Kotozakura

Aki 2026: Day Seven

Andy Aki 2026 ,

Day Seven in Tokyo.

No news from the infirmary, no new kyujo to report. Sasaki Ichiro, sumo reporter from Nikkan Sports, broke a story yesterday that Nishikifuji faces heart surgery at the end of this tournament. Heart surgery doesn’t exactly sound like the kind of thing one recovers quickly from…even in sumo. He had been kyujo from the jungyo due to atrial fibrillation, or “A fib,” as they call it on those ubiquitous medicine commercials.

Ikarigata, Fujinokawa’s brother, is currently near the top of makushita, Ms4W. He visited Juryo and suffered his first loss today against Hitoshi. While he’s now out of the yusho race, he still has hopes of promotion to Juryo from that high rank, though he likely needs at least two wins. Meanwhile, Asahifuji got his third win against Daikisho.

Kitanowaka, Kagayaki and Kayo remain undefeated, much to my surprise. I just feel that if Nishikigi had read the brief, he would know exactly what Kayo does and he would have been prepared. Kayo shuffles back and to the side, attempting slapdowns. To my utter frustration, he’s been very successful this tournament.

NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Shonannoumi defeated Kazekeno. Shonannoumi shifted right, grabbed Kazekeno’s belt and dragged him forward. Uwatenage.

Asasuiryu (4-3) defeated Tokihayate (4-3). Asasuiryu planted his head in Takihayate’s jaw at the tachiai. Tokihayate pulled and rotated right so Asasuiryu adjusted left and forced Tokihayate over the bales. Yorikiri.

Chiyoshoma (4-3) defeated Tobizaru (3-4). Tobizaru got his right hand inside. Chiyoshoma rotated clockwise in reverse, using that right arm to drag Tobizaru forward. Kotenage.

Asakoryu (4-3) defeated Wakamotoharu (4-3). It felt like Wakamotoharu was still trying to come up with a plan of attack as he was being shoved over the bales. He was stiff and far too high. Asakoryu shoved him back and out. Oshidashi.

Kinbozan (5-2) defeated Abi (4-3). Kinbozan was the more powerful Abi. His tsuppari forced Abi to the bales quickly. Kinbozan sustained the attack and shoved Abi out. Oshidashi.

Oho (2-5) defeated Toshinofuji (5-2). Oho wrapped up Toshinofuji and made him pay when Toshinofuji decided to pull. I’m just not even going to yell about it anymore, though I really, really want to… Aw, hell. Here goes. MOVE FORWARD!! This time I don’t have to yell it at Oho. He benefited when Toshinofuji pulled. Oho used that bearhug grip and forced Toshinofuji out. Yorikiri.

Asahakuryu (4-3) defeated Shishi (3-4). Asahakuryu forced Shishi to the bales. Shishi used the tawara for resistance and clung on for a long time. Shishi tried to move laterally left along the bales but Asahakuryu eventually overpowered him and forced him out. Shishi’s held his left leg up, awkwardly, a few times during this bout. I couldn’t tell if he was just trying to step forward or if he was cradling it because it hurt. He was still able to plant it in the tawara, put weight on it and resist, so I’m not convinced it was because of injury. But I’ll watch that. Yorikiri.

Shodai (1-6) defeated Ura (5-2). Ura charged ahead but Shodai moved laterally to the right and slapped Ura down. Hatakikomi.

Ichiyamamoto (1-6) defeated Nishikifuji (2-5). Nishikifuji pulled and Ichiyamamoto capitalized, bulling his way forward. Oshitaoshi.

Fujiseiun (5-2) defeated Asanoyama (5-2). Fujiseiun went belly-to-belly against Asanoyama. Though Asanoyama got his right hand inside, Fujiseiun resisted and even went on the attack. Asanoyama’s right leg strayed forward a bit so Fujiseiun used his left leg to try a trip. Asanoyama stayed up but changed his position, keeping that right leg away. Fujiseiun was then able to rotate slightly and pull Asanoyama forward by his shoulder. Katasukashi.

Halftime

Oshoma (4-3) defeated Hiradoumi (3-4). Oshoma crab-walked left along the tawara and shoved Hiradoumi to the ground. Tsukiotoshi.

Roga (5-2) defeated Takerufuji (4-3). Takerufuji just couldn’t make any forward progress. He pulled, briefly, but that helped Roga gain some forward momentum. Roga forced him back and out. Yorikiri.

Takayasu (3-4) defeated Takanosho (3-4). Takanosho opted for a yotsu battle instead of his usual tsuppari. Takayasu kept trying to get his right hand uwate grip but Takanosho’s belt was too far away. Takayasu shifted left and cut Takanosho’s grip, propelling Takanosho forward. Takayasu pursued and shoved him out from behind. Okuridashi.

Yoshinofuji (2-5) defeated Kotoeiho (2-5). Yoshinofuji pivoted on his right foot and dragged Kotoeiho around to the bales with his big right hand uwate grip. He then forced Kotoeiho to hop over the bales. It took forever for them to decide it was a run-of-the-mill yorikiri. Maybe they were debating uwatenage? Yorikiri.

Sanyaku

Kotoshoho (3-4) defeated Hakunofuji (1-6). Hakunfuji planted his left foot in the tawara and tried to pivot for a throw. But Kotoshoho used his right hand grip and charged through his opponent. Kotoshoho used Hakunofuji as a sled and rode him down the dohyo. Yoritaoshi.

Fujinokawa (5-2) defeated Daieisho (2-5). Daieisho seemed to execute his strategy but Fujinokawa just hung in there and kept blasting away with his own thrusts and parries, shoving Daieisho out. Oshidashi.

Aonishiki (4-3) defeated Atamifuji (5-2). You really shouldn’t allow Aonishiki to get a morozashi. Don’t get me wrong, Aonishiki had to work for this win and Atamifuji sure made him work, but he got that left hand inside early. Then, when he got his right hand inside, he was able to really start driving Atamifuji back. Yorikiri.

Kotozakura (6-1) defeated Fujiryoga (2-5). Without moving backward, Kotozakura rotated right and pulled Fujiryoga down. If you’re always running backward, your opponent doesn’t have to push hard and put their weight forward. Katasukashi.

Kirishima (5-2) defeated Gonoyama (2-5). After Gonoyama’s shift nearly caught Kirishima out, Kirishima adapted, grabbed Gonoyama’s right arm and pulled him down to the ground. Tottari.

Onosato (6-1) defeated Churanoumi (5-2). Calm, collected. Churanoumi tried to shift and attack from the side but Onosato pivoted and struck out with his own thrusts. Onosato quickly shoved Churanoumi back and out. Oshidashi.

Wrap-up

Onosato and Kotozakura lead and I’m not even upset. Excellent sumo from both men today. That’s exactly what I have been looking for from these guys.

Nakabi tomorrow and we will turn, in earnest, to the yusho race. Onosato will cap off that action tomorrow against Takanosho. Takanosho will hope to get the Yokozuna moving backward but Onosato must not let that happen. Kotozakura will fight Hakunofuji, and Aonishiki will take on Daieisho. Kirishima is set to square off against Churanoumi. Fujinokawa versus Takayasu should be a highlight. Atamifuji will fight Kotoeiho.

Aki 2026: Day Six

Andy Aki 2026 ,

Day Six in Tokyo

Nabatame is back from the infirmary and his brief bout with mumps. Childhood mumps claimed my mother’s hearing but for Nabatame, it only took a sick day.

The middle weekend is rapidly approaching and we have four wrestlers with zero wins and two kyujo (not including Hoshoryu). Juryo, however, is short on early promotion prospects. Daiseizan is still the best option at 5-1 from Juryo 3 East, though he lost to Sadanoumi. This has makings of an overloaded barge and likely some lighter than expected demotions.

Kitanowaka, Kagayaki and Kayo lead heading into the middle weekend, determined to make me eat my words from a few days ago. Kayo will fight Nishikigi and Kagayaki will face Tochitaikai, who has dropped three in a row. Kitanowaka will fight Onokatsu.

In Jonokuchi, Joshoyu picked up his third win against Fukufukumaru. In Jonidan, Kakizoe is looking to back up his Jonokuchi yusho, defeating Fujiyuho. Najima is in the mix! He defeated Ryuseiyama to also move to 3-0. Up in Makushita, Tenshoyama might now be the favorite for the yusho. He has only lost three times in his brief career, two of those famously to Asahifuji. With Asahifuji in Makushita in Nagoya, that gave Tenshoyama the chance to dominate Sandanme.

While both men have the day off, Ikarigata will head to Juryo for a shot at an early kachi-koshi against Hitoshi.

NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Tokihayate (4-2) defeated Shonannoumi (0-6). Shonannoumi put in a valiant effort and threw everything he had at Tokihayate. From his kachiage at the tachiai to his attempted slapdown to his attempted throw, Shonannoumi tried it all but Tokihayate pressed ahead and forced Shonannoumi out. Yorikiri.

Tobizaru (3-3) defeated Onokatsu (3-3). Tobizaru charged ahead into Onokatsu but it was a feint. He waited for Onokatsu to put his weight too far forward and then pulled. Onokatsu fell to the slapdown. Hatakikomi.

Toshinofuji (5-1) defeated Chiyoshoma (3-3). Toshinofuji got both hands inside Chiyoshoma’s and drove forward. Chiyoshoma tried an uwatenage at the edge but Toshinofuji was in control and corralled him. Yoritaoshi.

Abi (4-2) defeated Asasuiryu (3-3). Henka! Not the way you were expecting, though. Asasuiryu jumped left but Abi quickly gave chase, pounding Asasuiryu with tsuppari and a wicked headbutt. Asasuiryu tried to retreat but Abi slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

Wakamotoharu (4-2) defeated Oho (1-5). This was quite the brawl with both men trading steady fire. Wakamotoharu surprised me by working his way inside, rather than attempting to slip to the side with his back at the edge. He pressed forward and forced Oho out. Oho tried the last-ditch throw at the edge but fell to his fifth loss. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (4-2) defeated Asakoryu (3-3). Asakoryu jumped left, like his brother, and got beat. Kinbozan really stuck with this bout as Asakoryu’s thrusts and throw attempt certainly gave him fits and nearly took him out. He slipped Asakoryu’s throw attempt, which was a bit overzealous, leading to Asakoryu exposing his back to Kinbozan. Kinbozan seized the opportunity and shoved Asakoryu out from behind. Okuridashi.

Ura (5-1) defeated Asahakuryu (3-3). Ura grabbed Asahakuryu’s left arm and dragged him forward. As Asahakuryu tried to step on the brakes, Ura shifted right and shoved him from the side. Oshidashi.

Shishi (3-3) defeated Shodai (0-6). Coyote’s suit against Acme has left Shodai with no supplier of tricks at the edge. Shodai needs to retool quickly. His pulls are not fooling anyone. He tried to shove Shishi over the bales while shifting right but Shishi kept his head down and forced Shodai out. Yorikiri.

Asanoyama (5-1) defeated Hiradoumi (3-3). Power vs Power here as Asanoyama and Hiradoumi squared up in the center of the ring. Asanoyama sensed an opportunity, grabbed Hiradoumi’s arm and stepped back, thrusting Hiradoumi headlong to the clay. Tsukiotoshi.

Takerufuji (4-2) defeated Ichiyamamoto (0-6). Takerufuji got a double-inside grip and forced Ichiyamamoto back and out. Though Ichiyamamoto seemed sad walking back down the hanamichi, one gets the sense he still prefers this to his old office job. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Nishikifuji (2-4) defeated Roga (4-2). Henka #3! Nishikifuji jumped left but Roga pivoted quickly to reengage. Roga pressed into Nishikifuji but Nishikifuji pulled and shoved Roga down. Tsukiotoshi.

Fujiseiun (4-2) defeated Oshoma (3-3). Fujiseiun knew better than to be too aggressive with Oshoma. Instead, he weathered Oshoma’s tsuppari and blocked what he could. Oshoma tried a short, quick pull but that seemed to give Fujiseiun the opportunity he needed to force his way forward. Oshidashi.

Churanoumi (5-1) defeated Fujiryoga (2-4) We had everything in this bout. First, a fierce brawl, then a long grapple. Fujiryoga tried a sukuinage as the pair tussled at the edge but Churanoumi grabbed the front of his belt and pulled up while sweeping his leg at the same time. Kirikaeshi.

Kotoeiho (2-4) defeated Takayasu (2-4). Kachiage from Takayasu, followed by a wicked shove from his left hand to Kotoeiho’s face. Kotoeiho turned that into an opportunity by shoving Takayasu’s left hand and threatening to get behind. Takayasu quickly spun away but Kotoeiho pursued and shoved him off the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Daieisho (2-4) defeated Hakunofuji (1-5). Standard Daieisho sumo here. He whaled on Hakunofuji with tsuppari and as Hakunofuji bulled forward to fight back, Daieisho pulled and slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

Atamifuji (5-1) defeated Kotoshoho (2-4). Kotoshoho hit Atamifuji hard, then pulled and tried a sukuinage. Atamifuji planted his foot and pivoted to keep up with Kotoshoho, then charged forward and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Kotozakura (5-1) defeated Takanosho (3-3). Kotozakura moved forward! And he won! He quickly forced Takanosho back. Takanosho tried to move laterally at the edge and catch Kotozakura off-balance but Kotozakura kept his footing, adjusted and battered Takanosho, thrusting him from the ring. What a pleasant surprise. Tsukidashi.

Yoshinofuji (1-5) defeated Kirishima (4-2). Wow. Bout of the day so far. And what a way to pick up your first win! Absolutely blistering tachiai from Kirishima but Yoshinofuji didn’t back down. Kirishima worked him to the edge where Yoshinofuji shocked the crowd by nearly catching Kirishima with an uwatenage. Kirishima somehow resisted at the edge and regained the upper hand, driving back into Yoshinofuji. However, Yoshinofuji again went to that uwatenage and this time pulled it off in slow, dramatic, spectacular fashion. Kirishima smiled with the loss. One of those few L’s that you’re actually proud of. Great bout. Uwatenage.

Fujinokawa (4-2) defeated Aonishiki (3-3). Aonishiki got a left hand outside grip but Fujinokawa seemed to foil Aonishiki’s throw attempts by trying to trip him each time. Both men fought extraordinarily hard for a solid grip. After Aonishiki released his grip to avoid being thrown, Fujinokawa managed to get his right hand deep at the back of Aonishiki’s belt. Here, he was lower than Aonishiki and drove up into the Ozeki, forcing him back and out. Yorikiri.

Onosato (5-1) defeated Gonoyama (2-4). Onosato committed to the slapdown from the word jump. The crowd clapped at his victory but one could sense the letdown after the previous two bouts. Hatakikomi.

Wrap-up

The title race heats up on Day Seven. At the top of the banzuke, Onosato will fight Churanoumi in the musubi-no-ichiban. Kirishima will fight Gonoyama, Kotozakura will take on Fujiryoga and Aonishiki is set to take on Atamifuji.

Fujinokawa will face off against Daieisho and Hakunofuji will fight Kotoshoho. Lower down the banzuke, Asanoyama will fight Fujiseiun, Ura gets his turn against Shodai and Toshinofuji will fight Oho.

Natsu 2026: Day ツー

Andy Natsu 2026, Natsu Basho ,

As expected, Hoshoryu is kyujo. Heal up, Yokozuna.

Enho picked up a second win as he forced Hakuyozan out, over the edge. Enho improves to 2-0. Midorifuji destroyed Kayo to pick up his first win.

Your NHK videos are here. Not to be out-done, Abema offers a few nice videos on Twitter of the fights in the lower divisions, like the one above.

Makuuchi Action

Fujiryoga (2-0) defeated Wakanosho (1-1). Tsuppari-filled brawl here. Wakanosho introduced a little misdirection and nearly caught Fujiryoga. Fujiryoga recovered quickly and reengaged. He hit Wakanosho hard in the left shoulder and thrust him down to the ground. Tsukiotoshi.

Oshoumi (1-1) defeated Ryuden (0-2). Oshoumi overpowered Ryuden with his left-hand inside grip. He bulldozed Ryuden through the ring and drove him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Tobizaru (2-0) defeated Mitakeumi (1-1). Tobizaru got a left-hand inside grip and began a hug-and-chug, gaburi yotsu, to force Mitakeumi to the edge. Mitakeumi turned to run away but Tobizaru just shoved him out from behind. If Mitakeumi’s right wrist is injured, like Wulftrax called out yesterday, that would explain how easily Tobizaru dispatched him. Okuridashi.

Roga (1-1) defeated Tamawashi (0-2). Roga overpowered Tamawashi; drove him straight back and out with a right hand inside grip. Tamawashi’s ottsuke was unable to dislodge Roga’s hold and his own tsuppari could not force Roga back. Yorikiri.

Kotoeiho (2-0) defeated Shishi (0-2). Kotoeiho ate his Wheaties this morning. He’d gotten a right hand grip early in the bout but Shishi pulled it off. As the two tussled, Kotoeiho re-established that right-hand overarm hold, rotated, and threw Shishi. Uwatenage.

Kinbozan (2-0) defeated Tokihayate (0-2). Tokihayate drove into Kinbozan and forced him back to the edge. As they neared the edge, Kinbozan pivoted and used his left-hand overarm grip to drag Tokihayate over the bales. Uwatenage.

Hakunofuji (1-1) defeated Asanoyama (1-1). Hakunofuji charged forward at the tachiai. Asanoyama backed up and tried to slap him down. Asanoyama leapt back as he reached the bales and Hakunofuji fell to the ground. Gunbai Asanoyama. Mono-ii. The shimpan review decided Asanoyama’s foot had gone out before Hakunofuji fell, overturning the judges original ruling. Oshidashi.

Nishikifuji (1-1) defeated Ura (1-1). Nishikifuji battered Ura as if the pink warrior had insulted his mother. Nishikifuji’s powerful tsuppari drove Ura back and out of the ring. Oshidashi.

Asahakuryu (1-1) defeated Oshoma (0-2). Oshoma slid back and held Asahakuryu at bay. Then he suddenly pulled and tried to trip Asahakuryu as Asahakuryu charged forward. It didn’t work. Asahakuryu drove forward and forced Oshoma back and out. Oshidashi.

Asakoryu (2-0) defeated Abi (1-1). Abi went for the belt to neutralize Asakoryu’s high-octane attack. It didn’t work. Asakoryu established a left-hand inside grip, pivoted, and threw Abi forward to the ground. Takasago-beya can celebrate the Kohaku victories today. Shitatenage.

Roga was the only competitor on the West side to win during the first half of action. Tamawashi could not make it an East-side sweep.

Halftime

Churanoumi (2-0) defeated Chiyoshoma (0-2). Chiyoshoma battered Churanoumi with tsuppari and then tried a poorly executed slapdown. Churanoumi kept his balance and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Shodai (1-1) defeated Fujiseiun (1-1). Shodai shifted right along the bales and pulled Fujiseiun down at the edge by his shoulder. Katasukashi.

Daieisho (2-0) defeated Wakamotoharu (0-2). Daieisho hit Wakamotoharu at the tachiai then shifted right, pulling Wakamotoharu down. Hatakikomi.

Oho (1-1) defeated Gonoyama (1-1). Oho engaged Gonoyama at the tachiai. Gonoyama tried to shove Oho’s left arm down and ended up losing his balance, falling face first to the clay. Hatakikomi.

Sanyaku

Takayasu (2-0) defeated Ichiyamamoto (1-1). Ichiyamamoto plowed ahead with his head butts and tsuppari. Takayasu shifted left before he reached the bales and pulled Ichiyamamoto down. Hikiotoshi.

Hiradoumi (1-1) defeated Atamifuji (0-2). Hiradoumi got his left-hand uwate early in the bout. But when he was able to get that right-hand inside grip he was finally able to get the leverage needed to pull Atamifuji up, force him back and over the edge. Yorikiri.

Takanosho (1-1) defeated Kotoshoho (0-2). Takanosho blew Kotoshoho away. I don’t think anyone in the arena had that on their bingo card because everyone seemed to quietly processing what just happened. Oshidashi.

Fujinokawa (2-0) default win over Hoshoryu (0-2).

Wakatakakage (2-0) defeated Kotozakura (0-2). Wakatakakage got his right-hand inside and left-hand outside hold of Kotozakura’s belt. Once that hold was firmly established, he bulldozed Kotozakura to the edge. Kotozakura tried to borrow one of Shodai’s tricks at the edge but it didn’t work and Wakatakakage powered him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Kirishima (2-0) defeated Yoshinofuji (1-1). Yoshinofuji wanted that early belt grip but Kirishima ripped his hand away and brawled. As Yoshinofuji tried to re-establish an attack, Kirishima shifted to the side and shove him down.

Wrap-up

Tobizaru is looking good so far this tournament. Of the veterans battling at the bottom of the division, he’s looked the strongest, so far.

There’s no yusho race at this point. Thankfully no one seems to have gone and injured themselves today, so hopefully no new kyujo tomorrow in the top division.

Looking at tomorrow’s sanyaku bouts, Takayasu will fight Hiradoumi, Wakatakakage will fight Yoshinofuji, Kotoshoho will try to get his first win this tournament against Ichiyamamoto. Atamifuji faces Oho, Kirishima will fight Fujinokawa and the other winless Koto will battle Takanosho in the musubi-no-ichiban.

Haru 2026: Shonichi

Andy Haru 2026, Haru Basho , , ,

Lower division updates first. Asahifuji obliterated his Jonidan opponent and looks hungry for a second straight lower division title. In Makushita, Enho is off to a good start with his defeat of Hidenoumi. 1-0.

As usual, your NHK videos are here. Click “I understand,” and then find the “続きを読む,” in the middle of the page, click, and that will expand and show all of the videos.

Makuuchi Action

Kotoeiho defeated Ryuden. Kotoeiho drove forward with his left hand inside and dumped Ryuden over the edge. Overpowering Ryuden like that is not a good sign for Ryuden. He did not seem able to put weight on that right foot. Yoritaoshi.

Kinbozan defeated Fujiryoga. Fujiryoga’s rise has been so fast he sports the zambara hair-style. His hair is getting longer but it’s not quite long enough for a chonmage (top-knot). Fujiryoga put his head down and charged in through Kinbozan’s tsuppari, forcing Kinbozan back to the bales. Kinbozan used excellent footwork to cycle backwards along the tawara and back into center. Kinbozan then laid into Fujiryoga with more tsuppari, drove him back and shoved him over the bales. “Welcome to Makuuchi.” Oshidashi.

Mitakeumi defeated Asahakuryu. Mitakeumi pressed forward and drove Asahakuryu over the edge. Asahakuryu seemed to try a last second twist to escape but he might as well have been scratching an itch. It was completely ineffective as Mitakeumi shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Nishikifuji defeated Chiyoshoma. Nishikifuji got his left hand inside and charged forward. Chiyoshoma tried to shift direction but Nishikifuji stuck with him, drove him back and forced him over the tawara. Solid fundamentals. Yorikiri.

Fujiseiun defeated Asanoyama. Asanoyama started with good tachiai but he pulled backward and tried to slap Fujiseiun down. Fujiseiun used excellent footwork to keep his balance and charge forward into Asanoyama, shoving the former Ozeki over the edge. Oshidashi.

Asakoryu defeated Tobizaru. Asakoryu blasted his way forward behind effective tsuppari. Tobizaru tried to wrap up Asakoryu’s head for a kubinage but Asakoryu slipped from Tobizaru’s grasp and thrust him down to the clay. Tsukiotoshi.

Shishi defeated Oshoumi. Shishi shifted direction at the tachiai but Oshoumi reacted well and wrapped up the Ukrainian. Oshoumi chugged forward but Shishi dug deep and stopped at the bales. Shishi got his left hand inside, twisted Oshoumi back to the bales and pressed forward until Oshoumi fell backward. Yoritaoshi.

Gonoyama defeated Roga. Roga got his left hand quickly on Gonoyama’s mawashi and pulled. Gonoyama did well to stay upright and chase Roga back to the bales, eventually driving him over the edge. Oshidashi.

Tokihayate defeated Tamawashi. Tokihayate quickly got a morozashi, double-inside grip on Tamawashi’s belt, then drove forward and forced Tamawashi back and out. Yorikiri.

Ura defeated Shodai. You could hear a pin drop at this tachiai. Such a huge crowd, completely silent as they waited for Shodai to attack. Instead, Ura plowed forward and forced the former Ozeki out. Oshidashi.

Oshoma defeated Hakunofuji. Hakunofuji got a morozashi but Oshoma quickly pulled back to free himself, then slapped Hakunofuji down as he jumped back over the edge. Gunbai Oshoma. Mono-ii. Hakunofuji limped off the dohyo to await the shimpan’s decision. I don’t think his shisho was kidding about that leg injury. The committee decided the gyoji’s call was correct, Hakunofuji had come down first before Oshoma went out. Hakunofuji walked back down the hanamichi, likely happy there wasn’t a torinaoshi. Hatakikomi.

Halftime

Ichiyamamoto defeated Onokatsu. Ichiyamamoto spring forward and launched into Onokatsu. Onokatsu’s left leg buckled as he couldn’t take the pressure of Ichiyamamoto’s forward movement. It seemed like the left knee just gave way. Onokatsu laid down for a bit but eventually got up, bowed, and hobbled back down the hanamichi. Oshitaoshi.

Kotoshoho defeated Abi. Abi’s thrusts lacked power as Kotoshoho shoved Abi back and out. I’ve got a joke. Hakunofuji, Onokatsu and Abi walked into a bar…and hopefully stayed there for the duration of this tournament. Go kyujo, boys. Y’all are banged up. Who am I kidding? They’ll all be back tomorrow. Oshidashi.

Takanosho defeated Daieisho. Solid tachiai. Daieisho’s thrusts forced Takanosho back to the edge but he quickly lost steam. Takanosho countered with his own thrusts and forced Daieisho back over the edge. Oshidashi.

Hiradoumi defeated Oho. Hiradoumi quickly got both hands inside. With a great bear hug, Hiradoumi pressed forward behind powerful gaburi hip thrusts and forced Oho out. Yorikiri.

Sanyaku

Takayasu defeated Churanoumi. Takayasu quickly grabbed Churanoumi’s belt with his right hand over-arm grip. Just as quickly, Takayasu discovered Churanoumi’s belt was loose as all get out. He tried to throw Churanoumi but lacked enough leverage. So we settled into a lean…and eventually Takayasu found the leverage to dump Churanoumi. Uwatedashinage.

Kirishima defeated Fujinokawa. Kirishima contained Fujinokawa by seizing his belt with both hands — left hand inside, right hand outside. Kirishima drove forward and threw Fujinokawa over the edge. Uwatenage.

Kotozakura defeated Yoshinofuji. Yoshinofuji quickly grabbed Kotozakura’s belt with a left hand overarm grip. Kotozakura had a solid right inside, but Yoshinofuji pulled and dragged Kotozakura to the bales and tried to topple him. Kotozakura kept his footing and recovered. He then grabbed Yoshinofuji’s belt with his own overarm grip and pulled Yoshinofuji down. Way to hang in there by the Ozeki. Uwatenage.

Aonishiki defeated Wakamotoharu. Wakamotoharu slow-rolled his tachiai so Aonishiki stood up for a matta, and the two reset. On the second attempt, Henka! Wakamotoharu leapt to the left at the tachiai and tried to slap the Ozeki down as he charged forward. But Aonishiki was ready. Aonishiki got his left hand on Wakamotoharu’s belt and shoved forward. Yorikiri.

Wakatakakage defeated Onosato. Onosato pulled and tried to slap Wakatakakage down. Wakatakakage had his right hand inside Onosato’s armpit, maintained his footing and charged forward with Onosato’s retreat. He basically just rode Onosato back and out. Wakatakakage’s first kinboshi (hatsukinboshi). Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu defeated Atamifuji. Hoshoryu got his right hand inside quickly and drove Atamifuji back. Atamifuji kept his balance and tried to get his left-hand overarm grip. Hoshoryu tried to pull with that right hand but when he rotated right for the throw, that allowed Atamifuji to get his left-hand over arm grip. Atamifuji tried an uwatenage and brought his right hand up to the Yokozuna’s head to try to finish him off. Hoshoryu somehow kept his balance and charged into Atamifuji, forcing him back and off-balance. Hoshoryu then ran Atamifuji out the other side of the ring. Great try by the big guy. But that’s why Hoshoryu is Yokozuna. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up

Aonishiki passed his first test with flying colors. Of the top four guys, he appeared the most in control and solid, despite Wakamotoharu’s gamesmanship. Hoshoryu dodged a bullet but Onosato took it square to the scalp. Kotozakura will be happy with his white star to open the tournament.

On Day Two, they’ll trade opponents. Onosato will face Atamifuji, Hoshoryu will take on Wakatakakage, Kotozakura will get Wakamotoharu and Aonishiki will take on Yoshinofuji. Takayasu will fight Fujinokawa and Kirishima will take on Churanoumi.

Well, hopefully we’ll get some better polished sumo tomorrow but today’s action definitely brought a lot of excitement.