Sometimes sumo leaves you lost for words. In yesterday’s case, it wasn’t the sumo itself but the fact that the Yokozuna was present. Do we bother previewing his match today? Why is he still here? What is the meaning of life? I think it’s probably a buttery, silky, generous slab of otoro, but that’s just me.

I’ll leave the banzuke calculus to our buddy lksumo, but it’s looking increasingly likely that we could have a large number of demotion candidates from Makuuchi, but a paucity of convincing Juryo rikishi pushing for promotion.

The penultimate division has a sea of 2-4s, 3-3s and 4-2s in the upper half, with the bottom half pair of Wakatakakage and Asakoryu the lone rangers without a black star. I would love to see Wakatakakage hit 14 or 15 wins in this basho and push his way up from J10 as Takerufuji did in the last basho, because another big injection of quality would really ramp up the excitement levels in Makuuchi. Let’s hope he can keep it up.

Day 7 Matchups

Endo (2-4) vs Tohakuryu (1-5 in Juryo): Today’s Juryo visitor is Tohakuryu, who is probably a really nice guy but possibly has one of the least attractive, weirdly defensive sumo styles I’ve seen. I find a lot of his bouts like watching a catcher trying to block home plate. Endo continues to look out of gas. This match could never end. Let’s hope it does because there’s more interesting stuff happening later.

Nishikifuji (4-2) vs Myogiryu (3-3): Nishikifuji has recently found some source of genki power. Perhaps he has discovered and then consumed that big sack of rotten miso that Bruce used to write about. Myogiryu picked up a handy win on day 6 against a similarly feisty opponent. The aging fan favourite has won 4 of 7 career tussles against the Isegahama upstart.

Daiamami (2-4) vs Churanoumi (3-3): I guess what Daiamami is teaching us is that even in a bad basho, if you have the willpower to see off a stubborn yet struggling opponent, you can still give yourself a fighting chance. Takarafuji just didn’t have anything going forward against him though, whereas Churanoumi should be a more formidable opponent. So, I fancy the Kise beya man here.

Ryuden (4-2) vs Roga (3-3): Roga should really have won yesterday, and I do wonder how much of what’s holding him back career-wise is self-inflicted, or down to lack of good training partners to push him on, or what. These two have similar styles and will be looking for a deep grip and a hip wiggle. Ryuden is better at it, so I’ll back him.

Shonannoumi (5-1) vs Takerufuji (6-0): Suffice it to say, one of these scores is more believable than the other and it’s actually the one who’s undefeated. Shonannoumi is doing very, very well. I actually had him for a make-koshi before this tournament, and that certainly seems unlikely now. Takerufuji is just confidently motoring through the basho. This will again be his toughest task so far, but he’s certainly favoured for it.

Shodai (3-3) vs Kitanowaka (1-5): Surely Shodai can’t go and lose this. He’s struggled with oshi-zumo guys, but Kitanowaka is performing like someone he should be able to toss out when he’s finished with it, like the kombu from his dashi. It could even be a little messy.

Sadanoumi (4-2) vs Kotoshoho (2-4): Sadanoumi’s done well, with some workmanlike performances. In a basho where some veterans are flagging, he deserves credit. Kotoshoho just can’t seem to put it together lately. Sadanoumi leads their rivalry 5-4 (surprisingly, with nine different kimarite), although Kotoshoho won the most recent contest. Sadanoumi is probably the favourite here, in a match that just kind of feels like it’s a sukuinage for someone.

Hokutofuji (1-5) vs Mitakeumi (4-2): How these guys have these scores I’ll never know. Hokutofuji has been having to do too much defending, while opponents have been giving Mitakeumi too much freedom to attack. OK, maybe I do know. Anyway, it seems like a rather predictable recipe for this match. Short of a backwards-moving tsukiotoshi at the edge, you’d back Mitakeumi on current form to pick up a win here. Mitakeumi’s won 15 from 26 in this rivalry, including the last three in a row.

Ichiyamamoto (3-3) vs Takayasu (4-2): Takayasu’s loss yesterday was the first time I actually said “WHAT!?” out loud while watching sumo during this basho. Maybe that’s surprising given some of the other results, but then again the whole point of this exercise is that I’m supposed to have considered all of the outcomes that could happen when two guys go up against each other. Ichiyamamoto could blast off from the tachiai, but Takayasu, who has better balance, also seems like a good candidate to just slap him down. Takayasu was victorious in their only prior meeting.

Onosho (4-2) vs Onosato (6-0): Onosho has been very impressive in this basho, but it feels like this is going to be an impossible ask. Onosato has faced and done very, very well against a number of rikishi already in this basho who attack with a blazing fast tachiai. So with that recent track record, one would think it’s going to need a herculean effort from Onosho for him to have any chance. It’s still a potential banana skin as every match is at this level, but Onosato has to be the presumptive favourite until he tastes the clay.

Midorifuji (2-4) vs Tamawashi (2-4): We got the good version of Tamawashi on Day 6, which is always nice to see! Surprisingly, these two have never met before. Tamawashi really doesn’t seem like a massive candidate for Midorifuji’s signature katasukashi, although you never know what can happen if he over-commits to the thrusting attack and Midorifuji can dance out of the way. I don’t think Tamawashi will go to the nodowa here, he will probably just try and push the lighter man out as quickly as possible.

Gonoyama (4-2) vs Hiradoumi (3-3): These two talents are both looking good, despite the losses. Gonoyama has racked up four in a row now (albeit one via fusen), while Hiradoumi won their only prior meeting. This comes down to Hiradoumi’s desire to get his arms inside vs Gonoyama’s ability to keep him away. Whoever executes that, wins.

Atamifuji (4-2) vs Oho (2-4): You really can’t say enough good things right now about Atamifuji’s approach, and he is looking like a eager child young man that wants to be in san’yaku as soon as possible (although there probably will only be one slot). Oho won their only prior meeting. I still think Oho is going to end up with a deep make-koshi, though. I wouldn’t be fooled by the kinboshi – the four guys who beat the Yokozuna are a combined 3-17 in their other matches. It’s that line of difficult to forensically defend logic that adds to the feeling that Atamifuji should win.

Ura (3-3) vs Wakamotoharu (4-2): Wakamotoharu has almost complete dominance over Ura, having won 7 of 8. Ura has really been having a nice tournament, but it will get more interesting in the second week when he’s not having to face literally the top ranked opposition every single day. I don’t think Wakamotoharu will easily establish the mawashi grip that he wants here, but this is a lottery ticket match for Ura. The numbers on the ticket could come up, and wouldn’t that be nice for everyone in his corner, but probably not.

Daieisho (3-3) vs Asanoyama (2-4): Asanoyama doesn’t feel like he should be sitting 2-4, although he has made some strange choices so far in these bouts. These guys have had a see-saw rivalry, with Asanoyama on top for a brief period while he was Ozeki and the run leading up to it, but otherwise Daieisho has completely dominated him over their careers in the period before and after. If Asanoyama continues to attack with Plan A in this match, he will be a wide open target for Daieisho. For Daieisho this is just about not over-committing at the tachiai and keeping his balance and moving forward, and he should be favoured for the win.

Abi (5-1) vs Hoshoryu (4-2): It gave me no pleasure to call Abi’s defeat correctly yesterday, but I really didn’t see Hoshoryu going down. It felt like today’s match was really the more difficult match for him. He bounced back very authoritatively from his Day 1 loss, but historically his losses do tend to come in pairs and I just think Abi, chasing silverware, might have it in for him here. I could also see a henka from either side. I’m going to tip Abi, but this feels like a match where there might be some hijinks, and I think it could also be the bout of the day, and a potentially pivotal moment in the title race.

Kirishima (2-4) vs Takanosho (2-4): Kirishima continues to make a somewhat unconvincing case that he can escape a kadoban scenario. Takanosho collected a kinboshi that is still a kinboshi, but maybe the saddest ever kinboshi from a Yokozuna who everyone knew shouldn’t have been there. He’ll still dine out on it for the rest of his career and he can tell stories about twice beating the great Yokozuna forever. Somehow, Takanosho absolutely makes the Ozeki look like a small child when they meet, as Kirishima has won only 2 of the 14 encounters dating back to their Juryo days. Takanosho just kind of has his number, but Kirishima is going to be running out of winnable matches when you’re below par if he can’t win this. He probably knows that, so I expect a bigger performance from him today.

Meisei (2-4) vs Kotonowaka (4-2): Kotonowaka is looking like he might just about bundle himself over the line in the end. If facing all the top guys in week 1 wasn’t bad enough for Meisei, they threw Onosato at him as well. He just needs to keep it respectable until he finishes with san’yaku and then hopefully he has enough gas in the tank to get out of danger against the likes of Midorifuji and Oho (no disrespect meant by that!). Kotonowaka very narrowly leads this series at 6-5, but he’s won the last two and he’s developed into someone who should have the beating of Meisei’s style of sumo. I like the look of the Ozeki to just smother Meisei’s inside movement from the tachiai.

Takakeisho (4-2) vs Nishikigi (1-5): Nishikigi has had a rotten time with the other san’yaku guys. Takakeisho has won 8 from 10 against him, and this really comes down to Nishikigi’s ability to hang in the match and extend it until Takakeisho runs out of puff. If he can deflect the Ozeki’s attempts to move him back then he’s got a shot, but there’s a reason why even though Takakeisho is not fully fit, he’s still the favourite.

Terunofuji (2-4) vs Tobizaru (3-3): Surely he can’t, can he? There are many compelling arguments for why Terunofuji shouldn’t have been involved yesterday, but putting him back on the dohyo against a guy whose sumo style is built on embarrassing larger, higher pedigree opponents seems criminal. Especially when, and it bears repeating, the four rikishi who have already beat him have combined to go 3-17 against their other opponents. Tobizaru has taken two kinboshi from him in the past (five basho ago, and five basho before that, for those of you who like patterns).

It’s crazy to say that Tobizaru is the overwhelming favourite in his next match when he’s up against Terunofuji but that is in large part due to the fact that there’s a high likelihood of the Yokozuna withdrawing, which he hasn’t at the time of writing. I do want to enjoy seeing Tobizaru giving the Yokozuna a run around the dohyo, but not like this… please?

Well, with the sumo media, fans and others already writing the obituary of a thoroughly weird basho and what it means for the sport, it’s worth remembering we’re not even halfway home.

That being said, this is clearly a tournament for the underdogs and one where hitting top form at the right moment could pay off in a massive way for one of sumo’s new starlets.

One of the most refreshing things about the Hatsu Basho this year was the fact that so many top, top performers put in top, top performances. While I don’t think we’re nearing a return to the bad old days of the past few years, the current big names have fluffed a chance to illustrate their dominance. That being said, a Maegashira yusho is no certainty: the likes of Abi and Hoshoryu in particular appear as they could at least be in the conversation deep into the basho.

Day 6 Matches

Takarafuji (3-2 at J1) vs Daiamami (1-4): It’s too early for this to be any kind of de facto exchange bout, but it is a match that will impact both the challenger’s promotion prospects and the incumbent’s demotion prospects. Uncle Takarafuji (and yes he is the uncle now that Aminishiki runs a stable) has won all three previous meetings. It is a bit weird to call a veteran of 12 years in the top division the challenger, and he probably should be favoured to win this in any case.

Nishikifuji (3-2) vs Roga (3-2): Nishikifuji turned up the juice in his last bout and if he can continue to fight with that level of engagement and determination, we won’t need to worry about any kind of demotion for him. The manner of Roga’s defeat on Day 5 was a disappointment. Nishikifuji has taken two from three against him previously, and despite the small sample size I’ll back him here in what should be a yotsu-zumo bout.

Ryuden (4-1) vs Myogiryu (2-3): Ryuden continues to look well up for it, and he meets a Myogiryu who doesn’t seem 100% dialed in. Ryuden has a 7-6 edge but five of those wins have come in the last six meetings, so he gets the tip this time. He could be a dark horse into the second week.

Takerufuji (5-0) vs Churanoumi (3-2): You can only beat what’s in front of you, but Takerufuji is probably going to get opponents who are a step up in quality from here on in. I do think that Churanoumi is a level above what Takerufuji has faced so far, whether that’s in terms of current form or overall ability. If you’re an Isegahama beya fan you’ll certainly get your fix with three of the first four matches today featuring their rikishi. This will be a tricky one for Takerufuji and they’ve never met before. Surprise is a powerful element and I’ll give the rookie the nod again here.

Shonannoumi (4-1) vs Endo (2-3): What has impressed me about Shonannoumi is his ability to stay calm and unruffled and just go about his business. Endo has also been staying calm, maybe too calm. Maybe this match should take place in a quiet kissaten near the arena. In any case, given the protagonists, this should be a belt duel.

Kitanowaka (1-4) vs Sadanoumi (3-2): A tale of two Day 5 losers. Kitanowaka was desperately disappointing against Daiamami, where I had said that a win for the latter would probably consign them both to the drop and I didn’t see anything to change my opinion. Sadanoumi, on the other hand, was valiant and determined despite going down to Ryuden. The veteran has won their only prior matchup and I think Sadanoumi picks up win number 4 this time.

Hokutofuji (1-4) vs Ichiyamamoto (2-3): I correctly tipped Hokutofuji to finally get off the mark yesterday, but it gives me no pleasure to see him at this position. I once felt he could be a future Ozeki, fulfilling the same kind of role as Takakeisho. Those days ended due to injury, and per a chat in the comments yesterday, it’s worth remembering as we gauge the potential of new talents. The disciple of the association chairman has won his only previous meeting with Ichiyamamoto, a guy who runs very hot and cold. I think Hokutofuji might just go on a run from here.

Onoshodai (both 3-2): Shodai is infuriating. I couldn’t believe how easily he was beaten again by Mitakeumi. I thought that Onosho might go on a losing run and he’s lost two in a row, but having seen yesterday’s bouts, I just get the feeling that he has a shot here. Shodai leads their head-to-head matchup 8-4, but they haven’t met in a couple years since he was an Ozeki. These days, it’s hard to know who to trust.

Mitakeumi (3-2) vs Takayasu (4-1): Takayasu has an absolutely dominant 22-9 record against Mitakeumi which has been pretty consistent throughout both of their glory years and has continued through the latter’s downfall. Only a crazy person would back Takayasu to yusho after so many collapses – I don’t even think Andy is that brave – but I do have a feeling that with the mess unraveling at the top of the banzuke, he can get himself in the conversation and in any case has a good shot in this match.

Kotoshoho (2-3) vs Tamawashi (1-4): Just because Kotoshoho lost in disappointing fashion to a pusher-thruster yesterday doesn’t mean the same fate will befall him today. But in a match like this where there’s not a lot to choose between the two (3-3 lifetime rivalry), I think Tamawashi’s experience will give him the edge.

Midorifuji (2-3) vs Gonoyama (3-2): Gonoyama should be the aggressor in this match. He lost their only meeting in January and to beat the wily Midorifuji, he needs to keep the smaller man well clear of his mawashi. I think the day off will reinvigorate him and we’ll see some powerful sumo from the Osaka rikishi.

Onosato (5-0) vs Meisei (2-3): When the schedules came out yesterday, this won’t have been a match that Onosato would necessarily have wanted. That being said, with the possible exception of his first match, he’s already seen off a number of high octane fighters who are not totally dissimilar to Meisei in their approach. We know that Onosato is going to look for a massive hit at the tachiai and look to blast his opponent away before switching to yotsu only if necessary once he gets near the edge. Meisei is going to want to get both hands inside as soon as possible in order to execute his style of sumo, and unless Onosato gets is unbalanced, I can’t see that happening.

Atamifuji (3-2) vs Asanoyama (2-3): The veteran has won both prior meetings. Atamifuji notched a wonderful win over his Ozeki foe on Day 5, whereas Asanoyama’s approach could hardly have been more predictable (Hoshoryu must have thought so as well). Both of these guys have seen all four Ozeki already (and the Yokozuna in Asanoyama’s case, and of course Atamifuji won’t fight him), so from here it should get quite a bit easier and both look good bets for a kachi-koshi. I think Asanoyama will even up both their records.

Daieisho (2-3) vs Ura (3-2): I’m going to tip against the local Kansai man here, but Ura is providing us with a wonderful tournament. Ura has also seen all of the top 5 men on the banzuke, so things should get somewhat better for him in the second week and he’s provided himself with a great platform to challenge to return to san’yaku. I must admit, I feared for him before the basho. That being said, Daieisho owns him to the tune of an 11-3 advantage in their matchups, seems to have awakened, and I can foresee a round man in a pink mawashi with a happy face bouncing off the dohyo and into the crowd.

Nishikigi (1-4) vs Wakamotoharu (3-2): Wakamotoharu leads their series 8-3 and will be relieved to get an opponent who wants to invite him in close to demonstrate his considerable belt skill after the last two days of oshi-madness. Nishikigi has looked a bit lost since his outstanding defeat of the Yokozuna, so I think the sekiwake gets the nod here.

Kirishima (1-4) vs Oho (2-3): I felt Oho could cause the Yokozuna problems and just had a feeling in the back of my mind that he actually might, but the kinboshi wasn’t shocking or surprising. That doesn’t take away from the achievement, and he’ll probably have been up all night reliving that and getting ready to go out and do it again. Kirishima has got himself up and running finally, and I think Oho winning this might even be a bigger shock, despite the fact that the Ozeki does give up the odd match to pusher-thrusters.

Abi (5-0) vs Kotonowaka (3-2): Somehow, Kotonowaka leads this series 7-2 and has won the last six in a row. So from that perspective, it’s Abi’s stiffest test yet in the basho. He has almost completed his san’yaku tour, but I think this might be where the perfect start comes to an end. While I can see Abi beating Hoshoryu and the Yokozuna (if he gets that far), Kotonowaka’s problems arise when he comes unbalanced and while Abi possesses great lateral movement, he’s been at his best when plowing forward in this basho. He got a bit lucky against Nishikigi and an opponent like Kotonowaka is more likely to punish him, however disappointing the latter’s sloppiness was against the trickery of Ura. So, I’m going to go for Kotonowaka here.

Takakeisho (3-2) vs Hiradoumi (3-2): This is a first time meeting of two guys who have completely opposite identities. Hiradoumi wants to fly forward and get both hands inside as soon as possible, Takakeisho is a man who looks like he wants to keep the whole world away. While Hiradoumi isn’t a belt specialist per se, I think Takakeisho is going to be wary here and I can see him winning with one of his big swats. Tsukiotoshi or something.

Tobizaru (2-3) vs Hoshoryu (4-1): Somehow, this is the 21st meeting of these two guys, and it’s closer than you might think with Hoshoryu leading the rivalry 12-8. Tobizaru is just a giant pain in the side of everyone he faces and he certainly looks up for this basho. Hoshoryu has quietly been putting up the results. While I think there will be opponents who can trouble him (the Saitama Boyz Abi and Daieisho being two prime candidates), he certainly looks like the most composed of the Ozeki and Yokozuna at this stage. For that reason I think this is a must-win match for him. Hoshoryu has been doing some fairly reactive sumo, luring his opponents in to set up his trademark throw with minimum fuss, or waiting for the opponent to make the mistake. I think he will win here despite that again being the case. Tobizaru will try and stick all over him, but I think the Ozeki will know what to do with that.

Terunofuji (2-3) vs Takanosho (1-4): At the time of writing, no kyujo has been announced for the Yokozuna but I absolutely would not be surprised to see this be a much needed fusen-sho for Takanosho. While I wasn’t shocked by the manner of Oho’s kinboshi against Terunofuji, given that it was a first time encounter with a fired up opponent who fights in a style that the Yokozuna has had issues with in the past (hello, Tamawashi), I was disappointed and I did think the Yokozuna would do enough to win. At this point this question of his withdrawal seems like when, not if, as he seems unlikely to now go undefeated the rest of the way through the san’yaku ranks. He and Isegahama will know better. If they don’t know better already, however, Takanosho likes to get both hands inside, the Yokozuna will clamp down on them, and then it’s just a matter of who has the fitness and ability to execute.