Asanoyama

Hatsu 2026: Shonichi

Andy Hatsu 2026, Hatsu Basho , , ,

We begin 2026 with two Yokozuna and two Ozeki with Aonishiki’s promotion after his title win in November. We’ve also got Asanoyama’s return to the top division after his knee injury. The big shikona change for Hakunofuji (ex-Hakuoho) might have some of you scratching your heads as you review this early action. Almost all of the Miyagino guys changed their shikona, except Enho.

The Emperor plans to attend during Day 8, referred to as nakabi because it’s the middle day of the tournament. No absences to report here Day One.

For those who can’t catch the action live, Your NHK videos are here. Click through the dialog and then expand the bit in the center that says, 続きを読む or “continue reading.”

Makuuchi Action

Asahakuryu defeated Hatsuyama. Hatsuyama pulled and Asahakuryu made him pay. Asahakuryu forced Hatsuyama back over the edge. Oshidashi.

Oshoumi defeated Asanoyama. Asanoyama was all offense in his return to the top division. Oshoumi shuffled left to escape but Asanoyama pursued him to the edge. Oshoumi slipped out to the left one more time. This time Asanoyama could not keep up and fell to the ground as Oshoumi ran out of room and crashed out over the bales. Gunbai Oshoumi. Mono-ii. The judges conferred and confirmed the ruling on the field. Uwatenage.

Ryuden defeated Asakoryu. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a good hair-pull and today we got a good hair-pull. Asakoryu executed a pull and tried to slap Ryuden down. While doing so, his fingers were all coiled up in Ryuden’s topknot. That’s a no-no on its own but Asakoryu took a step backward with it. The bout continued and Asakoryu eventually wrangled Ryuden to the ground. Gunbai Asakoryu. Mono-ii. Everyone on the planet saw that hair pull, including the five judges seated along the edge. They quickly reversed the call. Hanzoku.

Shishi defeated Mitakeumi. A hazu-oshi shoving match. Shishi led with his head and kept driving Mitakeumi back to the bales. Mitakeumi tried his best but Shishi had better endurance and worked a tired former Ozeki over the bales. Oshidashi.

Tobizaru defeated Tomokaze. Tomokaze is a pulling machine. So, predictably, he pulled as Tobizaru pressed forward. Tobizaru shoved Tomokaze in the face at the edge, as Tomokaze leaned forward to stay in, Tobizaru pulled and Tomokaze fell forward. Hikiotoshi.

Abi defeated Midorifuji. Abi twisted quickly and hauled Midorifuji down. Uwatenage.

Nishikifuji defeated Chiyoshoma. Nishikifuji just powered straight through Chiyoshoma, forcing him back and out. Oshidashi.

Tokihayate defeated Kotoshoho. Tokihayate seemed to have studied his opponent. He was ready for Kotoshoho’s pull and kept his balance. Tokihayate then charged forward and blasted Kotoshoho off the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Roga defeated Gonoyama. After an entertaining, high-octane, frenetic bout, Roga worked his way inside and got a double-inside grip (morozashi). With that he forced Gonoyama back to the bales and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Shodai defeated Kinbozan. Shodai yanked on Kinbozan’s arm and tried to drag him back over the bales. With Kinbozan at the edge, Shodai then tried to drive forward and force him out. Kinbozan tried to escape while pressing down on Shodai’s head but Shodai pursued well and shoved Kinbozan out. Oshidashi.

Oshoma defeated Fujinokawa. Oshoma’s strategy here was just be steady, keep his footing, and try to keep Fujinokawa at arm’s length. Fujinokawa lashed out aggressively and charged forward behind his powerful slaps. Oshoma countered with his own slaps as he baited Fujinokawa into leaning too far forward. At the edge, Oshoma slipped right and hooked his arm under Fujinokawa’s right shoulder, pulling him out. Kotenage.

Halftime

Hiradoumi defeated Onokatsu. Hiradoumi just charged forward and Onokatsu let him. Yorikiri.

Churanoumi defeated Tamawashi. Churanoumi’s well executed shift of direction forced Tamawashi to stumble forward and out. Shitatedashinage.

Daieisho defeated Atamifuji. Daieisho pulled, shifted left along the tawara and Atamifuji could not put on the brakes before stumbling over the bales. Tsukiotoshi.

Sanyaku

Hakunofuji defeated Oho. In a good yotsu battle, Hakunofuji wanted to get his left hand inside but Oho was not giving up his double-inside morozashi grip. Oho forced Hakunofuji to the edge and tried to shove him over but couldn’t. Hakunofuji braced his feet on the tawara and used his overarm grip to swing Oho down. Uwatenage.

Takayasu defeated Takanosho. Takayasu charged into Takanosho with his left hand inside and right hand outside. Takanosho slid until his right foot met the tawara. When he tried to shift his weight and escape to the left, his foot stepped over the bales and he stumbled to the clay. Oshitaoshi.

Kirishima defeated Wakatakakage. Wakatakakage shifted to his left and pulled after the initial charge. Kirishima drove forward and easily shoved Wakatakakage over the edge. Oshidashi.

Aonishiki defeated Ura. Aonishiki fought the urge to pull, drove Aonishiki got his left hand inside and pressed forward. As Ura twisted at the edge, Aonoshiki powered forward and forced Ura to fall over the edge. Yoritaoshi.

Kotozakura defeated Yoshinofuji. Yoshinofuji charged forward and slammed into Kotozakura, forcing him to the edge. Kotozakura slipped left along the bales and shoved Yoshinofuji out from behind. Okuridashi.

Onosato defeated Ichiyamamoto. Ichiyamamoto took the Yokozuna on straight-up at the tachiai but could not generate any forward momentum. Instead, Onosato grabbed at Ichiyamamoto’s arms to stop his thrusting attack and charged forward, forcing the maegashira over the bales. Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu defeated Wakamotoharu. Hoshoryu locked on with his right hand inside.. He twisted and tried to haul WMH down. Wakamotoharu pogoed around the ring to stay up. Hoshoryu re-engaged head on and with a morozashi, crushed Wakamotoharu over the edge. Yoritaoshi.

Wrap up

Day One is in the books. No big upsets at the top with a lot of strong, sumo fundamentals. Aonishiki contained Ura and Ichiyamamoto wasn’t able to get to his Plan B yotsu attack before being crashed out. My one critique of the top guys today is reserved for Kotozakura. There’s a big bias for forward-moving sumo and I’m certainly guilty of it. I just do not see this strategy panning out deep in the tournament. He is a big guy and needs to get some good, forceful, aggressive — forward moving — wins.

Action will continue tomorrow with Asanoyama dusting himself off to open up the action with Hatsuyama. Abi vs Tobizaru could be very interesting. Both guys are ranked rather low because of their recent poor form. If they’re healthy, they could be in for a great outcome here. So this early bout might tell us a lot about who really is ready.

In sanyaku, Wakamotoharu will fight Hakunofuji. It’s really going to take me a while to adjust to that new shikona. Forgive me if I sprinkle the old one in here a bit liberally. Kirishima will fight Takanosho, Takayasu against Wakatakakage, Kotozakura versus Ura, Aonishiki versus Yoshinofuji, Hoshoryu versus Ichiyamamoto and Onosato will close out Day Two against Oho.

Hatsu 2024: Day 8 Highlights

Andy Hatsu 2024, Hatsu Basho , , , , ,

Late news from the infirmary that Takayasu kyujo, again. Kotonowaka will receive the default win and Nishikifuji will visit from Juryo to fill out the numbers.

Asanoyama leads and could be the first to clinch his kachi-koshi. With tomorrow’s torikumi out, it looks like the Kyokai has decided to throw Onosho at Asanoyama, first, rather than Onosato as I had speculated. They are clearly going to start challenging these low-ranked guys with 1 loss by moving them up. Onosato will face Meisei tomorrow, 100x more of a challenge than Endo has proven to be, so far this tournament.

Makuuchi Torikumi Results

Nishikifuji (Juryo, 6-2) defeated Bushozan (4-4). Nishikifuji circled away as Bushozan charged forward. In retreat, Nishikifuji continued to press down on Bushozan’s shoulder until he fell out. Tsukiotoshi.

Onosho (7-1) defeated Shimazuumi (4-4). Onosho is pumped. You got the sense from the start that despite Shimazuumi’s strength, Onosho was not going to accept defeat. He pressed forward into Shimazuumi’s right shoulder, held him high and forced him into reverse. At the edge, Shimazuumi resisted so Onosho finished him with a twisting throw. Sukuinage.

Takarafuji (4-4) defeated Churanoumi (4-4). A mirror image of the Nishikifuji bout, the Takarabune cruised the coastline draping Churanoumi out the back like a fishing net. Hikiotoshi.

Onosato (7-1) defeated Endo (1-7). Three great shoves and Onosato dropped Endo. How do you cut to commercial when the cameraman found two adorable toddlers with Onosato hats rushing down to the hanamichi to greet their hero? Oshidashi.

Takanosho (5-3) defeated Tomokaze (1-7). Takanosho hit Tomokaze with a nodowa at the tachiai. Tomokaze retaliated with his own fierce shove to force Takanosho back to the edge. But it was bait for Takanosho’s sidestep. Tomokaze was all-in, over-committed, and Takanosho knew it. So, he slipped away to the right and shoved Tomokaze down. Tsukiotoshi.

Tsurugisho (3-5) defeated Myogiryu (2-6). Tsurugisho had this hit-and-shift planned out and executed beautifully. He hit Myogiryu at the tachiai, then shifted left while grasping Myogiryu’s mawashi. With the belt grip, he used Myogiryu’s momentum and swung him out, over the bales. Uwatenage.

Oho (6-2) defeated Kotoshoho (5-3). Oho let Kotoshoho drive forward at the tachiai. Like Tsurugisho, he shifted to the left. Unlike Tsurugisho, he didn’t go for Kotoshoho’s belt. Instead, he brought his hands up behind Kotoshoho’s head and shoulders and dragged him down. Hatakikomi.

Sadanoumi (3-5) defeated Ichiyamamoto (3-5). Sadanoumi tried to deflect Ichiyamamoto’s tsuppari but enough landed to seemingly annoy the hell out of Sadanoumi. So, Sadanoumi yanked back on Ichiyamamoto’s arms. Ichiyamamoto stumbled forward but kept his balance. Sadanoumi then drove through Ichiyamamoto’s slapdown attempt and shoved him off the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Tamawashi (5-3) defeated – and may have broken – Asanoyama (7-1). Asanoyama’s right ankle rolled at the end here, and he struggled to get back up to the dohyo. Thrilling bout with Tamawashi blasting away with his trademark tsuppari. Asanoyama was a bit too desperate to bring an end to the onslaught and reached in deep for a belt grip. Tamawashi hopped backwards, extending Asanoyama’s reach, and threw him to the side. Sukuinage.

Kinbozan (4-4) defeated Mitakeumi (4-4). Wakanohana called out Kinbozan’s effective arm positioning here. It was a quick bout because of that effective use of the right arm. Kinbozan reached in with his right hand for a shallow grip on Mitakeumi’s belt while squeezing Mitakeumi’s left arm. Mitakeumi had to extract his left hand and try to get an outside grip but he was already moving backwards quickly. Unable to recover, Mitakeumi was quickly ushered from the dohyo by Kinbozan. Excellent belt technique from Kinbozan. That is quite the surprise coming from a tsuki-oshi guy like Kinbozan. He had been exposed a few times this tournament for a lack of belt skill. But this was well planned and well executed. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Meisei (5-3) destroyed Shonannoumi (1-7). Meisei employed the same trick Kinbozan used on Mitakeumi. Except Meisei plowed into Shonannoumi harder at the tachiai. This drive meant that Shonannoumi was kept too high. While he tried to extract his left arm, Meisei bulldozed him into the ringside gyoji. Yorikiri.

Nishikigi (5-3) defeated Hiradoumi (4-4). Hiradoumi jumped early. Reset. I wonder if the matta slowed Hiradoumi’s second tachiai a bit. He hit Nishikigi but it didn’t seem to be with as much speed and power. Nishikigi just overpowered Hiradoumi after the initial charge and pressed him out quickly. Oshidashi.

Abi (2-6) defeated Shodai (4-4). Insert Rent too damn high. Shodai’s tachiai was too damn high! Abi-zumo here today. Fierce nodowa forced Shodai back and over the edge. Oshidashi.

Atamifuji (2-6) defeated Gonoyama (4-4). Gonoyama was aggressive and on the offensive. Atamifuji was in trouble and being driven back from the power of Gonoyama’s shoves. At the last moment he used that reach advantage to grab the back of Gonoyama’s belt with the left hand and pulled, hard. Rotating to the left, he threw Gonoyama into the crowd. Uwatenage.

Sanyaku

Wakamotoharu (5-3) defeated Ura (1-7). Ura locked in quick and spun Wakamotoharu around. He tried to drive forward into Wakamotoharu but then pulled on Wakamotoharu’s left arm. Wakamotoharu charged forward with the retreating Ura and dropped him into the crowd. Oshidashi.

Kotonowaka (7-1) fusen win. Takayasu (2-4-2) kyujo, again.

Daieisho defeated Midorifuji. Midorifuji timed his sidestep well and nearly caught Daieisho by pulling on his shoulder. Daieisho recovered and allowed Midorifuji to continue his attack. As Daieisho backed to the tawara again, he slipped to the side as Midorifuji charged forward and tugged Midorifuji down and off the dohyo. Hatakikomi.

Hoshoryu (6-2) defeated Hokutofuji (4-4). Hokutofuji gave it his all. Nodowa, headbutt, forward rush, pull…he threw everything at Hoshoryu but Hoshoryu maintained his balance and stayed in the ring. As Hokutofuji pulled, Hoshoryu rushed forward and helped Hokutofuji’s momentum carry him from the dohyo. Initially, it looked like Hokutofuji was injured in the fall. I was terrified that it was his back. But he looks to have tweaked his knee prior to the fall. Oshitaoshi.

Tobizaru (4-4) defeated Kirishima (6-2). Kirishima tried a hasty pull. He tried to bring Tobizaru down but Tobizaru moved forward into the Ozeki, shoving him from the dohyo. Kirishima should have either been more patient, or come in with a plan. He seemed to be figuring Tobizaru out “on the fly.” He seemed a bit pissed off at Tobizaru’s pre-tachiai antics. He nearly got his hands down, then pulled them back up…hovered a bit… he was living in Kirishima’s head, rent-free. He’s probably still there, penthouse view. Oshidashi.

Terunofuji (6-2) defeated Ryuden (3-5). Both men locked in at the tachiai, opposing maemitsu belt grips. Ryuden tried to press forward, legs churning, but he didn’t make any headway. It should be rather telling to watch as Ryuden’s legs slid backwards each time he tried to budge the Yokozuna. Gif-worthy action there. Terunofuji eventually took the initiative and wrenched free from Ryuden’s grip. Terunofuji wrapped him up awkwardly, Ryuden’s powerful right arm dangling high and useless. Terunofuji pressed forward, forcing Ryuden from the dohyo. Brilliant. Great work from both men. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up

Hokutofuji will surely join the growing kyujo queue tomorrow. This makes me sad. Based on the fact that he couldn’t walk and needed the big wheelchair, I am assuming he will not return this tournament and we will be lucky if he didn’t duplicate Aoiyama’s ACL injury. Someone needs to dig up the squid and re-do the dohyo matsuri.

Kotonowaka got to rest today and now sits atop the leaderboard, but he will have to earn his kachi-koshi tomorrow against the formidable Daieisho, who is now one loss behind the leaders. Asanoyama was denied his kachi-koshi and will fight Onosho tomorrow. Based on the outcome of today’s matches, Onosho flip-flops and becomes the instant favorite to capture his kachi-koshi. Asanoyama will be a fierce competitor but any tweak of that ankle will be exposed.

He’s not going to do it, and I am wasting my breath by even speculating this here. But with 7 wins, Asanoyama will likely maintain his rank in the next banzuke, regardless. At most, he will face a drop of a rank or two (if they are harsh). Without a lot of strong performances there will be a void there in the banzuke and he is safe. Therefore, if he has any type of injury which will get worse over the course of the tournament, he should sit down now. Wait until Osaka and come back fresh. He will start accumulating black stars and might even miss out on any kind of recognition in the form of special prizes. If he ends this tournament at 9-6 or 10-5, rising into the joi with a new mild injury, just to have a crappy Osaka, it is not worth it. Go kyujo now, while it’s in style.

Onosato will take on Meisei. This should be a highlight bout and Onosato’s biggest real test in the top division, so far. Meisei did very well today but he is not impregnable.

Terunofuji leads the chase group with his sage breakdown of Ryuden. He will face Nishikigi tomorrow. That could be a highlight but it should be a much faster-paced bout. That could bring more of a challenge to the Kaiju. He seemed to have time with Ryuden to figure out the puzzle of, “how do I beat this guy who is slamming his topknot into my jaw? It is most uncomfortable. I must stop it. Aha!”

Kirishima’s Yokozuna run is on life support, aided by the fact that Asanoyama did not only lose but seemed to get injured. He has drawn the Shodai wildcard for tomorrow and will need to defeat all comers (Shodai, Kotonowaka, Terunofuji, everyone) if he still hopes for the rope.

Hoshoryu clings on in the chase group with rather defensive sumo. That defense will be tested by Ryuden tomorrow. If Hoshoryu was paying attention today, he will already have a blueprint for how to attack. Lastly, Oho will take on Shimazuumi in their first-ever meeting.

Hatsu 2024: Day 6 Highlights

Andy Hatsu 2024, Hatsu Basho , , , , ,

Hoshoryu lost last night, leaving us with two undefeated leaders heading into Day 6: Kotonowaka and Asanoyama. Terunofuji and Kirishima are performing well despite the early upsets.

Late-breaking news tonight that Hokuseiho is kyujo. He injured his knee in last night’s bout against Shonannoumi and will sit out for the rest of the tournament. This puts him in real danger of demotion to Juryo, depending on how many promotion and demotion candidates we have.

Many of you will know that I love to make visualizations. One that I made a couple of years ago visualizes promotion and demotion history based on the previous tournament’s record. When we look at 2-win records by clicking on the small “2-win” bar, and use data from SumoDB going back to 1970, only in one instance the wrestler remained in Makuuchi and the rest are spread from J1 all the way to J6.

There is a small number of cases here, especially recent cases, so I am calling this as one of the early challenges for Guess the Banzuke participants. Hokuseiho’s chances of staying up will be made more certain if guys like Aoiyama, Endo, and Tomokaze continue to fare poorly and if there aren’t strong promotion candidates from Juryo. But slotting them appropriately will be the nature of your quest.

The same thing is possible via query on SumoDB, directly. I just like pretty charts because it makes it easier for me to see a trend than a text-based table. This data only goes through 2021 and needs an update. I’ll put it on the to-do list.

Well, let’s get to the action.

Makuuchi Highlights

Mitoryu (J1W, 3-3) defeated Shimazuumi (3-3). Shimazuumi drove forward at the tachiai and… Mitoryu slung him around and out. What was that? This is the best move I have seen from these early bouts and it was performed by a Juryo visitor. What a slick throw. How are they calling it oshidashi? That was a sukuinage or something.

Bushozan (3-3) defeated Tomokaze (1-5). Rather ineffective tsuppari from both as neither made much headway. Tomokaze’s clearly favoring that right leg and slipped as he started to yield ground. Oshitaoshi.

Onosato (5-1) defeated Takarafuji (3-3). Onosato dispatched Takarafuji with ease. Oshidashi.

Kotoshoho (5-1) defeated Aoiyama (0-6). Aoiyama threw one, two, three! slaps before Kotoshoho drove forward and shoved him out. Aoiyama is hurt, bad, and had trouble walking after the bout. Oshidashi.

Onosho (5-1) defeated Myogiryu (1-5). Myogiryu also looks hurt. Onosho shoved him out quickly. Tsukidashi.

Takanosho (4-2) defeated Tsurugisho (1-5). Tsurugisho whiffed with a half-hearted (maybe quarter-hearted) slap at the tachiai and Takanosho gingerly walked him out. Yorikiri.

Oho (5-1) defeated Endo (1-5). Endo made a better go of it but was no match for Oho. After his early slapdown attempt failed, Oho put his head down and drove forward and blasted Endo from the dohyo. Two female fans in the front row seemed thrilled by the premium-level fansa. Oshidashi.

Churanoumi (4-2) defeated Sadanoumi (1-5). Sadanoumi locked in and started to churn those legs…but they quickly started churning in reverse as Churanoumi plowed forward. Yorikiri.

Meisei (4-2) defeated Tamawashi (3-3). Meisei laid into Tamawashi and walked him out. Yorikiri.

Ichiyamamoto (2-4) defeated Mitakeumi (3-3). Mitakeumi never read the brief. Ichiyamamoto’s thing is tsuppari and misdirection. Mitakeumi fell forward on his face. Hikiotoshi.

Hiradoumi (4-2) defeated Shonannoumi (1-5). Shonannoumi’s slapdown attempts were ineffective as Hiradoumi plugged ahead. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Ryuden (3-3) fusen, Hokuseiho (2-4) kyujo.

Asanoyama (6-0) defeated Nishikigi (3-3). Great belt battle here as Asanoyama fought to get his favorite grip and Nishikigi did what he could to stop him. Once Asanoyama got the left-hand inside, he started to tug, hard while trying to also lock up the right. It wasn’t needed as he dropped Nishikigi to the clay. Shitatenage.

Kinbozan (3-3) defeated Shodai (3-3). Shodai nearly pulled off something clever as he escaped with a clever little swim move/slapdown. Unfortunately, when Kinbozan recovered his balance, Shodai couldn’t get himself righted to launch an attack on Kinbozan. Instead, Kinbozan re-engaged from behind. Okuridashi.

Hokutofuji (4-2) defeated Midorifuji (1-5). Hokutofuji’s tsuppari was effective at keeping Midorifuji at bay and set up a well-timed slapdown. Hatakikomi.

Sanyaku

Takayasu (2-2-2) defeated Ura (1-5). The suicide throw here as both men had opposing belt grips and attempted to tip the other over. Ura’s head hit first. Ouch. Uwatenage.

Wakamotoharu (3-3) defeated Kotonowaka (5-1). Kotonowaka tried to keep Wakamotoharu at bay with a left hand to WMH’s face. When Wakamotoharu batted it away, Kotonowaka stumbled forward. Wakamotoharu pounced as Kotonowaka attempted to regain his balance and position at the center of the ring. A few powerful shoves from Wakamotoharu and we have another big upset from WMH. Oshidashi.

Atamifuji (2-4) defeated Daieisho (4-2). Daieisho plugged forward with his powerful tsuppari. At the edge, Atamifuji got his arm up under Daieisho’s armpit and dragged him forward for the win. Almost effortless. Tsukiotoshi.

Abi (1-5) defeated Hoshoryu (4-2). Abi looked a bit more like Daieisho here. Rather than rapid-fire tsuppari, he thrust forward and drove into Hoshoryu with his right hand. He pressed forward hard and then suddenly dropped away. Hoshoryu fell forward. Hikiotoshi.

Kirishima (5-1) defeated Gonoyama (2-4). Kirishima dug deep and overpowered Gonoyama. More of this, please. Yorikiri.

Terunofuji (5-1) defeated Tobizaru (3-3). Tobizaru half-henka’d Terunofuji, jumping a half-step to the side. As he shoved and kicked out at Terunofuji, the Kaiju seemed to get angrier and angrier. Terunofuji grabbed at Tobizaru’s right arm and seemed to trigger Tobizaru’s escape function. This shut off Tobizaru’s attack mode and sent him into “flight.” Terunofuji pursued until Tobizaru lept from the dohyo, into the crowd. Oshidashi.

Wrap-up

Hopefully, Aoiyama, Tsurugisho and Myogiryu join the growing kyujo queue. They’re injured and listless. Watching them “compete” is painful.

This tournament might be what Wakamotoharu needed for his confidence. He seemed very bashful when, ranked at Sekiwake, the media started talking about an unprecedented 3-way Ozeki promotion which included him. His head should be in the game now. He deserves to be in sanyaku.

Abi picked up his first win with the big upset of the day. I felt that his attack was a bit different today, more like Daieisho’s. I may be parsing hairs here but Abi’s attacks have always felt like they lack follow-through, compared to Daieisho’s. I’ll be watching to see if there is an evolution in Abi’s technique that makes him more effective at this level on a consistent basis. So far this tournament, he has been anything but.

Asanoyama remains the lone undefeated wrestler. He will face Meisei on Day 7. Terunofuji will face a dangerous Shodai, while Kirishima will face Hokutofuji and Kotonowaka will get Ryuden. Any upsets here will have serious implications on promotion and yusho hopes. These should all be wins.

Lower on the banzuke, Oho, Kotoshoho, Onosho, and Onosato sit on 1 loss. Oho and Onosato will face off tomorrow. Kotoshoho will face Shimazuumi while Onosho will take on Aoiyama, if Aoiyama shows up.

Hatsu 2024: Day 5 Highlights

Andy Hatsu 2024, Hatsu Basho ,

Day 5 is upon us.

Before we get to the action, there is some good news. Takayasu will be back for Day 6. He will face Ura, tomorrow. At 1-2-2, he can certainly still turn in a decent scorecard. This is recoverable. I’m going to be positive and not worry about him coming back early just to be an easy mark for the sanyaku sharks. I promise.

Now, where were we? Day 5 is upon us. We are deep enough into the tournament that the cream is rising to the top. We have had stellar matches in the top half of the division. Fantastic upsets of the top dogs, but the top dogs are still performing well and putting up dominant wins, as well. That said, Takakeisho has departed for the infirmary with a reaggravated neck injury and will probably sit at home and begin researching the status of available and soon-to-be-available kabu.

The lower half of the division has not quite been fighting as inspired as we have grown accustomed, lately. The funny thing about having yusho races that feature guys at the bottom of the banzuke is that we were getting a lot of dominant performances from guys at the bottom of the banzuke. Now they are at the top half, for the most part and the lower half has not been as electric. Will we see that action heat up?

Makuuchi Highlights

Onosato (4-1) defeated Aoiyama (0-5). Oshidashi. Aoiyama is hurt and not long for this division. Frankly, in this condition, I’m surprised that he did so well in Juryo. He is headed back there, certainly.

Tomokaze (1-4) defeated Shimazuumi (3-2). Tomokaze wisely denied Shimazuumi’s attempt to get inside and get that left-hand grip. After a few seconds of tsuppari, he pulled and brought Shimazuumi down. The call is katasukashi but it sure looked like a hatakikomi to me.

Onosho (4-1) defeated Bushozan (2-3). Onosho was too strong for Bushozan and drove him out quickly. We see the difference in quality here between a guy who was as high as Kobusubi, and a guy who was as high as M14. I am not saying Onosho is ready for sanyaku and certainly not making calls for a yusho run but he should clean up down here, and is delivering on that expectation.

Takarafuji (3-2) defeated Endo (1-4). Endo is doing so poorly that one would think he is hiding a serious injury. The Takarabune picked him up and set sail. “It was a breeze.” Yorikiri.

Kotoshoho (4-1) defeated Churanoumi (3-2). Perhaps Kotoshoho is trying to emulate what he sees in sanyaku. He wrapped up Churanoumi’s arm and dragged him to the tawara, as we’ve seen Terunofuji do quite successfully. The finish was not quite so easy as Churanoumi wriggled away and began to lay into Kotoshoho with tsuppari. Kotoshoho gave chase as Churanoumi retreated and eventually caught up and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Oho (4-1) defeated Myogiryu (1-4). Myogiryu charged forward early, matta. Once the two got going “for realz,” Oho easily overpowered Myogiryu. Myogiryu evaded the slapdown and stayed alive to try his own. But once that failed, he had effectively cornered himself and Oho moved in for the easy shove. Oshidashi.

Takanosho (3-2) defeated Sadanoumi (1-4). Takanosho was all over Sadanoumi like shirasu on rice. Sadanoumi tried a last ditch slapdown but Takanosho just steamed ahead. Yorikiri.

Meisei (3-2) defeated Tsurugisho (1-4). Meisei plowed into Tsurugisho at the tachiai and didn’t relent until Tsurugisho was out. Tsukidashi.

Tamawashi (3-2) defeated Mitakeumi (3-2). Historically, Mitakeumi has been able to dominate Tamawashi but not of late. Today, we got the oshi version of a lean-fest. A slick mis-direction from Mitakeumi nearly sent Tamawashi sprawling but the old man recovered. Mitakeumi slipped his right-hand inside for a belt grip but Tamawashi dug deep and pressed forward with all his might and shoved Mitakeumi out. Oshidashi. “What are you talking about, Andy? There are good bouts in the first half.”

Asanoyama (5-0) defeated Hiradoumi (3-2). Hiradoumi was not quite ready for Asanoyama’s charge and was punished for it. Asanoyama wrapped him up with his right-hand inside and led him out. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Hokuseiho (2-3) defeated Shonannoumi (1-4). Hokuseiho locked up Shonannoumi’s right arm but didn’t seem to know what to do with it. He let go with the right so he could get a grasp of Shonannoumi’s mawashi…and completely let go with the left hand. As Shonannoumi took the initiative and started forward, Hokuseiho reacted and swung him down on the tawara. Shitatenage. Imagine what Hokuseiho would be capable of if he learned how to do sumo with two hands.

Ichiyamamoto (1-4) defeated Nishikigi (3-2). Ichiyamamoto launched ahead and blasted Nishikigi out. Oshidashi. As Ichiyamamoto went to go pick up his kensho, he should have thanked the gyoji for not calling a matta.

Ryuden (2-3) defeated Kinbozan (2-3). Kinbozan, uncomfortable in a yotsu situation, ended up getting spun around somehow and walked out from behind. Okuridashi.

Shodai (3-2) defeated Midorifuji (1-4). If Shodai could do it, why couldn’t Haruma…oops, I mean Kirishima? Shodai let Midorifuji inside and Midorifuji tried his signature shoulder attacks. But Shodai kept pressing forward and forced the newlywed out – even with his right arm waving in the air like he just don’t care. Oshidashi.

Atamifuji (1-4) defeated Tobizaru (3-2). Both men quickly locked in. Tobizaru with his right-hand inside, Atamifuji with his left hand over and Tobizaru used his left hand to hold Atamifuji’s other arm at bay. Atamifuji pressured forward and each tried to throw the other but Atamifuji kept moving forward until Tobizaru ran out of real estate and dropped off the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Daieisho (4-1) defeated Wakamotoharu (2-3). Wakamotoharu brushed Daieisho to the side at the tachiai, and nearly sent him out. Daieisho recovered and locked in with a left-hand inside. You read that right, Daieisho was on the belt here. He then twisted, and threw Wakamotoharu to the floor. Tsukiotoshi? I’m not sure how that wasn’t a shitatenage or sukuinage. Maybe because he had help from the right hand pushing on Wakamotoharu’s left shoulder. Regardless, that was a surprising yotsu win from Daieisho.

Kotonowaka (5-0) defeated Ura (1-4). The slippery, hyper-active Ura sure kept Kotonowaka on his toes here. Kotonowaka’s excellent footwork made sure he kept his balance and never overcommitted, never pitched forward as he chased. He was always in control. He got a solid grip of Ura’s mawashi, spun him around, and ushered him out from behind. Okuridashi.

Kirishima (4-1) defeated Abi (0-5). Abi got Kirishima in trouble at the edge but Kirishima circled back in and Abi stepped out. A bit dicey there from the Ozeki. Tsukiotoshi.

Gonoyama (2-3) defeated Hoshoryu (4-1). Gonoyama drove forward and Hoshoryu let himself be pushed back to the edge. Instead of resisting at the bales, Hoshoryu got shoved out. Well, that was a surprise. Yorikiri.

Terunofuji (4-1) defeated Hokutofuji (3-2). Terunofuji’s right arm corralled Hokutofuji under the shoulder. This forced Hokutofuji’s left arm to flail around awkward and useless. Terunofuji pressed forward and showed his opponent the exit. Oshidashi.

Wrap-up

“And then there were two.”

Kotonowaka and Asanoyama lead and a pack of solid competitors, headed by Terunofuji, Kirishima, and Hoshoryu give chase. Kotonowaka and Asanoyama have certainly been fighting at a high level. That is very exciting. Asanoyama will face Nishikigi tomorrow and Kotonowaka will be tested against Wakamotoharu.

Terunofuji will take on Tobizaru, Kirishima will face Gonoyama, and Hoshoryu will get Abi. Daieisho, also at 4-1, will have his hands full with Atamifuji. Will we see more yotsu from Daieisho? Or will he succeed in keeping Atamifuji off his belt? Stay tuned…