Haru 2024 Day 13 Highlights

Andy Haru 2024, Haru Basho

Earlier in the night the lower division yusho races concluded. We will have at least one playoff for the Jonidan title on senshuraku between Ryuo and Tochimaru. That will take place right before the Makuuchi dohyo-iri on the final day. Kazekeno won in Makushita, Nagamura defeated Aonishiki in Sandanme, and Chiyooga defeated his third Jonidan opponent for the clean sweep of the Jonokuchi yusho. Aonishiki’s defeat was noted, in particular, as he had been on a 20-bout win streak. This was his first loss after claiming both Jonokuchi and Jonidan titles in his debut.

Makuuchi Action

Daiamami (7-6) defeated Shirokuma (6-5-2). Shirokuma was barely dead weight and backed out quickly. Yorikiri.

Nishikifuji (8-5) defeated Shonannoumi (8-5). Shonannoumi’s sumo was the retreating brand of sumo today. He tried several slapdowns and changes of direction but Nishikifuji pursued well and shoved him out. Yorikiri.

Roga (7-6) defeated Ichiyamamoto (6-7). Ichiyamamoto abandoned his regular sumo quickly after some rather ineffective tsuppari, in favor of a yotsu battle. He very nearly forced Roga out but Roga resisted at the bales. Roga then threw Ichiyamamoto. Uwatenage.

Churanoumi (6-7) defeated Mitakeumi (7-6). Mitakeumi charged forward but could not get Churanoumi over the bales. Churanoumi pivoted and Mitakeumi tried to slip to the side but Churanoumi was wise to the shift and pushed Mitakeumi out. Oshidashi.

Shodai (7-6) defeated Sadanoumi (7-6). Both men locked each other up in a yotsu battle. Shodai quickly rolled Sadanoumi to the ground with a quick twist down. Makiotoshi.

Kotoshoho (6-7) defeated Myogiryu (5-8). Another yotsu battle. Myogiryu tried to twist and throw Kotoshoho down but Kotoshoho had excellent footwork and maneuvered Myogiryu over the bales. Myogiryu make-koshi. Yorikiri.

Ryuden (6-7) defeated Onosho (7-6). Ryuden with a couple of false starts. I don’t think he appreciated Onosho’s slow-roll tachiai, so Onosho started from a four-point stance. Ryuden pulled Onosho down from the shoulder. Katasukashi.

Endo (4-9) defeated Tamawashi (5-8). Endo henka! Tamawashi fell forward to his eighth loss, joining Endo among the makekoshi. Meanwhile, Endo picked up his fourth victory. Tsukiotoshi.

Takayasu (9-4) defeated Midorifuji (7-6). Takayasu’s tsuppari was very effective keeping Midorifuji just outside arms length, away from his regular shoulder pull-down range. Takayasu struck quickly and slapped Midorifuji down. Hatakikomi.

Takanosho (5-8) defeated Hokutofuji (4-9). Hokutofuji flopped onto his belly. Hatakikomi.

Halftime (Shimpan change, dohyo maintenance, coffee break)

Oho (5-8) defeated Kitanowaka (3-10). Oho drove Kitanowaka straight back and out. Oshidashi.

Atamifuji (8-5) defeated Hiradoumi (7-6). Both men fought hard for their kachi-koshi today. Excellent belt battle here. Atamifuji outlasted Hiradoumi and drove him over the bales. Really the first match of the day which was worth a watch. Yorikiri.

Tobizaru (7-6) defeated Ura (6-7). Both men, heads together, felt out each other for weaknesses. Tobizaru struck first and slapped Ura down. Hatakikomi.

Sanyaku

Nishikigi (2-11) defeated Meisei (4-9). Meisei tried to drive forward but Nishikigi would not budge. Instead, he reached in for a firm belt grip. Meisei continued to try to push forward but Nishikigi pulled up with his left hand and threw Meisei to the ground. Shitatenage.

Asanoyama (8-5) defeated Abi (8-5). The battle of Pandemic Bad Boy Yusho Winners — to distinguish them from Ryuden, who is merely a Pandemic Bad Boy. Abi blasted Asanoyama hard and kept up the pressure but Asanoyama took advantage of Abi’s weight imbalance – always pitched forward – and thrust him forward to the ground. Tsukiotoshi.

Takerufuji (12-1) defeated Wakamotoharu (7-6). Takerufuji controlled the pace of this bout. Takerufuji’s tachiai forced Wakamotoharu back. As Wakamotoharu reached for a belt grip with his left hand, Takerufuji whipped him around and plowed through the dohyo. Wakamotoharu tried to resist at the bales but Takerufuji can taste yusho. Yorikiri.

Onosato (10-3) defeated Daieisho (5-8). Onosato used his left hand at the tachiai to brace Daieisho, blocking some of the fierce tsuppari and also baiting Daieisho into pressing forward harder. Onosato then released and slipped right, propelling Daieisho into the crowd. Hatakikomi.

Takakeisho (8-6) defeated Kotonowaka (9-5). I’m speechless. Just watch. Okuridashi.

Kotonowaka quickly seized Takakeisho’s belt and pulled forward. I thought Takakeisho was done here. Instead, he resisted Kotonowaka’s throw, turned into him, and squared up! Takakeisho! It’s still kinda funny to see them tied up there in the middle of the ring because T-Rex can’t reach Kotonowaka’s mawashi, so he wrapped up on Kotonowaka’s left flank. Then, Takakeisho initiates the action, likely knowing that if this drags on he will tire quickly. He had to act now. So he pulled hard with the right arm and twisted, first for a kotenage. But as Kotonowaka resisted, Takakeisho turned into him and pushed Kotonowaka from the side, and then from behind.

Hoshoryu (10-3) defeated Gonoyama (9-4). Solid tachiai and a quick throw to eliminate Goeido’s protégé from the yusho race. What a thrilling bout to end the day. Sukuinage.

Wrap-up.

Well, we had some great action today.

It may be too early to hype Takerufuji and Daieisho as the next Ozeki or Yokozuna but they made quick, effective, and convincing work of both sekiwake. Takerufuji has at least claimed a spot in a yusho playoff but he can win the yusho outright tomorrow. Once again, as of this writing the match-makers have not published the list of bouts (torikumi-hyo) for tomorrow.

These two guys are displaying sanyaku quality, early in their professional careers. We have seen this before, though, so it is important to temper expectations. On occasion, a hotshot rises very quickly and they have a great tournament, and then either get figured out, dings quickly mount into nagging injuries, or both.

Today’s action has concrete impact already. Daieisho will lose the sekiwake rank that he has occupied for exactly one year. He earned the rank after winning a jun-yusho in Osaka last year at Komusubi. Last year’s Ozeki run is but a fading memory. And Takakeisho clears his kadoban in a thrilling and unexpected way. He will not be taking a Sekiwake slot and complicating the promotion picture.

Kotonowaka, soon to be Kotozakura, should have been more of a factor in this title race. Instead, he faded in a yotsu battle with Takakeisho?!?!?!?!?! I can’t overuse the interrobang. For many tournaments I have been eager to see Takakeisho fail because the situation became clearer and clearer. However, I’m happy that he cleared his kadoban with a bout like this. No henka, no tricks, just 110% effort. Way to go.

Oh, right…there’s another bout…stop yelling at me. Musubi-no-ichiban. You actually care what happens here? Yes? As if we don’t already know… But okay, okay. Stop twisting my arm.

Kinbozan (3-10) defeated Kirishima (6-5-2). At least Kinbozan didn’t henka Kirishima. I presume that could have been worse than completely dominating him. He had the better tachiai and drove the Ozeki to the edge. Kirishima put in a valiant effort at the edge to try to resist and spin Kinbozan down. But Kinbozan’s sumo was solid and he eventually forced Kirishima over the tawara. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up (cont.)

Kirishima resisted a lot with his left foot on the bales and his right foot in the air. It could have just been hanging up there, seeking contact with Kinbozan for a trip. He was trying to twist and turn Kinbozan down but I wonder if his right foot/ankle is the source of his issue this tournament. He never put the right foot on the bales to try to twist to his right. If he competes in this final weekend, I will watch for it. (I’m not going to pour over video from his recent bouts. That’s too much work to figure out what I already know. He’s underperforming and may be hiding an injury. Too many other bouts I’d rewatch before depressing myself with Kirishima’s poor outing. He’ll be back in May, with Kakuryu as master!)

In sum, let’s not anoint Takerufuji yet. He’s got a two match lead for the yusho in his top-division debut. He and Onosato are clearly fighting well, and deserving of sanyaku rank. Terunofuji jumped to M1 with his 13-2 yusho at M17. Ichinojo had the advantage of starting at M10, so he leapt all the way to Sekiwake after his stellar debut jun-yusho. Nishikigi will fall out of Sanyaku and Wakamotoharu still needs a win to keep his spot. Onosato will likely claim whatever position is available with Takerufuji rocketing up into the joi-jin.

Haru 2024, Day 12 Highlights

Andy Haru 2024, Haru Basho , , ,

No new kyujo announcements have come in to the infirmary. This means Kirishima will try to tough it out for at least today. We shall see whether that was a wise decision. If he is injured as many people speculate, he should be able to get a doctors’ certificate to go kyujo. Regardless, he has not been fighting well and will not be much competition for the two high-flying hiramaku contenders. Both of them will fight other Ozeki today but whom will they face tomorrow?

To take them out of yusho contention, Onosato needs to lose twice and Takerufuji will need to lose three times in these closing days so they need healthy, strong sanyaku fighters, capable of getting dirt on these kids. Abi didn’t. Nishikigi won’t. Kirishima and Takakeisho are doubtful.

Makuuchi Action

Bushozan (6-6) defeated Churanoumi (5-7). Bushozan hit Churanoumi hard enough at the tachiai to keep Churanoumi from grabbing his belt. Then, he drove forward and shoved Churanoumi out. Oshidashi.

Kitanowaka (3-9) defeated Ichiyamamoto (6-6). Kitanowaka moved well enough to avoid being caught by Ichiyamamoto’s pulls. Kitanowaka just kept chasing along the tawara until Ichiyamamoto tripped and fell. Tsukiotoshi.

Sadanoumi (7-5) defeated Daiamami (6-6). Daiamami pressed forward and both men fell from the ring. Gunbai Sadanoumi. The naked eye could not tell who fell first so the shimpan called a mono-ii, judges’ conference. They determined both men fell at the same time and a rematch, torinaoshi, was necessary. In the rematch, Sadanoumi took the initiative. Daiamami seemed a bit gassed but used his girth well to avoid being thrown by Sadanoumi. However, Sadanoumi pressed forward a second time and forced Daiamami over the bales. Yoritaoshi.

Shodai (6-6) defeated Ryuden (5-7). Shodai was motivated today. He wrapped up Ryuden and pressed forward, forcing Ryuden over the bales. Yorikiri.

Hokutofuji (4-8) defeated Roga (6-6). Hokutofuji squared up to Roga and slapped him down. Tsukiotoshi.

Endo (3-9) defeated Kotoshoho (5-7). Kotoshoho did well to keep Endo off of his belt but Endo slipped to the right and slapped Kotoshoho down for his third win. Hatakikomi.

Onosho (7-5) defeated Mitakeumi (7-5). Onosho controlled the action once Mitakeumi gave up a morozashi, double-inside grip. He pulled up and drove forward. Mitakeumi was able to force one hand back inside but Onosho had the momentum. He kept up the pressure as Mitakeumi was forced into retreat. Eventually he was able to force Mitakeumi out. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (5-5-2) defeated Myogiryu (5-7). Kinbozan was too strong and dominant. He forced himself inside and pressed forward until Myogiryu stepped out. Yorikiri.

Nishikifuji (7-5) defeated Tamawashi (5-7). Tamawashi charged forward but after the tachiai, Nishikifuji slipped left and tried a slapdown. The slapdown failed but he kept up the attack and drove forward into Tamawashi and shoved Tamawashi out. Oshidashi.

Shonannoumi (8-4) defeated Tobizaru (6-6). Shonannoumi kept Tobizaru in front of him and wanted to avoid any tricks. Tobizaru didn’t really attack with any, though. Shonannoumi kept trying to slap him down. Shonannoumi eventually forced Tobizaru forward and down. Hatakikomi.

Halftime.

Hiradoumi (7-5) defeated Oho (4-8). Oho did not seem prepared for Hiradoumi to hit him that hard at the tachiai. Hiradoumi kept up the pressure and shoved Oho out. Oshidashi.

Ura (6-6) defeated Meisei (4-8). Ura used the tawara to brace himself and resist Meisei’s forward motion. As Meisei pressed forward, Ura slipped to the right. Meisei’s momentum brought him to the edge of the dohyo but not out. However, Ura was in position to get behind and shove Meisei out. The crowd erupted in cheers. Okuritaoshi.

Asanoyama (7-5) defeated Takanosho (4-8). Takanosho fought well and had a few opportunities but Asanoyama was too strong. After fighting to a stalemate, Asanoyama dug deep and drove Takanosho to the bales and hoisted him over. Yorikiri.

Sanyaku

Abi (8-4) defeated Takayasu (8-4). Takayasu had the early advantage and should have driven Abi out but he did not pursue quick enough. Abi resisted at the bales and went back in for the attack. He pressed Takayasu across the ring and over the bales. Oshidashi.

Atamifuji (7-5) defeated Nishikigi (1-11). Atamifuji waited for Nishikigi to press forward. When he did, Atamifuji pulled left and slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

Gonoyama (9-3) defeated Daieisho (5-7). Daieisho used his tsuppari to press forward but Gonoyama slipped to the right and shoved him down. Daieisho is on the ropes and must win out to preserve his Sekiwake rank. Hatakikomi.

Wakamotoharu (7-5) defeated Takakeisho (7-5). Wakamotoharu hit Takakeisho and pressed forward. Takakeisho had nothing. Yorikiri.

Hoshoryu (9-3) defeated Takerufuji (11-1)! Takerufuji pressed forward and Hoshoryu tried to reach around and grab his belt but couldn’t. Instead, he wrapped up Takerufuji’s left shoulder. As Takerufuji continued to charge forward, Hoshoryu spun around at the bales and used his arm bar to throw Takerufuji to his first loss. Kotenage.

Midorifuji (7-5) defeated Kirishima (3-9). This seemed like a great opportunity for Kirishima to turn things around. He controlled the pace for much of the bout and avoided Midorifuji’s usual katasukashi, shoulder pull. Instead, it looked like Kirishima was trying to set up one of his own. After a long lean, where the two jostled for position, Kirishima adjusted his grip but this left him standing a bit too high. Midorifuji seized the opportunity and drove forward, forcing the Ozeki from the dohyo. At least he didn’t get pushed out as quickly as Takakeisho (who’s still kadoban) but Midorifuji should be a piece of cake for an Ozeki. Yorikiri.

Kotonowaka (9-3) defeated Onosato (9-3). Kotonowaka reached around for Onosato’s belt. Onosato did not want to give that up so he pivoted and drove forward. Kotonowaka used that left arm to wrap up Onosato’s right arm while simultaneously slipping to the left again. Kotenage.

Wrap-up

Both youngsters fell to kotenage today. The Day 13 torikumi is not available as of this writing but both men are still clearly in the yusho race and need to continue to fight sanyaku opponents. Takerufuji’s lead is still two wins. Onosato has fallen back into a group of four guys who still have a hope here: Hoshoryu, Kotonowaka, Onosato, and Gonoyama.

I would not be surprised if Onosato and Gonoyama square off tomorrow to at least eliminate one from the race. The biggest question, however, is who should face Takerufuji. If they pit him against Takakeisho or Kirishima, they’re handing him the yusho. Maybe Wakamotoharu? Takakeisho has his kachi-koshi still on the line here, so they might set him up against Takerufuji and see how Takerufuji can handle the henka? The schedulers have their task. I’m eager to see how they set this up. Maybe Gonoyama vs Takerufuji? This is a tough decision.

Haru 2024: Day 11 Makushita Update

lksumo Aki Basho 2022

The Makushita yusho and promotion races are coming down to the wire, with 6 of 7 bouts completed. Let’s check in on what’s at stake in the final round of bouts.

There are at least three open slots in Juryo. There’s Hokuseiho’s spot, of course. J12e Kotoeko (1-10) is all but certain to go down, and J14e Kitaharima (3-8) would not be safe even with 4 more wins and looks headed for a record-tying 9th demotion to Makushita, from where he can try for a record-setting 10th sekitori promotion. Several other incumbents still need one or two wins for safety.

The Makushita yusho race, unusually for this stage, has only one undefeated rikishi. Ms13w Kazekeno bested Ms27e Asahakuryu to advance to 6-0, but Ms43e Wakatakamoto lost to Sd3w Nagamura, who has now knocked three straight Makushita opponents out of the race. Nagamura should return to Sandanme for a likely title decider against Ukrainian sensation Aonishiki (20-0 so far in his career), while Kazekeno will likely face the best-available 5-1 opponent (Onokatsu?), although a creative alternative would be to pit him against Chiyomaru (see below). A win by Kazekeno would give him the title; a loss would throw open the door to a big playoff among 6-1 rikishi on senshuraku!

In the race for sekitori promotion, Kazekeno is still in the running, but he must win his final bout to claim the spot that goes to an undefeated wrestler from the Ms1-Ms15 extended promotion zone. Top-ranked Ms1e Chiyomaru (3-3) likewise must win to go up, which would make a bout between the two a suitably high-stakes affair. As for the rest of the regular Ms1-Ms5 promotion zone, only Ms2w Onokatsu (5-1) already has a clear case for a Juryo debut. Ms3w Kayo (3-3), Ms4w Tsukahara (4-2) and Ms5w Nabatame (4-2) have to try to win their final bouts and hope for losses by Kazekeno, Chiyomaru, and endangered Juryo incumbents. Expect to see a series of cross-division exchange bouts in the closing days.

Haru 2024: Day 11 Highlights

Andy Haru 2024, Haru Basho ,

News from the infirmary is that Tobizaru is back after his one day stomach bug. His brother had the same issue earlier this week. I would not go near their Nana’s pudding. Down in Juryo, Shirokuma is back, as well.

Takerufuji leads, undefeated. Onosato is two losses back, tied with Kotonowaka. This is such a surreal time. I can’t tell if I want the Yokozuna here, or if it is more fitting that he is absent. But if anyone is going to stop the freight train that is Takerufuji as he rolls toward Yusho station, the will need to do it quick. He has a two-win cushion against Onosato and KNW with a three-win cushion on the rest of the field and only five bouts remain.

Makuuchi Action

Roga (6-5) defeated Myogiryu (5-6). The two men locked in on a right-hand inside grip. Once Roga got this grip and was comfortable, he pulled up and walked Myogiryu out. Yorikiri.

Nishikifuji (6-5) defeated Oshoma (7-4). Oshoma visited from Juryo and hoped to pick up his kachi-koshi. Thankfully, this retreating style of sumo that he presented today was soundly defeated by Nishikifuji. Nishikifuji pressed forward and shoved Oshoma out. Oshidashi.

Ichiyamamoto (6-5) defeated Churanoumi (5-6). Ichiyamamoto jumped too soon, matta. Reset. When they got a solid tachiai, Churanoumi pressed Ichiyamamoto deep to the edge of the dohyo. However, Ichiyamamoto kept up his tsuppari and executed his pulldown with his back on the tawara. Hatakikomi.

Kotoshoho (5-6) defeated Daiamami (6-5). Kotoshoho quickly pivoted and twisted Daiamami down. Sukuinage.

Hokutofuji (3-8) defeated Endo (2-9) with a rapid slapdown. Despite the kiddies calling out their support for Endo, he’s already packing his akeni to be loaded on the barge to Juryo. Tsukiotoshi.

Takayasu (8-3) defeated Sadanoumi (6-5). Sadanoumi tried to switch his grip for a right-hand inside grip. As he slid in, Takayasu struck and threw Sadanoumi down. Takayasu picked up his kachi-koshi. Uwatenage.

Tamawashi (5-6) defeated Ryuden (5-6). Tamawashi plowed forward and drove Ryuden to the edge. Ryuden resisted on the tawara but Tamawashi was having none of it and hefted Ryuden up and over the bales. Both men tumbled into the crowd. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (4-5-2) defeated Kitanowaka (2-9). Kinbozan shoved Kitanowaka to the edge. Kitanowaka used the resistance offered by the bales to wrap up Kinbozan. Paying Kitanowaka no mind, Kinbozan pivoted with Kitanowaka and bulldozed him across the ring and out quickly. Yorikiri.

Gonoyama (8-3) defeated a blocking sled with a cardboard cutout of Mitakeumi (7-4) pasted to the front. Thrilling sumo this. Thank you for blessing us with your time, cardboard cutout of Mitakeumi. Tsukidashi.

Midorifuji (6-5) defeated Shodai (5-6) by katasukashi. Because, of course. It’s his thing and who is Shodai to keep a man from doing his thing?

Halftime

Hiradoumi (6-5) defeated Onosho (6-5). Hiradoumi baited Onosho into pressing forward while he reached inside with his right hand. At the edge, Hiradoumi struck. With the support of the straw bales at his feet, Hiradoumi twisted to pull Onosho down. Tsukiotoshi.

Tobizaru (6-5) defeated Meisei (4-7). Meisei attempted an uwatenage and threw Tobizaru with his left-hand overarm grip. Both men tumbled, Meisei landing beneath the dohyo and shocked to see Hisanosuke’s gunbai pointed toward Tobizaru. Yes, Tobizaru used his right-hand inside to pull Meisei and remain in the air a few beats longer. No mono-ii. Meisei, everyone in the stadium could see that you landed first, no need to slow roll your exit. Get moving. Yoritaoshi.

Asanoyama (6-5) defeated Oho (4-7). In the boring, sumo-themed variant of “Rock, Paper, Scissors,” there are only two options: forward and backward. Forward sumo always beats Backward sumo. Asanoyama and his forward sumo defeated Oho and his backward sumo. Yorikiri.

Atamifuji (6-5) defeated Ura (5-6). Atamifuji wrapped up Ura immediately. Ura accepted it and pulled back, seeking the support of the tawara so he could try a throw. Annoyed by Ura’s refusal to go out and his impertinence to attempt a throw, Atamifuji settled back to the center and used gabburi-yotsu to back Ura to the bales, again. This time, Atamifuji left no doubt. He hefted Ura clear from the dohyo and plopped him down on the other side of the bales. Tsuridashi…aka, the “pick him up like a baby” kimarite.

Sanyaku

Takanosho (4-7) defeated Nishikigi (1-10). Takanosho slipped his right hand inside and ushered a lost and confused Nishikigi toward the exit. Yorikiri.

Abi (7-4) defeated Shonannoumi (7-4). Abi’s tsuppari pressed Shonannoumi out. Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu (7-4) defeated Daieisho (5-6), eventually. As the length of the bout increases, the probability of Daieisho flopping onto his belly approaches 1. It’s simple math. Hoshoryu ran around for a good long while and Daieisho flopped into the center. Tsukiotoshi.

Wakamotoharu (6-5) defeated Kirishima (3-8). I forgot which one was Ozeki. The one on the left of the screen gave a half-assed throw attempt on his way back and then let himself get perp-walked out after it failed. The Ozeki is officially kadoban. He could have done that from his couch. Yorikiri.

Takerufuji (11-0) defeated Kotonowaka (8-3)! Takerufuji pulled back and to his right, trying to swipe for Kotonowaka’s belt. Kotonowaka was not going to fall for the quick throw down. So Takerufuji squared up to Kotonowaka and drove him through the ring like a raging bull. Kotonowaka pitched to the side to try a last-ditch throw but Takerufuji just kept his legs churning forward. Yorikiri.

Onosato (9-2) defeated Takakeisho (7-4). Takakeisho’s tsuppari made no impact as Onosato drove him backwards. Takakeisho tried a pull and Onosato just blasted him into the third row. Onosato quickly got in place to accept his win…and stood there for a few seconds before looking back, “We’re waiting on you, ‘Ozeki.’ You’re still kadoban.”

Wrap-up

The young-guns have arrived. Takerufuji has tied the great Taiho with 11 wins in his makuuchi debut. He will go for the record tomorrow against Hoshoryu. I am sure Hoshoryu will get some counsel from his Uncle before tomorrow’s bout. It would be something if Asashoryu flies in to Osaka tomorrow to watch. Meanwhile, Onosato barely broke a sweat against Takakeisho.

These hiramaku wrestlers completely dominated two Ozeki today. Let me be clear. They didn’t beat them, they dominated them. To make it even worse, it was two Ozeki not named, “Kirishima.” As for Kirishima, he just seemed resigned to his eighth loss today. He will need to come back strong in May. He will have the support of Otowayama-beya.