Terunofuji (照ノ富士)

Hatsu 2024: Day 15 Highlights

Andy Hatsu 2024, Hatsu Basho , , ,

The injuries sure piled up during this tournament. Coming into the tournament I was most concerned with Terunofuji, our sole reigning Yokozuna. Would he be able to compete and finish the tournament? Do we need to rush to crown a new Yokozuna so that the ailing champion can be allowed to retire? If the other Ozeki are shaky, we probably need another backup, so let’s get this Kotonowaka kid elevated quickly!

Fifteen days into the tournament, Terunofuji is still here. And not only is he on the dohyo, he is in the yusho race! Only days ago, I had been very concerned about his physical conditioning and wondered aloud if it were time for intai. It is great to see him back, no matter today’s outcome.

Kirishima has put in a good effort but will very likely come up short. He needs a lot of help if the rope run is to be sustained. I think we all want to see him win it because of a dominant performance, not because the two guys ahead of him lost. The only path forward requires him to put in that dominant performance in a playoff but the odds are slim that he will be taking part.

Kotonowaka’s performance, on the other hand, has been excellent. He still has a lot to learn but he has competed over the past four tournaments at a consistently high level and is worthy of promotion to Ozeki. It is not set in stone yet and today’s bout will be crucial as the Kyokai decides whether to elevate him. Tobizaru stands in his way.

Lastly, I do want to mention Terunofuji’s stablemate, Takarafuji. The man has been in makuuchi for nearly 1000 consecutive bouts but he is set to be demoted to Juryo. Thankfully, he has expressed in the Japanese media that he intends to stay on. He enjoys sumo and will not retire. The Takarabune will still rig his sails in Juryo.

Makuuchi Action

Takarafuji (6-9) defeated Kotoshoho (9-6). Persistence paid off for the Takarabune. Patched up and wobbly, the Takarabune set a course for home. Kotoshoho buffeted the Takarabune with hearty blows. But the Takarabune charged forward and defeated Kotoshoho. Oshidashi.

Oho (10-5) defeated Tomokaze (5-10). Oho hit Tomokaze hard at the tachiai and drove him back to the edge. Tomokaze used a nodowa to defend himself but Oho withstood the pressure and shoved Tomokaze’s arm away. This turned Tomokaze around and Oho chased him out from behind. Okuridashi.

Tsurugisho (9-6) defeated Bushozan (4-11). Tsurugisho shifted left and slapped Bushozan down. Hatakikomi.

Onosho (10-5) defeated Sadanoumi (6-9). Onosho charged forward and shoved Sadanoumi over the edge. Oshidashi.

Onosato (11-4) defeated Tamawashi (8-7). Again, no tsuppari from already kachi-koshi Tamawashi. He took on Onosato at the initial charge, let him drive him back to the bales, and then resisted at the edge with all of his might. Onosato pulled, and Tamawashi fell back to the center of the dohyo. Hikiotoshi.

Meisei (9-6) defeated Shimazuumi (9-6). Meisei forced Shimazuumi into an oshi/tsuki bout. Shimazuumi was doing his best to deflect Meisei’s tsuppari and push Meisei. Suddenly Meisei shifted and thrust Shimazuumi down. Unfortunately, the defeat meant that Shimazuumi lost his chance at a special prize. Tsukiotoshi.

Mitakeumi (6-9) defeated Endo (5-10). Endo drove forward with powerful tsuppari. Mitakeumi shifted along the tawara and drove Endo down. Gunbai to Mitakeumi. A quick mono-ii was called to confirm the judge’s call. Mitakeumi’s foot was very close to out but never touched. Tsukiotoshi.

Myogiryu (5-10) defeated Ichiyamamoto (5-10). Myogiryu’s tsuppari simply overpowered Ichiyamamoto. Oshidashi.

Churanoumi defeated Shodai. Churanoumi’s hidari-yotsu chugged and chugged, reversed Shodai’s forward progress and then drove him back and out. Tsukiotoshi.

Halftime

Takanosho (10-5) defeated Gonoyama (5-10). Gonoyama drove forward but Takanosho danced along the tawara, slipped to the side, and drove Gonoyama down. Gunbai Takanosho. The shimpan gathered in a mono-ii to review the tape and confirm Takanosho’s foot did not step out. Tsukiotoshi.

Hiradoumi (8-7) defeated Abi (8-7). Hiradoumi baited Abi forward and slapped him down. Hatakikomi.

Kinbozan (7-8) defeated Midorifuji (5-10). Kinbozan bulldozed Midorifuji with powerful tsuppari. Tsukidashi.

Shonannoumi (4-11) defeated Atamifuji (6-9). Shonannoumi moved forward! He acquired a left-hand inside grip, hefted up on Atamifuji’s mawashi, drove him forward and out. Did I see a little dame-oshi there at the end? Yorikiri.

Wakamotoharu (10-5) defeated Nishikigi (8-7). Nishikigi was just a passenger on the Wakamotoharu freight train. Nishikigi held on tight while Wakamotoharu chugged forward. Yorikiri.

Sanyaku

Ura defeated Ryuden. Ura hefted Ryuden onto his shoulders and threw him off the dohyo. Gunbai The shimpan called a mono-ii. Gumbai confirmed. Tsutaezori.

Kore-yori-Sanyaku.

I always loved this. The final three bouts of Senshuraku. This is why we watch.

Daieisho (9-6) defeated Asanoyama (9-3-3). Daieisho did his sumo and blasted Asanoyama back. But this time Daieisho slipped to the side and his opponent fell down. Daieisho got the arrows. Tsukiotoshi.

Kotonowaka (13-2) defeated Tobizaru (7-8). “I said, Get Down, Dude!” Kotonowaka brought his big mitt down on Tobizaru’s head and drove him to the ground. He then had to hang out and pass the power water to Terunofuji. Kirishima is eliminated from the yusho contention and his rope-run evaporated. Uwatenage.

Terunofuji (13-2) defeated Kirishima (11-4). Terunofuji lifted Kirishima and threw him from the dohyo. Holy moly. Yorikiri is a polite way to put it. More like Yori-gtfoh (“Get The F*** Out of Here,” for non-Millennials).

Bonus sumo

Terunofuji defeated Kotonowaka. Terunofuji yusho. Kotonowaka got his morozashi…but when Terunofuji started to pull on him, his switched to a migi-yotsu and pulled. Terunofuji preferred a hidari-yotsu, so he switched his grip (makikae) and drove forward, forcing Kotonowaka out. The big bois fell onto the Shimpan. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up

Wow. The drama! Terunofuji came from behind to secure his 9th career yusho. What an amazing start to 2024. Terunofuji is back. His knees are still a concern, obviously, as we could see him wince and struggle to make it through the lengthy award ceremony. Every so often he would bend over and try to take some of the pressure off those knees. He may not be indestructible but in each bout he finds a way to destroy just about everyone else. He started out a bit rusty and had to win all of his matches over the past week to mount his comeback. But he is used to those, no?

In the next few days we will find out if Kotonowaka did enough for Ozeki promotion. He hit that 33-win mark and has been confident and steady. To be frank, it’s also 44-wins over 4 tournaments. He has put in some solid sumo over the past two years, advancing steadily. It is time but as today’s final bout showed, there is still so far to go.

Tomorrow, I will try to get the tournament main page set-up and cleaned up. It is live. You can already navigate to it. I have been updating it as the tournament went along but it needs some attention tomorrow and a few more updates. The Year in 2024 page will be the page with more updates after the tournament, such as any promotions or further retirements announced after this tournament. I already can’t wait for March! Holy-moly. How will Kirishima react to this…humbling?

Aki’23 Torikumi Released, Terunofuji Kyujo

Andy Aki 2023, Aki Basho, Kyujo (休場), Terunofuji (照ノ富士) ,

The Nihon Sumo Kyokai released the Day 1 & Day 2 schedule for the top division, as well as the Day 1 schedule for Juryo, and in-so-doing confirmed that Yokozuna Terunofuji would be absent. Unfortunately, this has become rather normal but we are heartened that at least some of the No-Zeki drama has been put to rest as Takakeisho will participate and he is joined by two fellow Ozeki. Both he and Kirishima aim to clear their kadoban status (must have winning records or will be demoted to Sekiwake) but shin-Ozeki Hoshoryu will be eager to follow up his yusho with a strong performance in Tokyo.

Despite Terunofuji’s kyujo, there will be night full of interesting match-ups, culminating in Kirishima vs Tobizaru for the musubi-no-ichiban. There looks to be a lot of risk for upsets so many fans will probably be relieved if the three Ozeki start out strong. However, I have circled the Nishikigi/Tamawashi bout as a potential highlight. We will quickly learn how ready Nishikigi is after the injury suffered during last week’s open practice.

Asanoyama can potentially start his own Ozeki run with an exceptionally strong tournament from Maegashira 2. I know many of his fans are eager to see if he can quickly reclaim his former rank. Injuries are certainly taking their toll, though. But if we are realistic, this is the first opportunity he has to start making moves for Ozeki. There have been rare promotions where Ozeki runs begin from, or near, the top of the rank-and-file. He’ll face Wakamotoharu in his opener, whose own promotion hopes withered in the heat of Nagoya. Daieisho will also be starting from zero this tournament as he faces Meisei. Kotonowaka will face Shodai, who seems to be more reliable as a spoiler than anything. Will one of these four men be the next Ozeki? Will any be promoted by Osaka, or much later?

Nagoya 2022: Day 13 Highlights

Andy Nagoya Basho 2022 , , ,

Well, instead of getting serious, tonight was when this basho became a joke. Not one, not two, not three but FOUR stables were forced into Covid kyujo: Shibatayama, Kataonami, Isenoumi, and (gasp!) Oitekaze. This eviscerated the heart of makuuchi action. Tamawashi, gone. His perfect attendance streak, reaching back to 2004, over. Nishikigi, Endo, Tobizaru, Daieisho, Daiamami, Tsurugisho…sidelined. News from Herouth is that Endo actually tested positive. We hope that if he has symptoms, they’re mild and he recovers quickly.

The nonsense really hit home in the last half of makuuchi “action” with a streak of five consecutive fusen, broken by three bouts, only to have yet another fusen, and then the final two bouts. The gasps and groans from the audience were audible to those of us viewing at home. Well, let’s take a look at how it went down.

Tonight’s bouts

Mitoryu vs. Tsurugisho: I was jazzed for this bout because of the promotion/demotion implications of both wrestlers. Unfortunately, Tsurugisho’s late covid scratch meant this match would not take place. As a consequence, Mitoryu is 8-5, kachi-koshi, and Tsurugisho is 5-8, make-koshi*…with a corona-virus-shaped asterisk. Mitoryu is likely to be promoted but Tsurugisho’s status for the next banzuke is suddenly uncertain, not to mention stablemate Daiamami.

Terutsuyoshi vs. Oho: Terutsuyoshi went for the submarine attack at the tachiai. What surprised me was that Oho obliged and went for the belt. Oho sure knew what he was doing, though, because one quick pull brought Terutsuyoshi forward to the floor. Uwatedashinage. Oho claims his first kachi-koshi in the top division and looked pretty chuffed as he walked to do do his sankyo. Terutsuyoshi is make-koshi.

Yutakayama vs. Midorifuji: We got a decent brawl. Yutakayama’s plan may have been to beat Midorifuji into submission. But Midorifuji well-executed plan lured Yutakayama to the edge…and then disappeared, causing Yutakayama to tumble from the dohyo. Hatakikomi, rather than katasukashi, but close enough. Midorifuji secures his kachi-koshi while Yutakayama falls to 6-7.

Myogiryu vs. Meisei: A quick bout which didn’t go the way I thought. Myogiryu already had his winning record but was more motivated than Meisei, and drove him back and out with little-ado. Myogiryu is 9-4 and looking at his first double-digit record in nearly a year. Meisei falls to 7-6.

Chiyotairyu vs. Onosho: Onosho didn’t fall for it this time. Chiyotairyu had the strong tachiai, driving Onosho back. But when he executed his pull, Onosho was unfazed, following without losing his balance or pitching too far forward, then shoved Chiyotairyu over the bales. Onosho kachi-koshi at 8-5, Chiyotairyu falls to 6-7.

Shimanoumi vs Chiyomaru: Shimanoumi continues to have a terrible tournament. He locked up with Chiyomaru in a lean-fest. He even strategized with a sufficiently loose shimekomi. This time the gyoji did not intervene and attempt to fix it as it started to unravel. This did give Chiyomaru significant difficulty in trying to lift or drag Shimanoumi forward. Chiyomaru’s left hand, while firmly gripping Shimanoumi’s belt, was up at Shimanoumi’s shoulder!

Wisely, Chiyomaru decided to push him down from that shoulder. I’d almost call that a katasukashi but they’ve given him an uwatedashinage, likely because his hand was all over Shimanoumi’s belt. Shimanoumi is Juryo-bound at 1-12. Chiyomaru improves to 5-8.

Tochinoshin vs. Chiyoshoma: No double henka. Long stare down, they reset. One-way henka. Chiyoshoma henkas and Tochinoshin falls for it, literally. They call it an uwatedashinage because Chiyoshoma got his hand over on Tochinoshin’s belt. Tochinoshin is 7-6, Chiyoshoma is 6-7.

Pestilence Strikes

Nishikifuji vs. Tobizaru: A first-time bout here, which we miss out on because of Covid. Tobizaru rests, kachi-koshi at 8-5, Nishikifuji improves to 9-4.

Daiamami vs. Sadanoumi: Sadanoumi won this but I did not foresee the Covid kyujo. Daiamami is 2-9-2 but will he save his makuuchi rank with the covid kyujo? Sadanoumi improves to 5-8.

Endo vs. Takarafuji: Endo kyujo. 3-10* with a covid-asterisk. Takarafuji improves to 7-6 and may actually get a kachi-koshi.

Tamawashi vs. Ura: Tamawashi kyujo for the first time ever. Now make-koshi (5-8*) while Ura improves to 6-7.

Nishikigi vs. Ichinojo: Nishikigi kyujo, 8-5*. Ichinojo improves to 11-2 and surely enjoys the stress-free W.

Action Resumes

Kiribayama vs Okinoumi: Both wrestlers showed up today! We have a bout, after five consecutive fusen. After the solid tachiai, Okinoumi set in for a long lean fest. But just when Okinoumi’s weight was rested full on Kiribayama, Kiribayama suddenly twisted and spun out of the way. They call it a kotenage but there was no arm bar, Okinoumi just fell because Kiribayama wasn’t there anymore. Kiribayama 6-7, Okinoumi 4-9.

Hokutofuji vs. Abi: Hokutofuji did not quite make it off the dohyo when he fell forward. Other than that, this bout went pretty much as expected. Hikiotoshi. Abi improves to 7-6 while Hokutofuji falls to 6-7.

Hoshoryu vs. Wakamotoharu: A long stare. Dud bout. The stare down ended up being longer than the fight. Hoshoryu won by quick kotenage after a solid tachiai, not giving Wakamotoharu any chance. Hoshoryu kachi-koshi, Wakamotoharu make-koshi.

Aoiyama vs. Daieisho: Daieisho fell to covid kyujo. Aoiyama 6-7, Daieisho 6-7*.

Takakeisho vs. Shodai: I’m a sumo Einstein. Shodai’s run came to an end tonight. Like I said, Takakeisho is no Aoiyama. Takakeisho’s nodowa forced Shodai back to the edge where T-Rex’s lethal shove helped Shodai over the bales.

Terunofuji vs. Wakatakakage: Terunofuji just too dominant. Wakatakakage tried to get inside but the Yokozuna wasn’t having any of it. This bout resembled a schoolyard version of King of the Hill, when a first grader took on the biggest fifth grader in school. Oshidashi.

Well, that’s it for the action today. Unfortunately, rather abbreviated. Hopefully tomorrow’s bouts won’t be quite so sparse. They’re actually pulling four blokes up from Juryo to fill in! I’ll have more details later today in the preview post.