Kotonowaka

Haru 2024, Day 12 Highlights

Andy Haru 2024, Haru Basho , , ,

No new kyujo announcements have come in to the infirmary. This means Kirishima will try to tough it out for at least today. We shall see whether that was a wise decision. If he is injured as many people speculate, he should be able to get a doctors’ certificate to go kyujo. Regardless, he has not been fighting well and will not be much competition for the two high-flying hiramaku contenders. Both of them will fight other Ozeki today but whom will they face tomorrow?

To take them out of yusho contention, Onosato needs to lose twice and Takerufuji will need to lose three times in these closing days so they need healthy, strong sanyaku fighters, capable of getting dirt on these kids. Abi didn’t. Nishikigi won’t. Kirishima and Takakeisho are doubtful.

Makuuchi Action

Bushozan (6-6) defeated Churanoumi (5-7). Bushozan hit Churanoumi hard enough at the tachiai to keep Churanoumi from grabbing his belt. Then, he drove forward and shoved Churanoumi out. Oshidashi.

Kitanowaka (3-9) defeated Ichiyamamoto (6-6). Kitanowaka moved well enough to avoid being caught by Ichiyamamoto’s pulls. Kitanowaka just kept chasing along the tawara until Ichiyamamoto tripped and fell. Tsukiotoshi.

Sadanoumi (7-5) defeated Daiamami (6-6). Daiamami pressed forward and both men fell from the ring. Gunbai Sadanoumi. The naked eye could not tell who fell first so the shimpan called a mono-ii, judges’ conference. They determined both men fell at the same time and a rematch, torinaoshi, was necessary. In the rematch, Sadanoumi took the initiative. Daiamami seemed a bit gassed but used his girth well to avoid being thrown by Sadanoumi. However, Sadanoumi pressed forward a second time and forced Daiamami over the bales. Yoritaoshi.

Shodai (6-6) defeated Ryuden (5-7). Shodai was motivated today. He wrapped up Ryuden and pressed forward, forcing Ryuden over the bales. Yorikiri.

Hokutofuji (4-8) defeated Roga (6-6). Hokutofuji squared up to Roga and slapped him down. Tsukiotoshi.

Endo (3-9) defeated Kotoshoho (5-7). Kotoshoho did well to keep Endo off of his belt but Endo slipped to the right and slapped Kotoshoho down for his third win. Hatakikomi.

Onosho (7-5) defeated Mitakeumi (7-5). Onosho controlled the action once Mitakeumi gave up a morozashi, double-inside grip. He pulled up and drove forward. Mitakeumi was able to force one hand back inside but Onosho had the momentum. He kept up the pressure as Mitakeumi was forced into retreat. Eventually he was able to force Mitakeumi out. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (5-5-2) defeated Myogiryu (5-7). Kinbozan was too strong and dominant. He forced himself inside and pressed forward until Myogiryu stepped out. Yorikiri.

Nishikifuji (7-5) defeated Tamawashi (5-7). Tamawashi charged forward but after the tachiai, Nishikifuji slipped left and tried a slapdown. The slapdown failed but he kept up the attack and drove forward into Tamawashi and shoved Tamawashi out. Oshidashi.

Shonannoumi (8-4) defeated Tobizaru (6-6). Shonannoumi kept Tobizaru in front of him and wanted to avoid any tricks. Tobizaru didn’t really attack with any, though. Shonannoumi kept trying to slap him down. Shonannoumi eventually forced Tobizaru forward and down. Hatakikomi.

Halftime.

Hiradoumi (7-5) defeated Oho (4-8). Oho did not seem prepared for Hiradoumi to hit him that hard at the tachiai. Hiradoumi kept up the pressure and shoved Oho out. Oshidashi.

Ura (6-6) defeated Meisei (4-8). Ura used the tawara to brace himself and resist Meisei’s forward motion. As Meisei pressed forward, Ura slipped to the right. Meisei’s momentum brought him to the edge of the dohyo but not out. However, Ura was in position to get behind and shove Meisei out. The crowd erupted in cheers. Okuritaoshi.

Asanoyama (7-5) defeated Takanosho (4-8). Takanosho fought well and had a few opportunities but Asanoyama was too strong. After fighting to a stalemate, Asanoyama dug deep and drove Takanosho to the bales and hoisted him over. Yorikiri.

Sanyaku

Abi (8-4) defeated Takayasu (8-4). Takayasu had the early advantage and should have driven Abi out but he did not pursue quick enough. Abi resisted at the bales and went back in for the attack. He pressed Takayasu across the ring and over the bales. Oshidashi.

Atamifuji (7-5) defeated Nishikigi (1-11). Atamifuji waited for Nishikigi to press forward. When he did, Atamifuji pulled left and slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

Gonoyama (9-3) defeated Daieisho (5-7). Daieisho used his tsuppari to press forward but Gonoyama slipped to the right and shoved him down. Daieisho is on the ropes and must win out to preserve his Sekiwake rank. Hatakikomi.

Wakamotoharu (7-5) defeated Takakeisho (7-5). Wakamotoharu hit Takakeisho and pressed forward. Takakeisho had nothing. Yorikiri.

Hoshoryu (9-3) defeated Takerufuji (11-1)! Takerufuji pressed forward and Hoshoryu tried to reach around and grab his belt but couldn’t. Instead, he wrapped up Takerufuji’s left shoulder. As Takerufuji continued to charge forward, Hoshoryu spun around at the bales and used his arm bar to throw Takerufuji to his first loss. Kotenage.

Midorifuji (7-5) defeated Kirishima (3-9). This seemed like a great opportunity for Kirishima to turn things around. He controlled the pace for much of the bout and avoided Midorifuji’s usual katasukashi, shoulder pull. Instead, it looked like Kirishima was trying to set up one of his own. After a long lean, where the two jostled for position, Kirishima adjusted his grip but this left him standing a bit too high. Midorifuji seized the opportunity and drove forward, forcing the Ozeki from the dohyo. At least he didn’t get pushed out as quickly as Takakeisho (who’s still kadoban) but Midorifuji should be a piece of cake for an Ozeki. Yorikiri.

Kotonowaka (9-3) defeated Onosato (9-3). Kotonowaka reached around for Onosato’s belt. Onosato did not want to give that up so he pivoted and drove forward. Kotonowaka used that left arm to wrap up Onosato’s right arm while simultaneously slipping to the left again. Kotenage.

Wrap-up

Both youngsters fell to kotenage today. The Day 13 torikumi is not available as of this writing but both men are still clearly in the yusho race and need to continue to fight sanyaku opponents. Takerufuji’s lead is still two wins. Onosato has fallen back into a group of four guys who still have a hope here: Hoshoryu, Kotonowaka, Onosato, and Gonoyama.

I would not be surprised if Onosato and Gonoyama square off tomorrow to at least eliminate one from the race. The biggest question, however, is who should face Takerufuji. If they pit him against Takakeisho or Kirishima, they’re handing him the yusho. Maybe Wakamotoharu? Takakeisho has his kachi-koshi still on the line here, so they might set him up against Takerufuji and see how Takerufuji can handle the henka? The schedulers have their task. I’m eager to see how they set this up. Maybe Gonoyama vs Takerufuji? This is a tough decision.

Hatsu 2024: Day 15 Highlights

Andy Hatsu 2024, Hatsu Basho , , ,

The injuries sure piled up during this tournament. Coming into the tournament I was most concerned with Terunofuji, our sole reigning Yokozuna. Would he be able to compete and finish the tournament? Do we need to rush to crown a new Yokozuna so that the ailing champion can be allowed to retire? If the other Ozeki are shaky, we probably need another backup, so let’s get this Kotonowaka kid elevated quickly!

Fifteen days into the tournament, Terunofuji is still here. And not only is he on the dohyo, he is in the yusho race! Only days ago, I had been very concerned about his physical conditioning and wondered aloud if it were time for intai. It is great to see him back, no matter today’s outcome.

Kirishima has put in a good effort but will very likely come up short. He needs a lot of help if the rope run is to be sustained. I think we all want to see him win it because of a dominant performance, not because the two guys ahead of him lost. The only path forward requires him to put in that dominant performance in a playoff but the odds are slim that he will be taking part.

Kotonowaka’s performance, on the other hand, has been excellent. He still has a lot to learn but he has competed over the past four tournaments at a consistently high level and is worthy of promotion to Ozeki. It is not set in stone yet and today’s bout will be crucial as the Kyokai decides whether to elevate him. Tobizaru stands in his way.

Lastly, I do want to mention Terunofuji’s stablemate, Takarafuji. The man has been in makuuchi for nearly 1000 consecutive bouts but he is set to be demoted to Juryo. Thankfully, he has expressed in the Japanese media that he intends to stay on. He enjoys sumo and will not retire. The Takarabune will still rig his sails in Juryo.

Makuuchi Action

Takarafuji (6-9) defeated Kotoshoho (9-6). Persistence paid off for the Takarabune. Patched up and wobbly, the Takarabune set a course for home. Kotoshoho buffeted the Takarabune with hearty blows. But the Takarabune charged forward and defeated Kotoshoho. Oshidashi.

Oho (10-5) defeated Tomokaze (5-10). Oho hit Tomokaze hard at the tachiai and drove him back to the edge. Tomokaze used a nodowa to defend himself but Oho withstood the pressure and shoved Tomokaze’s arm away. This turned Tomokaze around and Oho chased him out from behind. Okuridashi.

Tsurugisho (9-6) defeated Bushozan (4-11). Tsurugisho shifted left and slapped Bushozan down. Hatakikomi.

Onosho (10-5) defeated Sadanoumi (6-9). Onosho charged forward and shoved Sadanoumi over the edge. Oshidashi.

Onosato (11-4) defeated Tamawashi (8-7). Again, no tsuppari from already kachi-koshi Tamawashi. He took on Onosato at the initial charge, let him drive him back to the bales, and then resisted at the edge with all of his might. Onosato pulled, and Tamawashi fell back to the center of the dohyo. Hikiotoshi.

Meisei (9-6) defeated Shimazuumi (9-6). Meisei forced Shimazuumi into an oshi/tsuki bout. Shimazuumi was doing his best to deflect Meisei’s tsuppari and push Meisei. Suddenly Meisei shifted and thrust Shimazuumi down. Unfortunately, the defeat meant that Shimazuumi lost his chance at a special prize. Tsukiotoshi.

Mitakeumi (6-9) defeated Endo (5-10). Endo drove forward with powerful tsuppari. Mitakeumi shifted along the tawara and drove Endo down. Gunbai to Mitakeumi. A quick mono-ii was called to confirm the judge’s call. Mitakeumi’s foot was very close to out but never touched. Tsukiotoshi.

Myogiryu (5-10) defeated Ichiyamamoto (5-10). Myogiryu’s tsuppari simply overpowered Ichiyamamoto. Oshidashi.

Churanoumi defeated Shodai. Churanoumi’s hidari-yotsu chugged and chugged, reversed Shodai’s forward progress and then drove him back and out. Tsukiotoshi.

Halftime

Takanosho (10-5) defeated Gonoyama (5-10). Gonoyama drove forward but Takanosho danced along the tawara, slipped to the side, and drove Gonoyama down. Gunbai Takanosho. The shimpan gathered in a mono-ii to review the tape and confirm Takanosho’s foot did not step out. Tsukiotoshi.

Hiradoumi (8-7) defeated Abi (8-7). Hiradoumi baited Abi forward and slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

Kinbozan (7-8) defeated Midorifuji (5-10). Kinbozan bulldozed Midorifuji with powerful tsuppari. Tsukidashi.

Shonannoumi (4-11) defeated Atamifuji (6-9). Shonannoumi moved forward! He acquired a left-hand inside grip, hefted up on Atamifuji’s mawashi, drove him forward and out. Did I see a little dame-oshi there at the end? Yorikiri.

Wakamotoharu (10-5) defeated Nishikigi (8-7). Nishikigi was just a passenger on the Wakamotoharu freight train. Nishikigi held on tight while Wakamotoharu chugged forward. Yorikiri.

Sanyaku

Ura defeated Ryuden. Ura hefted Ryuden onto his shoulders and threw him off the dohyo. Gunbai The shimpan called a mono-ii. Gumbai confirmed. Tsutaezori.

Kore-yori-Sanyaku.

I always loved this. The final three bouts of Senshuraku. This is why we watch.

Daieisho (9-6) defeated Asanoyama (9-3-3). Daieisho did his sumo and blasted Asanoyama back. But this time Daieisho slipped to the side and his opponent fell down. Daieisho got the arrows. Tsukiotoshi.

Kotonowaka (13-2) defeated Tobizaru (7-8). “I said, Get Down, Dude!” Kotonowaka brought his big mitt down on Tobizaru’s head and drove him to the ground. He then had to hang out and pass the power water to Terunofuji. Kirishima is eliminated from the yusho contention and his rope-run evaporated. Uwatenage.

Terunofuji (13-2) defeated Kirishima (11-4). Terunofuji lifted Kirishima and threw him from the dohyo. Holy moly. Yorikiri is a polite way to put it. More like Yori-gtfoh (“Get The F*** Out of Here,” for non-Millennials).

Bonus sumo

Terunofuji defeated Kotonowaka. Terunofuji yusho. Kotonowaka got his morozashi…but when Terunofuji started to pull on him, his switched to a migi-yotsu and pulled. Terunofuji preferred a hidari-yotsu, so he switched his grip (makikae) and drove forward, forcing Kotonowaka out. The big bois fell onto the Shimpan. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up

Wow. The drama! Terunofuji came from behind to secure his 9th career yusho. What an amazing start to 2024. Terunofuji is back. His knees are still a concern, obviously, as we could see him wince and struggle to make it through the lengthy award ceremony. Every so often he would bend over and try to take some of the pressure off those knees. He may not be indestructible but in each bout he finds a way to destroy just about everyone else. He started out a bit rusty and had to win all of his matches over the past week to mount his comeback. But he is used to those, no?

In the next few days we will find out if Kotonowaka did enough for Ozeki promotion. He hit that 33-win mark and has been confident and steady. To be frank, it’s also 44-wins over 4 tournaments. He has put in some solid sumo over the past two years, advancing steadily. It is time but as today’s final bout showed, there is still so far to go.

Tomorrow, I will try to get the tournament main page set-up and cleaned up. It is live. You can already navigate to it. I have been updating it as the tournament went along but it needs some attention tomorrow and a few more updates. The Year in 2024 page will be the page with more updates after the tournament, such as any promotions or further retirements announced after this tournament. I already can’t wait for March! Holy-moly. How will Kirishima react to this…humbling?

Hatsu 2024: Day 14 Highlights

Andy Hatsu 2024, Hatsu Basho , ,

News from the infirmary today was quite the shocker: Hoshoryu is out, a man with an outside role and an important role in this weekend’s action (mainly as speed bump in Terunofuji and Kotonowaka path to the yusho). It changes the math quite a bit as Terunofuji gets a default win, rather than something a bit closer to a coin-flip.

In Juryo, Takerufuji clinched the Juryo yusho and locks in a hefty rise up the banzuke in March, which should be rather close, but just shy, of the makuuchi promotion line.

Makuuchi Action

Endo (5-9) defeated Roga (9-5). Nothing to say about this. Yorikiri.

Takanosho (9-5) defeated Bushozan (4-10). Nothing to say about this. Hatakikomi.

Tsurugisho (8-6) defeated Shimazuumi (9-5). Excellent throw from Tsurugisho. As Shimazuumi charged forward, Tsurugisho swung him forward with his firm left-hand outside grip. Hand on head to help drive him to the clay, textbook. Uwatenage.

Oho (9-5) defeated Takarafuji (5-9). The Takarabune enjoyed a leisurely cruise on a starboard tack, testing the strong easterly winds. Disaster struck quickly when his yard arm broke, somehow penetrated the hull and forced him to sink. The Takarabune will be in drydock to receive some emergency maintenance for tomorrow’s voyage home. Will that be the final sail of the Takarabune? Katasukashi.

Onosato (10-4) defeated Sadanoumi (6-8). Sadanoumi nearly had Onosato! He quickly locked on with his left hand and heaved Onosato to the side. Onosato kept his balance, recovered and drove through the wily veteran. Kirikaeshi.

Kotoshoho (9-5) defeated Mitakeumi (5-9). Nothing to say here but I should have taken the time to grab some coffee. Yorikiri.

Onosho (9-5) defeated Meisei (8-6). Onosho pressed forward but Meisei countered and stopped Onosho’s forward motion. Onosho just wrapped his big arm around Meisei’s neck and swung them both down. Gunbai to Onosho. Mono-ii confirmed the gyoji’s decision. Kubinage.

Tomokaze (5-9) defeated Ichiyamamoto (5-9). Tomokaze charged forward and Ichiyamamoto’s pull yielded nothing. Oshidashi.

Churanoumi (6-8) defeated Shonannoumi (3-11). Churanoumi quickly pulled Shonannoumi down at the tachiai. Tsukiotoshi.

Nishikigi (8-6) defeated Tamawashi (8-6). Tamawashi is already kachi-koshi. He did not go all out. Zero tsuppari. Instead, he tried to wrap up Nishikgi and half-heartedly attemt to pitch him over the side. Really disappointing bout. The two waltzed together, half-way around the ring, before Nishikigi ushered Tamawashi over the edge. Like one of those games in Week 17 where a team with a shot at the playoffs plays the reserves of a team that already has the conference crown locked up two weeks before. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Hiradoumi (7-7) defeated Tobizaru (7-7). Hiradoumi locked horns with Tobizaru. Tobizaru escaped his grip but Hiradoumi continued to press forward and bulldozed Tobizaru from the ring. Onshidashi.

Gonoyama (5-9) defeated Myogiryu (4-10). Myogiryu tried to throw Gonoyama but Gonoyama escaped and shoved Myogiryu out. Oshidashi.

Midorifuji (5-9) defeated Ryuden (3-11). Midorifuji got a lock on Ryuden’s shoulder, and spun him to the ground. Katasukashi.

Abi (8-6) defeated Wakamotoharu (9-5). Abi’s attempted henka was caught by Wakamotoharu but as Wakamotoharu attacked, Abi ducked away again. Both men stepped out so a mono-ii was declared and the gyoji’s decision was confirmed. Hikiotoshi.

Asanoyama (9-2-3) defeated Atamifuji (6-8). Asanoyama plugged forward and drove Atamifuji out. I have seen a lot of pulling from Atamifuji during this tournament and it seems to coincide with some interesting calls from the judges to favor the forward-moving rikishi. Atamifuji might want to refocus his efforts on improving his forward moving sumo that had been so successful. Yorikiri.

Sanyaku

Ura (5-9) defeated Shodai (4-10). Ura bulled forward, head down into Shodai. Shodai tried to rip Ura’s arm out (or just heave him over the bales) but Ura retreated. In retreat Ura grabbed Shodai’s right arm, dragged him forward and forced him down. This is the beauty of sumo. Tottari.

Terunofuji (12-2) fusensho. Hoshoryu (10-4) kyujo.

Daieisho (8-6) defeated Kinbozan (6-8). Kinbozan spent this bout pivoting and retreating from Daieisho’s thrusts. But Daieisho pursued and never lost his footing. Oshidashi.

Kotonowaka (12-2) defeated Kirishima (11-3). The big bout of the day. Matta. Matta. Kirishima came at Kotonowaka with a nodowa and apparently no plan for what to do afterward. Kotonowaka endured the nodowa and held his ground. “Is that all you have, geezer?” Kotonowaka broke off the grip and then followed up his own nodowa with an effective pulldown. That forced Kirishima forward and allowed Kotonowaka to come in from behind and shove Kirishima out. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up

I think a lot of the Kirishima skepticism was proven justified today. These results do not entirely close the door to yusho (and likely Yokozuna promotion) but it is being held open a mere crack. Maybe Hoshoryu’s real injury is that his knee is stuck in that door. Let’s look at the math. For a Kirishima yusho he will need to beat Terunofuji tomorrow, Kotonowaka will need to lose, and then Kirishima would have to defeat both in consecutive bouts in the resulting playoff. If each bout is a coinflip, we’re looking at a 6% chance. Since we know these bouts are not coin-flips, the real probability is less than 0.06.

The real yusho race now comes down to Terunofuji and Kotonowaka. We have already discussed what happens if both men lose. If both men win their bouts tomorrow, they will face each other in a playoff. If either man wins while the other loses, the man who wins his bout will claim the yusho with a 13-2 record.

Now, to Kotonowaka’s other prize here: Ozeki promotion. Do you think he has done enough already, with today’s victory over Kirishima? I doubt it. Since he will face a maegashira tomorrow, he will be expected to win that bout and face Terunofuji in a playoff, if he doesn’t win the yusho outright. I am not sure if the Kyokai will draw that line in the sand and make it clear between now and then but I will bring any updates to you.

Hatsu 2024: Day 13 Highlights

Andy Hatsu 2024, Hatsu Basho , , , ,

Today is when the top four guys finally start to face off with the yusho on the line! Everyone else is fighting for pride and a few still have a shot at special prizes, notably Nishonoseki’s big protégé, Onosato. There was also some excitement earlier in the day when Wakatakakage claimed the Makushita yusho. Ajigawa-beya celebrated the Jonokuchi yusho as Anhibiki went undefeated. And Fujiseiun battled back from injury to take the Sandanme crown. Congratulations, men! Jonidan will be decided in a playoff between Aonishiki and Chiyotaiko.

Makuuchi Action

Tohakuryu (7-6) defeated Takarafuji (5-8). The Takarabune attempted to set sail today but a fierce dragon tore at her mast with its powerful talons, and dashed the broken vessel along the rocks. Tsukidashi.

Onosato (9-4) defeated Takanosho (8-5). Onosato kept his head down and shoved Takanosho out. Oshidashi.

Sadanoumi (6-7) defeated Tomokaze (4-9). Sadanoumi outlasted Tomokaze’s tsuppari and blasted the come-back kid with some of his own. Oshidashi.

Tamawashi (8-5) defeated Churanoumi (5-8). A bit of back and forth to start as Churanoumi forced Tamawashi back. Once Tamawashi turned it on, though, he charged forward with powerful blasts and nodowa, and sent Churanoumi flying back. Oshitaoshi.

Meisei (8-5) defeated Kotonosho (8-5). Fierceful tsuppari here. Fantastic slapfest. Kotonowaka tried to slip out of the way of Meisei but Meisei recovered and re-engaged. More tsuppari ensued before Meisei deftly slipped to the side and pushed Kotoshoho down by the shoulder. Tsukiotoshi.

Shimazuumi (9-4) defeated Mitakeumi (5-8). Shimazuumi charged forward and forced Mitakeumi to the bales. Mitakeumi resisted twice, trying to throw Shimazuumi. But Shimazuumi got in behind Mitakeumi and forced him out from the back. Okuridashi.

Oho (8-5) defeated Hiradoumi (6-7). Great back-and-forth before Oho really got Hiradoumi in trouble. Hiradoumi retreated but Oho pursued quickly. Alert leg sweep combined with a hearty shove. Oshitaoshi.

Shonannoumi (3-10) defeated Bushozan (4-9). Shonannoumi’s core strategy has been figured out. Bushozan was wise to the pull and did not fall for it. Tsukiotoshi.

Endo (4-9) defeated Ryuden (3-10). Endo charged forward and pushed Ryuden to the bales. Rather than continue to press forward, Endo grabbed Ryuden and executed a twisting throw. Sukuinage.

Tsurugisho (7-6) defeated Shodai (4-9). The pair of wrestlers settled into a lean. Shodai shifted and baited Tsurugisho into driving forward. Shodai twisted at the edge, and forced Tsurugisho down. Gunbai Shodai. Mono-ii. Shimpan were not satisfied that Shodai had won so they demanded a Torinaoshi (re-do). In the rematch, Tsurugisho pushed Shodai back and then slapped him down. Satisfied that Shodai had lost, the shimpan stayed silent. Someone, call the keisatsu; Shodai was robbed. I demand an investigation. “Hatakikomi.”

Halftime.

Asanoyama (8-2-3) defeated Gonoyama (4-9) Asanoyama charged forward early. The pair reset. Asanoyama charged forward early again? Henka incoming? No. Great, satisfying initial charge. Gonoyama came at Asanoyama with fierce tsuppari that pushed Asanoyama back. But Asanoyama grabbed Gonoyama’s left arm at the edge and twisted Gonoyama down. Asanoyama earned his kachi-koshi. It took a while for the final kimarite call, kotenage.

Abi (7-8) defeated Ichiyamamoto (5-8). Abi pressed forward as Ichi pulled. Abi stayed in the ring as Ichiyamamoto jumped out and Ichi’s slapdown attempt came to nothing. Tsukidashi.

Midorifuji (4-9) defeated Myogiryu (4-9). Myogiryu tried to wrap Midorifuji up with a kimedashi. But this gave Midorifuji a morozashi. Midorifuji used his firm hold around Myogiryu’s trunk and spun Myogiryu down. Makiotoshi.

Atamifuji (6-7) defeated Kinbozan (6-7). Kinbozan is hurt, as lushi888 mentioned in the comments. Kinbozan tried a henka but Atamifuji caught him and shoved him out. When he got caught, Kinbozan capitulated. He knew he was done. Oshidashi.

Wakamotoharu (9-4) defeated Onosho (8-5). Onosho attempted to pull Wakamotoharu down but Wakamotoharu was wise to it. WMH just pressed forward and shoved Onosho out. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Ura defeated Tobizaru. Ura charged forward as Tobizaru threw him. Ura was upside-down in the air while Tobizaru stepped out. Gunbai went to Tobizaru, which I tend to agree with here. But I could easily see a reversal or torinaoshi called. The shimpan obliged and reversed the gyoji’s decision, much to Tobizaru’s disbelief. He did step out before Ura fell. And somehow Ura was not dead. Force out while inverted and airborne. Yorikiri. (I swear, someone has been hitting the sake hard today with these kimarite calls.)

Nishikigi (7-6) defeated Daieisho (7-6). Daieisho fell to his weakness. He charged forward, blasting away, when suddenly Nishikigi was no longer there and Daieisho fell to the ground. Hikiotoshi.

Kirishima (11-2) defeated Hoshoryu (10-3). That was a great bout. Kirishima got the left-hand inside. Hoshoryu’s eyes got big as he charged forward with a strong lefthand inside, right-hand outside. However, Kirishima tripped him and dragged him down with his own left-hand grip. What a beautiful move. Nimaigeri.

Terunofuji (11-2) defeated Kotonowaka (11-2). Terunofuji wrapped up Kotonowaka’s right arm at the tachiai. He had nearly taken the left arm, too. But Kotonowaka had just pulled that back. Panic seemed to set in Kotonowaka’s eyes. He tried to press forward and grasp Terunofuji’s belt but that allowed Terunofuji to wrap up Kotonowaka’s trunk with the right arm, too. So, Kotonowaka tried to pull but the Yokozuna accepted the opportunity to charge forward, released Kotowaka’s arm in favor of the belt, and forced Kotonowaka out. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up

If Daieisho figures out how to do his sumo without falling for the slapdowns and changes of direction, forget Ozeki, he will be Yokozuna. But he keeps falling flat on his face.

Well, while the Kyokai hit the izakaya to figure out the bouts for tomorrow, I am going to make some coffee and post this account of today’s action. I’ll follow up tonight with a brief look at tomorrow’s bouts.