Wakatakakage

Aki 2025: Day One

Andy Aki 2025, Aki Basho , ,

Welcome back, everyone. I am eager to get this basho going. Stuff has been rather busy and it’s nice to wake up at 3am every morning to catch a little sumo action to start the day.

There are several storylines heading into the tournament, but we will start with who is not here. Takerufuji is absent due to bicep surgery. We will not see him in action this tournament. Endo, down in Juryo, is also kyujo with those knee surgeries. Wakatakakage has a chance here in Tokyo for Ozeki promotion. He needs 11-wins to hit that infamous 33-win benchmark.

Nagoya champion, Kotoshoho has leapt up the banzuke to Maegashira 5 and will fight Wakamotoharu here on Day One. The odds are stacked against a repeat with this tougher competition. His yusho portrait was unveiled alongside Onosato’s in Kokugikan. Thank you to OneLoveLulit who was in attendance on Shonichi for the videos.

Down in Makushita, Enho is back in action and got things started with a win! It was a bit shaky there but a win is a win. At Makushita 31, he will be hoping for a kachi-koshi to move up the banzuke into the promotion zone.

NHK videos are here: The NHK video site is being redesigned. All of the top division bouts from Day One are on that page. The site has needed a “refresh” for a while as the list of videos has gotten rather long. But the bad news is that Juryo videos for Aki appear to be blocked from viewing outside Japan, as is the highlight video at the top of the Makuuchi page. This is not good. But it gets worse! According to this announcement, they will also take down the videos of prior tournaments on September 24. Watch them while you can.

For today’s Juryo action, here’s a video of Asanoyama’s return. The former Ozeki is on the left in the video above. He claimed a sukuinage win over Kyokukaiyu, a rookie sekitori from Kyokutenho’s Oshima-beya. And Asasuiryu outlasted the creaking Takarabune (below). Let me know if you all are able to watch the videos. But, let’s get to the top division action.

Makuuchi Action

Daiseizan defeated Shishi. Daiseizan visited from Juryo and secured a right-hand inside grip. Shishi’s left hand over arm grip couldn’t get enough leverage to topple Daiseizan so he released to change his grip inside, which was a mistake. Daiseizan pulled and dragged Shishi down to the ground. Uwatenage.

Ryuden defeated Hitoshi. It was Hitoshi’s debut bout in the top division but Ryuden dominated, driving Hitoshi back and over the edge with powerful shoves. Oshidashi.

Tomokaze defeated Nishikigi. Tomokaze pressed forward and ushered Nishikigi over the edge quickly. Oshidashi.

Tobizaru defeated Shonannoumi. Shonannoumi tried to get a deep overarm grab of Tobizaru’s belt. But each time Shonannoumi grabbed hold, Tobizaru spun away. As the bout went on, Shonannoumi tired and Tobizaru was able to square up and drive Shonannoumi over the edge. Despite the win, we saw Tobizaru’s taped right knee did not appear to be able to take the full weight of both men. Oshidashi.

Sadanoumi defeated Asakoryu. Sadanoumi drove forward and got his right hand inside, forcing Asakoryu out. Yorikiri.

Meisei defeated Tokihayate. Meisei pressed forward with powerful thrusts and charged ahead quickly when Tokihayate attempted to pull. Meisei kept Tokihayate centered and shoved him over the bales. Oshidashi.

Roga defeated Mitakeumi. Mitakeumi had a solid right hand inside grip but couldn’t make much headway. He pressed Roga toward the edge but Roga countered well. Mitakeumi pulled and Roga chased him out the other side of the dohyo. Yorikiri.

Shodai defeated Churanoumi. Churanoumi got a left-hand over arm grip and pressed Shodai to the edge. Churanoumi had tons of space to pivot and pull but Shodai used the maneuver to cut off the dohyo and attack. He forced Churanoumi to the edge and finished him off with a shove. Yorikiri.

Daieisho defeated Fujinokawa. Daieisho blasted Fujinokawa with his powerful thrusting attack. Fujinokawa pivoted right with his right hand inside Daieisho’s shoulder but Daieisho followed well and shoved Fuijinokawa out. Oshidashi.

Midorifuji defeated Kinbozan. Kinbozan pulled Midorifuji over to the edge with a powerful lefthand outside. But Midorifuji’s position and leverage were superior as both men tipped toward the edge, Midorifuji used that leverage to pull Kinbozan off-balance and Kinbozan had to catch himself with his hand. Shitatenage.

Ura defeated Oshoma. Oshoma was leery of Ura and stayed back with rather passive, reactive sumo. Ura lunged forward and grabbed Oshoma’s forward right leg and drove forward. Oshoma reared up and tried to get his leg back but Ura shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Takanosho defeated Kusano. Takanosho drove Kusano to the edge quickly. Kusano resisted and brought action back to the center. Kusano pulled with his left hand overarm hold but Takanosho adjusted and shoved Kusano out. Yorikiri.

Onokatsu defeated Ichiyamamoto. Onokatsu weathered Ichiyamamoto’s tsuppari attack and waited for Ichi to tire. Onokatsu got both hands inside and immediately charged forward and forced Ichiyamamoto over the edge. Yorikiri.

Wakamotoharu defeated Kotoshoho. Kotoshoho pivoted and tried to drag Wakamotoharu forward to the bales but Kotoshoho’s right foot stepped over the tawara. Yorikiri.

Hiradoumi defeated Gonoyama. Gonoyama charged forward. Hiradoumi pivoted and slapped Gonoayama down to the ground. Hatakikomi.

Sanyaku

Atamifuji defeated Takayasu. Atamifuji worked his right hand inside and got a left-hand over arm grip, forcing Takayasu to the edge. Takayasu resisted but Atamifuji reinforced his attack with some gaburi hip-thrusting to force Takayasu over the edge. Yorikiri.

Kirishima defeated Oho. Kirishima used his left hand to reach around Oho’s arm and latch on to his belt. While Oho was still trying to figure out what to do, Kirishim  Yorikiri.

Hakuoho defeated Wakatakakage. Hakuoho, in full Juggernaut mode, plowed forward and shoved Wakatakakage off the dohyo. Wakatakakage rotated to his right but Hakuoho kept pace and shoved WTK in the face. Oshidashi.

Kotozakura defeated Abi. Kotozakura obliterated Abi, forced him to the edge and shoved him over. Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu defeated Tamawashi. Hoshoryu drove forward and grabbed Tamawashi’s right thigh, pulling his leg up and pushing him backward. Both men went down simultaneously. No mono-ii. Tamawashi was clearly dead but that was really close. Hoshoryu glanced uncomfortably toward the shimpan, praying no one’s hands went up. Watashikomi.

Onosato defeated Aonishiki. Onosato hit Aonishiki well at the tachiai and pressed forward. Aonishiki tried to escape to the right but Onosato stuck with him and pinned him to the ground. Yoritaoshi.

Wrap-up

Great, powerful start from Onosato, a bit of a shaky first bout from Hoshoryu and a promising win from Kotozakura. Hakuoho splashed cold water on Wakatakakage’s Ozeki run, here on Day One.

Natsu 2025: Nakabi

Andy Natsu 2025, Natsu Basho , , ,

Nakabi. No kyujo updates. Kusano continues to roll in Juryo, picking up his seventh consecutive win. With Tohakuryu’s defeat at the hands of Miyanokaze, Kusano leads by himself. He will fight Hitoshi tomorrow.

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

Makuuchi Action

Tamashoho (3-5) defeated Nishikigi (5-3). Tamashoho backed to the edge and slapped Nishikigi down while jumping off the dohyo. Hatakikomi.

Roga (6-2) defeated Tochitaikai (3-5). Tochitaikai tried to slap Roga down but Roga’s footwork and balance were solid. That jump was a huge gambit because it left Tochitaikai with no space to maneuver. Roga wrapped up Tochitaikai with a right hand inside and drove him through the ring and over the edge. Yorikiri.

Kayo (4-4) defeated Tokihayate (3-5). Kayo retreated and retreated, repeatedly trying to slap Tokihayate down. Tokihayate was in constant pursuit. Kayo grabbed Tokihayate’s right arm and pulled it forward, gaining access to his belt which Kayo yanked on to finish Tokihayate off. Uwatenage.

Asakoryu (6-2) defeated Sadanoumi (5-3). Asakoryu slipped to his left after the tachiai. As Sadanoumi stumbled forward, Asakoryu attacked from the side and shoved Sadanoumi out. Clearly not a henka but just as effective. Oshidashi.

Shonannoumi (3-5) defeated Atamifuji (5-3). Shonannoumi’s gameplan was similar to Kayo. Retreat and slapdown. Atamifuji constantly moved forward to keep the pressure on. Eventually, Shonannoumi ran out of room at the edge and had no choice but to reach for Atamifuji’s belt and try to grapple. Shonannoumi grabbed Atamifuji’s belt with his right hand outside. Rather than press forward, though, or use gaburi yotsu, he shifted laterally along the bales and threw Atamifuji. Uwatenage.

Endo (5-3) defeated Ryuden (4-4). Endo grabbed at Ryuden’s left arm. This made Ryuden stumble forward. Endo then attacked from the side as Ryuden tried to recover. Endo grabbed Ryuden’s belt and put everything into throwing Ryuden. He succeeded and won but still ended up stumbling off the dohyo and into the third row. “These were great tickets, Junpei!” Uwatenage.

Kotoshoho (2-1-5) defeated Shishi (1-7). Kotoshoho had a right arm inside grip and drove forward as Shishi pulled backward and both men went down. Gunbai Kotoshoho. No mono-ii. Yoritaoshi.

Shodai (3-5) defeated Takanosho (4-4). Shodai backed away along the bales and pulled Takanosho down. Sukuinage.

Meisei (5-3) defeated Hakuoho (7-1). While Hakuoho bulled forward, Meisei grabbed Hakuoho’s right arm and pulled him down along the bales. Their combined momentum carried both men off the dohyo. Gunbai Meisei. Both men looked incredulous. Meisei even took his time getting back to the dohyo, like, “y’all want to look at that, right? No?” No, dude. You won. Kotenage.

Oshoma (5-3) defeated Midorifuji (0-8). Oshoma’s style is rather boring. He kept Midorifuji at arms length, not allowing him to come inside and attempt his famous katasukashi. But he couldn’t slap him down, either, after numerous attempts. He eventually caught Midorifuji a bit off balance and ran him out from behind. Midorifuji makekoshi. Okuridashi.

Aonishiki (7-1) defeated Tobizaru (4-4). Solid tsuppari from Aonishiki forced Tobizaru to the edge but he wouldn’t go over. He pulled and tried a slapdown, but Tobizaru didn’t go down. Aonishiki then followed with a nodowa and a trip but Tobizaru wouldn’t go out. He pulled again and Tobizaru took two steps forward. Aonishiki grabbed Tobizaru’s thong and ran him out.

Halftime

Onokatsu (4-4) defeated Ura (2-6). After an initial pull, Ura took it to Onokatsu. Maybe he had built some confidence with his yotsu win against Tobizaru yesterday. Well, it was a mistake today. As Ura pressed forward, Onokatsu got a right hand inside, left hand outside grip. Once he settled Ura down, he drove forward and out. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (6-2) defeated Chiyoshoma (2-6). Kinbozan overpowered Chiyoshoma after a lengthy yotsu battle that required a mawashi adjustment. Yorikiri.

Ichiyamamoto (4-4) defeated Churanoumi (1-7). Ichiyamamoto had to give it three attempts with the tsuppari/slapdown combo but finally pulled Churanoumi down with the help of a belt grip. Uwatenage.

Wakamotoharu (3-5) defeated Gonoyama (1-7). Gonoyama tried an il-advised pull and slapdown. Wakamotoharu kept his footing and rushed him out. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Abi (4-4) defeated Takayasu (2-6). Abi did Abi things and blasted Takayasu with a nodowa at the tachiai. Takayasu finally relieved the pressure by batting Abi’s hands away. Takayasu then pulled, and pulled, and pulled himself right out of the ring. Oshidashi.

Wakatakakage (7-1) defeated Oho (3-5). Oho is back to his reversing sumo and Wakatakakage made him pay. Oho pulled and WTK charged forward, keeping his balance and forcing him off the edge. Oshitaoshi.

Daieisho (6-2) defeated Kirishima (5-3). Daieisho forced Kirishima backwards with his thrusts. Kirishima retreated to the bales and Daieisho shoved him out. Tsukidashi.

Onosato (8-0) defeated Hiradoumi (3-5). Onosato charged forward and forced Hiradoumi back with ease. Oshidashi.

Kotozakura (5-3) defeated Tamawashi (2-6). No tsuppari or thrusts from Tamawashi. He tried to take on Kotozakura, chest to chest, and Kotozakura forced him out. Yorikiri.

Hoshoryu (6-2) defeated Takerufuji (3-5). Takerufuji henka! Hoshoryu adjusted well. Shonosuke did not as he stumbled over his own feet trying to move out of the way. Hoshoryu advanced and wrapped up Takerufuji’s left arm, twisted, and threw him to the ground. Kotenage.

Wrap-up

Onosato has dominated his Week One competition. He will face Ura tomorrow and that should be an easy bout for him if he sticks to his fundamentals. But the five other sanyaku bouts are ahead of him this week, culminating in a fight with the Yokozuna on senshuraku. These rank-and-filers, and Takayasu, were the appetizers. After he finishes his final chicken wing tomorrow, it will be on to the main course.

Hoshoryu had a bit of a stumble today. That win over Takerufuji was close. Takerufuji was looking for a mono-ii but it was the right call. Hakuoho’s loss was the result of a great move from Meisei. He and Aonishiki might get pulled up to face sanyaku competition later this week but we clearly saw cracks in Hakuoho’s attack today.

Tomorrow, Hoshoryu will fight Ichiyamamoto. I mentioned Onosato vs Ura, which should be fun. Kotozakura versus Takayasu, though? Let’s just say I think Daieisho versus Tamawashi will be a better match. Wakatakakage will fight Abi, Aonishiki will fight Chiyoshoma and Hakuoho will take on Shodai.

Aki 2024: Day Twelve Highlights

Andy Aki 2024, Onosato (大の里) , , ,

News from the infirmary. Tsurugisho is checking out and will fight on Day 13. I’m not sure that complies with his physician’s wishes.

Takerufuji defeated Chiyoshoma in their head-to-head match and now has some separation from the field at 11-1. Chiyoshoma is now two back at 9-3. No henka, Chiyoshoma went toe-to-toe but got destroyed. Takerufuji dispatched him with the calm ease we have grown accustomed to.

Both Kayo and Tomokaze lost, so they fall back with Asakoryu and Tokihayate to 8-4. Unfortunately, Hakuoho fell to Tamashoho. The glass cannon ball is 5-7.

NHK Videos are available here: Juryo (ONLY ONE PART); Makuuchi Part I and Part II

Makuuchi Action

Takarafuji (8-4) defeated Shishi (7-5). Shishi displayed just about zero offensive power in this bout. After a long, impotent lean, Takarafuji got some forward movement and Shishi stumbled over the bales. Yoritaoshi.

Nishikifuji (6-6) defeated Sadanoumi (6-6). Nishikifuji blasted away at Sadanoumi, not letting him anywhere near his belt. Sadanoumi ducked to the side on his first contact with the bales but Nishikifuji pursued well and thrust him out the other side. Tsukidashi.

Tamawashi (6-6) defeated Onokatsu (4-8). Tamawashi’s thrusting attack was too much for Onokatsu. Oshidashi.

Roga (7-5) defeated Shirokuma (4-8). Any match-up between a bear and a Russian favors the Russian, right? After a long, back and forth, migi-yotsu grapple Roga drove the tired bear over the edge. Yorikiri.

Ichiyamamoto (6-6) defeated Kitanowaka (5-7). Kitanowaka tried an inashi sidestep at the edge and Ichiyamamoto took exception. Ichiyamamoto thrust Kitanowaka from the ring and into the pricey seats. Tsukitaoshi.

Midorifuji (5-7) defeated Ryuden (6-6). Ryuden knew that he had to keep Midorifuji away, so he tried oshi-zumo today. Weird tsuppari ensued. Ryuden could not generate enough offense to pressure Midorifuji to the bales. Eventually Midorifuji snuck inside and dragged Ryuden down. You can’t fault Ryuden for trying, this time. Katasukashi.

Churanoumi (7-5) defeated Bushozan (4-8). Churanoumi worked Bushozan to the edge but when Bushozan resisted, Churanoumi threw him back toward the middle of the dohyo. Tsukiotoshi.

Meisei (3-9) defeated Kagayaki (1-11). Kagayaki moved forward and forced Meisei to the edge. But Kagayaki is no shinkansen anymore. He’s a rusted old heap. No speed. No agility. When Meisei moved laterally, Kagayaki was lost. Meisei quickly shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Gonoyama (4-8) defeated Oshoma (8-4). Gonoyama drove forward and shoved Oshoma out. Oshoma already kachi-koshi, he can take bouts off, apparently. Don’t tell that to his former stablemates. Tsukidashi.

Ura (8-4) defeated Endo (7-5). Endo pulled, and pulled, and pulled. Ura kept pace and drove Endo down into the crowd for some fansa. Yorikiri.

Halftime

Shonannoumi (3-9) defeated Kinbozan (4-8). Kinbozan drove Shonannoumi to the edge but Shonannoumi resisted, established his left-hand inside belt grip and drove Kinbozan over the bales. Yorikiri.

Kotoshoho (6-6) defeated Mitakeumi (3-9). Mitakeumi henka and Kotoshoho made him pay. Kotoshoho dragged Mitakeumi to the edge by the belt and then trapped his left arm and threw him to the ground. Kotenage.

Oho (8-4) defeated Atamifuji (5-7). Oho pressed forward into Atamifuji but Atamifuji did not want to go backwards. Atamifuji charged forward into Oho and drove him back to the bales. At the tawara, Oho twisted and yanked Atamifuji down by his shoulder. Katasukashi.

Wakamotoharu (8-4) defeated Takanosho (3-9). Takanosho’s second nodowa forced Wakamotoharu back to the bales. But Wakamotoharu got low and seized Takanosho’s belt, at the front and the back. He then drove forward and forced Takanosho from the dohyo. Yorikiri.

Shodai (8-4) defeated Tobizaru (4-8). Tobizaru pulled and Shodai went with it and shoved Tobizaru from the dohyo. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Daieisho (7-5) defeated Nishikigi (9-3). Daeisho’s thrusts were too much for Nishikigi. Nishikigi could not get inside and couldn’t get any of his own offense going. Tsukidashi.

Takayasu (10-2) defeated Hiradoumi (6-6). Bar fight. Both men blasted one another with repeated volleys of tsuppari. An ill-conceived pull from Hiradoumi resulted in Takayasu showing him the exit. Tsukidashi.

Wakatakakage (9-3) defeated Onosato (11-1). I’m sorry, y’all. I forgot to bring out my Onosato support towel. I just realized it’s sitting there, neatly folded with my Shodai towel. Thus, Onosato would not be crowned today. Onosato, in cruise control, drove Wakatakakage backward. WTK resisted Onosato at the edge and obtained a deadly, double-inside grip. Onosato remained calm and tried a slapdown but again, Wakatakakage resisted. To me, resisting that slapdown was the most impressive. Onosato was trying to crush him but WTK stayed upright. Onosato went back to the oshi and shoved Wakatakakage back to the edge. Wakatakakage countered with his morozashi and heaved Onosato around to the edge and shoved him out. Onosato was too focused on offense and displayed no defense. He just allowed Wakatakakage, twice, to wrap him up with a morozashi. The dude is stronk, too stronk to just let him inside like that. Yorikiri.

Kirishima (10-2) defeated Kotozakura (7-5). Which one of these guys is the Ozeki? After trading tsuppari briefly, the bout settled into a migi-yotsu grapple, right-hand inside. The initiative and first heave was Kotozakura’s. He dragged Kirishima to the edge but could not get him over the tawara. Kirishima resisted and forced the action back toward center. Kirishima then worked Kotozakura to the bales, rotated, and threw him on the tawara. Kirishima is back! It’s just like three tournaments late! Uwatenage.

Abi (3-9) defeated Hoshoryu (6-6). Henka! Hoshoryu fell for it and blasted forward, finally stopping in front of the bales. When Hoshoryu stopped and turned around, Abi was all over him and finished him off. Yoritaoshi.

Wrap-up

Here we are, ready for Day 13. Onosato will fight Kotozakura. Onosato will try to recover from his first loss and reach that 33-in-3 benchmark. Meanwhile, the Ozeki will fight for his kachi-koshi for the third time, having lost to Daieisho and Kirishima on consecutive days.

Speaking of Kirishima, he remains one-loss behind Onosato because of his spectacular upset. He will fight Hoshoryu, who is now in real trouble and must win two bouts in the next three days to avoid kadoban. With Kirishima, Onosato, and Kotozakura left on his fight card, that is a heavy load, indeed.

Wakatakakage ACL Surgery Complete: Begins 8+ Months Rehab

Andy Injuries, Wakatakakage ,

Thanks to Herouth for Tweeting out this good/bad news about Wakatakakage. Readers may recall that he was injured entering the final weekend of Haru basho when his knee hit the tawara resulting in an ACL tear. He has had surgery and begins the long road to recovery. He’ll likely drop only to Komusubi for May, but deep into Makuuchi for Nagoya, Juryo for Aki, and Makushita by Kyushu. If he comes back in January, he’ll likely still be in Makushita but maybe Sandanme if recovery takes until Spring. There’s the bad news.

The good news here is in the sentiment expressed by Arashio-oyakata (moto-Sokokurai). “He says he does not want to come back before he is fully healed, and I’m not going to make him.”

Obviously, Terunofuji and his storybook comeback stands as a reference point. His rise culminated in not only multiple yusho but promotion to Yokozuna. Tochinoshin and Ura were also able to come back from serious injuries which resulted in substantial demotions. More recent comeback stories have been of a disciplinary nature as Abi and Ryuden successfully re-established themselves in Makuuchi and Asanoyama is on his way back up. We see here multiple recent examples of rapid, successful comebacks and wonder if there’s been a change in the calculus of how to manage serious injury.

That said, along with Terunofuji’s comeback we have to remember, and question, the wisdom of his slow fall. He was obviously hurt as Ozeki but continued to try to compete, basho after basho. Always the competitor, it’s got to be hard to admit that you have to sit on the sidelines — especially when it’s for multiple tournaments. Even now, with the fact that he is safe from demotion, is a May return too soon? We can’t question Isegahama’s commitment to Terunofuji as he stuck with him through that comeback. But with the statements from Wakatakakage and Arashio-oyakata, we see a stark contrast with the actions of Terunofuji and Isegahama-oyakata and can’t help but wonder whether Terunofuji’s rise may have been faster, and if his Yokozuna reign would have been longer, if they’d shared a similar point-of-view.

There’s certainly risks, though, and we cannot downplay them. Hokuozan’s injury in Naruto-beya was re-aggravated in training and he has fallen completely off the banzuke. Hokuozan, however, never reached the heights of Makuuchi. The real contrast is in Ishiura’s neck injury has taken him from heyagashira and likely ended his career. A neck, though, is not exactly a knee-ligament, though. So there is the chance that Wakatakakage will not be back but it is refreshing to see a commitment from both the wrestler and the oyakata to give this route a try, rather than to tough it out and witness the alternative of another slow, painful decline.