This morning the Sumo Association posted the final bouts for the Final Day’s action.
Picture in your minds all of the names of wrestlers who are out of the tournament. Then, ponder this line-up for the final three bouts: Kotoshoho vs Churanoumi, Atamifuji vs Oshoma, Kirishima vs Ura. Before the kore-yori-sanyaku Wakatakakage will fight the makujiri, Fujiryoga, in a match-up of yusho significance. I never would have thought it would come down to this. It was not on my bingo card, as they say.
Certainly, there’s some (okay — a lot of) disappointment in how the basho has transpired but it is what it is. There has actually been some great sumo from a lot of new names. There’s an opening for another huge, exciting playoff to match the massive seven-man shindig in Makushita but that would require both Kirishima and Wakatakakage to fall on their faces at the finish line. I can’t say I’m looking forward to that eventuality.
Takayasu will plummet from sanyaku and one wonders whether he will be able to return. Deeper in the division, Iron Man Tamawashi appears headed for Juryo, coming up shy in his pursuit of the all-time record in makuuchi tournaments and likely ending his advancement up the list of all-time wins. (Let’s face it, Hakuho’s out of reach.) Ryuden and Oshoumi are set to join him on the way down. Nishikifuji is in peril. In Juryo, Nishikigi might drop into Makushita.
The annoying thing about sumo is that it seems every tournament brings the end of the career of some of our favorites, and it’s happening more and more in recent tournaments. Already there’s been a stream of retirement announcements from the lower divisions, including Yuma who cracked into Juryo a few years ago.
The Blooming Fujis
But the great thing about the sport is that there are always new faces making a name for themselves. From Asahifuji, who’s tearing things up in the lower divisions, to Omori…this tournament has really seen growth from the budding Fujis.
Fujinokawa has reached his career high rank here. He will stumble a bit with this make-koshi but he’s fighting well against the best. He will be around for quite a while and I am sure he’ll reach sanyaku in the near future. The same seems to be true of Fujiryoga and Fujiseiun, who are just starting to make their marks in the division and have been looking great this tournament.
(藤) If you are wondering about the kanji for this “fuji” it’s different from what you’re familiar with from Isegahama-beya: (富士). It’s not Fuji-san, the mountain. Their kanji is for fuji-no-hana, the wisteria. Kameido (where my wife is from) is famous for its fuji-no-hana and it’s in bloom in April/May.
The pic on the right comes from the Kameido Tenshinsha temple there. There’s a famous little red pedestrian bridge there but I loved this photo with Sky Tree in the background. The Hokusai museum isn’t far away, either. Right now they’re making ume-shu. I love ume-shu (plum wine).
Then, the Kototebakari brothers: Kotoshoho and Kotoeiho are real bright spots at Sadogatake just when stablemate and heyagashira Kotozakura seems to really be struggling.
The biggest story of all this tournament, though, is the return of Enho to Juryo. The significance of this tournament in his career cannot be lost. He is now eligible to retire as oyakata with the Sumo Association when it’s finally time to pack it in. I look forward to seeing him working with Ishiura to foster the new generation of wrestlers. But the way he’s fighting, he doesn’t look done.
If only there were enough kabu to go around, however. I think there’s one available at the moment…with many of the names that I mentioned eager to get it on loan or buy it outright. Tamawashi has signaled his intent to keep fighting, for example. Maybe there’s a reason.
