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.