Grand Tadpole (大蝌蚪)

Hatsu Day 11 Preview

Bruce H Abi (阿炎), Aoiyama, Azumaryu, Chiyomaru, Chiyoshoma, Daieisho (大栄翔), Endo (遠藤), Hatsu Basho 2023, Hiradoumi (平戸海), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Hoshoryu, Ichiyamamoto (一山本), Kagayaki (輝), Kiribayama (霧馬山), Kotoeko, Kotonowaka, Kotoshoho, Meisei, Midorifuji, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Mitoryu (水戸龍), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikifuji (錦富士), Nishikigi, Oho (王鵬), Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), 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), Tobizaru, Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tsurugisho, Ura (宇良), Wakamotoharu (若元春), Wakatakakage, Ōnoshō (阿武咲)

With the dawn of day 11, we enter act 3 of the Hatsu basho. Act 3 is where we sort everyone into make-koshi and kachi-koshi, and we award the yusho to the rikishi with the best record. Unless something terrible happens, that will be Takakeisho (the Grand Tadpole). The question then arises, are the rumors of a possible Yokozuna promotion actually under consideration? We will get to find out in just about a week from now.

If he is successful in winning the yusho, it will be his 3rd yusho, to go along side his 8 jun-yusho he has picked up since 2018.

Hatsu Leaderboard

It’s still Takakeisho’s tournament to lose, and with the two chasers going head to head, we will narrow the field yet again today.

Leader: Takakeisho
Chasers: Kotoshoho, Onosho
Hunt Group: Tamawashi, Nishikigi, Hiradoumi, Azumaryu

5 Matches Remain

What We Are Watching Day 11

Ichiyamamoto vs Oshoma – The day 11 Juryo visitor is Oshoma, who starts the day with a 5-5 record at Juryo 3. This guy is hell on wheels. He started professional sumo at Makushita 15 tsukidashi in November of 2021, and proceeded to blast his way up the ranks. He won the Juryo yusho last tournament, but is struggling now to try and stay on a winning path. He has never had a match against Ichiyamamoto (6-4), so this will be a lot of people’s first look at Oshoma.

Chiyoshoma vs Tsurugisho – A battle of 4-6 rikishi, and this match is what is making me start to suspect that there is a tiny amount of funneling going on. The winner will remain in the lane for the Darwin pool on day 15, the loser will get one step away from make-koshi. They have a 5-4 joint record, but to my eye Chiyoshoma is fighting quite a bit worse this tournament than Tsurugisho is, and that’s saying something.

Mitoryu vs Hiradoumi – A mirror score match, where we have 3-7 Mitoryu against 7-3 Hiradoumi. A Hiradoumi win would be a simultaneous make-koshi for Mitoryu, and kachi-koshi for Hiradoumi. The wrinkle in that plan is Mitoryu’s 2-0 career record.

Aoiyama vs Takarafuji – I am still grumbly that Endo decided to henka against Takarafuji. Now we get this match where both men are 6-4, and Takarafuji has a 7-22 career deficit against Aoiyama. Aoiyama is not at his peak form, but he’s close enough that this trend is likely to be the controlling factor in today’s match.

Azumaryu vs Endo – Today could be the day that Azumaryu (7-3) gets that magical 8th win that would reward him with his first ever winning score in the top division. As mentioned above, I am still grumbly at Endo for that stinker match on day 10, so hopefully no crummy stuff today. Endo has won their only prior match way back in March of 2016.

Chiyomaru vs Oho – Both rikishi are already make-koshi, and Chiyomaru (2-8) is already Juryo bound, so they can commiserate, and maybe Chiyomaru can pick up a 3rd win, as I am not sure who Oho (1-9) can beat at this point.

Onosho vs Kotoshoho – This match between the two rikishi who are 1 win behind Takakeisho will ensure that there is only one at the end of today. Both men are 8-2 kachi-koshi, and both have a good chance of reaching double digits over the last 5 days. Onosho has won 4 of their 5 prior matches, with Kotoshoho’s only win coming on day 9 of in July of 2022, by kotenage. Kotoshoho has had stand out tournaments in the past, but has been through a soft patch for the last year since his Juryo yusho in January 2021.

Kagayaki vs Ura – Kagayaki at 5-5 is on course to join the Darwin club on day 15, so long as he continues to win one, then lose one. Ura at 6-4 has a chance to escape that fate today with a win. His day 10 loss aside, he has had a fairly decent tournament this January, and I think it would be good for him to finish with a winning record. He has only won 1 of their prior 4 matches, with only one fight (in 2021) since Ura went kyujo to have his knees rebuilt.

Kotoeko vs Myogiryu – Two more candidates for the funnel, each having a clear road to the Darwin group on Sunday. It’s 5-5 Kotoeko against 4-6 Myogiryu. For Kotoeko, he always fights much larger than his score. But for Myogiryu, something is amiss with his sumo, and he’s not turning out the wins at his normal rate. He does have a 9-2 career advantage over Kotoeko, and won 2 of their 3 matches in 2022.

Hokutofuji vs Takanosho – Speaking of rikishi who need to recover their sumo: Takanosho. No telling what has happened to him (as far as I can tell), but being 4-6 at the start of act 3 ranked at a middling Makuuchi 9 is a puzzler. For 6-4 Hokutofuji, the even / odd make/kachi-koshi is par for the course. The optimum outcome for any funnel activity is a Takanosho win, which would push them both into the middle lane headed for Darwin. Hokutofuji holds a 6-3 career advantage.

Nishikigi vs Tamawashi – Oh, I do love this match. They are both 7-3, so the winner ends the day with kachi-koshi. Tamawashi, it would be no surprise if he expanded on his 6-1 career record against Nishikigi. But as we have pointed out for days, something changed with Nishikigi in the last while, and he’s formidable right now. So it will be a clash of styles, and a race to see if Nishikigi can get his grip, or Tamawashi can get him on the clay first.

Mitakeumi vs Ryuden – The doom that completely encircles Mitakeumi just continues to rain cold, ugly drops down upon his face. He’s at 5-5, in the middle of the Darwin hunt group. He’s against 5-5 Ryuden, who holds a 5-1 career advantage, and for some reason the scheduling team seems to be picking the opponents to make sure you lose. Somebody take mercy on this guy.

Tobizaru vs Abi – It’s chaos sumo time! Who’s wild, out of control offense is going to win today? I think it’s likely up to 6-4 Abi to give 3-7 Tobizaru his 8th loss, and hand him a make-koshi for January. Tobizaru has not won a match against Abi since July of 2017, when they were both in Makushita. Ouch…

Daieisho vs Wakamotoharu – Both rikishi are 6-4 to start today, with kachi-koshi just 2 wins away. Daieisho had a wild hot streak going into the middle weekend, but has now lost 4 matches in a row, and is no longer looking genki at all. As he has done for the past couple of years, Wakamotoharu just quietly keeps plodding along, turning in constant and workable sumo. Of course it did not hurt that he had a fusensho against Takayasu on day 6.

Meisei vs Midorifuji – Midorifuji (5-5) has the task before him of giving 3-7 Meisei his 8th loss and make-koshi. Midorifuji himself needs to find 3 more wins in the final 8 days for kachi-koshi, and I am certain he does not want to be one of the crowd looking for that final white star on the last day of Hatsu.

Sadanoumi vs Shodai – I really liked Sadanoumi’s day 10 win against Wakatakakage. It’s as if he said “no more, that’s it, no more crashes into the salt box”, and made it work out that way. He’s only at 3-7, so his next loss with be his 8th. I would think under normal circumstances that Shodai would find him easy meat, but poor Shodai is just day to day right now, and at 4-6 getting perilously close to make-koshi himself.

Nishikifuji vs Hoshoryu – The prediction is that Hoshoryu and his injured ankle will be back in action on day 11. Makes a person wonder what he was out for day 10. He needs to finish up his 6-4 scored and try to find 2 more wins. I think he can do it, if he’s not too banged up. Nishikifuji at 3-7 is also in the club that is one loss away from make-koshi. This is their first ever match.

Wakatakakage vs Kiribayama – A battle of two future stars who seem to have fallen into a rough patch. It’s 5-5 Wakatakakage, who at one point 10 days ago was the subject of future Ozeki rank. He’s facing 6-4 Kiribayama who is also a possible future Ozeki, in my opinion. Neither one of them have covered themselves in glory this time out, though its not out of the question that they both could hit 8 wins and kachi-koshi. Kiribayama leads the series 7-5.

Kotonowaka vs Takakeisho – Takakeisho is a man on a mission, and I think we all love that mission. A win today will give him double digits, which would make his 4th consecutive tournament with 10 wins or more. Right now he’s on the yusho trail, and continuing to win is how he gets to his goal. Kotonowaka at 4-6 has only beaten him once, in May of 2022 by oshidashi on day 1 of Haru.

Kyushu Day 2 Preview

Bruce H Abi (阿炎), Aki Basho 2022, Aoiyama, Azumaryu, Chiyoshoma, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daieisho (大栄翔), Endo (遠藤), Hiradoumi (平戸海), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Hoshoryu, Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Ichiyamamoto (一山本), Kagayaki (輝), Kiribayama (霧馬山), Kotoeko, Kotonowaka, Kotoshoho, Meisei, Midorifuji, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikifuji (錦富士), Nishikigi, Oho (王鵬), Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), Shōdai (正代直也), Takakeishō (貴景勝), Takanosho, Takarafuji (宝富士), Takayasu (高安), Tamawashi (玉鷲), Terutsuyoshi, Tobizaru, Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Ura (宇良), Wakamotoharu (若元春), Wakatakakage, Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲) , , , , ,

I was satisfied with the action day 1, and if I am being honest, I think the match ups for day 2 are a notch better than we had for shonichi. Today may be contrasts day, as I see more than a couple clashes of sumo styles and approaches on the torikumi. Highlights for me are

  • Chiyoshoma vs Abi – forward power vs hit and shift
  • Wakamotoharu vs Hokutofuji – patient, stead sumo vs big opening move and rapid dispatch of any opponent
  • Ura vs Daieisho – Grab-n-tug sumo vs all power forward mega-thrust attacks
  • Wakatakakage vs Kiribayama – rising stars battle for dominance
  • Takayasu vs Shodai – wild man sumo vs the wall of daikon

What We Are Watching Day 2

Chiyomaru vs Hiradoumi – Today’s Juryo visitor is none other than his mighty roundness, Chiyomaru. He won his opening day match against Churanoumi. Ranked at Juryo 1 West, a simple kachi-koshi should be enough to return him to the top division in January. Hiradoumi took their only prior match, during Aki. Both start the day 1-0.

Kagayaki vs Terutsuyoshi – Terutsuyoshi really needs to rally soon. To me he looks like he is still hurt, and as such will be easy meat for Kagayaki, who holds a 7-3 career record, and has 50 kg in bulk, and 30 cm in height on Terutsuyoshi. Ranked at just Maegashira 16E, a make-koshi would likely send him back to Juryo for Hatsu.

Ichiyamamoto vs Atamifuji – After an opening day loss, Atamifuji will look for his first win in his first ever match against Ichiyamamoto. The challenge being that Ichiyamamoto puts a lot of power into his double arm thrusting attack, and tends to be at maximum range when he starts his run. This robs anyone who needs a hand hold to fight of even the smallest chance to get into the battle. Atamifuji does has a 30 kg size advantage, maybe it will come in handy today.

Azumaryu vs Oho – Both men start the day 0-1, and are looking for their first win. Oho continues to struggle with consistency in his sumo, and so it’s tough to know if he will be dialed into his sumo today or not. They have four prior career matches, that have split evenly 2-2.

Kotoeko vs Chiyotairyu – Its Sadogatake vs Kokonoe on the clay! To me, Chiyotairyu did not look sharp day one. I worry he’s going to continue the poor performance that has been plaguing him since mid 2021. I suspect an injury is to blame. The two are nearly even at 8-7 career wins.

Okinoumi vs Kotoshoho – Also in the ranks of “looking not very genki”, is Okinoumi. Not that I fault him. At 37 years old, he’s close to the point where his body may be telling him it’s time to consider hanging up the mawashi and putting that kabu to use. Kotoshoho had an opening day win, but is still tuning up to full honbasho power.

Aoiyama vs Onosho – Two rikishi with large amounts of forward power going head to head, this could be fast and ugly. It will come down to if Onosho is in a mood to keep his balance under control, and his feet in a workable position. Aoiyama did not show much power on day one, and may still be nursing his injury from this summer.

Chiyoshoma vs Abi – I admit I want to see Abi wreck the lower / middle ranks this November. I think he got the rank he got by missing September, but a brutal hammering will do the most to put him back near the named ranks, where I think he belongs. Today might be a good day for Chiyoshoma to employ liberal amounts of lateral sumo.

Takarafuji vs Takanosho – The news for Takarafuji is not good. After an opening day loss where it looked to me like his feet got out of cadence, he gets to face Takanosho, who he has only beaten twice in 9 attempts. Now in his mid-thirties, I add him into the group of rikishi who are really suffering the effects of accumulated injuries.

Tochinoshin vs Myogiryu – Tochinoshin is also in this age group, but seems to have found a way to maintain some level of sumo power, in spite of a knee that is little more than gristle, curry and scraps of old newspapers. He and Myogiryu had a 32 match career record, with Myogiryu leading 18-14.

Nishikigi vs Endo – Both men start the day 0-1, and Endo could really use a win to keep his score closer to the midline. The good news is that Nishikigi has never beaten Endo (0-7), so this might be a good pickup for Endo.

Ryuden vs Nishikifuji – This has my attention as potentially a big fight to start the second half of action. Both won their opening day fights, and look fairly genki on shonichi. The only prior match was May while both were ranked in Juryo, and it went to Nishikifuji.

Wakamotoharu vs Hokutofuji – I would love to see Wakamotoharu have another match where he is careful, patient and calmly puts together a winning yorikiri. Of course, this is nearly the opposite of the way that Hokutofuji fights. I expect him to come in with a fast combo attack and an early nodowa. If he can get his favorite combo to pay off, Wakamotoharu is going to have his hands full. Hokutofuji leads the series 2-1.

Sadanoumi vs Midorifuji – Sadanoumi surprised Hokutofuji on day one, and I give him even chances of doing it again today against Midorifuji. The trick for Sadanoumi is to get his hands on Midorifuji before the Isegahama man can get his feet set and begin his offense. They have split their 2 prior matches.

Tobizaru vs Meisei – Sumo’s flying monkey moves from winning against Shodai to fighting Meisei. Meisei lost his opening day match, but has a 6-2 career record against Tobizaru. The reason why that may not matter much is that Tobizaru has improved quite a bit over the past few months, and will be tough for Meisei to maintain any kind of hold.

Ura vs Daieisho – Both lost on day 1, but Ura seemed to already be into his sumo in his loss against Kiribayama, while Daieisho looked ill prepared for this fight with Takakeisho. These two are evenly balanced across their careers with Daieisho having a narrow 5-4 lead. Daieisho will look to open up his mega-thrust attack path, and Ura will be looking for an errant body part to grab and tug.

Wakatakakage vs Kiribayama – I am eager to see at what point Wakatakakage breaks out of his “cold start” routine and settles down to some powerful sumo. I note with amusement they have him fighting Kiribayama on day two, and he holds a 7-4 career advantage. A great fight of two of sumo’s rising stars.

Ichinojo vs Mitakeumi – Mitakeumi loves to fight Ichinojo most days. He holds a 15-7 career advantage over the Boulder, and has won 3 of their 4 matches so far this year. Mitakeumi needs the win to continue his drive to return to Ozeki, but Ichinojo looked really sharp in his day 1 win against Tamawashi.

Tamawashi vs Hoshoryu – If I had to guess, Tamawashi may have some frustrations from his day 1 match with Ichinojo to work out. Probably against Hoshoryu’s face, or neck. Hoshoryu is no easy mark right now, and in fact has a narrow 4-3 career lead against Tamawashi. This could be a big, quick match.

Takakeisho vs Kotonowaka – I harbor hopes that Takakeisho, the Grand Tadpole, will eject Kotonowaka like a damaged cassette tape stuck in an ancient Toyota Celica for 20 years. It’s been a while since we saw some solid wave-action, so here’s to hoping he can deliver that today.

Takayasu vs Shodai – I really don’t want to see Shodai as an Ozekiwake in January, so I hope he can find and reactivate his good sumo mode. He’s got a fairly fresh copy of Takayasu as challenger today, and that won’t be easy for him. He does hold a 17-9 career advantage, so it may come down to Takayasu keeping his balance and his feet during his habitual big opening forearm strike.

Aki Day 1 Highlights

Bruce H Aki Basho 2022, Aoiyama, Chiyoshoma, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daieisho (大栄翔), Endo (遠藤), Hiradoumi (平戸海), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Hoshoryu, Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Ichiyamamoto (一山本), Kiribayama (霧馬山), Kotoeko, Kotonowaka, Kotoshoho, Meisei, Midorifuji, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Mitoryu (水戸龍), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikifuji (錦富士), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Ryuden (竜電), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), Shimanoumi, 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, Tobizaru, Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Tsurugisho, Ura (宇良), Wakamotoharu (若元春), Wakatakakage, Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲) , ,

I am very pleased with day 1. A solid day of sumo with some great finishing moves, good sumo from some of the Ozeki corps and solid effort overall. Nobody seemed to “phone it in” and there were no howlers from the gyoji. What more could one ask for?

I want to call specific attention to Kotonowaka, who was probably robbed in Nagoya. He had a 7-3 record at the end of day 10, when his stable was declared COVID-kyujo. Now note that Ichinojo won the cup with 3 losses. I am not saying Kotonowaka would have taken the Emperor’s cup, but we did not get to see him vie for the yusho in the final act of Nagoya. Given that he picked up right where he left off today with strong, witty and aggressive sumo, I think he would have played an important role in the final weekend. If he can stay healthy, I predict he will be in the mix this September.

Highlight Matches

Hiradoumi defeats Shimanoumi – Shimanoumi kept himself compact, and all of his energy forward. He looked strong for the first few moments, but Hiradoumi made sure to shift the pressure to Shimanoumi’s right knee. From there, there was a big opening, Hiradoumi took it and won the match after he broke Shimanoumi’s stance. Intelligent, if brutal, sumo for Hiradoumi to start 1-0.

Mitoryu defeats Tsurugisho – A new battle of the mega-fauna, with each man around 200kg. The were even into the tachiai and the initial exchange. It looked to me that Tsurugisho attempted to pivot left, but lost his right hand grip. With his body turned, Mitoryu drove forward against minimal defense and walked Tsurugisho out. Mitoryu starts 1-0.

Terutsuyoshi defeats Yutakayama – Yutakayama had a clear advantage in size and strength, but I loved watching Terutsuyoshi stay mobile, and keep Yutakayama from squaring his hips and driving forward. Terutsuyoshi ended up breaking Yutakayama’s right hand inside, and Yutakayama knew he was at risk. Terutsuyoshi proceeded to take control of the match, setting up a twist down. The kainahineri took the match, looked great and delighted fans around the world. Good start for Terutsuyoshi now at 1-0.

Oho defeats Chiyoshoma – Oho showed a lot of power to try and counter Chiyoshoma’s superior sumo technique. The match ended with a mutual throw that saw Oho hit the clay, and Chiyoshoma get the gumbai. But a monoii was called, and it seems Chiyoshoma’s top knot hit first, losing him the match. Tough break for him, but that was sharp sumo from Chiyoshoma. Oho improves to 1-0.

Ichiyamamoto defeats Ryuden – Returnee Ryuden did not look strong today, as Ichiyamamoto got his hands inside, and proceeded to unload volley after volley on Ryuden’s upper body. Unable to set his feet or lower his hips, Ryuden was pushed back and eventually out on the east side for an Ichiyamamoto win. He starts Aki 1-0.

Chiyotairyu defeats Okinoumi – Classic Chiyotairyu sumo – stand them up then slap them down. He does this so very well that even when experience rikishi like Okinoumi face him, and know it’s coming, there is not much you can do about it. Chiyotairyu starts with a win at 1-0.

Takanosho defeats Kotoshoho – A healthy Takanosho at this rank should turn in double-digit wins. On opening day, he completely dominated Kotoshoho, taking an inside hand position and dialing up the pressure. Takanosho wins day one, to start 1-0.

Nishikifuji defeats Kotoeko – Nishikifuji had his body all over the dohyo in this match, and while he did not look like he was in control, he was imparting most of that chaos into Kotoeko, who had no answer to any of it. Tossed like a cork in the sea, Kotoeko was quickly tossed off the dohyo as Nishikifuji advances to 1-0.

Hokutofuji defeats Myogiryu – Myogiryu dominated the start of this match but could not finish Hokutofuji on the opening combo. Hokutofuji managed to break Myogiryu’s right hand grip, and it was a his turn to attack. I liked that we saw a bit of gaburi-yori in there. I would love to see a healthy Hokutofuji turn in a good tournament this September. He’s 1-0.

Tochinoshin defeats Onosho – Onosho, come on man. Classic balance problems from Onosho, coupled with strong performance from Tochinoshin means Onosho takes a tumble and roll. Who didn’t see this one coming? Tochinoshin 1-0.

Endo defeats Aoiyama – Big Dan had his match plan disrupted by Endo’s opening combo. He tried to recover with a kotenage, but Endo’s balance was excellent, and he was not giving Aoiyama one centimeter of space to recover. Endo starts 1-0.

Wakamotoharu defeats Sadanoumi – Day one award for best improvisational sumo goes to Wakamotoharu. Sadanoumi expertly dismantled Wakamotoharu’s defense, had his hips low and his body chest to chest against Wakamotoharu. But Wakamotoharu found a grip, lifted and turned. It worked, and we got to see an utchari today! I do love Wakamotoharu’s expression of satisfaction following the win. I see that from my cat when she does something crazy that actually works. Wakamotoharu 1-0.

Takayasu defeats Takarafuji – Man, another chance to appreciate the sumo technique of Takarafuji, which was just fantastic for the first moments of today’s match. He would not let Takayasu get his lower body in any kind of working position. But Takarafuji did not wait him out, and attempted a pull down. This was a risky move, and he handed the match to Takayasu as a result.

Nishikigi defeats Ura – Ura got captured immediately by Nishikigi, and really seemed to have no workable “Plan B”. As Nishikigi drove forward, Ura tried anything he could, which was pulling on Nishikigi’s head. He may have gotten a handful of hair, but it really did not matter as Nishikigi cleanly drove him off the dohyo to win his first match.

Daieisho defeats Meisei – Daieisho seems to be lacking some of his speed an power of last year. Rumor is he hurt his lower back, and that has sapped some of his performance. Today, he saw a mistake from Meisei, and instantly switched attack to slap him down, and take his day 1 match. Daieisho is now 1-0.

Tamawashi defeats Hoshoryu – This match went somewhat like I thought it might. Hoshoryu, always earnest, wants to use his best technique and overcome Tamawashi. Tamawashi, a long serving veteran of the top division, just says, “Hey kid, what’s that on our chin?”, then proceeds to lay about 100kg of iron will right on Hoshoryu’s face. Hoshoryu’s completely disrupted, and gets tugged, pushed, crumpled and pushed out from an oblique angle. Hopefully he is ok. Tamawashi starts 1-0.

Kotonowaka defeats Wakatakakage – Kotonowaka picks up where he left off in Nagoya: strong confident sumo. He takes the fight to Wakatakakage and leaves him off balance at the initial merge. At no point does he allow Wakatakakage to regain any kind of foot placement, useful body position or execute any strong sumo. With the Ozeki hopeful boxed up and contained, he drives forward and Wakatakakage is unable to stop him. Nice work, Kotonowaka 1-0.

Mitakeumi defeats Midorifuji – This is the kind of sumo I want to see from Mitakeumi. A lot of power, relentless drive forward, and not giving Midorifuji a single moment when he is not off balance and struggling to stay in the match. Mitakeumi 1-0.

Shodai defeats Tobizaru – Oddly enough, Shodai won his first match and looked like “good” Shodai int he process. We did not get to see the “Wall of Daikon”, but Shodai made sure that Tobizaru’s only attempt at offense did not take him off his feet. Points to Tobizaru for improvising that last-ditch counter attack. Shodai 1-0.

Ichinojo defeats Takakeisho – Friggen Snorlax gets his yusho picture hung from the rafters, and dispatches an Ozeki. What a day! I am somewhat concerned that Takakeisho’s opening volley really seemed to lack any strength, and he quickly tried to switch gears while Ichinojo was running him down. Better luck tomorrow, tadpole! Ichinojo 1-0.

Terunofuji defeats Kiribayama – I know this is going to seem so very odd, but I find Terunofuji’s patient Yokozuna sumo kind of calming. I give a lot of credit to Kiribayama for bringing a vigorous attack to Terunofuji, but at least for now he’s looking healthy enough to do the sumo he wants to do. Terunofuji 1-0.

Haru Day 8 Preview – Nakabi!

Bruce H Akua, Aoiyama, Chiyomaru, Chiyonokuni (千代の国), Chiyoshoma, Chiyotairyū (千代大龍), Daieisho (大栄翔), Endo (遠藤), Haru Basho 2022 (Osaka), Hokutōfuji (北勝富士), Hoshoryu, Ichinojo (逸ノ城), Ichiyamamoto (一山本), Ishiura (石浦), Kagayaki (輝), Kiribayama (霧馬山), Kotoeko, Kotokuzan, Kotonowaka, Kotoshoho, Meisei, Mitakeumi(御嶽海), Myogiryu (妙義龍), Nishikigi, Okinoumi (隠岐の海), Sadanoumi (佐田の海), Shimanoumi, 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, Tobizaru, Tochinoshin (栃ノ心), Ura (宇良), Wakamotoharu (若元春), Wakatakakage, Yutakayama, Ōnoshō (阿武咲) , ,

Welcome to the middle day of the Osaka Haru basho. So far it’s been a bit of an odd little tournament, and we find ourselves half way between shonichi and the awarding of the Emperor’s Cup with no Yokozuna, one Ozeki facing almost certain demotion, and a leaderboard populated with names that will soon be out of the running.

If you are the kind to be awake in the middle of the night (at least US time) you can catch live streaming of the last hour (or so) of the today’s action on NHK World Japan, starting at around 4 AM Eastern US time, 1 AM Pacific. Before I had a young child in my life, I would typically make a point to watch at least a couple of days live, and Nakabi is a fine choice for that.

But with day 8 upon us, it’s time for Tachiai’s leaderboard

Haru Leaderboard

In my mind, the yusho race will not really get started until someone manages to put dirt on Takayasu. Be aware, I am a fan of his, but I think the chances of him going 15-0 are quite slim, and I am quite sure that if we get to act three, and he is 10-0, he will face some fierce opponents. The one to watch right now is Mitakeumi, he sometimes struggles into week 2, but if he can stay strong, he is my favorite to pick up a second consecutive Emperor’s cup. Before anyone starts talking about a rope run, the answer is “not yet”.

Leader: Takayasu
Hunt Group: Mitakeumi, Wakatakakage, Kotonowaka
Chasers: Takakeisho, Abi, Kiribayama, Endo, Wakamotoharu, Nishikigi

8 matches remain

What We Are Watching Day 8

Azumaryu vs Kotokuzan – With the torikumi out of balance, we are back to having visitors from Juryo. Today its Azumaryu, who stands a fair chance of kachi-koshi with at 5-2 recored to start day 8. A winning record will at least start the notion that he could return to the top division for May, provided enough promotion slots open up in Makuuchi.

Tochinoshin vs Yutakayama – The one thing to know about this match? Yutakayama: 4 consecutive losses. I am not a huge fan of Tochinoshin’s new street-fighter sumo, but I have to admit, it has left his opponents cautions and bit more pliable then normal. Should he hit his 8 this time out, it would be a welcome change of pace for the former Ozeki.

Chiyomaru vs Kagayaki – Kagayaki reverted to his vague and less powerful form on day 7, and I have to hope he can rally for today’s fight against the bulbous Chiyomaru. Both of these guys are riding the make/kachi-koshi line, and are ripe to be fed into Darwin’s funnel, should the schedulers decide to run one. They share an 8=8 career record, perfect for day 8. Man, these scheduler guys are having far too much fun with numbers.

Kotoeko vs Nishikigi – Kotoeko should take this one, giving Nishikigi his 3rd loss. Kotoeko holds a 4-0 career advantage over Nishikigi, so I think that Kotoeko’s size, strength and speed are a potent combination against Nishikigi’s deliberate, sturdy sumo.

Ichiyamamoto vs Chiyotairyu – Oh, great sumo cat, I beseech thee. Let Chiyotairyu unleash his thunder-god sumo again today. I would dearly love to see Ichiyamamoto receive a right proper crumpling in the lap of Dr. Takasu. Amen.

Myogiryu vs Akua – I am guessing Akua is hurt again, because he’s fighting like crap. That’s why we don’t have Akua every tournament, he struggles to maintain consistency. Myogiryu holds a 2-0 career advantage over him, and I am going to guess he may rack up so many losses, that he is named captain of the Juryo barge.

Kotoshoho vs Terutsuyoshi – Terutsuyoshi fusensho over the kyujo Chiyonokuni means he got a day of rest, nearly in the middle of the tournament. I hope it energized him, as I think this match was designed to be an even battle. Both are 4-3, they have a 2-2 career record, and I think we will see some nice sumo from Terutsuyoshi today.

Chiyoshoma vs Aoiyama – Chiyoshoma is having a tough tournament. I don’t know if its injury, loss of stamina, or he just can’t manage sumo at this rank right now. He has a 5-3 career advantage over “Big Dan” Aoiyama. Aoiyama, at 3-4, is also a prime funnel candidate, should the choose to run one this March.

Shimanoumi vs Sadanoumi – This is the point where some may choose to go relieve themselves, or grab an additional beer. I have enjoyed Sadanoumi’s sumo when he has been fighting well in prior tournaments, and I just have to hope that maybe he can get something organized here starting today. Yea, I am an optimist.

Takayasu vs Wakamotoharu – I look at this match and kind of wonder why. Sure Wakamotoharu has been fighting well, and has some great sumo this March. But this is a first time match against yusho early leader Takayasu. I would bet a donut that Wakamotoharu is going to go chest to chest, Takayasu will accept, and he will just stand there and wear him to a frazzle. Well, it has been a while since we have seen Takayasu just grind someone down for 3 minutes or so until they are begging for him to finish the match.

Hokutofuji vs Tobizaru – Hokutofuji has little time for the simian antics of Tobizaru. I predict handshake tachiai, nodowa to keep him from hopping about, and a rapid removal from the field of play. He has a 4-0 career advantage over Tobizaru, and this is normally how it goes.

Takarafuji vs Okinoumi – A match of great sadness. Both wonderful rikishi, both with crummy 1-6 records. At least we know one of them will be 2-6 after today. They have 27 matches over their career, but Takarafuji’s 16-11 advantage matters little when both of them are probably injured, and fighting this poorly.

Kotonowaka vs Endo – You know, I had no idea how much I wanted to see this match until I read the torikumi for day 8. What a delight. Endo has a chance to go 4-0 against Kotonowaka, and Kotonowaka has a chance to show the world just how much his sumo has improved since the last time they fought in May of 2021.

Meisei vs Tamawashi – Right now, Meisei can’t buy a win. I don’t think he will last more than a few second against Tamawashi, who is not at his career best, but good enough to rough up a likely injured, smaller rikishi.

Takanosho vs Ichinojo – I would like to think that Takanosho can soften his fall down the banzuke by picking up more wins, but then I see he’s fighting Ichinojo today, and I have to think again. Ichinojo, while not quite in his best form, is good enough that he’s causing all kinds of damage in the joi-jin. He beat both kadoban Ozeki, and even trashed Endo pretty effectively.

Wakatakakage vs Ura – Speaking of Ura…. At 1-6 he’s going to take a trip south on the banzuke way come May. But I think he can still cook up a couple of nice surprise wins. But he had better start soon, his only victory was against the covid depleted husk of Shodai. Will Wakatakakage try another flying genital attack? No, dear readers, those spectacular moment come once every 15 years or so.

Daieisho vs Abi – Still waiting to see if Daieisho shows up with massive taping over his crotch from that throw by Wakatakakage on day 7. Even if his man-bits survived intact, his pride may have taken significant damage. He will now live with the fact that he may be immortalized on preview “B-roll” footage for sumo shows for years to come. He has a 6-6 record against Abi, who will be hard pressed to overcome Daieisho’s more powerful, more focused oshi-zumo style.

Shodai vs Kiribayama – (sigh), ah.. Shodai. 2-5, you should go home and prep for Ozeki-wake. Its looking more certain each day. Not your fault sir, but there is still time to recover.

Hoshoryu vs Mitakeumi – Back to the fun side of sumo, it’s time for Mitakeumi to either crank up the power or start his week 2 fade. Frankly, I want him and Takayasu bashing it out in act 3 for sole leader position with just a day or two to go before senshuraku. Hoshoryu has not beaten Mitakeumi in 2 attempts, so this will be a tough match for him.

Onosho vs Takakeisho – Another fine tadpole battle, this time the junior tadpole against the grand tadpole. Onosho has actually won 3 times out of the 12 matches he has had against Takakeisho, so it won’t be completely one sided. However, I think that Takakeisho is done with the unexplainable sumo experiments, and is just going for double arm wave action tsuppari from here on out.