Big Guns Shohozan

Tokyo July Basho Day 3 Preview

Bruce H Abi (阿炎), Aoiyama, Asanoyama (朝乃山), Chiyomaru, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daieisho (大栄翔), Endo (遠藤), Enho, Hakuho (白鵬), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ikioi (勢), Ishiura (石浦), Kagayaki (輝), Kaisei (魁聖), Kakuryu (鶴竜), Kiribayama (霧馬山), Kotoeko, Kotonowaka, Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Kotoshoho, Kotoyuki, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), Shimanoumi, Shohozan, Shōdai (正代直也), Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanosho, Takarafuji (宝富士), Takayasu (高安), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Terunofuji (照ノ富士), Terutsuyoshi, Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tokushoryu, Tokyo July Basho, Wakatakakage, Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲) , , , , , , , ,

Your humble editor did in fact miss posting a day 2 preview. Some of you may say, “Bruce, what gives?”. Much as I love sumo, I admit that I have gotten myself tangled with a high priority software development project which, at least for the first half of the basho, is consuming most of my waking hours. It’s not my first startup. I love a good bootstrap effort, and this one may help a lot of people if we can get everything to work. If my writing seems like its coming from a point of bleary eyed exhaustion, give yourself +100 genki points. I do manage to sacrifice some sleep to watch the top division, and I give my undying thanks to Kintamayama and Natto Sumo for serving it up via YouTube for me to consume in bits when I can throughout the day.

What We Are Watching Day 3

Meisei vs Kotoyuki – Meisei returns from Juryo for the day to fill the torikumi gap left by Kakuryu’s absence. Kotoyuki is off to a slow start at 0-2, and seems to have put on a bit of weight during the quarantine period. There is some logic to top division rikishi striving to carry as much mass as their sumo can handle, I suspect that Kotoyuki may have over-shot by about 10kg.

Terunofuji vs Chiyomaru – I was fairly sure that Terunofuji’s day 2 match was headed for disaster. Kotoeko kept a high energy tug-and-shift routine going, trying to apply maximum torque to the relics of Terunofuji’s knees. We don’t get to know how much pain he is in following a match, and today he has to find a way to shift around the epic bulk of Chiyomaru. He has fought him 6 times before, taking 4. Terunofuji is certainly strong enough to muscle Chiyomaru around somewhat, but those knees…

Kotoshoho vs Nishikigi – After being a complete limp fish day 1, Nishikigi came back with some vigor on day 2. But it’s anyone’s guess which version shows up today against Kotoshoho. On the topic of Kotoshoho, he young rookie to the top division has opened strong with two straight wins, and may be in for a traditional first basho 10 win run.

Kotoeko vs Wakatakakage – Speaking of first basho streaks – Wakatakakage, why are you winless? Get it in gear sir! In their 3 prior matches, Kotoeko has not lost one, so there is a solid chance that the fellow that makes Raja Pradhan sound like a typewriter (Wakatakakage) may start July 0-3. Cue the worried sumo ladies in 3..2..1

Takayasu vs Kotoshogiku – Oh how I loved Takayasu’s day 2 match. A sight not seen in a few years. Shohozan was being his traditional self, and flagrantly attacking Takayasu’s injured left elbow. Takayasu eventually just grabbed Shohozan and held him still for a while. A long while. This was traditional Takayasu sumo, with enough stamina to keep 30 normal people turning cartwheels for an hour. I swear he took a nap in there too. No rush… You tired yet Shohozan? No? Zzzz. Zzzz ZZ. How about now? Going to be a different contest today as Kotoshogiku is going to get close fast and press ahead hard. They have 27(!) career matches, with a slight 15-12 Takayasu edge.

Kotonowaka vs Shohozan – I have my concerns that Kotonowaka will join the elite group that includes Aoiyama and Kagayaki. The guy has some solid sumo moves, and that should carry the day against a fading but surly Shohozan. As this is their first ever match, I am sure that “Big Guns” Shohozan is going to give him the full street brawl routine.

Shimanoumi vs Sadanoumi – Much like in the mock basho, these two seem to be stuck in an indeterminate sumo state, perhaps by observing them we can collapse their wave function into something genki? All I know is that the bulkier Shimanoumi seems to be susceptible to Sadanoumi’s lightning tachiai.

Tochinoshin vs Myogiryu – 25 career matches and the score is 12-13! I am delighted that Tochinoshin is appearing at least somewhat genki, and has none of the “roadkill” aura that he has carried the last two tournaments. I am not sure his knee is up for any sky-crane action, but fans can hope.

Tamawashi vs Kaisei – I really liked both of these veteran stalwart’s wins on day 2. Tamawashi gave Chiyotairyu a near tea-bagging, and Kaisei out-bruted Tochinoshin. Maybe Kaisei’s wedding recently has motivated him to higher levels of performance. Sumo fans, there is a whole lot of Kaisei, and if he gets motivated, they may need to have the dohyo repair crew on standby.

Ikioi vs Chiyotairyu – I think that both of them are a bit rusty at this stage, and are looking to keep fairly close to even by the end of the first act. Chiyotairyu has a slight 9-6 career lead, mostly due to his high energy cannonball tachiai, and his propensity to stand his opponent up and immediately knock them down at the start of the match. A gambit that works fairly well against the straight ahead Ikioi.

Terutsuyoshi vs Ishiura – Battle of the pixies, round 1. This time Terutsuyoshi is having a solid start, and Ishiura seems to be struggling. If you are asking yourself, “What happened to Ishiura?”, your judgement may be colored by the mock basho in May, where Ishiura was, at one point, the sole leader in the yusho race. I am sure real Ishiura would like to tap into fake Ishiura’s genki power right about now.

Tokushoryu vs Ryuden – Hatsu yusho winner and all around everyman Tokushoryu has started 0-2, possibly another victim of ring rust brought on by lack of joint training. Ryuden seems a bit under his normal performance level as well, but has managed to put his first white star on the board. I think that gives a slight edge to Ryuden today, but I am still looking for Tokushoryu to maintain a kachi-koshi pace.

Abi vs Enho – Straight up, Abi seems to also be a bit too massive for his sumo. Coupled with everyone getting a good hang of the ins and outs of “Abi-zumo”, his extra bulk have increased his ability to hold ground at the expense of attack speed. And frankly attack speed was the key to his sumo. The more he evolves closer to some kind of inflatable beach toy form, the easier it will be to overcome his offense. I give the nod to Enho if he can put down the beer for 10 minutes…

Hokutofuji vs Aoiyama – Hokutofuji also is looking quite rough. I know he is inherently streaky, and so once his sumo locks on, he should at least get to 7. But boy is it an uneven start for him. Big Dan has a matching 1-1 record, but looked more consistent in his first two matches. His day 2 match against Abi – brutal.

Kagayaki vs Kiribayama – For some reason, Kiribayama can’t yet get to a win. He’s up against Mr Fundamentals, who normally suffers a lot of ring rust. Not this July! He is focused and his sumo is sharp. While I would like to think that the young rising star, Kiribayama, can pull out a win here, I am going to favor Kagayaki keeping the streak alive.

Daieisho vs Takarafuji – So far we have yet to see Takarafuji deploy his defend and extend strategy. Everyone has just bundled him up and rushed him out with great effect. Daieisho is a good opponent to get back in stride, even though Takarafuji has a 4-6 career record against him. But Daieisho’s is prone to the stalemate tactics that Takarafuji prefers.

Onosho vs Mitakeumi – As an Onosho fan, his 0-2 start is disappointing, and it’s not going to get any better today when he steps off against an incredibly focused and genki Mitakeumi. During the mock basho, we had Mitakeumi likewise focused, strong and dominating nearly every match. I think it would be surprising and a bit spooky if he can replicate the Not-so-Basho result as well.

Shodai vs Takanosho – In the “What happened here” category – Shodai? He seems really hard, sharp and focused. Where his sumo and the past has been less than aggressive, so far this July he has come out strong and effective. I would guess Takanosho is smarting after two consecutive losses, and I would like to see him give Shodai a tough match.

Yutakayama vs Asanoyama – These two were once rivals when they first broke into the top division, and Yutakayama reached the top of the rank and file first, before injury forced him to regroup. Now its Asanoyama who is looking like a rock-solid Ozeki, and Yutakayama is struggling with an 0-2 start to July. They are tied 3-3 for their career, and both know how to disrupt and defeat the other. If Asanoyama can get his grip early, and shut down Yutakayama’s mobility, it’s going to be an 3-0 start for the shin-Ozeki.

Takakeisho vs Okinoumi – I think the 4 month stretch of relative isolation did Takakeisho quite a bit of good. He thus far seems to be strong, confident and back in control of his his body and his sumo. That day 1 shove against Yutakayama? BOOM! Okinoumi also seems to have benefited from the extended recovery period, and while he was no match for Hakuho, Kiribayama got a satisfying ejection from the ring. I favor Takakeisho in this one (6-2 career), especially because the Grand Tadpole seems to be back in the groove.

Hakuho vs Endo – A juicy, ripe morsel to finish the day. These two have had a bit of a blood feud going on for several tournaments, and both have shown a willingness to pound the other into a bloody mess. Hakuho looked rather tentative day 1, but gave Yutakayama a fast roll in the clay on day 2. We know the boss has been less than thrilled with the lack of test bouts leading up to the basho, and I suspect that the population of Oitekaze beya probably gave Endo somewhat better prep. Will there be blood?

Mock Natsu Day 2 Highlights

Bruce H Abi (阿炎), Aoiyama, Asanoyama (朝乃山), Chiyomaru, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daieisho (大栄翔), Endo (遠藤), Enho, Hakuho (白鵬), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ikioi (勢), Ishiura (石浦), Kagayaki (輝), Kaisei (魁聖), Kakuryu (鶴竜), Kiribayama (霧馬山), Kotoeko, Kotonowaka, Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Kotoshoho, Kotoyuki, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Mock Natsu Basho 2020, Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), Shimanoumi, Shohozan, Shōdai (正代直也), Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanosho, Takarafuji (宝富士), Takayasu (高安), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Terunofuji (照ノ富士), Terutsuyoshi, Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tokushoryu, Wakatakakage, Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲) , , , , , , , , ,

Our contestants shook off some of their ring rust, and brought a solid set of matches to day 2. Today featured a tadpole battle (Takakeisho vs Onosho) and a freshman battle (Yutakayama vs Asanoyama). Both of these rivalries are ones that I think are going to be driving factors for the next stage of sumo, and it was great to seem them on full display today. On to the matches!

Highlight Matches

Kotoyuki (2-0) defeats Nishikigi (1-1) Oshitaoshi – Not sure what kind of chanko they are feeding Kotoyuki, but today was another great example of the “Genki” form of the Penguin. He blasted forward at the tachiai, using his taped hands to plant a painful looking nodowa on Nishikigi, who tried to counter and break Kotoyuki’s grip. While Nishikigi was distracted, Kotoyuki’s left hand found the back of Nishikigi’s mawashi, and a solid tug dropped Nishikigi to the clay. Wow.

Kotoeko (1-1) defeats Terunofuji (0-2) Hatakikomi – It’s disappointing to see Terunofuji struggle. Everyone wants him to do well, have a solid recovery and at least inhabit the lower reaches of the top division for a while. But today’s match was a great example of how his damaged knees have robbed him of some of the technique needed to be effective in Makuuchi. His weight was too far forward at the tachiai, and it was trivial for Kotoeko to just help him fall forward. The most painful thing? The look on Terunofuji’s face as the bowed at the end of the match. I think he’s worried too.

Kotoshogiku (2-0) defeats Chiyomaru (1-1) Yorikiri – Kotoshogiku steps onto the dohyo with so much tape each day – knees, shoulder, lower back, you have to wonder if that’s the only think holding him together. But for the second day in a row he showed he still has Ozeki skill. Chiyomaru opened strong, and got the inside position to begin his preferred thrusting attack. But Kotoshogiku kept up forward pressure and reduced the gap between them to limit how much Chiyomaru could push. Unable to reach around Chiyomaru’s enormous belly to land enough grip to use his gaburi-yori attack, Kotoshogiku focused on a hazu/armpit attack, and got Chiyomaru off balance. Chiyomaru took a small hop to try and re-center himself, and Kotoshogiku charged belly first and took him out.

Wakatakakage (1-1) defeats Kotoshoho (0-2) Oshidashi – Wakatakakage rallied to get his first win of the tournament. He came off the shikiri-sen like a wild man, throwing his body and hands into Kotoshoho’s chest and face, constantly pushing forward and up. Wakatakakage dropped his hips and charged forward while maintaining pressure, dumping Kotoshoho out of the ring in a heap. Solid, textbook sumo today from Wakatakakage.

Takayasu (2-0) defeats Sadanoumi (1-1) Oshidashi – Second time in 2 days we see Takayasu come out strong. I dare say that if he’s even somewhat healthy, this far down the banzuke, he is going to unleash complete hell. Again he led with a shoulder blast, today into Sadanoumi’s lightning tachiai. Sadanoumi tried to keep his elbow tight to his body, but the shoulder blast opened a route for Takayasu’s left hand to come inside and push, standing Sadanoumi up. Switched to defensive, Sadanoumi found it tough to counter volley after volley as the former Ozeki completely dominated this match.

Shohozan (1-1) defeats Kotonowaka (0-2) Yorikiri – Shohozan fans can rest easy, “Big Guns” is back. We saw a soft tachiai go directly into a face slap that rang out in the empty Kokugikan. This seemed to daze Kotonowaka, and once emboldened, Shohozan gave him two more. Rather than respond in kind, Kotonowaka dove for Shohozan’s mawashi, getting a right hand inside grip. But Shohozan was not unprepared, and lowered his hips, landed a grip and drove Kotonowaka out.

Shimanoumi (2-0) defeats Kaisei (1-1) Okuridashi – Kaisei came out strong at the tachiai, and met only token resistance from Shimanoumi who executed a very Hamumafuji style hit and shift mini-henka. With that much Kaisei in forward motion, it takes several city blocks for him to slow and stop, and it was trivial for Shimanoumi to circle behind and push the big man out to start the tournament 2-0.

Myogiryu (1-1) defeats Tochinoshin (0-2) Yorikiri – Nice shoulder blast from Tochinoshin at the tachiai shut down Myogiryu’s attempt at a left hand mawashi grip. Instead Tochinoshin’s left hand went deep and found Myogiryu’s blue silk. I was waiting for the sky-crane to kick in, but it seems Tochinoshin’s knees just could not get ready. After a moment’s pause where Myogiryu seemed to be waiting for the lift, Myogiryu unleashed a brilliant makikae, changing his grip and advancing. Tochinoshin could not return the forward pressure, and found himself forced out.

Ishiura (2-0) defeats Tamawashi (1-1) Sukuinage – In the “what’s in this guy’s chanko?” department comes that ass-kicking throw Ishiura produced today to send Tamawashi to the clay. The match shifted from run-and-gun to Ishiura having a grip, loading the throw and pivoting in a blink of an eye.

Chiyotairyu (1-1) defeats Ikioi (0-2) Hikiotoshi – Sumo’s thunder god found an opponent that would not side step him in Ikioi. But Ikioi had a bandage on that right elbow that Tamawashi’s kotenage took a piece of day 1. Ikioi drove that damaged right arm inside, and endured Chiyotairyu clamping his arm to his chest, squeezing that injured joint. Ikioi seemed oblivious to the pain, and drove forward, but too strongly as Chiyotairyu opened a gap, and using a hand behind Ikioi’s neck, pushed him to the clay.

Terutsuyoshi (1-1) defeats Enho (0-2) Yorikiri – In this all pixie battle, they had a bit of trouble getting started, with a stare down and reset before we saw Enho try to go underneath diminutive Terutsuyoshi. He did manage to get inside, but could not find a grip with his right hand as Terutsuyoshi’s ottsuke shut him down. Enho tried no less than three times to load a throw, but Terutsuyoshi kept his feet and stayed in the match. The final pivot from Enho left him off balance, and Terutsuyoshi squared his shoulders and advanced for a win. Nice sumo from Terutsuyoshi today.

Tokushoryu (2-0) defeats Ryuden (1-1) Yoritaoshi – Tokushoryu made ample use of that huge belly of his to keep Ryuden struggling for grip. Twice Tokushoryu moved to advance, and twice Ryuden was able to shut him down by lowering his hips and returning pressure. But the third time apply some Kotoshogiku hug-n-chug attack, but Ryuden’s heels locked in against the tawara and held firm. Reaching around his belly, Tokushoryu lifted Ryuden and fell on forward, crushing him against the bales. Nice 2-0 start for the Hatsu yusho winner.

Kagayaki (2-0) defeats Abi (1-1) Oshidashi – Abi-zumo started strong and help a punishing rain of thrusts going into Kagayaki, who seemed to absorb it all. Most importantly he maintained his balance and his footing. This guy keeps reminding me of Kisenosato, I swear. Abi seemed to get frustrated, and put a bit too much power into his right hand, which Kagayaki used to brush aside the double arm thrust and grab Abi by the chest and lift him. With most of his weight no longer on his feet, Abi offered little resistance to Kagayaki’s finishing move.

Hokutofuji (1-1) defeats Aoiyama (0-2) Tsukiotoshi – Hokutofuji’s handshake tachiai found its mark, but Aoiyama had the V-Twin throttled up from the start, and one meaty blow to the face sent Hokutofuji reeling back. Again we saw Hokutofuji’s upper body take punishment, but his lower body seems to have its own command and control system. Forward went the hips and up went the right hand, gripping Aoiyama. Another blow from Aoiyama’s left unbalanced Hokutofuji, but did not break his grip, and his lower body was on the march. A follow up left left Big Dan off balance, and Hokutofuji swung him to the clay. Aoiyama starts the tournament with a disappointing 0-2 record.

Kiribayama (1-1) defeats Okinoumi (0-2) Yorikiri – Kiribayama went chest to chest with veteran yotsu-zumo practitioner Okinoumi and came up with a white star. While some may say, well it was just Okinoumi – it’s an important milestone for the young up and coming Mongolian rikishi. He got his preferred right hand outside grip at the tachiai, and controlled the flow of the match from the start. Okinoumi did manage to pivot and load a throw, but Kiribayama rapidly shut it down and prevailed for his first win of the basho.

Takarafuji (1-1) defeats Shodai (1-1) Yorikiri – Textbook Takarafuji defend and extend sumo today against a rikishi who can pull together random movements to constitute surprising sumo, or what I call “Shodai’s Cartoon Sumo”. Shodai got left hand inside but Takarafuji kept Shodai’s right hand tied up. Shodai was so focused on freeing his right hand, he seemed to not notice that Takarafuji was slowly dancing him to the bales. Then it seems Shodai’s heel touched straw, and he realized what had happen. As Shodai shifted to focus on forward pressure, Takarafuji rallied and pushed him out. Lesson here Takarafuji will try to give you a puzzle to solve while he is robbing you of a win. Stay focused.

Takanosho (2-0) defeats Mitakeumi (1-1) Okuridashi – Takanosho takes another high profile match to start the basho 2-0. At the tachiai, Mitakeumi got superior position and what seemed to be a working grip, but Takanosho was able to shift / slide to his left, and Mitakeumi found himself misaligned with his opponent. Rather than moving forward, Mitakeumi put all of his force and focus on trying to square himself with Takanosho, who turned Mitakeumi and pushed him out with less dignity than a bouncer might apply to an irate, drunken salaryman.

Takakeisho (1-1) defeats Onosho (0-2) Tsukidashi – As much as I hate to see my two favorite tadpoles fight it out, this match is all about why I was hoping that Onosho could bounce back and become a mainstay of the joi-jin. Onosho got the inside position at the tachiai, but focused on Takakeisho’s face, which I think he long ago has written off. The answer? Yes, the long awaited return of the wave-action tsuppari attack. Much as I love the wave-action, I would rather it not be used on Onosho. But use it he did, and it was only 3 blasts before Onosho’s arms and legs were moving in different directions and he left the ring in a chaotic jumble.

Asanoyama (1-1) defeats Yutakayama (1-1) Yorikiri – Sure, next have my two favorite Freshmen fight. Asanoyama was taking no chances at starting the basho 2-0, and he evaded Yutakayama’s opening gambit and went straight for the belt. You know what I saw? Remarkable improvement on the part of Yutakayama on his belt sumo. He dug in and gave Asanoyama a real fight for about 30 seconds, before Asanoyama’s ozeki grade sumo kicked in and pushed Yutakayama over the bales. Glad Asanoyama got his first win, but I am absolutely giddy to see Yutakayama reach into the yotsu-zumo bag and pull out some candy.

Hakuho (2-0) defeats Endo (0-2) Uwatenage – Hopefully Endo has fond memories of that Hatsu 2020 win fixed firmly in his mind, because the boss is going to work hard to own him utterly every time they meet from here on out. Hakuho’s face slap hit home, but Endo got that shallow left hand grip he loves. Pivoting, Hakuho unleashed that right elbow to Endo’s face, breaking his grip. With Endo now fully exposed, in went Hakuho’s right hand, but only for an instant as he rolled his shoulders and put Endo in the air. Brutal and humiliating. I am curious to see what Endo does in their next match.

Kakuryu (2-0) defeats Daieisho (1-1) Yorikiri – Daieisho came out strong from the tachiai, and Kakuryu let him think he was doing well, draining his energy. But the master of reactive sumo gave him no opportunity to take control of the match. Daieisho would thrust and move ahead, Kakuryu would deflect and shift, waiting Daieisho out. The Yokozuna found the smallest loss of balance in his opponent, and drove in for the kill, with both men falling over the tawara locked together. The gyoji gave the match to Kakuryu, but the Shimpan wanted to review it, and confirmed the win.

Osaka Day 4 Preview

Bruce H Abi (阿炎), Aoiyama, Asanoyama (朝乃山), Azumaryu, Chiyomaru, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daiamami (大奄美), Daieisho (大栄翔), Endo (遠藤), Enho, Hakuho (白鵬), Haru Basho 2020 (Osaka), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ikioi (勢), Ishiura (石浦), Kagayaki (輝), Kaisei (魁聖), Kakuryu (鶴竜), Kiribayama (霧馬山), Kotonowaka, Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Meisei, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), Shimanoumi, Shohozan, Shōdai (正代直也), Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanosho, Takarafuji (宝富士), Takayasu (高安), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Terutsuyoshi, Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tochiozan (栃煌山), Tokushoryu, Tsurugisho, Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲) , , , , , , ,

Welcome to day 4, we are fast approaching the end of act 1 of the Haru basho. Act 1 is where we see who is hot, and who is not. The rikishi get to try to break free of their ring rust, and get into their competition sumo. It’s clear that there are a cadre of rikishi who are going to be doing well through the first week (8 with a 3-0 record to start day 4), and 7 who have yet to find their first win. It’s very early in the basho, so you can’t really take much away from these figures, but for fans who watched through the past two basho, there are some notable performances to point out.

First off is Mitakeumi, he is looking very solid, and this is the kind of sumo his fans expect from him. If he could fight consistently at this level, he would have made Ozeki last year. More so than most, I think he has more than a couple of injuries that bother him at times, and keep him from showing his full potential.

Asanoyama – He is on an Ozeki run right now, and I think he is fighting well. Given that there are just 2 Yokozuna and 1 Ozeki, he is going to need to beat at least one of them in order to make the case that he should join Takakeisho at sumo’s second highest rank. Good luck to him, he has massive potential, and I think he has a solid chance of making the grade at some point this. year.

Takayasu – Watching the former Ozeki continue to struggle is a real heartbreak for his fans. I am sure that much of the problem is motivation and confidence at this point. That damaged left elbow seems to be working well enough now, but he has still to score his first win of the basho.

Tokushoryu – It should not be a surprise to anyone that dear Tokushoryu is really having trouble fighting at this rank. His posting to the top division in January was a bit of a gift, and his yusho was a marvel of being able to bring some of the best sumo of his career to the dohyo every day. No one can ever take that away from him or sumo fans. But it looks like he has reverted to average, and is struggling.

What We Are Watching Day 4

Azumaryu vs Meisei – In general, these two are evenly matched. But in reality Meisei is still struggling to recover from an injury, and his sumo is all over the place. That gives a clear advantage to Azumaryu to go along with a considerable advantage in height and weight.

Tsurugisho vs Kotonowaka – As with most of Kotonowaka’s bouts in Osaka, another first time match. Tsurugisho is fighting poorly and clearly still working to overcome the rather worrisome injuries sustained in the first week of Hatsu, so I expect him to limp through this basho.

Shimanoumi vs Chiyomaru – Speed vs size today, with a healthy dose of genki-gravy, as it seems Chiyomaru has a belly full of high-energy fighting spirit right now. They are tied 3-3 in their career record, so I am looking for a good struggle today.

Kaisei vs Daiamami – Kaisei is still looking for his first win in Osaka, and the only bright spot is that Daiamami seems to really be out of sorts with his sumo right now. I suspect he finds the empty stadium a distraction, and it’s impacting his matches.

Nishikigi vs Aoiyama – Given how wells Aoiyama is fighting right now, I think this could be a brutal match. We have winless Nishikigi going up against lossless Aoiyama. Will we get to see the V-Twin attack from the man-mountain again today? He holds a narrow 5-4 career record over Nishikigi.

Chiyotairyu vs Ishiura – Another Kokonoe rikishi oozing genki (at least I hope that’s genki…), Chiyotairyu is going to face 3-0 Ishiura in a big man / small man match. I know folks get worked up about henka, but seriously, he should deploy a flying henka against Chiyotairyu’s cannon ball tachiai today. I would applaud.

Kotoshogiku vs Terutsuyoshi – Kotoshogiku is struggling due to his deteriorating body, and I think Terutsuyoshi is struggling because the setting for the matches is an empty arena, and its distracting him. The guy clearly loves the roar of the crowd, and the lack of any noise in the hall may keep him from getting into “fight mode”. The two have split their 2 prior matches, so it will come down to if Kotoshogiku can get a grip on the highly maneuverable salt master.

Ikioi vs Tochiozan – Two long serving veterans facing off on day 4, and surprisingly we have seen zero good sumo from Tochiozan this march, and his record shows it (0-4). Ikioi is on the short side of their 7-11 career record, but I favor him to take day 4 and leave Tochiozan in quarantine mode with zero wins.

Takanosho vs Tochinoshin – We saw some quality sumo from Tochinoshin on day 3, and everyone is hoping that he’s gotten the start of a recipe to actually compete in spite of that damaged knee. He goes up against 3-0 Takanosho on day 4, and Takanosho won their only prior match.

Sadanoumi vs Kiribayama – Kiribayama won their only prior match, and in spite of bringing his normal rapid attack and lighting fast reflexes to each match, Sadanoumi comes into day 4 with a disappointing 1-2 record.

Takarafuji vs Tamawashi – These two are evenly matched over their careers (11-10), and they come in with matching 1-2 records. It will be a contest between Takarafuji’s “defend and extend” sumo, and Tamawashi’s flat out offense.

Shohozan vs Kagayaki – Kagayaki’s fundamentals based sumo tends to shut down Shohozan’s energetic mobiltiy attacks, and as a result Kagayaki has a 9-5 career advantage over “Big Guns” Shohozan. I did really like that lunge at the tachiai Shohozan mixed into his day 3 win. Maybe we will se more of that!

Ryuden vs Onosho – These two are evenly matched, and the outcome seems to be driving by Ryuden attempting a hatakikomi. Thus if Onosho is off balance and forward, we can count on Ryuden to read it instantly and put him on the clay. Both rikishi come into day 4 with matching 2-1 records.

Myogiryu vs Abi – Myogiryu is looking to break out of 0-3 quarantine club, and this may represent his best chance to turn things around. He has split the prior 6 matches with Abi, but Abi’s sumo is even more disorganized and frantic than normal.

Yutakayama vs Mitakeumi – Oh yes indeed! The “Big Unit” against the “Original Tadpole”, they have only met twice before, and the split the pair. Mitakeumi has a spotless 3-0 heading into day 4 vs Yutakayama at 2-1. I expect this to be a big oshi battle with a lot of movement, and a lot of bruises.

Tokushoryu vs Endo – Tokushoryu brutal circuit of the joi-jin continues, and today Endo is going to grab the front of his mawashi and send him tumbling. Tokushoryu has not won a single match from Endo in 7 attempts. Sorry, Hatsu yusho winner, it’s more quarantine for you.

Asanoyama vs Hokutofuji – You can think of Yutakayama vs Mitakeumi as the appetizer with Asanoyama vs Hokutofuji being the main course. Asanoyama holds a 4-2 career advantage, and comes in at 3-0. But this is a new day, and Hokutofuji is a man on a mission. That mission – to lay the doom on everyone. Should be an excellent match.

Enho vs Shodai – Any why not indulge in a little pudding after your mains? Enho vs Shodai should be just the ticket. I am curious to see if Shodai has become discouraged after his day 3 loss to Mitakeumi. In the past, he would take his first loss, and it would shake his confidence, and he would struggle to return to genki. Don’t let Enho smell indecision or worry, or he will sacrifice you to the elves and sell your bones to the gnomes who live under the chikara-mizu bucket.

Takakeisho vs Daieisho – Takakeisho had a moment of worry when he went to the clay day 2 in an ill-conceived yotsu match with Okinoumi. He faces off against Daieisho, who is a member in goods standing of the 0-3 quarantine club. Takakeisho holds a 5-3 career advantage.

Hakuho vs Okinoumi – Okinoumi has beaten Hakuho precisely once. It was Aki day 1 in 2015, and he surprised The Boss with a surprisingly strong yotsu match. Hakuho of today seems to be a bit more vulnerable, but I would be utterly surprised if he gave Okinoumi a kinboshi today.

Takayasu vs Kakuryu – Yokozuna Kakuryu holds a narrow 12-10 career record over Takayasu, and his fans would dearly love to see him rally and start winning matches. A win today would in fact be a kinboshi, as the former Ozeki is now ranked at Maegashira 1. But Takayasu’s sumo seems to lack power, and I am going to look for Kakuryu to give him just enough space to make a mistake.

Osaka Day 1 Preview

Bruce H Abi (阿炎), Aoiyama, Asanoyama (朝乃山), Azumaryu, Chiyomaru, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daiamami (大奄美), Daieisho (大栄翔), Endo (遠藤), Enho, Hakuho (白鵬), Haru Basho 2020 (Osaka), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Ikioi (勢), Ishiura (石浦), Kagayaki (輝), Kaisei (魁聖), Kakuryu (鶴竜), Kiribayama (霧馬山), Kotonowaka, Kotoshogiku (琴奨菊), Meisei, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), Shimanoumi, Shohozan, Shōdai (正代直也), Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanosho, Takarafuji (宝富士), Takayasu (高安), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Terutsuyoshi, Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tochiozan (栃煌山), Tokushoryu, Tsurugisho, Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲) , , , , , , , ,

It’s been 6 weeks, and the sumo world is ready for more action on the doyo. While we are looking forward to the next 2 weeks, we can’t help but worry about a tournament tinged with illness, should it come to that. The team at Tachiai hope for the best, with a strong, healthy showing by everyone from maezumo lads up to the Yokozuna.

The hall will be nearly empty, with a few members of the press, and the sumo association in attendance. I can only say I think it’s going to be downright odd, and perhaps a bit unsettling for the rikishi. But as they say around the world – “The Show Must Go On!”.

The scheduling crew have given us some tasty day 1 morsels, and I believe this basho marks another leg on the transitional journey. We have the rikishi most likely to lead the next age at the top of the banzuke, and they will all get to try their sumo against the fading legends. Will we see a Yokozuna retirement following Osaka? Probably not, but I think bizarro basho may be a turning point. The winds of the Reiwa era have already swept away the legacy Ozeki, and we know the top of the banzuke is next.

What We Are Watching Day 1

Kotonowaka vs Daiamami – These two have split their prior 2 matches, with Daiamami preferring to drive forward, and Kotonowaka (formerly Kotokamatani) looking to disrupt his opponent’s balance. In recent years, top divisions debutants seem to frequently “catch fire” and have solid, sometimes double digit, win records. I am looking for Kotonowaka to possibly follow this trend.

Meisei vs Shimanoumi – These two have not had a match since May of 2018, and they are long overdue for a bout. Meisei is freshly back from Juryo, and needs to get into a winning groove early to ensure he makes his 8.

Azumaryu vs Chiyomaru – A battle of the marus, where the much larger and rounder maru holds a clear advantage (11-4). In fact, Chiyomaru has taken the win in the last 4 matches, and I would suggest that Azumaryu really needs to open with a win to avoid early nomination for the Juryo doom-barge.

Tsurugisho vs Nishikigi – I am not sure why, but the fact that Nishikigi is back in the top division makes me happy. He’s kind of an “everyman” who manages to persist in doing competent sumo in spite of being blind as a bat. He has a 4-2 career advantage over Tsurugisho, although their last match (Kyushu) featured Nishikigi getting thrown.

Kaisei vs Aoiyama – Alright! Battle of the bigs today, with big Dan Aoiyama clearly the favorite (12-6). Both of them are right around 200kg, so I am calling this a Haru dohyo early stress test. That’s nearly half a ton of rampaging sumotori on the loose folks!

Kotoshogiku vs Ikioi – Follow up the mega-fauna match with a battle of the relics. Both are storied veterans who have just accumulated too many injuries to compete at higher rank, but they battle it out with as much gusto as they can manage every day. I could state that Kotoshogiku holds a 11-7 career lead, but this match is going to come down to which rikishi is in less pain and misery on Sunday.

Ishiura vs Terutsuyoshi – Let’s stick with the theme – with the battle of the ancients out of the way, lets have a pixie fight! Josh pointed out that Terutsuyoshi draws a lot of energy from the crowd, and may be hampered by the ghostly silence in the Edion arena. But it will likely come down to which version of Ishiura shows up today: The aggressive high-energy corvette or the henka dispenser.

Chiyotairyu vs Tochiozan – I would put Tochiozan in the “Injured Relic” grouping as well. I love watching his high-efficiency sumo, but his performance on any given day is mostly governed by how hurt he feels that afternoon. With 2 months to train, heal and prepare, we may see some excellent sumo from him, at least in the first week. Of course, all of the efficiency in the world may not matter when Chiyotairyu unleashes the cannon-ball tachiai.

Sadanoumi vs Tochinoshin – In our Heru preview podcast, I predicted that former Ozeki Tochinoshin would end the tournament with a deep make-koshi. Not because he lacks strength or fighting spirit, but because I am fairly sure there is not much that can be done for his damaged knee. Without a stable stance, there are no options to unleash his massive strength. Tochinoshin fans, best to buckle up for this basho.

Takanosho vs Kiribayama – Takanosho ended Hatsu with 7-8 make-koshi, but due to banzuke math as only can happen after a 3rd round of sake, he kept his rank. He’s up against Kiribayama, who finished Hatsu with a debut double digit win and a fighting spirit prize. With 6 weeks to prepare, we will see if Takanosho has gotten his sumo back in order.

Shohozan vs Tamawashi – Shohozan holds a 13-4 career advantage over Tamawashi, who has been fading out slowly since his January 2019 yusho. Both of these guys would classify as Heisei relics, but they have managed to keep their bodies up enough that they continue to compete in the mid-Maegashira ranks.

Takarafuji vs Kagayaki – Well bust my buttons! Another “theme” match. I see what you are doing here, torikumi committee! So we have two fundamentals-focused rikishi, but Takarafuji has a clear advantage, as his “extend and defend” approach nearly always dominates Kagayaki (6-3). I continue to hold out hope that the rikishi voted to have the “best chest” (no, not kidding) will take the next step in his sumo.

Myogiryu vs Onosho – Onosho fans, try to keep in mind that he typically starts cold and rusty, and then catches fire by day 5. So I am not going to be surprised if he drops this match to the taller and faster Myogiryu. But if Onosho can get locked on Myogiryu’s center-mass, he has more than enough power to drive Myogiryu out.

Ryuden vs Abi – I am looking for one of Ryuden’s trademark matta cheap-hits today. Abi holds a 5-1 career lead, so if Ryuden does not disrupt Abi’s tachiai, Abi will get the neck attack running and that tends to carry the match.

Enho vs Mitakeumi – I had to check, but this is their first ever match up. Biggest concern would be Enho going for a leg pick and re-injuring Mitakeumi’s damaged knee. It’s going to be so very odd to not hear the crowd approach near-riot intensity when Enho mounts the dohyo. I think this may hamper him a bit.

Hokutofuji vs Yutakayama – Oh thank you Great Sumo Cat! This is going to be such a fun match, as Hokutofuji has never beaten Yutakayama. But given that “Cap’n Stompy” is fighting with his best sumo these days, he may be able to take one back. I imagine that Hokutofuji may be disappointed he does not get a Yokozuna for his day 1 opponent, as is customary, but I think the NSK wanted to give the Yokozuna a break.

Tokushoryu vs Shodai – This may be an early indication on Shodai’s mental state. Shodai is a great rikishi with a confidence problem, its evident that his emotions can take over from his sumo and help him get into losing streaks. On the other side of the shikiri-sen, veteran yusho winner Tokushoryu is calm and focused every day. But everyone wants to know how he’s going to fare at the top end of the banzuke.

Asanoyama vs Okinoumi – Asanoyama has a double-digit goal for Haru, and he gets a good start on day when when he faces another Heisei veteran, Okinoumi. Asanoyama has a 7-1 career lead, but Okinoumi will bring experience and a strong yotsu-zumo skill set to the match. In spite of the lopsided career record, I think this one has a lot of potential.

Takakeisho vs Takayasu – With pre-basho training sessions closed to the public and the press, the work up of the kanban rikishi can only be assumed. But it seems Takayasu, no longer feeling the stress of trying to return to Ozeki, has a much better mental state and is possibly in his best condition in years. I picked Takakeisho to shine this basho, so let’s see how he manages an opponent who out weighs him, and has an easy 15cm reach advantage.

Daieisho vs Kakuryu – First Yokozuna fight, everything pre-basho indicates that Kakuryu is in excellent form, and I am going to look for his reactive sumo to be engaged for his day 1 match. Of course we will all be looking to see if he wins moving forward.

Hakuho vs Endo – Oh Great Sumo Cat, how you shower us with fine contests this shonichi! The rematch of Hatsu’s day 2 barn burner where Hakuho recieved payback for the blood Endo shed in Kyushu. There is no love lost between these two, so this match has a lot of potential. The worry is that Endo has not fully recovered from elbow surgery, and is actually in no condition to compete.