Day 3 was a feast of lower division goodness, which included Ura’s first loss in several months. I am going to guess he has finally hit the level of competition that he will need to work to overcome, but I have no doubt he will overcome. Naya (Taiho’s grandson) won his match, as did Akua.

Day 4 looks solid, with perpetual loser Hattorizakura up first to start the day with a predictable loss. It’s hilarious to note, he may also be the only rikishi to lose twice in a single match, which happened day 1.

Hattorizakura vs Daigonishiki – We know how this one goes, but I am sure we are all curious to see if he might somehow manage a win (a real one) someday.

Kenho vs Toho – I do hope that Kenho’s mawashi is more secure this time. His day 2 match saw him struggling pre bout to keep it in the upright and locked position, and he was not entirely successful. Toho is a much smaller, faster rikishi, from Otake heya. His biggest challenge is to manage the sheer bulk that Kenho brings to the dohyo.

Musashikuni vs Irie – The Musashigawa scion has faced Irie twice, and lost both times. Irie is a 30 year old veteran who has been prowling around Makushita for 39 basho. He’s a big fellow. I hope Musashikuni’s giant hands are big enough to move this guy.

Midorifuji vs Asakoki – Midorifuji faces a lightweight brawler in Asakoki, who won their prior match on day 6 of Aki.

Hoshoryu vs Takaryu – From the annals of “keep hope alive”, if Hoshoryu wins, the much hoped for match up between Hoshoryu and Ura is still possible. So lets hope that Makushita veteran (and former Juryo 13) Takaryu is not in top form.

Ichiyamamoto vs Tokushinho – Likewise, this is a rematch between these two rikishi, with Ichiyamamoto losing their prior engagement at Hatsu last year. Tokushinho spent 27 basho in Juryo, so I am guessing this is going to be a bit of a spanking.