Takerufuji

Hatsu 2025, Day Lucky Thirteen

Andy Hatsu 2025, Hatsu Basho, Kinbozan (金峰山) , , , , ,

All four of the lower division yusho races were decided earlier today. Mudoho won the Makushita yusho, Daimasakari won the Sandanme yusho, Yago won the Jonidan yusho and Daikisho won the Jonokuchi yusho.

Your NHK videos are here: Juryo Part I & Part II, Makuuchi Part I & Part II.

In Juryo, Shishi lost to Nabatame and Ryuden defeated Aonishiki, so we now have a two-man yusho contest in the second division. Matches have not been set for the next two days but Ryuden already beat Shishi, so they cannot meet again unless there’s a playoff.

Makuuchi Action

Tamashoho (5-8) defeated Nishikigi (6-7). Tamashoho kept plugging away at Nishikigi with his tsuppari and drove Nishikigi over the edge. Oshidashi.

Midorifuji (6-7) defeated Kotoshoho (3-10). Solid tachiai but when Kotoshoho charged ahead, Midorifuji slipped to the side and Kotoshoho ran himself off the dohyo. Tsukiotoshi.

Tamawashi (8-5) defeated Onokatsu (7-6). Onokatsu reached in with his left hand but Tamawashi immediately wrapped it in an arm bar. As Onokatsu extracted his arm, Tamawashi dragged Onokatsu toward the edge and battered him until he backed out. Oshidashi.

Oshoma (7-6) defeated Tokihayate (5-8). Oshoma pulled and tried a slapdown. It failed but drew Tokihayate toward the edge. At the edge, Oshoma attacked with another armbar, kotenage, and dragged Tokihayate along the bales by his arm. He then finished him off with a quick shove. Oshidashi.

Nishikifuji (8-5) defeated Churanoumi (4-9). Nishikifuji’s tsuppari never allowed Churanoumi to establish himself inside or get a belt grip. Churanoumi tried some misdirection but Nishikifuji’s footwork was solid today. Nishikifuji continued to press forward and drove Churanoumi to his ninth loss. Oshidashi.

Kagayaki (5-8) defeated Takarafuji (5-8). Solid tachiai. Kagayaki plowed ahead and Takarafuji slowly shifted to his left. Kagayaki maintained his steady pressure and forced Takarafuji back and out. Oshidashi #5.

Meisei (5-8) defeated Mitakeumi (2-11). Mitakeumi showed up and Meisei forced him out. Yorikiri #1.

Shonannoumi (7-6) defeated Endo (6-7). Endo did a henka and Shonannoumi thrust him from the dohyo. As Endo rolled down the dohyo, he made sure to kick Oho in the face a few times. Oshitaoshi #1.

Hakuoho (8-5) defeated Hiradoumi (6-7). Hiradoumi jumped early. Reset. Solid tachiai. Hakuoho got his left hand inside but Hiradoumi immediately shifted his right hand to force Hakuoho’s grip outside. Hakuoho seemed fine with the outside grip and bulldozed forward, forcing HIradoumi out. Yorikiri.

Oho (10-3) defeated Ura (6-7). Oho’s improved ring sense this tournament. He pulled but shifted left well in front of the bales to pull Ura down. Hatakikomi.

Halftime. Shimpan Shuffle.

Newsbreak. Another FujiTV update. Stick it to your competitor. Kick him when he’s down, repeatedly.

Tobizaru (6-7) defeated Atamifuji (3-10). Atamifuji spent a lot of time and energy on his right hand ottsuke, squeezing Tobizaru’s left hand and not allowing him to get too deep. With his left-hand outside, he tried to swing Tobizaru around but Tobizaru’s footwork was solid today. He countered by continuing to press inside with his right hand inside. Atamifuji was too big to throw but as the two danced along the edge, Tobizaru forced his weight into Atamifuji and pressed him out before tumbling from the dohyo himself. Yorikiri.

Kirishima (10-3) defeated Takayasu (7-6). A battle of former Ozeki. Kirishima longed for an inside position but Takayasu brawled him to keep him off his belt. “I will fight you.” Eventually, Takayasu tired and Kirishima took the opportunity to get his left hand inside. Takayasu trapped Kirishima’s left arm so Kirishima pulled and dragged Takayasu down while rotating and shoving Takayasu with his left. Both men tumbled down the dohyo’s side. A mono-ii was called to check if they fell at the same time but Takayasu was clearly down first. Tsukiotoshi.

Takanosho (6-7) defeated Gonoyama (6-7). Takanosho lives on the edge. After a back-and-forth grapple, Gonoyama finally worked Takanosho to the bales but Takanosho escaped right and shoved Gonoyama down. No kensho on this bout? Both of these men are heyagashira. Takakeisho’s supporters have not shifted to the pleasant, cheerful Onigiri-kun? Tsukiotoshi.

Sanyaku

Wakatakakage (7-6) defeated Shodai (6-7). Shodai tried to shift his left-hand inside but as this brought Shodai’s body up, Wakatakakage took advantage, bulled forward and toppled Shodai into the crowd. Yorikiri.

Takerufuji (10-3) defeated Abi (7-6). Abi decided to play tawara roulette today. Abi shifted left, pulled and Takerufuji charged forward. Takerufuji seemed to stay up just long enough to force Abi out. Mono-ii. Replay showed Abi’s heel touching outside the ring as Takerufji was still falling forward. Oshidashi #6.

Daieisho (9-4) defeated Chiyoshoma (8-5). Chiyoshoma has been taking on the top guys, head-on. I have to give him props. No henka today. In fact, Daieisho was the one to shift to the right, thrusting Chiyoshoma from the left side. He followed up with his steady blasts. Chiyoshoma dropped off the dohyo. It was a good run. Props to Kokonoe’s top dog. Tsukidashi.

Ichiyamamoto (7-6) defeated Wakamotoharu (4-9). Ichiyamamoto yanked yard on Wakamotoharu, pulling him to the edge of the ring. Ichiyamamoto then followed up with powerful thrusts and forced Wakamotoharu off the ring and out of sanyaku altogether. Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu (10-3) defeated Onosato (8-5). Hoshoryu wanted a left-hand grip but Onosato batted his arm away and pressed forward. Hoshoryu then reached up with his right arm and put Onosato into a headlock. Onosato was trying to reach in with his right hand and Hoshoryu’s pivot carried him forward and off the ground. Hoshoryu dropped Onosato with the Kubinage.

Kinbozan (11-2) defeated Kotozakura (5-8). Kinbozan blasted Kotozakura head-on at the tachiai. Kotozakura pulled weakly and Kinbozan’s footwork was solid. He quickly rushed the Ozeki to his make-koshi. Tsukidashi.

Wrap-up

What a Tournament! As we head into the final weekend, Kinbozan leads a yusho race we did not see coming on Day One. Kotozakura has gone from the consensus favorite for Yokozuna promotion to Kadoban. Hoshoryu’s slim hopes might still be alive, though even with a yusho, I’m not sure if it will be enough to impress and earn a promotion at this tournament.

Schedulers need to get cracking because they have not set up our Day 14 bouts, yet. I’ll try to bring an update later with the details but it might not come until late. In the meantime, I’m eager to hear what bouts you will be looking forward to this weekend! Will Kotozakura continue? If he does not, who will get the fusen win?

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.

Aki 2024: Day Eleven Highlights

Andy Aki 2024 , ,

A busy day in the infirmary today as Hokutofuji went kyujo in the top division and the pair of Shimazuumi and Tsurugisho went kyujo in Juryo. Takerufuji picked up a forfeit victory over Shimazuumi. Chiyoshoma lost to Hidenoumi so Takerufuji is in sole possession of the lead. Tomorrow Takerufuji will fight Chiyoshoma.

Your NHK videos for Day 11 are here: Juryo Part I and Part II, Makuuchi Part I and Part II.

Makuuchi Action

Shirokuma (4-7) defeated Onokatsu (4-7). Shirokuma established his hidari-yotsu hold around Onokatsu’s trunk and drove forward. Onokatsu tried to escape left along the bales but Shirokuma stayed with him and forced him out. Yorikiri.

Kitanowaka (5-6) defeated Kinbozan (4-7). Kitanowaka got a hold of Kinbozan’s belt, swung him back to the edge and pressed him out. Yorikiri.

Takarafuji (7-4) defeated Bushozan (4-7). After a strong start, Bushozan has been terrible. Today, Takarafuji avoided Bushozan’s weak pull and pressed forward behind his tsuppari. This was enough to end Bushozan’s day. Oshidashi.

Nishikifuji (5-6) defeated Kagayaki (1-10). Kagayaki tried to get the train moving forward with hazuoshi driving into Nishikifuji’s right armpit. But Nishikifuji turned the tables by cycling backward along the bales and then shifting inside to put Kagayaki in trouble. A few simple blasts and he forced Kagayaki out. Oshidashi.

Tamawashi (5-6) default win over Hokutofuji (6-5).

Ichiyamamoto (5-6) defeated Ryuden (6-5). Ichiyama-zumo completely disrupted Ryuden. The pull nearly got Ryuden but Ichiyamamoto followed with strong tsuppari and then just launched himself into Ryuden, driving him back and out. Yorikiri.

Sadanoumi (6-5) defeated Midorifuji (4-7). Sadanoumi corralled Midorifuji, drove him backwards and out. Yorikiri.

Takayasu (9-2) defeated Endo (7-4). Takayasu’s headshot tsuppari was too intimidating for Endo, who quickly found the exit. Tsukidashi.

Roga (6-5) defeated Churanoumi (6-5). Churanoumi tried an escape at the edge but Roga pressed forward and forced him over. Oshidashi.

Nishikigi (9-2) defeated Wakatakakage (8-3). Nishikigi used his size advantage well to contain WTK. He pressed forward to get a good hold of Wakatakakage’s left arm, then pulled back, yanking WTK to the ground. Kotenage.

Halftime

Oshoma (8-3) defeated Meisei (2-9). Meisei was just completely overpowered by Oshoma. Oshoma had a solid overarm grip and threw Meisei out at the edge. Uwatenage.

Shodai (7-4) defeated Gonoyama (3-8). Shodai fought through Gonoyama’s nodowa and did not allow himself to be shoved back to the bales. Instead, he batted Gonoyama’s hands down and latched on with a deep left-hand overarm grip at the back of Gonoyama’s belt. With that strong grip he rotated backwards and swung Gonoyama down. Uwatenage.

Wakamotoharu (7-4) defeated Shonannoumi (2-9). Hidari-yotsu. Wakamotoharu was able to easily drive forward and force Shonannoumi over the bales. Yorikiri.

Tobizaru (4-7) defeated Mitakeumi (3-8). Tobizaru with the migi-yotsu here. He slipped to Mitakeumi’s right side and secured a deep left-hand belt grip. Mitakeumi didn’t appear to know how to counter-attack someone who was so mobile and attacking from the side. Tobizaru kept hold of Mitakeumi’s belt and rotating backwards until he got Mitakeumi to the edge and pressed him over. Yorikiri.

Oho (7-4) defeated Takanosho (3-8). Takanosho gave Oho quite the puzzle today. He resisted Oho’s slapdowns and his forward thrusts. For every forward thrust, Takanosho gave Oho a scare with a slapdown attempt. As a result, Oho relied on his own slapdown attempts. What I liked about Oho’s pulls was they were short. If Takanosho resisted, he didn’t run the length of the dohyo, trying to pull Takanosho down. Oho finally “cornered” an exhausted Takanosho and shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Atamifuji (5-6) defeated Hiradoumi (6-5). Hiradoumi hit a wall. Atamifuji used his migi-yotsu well, drove forward, and forced HIradoumi out. Yorikiri.

Kirishima (9-2) defeated Abi (2-9). No henka from Kirishima today but he took on Abi from the side. Abi did not let Kirishima come inside to get a belt grip but was very unsteady as Kirishima rotated to get behind him. As Kirishima charged forward, Abi jumped to the side, nearly catching Kirishima off-guard. But Kirishima caught up with Abi and slapped him down at the edge. Hatakikomi.

Onosato (11-0) defeated Kotoshoho (4-6). Onosato drove forward as Kotoshoho pulled back. Gunbai Onosato. Quick mono-ii as video replay showed Kotoshoho had stepped out. If Kotoshoho had better ring awareness, he had a chance to win. Oshidashi.

Ura (7-4) defeated Hoshoryu (6-5). Hoshoryu took Ura head on but Ura managed a better position, attacking Hoshoryu from the side. Hoshoryu tried a terrible pull, circling back to the bales. Ura stayed standing and shoved Hoshoryu out of a short ring. Okuridashi.

Daieisho (6-5) defeated Kotozakura (7-4). Kotozakura gave up at the edge and let Daieisho shove him over. The Ozeki ran away from Daieisho’s powerful thrusts. Oshidashi.

Wrap-up

Shaky Day Eleven. Disappointing results from our observer Ozeki and Onosato had quite the scare. Perhaps he was over-confident in his ability to drive Kotoshoho out. Tomorrow, Onosato will face Wakatakakage. The pair of rank-and-filers with two losses will fight the pair of Komusubi. Nishikigi will take on Daieisho and Takayasu will fight Hiradoumi. Meanwhile, Kirishima will fight the lethargic Kotozakura.

I guess rather than have Takayasu and Nishikigi pair up, they want to try to put an end to both men’s runs at the same time. I would have done this differently but I’m not scheduling these things.

The demotion story is changing a bit as Shirokuma and Kitanowaka have found a few wins. They had both been staring at certain demotion. Could they escape and keep their ranks? Kagayaki seems done, even from his high position. But he could probably save himself with two or three wins here at the end of the tournament.

The key difference will be who makes their case for promotion from Juryo. Chiyoshoma is in. Tokihayate and Shishi are putting together their case. Each will likely need one more win but two or more will be better and are well within reach. Down at Juryo 11, Takerufuji likely needs a strong, 13-2 or 14-1 yusho to earn promotion now. It would be a shame to see him left in the cold if Nishikifuji racks up another win.

Aki 2024: Nakabi Highlights

Andy Aki 2024 , , ,

Never dismiss Daiamami, dude. When Chiyoshoma hit him, it was like he ran into a brink wall. Then the brick wall ran after him and bashed into him, repeatedly, until he backed out of the ring. What this means is, Takerufuji is our sole, undefeated leader in Juryo. For his part, Takerufuji stayed calm when Asakoryu pulled and pressed forward with a forceful nodowa. Takerufuji kachi-koshi and atop our Juryo leaderboard.

Tomorrow, Chiyoshoma will face Hakuoho, who defeated Shishi today with a beautiful, powerful throw. God, I want to see this kid back in the thick of makuuchi. Takerufuji, meanwhile, will take on Oshoumi.

JME preempted the start of makuuchi coverage with the end of a Senior Golf tournament. Obviously had to wait for the interview and award presentation….and replays of the final putt… You know, there’s a whole channel set aside on JME.tv for replays during the day. It is sitting, unused at the moment. I do not understand why they can’t show the live coverage over there…and extend it for the lower divisions, too!

Makuuchi Action

Hokutofuji (6-2) defeated Nishikifuji (3-5). Oshitaoshi.

Nishikigi (6-2) defeated Kitanowaka (2-6). Kotenage.

Onokatsu (3-5) defeated Bushozan (4-4). Andy’s hat is looking safe. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (3-5) defeated Shirokuma (2-6). Yorikiri.

Sadanoumi (5-3) defeated Takarafuji (4-4). Andy’s hat is safe. Sorry, folks. None of that premium internet content, for now. I’m sure Andy will put his foot in his mouth at some point in the future. Sukuinage.

The preceding had been preempted by senior golf. I will be reaching out to JME about setting up an SLA to see if a contract will improve their service. We want the same thing, we want more people watching sumo. We’ll see what happens.

Takayasu (6-2) defeated Kagayaki (1-7). Kagayaki seems to have no understanding of the concept of lateral movement. I guess he is named for a passenger train so maybe he can only move forward along the rails laid out in front of him. Takayasu plowed into him for a good ten seconds and then slipped to the side and pulled Kagayaki down. Hikotoshi.

Roga (4-4) defeated Ryuden (5-3). Ryuden charged ahead and adjusted well when Roga moved left. He tried to establish his hidari-yotsu but Roga did a good job of keeping him off his belt. Roga’s trunk was extended so far forward, Ryuden tried a pull and slapdown but Roga maintained his balance. Roga twisted his body and pulled with his left hand. This threw Ryuden off balance and gave Roga the opening he needed to charge forward and drive Ryuden over the bales.

Wakatakakage (6-2) defeated Tamawashi (3-5). Bar fight. This bout was a wild brawl. Tamawashi pissed WTK off by going for the head so he threw a few haymakers of his own. Mainly, though, he blasted him over and over with his head and shoulders, eventually working him toward the bales where he wrapped him up and pushed him over. Yorikiri.

Oshoma (6-2) defeated Churanoumi (5-3). Simple hatakikomi here. Churanoumi drove forward and Oshoma met him square at the tachiai. Then he shifted left with his arms behind Churanoumi’s head. So he pressed Churanoumi into the dirt.

Midorifuji (4-4) defeated Meisei (1-7). A great clash of rutting rams for about 10 seconds. Then Midorifuji got a morozashi, double-inside grip and easily drove Meisei from the dohyo.

Halftime

Ichiyamamoto (3-5) defeated Gonoyama (3-5). Quick slapdown. Ichiyamamoto-zumo. Hikiotoshi.

Endo (6-2) defeated Shonannoumi (1-7). Henka! Endo’s been full of those lately but totally caught Shonannoumi (and myself) by surprise. Yorikiri.

Kotoshoho (5-3) defeated Atamifuji (3-5). Kotoshoho drove forward at the edge and Atamifuji twisted while forcing Kotoshoho down at the same time. Gunbai Kotoshoho. Mono-ii. This was a tight call but Atamifuji’s feet left the dohyo while Kotoshoho was still in bounds. Shinpan confirm the gyoji’s call. Oshidashi.

Oho (5-3) defeated Tobizaru (2-6). Oho is back today, swollen eye and all. Tobizaru did his thing, jumping and slapping around the ring. The Daffy Duck of sumo. The good thing is, Oho was in no mood. He moved forward and took care of business. As Tobizaru tried to slip to the side, and then back toward center, Oho shifted with him and slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

Sanyaku

Hiradoumi (5-3) defeated Takanosho (2-6). Takanosho’s mistake was going for the nodowa with his left hand. Hiradoumi shifted to his right at the same time, getting behind Takanosho and avoiding his attack. Oshidashi.

Daieisho (5-3) defeated Abi (2-6). Abi-zumo was firing on all cylinders. Daieisho tried to deflect him twice by driving into Abi’s armpit. On the third attempt, Daieisho got in behind and shoved Abi out. Okuridashi.

Kirishima (7-1) defeated Ura (4-4). Kirishima was playing old school King of the Hill today. Kirishima claimed the center of the ring and he was not going to chase. He wasn’t going to move for Ura to use his tricks, Ura was going to have to move him. Ura hopped around and tried slapping Kirishima down but Kirishima’s footwork steadily claimed more territory and Kirishima shoved him from the dohyo.

It looked like Ura landed flat on his back below the dohyo. He was slow to get up so a concerned Kirishima went down to check on him. Thankfully, Ura hopped up and seemed unhurt. Oshitaoshi.

Onosato (8-0) defeated Mitakeumi (2-6). Mitakeumi certainly gave Onosato a test. He resisted well and did not go easily. But Onosato was too powerful today. Onosato put everything into his shove and blasted Mitakeumi from the dohyo. Onosato left his feet and also came down but Mitakeumi was clearly out a beat before Onosato. Oshidashi.

Kotozakura (6-2) defeated Shodai (4-4). Shodai had some ambition here today. Like Mitakeumi, he was resolved not to be a mere speedbump. Kotozakura had to work it and assault Shodai over and over. His nodowa and thrusts to the face were very effective. “Not the face, dude. Not the face!” Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu (4-4) defeated Wakamotoharu (5-3). Hidari-yotsu. Hoshoryu took the initiative and pulled hard, twisting with his arm under Wakamotoharu’s shoulder. When Wakamotoharu balanced on one leg, Hoshoryu slipped his arm up around WMH’s neck and finished him off. Kubinage.

Wrap-up

In Makuuchi we have a two-man contest: Onosato leads and Kirishima is one-loss back. Same thing in Juryo. Takerufuji leads and Chiyoshoma is one-loss back. In Makuuchi, there’s a large peleton of seven guys on two losses who are there to keep the pressure on and make the yusho race interesting if Onosato falters: Kotozakura (good), Wakatakakage (good), Endo (gasp!), Oshoma, Hokutofuji (what?!?!), Nishikigi (double what?!?!), and Takayasu (oh, hell yeah!). In Juryo, Asakoryu and Kayo trail with 2-losses.

Kirishima will face Shonannoumi tomorrow with his kachi-koshi, and Shonannoumi’s make-koshi, on the line. I predict a fierce battle. Both men will be motivated to win. Onosato, meanwhile, will take on Wakamotoharu. We will see if Onosato’s dominance continues.