Shonichi

Aki 2024: Shonichi Highlights

Andy Aki 2024 , , , , ,

In Juryo, Takerufuji took care of business today. He completely overpowered Daiseizan and handed him a loss in his debut. Our other debutant, Kiryuko, fell victim to an Aoiyama slapdown. Hakuoho got his tournament off on the right foot with a powerful yorikiri win over Daiamami. Shishi got the better of Tamashoho at the edge.

As usual, NHK has all of the videos here. Juryo Part I and Part II as well as Makuuchi Part I and Part II. As usual, I’m catching all of the action LIVE on JME.tv. And as usual, JME also provides a special sumo channel that allows you to watch their entire Makuuchi division coverage four times each day.

Makuuchi action

Chiyoshoma defeated Nishikifuji. Nishikifuji drove forward but Chiyoshoma was able to shift to the side and pull him down at the edge. A particularly rough-looking Katasukashi.

Shirokuma defeated Kitanowaka. Shirokuma chased Kitanowaka, drove him to the edge and ushered him out. Kitanowaka locked on with a left-hand grip at the tachiai. He immediately began pulling and circled around the dohyo. Shirokuma pressed forward and forced Kitanowaka back to the edge. Kitanowaka tried to resist at the bales but Shirokuma drove him out. Yorikiri. Makuuchi win #1.

Shirokuma will fight Nishikifuji tomorrow. Kitanowaka will face Onosho, who will be our visitor from Juryo. That just doesn’t seem right.

Takayasu defeated Takarafuji. Takayasu aimed high at the initial charge, going for headshot after headshot. Takarafuji realized this battering was unsustainable and tried knocking Takayasu’s arms away but the shots kept coming. Takarafuji backed away and as he got to the edge he slipped to the side and tried to get at the back of Takayasu’s belt. Takayasu recovered, shifted, and slapped Takarafuji down. Hatakikomi.

Ryuden defeated Onokatsu. Onokatsu did not read the brief. Ryuden locked on with his left-hand inside and right arm outside, drove forward and forced Onokatsu out. Yorikiri.

Ryuden will fight Takayasu on Day Two while Onokatsu will square up against Takarafuji.

Hokutofuji defeated Nishikigi. Ow. Hokutofuji planted his right arm in Nishikigi’s neck, left arm inside and drove forward. Yorikiri.

Bushozan defeated Kinbozan. Kinbozan seemed to have the power advantage and pressed forward with a fierce oshi attack. Bushozan circled backward for a bit. He then grabbed Kinbozan’s right arm and tried to rip it off. While doing so, he shifted to the center of the ring, gaining a superior position. He then battered Kinbozan with tsuppari and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Bushozan will face Hokutofuji and Nishikigi will face Kinbozan.

Sadanoumi defeated Kagayaki. Sadanoumi got both his arms inside. With a few gaburi-yotsu bunny-hops, Sadanoumi arrested Kagayaki’s advance and forced the shinkansen into reverse. Sadanoumi kept up the pressure, forced Kagayaki back along the rails to the edge and over. Yorikiri.

Roga defeated Tamawashi. Roga locked on with his left hand at the front of Tamawashi’s belt. Unperturbed, Tamawashi pressed forward and forced Roga to the edge. Roga resisted so Tamawashi tried a slapdown. Roga maintained his balance and shifted his grip to the right-hand. He then pulled Tamawashi forward and rolled him into the crowd. Shitatedashinage.

Tamawashi will tie the record for consecutive bouts at 1,630 tomorrow, when he faces Sadanoumi. The Iron Man has fought every bout since his debut in March 2004. I was living in Japan and teaching at NOVA in Hiyoshi when he first climbed onto the dohyo. I didn’t even know my wife back then and I think I was still living in Hodogaya. She and I have two kids now, one is in high school. And the Jade Eagle has been chugging away the entire time. That’s absolutely incredible.

Kagayaki will face Roga. Nothing special about that.

Ichiyamamoto defeated Oshoma. Ichiyamamoto-zumo. Tsuppari to get Oshoma moving backwards. Then plant his head in his chest and drive forward to finish him off. Not sure what Oshoma wanted to do here today but he ended up in a shinpan’s lap. Oshidashi.

Endo defeated Midorifuji. Katasukashi-boy tried his thing and nearly caught Endo. But Endo kept his balance and resisted two great pull-down attempts. He pressed Midorifuji to the edge and slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

Endo will take on Ichiyamamoto. (Henka, anyone?) Oshoma will face Midorifuji.

Churanoumi defeated Wakatakakage. Well, that was impressive. This was a wild bout with slapdown attempts, pulldown attempts, oshi-, yotsu- galore. Churanoumi was able to lock up Wakatakakage with both arms around his trunk. He drove forward and forced Wakatakakage to step out. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Meisei defeated Gonoyama. Another wild, exciting bout from these two. Oshi-yotsu, everything. I enjoy watching these kind of bouts because we hear so much about, “my brand of sumo.” And these bouts seem to be like a big, old grocery store with all brands on the shelves. However, it’s a nightmare to describe and give a quality play-by-play, blow-by-blow account. In the end, Gonoyama cornered Meisei at the edge. As he put his head down to charge forward, Meisei jumped to the side and slapped Gonoyama down. Hatakikomi.

Meisei gets Wakatakakage while Gonoyama fights Churanoumi on Day Two.

Ura defeated Shonannoumi. Shonannoumi lost his way here. He reverted to pulling sumo. He tried several slapdowns but Ura was more than happy to charge forward and force him out. Oshidashi.

Shodai defeated Kotoshoho. As Shodai pressed forward at the tachiai, Kotoshoho’s right leg seemed to slide a bit farther out that he was expecting. He fell forward as Shodai pressed him down. Easy day one win for Shodai. Tsukiotoshi.

Our Bout of the Day on Day Two will be Shodai versus Ura while Kotoshoho will dust himself off and take on Shonannoumi.

Sanyaku

Wakamotoharu defeated Daieisho. Wakamotoharu weathered Daieisho’s forceful nodowa attack and resisted at the bales. Instead of keeping up the attack, Daieisho shifted into reverse and tried a slapdown. Wakamotoharu was probably very happy to be relieved of the pressure. He chased Daieisho across the ring and forced him out. Oshidashi.

Mitakeumi defeated Takakeisho. Takakeisho tried his tsuppari. When that yielded nothing, he put his head down and charged into Mitakeumi. Mitakeumi just pressed forward into the Sekiwake, drove him back and out. Yorikiri.

Kirishima defeated Oho. Oho stumbled backwards. WTF was he doing. FORWARD, YOUNG MAN!!! When Kirishima started connecting with his slaps, Oho put the truck in reverse and tried for a slapdown. When he reached the bales, his foot slipped over the top and he stepped out. Grrrrr…. You’ve got the potential but MOVE FORWARD! Oshidashi.

Takakeisho will fight Oho tomorrow. Both men will try to regroup from their disappointing displays on Shonichi. Takakeisho should be able to get a wily win from this if his head is in the game.

Onosato defeated Atamifuji. Onosato was focused on trying to keep Atamifuji’s right hand away. He pressed forward and drove Atamifuji to the edge. Atamifuji resisted and bulled forward as Onosato pulled. Atamifuji fell forward while Onosato tumbled out. Gunbai Onosato. Mono-ii. Video replay confirmed that Onosato brought Atamifuji down before he fell out, Shotaro’s eagle eye in the background, observing everything. Onosato’s foot was still on the top of the tawara when Atamifuji’s hands touched. Hatakikomi.

Atamifuji will fight Kirishima on Day Two. Should be an interesting and lively bout.

Tobizaru defeated Abi. Henka. Tobizaru batted Abi’s arms away and brought him down in a heap. Uwatenage? OK…

Tobizaru will probably have a bigger challenge against Onosato tomorrow. Abi will face Mitakeumi and will probably NOT get henka’d.

Takanosho defeated Hoshoryu. Well. Takanosho’s winning stretch continues. Hoshoryu, in retreat, tried to drag Takanosho down. Takanosho pressed forward and forced Hoshoryu off the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu will take on Daieisho in tomorrow’s final bout.

Kotozakura defeated Hiradoumi. Hiradoumi retreated to the edge, forcing Kotozakura to give chase. As Kotozakura engaged, Hiradoumi pounced and drove Kotozakura to the edge. However, Kotozakura wrapped up Hiradoumi, twisted, and brought him down. Tsukiotoshi.

Kotozakura will face Takanosho and Hiradoumi will fight Wakamotoharu.

Kototsubasa ended the day with the bow-twirling ceremony.

Wrap-up

Sumo is back! Fantastic action today, for the most part. Concerns for Takakeisho’s condition continue. I’m not sure what Hoshoryu had planned today but fighting in retreat and falling hard on his backside were likely not what he drew up on the whiteboard. As usual, he’ll be starting the yusho race from the back.

There are several electric fights in store for us tomorrow. I’ll be watching that Wakamotoharu/Hiradoumi bout with keen interest. Churanoumi and Bushozan, of all people, are making me stand up and take notice. Day One Flukes? Or can these guys put together solid shows here?

Nagoya 2024: Shonichi Highlights

Andy Nagoya 2024, Nagoya Basho , ,

Packed house in Nagoya. With Konishiki’s crew in Nashville, I keep thinking of “Nashville Hot Chicken.” I seriously think Nagoya needs to come up with some Nagoya Spicy-Hot Nanban or something because that sauna they call, “Dolphins Arena” gets oppressive in mid-July. Expect this tournament to offer up some spicy action of its own.

Hakuoho beat Kayo. Forward-moving sumo. Remember that. Enough dawdling. Let’s get to the Top Division action.

Shonichi Highlights

Nishikifuji defeated Tokihayate. Forward sumo won. Tokihayate was in retreat most of the bout, trying to shrug Nishikifuji out at the bales. Nishikifuji had a firm grip, though. When he switched for a right-hand inside, he quickly drove Tokihayate out. Yorikiri.

Kagayaki defeated Bushozan. Backed to the bales, Kagayaki reached over Bushozan with his left hand and pulled hard on his belt, pulling him forward for the uwatenage win.

Kagayaki will face Onokatsu tomorrow while Bushozan takes on Nishikifuji.

Roga defeated Endo. Roga’s right hand was too powerful for Endo today. Once Roga got that grip he pulled Endo hard to the left. Endo recovered from the first attack by batting Roga’s hand away. Roga pursued quickly, locked on with that right hand, and drove Endo out into the crowd for some fan service. Yorikiri.

Takarafuji defeated Wakatakakage. Well, I sure got that wrong. Wakatakakage pressed hard into Takarafuji’s armpit with some powerful ottsuke. This kept Takarafuji from getting a belt grip but he deftly shifted to Wakatakakage’s left, spun him around and pushed him over the bales from behind. Wily move! Okuridashi.

Endo will face Takarafuji tomorrow in the big rivalry bout. Out of their 29 bouts, Endo has taken 15. Wakatakakage will face Roga for the first time ever.

Churanoumi defeated Hokutofuji. Another one that I got wrong. Hokutofuji started out strong and forced Churanoumi to the edge but Churanoumi got inside on the belt and drove Hokutofuji out. Yorikiri.

Asanoyama defeated Nishikigi. Asanoyama hit Nishikigi hard. He locked in on the front of Nishikigi’s belt with the right, maemitsu. Nishikigi tried to keep Asanoyama’s right hand from getting inside but Asanoyama shifted his grip and wrapped Nishikigi’s trunk up with his right arm. He then twisted him down. Sukuinage.

Asanoyama will face Hokutofuji. Nishikigi will take on Churanoumi.

Midorifuji defeated Ichiyamamoto. Midorifuji slapped Ichiyamamoto’s right arm down and this forced Ichiyamamoto to stumble forward and touch the ground. Tsukiotoshi.

Tamawashi defeated Shodai. Shodai tried to slip away at the edge but Tamawashi kept him firmly in front. A quick shove and Shodai was out. Oshidashi.

Shodai trades for Ichiyamamoto tomorrow while Tamawashi will get Midorifuji.

Oshoma defeated Kinbozan. Oshoma hit Kinbozan hard with the right hand square on the jaw and locked on quickly to Kinbozan’s belt with his left hand. He then cycled around to the left, forcing Kinbozan to the edge and driving him down and out. Oshitaoshi.

Sadanoumi defeated Ryuden. At least I got this call right. I thought we’d see a good bout and we sure did. Ryuden tried really hard to keep Sadanoumi’s left hand off his belt. But Sadanoumi worked both arms inside and once he got that bear hug, he quickly twisted Ryuden down. Great Sukuinage.

Sadanoumi will face Kinbozan on Day 2 while Ryuden gets Oshoma.

Oho defeated Kotoshoho. Forward-moving Oho won! Kotoshoho tried to twist at the edge but Oho drove forward and forced him down. Yoritaoshi.

Halftime

Shonannoumi defeated Takanosho. After a bit of a lean-fest, Shonannoumi had enough, spun Takanosho around and shoved him over the bales. Yorikiri.

Shonannoumi will face Oho and Takanosho will take on Kotoshoho on Day 2.

Ura defeated Onosho. Ura kept circling backwards, nearly lost his balance but recovered. As Onosho desperately pursued, Ura eventually cast Onosho off to the side and slapped him down to the ground. Concern for Onosho’s left eye after this bout. Hatakikomi.

Gonoyama defeated Tobizaru. Gonoyama just kept his balance and moved forward. Tobizaru tried to slap him down while in retreat, and balanced on the bales as long as he could. But Gonoyama gently shoved Tobizaru over. Oshidashi.

Ura will battle Gonoyama and Tobizaru will regroup against Onosho.

Sanyaku

Kirishima defeated Takayasu. After a great bout, Takayasu pulled up and Kirishima shoved him out. Takayasu just kind of stopped fighting, turned, and looked for the exit. Maybe his back is acting up? It was a bit of a wild bout. Yorikiri.

Mitakeumi defeated Onosato. Mitakeumi put his head down and drove forward. As Onosato got to the bales, he shifted to the side and tried to force Mitakeumi down. Mitakeumi maintained his balance, kept Onosato in front, and shoved him over the edge. That might have ended the Ozeki run right there. Onosato walked quickly back down the hanamichi to watch the replay. Oshidashi.

Wakamotoharu defeated Abi. When Abi shifted to Pull-Mode immediately after the tachiai, Wakamotoharu pursued quickly and pressed him over the edge. Oshidashi.

Meisei defeated Takakeisho. There was no wave action. None of that overpowering tsuppari. The Guns of Taka-Navarone have fallen silent. Meisei pressed ahead, time and time again, leading with his head as he drove the Ozeki back and out. Oshidashi.

Atamifuji defeated Hoshoryu. Atamifuji gives Hoshoryu absolute fits. I think this will be a heated and interesting rivalry for some time. Atamifuji waited patiently at the center of the ring. Suddenly, Atamifuji pulled up and drove forward. Hoshoryu desperately tried everything he could try, a kick, a throw at the edge, anything… but Atamifuji pressed forward to payday. Yorikiri.

Daieisho defeated Kotozakura. Daieisho demonstrated the initiative today. Kotozakura was content to be driven (chauffeured) to the edge where he tried to reach over and grab onto Daieisho’s belt. Daieisho kept up the attack and shoved the Ozeki out. Oshidashi.

Terunofuji defeated Hiradoumi. Calmly, Terunofuji walked Hiradoumi to the edge but Hiradoumi slipped away. Terunofuji corralled him again, reached deep over Hiradoumi’s back for a right-hand grip and heaved Hiradoumi out. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up

Takakeisho looks done, frankly. Let’s see if he can bounce back from this but he really posed no danger to Meisei as Meisei powered into him and drove him backwards. Kotozakura, on the other hand, was far too passive. He needs to wake up and take the bout to his opponent. He seriously looked like Shodai out there today, “I’ll just pull one of these Acme gizmos out at the edge.” Daieisho was sure-footed today.

There were bright spots. Hoshoryu lost but it was a great bout. Kirishima was definitely spirited in his attack. The kitchen sink might have hit Takayasu square in the belly, though. I hope he is not an early casualty but I will keep my eyes peeled for news. Well, I’ll do that later today after I get some sleep. The brightest spot, though, was where it should be: The Yokozuna.

Looking Ahead

Abi will face Takayasu tomorrow, if Takayasu didn’t pick up an early injury. Looks like Kirishima will have his hands full with Mitakeumi. Onosato will try to rebound against Wakamotoharu but it won’t be easy. Kotozakura will face Atamifuji on Day 2. He’s not lost to the maegashira yet but we know he will have his hands full.

Takakeisho has beaten Daieisho 18 times to 9 losses but I do not think Daieisho will be intimidated tomorrow. Hoshoryu has not lost to Hiradoumi and the light-weight shin-Komusubi might be just what the doctor ordered. Lastly, Terunofuji will take on Meisei.

Nagoya is off to a spicy-hot start! Have a great day, everyone.

Nagoya 2024: Shonichi Preview

Andy Nagoya 2024, Nagoya Basho , ,

Shonichi is here! In just a few hours the familiar sound of hyoshigi will signal the start of action in Nagoya. This is scheduled to be the final tournament in the intimate, spicy-hot Dolphins Arena, built in the 1960s. From next summer they will move a few blocks to the new, larger IG Arena, on the other side of moat in front of Nagoya Castle. The new venue has an advertised capacity of 17,000 so we hope tickets will be cheaper and easier to come by from 2025.

Pivoting to Ngoya 2024, we have two sekitori who are kyujo from Day 1: Chiyoshoma and Takerufuji. Takerufuji is still nursing a ligament injury in his right ankle, suffered during his historic championship run earlier this year. He has fallen to the second rung on the Juryo ladder while Chiyoshoma has just earned a promotion back to Makuuchi. It is quite possible that one or both men will participate later in the tournament. News out of Isegahama states that Takerufuji has not been practicing with sekitori yet, still working with lower-ranked wresters. But he likely only needs one or two wins to secure his own sekitori status for Aki.

Day 1 Bouts

Top Division action will open with bottom-ranked Nishikifuji facing Tokihayate, visiting from Juryo. Kagayaki and Bushozan face off next, followed by Roga versus Endo. Wakatakakage should breeze past Takarafuji as he seeks to rejoin his brother at the top of the division.

Then, Hokutofuji will face Churanoumi and Asanoyama will fight Nishikigi. Hokutofuji and Asanoyama are ranked much lower than their abilities and could clean up down here. The difficult bit is that really seems to be the case for loads of guys. The next three bouts, for example, feature a mix of maegashira mainstays, former champions, and up-and-comers in Ichiyamamoto vs Midorifuji, Shodai vs Tamawashi, and Oshoma vs Kinbozan. I really hope both Shodai and Tamawashi are up to it this basho.

After those heated battles, we’ll have Ryuden vs Sadanoumi, which is a bout most people will sleep on. But on Day 1 these two belt-specialists could give us a real highlight. Next, Kotoshoho and Oho are still trying to find their way. Let’s hope Oho’s way is not stuck in reverse. Takanosho and Shonannoumi follow with Onosho battling crowd-favorite, Ura. The final rank-and-filer match features Tobizaru, who has yet to find an answer for Gonoyama.

Sanyaku

If Kirishima is to get his quest for 10 wins off to a good start, he will have his work cut out for him against fellow former Ozeki, Takayasu. Onosato is also eyeing Ozeki rank, and the Kyokai have put another former Ozeki as the first challenge on that path. Kirishima AND Onosato need wins.

Abi versus Wakamotoharu will be a firecracker bout…while I am eager to see what condition Takakeisho is in for his fight with Meisei. We’ll close out the night with three interesting pairings: Atamifuji vs Hoshoryu, Kotozakura vs Daieisho, and finally Yokozuna Terunofuji will face Hiradoumi in the musubi-no-ichiban.

Frankly, it will all come down to who is in relatively good condition and which wrestlers are still fighting with significant injuries. Shonichi will bring it all into focus. We could very well have a raft of upsets tonight with another free-for-all yusho race.

Lower Division Action

Enho will not begin his comeback tonight. He will be in action on Day 2. We will see Kotomotomura-kun fight his first professional bout against Isegahama’s Miyafuji. From next tournament, Kotomotomura will be fighting under Kotoshogiku’s banner in a newly-opened heya. Up in Makushita we will see both tsukedashi fighters in action. For more background on the men themselves, check out Justin’s introduction. Kawabuchi II will fight against Daishoki, under the shikona Kazuma. Ishizaki II will fight Daihisho. We’ll also be watching the Hakuoho – Kayo bout with rapt attention.

Let’s go, Miyagino Beya! Gambare!