Oho

Hatsu 2025, Day Nine

Andy Hatsu 2025, Hatsu Basho , , , , ,

News from the infirmary is that Kitanowaka is kyujo. He broke his leg in yesterday’s action and will need two months to recover. He will surely drop back into Juryo for March. With Terunofuji’s retirement and several demotions incoming, Shiden and Kayo are going to kick themselves if they miss this opportunity at promotion. Meanwhile, there are several guys a bit deeper on the banzuke willing to fill in the gaps. We’re obviously skipping over makuuchi veterans Tsurugisho and Shimanoumi, who cannot buy a white star between them.

Today’s NHK videos are here: Juryo Part I & Part II, Makuuchi Part I & Part II.

Shishi put his head down and drove into heavyweight Mitoryu, earning his kachi-koshi. Wakaikari threw everything at Kiryuko, even starting with a henka, before finally winning with a nice throw. Both of those matches are in the Juryo Part I videos. Aonishiki, meanwhile, easily forced Kayo out to stay on pace. This might be the yusho race to watch this basho. Wakaikari will take on Shirokuma tomorrow. Shishi will face Oshoumi and Aonishiki will have his hands full against Sadanoumi.

Makuuchi Action

Kagayaki (3-6) defeated Shiden (2-7). Shiden slow rolled Kagayaki into a matta. The tachiai games won him no advantage as Kagayaki drove into him, forced him back to the bales, and out. Shiden had nothing to counter. He tried some ottsuke with his right arm for a few seconds but gave up to get a belt grip. That allowed Kagayaki to get his belt and chug forward. Yorikiri.

Kotoshoho (2-7) defeated Tamashoho (3-6). Kotoshoho charged forward, then pulled but Tamashoho kept his balance and kept up his tsuppari. After trying the same thing twice, Kotoshoho tried Plan B. Kotoshoho grabbed Tamashoho’s left arm at the shoulder and pulled him forward. Kotenage.

Shonannoumi (4-5) defeated Tokihayate (4-5). Shonannoumi completely abandoned his style of sumo and just laid into Tokihayate with powerful tsuppari. His tsuppari forced Tokihayate back to the edge and another, violent shove forced Tokihayate out. Where has this Shonannoumi been? Oshidashi.

Onokatsu (6-3) defeated Nishikifuji (4-5). Nishikifuji and Onokatsu traded tsuppari for a few seconds before switching to yotsu-zumo with left-hand inside grips. Nishikifuji’s fatal mistake was to try to pull. Onokatsu used the momentum shift to charge forward and drive Nishikifuji backward and down to the ground. Yoritaoshi.

Nishikigi (5-4) fusen win over Kitanowaka (4-5-6).

Kinbozan (9-0) defeated Takerufuji (7-2). A bout that lived up to the hype. This was a very entertaining back-and-forth. Takerufuji tried an early pull but Kinbozan forced him to the edge. Takerufuji pressed his way back to the center. Kinbozan pivoted and tried to pull Takerufuji down he then pressed forward, forcing Takerufuji to the edge again. Takerufuji suddenly turned the tables and forced Kinbozan to teeter at the edge by twisting. But Takerufuji could not finish him off. Kinbozan recovered and pulled Takerufuji across the ring. Takerufuji’s legs couldn’t keep up and Kinbozan won by dragging Takerufuji down by his arm. Kotenage.

Hakuoho (6-3) defeated Meisei (2-7). Both men locked in for a yotsu battle. Hakuoho drove forward and forced Meisei to the edge. Meisei pivoted and tried to throw Hakuoho but Hakuoho’s footwork was solid. The pair settled in the middle of the ring to catch their breath. Hakuoho caught his first, suddenly pulled and rotated counter-clockwise, throwing Meisei to the ground. Uwatedashinage.

Midorifuji (2-7) defeated Mitakeumi (2-7). Mitakeumi let Midorifuji have a morozashi, double-inside belt grip. Mitakeumi tried to pick up Midorifuji and charge forward for a kimedashi but Midorifuji resisted. Having failed at Plan A, Mitakeumi caught his breath and tried Plan A again, charging forward to the bales. Midorifuji pivoted and each man tried to topple the other over the bales. Midorifuji won with better leverage from his inside grip and threw Mitakeumi. Shitatenage.

Endo (4-5) defeated Tamawashi (6-3). Tamawashi hit Endo with tsuppari and put his head down to charge forward. Endo timed his pull well, shifted right and slapped Tamawashi down. Hikiotoshi.

Ichiyamamoto (6-3) defeated Oshoma (4-5). Ichiyamamoto plugged forward with his tsuppari. Oshoma tried to pull Ichiyamamoto over the bales but Ichiyamamoto latched onto Oshoma with his left hand outside. The two danced along the bales trying to throw the other. Ichiyamamoto was able to get Oshoma turned and shoved Oshoma over. Oshitaoshi.

Halftime

Takayasu (6-3) defeated Takarafuji (4-5). Takarafuji grabbed Takayasu’s left arm but Takayasu did not like where Takarafuji was going with it. So, Takayasu extracted his arm and thrust into Takarafuji, hard, shoving him out. Tsukidashi.

Chiyoshoma (8-1) defeated Churanoumi (3-6). Quite the brawl. Churanoumi’s tsuppari kept Chiyoshoma off his belt. When Chiyoshoma tried to reach in, Churanoumi would freak out and shove him away, hard. The thing is, Chiyoshoma’s tsuppari game is fierce and he plugged away, driving Chiyoshoma to the edge…but not over. Chiyoshoma pulled and as Churanoumi followed, Chiyoshoma grabbed his arm and pulled him forward over the bales. Tottari.

Shodai (4-5) defeated Gonoyama (5-4). THAT Shodai is still in the house. His footwork was excellent and he resisted Gonoyama’s opening nodowa. Gonoyama kept up with his forceful thrusts but Shodai weathered the torrent. Shodai shifted to the side and Gonoyama nearly toppled over but recovered and reengaged Shodai. Shodai had had enough and drove forward into Gonoyama with all of his might, forcing him to tumble backwards off the dohyo. Oshitaoshi.

Oho (7-2) defeated Atamifuji (2-7). Oho grabbed Atamifuji with his left arm under Atamifuji’s right shoulder. Oho rotated clockwise and slammed his right arm down onto Atamifuji’s back while pulling at that shoulder, forcing Atamifuji down. Katasukashi.

Sanyaku

Wakatakakage (4-5) defeated Takanosho (2-7). Takanosho drove forward and had Wakatakakage at the bales but Wakatakakage reached in with both hands on Takanosho’s belt and hoisted up. Wakatakakage let go of Takanosho’s belt but rotated and threw Takanosho over the bales. Sukuinage.

Kirishima (6-3) defeated Abi (5-4). Kirishima pulled as Abi was blasting away with his tsuppari. Abi stumbled forward and Kirishima pursued. Abi turned to resist at the bales but Kirishima shoved him over. Does this Kirishima only come out in Tokyo? Oshidashi.

Wakamotoharu (2-7) defeated Tobizaru (5-4). Wakamotoharu avoided make-koshi by keeping Tobizaru in front of him and hitting him with forceful tsuppari. Tobizaru tried to grab Wakamotoharu’s belt but WMH yanked him off. Wakamotoharu fired off with more tsuppari and drove Tobizaru over the edge. Oshidashi.

Hiradoumi (5-4) defeated Hoshoryu (6-3). Hiradoumi launched into Hoshoryu at the tachiai. He then shifted left and Hoshoryu stumbled forward to the ground. Rope hopes dashed. Tsukiotoshi.

Ura (5-4) defeated Kotozakura (3-6). Ura charged into the Ozeki with both arms inside. Ura then rotated right and pulled Kotozakura down. Why did that look so easy? I think it was because Kotozakura braced himself with his left leg against the bales. Ura twisted in that direction and that is the knee that Kotozakura has taped up and is wearing a supporter. Oshitaoshi.

Onosato (6-3) defeated Daieisho (6-3). Onosato drove his forearm into Daieisho’s chin, forcing him back. As Daieisho attempted to right himself and charge forward, Onosato shifted to his right and slapped Daieisho down. Hatakikomi.

Wrap-up

No Ozeki kachi-koshi for Kotozakura. He can only give up one more loss before he is kadoban in Osaka. If the left knee is really giving him this much trouble, he needs to go kyujo now. He has not faced either of his Ozeki peers. They have their own problems to sort out and will be more than motivated to drop him.

We’re going to have another maegashira yusho. Everyone in sanyaku is just fighting for pride and position at this point. As we take a look at the leader board, only Kinbozan is undefeated and only Chiyoshoma is one back with one loss. Takerufuji and Oho follow with two losses.

As we head into the final furlong, Kinbozan and Chiyoshoma will face their toughest battles yet as the Kyokai tries to stop their advance. Kinbozan will fight Abi and Chiyoshoma will take on Kirishima. Takerufuji will fight Ichiyamamoto and Oho will take on Tamawashi.

Oho might still be a favorite for the yusho, though he has two losses. The Kyokai cannot make his schedule more difficult; He has already faced the top guys. Takerufuji will probably start facing joi-level fights on Day 11.

One positive from Terunofuji’s retirement may be that this will open the door for another wrestler to enter the top division. At this rate, we are looking at an extended period of time with no Yokozuna. Our next Yokozuna is hopefully in Makuuchi right now and we will not need to wait for Wakaikari to establish himself as a sanyaku mainstay.

As was eluded to in the comments, this might impact the Kyokai’s Jungyo plans. For the past couple of years, even if Terunofuji had not been available for tournaments, he would participate in the local tours and events at shrines, performing his dohyo-iri. We just came out of a pandemic, so we know these events do not have to go on. At this time of increased popularity of sumo, his presence will be missed.

Hatsu 2025, Day Five: Terunofuji Sits Out

Andy Hatsu 2025, Hatsu Basho , , ,

The big news from the infirmary is no surprise. Terunofuji is kyujo after suffering his second loss yesterday on Day Four to Tobizaru. The grimace on his face when he landed below the dohyo.

The NHK videos for today are here: Juryo Part I & Part II, Makuuchi Part I & Part II.

Hakuyozan is the lone wrestler in Juryo with an undefeated record. Trailing him with one loss are a whole cast of characters, Ryuden, Shirokuma, Shishi, Aonishiki, Tomokaze, Oshoumi, Wakaikari, Kotoeiho and the entire ensemble of A Streetcar Named Desire. The field will be whittled down by the weekend. Wakaikari takes on Hkuyozan tomorrow.

Makuuchi Action

Sadanoumi (Juryo 3-2) defeated Tokihayate (3-2). Sadanoumi quickly obtained a left-hand inside, right-hand outside grip on Tokihayate’s belt and just overpowered the youngster. Sadanoumi pivoted and drove Tokihayate back and over the bales. Yorikiri.

Kitanowaka (3-2) defeated Tamashoho (1-4). Kitanowaka weathered Tamashoho’s torrent of tsuppari as if it was a gentle summer shower. After a failed slapdown attempt, Kitanowaka traded tsuppari for a while. Kitanowaka reached in with his left hand to grab Tamashoho’s belt, pivoted, and threw Tamashoho to the ground. Uwatenage.

Kagayaki (1-4) defeated Hakuoho (3-2). Kagayaki charged forward and pressed Hakuoho to the edge. Hakuoho countered along the bales and forced the action back toward the center of the ring. After Kagayaki caught his breath he charged forward again. Hakuoho tried to pivot and force Kagayaki down but he could not derail the shinkansen. Kagayaki forced him back to the bales and kept the pressure up until Hakuoho stepped out. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (5-0) defeated Nishikifuji (2-3). Kinbozan chased Nishikifuji to the bales with his powerful tsuppari. Nishikifuji spun like a whirling dervish to try to escape. Kinbozan had enough of the wascly wabbit, locked onto Nishikifuji’s mawashi and escorted him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Nishikigi (4-1) defeated Onokatsu (2-3). Nishikigi overpowered the young Onokatsu with his left hand belt grip and forced him out, under the white tassel. Yorikiri.

Takerufuji (4-1) defeated Kotoshoho (1-4). After a brief oshi tussle, Takerufuji grabbed Kotoshoho with a strong left-hand outside belt grip and his right arm inside around Kotoshoho’s trunk. He stood Kotoshoho up and drove him back to the bales where Kotoshoho tried to counter. Takerufuji released his grip and shoved Kotoshoho to finish him off. He got enough of Kotoshoho to force him over the bales before he, himself, fell into the lap of Nishonoseki-oyakata. Oshidashi.

Shonannoumi (2-3) defeated Midorifuji (1-4). Midorifuji reached inside with both arms, his right arm snaked up around Shonannoumi’s shoulder. Shonannoumi stayed close and enveloped Midorifuji with both arms. His first attempt to swing Midorifuji out failed. But he collected his thoughts and caught his breath for a second try. This time he was successful as he forced Midorifuji out. Kimedashi.

Tamawashi (5-0) defeated Meisei (1-4). Tamawashi charged forward and Meisei tried to slide back to the bales. Meisei’s legs splayed out a little too far so Tamawashi brought his hand up over Meisei and shoved Meisei down to the ground. Hikiotoshi.

Oshoma (3-2) defeated Churanoumi (2-3). Oshoma kept Churanoumi away from his belt with effective pushing and shoving, never allowing Churanoumi to get inside. Oshoma slammed his left hand into Churanoumi’s head. As Churanoumi pressed his weight forward to resist, Oshoma slipped to the side and released with his left hand. Churanoumi stumbled forward and Oshoma pushed him down. Hikiotoshi.

Takarafuji (1-4) defeated Mitakeumi (2-3). Mitakeumi let Takarafuji drive him back to the edge where he tried to shift right along the bales to topple Takarafuji. Mitakeumi’s choice of a retreating attack was made in order to enrage Andy. “Move forward, man! Gahh!” Predictably, Uncle Takara wasn’t falling for it. He had a solid left-hand hold under Mitakeumi’s shoulder and secured a firm right-hand overarm belt grip. Mitakeumi retreated but Takarafuji forced him over the edge. Yorikiri.

Endo (2-3) defeated Roga (0-1-4). Endo’s left-hand ottsuke was the story here. Roga tried to reach in with his right-hand grip to mirror Endo’s. However, Endo pressed in hard and kept Roga off his belt. Roga let up to start plugging away with tsuppari and Endo reacted by driving forward and forcing Roga out. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Chiyoshoma (5-0) defeated Takayasu (2-3). Takayasu batted Chiyoshoma’s right hand away but Chiyoshoma still locked on with his left. Chiyoshoma spun and followed up by driving into Takayasu from the left side. This got Papa Bear suitably off-balance so Chiyoshoma pressed ahead and forced Takayasu out. Yorikiri.

Cue an ill-timed News Break during the Ichiyamamoto/Hiradoumi bout. I love the JME service but sometimes NHK decisions are just…GAH!

Ichiyamamoto (4-1) defeated Hiradoumi (1-4) On the replay we see that Ichiyamamoto did his thing and battered Hiradoumi, keeping him at bay and away from his belt. After several exchanges of tsuppari, Ichiyamamoto had worked Hiradoumi to the bales. Ichiyamamoto grabbed Hiradoumi and threw him to the ground. Sukuinage.

Tobizaru (4-1) defeated Ura (2-3). What did you expect from Ura and Tobizaru? Well, I figure we got exactly what we expected. Ura drove into Tobizaru and Tobizaru pulled. Tobizaru leapt at the edge, as is his wont, pressing Ura down. Gunbai Tobizaru. On the replay we saw Ura’s hand touching the ground as Tobizaru went flying. Decision upheld. Hatakikomi.

Kirishima (2-3) defeated Takanosho (0-5). Kirishima and Takanosho traded tsuppari. When Takanosho tired, Kishirima was able to press his way inside for a left-hand grip and he droe Takanosho out. Yorikiri.

Sanyaku

Daieisho (4-1) defeated Wakatakakage (2-3). Daieisho did his thing. Wakatakakage wanted to react at the edge, cycling to his left, but Daieisho took his time and gave him no opening. Tsukidashi.

Abi (4-1) defeated Wakamotoharu (1-4). Abi’s slap down failed so Abi followed up with his tsuppari and forced Wakamotoharu out. Oshidashi.

Shodai (2-3) defeated Kotozakura (1-4). Firm right-hand inside, left-hand outside. Kotozakura’s only attack seems to have been a counter at the edge as he tried to pivot and pull Shodai right. Shodai did not have any of it and drove Kotozakura to the floor. Yoritaoshi.

Gonoyama (4-1) fusen over Terunofuji (2-3-10).

Oho (5-0) defeated Onosato (2-3). Onosato charged forward. At the bales, Oho slipped to his left and Onosato stumbled forward and out. On the replay, you will notice that after a quick exchange of tsuppari, Oho slipped his left hand up behind Onosato’s shoulder, telegraphing a katasukashi attempt. As Onosato neared the edge, Oho executed his katasukashi. This pulled Onosato further forward but did not finish him. Oho only had to shove him out from behind to hand Onosato his third loss. Okuridashi.

Atamifuji (1-4) defeated Hoshoryu (4-1). Hoshoryu locked on with his right-hand inside and with a singlemindedness to use that belt grip, dragged Atamifuji to and fro. Atamifuji is a big boy, though, not so easy to throw. Atamifuji hung on for the ride, doing what he needed to keep his balance and avoid the edge. He also had his own left hand belt grip to counter Hoshoryu’s. He wisely released the belt grip to wrap up Hoshoryu’s right arm. Right arm secured, he rotated and flung Hoshoryu to the floor with a rough kotenage.

Satonofuji yumitorishiki.

Wrap-up

Back to the days of wholesale Ozeki losses and Yokozuna kyujo. 懐かしい。

Now that we have Day Five in the books, I want to look back at Wakamotoharu’s performance in particular. With all of the chatter about the dual-Yokozuna promotion chance, before the basho started Patricia Dobashi raised the topic of possible Ozeki promotion for Wakamotoharu that seemed to be overlooked, over on Blue Sky. His previous two tournaments had been fairly strong performances: 11-4 at M3 and 10-5 at K1. Surely, 11+10+12 = the magic 33, no?

There is a reason no Ozeki-run was ever mentioned. It would have taken a spectacular performance from Wakamotoharu to force such a discussion, something that he has never displayed. Yes, Tochinoshin was promoted with a run that started at M3…but that was a 14-1 yusho and a run that totaled a stonking 37 wins (14-10-13)! Before that, Terunofuji’s first promotion run started with 8-7 at M2…but what followed was 13-2 Jun-yusho and 12-3 yusho – both at the rank of Sekiwake.

In neither case were either wrestler ranked Komusubi in their runs. They both went straight from Maegashira to Sekiwake and had two strong performances at that rank before promotion. That is probably a minor point but thanks to the SumoDB, I did find one promotion case since 1958 which followed an M-K-S-O pattern: Tochihikari in 1962. Meanwhile, there are a number of cases which followed the M-S-S-O pattern: Tochinoshin, Terunofuji, Kitao, Asashio, Kaiketsu, and Yutakayama. Personally, I do not start thinking about Ozeki promotions until the wrestler is in their second Sekiwake tournament — and not if they squeak by with an 8-7 or 9-6.

So, while it is possible that Wakamotoharu was on a shadow Ozeki-run, that would have required something much more impressive than 12-wins. Maybe if those 12-wins came with a yusho attached? Regardless, here we are on Day 5 and he suffered his fourth loss to Abi. He would need to turn things around and basically win out if he wants this tournament to count in an promotion run come even in March or May…forget about this tournament.

Getting my mind back out of the clouds and pipe-dreams of promotion races, we see that Kotozakura’s hopes are dead and buried and after Hoshoryu’s loss today, his own promotion chances are likely dashed…or at least on life support. The way he cradled his arm after that kotenage, I have a feeling that he will be happy to end this tournament with a kachi-koshi. Unfortunately, Onosato and Kotozakura would both be happy with a kachi-koshi on senshuraku, as well.

This tournament is shaping up to be a real wake-up call for Onosato while it’s shaping up to be a breakout tournament for Oho. And today’s loss to Shodai should be a splash of cold water into the face of Kotozakura. Hopefully he will wake up. He has not demonstrated much offense this tournament, at all, seemingly too reliant on counter attacks at the edge which have not materialized.

It’s a bit funny that at the start of this tournament we had such high hopes for our healthy, powerful Ozeki, two of whom were on rope runs…all completely dashed by Day Five.

Oh, yeah, and somehow Sir Oho leads our Monty Python-esque squad with Sir Chiyoshoma, Sir Tamawashi, and Sir Kinbozan as they seek the Holy Grail. I’m having fun and can’t wait to see what Holy Hand Grenade gets thrown on Day Six. (You know Shodai’s the rabbit in my metaphor.) How about y’all?

Sir Kinbozan will face a rusted shinkansen (Kagayaki), Sir Tamawashi will take on the leaky Takarabune, and Sir Chiyoshoma will wade into battle with the Sacred Seas (Mitakeumi). This makes all three heavy favorites to move to 6-0. Sir Oho will have a bigger challenge against the Flying Monkey.

Hatsu 2025, Day Four

Andy Abi (阿炎), Hatsu 2025, Hatsu Basho , ,

In maezumo, Hikarumusashi picked up his first win against Akinoyama (安氣乃山). Two powerful shoves and Akinoyama was forced out. Hoshoryu’s cousin Tenrosei had a tougher time with Nishikio but got the job done with a brutal takedown.

Good news from the infirmary as Roga will return to the line-up and face Endo. With an odd number of Makuuchi fighters, Sadanoumi will visit from Juryo and face Tokihayate.

Today’s NHK videos are available here: Juryo Part I and Part II, Makuuchi Part I and Part II.

Makuuchi Action

Tokihayate (3-1) defeated Kagayaki (0-4). Kagayaki charged forward and forced Tokihayate to the edge. At the edge, Tokihayate shifted left along the tawara and pulled Kagayaki to the bales. Tokihayate followed up with some gaburi yotsu to force Kagayaki over the edge. Yorikiri.

Kitanowaka (2-2) defeated Nishikifuji (2-2). A quick shift to the right at the tachiai granted Kitanowaka a deep righthand belt grip. He pivoted and shoved Nishikifuji to the edge. As Nishikifuji spun around to engage, Kitanowaka followed up and forced Nishikifuji over the tawara. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (4-0) defeated Tamashoho (1-3). Tamashoho double false start put Andy on henka alert…but no henka was coming. He was just jittery as Kinbozan quickly shoved Tamashoho out. Oshidashi.

Shonannoumi (1-3) defeated Hakuoho (3-1). Shonannoumi pressed Hakuoho backward to the edge of the ring and then quickly slapped him down. Huh, Shonannoumi having some success moving forward. Who’d have thunk it? Hatakikomi.

Nishikigi (3-1) defeated Kotoshoho (1-3). Kotoshoho got a quick jump at the tachiai but Nishikigi immediately pulled to his left and Kotoshoho fell forward to his knees. Hikiotoshi.

Onokatsu (2-2) defeated Midorifuji (1-3). A patient Onokatsu held Midorifuji at arm’s length at the beginning of the bout with tsuppari but he could only get Midorifuji to the edge. He moved in to grab a Midorifuji’s mawashi, with a left hand outside grip. He was able to slip his right hand around Midorifuji’s trunk and then charge forward, forcing Midorifuji back and out. Yorikiri.

Tamawashi (4-0) defeated Takerufuji (3-1). Tamawashi blasted Takerufuji backwards and followed up with steady tsuppari. Takerufuji tried a poorly executed pull because Tamawashi pursued quickly and shoved Takerufuji off the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Churanoumi (2-2) defeated Meisei (1-3). Meisei charged forward, mindlessly. Churanoumi slipped to his right and shoved Meisei down. Tsukiotoshi.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz…. Come on guys, I could have slept through this. Cut it out with the sloppy sumo.

Oshoma (2-2) defeated Mitakeumi (2-2). Mitakeumi charged forward and reached inside to try to get at Oshoma’s belt with his left hand. Oshoma pulled left and slapped Mitakeumi down at the edge. Hatakikomi.

Ichiyamamoto (2-1) defeated Takarafuji (0-4). Ichiyamamoto defeated Takarafuji. Ichiyamamoto sumo drove Takarafuji back. Takarafuji tried to shift left but seemed to slip and Ichiyamamoto finished him with a shove. Hatakikomi.

Halftime

Chiyoshoma (4-0) defeated Endo (1-3). Who is going to henka? Chiyoshoma false start. No henka. That’s kind of disappointing, actually. I was hoping for that elusive double-henka. Endo charged forward but Chiyoshoma used his left hand to shove Endo’s elbow, forcing Endo left. Chiyoshoma bowled Endo across the dohyo and Endo took out Kandayu as he careened off the dohyo. Strike! Tsukidashi.

Ura (2-2) defeated Takayasu (2-2). Ura woke us up with a nice finishing move to defeat Takayasu. Ura released with his left, twisted and pulled Takayasu down with a tsutaezori.

Gonoyama (3-1) defeated Hiradoumi (1-3). Gonoyama battered Hiradoumi as Hiradoumi tried to keep his hold of Gonoyama’s belt. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Wakatakakage (2-2) defeated Atamifuji (0-4). Wakatakakage secured a double-inside grip and tried to drive into Atamifuji. Atamifuji resisted and tried to pitch Wakatakakage to the side. Wakatakakage released with his left hand and pulled Atamifuji down by the shoulder. Katasukashi.

Shodai (1-3) defeated Wakamotoharu (1-3). Shodai pressed forward. (This is new.) Shodai seemed to sense Wakamotoharu was seeking out that stability from the tawara so before they reached the bales he quickly twisted and drove Wakamotoharu to the ground. Tsukiotoshi.

Oho (4-0) defeated Daieisho (3-1). Oh! Oho! That looked like another boring bout as Daieisho chugged his way into Oho and Oho rode his way back to the bales. But at the edge Oho suddenly seized Daieisho’s left arm and yanked him forward. Hikiotoshi.

Abi (3-1) defeated Onosato (2-2). Abi-sumo defeated the Ozeki with one of his quick pulls. Hikiotoshi.

Hoshoryu (4-0) defeated Takanosho (0-4). After a fast-paced brawl, Takanosho charged forward and drove Hoshoryu to the edge. But Hoshoryu twisted to his left and thrust Takanosho out with his left arm under Takanosho’s shoulder. Tsukiotoshi.

Kirishima (1-3) defeated Kotozakura (1-3). The rope run is over. Kirishima used his right-hand inside, left-hand outside grip well. Kotozakura had no effective counter attack as Kirishima drove him back and out. Yorikiri.

Tobizaru (3-1) defeated Terunofuji (2-2). Terunofuji hit Tobizaru hard and drove him to the edge. Tobizaru quickly slipped to the left and reasserted position at the center of the ring. Tobizaru kept up his tsuppari and this prevented Terunofuji from corralling the monkey and enveloping with his usual kimedashi hold. Tobizaru kept up the assault, shoved the Yokozuna hard with his right, forced Terunofuji to his left. Tobizaru then followed and shoved Terunofuji out from behind, and a few cushions fly. Okuridashi.

Wrap-up

On to Day Five! With Daieisho’s slip up today, Hoshoryu is the lone sanyaku wrestler with an undefeated record so far. Oho’s charge continues along with Chiyoshoma, Tamawashi, and Kinbozan as the undefeated rank-and-file.

Kotozakura doesn’t look like he wants a belt. It looks like he wants to join Kirishima, Mitakeumi and Shodai as the next former Ozeki. Onosato also needs to turn things around. Aside from Hoshoryu, this was a terrible day for the top-ranked wrestlers. Well, Kinbozan looked great today. I don’t want to encourage Oho’s tactics from today. I like his forward-moving sumo better. Shodai looked positively brutal. I have no idea where that came from.

Looking at tomorrow’s bouts, I think Terunofuji vs Gonoyama will be decisive regarding Terunofuji’s continued participation in this tournament. If he loses, I think he will sit out. He cringed when he fell off the dohyo today, as if his knees were torturing him. He has not demonstrated the dominant power of the past with his upper-body.

Hoshoryu will face Atamifuji, who is having a terrible tournament. Onosato will try to turn things around against Oho. This is why I usually have no loyalties. As soon as I begin to favor a couple of wrestlers, they get pitted against each other. Someone, whose shikona begins with “O” and ends with “o” will win this bout. Finally, Kotozakura has to get it together against Shodai. This will be a fun one.

Chiyoshoma will face Takayasu, Tamawashi will get his turn against Meisei and Kinbozan will face Nishikifuji.

Kyushu 2024: Day 3 Abbreviated Coverage

Andy Kyushu 2024 , , ,

Turns out you will get abbreviated coverage today! My home internet is down but I got internet and JME going on mobile in time for Onokatsu/Shishi (thankfully!). I’ll need to keep troubleshooting. Work over hotspot will be less than optimal. My first half descriptions are spotty as I struggled with getting internet up and going.

NHK videos here: Juryo Part I & Part II and Makuuchi Part I & Part II.

Makuuchi Action

Asakoryu (1-2) defeated Bushozan (0-3). Oshidashi.

Takerufuji (2-1) defeated Kagayaki (0-3). Yorikiri.

Onokatsu (3-0) defeated Shishi (2-1). EPIC bout. Great back and forth yotsu bout. What a grapple! The gyoji had to stop the fight to fix Shishi’s mawashi. Onokatsu outlasted the big man, though. Tremendous effort on both sides. I hope this turns into a great, long rivalry. It’s like Tochinoshin/Ichinojo with knees. Okay, okay, maybe I’m overhyping it a little. But it was an enjoyable match. Uwatenage.

Tokihayate (2-1) defeated Nishikifuji (0-3). Tsukiotoshi.

Chiyoshoma (2-1) defeated Ryuden (1-2). Yorikiri.

Shonannoumi (2-1) defeated Sadanoumi (1-2). Shonannoumi pulled effectively by cycling backward, just inside the bales. Sadanoumi fell forward. Kotenage.

Tamawashi (2-1) defeated Hokutofuji (1-2). Oshitaoshi.

Takarafuji (1-2) defeated Meisei (1-2). Hatakikomi.

Ichiyamamoto (3-0) defeated Midorifuji (1-2). Tsukiotoshi.

Gonoyama (2-1) defeated Takayasu (1-2). Gonoyama hit Takayasu hard at the tachiai. Takayasu went into pull mode but his slapdown was ineffective. Gonoyama just pressed forward and blasted him out. Oshidashi.

Endo (2-1) defeated Roga (1-2). Endo drove right over Roga. Where did that bus come from? Yoritaoshi.

Halftime

Mitakeumi (2-1) defeated Nishikigi (0-3). A bit of a sidestep from Mitakeumi. That redirection was enough to get Nishikigi to the bales. Mitakeumi kept driving forward and forced Nishikigi to step over. Yorikiri.

Takanosho (3-0) defeated Tobizaru (2-1). Takanosho blew Tobizaru away with his powerful tsuppari. Takanosho has been looking like he did when he had a piece of the yusho race. Now that he’s heyagashira, I wonder if the status and responsibility is giving him a boost. Oshidashi.

Oshoma (1-2) defeated Kotoshoho (1-2). Oshoma pulled immediately and slapped Kotoshoho down. Hatakikomi.

Wakatakakage (3-0) defeated Churanoumi (0-3). Wakatakakage wanted to get inside but Churanoumi knocked his arms away. Churanoumi, forced into retreat, attempted a slapdown but WTK kept driving forward. Oshidashi.

Wakamotoharu (2-1) defeated Ura (1-2). Ura opted for yotsu bout today. Wakamotoharu Ura tried to arch his back and heave Wakamotoharu over but WMH slipped away and Ura fell backwards. Oshitaoshi.

Sanyaku

Atamifuji (3-0) defeated Daieisho (1-2) Atamifuji weathered Daieisho’s blasts at the tachiai and pressed forward. He drove into Daieisho with a nodowa of his own and pressed Daieisho over the bales. Great win there! Oshidashi.

Abi (2-1) defeated Kirishima (0-3). Abi henka incoming? No. Abi as strong as I’ve ever seen him. Abi tried a quick slapdown but missed. No worries, he reacquired his target and slammed forward. That had the desired effect so he followed up and shoved Kirishima from the fighting surface. No fantasy Ozeki run for Kirishima. Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu (3-0) defeated Hiradoumi (0-3). Hoshoryu hit Hiradoumi hard at the tachiai. He pressed forward. Hiradoumi tried a half-hearted slapdown at the edge but Hoshoryu ushered him out. Oshidashi.

Murray trying to jinx Kotozakura. Maybe a fellow Oho fan? After Hoshoryu’s win, Murray says, “Nice to see all of the Ozeki performing well. Oops, did I speak too soon?” Yes, yes you did. You know it and Oho fans might just owe you a pint.

Oho (1-2) defeated Kotozakura (2-1). Big man sumo from Oho. Excellent ring presence and footwork as he cycled back into the center of the ring, and pressed forward into the Ozeki, time and time again. Kotozakura capitulated with a half-hearted pull and slapdown attempt as Oho drove forward. Oshidashi.

Onosato (3-0) defeated Shodai (0-3). Shodai makes the Ozeki wait but gets completely obliterated as Onosato drove right through him. Oshidashi.

Wrap-up

Well, I’m off to debug this internet issue. I don’t mind grainy sumo on a small screen but work will not be fun funneling gigs of data through a straw. But before I go, you are under orders to check out the Onokatsu/Shishi bout. There were definitely better bouts in the first half today than yesterday. I’m glad I didn’t just turn in after encountering my internet issue.

The Ozeki chatter from Kirishima fans is silenced, unfortunately. I do not like seeing Kirishima get dominated like this but if he needs to rebound from a lower rank, so be it. He’s getting throttled up in sanyaku, with the notable exception of last tournament.

Hoshoryu is on fire. There are some cracks showing, though, as he did slip a bit today. He recovered well, though and has been very powerful. Kotozakura needs to regroup after his loss to Oho.