Never dismiss Daiamami, dude. When Chiyoshoma hit him, it was like he ran into a brink wall. Then the brick wall ran after him and bashed into him, repeatedly, until he backed out of the ring. What this means is, Takerufuji is our sole, undefeated leader in Juryo. For his part, Takerufuji stayed calm when Asakoryu pulled and pressed forward with a forceful nodowa. Takerufuji kachi-koshi and atop our Juryo leaderboard.

Tomorrow, Chiyoshoma will face Hakuoho, who defeated Shishi today with a beautiful, powerful throw. God, I want to see this kid back in the thick of makuuchi. Takerufuji, meanwhile, will take on Oshoumi.

JME preempted the start of makuuchi coverage with the end of a Senior Golf tournament. Obviously had to wait for the interview and award presentation….and replays of the final putt… You know, there’s a whole channel set aside on JME.tv for replays during the day. It is sitting, unused at the moment. I do not understand why they can’t show the live coverage over there…and extend it for the lower divisions, too!

Makuuchi Action

Hokutofuji (6-2) defeated Nishikifuji (3-5). Oshitaoshi.

Nishikigi (6-2) defeated Kitanowaka (2-6). Kotenage.

Onokatsu (3-5) defeated Bushozan (4-4). Andy’s hat is looking safe. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (3-5) defeated Shirokuma (2-6). Yorikiri.

Sadanoumi (5-3) defeated Takarafuji (4-4). Andy’s hat is safe. Sorry, folks. None of that premium internet content, for now. I’m sure Andy will put his foot in his mouth at some point in the future. Sukuinage.

The preceding had been preempted by senior golf. I will be reaching out to JME about setting up an SLA to see if a contract will improve their service. We want the same thing, we want more people watching sumo. We’ll see what happens.

Takayasu (6-2) defeated Kagayaki (1-7). Kagayaki seems to have no understanding of the concept of lateral movement. I guess he is named for a passenger train so maybe he can only move forward along the rails laid out in front of him. Takayasu plowed into him for a good ten seconds and then slipped to the side and pulled Kagayaki down. Hikotoshi.

Roga (4-4) defeated Ryuden (5-3). Ryuden charged ahead and adjusted well when Roga moved left. He tried to establish his hidari-yotsu but Roga did a good job of keeping him off his belt. Roga’s trunk was extended so far forward, Ryuden tried a pull and slapdown but Roga maintained his balance. Roga twisted his body and pulled with his left hand. This threw Ryuden off balance and gave Roga the opening he needed to charge forward and drive Ryuden over the bales.

Wakatakakage (6-2) defeated Tamawashi (3-5). Bar fight. This bout was a wild brawl. Tamawashi pissed WTK off by going for the head so he threw a few haymakers of his own. Mainly, though, he blasted him over and over with his head and shoulders, eventually working him toward the bales where he wrapped him up and pushed him over. Yorikiri.

Oshoma (6-2) defeated Churanoumi (5-3). Simple hatakikomi here. Churanoumi drove forward and Oshoma met him square at the tachiai. Then he shifted left with his arms behind Churanoumi’s head. So he pressed Churanoumi into the dirt.

Midorifuji (4-4) defeated Meisei (1-7). A great clash of rutting rams for about 10 seconds. Then Midorifuji got a morozashi, double-inside grip and easily drove Meisei from the dohyo.

Halftime

Ichiyamamoto (3-5) defeated Gonoyama (3-5). Quick slapdown. Ichiyamamoto-zumo. Hikiotoshi.

Endo (6-2) defeated Shonannoumi (1-7). Henka! Endo’s been full of those lately but totally caught Shonannoumi (and myself) by surprise. Yorikiri.

Kotoshoho (5-3) defeated Atamifuji (3-5). Kotoshoho drove forward at the edge and Atamifuji twisted while forcing Kotoshoho down at the same time. Gunbai Kotoshoho. Mono-ii. This was a tight call but Atamifuji’s feet left the dohyo while Kotoshoho was still in bounds. Shinpan confirm the gyoji’s call. Oshidashi.

Oho (5-3) defeated Tobizaru (2-6). Oho is back today, swollen eye and all. Tobizaru did his thing, jumping and slapping around the ring. The Daffy Duck of sumo. The good thing is, Oho was in no mood. He moved forward and took care of business. As Tobizaru tried to slip to the side, and then back toward center, Oho shifted with him and slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

Sanyaku

Hiradoumi (5-3) defeated Takanosho (2-6). Takanosho’s mistake was going for the nodowa with his left hand. Hiradoumi shifted to his right at the same time, getting behind Takanosho and avoiding his attack. Oshidashi.

Daieisho (5-3) defeated Abi (2-6). Abi-zumo was firing on all cylinders. Daieisho tried to deflect him twice by driving into Abi’s armpit. On the third attempt, Daieisho got in behind and shoved Abi out. Okuridashi.

Kirishima (7-1) defeated Ura (4-4). Kirishima was playing old school King of the Hill today. Kirishima claimed the center of the ring and he was not going to chase. He wasn’t going to move for Ura to use his tricks, Ura was going to have to move him. Ura hopped around and tried slapping Kirishima down but Kirishima’s footwork steadily claimed more territory and Kirishima shoved him from the dohyo.

It looked like Ura landed flat on his back below the dohyo. He was slow to get up so a concerned Kirishima went down to check on him. Thankfully, Ura hopped up and seemed unhurt. Oshitaoshi.

Onosato (8-0) defeated Mitakeumi (2-6). Mitakeumi certainly gave Onosato a test. He resisted well and did not go easily. But Onosato was too powerful today. Onosato put everything into his shove and blasted Mitakeumi from the dohyo. Onosato left his feet and also came down but Mitakeumi was clearly out a beat before Onosato. Oshidashi.

Kotozakura (6-2) defeated Shodai (4-4). Shodai had some ambition here today. Like Mitakeumi, he was resolved not to be a mere speedbump. Kotozakura had to work it and assault Shodai over and over. His nodowa and thrusts to the face were very effective. “Not the face, dude. Not the face!” Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu (4-4) defeated Wakamotoharu (5-3). Hidari-yotsu. Hoshoryu took the initiative and pulled hard, twisting with his arm under Wakamotoharu’s shoulder. When Wakamotoharu balanced on one leg, Hoshoryu slipped his arm up around WMH’s neck and finished him off. Kubinage.

Wrap-up

In Makuuchi we have a two-man contest: Onosato leads and Kirishima is one-loss back. Same thing in Juryo. Takerufuji leads and Chiyoshoma is one-loss back. In Makuuchi, there’s a large peleton of seven guys on two losses who are there to keep the pressure on and make the yusho race interesting if Onosato falters: Kotozakura (good), Wakatakakage (good), Endo (gasp!), Oshoma, Hokutofuji (what?!?!), Nishikigi (double what?!?!), and Takayasu (oh, hell yeah!). In Juryo, Asakoryu and Kayo trail with 2-losses.

Kirishima will face Shonannoumi tomorrow with his kachi-koshi, and Shonannoumi’s make-koshi, on the line. I predict a fierce battle. Both men will be motivated to win. Onosato, meanwhile, will take on Wakamotoharu. We will see if Onosato’s dominance continues.

No new kyujo in the paid ranks.

Action in Juryo is really heating up. We know these guys are fighting hard for the right to wear their somenuki kimono. These specialized yukata feature the wrestler’s shikona and usually amazing designs and ONLY makuuchi wrestlers are permitted to wear them during the May, July, and September tournaments. Unfortunately, that’s only a summer-time benefit. After Aki, they will need to wait until May to fish them out of their akeni.

Takerufuji charged forward and Tsurugisho had to cycle back and to the left…which is not the way he would want to go. His knee buckled and Takerufuji continues to chew through the division. Chiyoshoma’s henka was well read by Shimazuumi and the Mongolian nearly dropped this bout but he threw Shimazuumi down to remain undefeated with Takerufuji.

Chiyoshoma will seal his return to Makuuchi with a win tomorrow over (…checks notes…) 1-win Daiamami. Yeah, Chiyoshoma will be back in Makuuchi in Kyushu. Takerufuji will need to do something much more spectacular to earn his return from Juryo 11 (probably 13-2 or better. -lksumo). Asakoryu stands in the way of picking up his kachi-koshi tomorrow. Hakuoho will have a tough match against Shishi tomorrow.

I’ve added direct links to the NHK bout videos here. I’m interested to know whether you all like that or not. I wish it would embed the videos but I’ve not figured out how to get that to work cleanly. VIDEO LINKS DON’T WORK. That’s a bummer.

Makuuchi Action

Ryuden (5-2) defeated Kitanowaka (2-5). Hidari-yotsu. Ryuden steadily worked Kitanowaka back and over the edge. Yorikiri. You were expecting susoharai?

Nishikigi (5-2) defeated Onokatsu (2-5). Nishikigi drove forward and Onokatsu fell down at the edge of the dohyo. Yoritaoshi.

Hokutofuji (5-2) defeated Takarafuji (4-3). Hokutofuji’s ottsuke kept Takarafuji from establishing any sort of hold. At the same time Hokutofuji’s tsuppari drove Takarafuji back and out. Oshidashi.

Nishikifuji (3-4) defeated Kinbozan (2-5). Nishikifuji shoved Kinbozan back. As Kinbozan tried to change direction at the edge he lost his balance and tumbled to the ground. Oshitaoshi.

Sadanoumi (3-4) defeated Shirokuma (2-5). Shirokuma had a strong start but Sadanoumi quickly turned the tables when he established his migi-yotsu grip. He hoisted Shirokuma to the edge of the ring and drove him over. Yorikiri.

Takayasu (5-2) defeated Roga (3-4). Takayasu locked on with his left-hand inside and maintained steady pressure on Roga, forcing him back. Just as it looked like the two were settling into a lean, Roga tried to change his grip and Takayasu charged forward, driving Roga out. Oshidashi.

Tamawashi (3-4) defeated Bushozan (4-3). Bushozan drove forward at the tachiai, forcing Tamawashi back to the bales. But it was just a feint from Tamawashi as he slipped to the side and dropped Bushozan to the floor. Tsukiotoshi.

Oshoma (5-2) defeated Kagayaki (1-6). Taking a page from Tamawashi, Oshoma let Kagayaki press forward. Just as Kagayaki ducked his head to charge forward, Oshoma slipped away and slapped Kagayaki down. Hatakikomi.

Wakatakakage (5-2) defeated Ichiyamamoto (2-5). Don’t they say, “never meet your idol?” Ichiyamamoto discovered that his idol has the power to make him look silly. Ichiyamamoto charged forward but Wakatakakage slipped to his right, grabbed Ichiyamamoto’s arm and forced him to continue forward. He then wrapped him up from behind and walked him out. Okuridashi.

Gonoyama (3-4) defeated Midorifuji (3-4). Midorifuji with the sidestep tachiai but Gonoyama recovered. Midorifuji’s high-octane style continuously probed Gonoyama for a weakness. Gonoyama just kept Midorifuji in front of him and steadily forced him back and over the edge. Tsukidashi.

Halftime

Endo defeated Meisei. Endo with solid hidari-yotsu, forced Meisei back to the edge. Meisei’s knee buckled and he fell to the ground under the white tassel. The way Meisei went down seems a troubling sign that there is a bit of an injury there that he has been trying to mask by not using a supporter. Yoritaoshi.

Churanoumi defeated Shonannoumi. Shonannoumi absolutely dwarfed Churanoumi before the tachiai. But Churanoumi had this bout under control. He focused on keeping Shonannoumi’s right arm at bay and steadily worked him around the dohyo. Shonannoumi seemed to be reaching too far forward as he tried to latch on and maintain that right hand grip. Churanoumi then grabbed Shonannoumi’s belt and pulled him farther forward…and down he went. Tsukiotoshi.

Mitakeumi defeated Ura. Mitakeumi waited for Ura to pull and when Ura made that pull, Mitakeumi cast him from the dohyo. Oshitaoshi.

Atamifuji (3-4) defeated Tobizaru (2-5). Atamifuji patiently and calmly corralled Tobizaru and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Daieisho (4-3) defeated Takanosho (2-5). Daieisho waited for Takanosho to start pressing forward to execute pull. He shifted right and pulled in a well-timed maneuver that brought Takanosho forward to the floor. Hatakikomi.

Kirishima (6-1) defeated Kotoshoho (4-3). Kirishima used all of his strength to yank Kotoshoho to the edge…but Kotoshoho twisted and pulled Kirishima out at the last second. Gunbai Kirishima. After a review, the call on the field was confirmed. Yoritaoshi.

Onosato (7-0) defeated Hiradoumi (4-3). Onosato calmly dispatched Hiradoumi with ease. Migi-yotsu grip established, he pressed forward and shoved Hiradoumi out. Yorikiri.

Oho (4-3) defeated Abi (2-5). Oho shifted to the side and bought Abi down. This bout may be a cautionary tale of winning the battle but losing the war. As Abi charged forward his head drove into the right side of Oho’s face. Oho appeared to be concussed afterward, unsteady on his feet, and his right eye rapidly swelled shut.

Hoshoryu (3-4) defeated Shodai (4-3). Hoshoryu gave Shodai no time or room for a counter attack at the edge. His nodowa forced Shodai back and another quick shove sent him over the edge. Oshidashi.

Wakamotoharu (5-2) defeated Kotozakura (5-2). Hidariyotsu. Wakamotoharu pulled up on Kotozakura’s belt and moved forward, dragging Kotozakura to the edge. Kotozakura franticly tried to change grips to get a counter-attack going. At the edge he tried to twist Wakamotoharu down but WMH had already shoved him out. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up

Wakamotoharu with the big upset. Kotozakura certainly has difficulties establishing any kind of dominance in the division. Onosato, however, has been making Week One look like a cake walk.

“Mmmm…baumkuchen…”

Suddenly, this tournament is a story of two Sekiwake: undefeated Onosato and 1-loss Kirishima. Onosato, the phenom should have an easy time of it against Mitakeumi on nakabi. If he keeps rolling, he will earn Ozeki promotion after this tournament. Sealing the deal with a title, especially a run-away, would be an effective changing of the guard.

Kirishima’s story is one of redemption. He fought hard to earn his title and promotion to Ozeki. We were even talking about Yokozuna promotion. But then the wheels fell off and his struggles in 2024 resulted in his demotion to Sekiwake. If he remains in contention, it would be great to see him begin talk of another Ozeki run. That is a big “IF” because he has not shown anything near the dominance we have seen from Onosato. His bouts are very competitive.

Meanwhile, Kotozakura and Hoshoryu have had their difficulties this week. Will either Ozeki make a serious charge in Week Two to make this interesting?

Finally, I do want to mention my concern for Oho. His eye was clearly swollen after the bout and he was staggered. I am sure he will be back tomorrow because he is a sumo wrestler but I think the smart play here is to take two days off to recover. Kachi-koshi is in reach but it will slip from his hands if he fights while injured and makes things worse.