Atamifuji

Nagoya 2025: Day Fourteen

Andy Kotoshoho, Nagoya 2025, Nagoya Basho , , , ,

Kyujo news first. Ura is out from today and Midorifuji will pick up the walkover win. Mita defeated Daiseizan with a lightning quick pull at the tachiai. Mita picked up his eleventh win while Daiseizan flopped down to his fourth loss and a tie with Kōtokuzan for second place.

Your NHK videos are here: Juryo, Makuuchi Part I and Part II.

Makuuchi Action

Kotoeiho (5-9) defeated Nishikigi (7-7). Kotoeiho pressed forward to the tawara. Nishikigi tried to dump him over the edge and pivoted along the tawara but Kotoeiho drove him over the edge. Oshidashi.

Kayo (3-11) defeated Hidenoumi (1-10-2). Kayo charged forward hard, attacked Hidenoumi with a nodowa and then pulled Hidenoumi down for the slapdown victory. That’s what Andy wants to see. The full reverse garbage is just capitulation. But apparently Kayo only wants to fight the injured guys? Hatakikomi.

Churanoumi (9-5) defeated Mitakeumi (9-5). Mitakeumi charged forward and forced Churanoumi to the edge. At the bales, Churanoumi shifted to the right along the bales, shoved Mitakeumi to the side and then pushed Mitakeumi out. Oshidashi.

Fujinokawa (9-5) defeated Takanosho (8-6). Takanosho tried to slap Fujinokawa down at the tachiai but Fujinokawa kept his balance and pivoted. Takanosho then charged forward but Fujinokawa slipped to the side and pulled Takanosho down. Hikiotoshi.

Shishi (6-8) defeated Tokihayate (6-8). Tokihayate got his right hand inside for a katasukashi pull down and pivoted but Shishi pressed forward and forced him out. Yorikiri.

Shodai (9-5) defeated Roga (7-7). Shodai pressed Roga forward to the bales. Roga attempted to resist at the bales but Shodai dumped him with a strong left hand over-arm throw. Uwatenage.

Midorifuji (9-5) default win over Ura (8-6).

Asakoryu (6-8) defeated Chiyoshoma (1-13). You have to give it to Chiyoshoma. He gave it his all here but Asakoryu dumped him over the edge with his left-hand inside. Shitatenage.

Tamawashi (10-4) defeated Ichiyamamoto (9-5). Ichiyamamoto started out with his tsuppari so Tamawashi gauged Ichiyamamoto in the face and then slipped his right hand inside to drive Ichiyamamoto back and out. Yorikiri.

Onokatsu (6-8) defeated Kinbozan (3-11). Onokatsu weathered Kinbozan’s shoves and slapdown attempts. When Kinbozan tired, Onokatsu slipped in and drove Kinbozan back for a yorikiri win.

Halftime

Oho (6-8) defeated Gonoyama (8-6). Oho braved the torrent of Gonoyama’s tsuppari and pressed forward for a step and then quickly pulled and slapped Gonoyama down for the hatakikomi victory.

Hakuoho (8-6) defeated Abi (8-6). Abi tried to slap Hakuoho down and pulled him around the ring with his deep hold on Hakuoho’s mawashi. But Hakuoho refused to go down and from his solid, low position shoved Abi over the edge. Oshidashi.

Kusano (11-3) defeated Aonishiki (11-3). Kusano got a deep left hand outside grip and pulled Aonishiki forward, attempting the slapdown. Aonishiki did not go down easy but Kusano kept pressing forward and forced Aonishiki to step out. Yorikiri.

Wakamotoharu (6-8) defeated Meisei (3-11). Meisei’s thigh is taped up but he had to keep that leg forward with most of his lower body resistance coming from the left. The pair attacked each other with flurries of tsuppari and Wakamotoharu waited Meisei out. When Meisei shifted so that weak right leg was braced at the bales, he thrust Meisei down. Tsukitaoshi.

Sanyaku

Sadanoumi (4-10) defeated Oshoma (3-11). Sadanoumi pressed Oshoma back and drove him over the edge. Oshidashi.

Takayasu (9-5) defeated Atamifuji (10-4). Atamifuji drove Takayasu to the edge and nearly forced him out but Takayasu resisted, worked his way back to the center of the ring and got a firm right hand inside grip. While a tired Atamifuji pondered what to do next, Takayasu dumped him with a beautiful underarm throw. Atamifuji was pissed at himself because he was so close. He angrily flagellated himself with his sagari as he walked back down the hanamichi in defeat. Shitatenage.

Kotoshoho (12-2) defeated Kirishima (8-6). When Kirishima started to charge forward, Kotoshoho slipped to the side, grabbed Kirishima’s thong and threw him forward over the bales. Uwatenage.

Kotozakura (8-6) defeated Hiradoumi (7-7). While Hiradoumi was low and trying to find a belt grip, Kotozakura quickly twisted him down. Sukuinage.

Onosato (10-4) defeated Wakatakakage (9-5). Onosato patiently drove forward as WTK pulled and stepped out. Oshidashi.

Wrap up

Heading into Senshuraku, M15 Kotoshoho holds sole possession of the lead with 12 wins. Aonishiki and Kusano trail with 11.

Kotozakura picked up that important win number eight.

Pairings for tomorrow have not been posted. I’ll send out an update when they’ve made decisions about the torikumi for Senshuraku. Kotoshoho has already beat Kusano but has not fought Aonishiki. He also has not fought Ozeki Kotozakura. (And he can’t, as J reminded me. As if the KOTO- prefix wasn’t enough of a hint, they’re in the same heya. Silly me! Next tournament I will propose a bout with Kotoeiho for extra egg on my face. Stablemate, brother, and different division by then.)

The bout makers have themselves a pickle. Do they hand out a yusho to Kotoshoho after fighting 1 Yokozuna, 1 Sekiwake and 1 Komusubi?

***Update*** As Thomas noted, the bout list is out. Kotoshoho versus Aonishiki and Kusano versus Takayasu.

For our sanyaku bouts, Onosato will fight Kotozakura, Wakatakakage will fight Kirishima, and Oshoma will face Tamawashi.

Nagoya 2024: Day Three Highlights

Andy Nagoya 2024, Nagoya Basho ,

I love the NHK shots of the two Nagoya stadiums. You have the 1960s Sweatbox Dolphin’s Arena on one side and the modern design of IG Arena on the other. Back away a little to add in the sleek, ancient Nagoya Castle for quite the contrast. I look forward to what I presume will be the demolition of the old building.

In lower division action, Enho did win his Day 3 matchup and will get tomorrow off.

NHK posts the video footage here. Day Three coverage of Juryo Part I and Part II. Makuuchi Part I and Part II.

Day Three Highlights

Nishikifuji (2-1) defeated Kagayaki (1-2). Kagayaki was in attack mode after the tachiai. Nishikifuji transformed the bout when he was able to get inside Kagayaki’s oshi attack and get a belt grip. Nishikifuji thend drove Kagayaki out. Yorikiri.

Bushozan (2-1) defeated Roga (1-2). Solid sumo from Bushozan today. He kept Roga in front of him and steadily cornered Roga at the edge with excellent footwork and constant tsuppari. He then shoved Roga over the edge. Oshidashi.

Roga will fight Nishikifuji on Day Four.

Wakatakakage (2-1) defeated Endo (1-2). Wakatakakage just overpowered Endo from the tachiai. Endo tried a slapdown as Wakatakakage drove him toward the edge. But Wakatakakage shrugged it off and drove Endo over the tawara. Oshidashi.

Wakatakakage will target Bushozan tomorrow. Endo will face Kagayaki.

Takarafuji (2-1) defeated the shadow of Hokutofuji (0-3). Hokutofuji pressed forward with his usual oshi attack. A nodowa drove Takarafuji back to the tawara. Hokutofuji then tried a slapdown but Takarafuji kept his balance and launched his counter attack. He quickly forced Hokutofuji to the edge and shoved him over. Yorikiri.

Asanoyama (3-0) defeated Churanoumi (2-1). Churanoumi immediately went for the maemitsu but Asanoyama batted his hands away. Asanoyama then fought hard to establish a right-hand inside position on Churanoumi’s belt. Once he locked in on the belt with both hands, he advanced quickly and drove Churanoumi over the edge.

Churanoumi will take on Takarafuji tomorrow.

Bizzaro-yamamoto (2-1) defeated Nishikigi (0-3). What the hell was Ichiyamamoto doing on the belt? Well, it sure worked. He fought to establish a hold of Nishikigi’s belt and drove his straight back and out. Remember back when Nishikigi was in sanyaku? He’s on his way to Juryo now. They must have beaten him up. Yorikiri.

Ichiyamamoto will not want anything to do with Asanoyama’s belt tomorrow. I can assure you of that. The shadow of Nishikigi will fight the shadow of Hokutofuji.

Shodai (1-2) defeated Midorifuji (1-2). No silliness from Shodai today. All business against Midorifuji as he patiently worked for a solid yotsu attack. The two-handed belt grip over Midorifuji’s back wasn’t getting Shodai anywhere. He released with his right and used his left-hand grip to spin Midorifuji around and out. Uwatenage.

Oshoma (3-0) defeated Tamawashi (2-1). As Tamawashi charged forward, Oshoma slapped him down. Hikiotoshi.

Oshoma will fight Midorifuji tomorrow.

Ryuden (1-2) defeated Kinbozan (0-3). Ryuden locked in. Two handed belt grip, head firmly in Kinbozan’s chest. Kinbozan did not seem to get much power from his own belt hold. Ryuden closed quickly and forced him to the edge. Ryuden patiently waited out his counter attack, maintained his own forward pressure and walked him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Ryuden will take on Shodai. Kinbozan will face Tamawashi.

Kotoshoho (2-1) destroyed Sadanoumi (2-1). Wow. Fierce tachiai, followed with firm tsuppari. Once he had Sadanoumi on the edge he blasted him into the third row. The kid must’ve eaten his Wheaties this morning. Tsukidashi with extreme prejudice. The highlight bout of the first half of action.

Halftime

Takanosho (1-2) defeated Oho (1-2). You can pinpoint the moment Takanosho won this bout. It’s the moment Oho pulled and tried that pathetic slapdown. Before that, it was a great, well contested battle. Oho was trying to advance and was looking good. As soon as he put the gear into reverse, however, he was toast. Oshidashi.

Sadanoumi will dust himself off and face Oho.

Shonannoumi (3-0) defeated Onosho (0-3). Onosho was super-charged and eager to slam into Shonannoumi at the tachiai. Shonannoumi shifted right and pulled the eager beaver onto his belly. Uwatedashinage.

Shonannoumi will fight Kotoshoho and hopefully one of the No-show’s will show up.

Tobizaru (2-1) defeated Ura (2-1). More like, Ura lost this one. The two locked horns early. Tobizaru steadily cornered Ura so Ura lashed out and blasted Tobizaru backward. From there, Ura tried a slapdown but Tobizaru was unfazed, pursued Ura and shoved him backwards. Ura lost his balance and fell hard on his butt. Oshitaoshi.

Sanyaku

Onosato (1-2) defeated Daieisho (1-2) Onosato read the brief. He withstood some powerful thrusts then shifted to the side and slapped Daieisho down onto his belly. It pays to prepare for a bout. Hatakikomi.

Hiradoumi (1-2) defeated Abi (1-2). Hiradoumi’s Abi-zumo was stronger than Abi’s. Oshidashi.

Kirishima (3-0) defeated Gonoyama (1-2). Gonoyama timed his charge simultaneous with Kirishima’s ill-advised pull. This forced Kirishima back to the edge quickly and I’m sure we all thought the same thing, “Oh, crap.” But Kirishima regrouped at the bales, locked in on Gonoyama’s belt and forced the action back to the center of the dohyo. After a brief tussle for belt grips. Gonoyama heaved the pair toward the edge where he tried a throw but Kirishima countered with one of his own and stayed up on his feet and in bounds a beat longer as Gonoyama flopped to his belly. Uwatenage.

Hoshoryu (2-1) defeated Mitakeumi (1-2). Mitakeumi’s strength does seem to be coming back. He wrapped up Hoshoryu and tried to power him backwards. He is just too high, though, in his attack. Hoshoryu quickly turned the tables by turning Mitakeumi. He spun him back to the edge, and walked him out. Yorikiri.

Kotozakura (2-1) defeated Meisei (1-2). Meisei pulled and Kotozakura followed, quickly ushering Meisei over the edge.

Atamifuji (2-1) defeated Takakeisho (1-2). Takakeisho tried a quick slapdown which caught Atamifuji by surprise; he stumbled forward but did not panic. He regained his balance, backed up and re-engaged with the Ozeki. Atamifuji hit the Ozeki from the side, grabbed his belt and forced him ingloriously to the ground. Yoritaoshi.

Terunofuji (3-0) defeated Wakamotoharu (2-1). Dominant. Terunofuji hit Wakamotoharu hard at the tachiai and did not stop until Wakamotoharu was falling from the dohyo.

Wrap-up

Terunofuji leads the charge. This is great to see. He has been powerful and dominant so far. He is not trying to overwhelm with the kimedashi strategy from earlier tournaments. Instead, he’s staying low and charging ahead with overwhelming force.

Atamifuji gets a bit of a reprieve after facing the three Ozeki. He will face Ura tomorrow. We shall see if Kirishima can keep his streak alive against Daieisho. Hiradoumi will need to dig deep against Onosato and Abi will fight Meisei. Tobizaru is being thrown to Takakeisho while Hoshoryu will face Gonoyama and Kotozakura will fight what’s left of Wakamotoharu. Terunofuji will fight Mitakeumi. I would not sleep on that musubi. Mitakeumi has a way of shaking things up…or being a Beard Papa cream puff. Let’s hope for the former, shall we?

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.

Kyushu 2023: Day 13 – Happy Thanksgiving!

Andy Kyushu 2023, Kyushu Basho ,
Our Thanksgiving Chanko

We are not big fans of turkey, too be honest. On our own for the holidays for the first time in a long time, the threat of spending hours preparing, and failing, at making a dry bird led us to an unconventional decision. So, this year we opted for a Thanksgiving dinner of chanko and sushi. Give me moist tsukune (chicken meatballs) over ham, turkey or venison, any day. Tuna temaki is just icing on the cake. Then, we also actually had cake in the form of baumkuchen.

I am certainly thankful for, among other things, a great tournament. It is unfortunate that Takakeisho could not follow up on his September yusho and charge forward with a strong title win in Kyushu. Instead, Kirishima, Atamifuji, Ichiyamamoto and Kotonowaka have been the stars of this show. Ozeki performance issues have certainly been quieted for now. And after a spell of short reigns, maybe Kirishima and Hoshoryu will lighten some of Takakeisho’s load. The continued successes of recent tournaments mean Kotonowaka (26) and Atamifuji (21) have designs on their own future promotions. After starting the year with much more uncertainty, it’s nice to have not only a steady current slate of Ozeki but some hopes for the future.

Makuuchi

Kitanowaka (5-8) defeated Oshoma (4-9). A bit of a testy slapfest that ended when Oshoma lost his balance and fell forward. Hikiotoshi.

Tohakuryu (5-8) defeated Oho (6-7). Tohakuryu jettisoned his retreating sumo of late for aggressive, forward moving thrusts here against Oho. And what do you know, it worked! Tsukidashi.

Tomokaze (7-6) defeated Hiradoumi (8-5). Hiradoumi tried a slapdown but Tomokaze pressed forward and shoved Hiradoumi over the bales. Oshidashi.

Churanoumi (8-5) defeated Sadanoumi (6-7). Sadanoumi was the aggressor in this bout, nearly ending Churanoumi’s day with an early slapdown attempt. Sadanoumi kept pressing forward and forced his opponent to the edge…where Churanoumi twisted out of the way and threw Sadanoumi forward. Sukuinage.

Mitakeumi (8-5) defeated Tamawashi (8-5). Not much thrusting from Tamawashi today; Mitakeumi forced himself inside the range of Tamawashi’s guns and they settled, head-to-head with Tamawashi’s back to the bales. Mitakeumi gathered his strength and pressed forward, pushing Tamawashi over the edge. Oshidashi.

Roga (4-9) defeated Myogiryu (4-9). Myogiryu charged forward but Roga circled right in retreat, staying in bounds long enough to thrust Myogiryu out. Tsukiotoshi.

Endo (5-8) defeated Nishikifuji (4-9). Endo chased Nishikifuji around the ring for awhile before Nishikigi stepped out. Oshidashi.

Midorifuji (9-4) defeated Ichiyamamoto (9-4). Now, I’m sure we can all agree THAT’s a henka. We can all see the, “YOU BASTARD!” on Ichiyamamoto’s lips. Hikiotoshi.

Tsurugisho (8-5) defeated Nishikigi (6-7). Tsurugisho pulled to start but Nishikigi was wise to it. The two settled into a grapple. Nishikigi tried to make a charge but Tsurugisho pulled up hard and resisted, forcing the two back toward center. Nishikigi gathered up his strength for another charge and this time Tsurugisho couldn’t stop him…but instead he twisted and hefted Nishikigi over the bales with a great throw. Utchari.

Tobizaru (6-7) defeated Hokuseiho (6-7). Tobizaru quickly reached in and pulled Hokuseiho forward. He then circled behind and pushed him out. Okuridashi.

Halftime

Atamifuji (11-2) defeated Takayasu (8-5). The Japanese word, Atama, means “head” and that is all that I can bring to mind as I watch Atamafuji drive his head into Takayasu, forcing a yotsu contest. Takayasu tried to shove that head back but each time, Atamafuji brought his head back to rest under Takayasu’s chin. Atamafuji then grabbed Takayasu by the shoulders to drive him down. Takayasu resisted the slapdown but the pressure forced his back to the bales and Atamifuji pressed forward, pushing him out. Excellent sumo from Atamifuji. Oshidashi.

Takarafuji (5-8) defeated Meisei (3-10). After the tachiai, the two combatants settled into a grapple at the center of the ring. Meisei pulled to the edge but Takarafuji pursued and pressed forward, eventually forcing Meisei over the edge. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (8-5) defeated Shodai (5-8). Kinbozan drove forward, hard into Shodai. Just when you wanted New Shodai to resist and force Kinbozan back, Old Shodai scanned behind himself for a place to land and dropped into the crowd. Oshidashi.

Ura (6-7) defeated Onosho (3-10). Ura blasted Onosho backwards and off the ring. Oshidashi.

Gonoyama (7-6) defeated Hokutofuji (4-9). Hokutofuji tried to remove Gonoyama’s face with the right hand and ottsuke with the left. Gonoyama shifted and thrust Hokutofuji’s hand away. Hokutofuji pressed with such force that the momentum thrust himself down in the center of the ring. Tsukiotoshi.

Abi (6-7) defeated Shonannoumi (7-6). The staredown was about 100x longer than the bout as Abi caught Shonannoumi and yanked him down to the ground, almost instantly. Hikiotoshi.

Ryuden (9-4) defeated Kotonowaka (9-4). Ryuden thrust his head into Kotonowaka’s chest and pressed forward. Kotonowaka kept fumbling for a belt grip but it’s much easier when your head is down, like Ryuden’s. Ryuden just kept pressing forward and Kotonowaka could not counter effectively. Any hopes of Ozeki promotion will have to wait for March, or more likely, May. Yorikiri.

Asanoyama (2-4-7) defeated Wakamotoharu (4-9). Powerful tachiai. Asanoyama rotated his body, twisting Wakamotoharu over toward the edge. Wakamotoharu kept his footing along the bales so Asanoyama forced him out. Yorikiri.

Kirishima (11-2) defeated Daieisho (8-5). Standard Daieisho thrusting attack, parried to the side by Kirishima. Hatakikomi.

Takakeisho (9-4) defeated Hoshoryu (8-5). Hoshoryu drove into Takakeisho’s tsuppari a bit too far as Takakeisho switched modes and thrust him down. Tsukiotoshi.

Wrap-Up

We’re down to a two-man show. It took a while for the Kyokai to finally publish the torikumi (bout listing) for tomorrow. I had thought they might like to actually have all of the Ozeki fight each other, and during normal circumstances, that would probably be their preference.

  • 2敗: Kirishima, Atamifuji
  • 3敗: no one

Instead, Kirishima will fight Atamifuji tomorrow. This means that we are assured of an at-least 12-win yusho. We might have a playoff between these two if the winner of tomorrow’s bout stumbles on senshuraku. Kirishima will undoubtedly be paired up with one of his fellow Ozeki (likely Takakeisho) for the musubi-no-ichiban on senshuraku.

As I’d mentioned, Kotonowaka’s charge is now done. Ichiyamamoto’s role in this drama, sadly, fizzled in front of Midorifuji. But there is certainly a significant crop of new talent, simmering under the surface. And, whatever the outcome of this weekend, Atamifuji is leading their charge into 2024.