This turned the tables completely on the Ozeki, who was now up against the edge and facing a full-fronted assault from Abi. Kotozakura stepped out. Oshidashi.

Wrap-up

Well, Abi blew a massive hole into Kotozakura’s plans for his first yusho. It would have been a nice story to take on the shikona of his grandfather and then win the title. But now, as it is in sumo, he is going to need help from Abi. He is going to need Abi to defeat Onosato tomorrow to try to set up a play-off at 11-4. There are now some conflicting interests here. I am sure there are fans who would love to see a play-off but then there are a lot of fans who do not like the idea of an 11-4 yusho.

Onosato can win his first yusho tomorrow with a victory over Abi and a 12-3 record. If Abi wins, there will be a playoff. There could be three combatants, Abi, Onosato, and the winner of Hoshoryu/Kotozakura…or even four if Daieisho beats Kotoshoho.

Does Kotoshoho seem an odd opponent to anyone else? I would have thought Gonoyama. Goeido’s understudy is makekoshi, however, as is Onosho at M5E, Midorifuji at M6E and Nishikigi at M7E. Mitakeumi would be an easy win…possibly even fusen. Takanosho is fighting for kachi-koshi against the other M1, Atamifuji, in a Darwin bout.  So I like the call…it is just odd and would not have happened if there weren’t so many sanyaku kyujo.

I’d love to read your thoughts on this crazy basho!

Natsu 2024: Day 13 Highlights. Actually Day 13 this time

Andy Natsu 2024, Natsu Basho

Down in Juryo Onokatsu defeated Endo and Wakatakakage beat Shiden, setting up a great Wakatakakage/Onokatsu bout tomorrow. Some hijinks in the Chiyosakae bout with Bushozan awarded the win when Chiyosakae’s foot was clearly still on the dohyo. Bushozan bowed and was about to leave the dohyo when he was recalled by the gyoji to do his sonkyo squat and acknowledge his victory. (Andy contemplates bringing up Tobizaru and corpses with their feet on tawara but bites his tongue. The thing is he types with his fingers, not his tongue.)

NHK videos here. Makuuchi Part I & Part II. Juryo Part I & Part II.

Highlights

Ichiyamamoto (7-6) defeated Tsurugisho (4-9) Ichiyamamoto’s brand of sumo dictated this bout. Tsurugisho attempted a pivot and pulldown at the edge but it did not work. Tsukidashi.

Roga (6-7) defeated Hokutofuji (6-7) Henka! Roga slipped to the side and Hokutofuji steamed by. Okuridashi.

Sadanoumi (8-5) defeated Tokihayate (5-8). Sadanoumi was just too solid. Tokihayate tried to change direction but Sadanoumi moved with him and kept moving forward. But what did Sadanoumi do to his left foot? It was bandaged and bleeding, pre-bout. Sadanoumi kachi-koshi, Tokihayate make-koshi. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (8-5) defeated Takarafuji (8-5). Kinbozan’s thrusting attack, aided by a forearm to the jaw, shoved Takarafuji back. Takarafuji retreated along the tawara but Kinbozan remained low in pursuit and thrust Takarafuji out. Kinbozan kachi-koshi. Tsukidashi.

Ryuden (8-5) defeated Shodai (5-8) Shodai tried his best to counter Ryuden’s belt grip with an aggressive (I could hardly believe it, myself) move forward. Ryuden used his right-hand outside and his left hand up front to rotate Shodai back through the ring and over the edge. Ryuden kachi-koshi; Shodai make-koshi. Yorikiri.

Churanoumi (8-5) defeated Kotoshoho (8-5). Churanoumi locked onto Kotoshoho’s belt and quickly brought the action to the edge. Kotoshoho ripped Churanoumi’s hand away but Churanoumi pressed forward, undeterred, and drove Kotoshoho out. Oshidashi.

Takanosho (6-7) defeated Tomokaze (2-11). Takanosho put his head down and drove forward, forcing Tomokaze off the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Tamawashi (6-7) defeated Oho (4-9). Oho put his head down and slammed back into Tamawashi. It backed Tamawashi up and I start thinking, “OMG, Oho is going to press forward?!?!” No. Of course not. Oho immediately pulls and taps Tamawashi on the back of the neck, expecting that to somehow thrust the old dog to the floor. Instead, Tamawashi propelled Oho from the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Tobizaru (5-8) defeated Nishikifuji (4-9). Tobizaru absorbed Nishikifuji’s tachiai, corralled him with a bear hug and drove him out. Nishikifuji did not put up much offense but I am not sure how hampered he was from yesterday’s finger injury. According to Murray, it was a dislocation. Ouch. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Nishikigi (4-9) defeated Gonoyama (5-8). Nishikigi used his size advantage well to press Gonoyama ahead. Gonoyama resisted at the edge but Nishikigi just spun around and drove him out the other side. Gonoyama makekoshi. Yorikiri.

Hiradoumi (7-6) defeated Takayasu (6-2-5). Hiradoumi slipped away at the edge and Takayasu dropped off the edge of the dohyo. Tsukiotoshi.

Daieisho (9-4) defeated Mitakeumi (8-5). Daieisho blasted Mitakeumi from the dohyo, as expected by everyone in the building, including Mitakeumi. Oshidashi.

Atamifuji (6-7) defeated Onosho (5-8). Onosho drove forward and Atamifuji rotated around the dohyo. Onosho pursued but allowed his body to get ahead of his feet. Atamifuji slapped him down. Onosho makekoshi. Hatakikomi.

Sanyaku

Onosato (10-3) destroyed Ura (6-7). Ura tried to slip a bit to the left but Onosato adjusted and ejected Ura from the fighting surface. Oshidashi.

Abi (9-4) defeated Meisei (8-5). Fantastic bout. Standard Abi-zumo to open, shifted into a great little brawl with hands and elbows flying. Meisei pressed forward and Abi tried a slapdown. Then, Abi wrapped up Meisei at the edge and twisted him down. Beautiful throw. That was awesome. Tsukiotoshi.

Wakamotoharu (4-6-3) defeated Oshoma (9-4). Wakamotoharu was patient with Oshoma and he could afford to be. At the tachiai, Wakamotoharu lodged his left arm under Oshoma’s armpit, effectively pulling Oshoma’s right arm at bay. He twisted and yanked Oshoma’s left arm away and drove forward, pushing Oshoma over the edge. Oshidashi.

Kotozakura (10-3) defeated Shonannoumi (9-4). Kotozakura moved laterally at the tachiai (often called a “henka” around these parts). This gave him access to Shonannoumi’s belt, which he touched briefly as Shonannoumi steamrolled by. Uwatedashinage.

Hoshoryu (9-4) defeated Midorifuji (5-8). Hoshoryu twisted Midorifuji down to his makekoshi. Kotenage.

Wrap-up

We do not have the Day 14 matchups at press time so I will follow up later today with an update on tomorrow’s bouts. Importantly, Shonannoumi and Oshoma both lost leaving Kotozakura and Onosato atop the leaderboard. Hoshoryu, Abi, and Daieisho remain with Shonannoumi and Oshoma.

Kotozakura and Onosato have already fought and the Kotozakura/Hoshoryu bout is likely the final matchup on Senshuraku. Neither Onosato nor Kotozakura have faced Abi, so I’m guessing Kotozakura vs Abi tomorrow and Onosato vs Abi on senshuraku. I wonder if they will throw or Shonannoumi at Onosato tomorrow to knock the rank-and-filers back.

With the successes of the lower maegashira and the absences from the top ranks, there are definitely some weak bouts here in the final days. Hoshoryu’s bout with Midorifuji today is a great example of a bout which would not have happened without all of the kyujo.

Natsu 2024: Day 12 Highlights

Andy Natsu 2024, Natsu Basho

Hakuoho will be back on Day 13, along with stablemate Kawazoe down in sandanme.

The Juryo contest is still a three horse race between Endo, Wakatakakage, and Onokatsu. But Onokatsu will fight Endo tomorrow while Wakatakakage takes on Shiden. I imagine they will have WTK take on Onokatsu on Day 14, setting up a thrilling final weekend.

Once again, NHK videos are available here.

Juryo Part I & Part II

Makuuchi Part I & Part II

Let’s get to the action.

Day 12 Highlights

Ichiyamamoto (6-6) defeated Ryuden (7-5). Ichiyamamoto used his brand of sumo to overpower Ryuden. Ryuden was unable to establish any sort of inside position to even attempt a grip on Ichi’s belt. Oshitaoshi.

Roga (5-7) defeated Nishikifuji (4-8). Nishikifuji came out hard at the tachiai, forceful with his tsuppari. Roga attempted to settle the bout and bring Nishikifuji under control by moving inside and forcing a belt battle. Nishikifuji reached in with his right and pulled Roga around but Roga used his right hand grip to pull Nishikifuji down. I wonder if he broke his hand or a finger because he was slow to get up and was indicating an injury to his hand. His hand was wedged in Roga’s belt when he went down, so it might have gotten caught. Uwatedashinage.

Sadanoumi (7-5) defeated Churanoumi (7-5). Sadanoumi had the advantage throughout this bout and tried to put Churanoumi away several times but Churanoumi had excellent footwork and would not get pushed out or shoved down. Sadanoumi changed his grip and pulled Churanoumi down with his left while swinging him by the belt grip with his right. Uwatenage.

Hokutofuji (6-6) defeated Tsurugisho (3-9). Tsurugisho put in his best effort to avoid being walked backward, as had happened the past few days. He used that upper body strength to hoist Hokutofuji but Hokutofuji continued the rotation and brought Tsurugisho down in the center of the ring. I have no idea how this is an Oshitaoshi and not a throw of some kind. Shitatenage, anybody?

Tamawashi (5-7) defeated Tomokaze (2-10). Tomokaze is broken and Tamawashi chucked him into the audience since the bin for the chikarakami is too small. Oshidashi.

Oshoma (9-3) defeated Shodai (5-7). Shodai was moving forward today, which was a great sign. His weight got too far ahead of his feet, though, and Oshoma brought him down. A mono-ii was called because Oshoma’s hand came down on Shodai’s topknot in a way that was suspicious for a hairpull but there was no hairpull. Gunbai-dori. Hatakikomi.

Tokihayate (5-7) defeated Nishikigi (3-9). Tokihayate launched himself at Nishikigi but Nishikigi shrugged off the charge and bulled Tokihayate toward the edge of the ring. Tokihayate twisted at the edge and tried to throw Nishikigi. As Nishikigi stumbled, Tokihayate finished him off with a gentle shove. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (7-5) defeated Midorifuji (5-7). Solid footwork and fundamentals from Kinbozan as he maneuvered Midorifuji to the edge and out. Tsukidashi.

Onosho (5-7) defeated Takanosho (5-7). Onosho gripped Takanosho and whipped him around and down. Tsukiotoshi.

Halftime.

Kotoshoho (8-4) defeated Ura (6-6). Kotoshoho cycled backwards and dragged Ura out and down by the arm. Kotenage.

Takayasu (6-1-5) defeated Tobizaru (4-8). Tobizaru’s half-hearted henka met Takayasu’s full-hearted slap-down. Hatakikomi.

Hiradoumi (6-6) defeated Gonoyama (5-7). Hiradoumi hit Gonoyama hard at the tachiai but pulled, immediately. Gonoyama avoided going out and was trying to regain his balance at the edge when Hiradoumi circled back and picked him off…not gently. Thus, the “taoshi.” Oshitaoshi.

Atamifuji (5-7) defeated Oho (4-8). In the comments we’ve been talking with a bit of consternation about Oho’s tendency to pull. He did it again today and Atamifuji made him pay. Atamifuji blocked his initial forward progress but he had still worked Atamifuji beyond the shikirisen, about half way to the edge. This initial resistance was Oho’s trigger for a pull. But Atamifuji was not off balance and was ready. He drove Oho to the edge where it was Oho’s turn to resist, with futility. Atamifuji just churned those legs and blasted Oho into the crowd. Oshitaoshi.

Meisei (8-4) defeated Daieisho (8-4). Daieisho hit Meisei with just about everything he had. Tsuppari, stronger shoves, pulls, slapdown attempts…but Meisei had perseverance and misdirection. Once he got Daieisho near the bales, he pivoted and shoved Daieisho out. Tsukidashi.

Sanyaku

Onosato (9-3) defeated Takarafuji (8-4). Onosato dispatched Takarafuji, quickly. The takarabune set sail during a hurricane. The strong winds immediately overpowered the little dinghy and drove it back to the shore. Oshidashi.

Abi (8-4) defeated Shonannoumi (9-3). Shonannoumi got Abliterated. Abi’s tsuppari drove Shonannoumi backwards. Oddly, Abi tried a slapdown despite the fact that he was making great progress. Perhaps it was just habit? Shonannoumi did not go down but as Abi re-engaged with his shoves, Abi drove Shonannoumi back and out. Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu (8-4) defeated Mitakeumi (8-4). Mitakeumi should not be facing an Ozeki in this condition. It is beyond me why the lower-ranked Maegashira did not do their job and get dirt on him. He cannot bear much weight on that left foot. Hoshoryu wrapped him up and drove him back, yanking Mitakeumi to the right (Mitakeumi’s left). This made Mitakeumi left up on his left foot. Hoshoryu then plowed ahead as Mitakeumi hopped on his right foot. Yorikiri.

Kotozakura (9-3) defeated Wakamotoharu (3-6-3). Kotozakura pulled, trying to throw Wakamotoharu over the edge. Wakamotoharu used his own solid right-hand belt grip to pitch Kotozakura forward. Kotozakura kept his balance by hopping forward on his right leg and drove back into Wakamotoharu, pulling him down. Gunbai Kotozakura but this was close. A mono-ii was called but Shonosuke got it right with his initial call. Sukuinage.

Wrap-up

Speaking of dead things, I’m going to resurrect a dead conversation. My frustration with dead bodies is with cases like this where rather than looking at the timing of “death,” the bout decision relies on when so-and-so touches the ground first. Kotozakura was clearly in an unrecoverable position, foot in the air, before Wakamotoharu was in danger of going down. But Kotozakura is allowed to continue his attack though there is no way he will regain his balance.

The key for me is that I feel that in the Tobizaru/Kotozakura bout, until Tobizaru was down, he should have been allowed to attack. He did, and he pulled Kotozakura forward and out before he landed, though his body was, admittedly, in an unrecoverable position – whether his foot was in or not. The foot being in gives a concrete decision point where the judges can say, Kotozakura was out while Tobizaru was in, done. Instead, there’s this nebulous point when Tobizaru was “dead” and anything he did afterwards was essentially superfluous and that nebulous timing of death is never concretely defined.

Anyway, I think it’s instructive, and fun, to play devil’s advocate in situations where there is so much uncertainty around rules and when there is deliberate obscurity. Why? I think it is silly when governing bodies come up with silly rules, like the NFL’s “Tuck Rule,” to make up for blown calls and I don’t want to see that happen in sumo. Ambiguity allows for shenanigans and I do not like shenanigans. Your banzuke rank, for example, should not be safe just because your bright orange mawashi is the orangest of them all.

Back to more important matters, this crazy yusho. With Shonannoumi’s loss, he falls back into a four-way tie with Kotozakura, Onosato, and Oshoma. Oshoma will face his first test in Wakamotoharu while Shonannoumi will face Kotozakura. Onosato will take on Ura. Remember when Ura was leading this thing? He’s 6-6 and in danger of makekoshi.

Meanwhile, Kotoshoho has stormed back from his shaky start to the tournament and got his kachi-koshi. He and six other guys are one loss back: Hoshoryu, Abi, Daieisho, Meisei, Mitakeumi, the fore-mentioned Kotoshoho, and Takarafuji. Hoshoryu, meanwhile, takes on Midorifuji. Abi will face Meisei. Daieisho will take on Mitakeumi and Takarafuji will fight Kinbozan..who is fighting for kachi-koshi.

I’m looking forward to more action tonight. Who knows where this is going?

Makushita Races Snap Into Focus

lksumo Aki Basho 2022

Day 11 action featured the semifinals among 5-0 rikishi and several key bouts in the promotion zone.

In the first semifinal between two former amateur stars, Ms60TD Kusano ran his record to 6-0 by handing young Ukrainian Ms40e Aonishiki only his second professional loss in four basho. I believe that Kusano would have been eligible to start at Ms15TD under the previous rules, with a shot at immediate promotion to Juryo with a 7-0. As it is, he’ll probably be ranked just outside the promotion zone in Nagoya even if he wins his final bout.

In the second semifinal, the pre-bout shenanigans lasted a lot longer than the fight itself. Ms32 Kazenoumi false-started a whopping four times, drawing rebukes from the shimpan. Once they finally got the timing right, Ms11e Fujiseiun met the charge and then immediately slapped down Kazenoumi. Fujiseiun is ranked high enough to earn a promotion by defeating Kusano for the yusho. He started in Ozumo 3 years ago, went 21-0 in his first three basho, and got as high as Juryo 6 before sitting out three tournaments with an injury.

In the promotion zone, Ms1w Kayo (5-1) is set to finally make a sekitori debut. Like Fujiseiun, top-ranked Ms1e Akua (3-3) must win his final bout to earn promotion. The pecking order for the rest of the contenders is as follows: Ms2w Nabatame (4-2), Ms3e Kiryuko (4-2), Ms3w Daiseizan (3-3), Ms4e Kitaharima (3-3), Ms4w Kotokuzan (3-3). Nabatame and Kiryuko can still finish as high as second or as low as fifth in the promotion queue, while members of the 3-3 trio can do no better than fourth. I expect to see a number of cross-division potential exchange bouts over the closing days, starting with Kotokuzan vs. J13w Chiyomaru (3-8) tomorrow.

In terms of openings in Juryo, J13e Oshoumi (2-9) is slated for demotion, Chiyomaru is one loss away from joining him, J8w Hakuoho (3-5-3) will go down unless he can reenter and pick up a win or two, and J14w Kazekeno (5-6) and J12w Tsushimanada (4-7) need more wins than losses the rest of the way to keep their salaries. I’d put the over-under at four promotion slots.