Shodai

Hatsu 2026: Day Two

Andy Hatsu 2026, Hatsu Basho , , , ,

No kyujo to report in the top two divisions. At makushita 11, Enho won his first bout of the tournament against Toseiryu. He is within range to earn promotion with a zensho-yusho. That is a tall order but a winning record will advance him closer to the regular promotion zone.

Your NHK videos are here. Click, “yes, I understand,” then find “続きを読む”. I don’t know why they make these videos so difficult to hunt for. They’re great. Today’s bonus video gives us the Meisei/Asasuiryu bout from Juryo. I’ll keep asking them to go back and post the whole division. It was awesome when they were doing that. Will we see Meisei back in Makunouchi?

Makuuchi Action

Asanoyama (1-1) defeated Hatsuyama (0-2). Asanoyama advanced steadily and cut off Hatsuyama’s escape as the former Ozeki steered the rookie to the tawara. At the edge, Hatsuyama dug in so Asanoyama pressed forward with all of his might and crushed Hatsuyama, falling off the dohyo backwards. Long term fans breathe some relief as the big man gets a win in the top division. Yoritaoshi.

Asahakuryu (2-0) defeated Oshoumi (1-1). Asahakuryu locked up Oshoumi and overpowered him. He pulled up with his right-hand overarm grip and ushered Oshoumi back over the bales. Yorikiri.

Shishi (2-0) defeated Asakoryu (0-2). Shishi enveloped Asakoryu’s arms and dragged him back to the edge. His first heave failed but with his left arm hooked under Asakoryu’s right arm, he twisted and tossed Asakoryu down. Kotenage.

Mitakeumi (1-1) defeated Ryuden (1-1). Ryuden tried to bulldoze Mitakeumi, which is not an easy feat. He was not making much progress but neither was Mitakeumi. Mitakeumi shuffled right suddenly, trying to catch Ryuden off-guard. Ryuden reacted well to his first shift but Mitakeumi forced him to stumble to the bales with a second shift. Ryuden resisted with all of his might so Mitakeumi had to press with all of his might to shove Ryuden out. Oshitaoshi.

Tomokaze (1-1) defeated Midorifuji (0-2). Tomokaze pulled backward, slapping Midorifuji down at the edge as he stepped out. Gunbai Tomokaze. Mono-ii. Video review confirmed the gyoji’s initial call as Midorifuji’s arm touched the tawara before Tomokaze stepped out. In the hanamichi, Tomokaze slipped and landed hard on his butt. Hatakikomi.

Abi (2-0) defeated Tobizaru (1-1). Abi blasted away at Tobizaru with his patented tsuppari. Tobizaru tried to find an opening but Abi shifted right and Tobizaru stumbled forward. Abi grabbed Tobizaru’s mawashi and flung him across the ring and off the dohyo. Hatakikomi.

Nishikifuji (2-0) defeated Tokihayate (1-1). Tokihayate spun Nishikifuji close to the bales with his left-hand inside grip but Nishikifuji maintained excellent footing. He used his right-hand over arm grip to drive Tokihayate backward and out. Yorikiri.

Chiyoshoma (1-1) defeated Kotoshoho (0-2). Kotoshoho lost his footing as he stepped forward. Chiyoshoma shifted right and shoved Kotoshoho forward. Kotoshoho bumbled his way out. Tsukiotoshi.

Shodai (2-0) defeated Roga (1-1). Shodai keeps his perfect winning record against Roga. Roga pulled and tried to catch Shodai off-balance. Shodai was ready for it and immediately executed his own mini-pull and slapdown. I haven’t been seeing many pivots lately with these pulls. I might need to prepare a new rant. Hikiotoshi.

Kinbozan (1-1) defeated Gonoyama (0-2). Gonoyama shoved Kinbozan to the edge and pressed hard with a right hand nodowa. With Kinbozan’s weight pressing forward to counter the nodowa, Gonoyama tried to slip to his right and slip he did, aided by Kinbozan’s left-hand overarm hold. Gonoyama fell forward and Kinbozan landed on top of him. Oof! Uwatenage.

Fujinokawa (1-1) defeated Hiradoumi (1-1). Solid tachiai from both men followed by steady tsuppari. Hiradoumi’s left foot seemed to get out ahead of him and when Fujinokawa hit him, Hiradoumi fell backward. Oshitaoshi.

Halftime

Oshoma (2-0) defeated Onokatsu (0-2). Onokatsu fired forward aimlessly and Oshoma shifted right, deflecting Onokatsu to the left and bringing a quick, unsatisfying end to the bout. We’re seeing quite a bit of poor footwork today, it seems. Tsukiotoshi.

Churanoumi (2-0) defeated Daieisho (1-1). Count on Churanoumi to get his footing right. He weathered a torrent of abuse from Daieisho. When Daieisho pulled, Churanoumi advanced and kept his footing long enough to force Daieisho over the bales. Yorikiri.

Tamawashi (1-1) defeated Atamifuji (0-2). Again, Atamifuji launched ahead. Tamawashi stepped to his right and then hit Atamifuji with a nodowa, blasting him to the edge. Under assault, Atamifuji tried to shift left but Tamawashi stuck with him and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Hakunofuji (2-0) defeated Wakamotoharu (0-2). Hakunofuji powered ahead with his left-hand inside. Wakamotoharu braced his feet at the edge and tried to slip his own left hand inside for a belt grip. Hakunofuji suddenly sidestepped to his right and pulled Wakamotoharu forward. Tsukiotoshi.

Kirishima (2-0) defeated Takanosho (0-2). Kirishima’s tsuppari was more forceful as he avoided Takanosho’s big opening nodowa, wrapped up Takanosho’s left arm and drove him back with mighty shoves. Oshidashi.

Wakatakakage (1-1) defeated Takayasu (1-1). This was a great battle of strength, patience, and timing. Takayasu pressured Wakatakakage well but couldn’t quite get a hold on Wakatakakage’s belt. Wakatakakage charged forward with Takayasu’s right arm jammed up awkwardly. As Takayasu struggled to liberate his arm and stop his backward movement, Wakatakakage pivoted and pulled Takayasu forward by his shoulder. Katasukashi.

Kotozakura (2-0) defeated Ura (0-2). Kotozakura pressed forward into Ura and threw him off the dohyo as if he was a toy. More of this, please. And against guys bigger than Ura. Oshitaoshi.

Aonishiki (2-0) defeated Yoshinofuji (0-2). Yoshinofuji plowed ahead so at the edge, Aonishiki wrapped his right arm around Yoshinofuji’s head, twisted and thrust Yoshinofuji down, while hoisting Yoshinofuji’s left leg with his own right. Gunbai Aonishiki. Mono-ii. A bit of a long one, but let’s get it right. Aonishiki’s hand touched first but Yoshinofuji’s entire body was in the air, dead. Aonishiki’s hand was down to cushion his fall, kabaite. Good call. Kubinage.

Hoshoryu (2-0) defeated Ichiyamamoto (0-2). Ichiyamamoto seemed to get the jump on this tachiai. He thrust forward into the Yokozuna. Hoshoryu resisted so Ichiyamamoto locked up Hoshoryu’s belt. Ichiyamamoto tried a pull but Hoshoryu countered. Once Hoshoryu got his double-inside grip, he pressed ahead and forced Ichiyamamoto out. Great work from the rank-and-filer, though. Yorikiri.

Onosato (2-0) defeated Oho (0-2). Oho hit Onosato hard at the tachiai, staggering the Yokozuna and forcing him back. Onosato tried a quick slapdown. Thankfully he didn’t jam his gears completely into reverse, though. Instead, he charged ahead into Oho, got under both arms and drove him back over the edge. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up

Another strong day for the guys at the top of the banzuke. Aonishiki likely scraped by but it was a deserved win. Excellent to see how he was able to adjust to Yoshinofuji’s power and quickly spring the kubinage when he was on the back foot, so to speak.

Hoshoryu and Onosato both looked very strong, though we know both are walking wounded. Ichiyamamoto threw everything he had at Hoshoryu but even with his bad knee, Hoshoryu contained him and ushered him out. I like seeing Ichiyamamoto at this level. It’s funny to see the Abi-clone ranked so far ahead of Abi. But Abi’s had his own injury problems of late. Abi will face Nishikifuji tomorrow.

Before we look at tomorrow’s sanyaku bouts, Asanoyama will meet Mitakeumi in an interesting bout of the two former Ozeki. And another former Ozeki, Shodai, will take on Oshoma.

Oho will fight Wakatakakage. Takayasu will fight Daieisho. Kirishima will fight Hakunofuji with both men undefeated. That seems like a real momentum bout…who can keep this early run going? Might one of them challenge for the leaderboard next week?

Aonishiki will get his turn against Ichiyamamoto. Kotozakura will fight Wakamotoharu. Onosato takes on Ura and Hoshoryu will end the day against Yoshinofuji. There is definitely some upset potential in those bouts.

See you tomorrow!

Aki 2025: Day 11

Andy Aki 2025, Aki Basho , , ,

Day 11. Act III opens, as Bruce says. Our Yokozuna lead the field. Ozeki Kotozakura can claim his kachi-koshi today and has been looking solid in his position for the first time in a long time. We’ll need him there as another Ozeki run was extinguished yesterday.

All eyes turn to look for another contender…maybe Aonishiki? He has had five consecutive double-digit tournaments since he became a full-timer. He has had three 11-4 tournaments in the top division and is holding his own in sanyaku. He will face a former Ozeki in Shodai, who has been a shadow of his former self but looking bright this tournament.

Let’s turn to Juryo. I want you to note these guys attire. Today, instead of somenuki pictures from Top Division wrestlers, the Kyokai shows us our five Juryo leaders. You see the contrast from the colorful somenuki of the top division guys I showed yesterday. Asahakuryu dons the hakama we often see and the other four wear more monochrome yukata.

On the dohyo, Asanoyama beat Hidenoumi, Asahakuryu beat Mita and Nishikifuji beat Kotokuzan to move to 9-2. Oshoumi, Mita, and Fujiseiun are just behind on 8-3 records.

Your NHK videos are here. You might want to bookmark this page, though. Use that as your “home base” for this basho. It has the links to action from each day.

Makuuchi Action

Hitoshi (5-6) defeated Daiseizan (4-7). Hitoshi executed a terrible henka. Daiseizan caught it but somehow Hitoshi dodged him at the edge and shoved him out. Hatakikomi.

Shishi (7-4) defeated Sadanoumi (4-7). Shishi trapped Sadanoumi’s right arm and dragged him down. Kotenage.

Shonannoumi (6-5) defeated Meisei (3-8). Shonannoumi dragged Meisei to the edge and twisted him down by Meisei’s left arm. Kotenage.

Mitakeumi (5-6) defeated Asakoryu (5-6). Asakoryu shifted left at the tachiai. Mitakeumi adjusted well and forced Asakoryu back and out. Yorikiri.

Churanoumi (7-4) defeated Tobizaru (7-4). After an energetic brawl, trading tsuppari, Churanoumi was able to get Tobizaru turned. Churanoumi then drove into Tobizaru from the side, shoving him over the bales. Oshidashi.

Tokihayate (5-6) defeated Midorifuji (4-7). Tokihayate got his left arm inside and bulled forward, dropping Midorifuji over the bales. Yoritaoshi.

Kinbozan (5-6) defeated Nishikigi (1-10). Nishikigi circled back to his left to try to get Kinbozan turned. But Kinbozan pivoted and slapped Nishikigi down. Hatakikomi.

Tomokaze (7-4) defeated Ura (7-4). Tomozake pulled and slapped Ura down. Tomokaze has been looking solid in this return to the top division. Remember, a long time ago and in a galaxy far, far away, this guy won two kinboshi off Kakuryu before the devastating knee injury. Hatakikomi.

Oshoma defeated Roga. Roga tried to throw Oshoma forward but Oshoma slipped his grasp and got Roga turned around. Roga did not have time to recover as Oshoma shoved him over the edge. Oshidashi.

Takanosho defeated Ryuden, thus ending the West-side streak of nine straight wins. Ryuden’s left hand ottsuke blocked Takanosho from getting inside. Ryuden pulled and tried a slapdown but failed, so Takanosho demonstrated proper technique. Pivot and pull. Pivot and pull. Hatakikomi.

Daieisho defeated Onokatsu. Daieisho hit Onokatsu with his powerful tsuppari and drove him back. Onokatsu tried to escape but turned himself around and Daieisho finished him off from behind. Okuridashi.

Halftime

Fujinokawa (4-7) defeated Ichiyamamoto (3-8). Fujinokawa got inside quickly, negating Ichiyamamoto’s tsuppari and forcing a grapple. Fujinokawa got a solid morozashi and picked Ichiyamamoto up. Ichiyamamoto was able to get his feet down at the edge but Fujinokawa twisted and threw Ichiyamamoto to the ground. Sukuinage.

Kusano (6-5) defeated Hiradoumi (6-5). Kusano avoided Hiradoumi’s misdirection and forced Hiradoumi back and out behind strong tsuppari. Tsukidashi.

Oho (7-4) defeated Hakuoho (6-5). After a great, evenly matched and very entertaining grapple, Oho was able to get some separation and pull and slap down Hakuoho. Hatakikomi.

Abi (2-9) defeated Atamifuji (2-9). Atamifuji resisted Abi’s initial volleys of tsuppari and remained in the center. Abi followed up with a nodowa, driving Atamifuji back to the bales. Atamifuji tried to slip out to Abi’s right but Abi kept up the pressure and forced him over the tawara. Oshidashi.

Tamawashi (4-7) defeated Gonoyama (0-11). Tamawashi pivoted and charged forward, shoving Gonoyama over the edge and onto his butt. Oshitaoshi.

Sanyaku

Shodai (9-2) defeated Aonishiki (8-3). Who is this man in black? He took the phenom on, toe-to-toe, and just overpowered him, shoving him to the edge and crushing him out onto his back. Chaos reins!! Yoritaoshi.

Kotoshoho (3-8) defeated Wakatakakage (5-6). Kotoshoho hugged Wakatakakage with his right hand inside and powered forward, forcing the sekiwake over the bales. What has happened to Wakatakakage? Yorikiri.

Kotozakura (8-3) defeated Wakamotoharu (6-5). Kotozakura grabbed Wakamotoharu’s belt with his right hand outside. With the bales as leverage he swung Wakamotoharu down. Kotozakura claims his kachi-koshi on Day 11. Uwatenage.

Hoshoryu (11-0) defeated Kirishima (5-6). Migi-yotsu. Hoshoryu forced Kirishima to the edge. Kirishima resisted at the bales so Hoshoryu pivoted and dragged him down. Uwatenage.

Onosato (10-1) defeated Takayasu (3-8). Takayasu chased Onosato around the ring as Onosato tried to slap him down. Onosato stopped pulling and drove forward into Takayasu, forcing him through the ring and over the bales. Tsukidashi.

Wrap-up

This is great! Hoshoryu is finally quieting the “hE wAs PrOmOtEd ToO eArLy,” business and continues to win. He looked most comfortable and most dominant today. He certainly has his most difficult challenges ahead of him, though. Hoshoryu will face Aonishiki tomorrow in what will surely be a highlight bout.

Onosato will take his turn against Kirishima next. He looked vulnerable today until he buckled down and overwhelmed Takayasu. This is building up to an epic final weekend.

Meanwhile, the Lord of Chaos is doing Chaos things and remains in the hunt along with Takanosho. “What was all of this hype around this blonde guy? You want to proclaim him Ozeki? You think this kid is the next Ozeki? Cute. Or should I say, ‘ka-wa-ii’?” Settle down Mr. Maegashira 11. I am enjoying this Shodai. More of this version, please. Shodai will fight Ryuden on Day 12. Takanosho will be paired with Kotozakura as he tries to step out of the shadow of Takakeisho. That’s much easier now as Takakeisho keeps shrinking. Not to get off on a tangent but pictures from his danpatsushiki will be wild.

Kotozakura might finally get back to the Ozeki kachi-koshi 10-win standard. Our Sekiwake, however, have fallen to the wayside. Takayasu’s sanyaku slot will be open and neither of the current Sekiwake are safe. Wakatakakage looked terrible today and has gone from Ozeki candidate to looking like a standard rank-and-filer. Aonishiki is doing his best to lay claim to an opening.

Aki 2025: Nakabi

Andy Aki 2025, Aki Basho , , ,

Mita suffered his first loss of the tournament to Oshoumi while Kotokuzan defeated Asahakuryu and Shirokuma took down Asanoyama. Mita and Kotokuzan share joint lead in Juryo with one loss apiece. Five men, including Oshoumi, Asakakuryu, Nishikifuji, Fujiseiun, and former Ozeki Asanoyama chase with two losses.

On Nakabi the Kyokai presents its maezumo class to the world. This basho we have one recruit in maezumo, Oshiogawa-beya’s Kazemitsuki. He got to wear a kesho mawashi borrowed from Oshiogawa stablemate and Juryo 11-ranked, Kazekeno.

The other two recruits from the Shin Deshi Kensa are Mongolian and will participate in Maezumo this November after visas get sorted. This includes Ochirusaihan, from Isegahama. We will cover him more next tournament when we see him in maezumo.

NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Ryuden (6-2) defeated Tomokaze (5-3). Tomokaze effectively kept Ryuden off his belt and steadily powered forward after the tachiai. Ryuden countered with his own hazuoshi, shoving Tomokaze and eventually caught Tomokaze too far forward, slapping him down. Hatakikomi.

Nishikigi (1-7) defeated Sadanoumi (3-5). Sadanoumi had a right arm outside grip at the tachiai but reared up to try to change it to an inside grip. That was the opening Nishikigi needed to power forward and pick up his first win. That is the danger we’re used to seeing with makikae. Yorikiri.

Asakoryu (3-5) defeated Tochitaikai (3-5). Henka’ing the Juryo visitor is going to be a hilarious new trend if this catches on. Asakoryu left to his left and Tochitaikai zoomed by. Asakoryu then shoved him from the back to make sure he went out. Okuridashi.

Shishi (6-2) defeated Meisei (2-6). Shishi had the opposite situation from Sadanoumi. His left hand was outside and he wanted to bring it in. But he didn’t rear back like Sadanoumi and got his hand briefly on Meisei’s belt. Meisei freaked out and spun away from Shishi’s grip. However, Shishi was determined and reacquired his left-hand inside belt grip. Once he got it, he drove Meisei back and out. Yorikiri.

Hitoshi (4-4) defeated Tokihayate (3-5). Tokihayate pivoted in retreat as he tried to catch Hitoshi for a slapdown. But Hitoshi caught Tokihayate’s right arm and pulled him forward, instead. Hikiotoshi.

Shonannoumi (5-3) defeated Mitakeumi (3-5). Mitakeumi powered forward but Shonannoumi grabbed his belt with a right hand outside. He used the leverage from the bales to pivot and that right arm to swing Mitakeumi around. Once in behind, he finished Mitakeumi with a shove. Okuridashi.

Tobizaru (6-2) defeated Roga (4-4). Tobizaru pulled Roga forward with a left hand grip on his belt and a quick pull. Hikiotoshi.

Shodai (7-1) defeated Ura (6-2). Ura attempted a feat of strength as he tried to hoist Shodai into the air on his shoulders like a big bale of rice. But Shodai’s freaking heavy, dude. He used the awkward position to grab Ura’s belt, deep over Ura’s back. Shodai then used his left arm to pull Ura back and get some space, then pivoted and yanked Ura down with that right hand belt grip. Uwatenage.

Takanosho (7-1) defeated Churanoumi (5-3). Takanosho used his right arm to shove Churanoumi back. Churanoumi pressed forward in response, so Takanosho slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

Oshoma (4-4) defeated Daieisho (2-6). Daieisho lashed out with tsuppari at the start but Oshoma pivoted, forcing Daieisho to rush by. Oshoma then followed up with thrusts of his own and shoved Daieisho out. Oshidashi.

Onokatsu (5-3) defeated Midorifuji (2-6). After a decent oshi brawl, Onokatsu stepped inside and wrangled Midorifuji with a left-hand over-arm grip. He pressed forward and drove an exhausted Midorifuji over the bales. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Kusano (4-4) defeated Fujinokawa (3-5). Kusano used his right-arm overarm grip to haul Fujinokawa down. Uwatenage.

Kinbozan (3-5) defeated Ichiyamamoto (2-6). Ichiyamamoto plowed forward but Kinbozan grabbed his belt with a left-arm overarm grip. Kinbozan pivoted at the bales and threw Ichiyamamoto down as both fell from the ring. Gunbai Kinbozan. Mono-ii. Video review confirmed Kinbozan threw Ichi and Ichi landed first. Uwatenage.

Hakuoho (5-3) defeated Kotoshoho (2-6). Hakuoho’s bicep was wrapped in a sleeve but he was still able to use that right arm today to throw Kotoshoho. Hakuoho attacked at the tachiai, got a right arm overarm grip, then pulled and dragged Kotoshoho down. Uwatedashinage.

Oho (4-4) defeated Abi (0-8). Abi hit Oho with a flurry of tsuppari, most aimed at Oho’s chin. Oho powered through the torrent and drove Abi back and over the tawara. Abi is make-koshi. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Aonishiki (6-2) defeated Tamawashi (3-5). Tamawashi thrust out at Aonishiki, driving him back to the bales. At the bales, Aonishiki stopped trading tsuppari, lowered his head and grabbed Tamawashi’s belt. Since Tamawashi was still lobbing volleys of tsuppari, Aonishiki’s outside belt grips became inside belt grips. Morozashi engaged, Tamawashi’s volleys stopped. He was too close and had to try to grab Aonishiki’s belt. Aonishiki, however, took control of Tamawashi’s belt as if he was a truck driver controlling the steering wheel of a big rig. He got that bus turned around toward the tawara and drove it over the edge. Yorikiri.

Wakatakakage (5-3) defeated Atamifuji (2-6). Wakatakakage grabbed Atamifuji’s belt with his right hand inside. Atamifuji trapped it with his left and used the kotenage to push Wakatakakage backward. Atamifuji’s right arm was being held at bay by WTK’s left ottsuke. Atamifuji tried to change his attack from the left but that allowed Wakatakakage to seize his belt with an inside grip. Morozashi engaged, we had another big rig driver. Wakatakakage put his rig in drive and forced Atamifuji over the edge. Yorikiri.

Wakamotoharu (6-2) defeated Kirishima (4-4). Kirishima might be nursing an injury. After trading tsuppari briefly, both men locked on to each other’s belts with left hand inside, right hand outside grips. Wakamotoharu was in full control. Though Kirishima tried to topple Wakamotoharu, WMH virtually ignored Kirishima’s pressure and powered through. WMH forced Kirishima to the edge and then over. Yorikiri.

Takayasu (2-6) defeated Kotozakura (5-3). Kotozakura was not content to play edge games today. He grabbed Takayasu with a right hand inside hold of Takayasu’s trunk. While he tried to get the left hand grip on Takayasu’s belt, he shoved Takayasu toward the bales. Takayasu had his own firm right hand grip on Kotozakura’s belt. Sensing danger, he pivoted and used all of his might to throw Kotozakura. Shitatenage.

Onosato (7-1) defeated Hiradoumi (4-4). Hiradoumi attacked with a firm tachiai and locked onto Onosato’s belt with the right hand. Onosato shoved Hiradoumi and forced him back to the bales and over. Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu (8-0) defeated Gonoyama (0-8). Gonoyama had early control in this bout and pushed the Yokozuna back. Hoshoryu tried to use his right-hand hold for a sukuinage at the edge. Gonoyama retreated and Hoshoryu chugged ahead, shoving Gonoyama out. Oshidashi.

Wrap-up

Day 8 is in the books so let’s take a look at the leaderboard.

Hoshoryu picked up his kachi-koshi on nakabi and continues to lead the field in this yusho race. Onosato, Takanosho and Shodai are in the chase group. Shodai and Takanosho have certainly turned up their game a bit. I think Shodai was insulted earlier this tournament when he got two wins in a row…but no kensho. I remember one bout he went to do his sonkyo and tegatana and looked at the empty hands of the gyoji like, “really?” He needs to get those wins in order to have sponsors. Other than the one blemish on his record against Mitakeumi, he has been fighting well and appears to be more focused than in recent basho. “If you win it, they will come.”

Tomorrow, Shodai will fight Tobizaru and Takanosho will fight Midorifuji. Meanwhile, in sanyaku, Onosato will battle Wakamotoharu. We know Wakamotoharu likes to play edge games in retreat, so look for a confident Onosato to press forward and get a surprise as they near the bales…if WMH wants a kinboshi. Hoshoryu will fight Kotoshoho and Kotozakura will take on Atamifuji.

In our Tale of Two Ozeki Hopefuls, Wakatakakage will fight Kirishima. Wakatakakage really needs to be hot this week to clinch promotion. Kirishima, on the other hand, needs to get his head back in the game. The Komusubi bouts should be fun as Takayasu will fight Hakuoho and Abi will fight Aonishiki.

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.