Onosato

Haru 2025: Day Three

Andy Haru 2025 ,

Day Three in Osaka. Links to NHK videos for today’s action are here: Juryo Part I & Part II, Makuuchi Part I & Part II.

Makuuchi Action

Tokihayate (2-1) defeated Tamashoho (Juryo 2-1). Tokihayate weathered Tamashoho’s tsuppari attack, and shoved Tamashoho from the ring. Oshidashi.

Mitakeumi (2-1) defeated Shirokuma (0-3). Strong tachiai, Shirokuma pressed forward and forced Mitakeumi to the edge but Mitakeumi shifted to the left along the bales and pulled Shirokuma down with his left-hand over arm grip. Uwatenage.

Asakoryu (3-0) defeated Kotoshoho (2-1). Asakoryu kept Kotoshoho centered, despite Kotoshoho’s strong pull and slapdown attempt, and shoved Kotoshoho clear from the dohyo. Excellent footwork from Asakoryu. Oshitaoshi.

Aonishiki (1-2) defeated Sadanoumi (0-3). Aonishiki started with an oshi attack, trying to shove Sadanoumi back to the bales. Aonishiki wasn’t getting anywhere with it, though, so he reached inside with a left-hand on Sadanoumi’s belt. He quickly pulled and threw Sadanoumi for his first win in the top division. Congratulations. Shitatenage.

Shishi (2-1) defeated Churanoumi (2-1) Churanoumi has no patience for Shishi’s twerking. Churanoumi would not let Shishi inside so the two blasted each other with tsuppari. Churanoumi lured Shishi toward the edge where he had a sudden shift to his right. It was a bit too sudden as Churanoumi stumbled and fell backwards while Shishi kept his footing. Oshitaoshi.

Takarafuji (2-1) defeated Ryuden (2-1). Takarafuji seized Ryuden’s belt with a strong left-hand inside, right-hand outside and drove him to the edge. Ryuden’s attack seemed disrupted by his inability to get his fingers wrapped on Takarafuji’s belt. He resorted to hugging Takarafuji but it was too late. Takarafuji pressured him back and powered Ryuden over the bales. Yorikiri.

Onokatsu (3-0) defeated Meisei (1-2). Onokatsu grabbed on to Meisei’s belt and kept his legs chugging forward. Meisei tried to shove Onokatsu away, then tried to throw him with a shitatenage but Onokatsu kept pressing forward and eventually shoved Meisei over the bales and into Ajigawa’s lap. Yorikiri.

Midorifuji (2-1) defeated Nishikigi (0-3). Midorifuji’s left hand ottsuke kept Nishikigi’s right hand off his belt. Midorifuji twisted backwards, pulling on Nishikigi’s belt. Somehow, Nishikigi found himself stood outside of the ring, perplexed, “But he’s such a little guy.” Yorikiri.

Endo (3-0) defeated Shonannoumi (0-3). Endo pulled and Shonannoumi pressed forward. Can you imagine? Endo had jumped out while Shonannoumi fell forward onto his knee. Gunbai Shonannoumi. Mono-ii. Ruling over-ruled and Sadanoumi was judged to be down first. Despite the flubbed description, it would have had to have been the top of Shonannoumi’s foot on the clay a beat before Endo landed out of the ring. Hatakikomi.

An ad? In the middle of NHK sumo coverage? WTF? That was jarring. I thought I was watching Abema for a moment. If my eyes did not deceive me, it was a promo for women’s volleyball. Or maybe that was one of my late-night hallucinations. I need more tea.

Atamifuji (2-1) defeated Oshoma (0-3). Power sumo. Atamifuji’s gaburi yotsu drove Oshoma back and out. Good to see the big boy seems to be pretty healthy this basho. Yorikiri.

Tamawashi (2-1) defeated Hakuoho (2-1). Well, damn. Not much of a bout here. Tamawashi blasted the heck out of Hakuoho and drove him from the dohyo. A strong blast from his right hand to Hakuoho’s shoulder while his left hand blasted into Hakuoho’s chin. This got Hakuoho into an irrecoverable death spin, like those space rockets have been doing of late. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Hiradoumi (2-1) defeated Takerufuji (2-1). Hiradoumi pressed forward with his high-octane yotsu and weathered Takerufuji’s attempt to twist him over to the right. Hiradoumi stuck with it and forced Takerufuji out. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (1-2) defeated Shodai (1-2). Kinbozan found his stride today against Shodai and blasted the former Ozeki from the ring with his powerful tsuppari. Oshidashi.

Takayasu (3-0) defeated Ichiyamamoto (1-2). Takayasu battered Ichiyamamoto with his own tsuppari. That seemed to trump Ichiyamamoto’s main weapon. Takayasu battered Ichiyamamoto back to the edge and Ichiyamamoto resorted to crawling away in order to escape. Hatakikomi.

Ura (2-1) defeated Takanosho (0-3). Takanosho thought he had Ura. Takanosho blasted away at Ura, battered him back to the edge…and then he was gone. In a flash, Ura shifted to his right along the bales and pulled Takanosho’s left hand, forcing Takanosho to stumble forward. Tottari.

Sanyaku

Kirishima (2-1) defeated Chiyoshoma (1-2). Kirishima outlasted Chiyoshoma in a lengthy grapple. He heaved Chiyoshoma to the edge with his right hand and tried to force Chiyoshoma down with his left hand. Chiyoshoma stayed upright but was standing precariously at the edge. Kirishima pressed forward and forced Chiyoshoma out. Yorikiri.

Oho (1-2) defeated Tobizaru (0-3). Oho ejected Tobizaru with a few powerful thrusts. He caught Tobizaru wrong-footed so Tobizaru turned around and ran away. Then Tobizaru tumbled into the crowd and chatted a bit with a few of the Osaka fan club folks in brown vests. Oshidashi.

Daieisho (2-1) defeated Wakatakakage (0-3). Daieisho’s thrusts are powerful and one caught Wakatakakage just right and sent Wakatakakage flying back. Tsukitaoshi.

Abi (3-0) defeated Kotozakura (1-2). Kotozakura had the upper hand here. He took the brunt of Abi’s tsuppari, powered ahead and forced him to the edge. But Abi escaped to Kotozakura’s left, and bounded away. Kotozakura gave chase and got all lost — head and body way out ahead of his feet. Abi pounced and shoved the Ozeki out. Cha-ching! Oshidashi.

Onosato (3-0) defeated Gonoyama (1-2). Gonoyama jumped early, so they reset. Gonoyama charged forward, pressed Onosato back a few steps. Then he pulled and as he pulled he tried to slip to Onosato’s left. Onosato pursued and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu (2-1) defeated Wakamotoharu (2-1). Hoshoryu death spin here. Left hand inside grip but he opted for the kotenage as he dragged Wakamotoharu around with his right arm planted in Wakamotoharu’s shoulder. As Wakamotoharu fought to stay upright, he freed himself from Hoshoryu’s grip but the momentum carried him into the crowd. Hoshoryu’s right arm grazed Wakamotoharu’s head as he stumbled from the dohyo. Kubinage.

Wrap-up

Asakoryu, Onokatsu, Endo, Abi, Onosato. Undefeated. God, I love this sport. Like, WTF. Thank God we have Onosato here with them, our rock, so far this tournament. We’re only on Day Three! Endo will end up 5-10, though. Onokatsu, though, has been a solid performer. And Abi. The wild card.

Tomorrow, Hoshoryu will face Gonoyama in the musubi-no-ichiban. Kotozakura will try to regroup against the winless, but always dangerous, Wakatakakage. Onosato fights Wakamotoharu. Further down the banzuke, we’ve got Oho against Takanosho, Kirishima versus Daieisho, and Abi looks to continue his run against Chiyoshoma.

I’ve not got much analysis at this point, outside of what happened in the bouts. We’re very early, still, so I’m basically sitting back and enjoying the action. Who knows where this will go? Other than the fact we know Endo’s going to mess this up and end up with a deep make-koshi, it just feels like this could go anywhere. When Abi’s in the lead, he could be on a yusho run or fall apart when he hits the Onami brothers. I am holding out hopes that Onosato will stay steady, Hoshoryu keeps winning after his early blemish, and Kotozakura recovers enough to get his kachi-koshi. We shall see.

Haru 2025: Day Two

Andy Haru 2025 , ,

Haru Basho Day Two begins. News from the infirmary, Nishikifuji is kyujo, Ryuden will get the default win. We will see some Juryo visitors from tomorrow.

Hoshoryu and Kotozakura certainly got off on the wrong foot on Day One. We will see today how well they recover. Elsewhere in the Dorji clan family tree, Tenrose picked up his first win of his career today. Will his cousin follow that up with a win today?

Yesterday, Sadanoumi lost to the rare technique of okurihikiotoshi. Tachiai reader, Joboryu, checked out the wealth of kimarite videos at the NHK World website and saw that, coincidentally, Sadanoumi features in the video about okurihikiotoshi. NHK World does have a great deal of explainer videos, in English, including the kimarite videos and the Sumopedia. If you ever run across a term you’re not familiar with, chances are it is explained there.

Speaking of videos, the NHK videos are here: Juryo Part I & Part II, Makuuchi Part I & Part II.

Makuuchi Action

Mitakeumi (1-1) defeated Tokihayate (1-1). Tokihayate tried to draw Mitakeumi to the bales and then throw him over. Mitakeumi went along for the ride to the edge but kept his balance and gently forced Tokihayate out. Yorikiri. Tokihayate will face Tamashoho, visiting from Juryo, tomorrow.

Kotoshoho (2-0) defeated Shirokuma (0-2). Kotoshoho pivoted as the two neared the edge and twisted Shirokuma down. Sukuinage. Shirokuma will face Mitakeumi.

Asakoryu (2-0) defeated Aonishiki (0-2). Asakoryu went for the slap-down win three times. On the third attempt, he caught Aoinishiki out and Aonishiki stumbled forward toward the edge. Asakoryu was quick to follow up and blast Aonishiki from behind. Okuridashi. Asakoryu will face Kotoshoho tomorrow.

Churanoumi (2-0) defeated Sadanoumi (0-2). These two jumped early, twice. Sadanoumi nearly forced Churanoumi out but Churanoumi recovered, drove Sadanoumi through the ring and walked him over the edge. Yorikiri. Sadanoumi will face Aonishiki.

Ryuden (2-0) fusen win over Nishikifuji (0-2).

Shishi (1-1) defeated Takarafuji (1-1). Takarafuji got a firm right hand over-arm grip of Shishi’s belt. But Shishi countered with his lefthand inside, dragged Takarafuji across to the opposite edge and roughly dropped him along the bales. Shitatenage. Takarafuji will fight Ryuden and Shishi will face Churanoumi.

Onokatsu (2-0) defeated Midorifuji (1-1). Onokatsu successfully worked his way inside on Midorifuji and forced him to the edge. Midorifuji tried a kubinage but his foot went out as he tried to brace his lower body and gain leverage. Andrew noticed the two gold stripes at the front of Midorifuji’s new mawashi. Some may think it’s an indicator of rank, like stripes like on a karate or judo belt. Nope, they’re the mark of the maker. Herouth found an awesome video with Nakagawa-san and posted it in her excellent “splainer” article about mawashi. A great read. Feel free to go there, now. I will wait. Aside from the video, there is so much information that you’re sure to discover something new there that you didn’t know. Yorikiri.

Meisei (1-1) defeated Shonnanoumi (0-2). Welcome back. I told you that was a great article, didn’t I? Bookmark it. You’ll be back. Shonannoumi lured Meisei to the edge and tried a pull but Meisei was in perfect position and kept hammering Shonannoumi with tsuppari, shoving him over the bales. Oshidashi. Meisei will face Onokatsu.

Hakuoho (2-0) defeated Nishikigi (0-2). Hakuoho got a great blast out of the tachiai and forced Nishikigi back. Nishikigi tried a pull but Hakuoho was in great position and shoved him out. Yorikiri. Nishikigi will take on Midorifuji.

Endo (2-0) defeated Atamifuji (1-1). Atamifuji charged forward and Endo pulled, slapping Atamifuji down on the edge before he clumsily tumbled backward into the crowd for some fansa. Gunbai Atamifuji. Video showed Endo’s foot stayed in, on the top of the bales, so a quick mono-ii resulted in a reversal. Katasukashi. Endo will face Shonannoumi on Day Three.

Tamawashi (1-1) defeated Oshoma (0-2). Oshoma tried a pull but Tamawashi was wise and shoved Oshoma out. Oshidashi. Oshoma will face Atamifuji tomorrow. Tamawashi will take on Hakuoho. That could be a good one.

Halftime

Shodai (1-1) defeated Hiradoumi (1-1). Hiradoumi pulled and Shodai tumbled to the clay…but the overcaffeinated Hiradoumi had stepped out before Shodai fell. So, Shodai picked up the Oshidashi win.

Takerufuji (2-0) defeated Kinbozan (0-2). Kinbozan tried for a quick henka and slapdown but did not henka enough. Takerufuji was in great position and chased Kinbozan out. Oshidashi. Takerufuji will fight Hiradoumi and Kinbozan will try to recover against Shodai.

Takayasu (2-0) defeated Ura (1-1). Takayasu pounded away at Ura with a steady torrent of tsuppari. Ura found no openings for an attack, so when Takayasu stepped to the side, Ura rolled to the exits. Hatakikomi.

Ichiyamamoto (1-1) defeated Takanosho (0-2). Ichiyamamoto settled into a grapple but churned his legs and drove Takanosho to the edge. Yorikiri. Ichiyamamoto will face Takayasu tomorrow; Takanosho gets Ura.

Sanyaku

Abi (2-0) defeated Tobizaru (0-2). Abi’s first slapdown attempt was a dud. But eventually Tobizaru charged forward at the wrong time and Abi slipped to the left, letting Tobizaru fly down into the crowd. Tsukiotoshi.

Daieisho (1-1) defeated Chiyoshoma (1-1). Daieisho’s thrusts were too much for Chiyoshoma. Chiyoshoma had no chance to get inside and get a belt grip against that. Tsukidashi.

Wakamotoharu (2-0) defeated Oho (0-2). Oho was smart enough not to fall for Wakamotoharu’s trap at the edge. But Wakamotoharu was not going to fall for Oho’s backwards-business, either. So, Oho grabbed at Wakamotoharu and tried to tip him over but Wakamotoharu latched on and twisted Oho all the way down. Sukuinage.

Onosato (2-0) defeated Kirishima (1-1). Steady Onosato maintained his balance as Kirishima grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the edge. Onosato worked his arm free then thrust Kirishima into the crowd. Oshidashi.

Kotozakura (1-1) defeated Gonoyama (1-1). Kotozakura moved forward well today. He wrapped up Gonoyama, worked him to the edge when Gonoyama tried an ill-conceived pull, then forced him out. Yorikiri.

Hoshoryu (1-1) defeated Wakatakakage (0-2). Wakatakakage tried to draw Hoshoryu to the bales and Hoshoryu obliged but Hoshoryu wrapped up Wakatakage firmly and drove him off the dohyo and into the crowd. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up.

The three men who featured in Hatsu’s playoff have combined for one win over these first two days. Hoshoryu and Kotozakura turned things around and along side steady Onosato, all three champions picked up white stars today.

Hoshoryu will face Wakamotoharu tomorrow while Onosato will take on Gonoyama and Kotozakura fights Abi. Abi has definitely been having an excellent start to this tournament and is hitting Kotozakura at a time when the Ozeki appears vulnerable. Yes, Kotozakura moved forward today but I wonder if that was due to Gonoyama’s pull. Abi has shown excellent, powerful forward moving sumo as well as his deft, lateral moves. Anything but backwards and he could be an early favorite this tournament.

Further down the torikumi, we’ve got Daieisho against Wakatakakage, Oho versus Tobizaru, and Kirishima against Chiyoshoma. One of those names does not seem to fit along with the others, does it? Chiyoshoma showed he can be a danger on the belt, though. Kirishima is not known to keep his opponents at bay with tsuppari but he may want to try that tomorrow. Nevertheless, Kirishima has won their last four bouts. Is Chiyoshoma heading for a deep makekoshi?

Kyushu 2024, Day Seven

Andy Kyushu 2024 , , ,

Bushozan is kyujo. Mitakeumi is not. The NHK’s commentator for today, former Ozeki Takakeisho, hopes Bushozan, his senpai from Saitama Sakae HS, gets well soon. Takakeisho was a great guest on the NHK broadcast. They showed videos from his career, showing his rise up the ranks and several great top-division bouts. I’ll be watching again later on JME.

The NHK links for today’s action are here: Juryo Part I and Part II, Makuuchi Part I and Part II.

Makuuchi Action

Tamashoho (5-2) fusen win over Bushozan (1-6).

Takerufuji (5-2) defeated Onokatsu (6-1). Takerufuji hit Onokatsu hard, driving him back to the bales. Takerufuji’s initial hazu-oshi hit a wall so Takerufuji paused to lock up Onokatsu’s belt, left-hand inside. Once he got a firm hold of Onokatsu’s belt, he drove forward and ushered Onokatsu over.

Chiyoshoma (4-3) defeated Shishi (2-5). Chiyoshoma lashed out at Shishi with nodowa and tsuppari to the face. Shishi was less than pleased with this treatment and swatted Chiyoshoma’s hands away. When Shishi leaned inside to attack, Chiyoshoma quickly seized his belt with his right hand and pulled him forward. Uwatedashinage.

Shonannoumi (5-2) defeated Asakoryu (3-4). Asakoryu grabbed Shonannoumi’s arm and tried to pull him forward. When that didn’t work, Asakoryu plowed forward. Shonannoumi retreated to the edge where he twisted Asakoryu to the ground. Uwatehineri.

Nishikifuji (2-5) defeated Sadanoumi (3-4). Nishikifuji launched an attack of tsuppari at Sadanoumi. Sadanoumi had no defense and was too overwhelmed to attack. Nishikifuji blasted Sadanoumi back and out. Tsukidashi.

Hokutofuji (2-5) defeated Tokihayate (2-5). Hokutofuji charged forward with tsuppari. Tokihayate pivoted and spun Hokutofuji so his back was to the bales. Tokihayate then launched his own attack. Hokutofuji resisted at the bales and then pressed forward and powered Tokihayate over the bales. Oshidashi.

Takarafuji (5-2) defeated Ryuden (2-5). Takarafuji’s used his lefthand inside belt grip to drive Ryuden back and out. Yorikiri.

Meisei (4-3) defeated Ichiyamamoto (4-3). Ichiyamamoto did his brand of sumo but Meisei twisted at the edge, shifting to his right, and pulled Ichiyamamoto to the floor. Hikiotoshi.

Tamawashi (4-3) defeated Midorifuji (3-4). Henka! Midorifuji hopped to his left to attack Tamawashi from the side. Tamawashi was not impressed. Tamawashi adjusted quickly, grabbed Midorifuji’s face and yanked him to the ground. Ow. Oshitaoshi.

Roga (3-4) defeated Takayasu (3-4). As Takayasu charged forward, Roga shifted to the side and slapped Takayasu down. Hatakikomi.

Endo (4-3) defeated Gonoyama (5-2). Endo’s hit-and-shift tachiai caught Gonoyama completely by surprise. Endo met Gonoyama’s charge with his right arm to Gonoyama’s shoulder. But he quickly shifted left and locked in on Gonoyama’s belt. Then he spun Gonoyama toward the edge. When Gonoyama finally processed what was happening, he was ready to step back and out. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Takanosho defeated Mitakeumi. Why is Mitakeumi here? Takanosho wrapped him up at the tachiai and gingerly ushered him over the bales. Yorikiri.

Tobizaru defeated Nishikigi. Tobizaru wore Nishikigi out with his arms-length sumo. Early in the bout, they’d traded pulls and shoves. Eventually they settled at the center of the ring, toe-to-toe. Nishikigi was gassed Oshidashi.

Kotoshoho (2-5) defeated Churanoumi (2-5). This was a great brawl. Churanoumi was always on the attack, pressing forward. Kotoshoho did his best to shift and pull, trying to use misdirection but nothing worked. Churanoumi was always there and always maintained his balance. Churanoumi seemed to say, “If you’re going to beat me, it’s going to be with forward-moving sumo.” Kotoshoho finally pressed forward and shoved Churanoumi out. Kotoshoho walked back down the hanamichi with a fresh welt forming on his forehead. Oshidashi.

Oshoma (2-5) defeated Wakatakakage (4-3). WTK plowed forward but Oshoma shifted right after the tachiai. Oshoma’s tachiai effectively deflected the WTK Juggernaut to the edge. Oshoma re-engaged and shoved Wakatakakage over the bales. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Wakamotoharu (4-3) defeated Oho (2-5). Oho did well to start, forcing Wakamotoharu back to the bales. Wakamotoharu stepped inside and briefly secured a lefthand inside grip. This was enough to reverse the flow of the action and shift momentum to WMH. Oshidashi.

Daieisho (4-3) defeated Hiradoumi (1-6). Huge cheers of support from the crowd before the bout, urging Hiradoumi on. THIS is the kind of atmosphere I want to experience live. Wow. Despite the home crowd advantage, Daieisho’s thrusting attack was too much for Hiradoumi. The two gladiators traded thrusts and headbutts for the first half of yet another exciting bout. Hiradoumi tired of the brawl and tried to reach inside for a belt grip. Daieisho slipped to the side and slapped Hiradoumi down. Hiradoumi rolled off the edge, coming to a stop under the red tassel. Hatakikomi.

Kirishima (2-5) defeated Shodai (2-5). Shodai showed up today. He hit Kirishima hard at the tachiai and persistently tried to get his lefthand inside grip. But Kirishima kept Shodai off his belt. He tried oshi to start but secured a right hand inside grip on Shodai’s belt. Kirishima then drove forward. Shodai twisted at the edge to try a last gasp Tsukidashi but Kirishima kept his balance and kept up the pressure. Good bout. Lots of good bouts from guys who are 2-5 or 1-6, tonight. Yorikiri.

Onosato (5-2) defeated Ura (2-5). Onosato chased Ura off the dohyo. What did I say about good bouts from guys who are 2-5? Not this one. Ura ran away. Oshidashi.

Abi (5-2) defeated Hoshoryu (6-1). Abi charged forward, drove his hands into Hoshoryu’s face, holding him high. Then he disappeared and Hoshoryu flopped forward. Good thing the zabuton are bolted to the floor. They would have come raining down after this and people wouldn’t have anything to sit on for the final bout. Hikiotoshi.

Kotozakura (6-1) defeated Atamifuji (4-3). Atamifuji wrapped up Kotozakura’s right arm, put his head down and charged forward. Maybe he picked the wrong arm because Kotozakura reached around with his left hand and grabbed Atamifuji’s belt. As Atamifuji pressed ahead, Kotozakura shifted left and pulled Atamifuji down. Uwatenage.

Wrap-up

One week into this Kyushu bahso. What a week! Yet another night chock full of great bouts. Heading into nakabi (the middle day) we now have four guys tied with one loss, Kotozakura, Hoshoryu, Takanosho, and Onokatsu. Eight more guys have two losses.

Tomorrow, the Ozeki will continue to plow through rank-and-file opponents. Kotozakura will face Churanoumi, Onosato will take on Tobizaru, and Hoshoryu will face Oshoma. Meanwhile, a few sleepers continue to do well further down the banzuke. Where will this yusho race lead?

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.