The Amakaze – Terunofuji match ended without injury, and Terunofuji was able to execute a somewhat clumsy kotenage for the win. Elsewhere, Hattorizakura did in fact lose again, even though Houn looks even more malnourished and underdeveloped than Hattorizakura, if that were possible.
Naya also picked up a win, and looked really strong doing it. He improves to a solid 2-0 start. The crowd was really into this match, and you can hear by all of the hooting and hollering in the video below:
Day 5 Matches
Ichiyamamoto vs Kaito – Both rikishi have made it to the 2-0 bracket, and this is their first ever match. Kaito is another young, hard-charging rikishi who actually had to talk almost a year off to recover from injury in 2015, and is fighting near his top ever rank. They are evenly matched in size and weight – it should be a solid bout.
Wakatakamoto vs Asakoki – Also a 2-0 bracket match, the lowest ranked Onami brother enters this rematch with Makushita mainstay Asakoki looking to advance to the increasingly narrow undefeated bracket. Asakoki holds a slight size advantage, but Wakatakamoto won their single prior match.
Musashikuni vs Tsurubayashi – An additional 2-0 bracket match in Makushita, the scion of the Musashigawa stable holds a distinct height and weight advantage over Tsurubayashi, who has been fighting in Makushita since 2012. Musashikuni does indeed seem to have overcome his injuries and physical problems, and is back to strong power-sumo.
Torakio vs Kotokino – Torakio has yet to win his first match of the basho, and he tries his luck against Sandanme 11 Kotokino. Kotokino is about 180 kg, and is a seriously bulky guy, so I expect Torakio to have his work cut out for him.
Shoji vs Koshinishiki – Another Musashigawa rikishi in action on day 5, and Shoji is looking to improve his 1-1 record against long-ranked Sandanme rikishi Koshinishiki.
Wakaichiro vs Kiryu – Our Texas sumotori, Wakaichiro, lost his day 3 match after he found himself too far forward against a skilled opponent. In their only prior match, Wakaichiro was able to defeat the much larger Kiryu via hatakikomi.
Kenho vs Fukuazuma – Kenho lost his day 4 match, and enters day 5 with a 1-1 score. At 107 kg, Fukuazuma is less than half of Kendo’s size. Kenho has terrible mobility on most days, so I expect that Fukuazuma is going to use this to his advantage.
With day 2 loaded to the rafters with action among our “ones to watch”, it was fantastic to see that time and again, the rikishi we are following won their first matches. Some notable highlights
Wakaichiro looks healthier than he has in a while, and immediately overpowered Kotoito and ran him off the dohyo. We are still looking for sharable video of the match, and will publish it once it’s on YouTube.
Kenho, who looked horrid and lethargic at Hatsu, came out strong and blasted Toshonishiki from the south edge of the dohyo.
Hoshoryu’s match against Tokushinho included a leg trip that was executed with great skill. I have to say its damn exciting to see this young man competing this well at such a high rank. We all hope he can keep it going.
For fans of Musashikuni, maybe it’s time to think he has his injuries under control, and we get to see what this guy is capable of. He looked strong against Okinofuji for day 2.
With so many of our Ones to Watch winning day 2, they are now in the 1 win bracket, and are competing again on day 3. This includes what seems to be most of Musashigawa’s clan on the dohyo at some point today. It’s a back to back late night of sumo goodness for those of us in the US! On to the matches.
Hoshoryu vs Kizakiumi – This is a rematch of the Hatsu day 2 bout where Hoshoryu lost. Is it time for him to even the score? Will Hoshoryu peel away those Clark Kent glasses and battle like a son of Krypton? In January Kizakiumi overpowered Hoshoryu, maybe tonight he can return the favor.
Akua vs Tamaki – Akua has won both of their two prior match-ups, and it remains to be seen if Tamaki is going to be much of a challenge. Akua is still trying to get his sumo back together after his September Juryo debut ended in injury and kyujo. He has been struggling since, so don’t count Tamaki out.
Ichiyamamoto vs Asabenkei – Another juicy nugget in the top grouping in Makushita, newcomer Ichiyamamoto takes on the much bulkier veteran Asabenkei. Asabenkei was ranked in Juryo last year, before taking two tournaments off to recover from injury. This one is going to be brutal.
Midorifuji vs Gokushindo – Gokushindo took the Makushita yusho last September, and promptly bombed out of Juryo in Kyushu. Since then he has been trying to regroup, and now he needs to overcome a fairly genki Midorifuji.
Wakatakamoto vs Asahisho – A rematch from Osaka last year, which Wakatakamoto won. Asahisho was a Maegashira in 2012, but has been struggling since then. But we can consider Asahisho representative of the kind of rikishi Wakatakamoto will need to overcome to join his brothers in the salaried ranks.
Musashikuni vs Omoto – The scion of Musashigawa heya looks to improve to 2-0 against former University rikishi Omoto, who has been struggling with injuries for the past year. This has left him drifting between upper Sandanme and lower Makushita.
Torakio vs Musashiumi – Naruto’s Torakio takes on another of the Musashigawa clan, where both are looking to pick up their first win. Musashiumi is a 37 year old veteran, and will bring that experience to bare against youthful Torakio.
Shoji vs Daishozen – A bit further down the Sandanme torikumi we see Shoji taking on Daishozen, who should be considered a Sandanme mainstay. Advantage on mass and reach go to Shoji, so let’s see if he can make it work for him.
Wakaichiro vs Wakakinsho – Coming from a strong day 2 win, Wakaichiro gets a rematch against Wakakinsho. These two last met at Aki 2017, where Wakaichiro, was out-maneuvered and lost. This will be an interesting re-test, as Wakaichiro’s sumo has improved massively since then.
I am back from my drive across the dusty wasteland of western Texas, and ready to join the team in covering the Haru basho. Thanks to Josh, Andy and Liam for filling in for me while I was out among the tumbleweeds and oil wells, it was much appreciated, and as always I love reading and watching what you folks put together.
Day 1 was really light for our “Ones to Watch” crew, but here are some results for you following along.
Wakatakamoto defeated Tochinobori – The last non-sekitori Onami brother finds himself in the thick of Makushita, but managed to pick up a win on day one. Given my personal experience with sibling rivalry, this has to be a strong motivator for Wakatakamoto, especially if his brothers are giving him a helping of grief and extra chores.
Naya defeats Fukamiyama – Naya is now wearing his mage (top knot) and looks like a proper rikishi. His opponent for day 1, Fukamiyama, is working to regain footing in Makushita after a trip to Sandanme. Sadly he received a black star for his first match.
Chiyoraizan defeats Shoji – Shoji had made it as high as Makushita 52 before a string of make-koshi tournaments left him in lower Sandanme. With a 5-2 finish at Hatsu, he is in a difference class of rikishi in Osaka. His day 1 loss is nothing more than poor fortune, and in fact he has lost his opening match in each of his past 4 basho.
Terunofuji defeats Wakanoguchi – The most followed Jonidan match for a while, former Ozeki Terunofuji began his long climb back to the top ranks on day one with a win. Terunofuji looked pale, flabby and sort of lost. He was clearly deconditioned and his two heavily bandaged knees were evident. But he managed a win with a very powerful thrust down that gave Wakanoguchi a face full of Osaka clay. Its true that this far down Jonidan, it might be enough to be huge, and a former Ozeki. But his fans all hope that he can get his sumo back together, and get his body in fighting form.
But with so many of our ones to watch sitting out day 1, we know day 2 is going to be a non-stop battle of the strong and the eager, fighting their way up the ranks. Let’s break down who we expect to see in action early on Monday in Osaka.
Hoshoryu vs Tokushinho – Hoshoryu is only in his 7th tournament as a professional rikishi, and he finds himself in the upper ranks of the brutal Makushita division. A strong performance here and a lot of luck might bring him to the salaried ranks for May. His first match of Haru is against the long-time Juryo vet, Tokushinho. After a terrible 4-11 tournament for Kyushu 2015, Tokushinho has been relegated to Makushita, and has always fallen short when he reached a promotable rank. This should be a solid match of experience vs youth.
Akua vs Shiba – With Akua’s day-glow mawashi appropriated by Chiyomaru, it’s up to the one time Juryo man to battle his way back to the salaried ranks and reclaim his colors. Shiba has been occupying a upper Makushita rank for the past several years, and it’s high time this former university sumo star overcome whatever is holding him back and achieve a kachi-koshi from a promotable rank.
Ichiyamamoto vs Sakigake – The intense action keeps rolling with this battle between Ichiyamamoto and Mongolian veteran Sakigake. Ichiyamamoto has been ranked in Juryo for 5 tournaments across his career, but has been in Makushita since Hatsu 2015. Another “rising star vs veteran” match for day 2!
Midorifuji vs Tanabe – These two young, fast rising rikishi are outside of promotable range, but both of them are entering Haru with kachi-koshi scores in January, and looking to chase higher into the Makushita ranks. Both of them are former college rikishi, and already had a good amount of experience before starting their professional sumo careers.
Musashikuni vs Okinofuji – Musashikuni has had make-koshi scores in 3 of the last 4 tournaments, most likely due to persistent problems with his ankles and feet. With the long period of practice and training in Tokyo since January, his fans are hopeful that he is in better fighting for in Osaka, and can start strong. His opponent, Okinofuji, has 37 basho in Makushita.
Torakio vs Amanoshima – Bulgarian Torakio, the nephew of Naruto Oyakata, is fighting at his highest ever rank of Sandanme 30. Amanoshima has spent most of his career in Sandanme, but has suffered two straight make-koshi since his last Makushita visit at Kyushu in 2018. Good luck tiger-cub!
Wakaichiro vs Kotoito – Wakaichiro’s strong performance at Hatsu boosted him to the bottom of Sandanme, where his fans hope he can build on his success. The primary concerns are his injuries, which seem to be accumulating. His sumo form continues to improve, and if his body is accommodating, he should be able to hold Sandanme rank this tournament. His opponent is a young up and comer, Kotoito, from the storied Sadogatake heya. At only 16 years of age, he is quite young.
Kenho vs Toshonishiki – Kenho’s only strategy at Hatsu was to be enormous and as immobile as possible. Sadly with his knee and hip problems, he was unable to cover the immobile portion with any great effect. As a result he was reduced back to Jonidan, and needs to regroup. His first match of Haru is against youngster Toshonishiki, who is fighting at his highest rank. It’s possible this is the larges human Toshonishiki has ever tried to battle.
Hattorizakura vs Shachinofuji – Fighting at a career high rank of Jonikuchi 15, Hattorizakura’s fans hope that he might defy the odds and actually win 2 matches in the same basho. Oddly enough this is a rematch against Shachinofuji, who (of course) beat him last time.
With many of the veterans in the top division approaching the end of their careers, Tachiai is working to raise the visibility of some of the younger, up-and-coming rikishi. In some cases (especially Makushita), the action is faster and more intense than in the salaried ranks. These rikishi are so close to gaining Sekitori status, they will battle to their utmost to win that coveted promotion. Before our coverage begins for Haru, let’s take a look at how our ones to watch fared in January.
Wakamotoharu – With a 7-0 record, he won the Makushita yusho, and earned his promotion to Juryo to join his brother Wakatakakage. The promotion to Juryo brings many privileges, and a test of endurance. In prior tournaments, Wakamotoharu competed on 7 of the 15 days, in Juryo he will be in battle each of the 15 days.
Akua – After his one basho visit to Juryo, Akua could do no better than a 2-5 make koshi, and finds himself demoted from Makushita 4 to Makushita 11. From here it will take 2 winning tournaments or more to challenge for a return to Juryo, unless he has overcome his injuries and can turn in a no-loss record.
Ichiyamamoto – With a 4-3 kachi koshi, he has been promoted from Makushita 19 to Makushita 13. Like Akua, he will need a string of winning records to rise to the top of the Makushita “wall” and attempt to break into Juryo.
Hoshoryu – After a stellar 5-2 record at Hatsu, which included a tragic match with Ura, he finds myself at the threshold of sekitori promotion, ranked at Makushita 7. But it will likely take more than a 4-3 kachi-koshi to win a slot in Juryo for May.
Midorifuji – He finished January with a 4-3 kachi-koshi, and looked fairly good going up against some tough opponents. Midorifuji is now ranked at Makushita 19, and will be in the thick of the brutal competition in the top half of Makushita.
Ura – Fans around the world were thrilled to see Ura back, healthy and climbing the ranks. After a Sandanme yusho in November, he found himself at Makushita 23, and was fighting well. But his pivotal match against Hoshoryu turned tragic as his injured knee gave out when Ura attempted one of his signature “plasticman” bends. Ura was taken to the hospital, and has since undergone surgery to attempt to rebuild the knee. We do not expect to see him return any time soon.
Wakatakamoto – The third Waka brother finished Hatsu with a solid 5-2 kachi-koshi, and earned a promotion from Makushita 40 to Makushita 24. Will the fact that he is the last one of his family not a sekitori drive him to higher levels of performance? Stay tuned…
Musashikuni – The scion of the Mushashigawa stable was fighting hurt during during Hatsu, and while he was not able to secure a kachi-koshi, he was able to bounce back from 3 straight losses at the start. As a result he dropped from Makushita 36 to Makushita 42, and hopefully he is in better physical form. As one of Takayasu’s tsukibeto, we hope some of the big Ozeki’s sumo will take root and help him win.
Naya – A one time rival of Hoshoryu. Taiho’s grandson is taking a slower route through the battleground of Makushita. He was able to achieve a 4-3 kachi-koshi for January, and was promoted from Makushita 60 to Makushita 51. Tachiai still expects great sumo from young Naya, even if it may take him a bit longer to find his strength.
Torakio – The young Bulgarian rikishi from Naruto Heya achieved a 4-3 record, and is now ranked at Sandanme 15, his highest ever. A solid winning record in Osaka could see him join Makushita in May.
Shoji – An up in coming former collegiate rikishi found his sumo in January, after 4 straight make-koshi tournaments. Now back at Sandanme 29, he is looking to return to Makushita this year, and continue is push for higher ranks.
Kenho – Enormous Kenho found himself back in Sandanme for the first time in 2 years, and was promptly handed a 1-6 make-koshi. Now back at Jonidan 28, it will come down to injuries and how mobile a man of that size can be. He was clearly hurt in January, but at his weight, he could injure himself just getting out of bed.
Wakaichiro – The Texan sumotori bounced back from a string of injury plagued tournaments to score a strong 5-2 kachi-koshi. In the process he showed some fierce fighting spirit and greatly improved sumo technique. He returns to Sandanme at the bottom of the division (Sandanme 99), and his fans are looking for him to continue his strong sumo.
Hattorizakura – Sumo’s eternal loss leader, Hattorizakura chalked up a dubious yet humorous distinction in January: He lost the same match twice. He did however manage to get a single win, and will ranked at Jonokuchi 15, his highest rank ever.
Terunofuji – After 4 tournaments kyujo, the former Ozeki finds himself in Jonidan. News reports from Japan cite that he is likely to compete in March, and his fans are thrilled to see him return to the dohyo. Ranked at Jonidan 48, his size and strength may be enough to score 4 wins at this level. We have no idea how his knees are doing, but almost everyone hopes this is the start of his long road back to the top division.
