Kotonowaka

Hatsu 2024: Day 6 Highlights

Andy Hatsu 2024, Hatsu Basho , , , , ,

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

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

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

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

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

Well, let’s get to the action.

Makuuchi Highlights

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Halftime

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

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

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

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

Sanyaku

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wrap-up

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

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

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

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

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

Hatsu 2024: Day 5 Highlights

Andy Hatsu 2024, Hatsu Basho ,

Day 5 is upon us.

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

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

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

Makuuchi Highlights

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Halftime

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

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

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

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

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

Sanyaku

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

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

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

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

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

Wrap-up

“And then there were two.”

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

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

Hatsu 2024: Day 3 Highlights

Andy Hatsu 2024, Hatsu Basho , , , ,

Day Two was rather eventful. Wakamotoharu picked up the biggest win of the night but there were several great bouts and, with the exception of a rusty Terunofuji, it was great to see a strong collective performance from the sanyaku.

Makuuchi Highlights

Bushozan (1-2) defeated Aoiyama (0-3). Aoiyama glided straight back and stepped out under Bushozan’s tsuppari. Oshidashi.

Shimazuumi (3-0) defeated Takarafuji (2-1). Shimazuumi fought hard to get his lefthand inside grip. Failing that, he wrapped Takarafuji up in a bear hug and drove forward with all his might. Impressive start for the rookie. Yorikiri.

Onosho (2-1) defeated Onosato (2-1). Onosho charged forward too early, matta. Reset. At the tachiai, Onosho blasted Onosato, drove him straight back and out. This is Onosato’s first loss in the top division. Oshidashi.

Kotoshoho (2-1) defeated (0-3) Tomokaze. Kachiage from Tomokaze at the tachiai but Kotoshoho was able to shove Tomokaze back, almost to the straw bales. Both men blasted their opponent with powerful tsuppari. Tomokaze generated some forward motion under the power of his slaps. As the pair started to move across the ring, Kotoshoho grabbed Tomokaze by the armpit and yanked him forward over the bales. Hikkake.

Myogiryu (1-2) defeated Endo (1-2). Just as Endo drove Myogiryu to the edge, Myogiryu stepped to the side and shoved Endo down, hard. Tsukiotoshi.

Takanosho (2-1) defeated Churanoumi (2-1). Another powerful oshi contest. Takanosho demonstrated the most powerful shoving ability, pushing Churanoumi out. Oshidashi.

Oho (2-1) defeated Sadanoumi (1-2). Oho yanked Sadanoumi around and shoved him out. Another oshidashi.

Tamawashi (2-1) defeated Tsurugisho (1-2). What the hell is this? Tsurugisho forced Tamawashi into a belt battle? Tsurugisho wrapped up Tamawashi with his left-hand inside. He drove Tamawashi across the ring but Tamawashi used his own grip to counter, guiding Tsurugisho over the bales – and over the edge! Impressive power from Tamawashi. He fought Tsurugisho at Tsurugisho’s game and won. Nice. Thank you, Tamawashi. Yorikiri.

Meisei (1-2) defeated Hiradoumi (2-1). Back to the oshi-tsuki battles. Meisei won this one with powerful thrusts, shoving Hiradoumi off the dohyo and into the crowd. Oshidashi.

Mitakeumi (2-1) defeated Hokuseiho (1-2). Mitakeumi denied Hokuseiho a grip by crushing him, driving forward powerfully, and quickly out. Oshidashi.

Asanoyama (3-0) defeated Shonannoumi (1-2). Asanoyama is strong. He drove forcefully into Shonannoumi, forcing him back. Shonannoumi tried to slip to the side at the edge but Asanoyama had him wrapped up, kept his opponent in front of him and drove him out. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Kinbozan (2-1) defeated Ichiyamamoto (0-3). Ichiyamamoto hit Kinbozan with a strong tachiai but Kinbozan was far too powerful for Ichiyamamoto. Kinbozan drove forward and thrust Ichi out. Tsukidashi.

Nishikigi (2-1) defeated Shodai (2-1). Nishikigi did not allow Shodai to escape. The winning formula was simple: Move forward, push out. Yorikiri.

Tobizaru (2-1) defeated Ryuden (0-3). Tobizaru fought hard for that morozashi. Once he got that right hand grip in there, he yanked Ryuden around, powerfully. He nearly got the shitatenage but Ryuden kept his balance and resisted with all his might at the edge. Tobizaru drove forward and finished him by shoving him over the bales. Excellent effort from both men but Tobizaru was the stronger man today.

Sanyaku

Gonoyama (1-2) fusensho. Takayasu (1-2) kyujo.

Hokutofuji (2-1) defeated Daieisho (2-1). Daieisho, what the hell was that? “I’m going to use my powerful tsuppari to blast Hokutofuji…and then give up and let him run me out the other side of the dohyo.” Seriously, he hit Hokutofuji hard, blasts him with tsuppari and drove him back to the tawara. Then he completely gave up and Hokutofuji chased him out. Yes, Daieisho tried to slip to the side and tried to catch him with a hatakikomi. But Hokutofuji maintained his balance this time, kept his sights on Daieisho, and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Kotonowaka (3-0) defeated Midorifuji (0-3). Kotonowaka was in total control. Impressive. Katasukashi. That’s usually Midorifuji’s thing but in the center of the ring, Kotonowaka yanked Midorifuji down by the shoulder, almost crushing him with that weight.

Hoshoryu (3-0) defeated Ura (0-3). Ura locked on to Hoshoryu’s belt and drove forward with purpose. Hoshoryu tried to trip him but completely whiffed, sending him, off balance toward the edge. At the last moment, Hoshoryu summoned all of the strength he had to twist and throw Ura to the ground. Wow. Where did that come from? He was off-balance and about to go out. Sukuinage.

Kirishima (3-0) defeated Atamifuji (0-3). Kirishima’s hatakikomi didn’t work, so he tried to topple Atamifuji with a throw. Atamifuji resisted and grabbed on to Kirishima’s belt but his back was on the ropes. Kirishima grabbed him and drove forward, dumping Atamifuji into the crowd below. Yorikiri.

Wakamotoharu (2-1) defeated Takakeisho (2-1). Takakeisho tried to use his tsuppari and was able to force Wakamotoharu to the edge. But he tired quickly and Wakamotoharu thrust him through the ring and out for his second consecutive scalp. Tsukidashi.

Terunofuji (2-1) defeated Abi (0-3). Terunofuji grabbed Abi by the arm and yanked him forward to the floor. Tottari.

Wrap-up

Takayasu’s kyujo was a bit of a surprise to me so I will report on any updates I find about the length of his absence. If he is out for the whole tournament, he will basically have until March to recover and will fall into the midst of the rank-and-file.

Some rather wintery weather here means this summary will be a bit brief while we dig out. Wakamotoharu has now scored two great upset victories, prepping him for special prizes and a return to sanyaku if his performance holds out.

Other than some rather “blah” hiramaku bouts, we did get some humdingers in sanyaku, especially that Ura/Hoshoryu bout. That was a thrill and I still don’t know how Hoshoryu not only recovered but slammed Ura so hard after throwing himself off-balance after whiffing on that trip — all while being shoved by Ura. That was impressive. The Ozeki were definitely tested, with only Takakeisho falling to WMH. Kotonowaka was the most in control and dominant against Midorifuji, defeating him by Midori’s own signature katasukashi. Kotonowaka’s size difference gave a bit of a katasu-crushy flavor.

Kyushu 2023: Day 11

Andy Kyushu 2023, Kyushu Basho , ,

We open today with four men in the lead and six chasing. Even better news, Kirishima is already kachi-koshi and both Takakeisho and Hoshoryu are one-win away. We’ve been used to having only one Ozeki or kadoban Ozeki for so long, it’s like we can focus on other drama, for once.

  • 2敗: Kirishima, Kotonowaka, Atamifuji, Ichiyamamoto
  • 3敗: Takakeisho, Hoshoryu, Midorifuji, Ryuden, Hiradoumi, Churanoumi

This is still quite an open contest with contenders up-and-down the banzuke. Hopefully today will offer a bit more clarity once the action is complete.

Highlights

Nishikifuji (4-7) defeated Tomokaze (6-5). Tomokaze was stuck in rewind. Nishikifuji pressed forward easily to pick up the win. Oshidashi.

Tsurugisho (6-5) defeated Takarafuji (3-8). Takarafuji showed the initiative and drove forward but Tsurugisho rotated at the edge. Takarafuji resisted desperately but Tsurugisho increased the pressure, forcing Takarafuji to the floor. Valiant effort from both men. Yoritaoshi.

Sadanoumi (6-5) defeated Kitanowaka (4-7). Kitanowaka spun Sadanoumi around but Sadanoumi stayed in and regained position in the center of the ring. Sadanoumi pulled up and drove forward with all his might, forcing Kitanowaka to the ground over the tawara. Yoritaoshi.

Sadanoumi will face the resurgent Tsurugisho on Day 12. Seriously, how did he get to be 6-5?

Mitakeumi (7-4) defeated Roga (3-8). Roga slapped Mitakeumi at the tachiai. I don’t think that was wise. Enraged, Mitakeumi plowed forward and drove Roga out. Lesson: if you want to be make-koshi, slap a former Ozeki. Yorikiri.

Atamifuji (9-2) defeated Churanoumi (7-4). Locked-in, full steam ahead. Power sumo from Atamifuji. Oshidashi.

Endo (3-8) defeated Tohakuryu (3-8). Endo kept his legs churning forward and Tohakuryu kept his legs churning in reverse. Thankfully, forward-facing sumo won today. Oshidashi.

Endo will face Kitanowaka tomorrow. Tohakuryu will fight the Juryo visitor, Shimazuumi.

Tamawashi (7-4) defeated Kinbozan (6-5). Tamawashi grabbed Kinbozan’s face and wrenched him forward. Now behind his opponent, Tamawashi pushed Kinbozan out from behind. Okuridashi.

Kinbozan will fight Mitakeumi. Mitakeumi is seeking his kachi-koshi but Kinbozan holds a 2-0 edge in this rivalry.

Hokuseiho (5-6) defeated Oho (6-5). Again, Hokuseiho wrapped up his opponent in a double-over arm kimedashi-style grip, granting Oho a double-handed inside morozashi. Oho then used his morozashi and pressed forward. At the edge, though, Hokuseiho pivoted and dragged Oho down by the arm. Slick. Kotenage.

Hokuseiho will fight Roga; Oho will face Tamawashi, which should be interesting.

Midorifuji (8-3) defeated Hiradoumi (7-4). Midorifuji kachi-koshi. Midorifuji wrapped up Hiradoumi with a double-inside grip and pressed forward like Oho. Like Hokuseiho, Hiradoumi pivoted at the edge. But Midorifuji was ready, kept Hiradoumi centered, and pushed him out. Oshidashi.

Hiradoumi will fight Churanoumi with kachi-koshi on the line. He my have dodged a bullet with this loss. Churanoumi vs Daieisho…who would you rather fight?

Myogiryu (4-7) defeated Onosho (2-9). Myogiryu hit Onosho with a nodowa. Onosho raised his hands and slapped Myogiryu and unleashed his own nodowa. But Myogiryu wrenched him forward by pulling on his right arm. Hikiotoshi.

Tomorrow, these guys get a pair of May-December Isegahama stablemates from Aomori. Myogiryu will take on Takarafuji and Onosho will fight Nishikifuji.

Halftime

Ryuden (8-3) defeated Nishikigi (6-5). Ryuden charged forward too early. Matta and reset. After the tachiai Ryuden quickly secured his left-hand inside grip and pressed forward, always seeking a hold with his right arm, as well. Nishikigi resisted for a while but was unable to get relief as Ryuden continued to press forward, forcing Nishikigi out. Yorikiri.

Takanosho (5-6) kyujo. Gonoyama (5-6) fusen win.

Takayasu (7-4) defeated Shonannoumi (6-5). Takayasu locked on with a right-hand outside grip, his left wrapped just inside Shonannoumi’s right armpit. He pivoted and overpowered Shonannoumi, forcing him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Takayasu will face Ryuden. This will be a fun one to watch. Shonannoumi will fight Tomokaze.

Tobizaru (5-6) defeated Ura (4-7). Ura pulled and tried to slap Tobizaru down but Tobizaru drove forward and forced Ura down at the edge. Oshitaoshi.

Tobizaru will face Gonoyama.

Hokutofuji (3-8) defeated Meisei (3-8). Hokutofuji pressed Meisei backwards but Meisei countered by pulling Hokutofuji forward by his arm. Hokutofuji recovered, chased Meisei, wrapped him up and forced him over the bales. Yorikiri.

Abi (4-7) defeated Shodai (5-6). Abi-zumo quickly dispatched Shodai. Oshidashi.

Abi will face Meisei; Shodai will take on Ura.

Daieisho (7-4) defeated Ichiyamamoto (8-3). Ichiyamamoto pressed forward hard into Daieisho. He was pitched a bit too far forward so Daieisho used a slight sidestep to pull him forward and down. Hikiotoshi.

Daieisho is the Kyokai’s clean-up man. After handing Ichiyamamoto a dose of reality, he will be paired with high-flying Midorifuji. Ichiyamamoto will have another tough bout with Nishikigi.

Kotonowaka (9-2) defeated Takakeisho (7-4). Kotonowaka reached behind Takakeisho, stepped to the side, and pulled him forward. From there, he was fully behind T-Rex so, it was a simple push to send Takakeisho packing. Okuridashi. The rope run is dead. Long live the Ozeki Run!

Hoshoryu (8-3) defeated Asanoyama (1-3-7). Asanoyama tried to rotate and throw Hoshoryu with his over-arm right-hand grip (uwatenage) but Hoshoryu countered with his right hand inside, throwing Asanoyama to the ground and landing on top. Shitatenage.

For an early dinner, Hoshoryu is being fed Atamifuji. Or is that the other way ’round? Yusho race implications there. A Hoshoryu win will have both men in the chase group. An Atamifuji win, on the other hand, will mean a two-man lead with the winner of Kirishima/Kotonowaka. Oh, and umm…Asanoyama will take on Hokutofuji. That should be interesting, too. Umm…yeah.

Kirishima (9-2) defeated Wakamotoharu (4-7). Wakamotoharu resisted at the bales for a while but Kirishima did not relent. Yorikiri.

Kirishima will fight Kotonowaka in a bout with not only yusho implications but also Kotonowaka’s promotion hopes hanging in the balance. Wakamotoharu must win out to preserve his sekiwake status. First on that quest, Takakeisho seeking kachi-koshi. Oof.

Wrap-up

From a 10-man leaderboard at the start of today’s action, we’re down to 7. There will be more attrition tomorrow with head-to-head action among four of our leaders while the other three are moved up to fight other high-ranked opponents.

  • 2敗: Kirishima, Kotonowaka, Atamifuji
  • 3敗: Hoshoryu, Midorifuji, Ryuden, Ichiyamamoto

Hoshoryu got his kachi-koshi. Two wins in these closing days, and he’ll get 10. Takakeisho still needs one more win in the final four days to be kachi-koshi and still even has an okay chance at ending up with double-digits.

Unfortunately, Takanosho has joined Kotoeko on the couch, watching from home. With five wins, even if he doesn’t return, he’s still positioned to be Maegashira 10 or 11 in January. Kotoeko, on the other hand, is looking at demotion to Juryo.