Haru 2020 Day One Recap

There's always a danger of taking too much from Day One of a sumo tournament. It's just one match for everyone, and the other fourteen days will overwhelm what happened on Day One. So that means just one thing: MASSIVE OVERREACTIONS.

And we start with a general massive overreaction. This tournament is going to be exceedingly strange without a crowd. No sumo fan anywhere could get used to this. Two weeks of bizarre silence.

M18e Kotonowaka (1-0) wins by yorikiri over M17w Daiamami (0-1)

We have a new star in future Yokozuna Kotonowaka, who easily dispatched Daiamami for his first of hundreds of career victories.

M16w Shimanoumi (1-0) wins by yorikiri over M17e Meisei (0-1)

Shimanoumi will successfully fight off demotion to Juryo, while Meisei is obviously still struggling with his fitness and won't be able to do anything.

M15w Chiyomaru (1-0) wins by oshidashi over M16e Azumaryu (0-1)

The threat of one more demotion to Juryo will keep Chiyomaru on edge enough for a huge win total. Azumaryu cannot escape his eventual fate of a trip to the second division.

M15e Tsurugisho (1-0) wins by yorikiri over M14w Nishikigi (0-1)

Tsurugisho's knee problems are a thing of the past, while Nishikigi just can no longer deal with Makuuchi level sumo.

M13w Aoiyama (1-0) wins by oshidashi over M14e Kaisei (0-1)

Aoiyama just needed this fall to regain his top form. Kaisei will be heading straight to demotion and/or retirement.

M12w Ikioi (1-0) wins by yorikiri over M13e Kotoshogiku (0-1)

Ikioi is fully healthy and able to compete at the highest levels once again. Someone needs to get the scissors ready for Kotoshogiku's retirement ceremony.

M12e Ishiura (1-0) wins by hatakikomi over M11w Terutsuyoshi (0-1)

Ishiura's tricky sumo is back to destroy the Makuuchi division, beginning with the completely off balance and hopeless Terutsuyoshi.

M11e Chiyotairyu (1-0) wins by hatakikomi over M10w Tochiozan (0-1)

Chiyotairyu is returning to his Sanyaku form. Tochiozan will be seeing the end of his career any minute now.

M10e Sadanoumi (1-0) wins by yorikiri over M9w Tochinoshin (0-1)

Sadanoumi is looking so impressive he might get as many as 9 wins. Tochinoshin will continue his slow slide down the banzuke. (Serious note: Tochinoshin still has no power in his knee and he got turned around and out despite having his preferred grip.)

M9e Takanosho (1-0) wins by okuridashi over M8w Kiribayama (0-1)

Takanosho is going to pick up his ascent to future Yokozuna-dom. Kiribayama will find himself turned around and out way too often at this level.

M7w Tamawashi (1-0) wins by tsukiotoshi over M8e Shohozan (0-1)

Tamawashi is too good for Maegashira 7 and should find himself in the yusho race. Shohozan stands no chance here at his age. M6w Kagayaki (1-0) wins by yorikiri over M7e Takarafuji (0-1)

Future Yokozuna Kagayaki began his road to a zesho yusho with a win over Takarafuji, who cannot possibly ever get a kachi-koshi again.

M5w Onosho (1-0) wins by shitatenage over M6e Myogiryu (0-1)

Future Yokozuna Onosho is back in fine form, leading to an inevitable zensho yusho. Myogiryu will be in a steady slide down the banzuke.

M5e Ryuden (1-0) wins by hatakikomi over M4w Abi (0-1)

Ryuden will matta before every match during the basho, causing him to get a zensho yusho. Abi is still struggling to regain his best sumo and cannot do anything. (I wouldn't rule out the first bit happening.)

M3w Mitakeumi (1-0) wins by oshitaoshi over M4e Enho (0-1)

Mitakeumi will once again rise into the Sanyaku after his zensho yusho. This is clearly the point on the banzuke where Enho's tricks will cease to be effective.

M3e Yutakayama (1-0) wins by oshidashi over K1e Hokutofuji (0-1)

Future Yokozuna Yutakayama began his zensho yusho with a dominant win over Hokutofuji. Once again, Hokutofuji cannot cope with a Sanyaku rank and might struggle to win a single match.

S1w Shodai (1-0) wins by oshidashi over M2w Tokushoryu (0-1)

Future Yokozuna Shodai avenges his loss to Tokushoryu from the previous basho to kick off his zensho yusho. Tokushoryu was just a mirage last time and cannot possibly win at all this basho.

S1e Asanoyama (1-0) wins by yorikiri over M2e Okinoumi (0-1)

Future Yokozuna Asanoyama kicked off his zensho yusho with a typical left-handed grip aided win. Okinoumi is completely unable to compete at such an elevated spot on the Banzuke anymore.

O1e Takakeisho (1-0) wins by oshidashi over M1w Takayasu (0-1)

Next Yokozuna Takakeisho will have such a dominant zensho yusho that he will be given the rope at the end of this basho. Takayasu will just slide down the banzuke as an ex-ozeki.

Y1w Kakuryu (1-0) wins by okuridashi over M1e Daieisho (0-1)

Dominant Yokozuna Kakuryu is set up for a zensho yusho based on his brilliant reactive sumo. Daieisho will be forced into a massive demotion.

Y1e Hakuho (1-0) wins by hatakikomi over K1w Endo (0-1)

The dai-Yokozuna will dai-Yokozuna straight to a zensho yusho. Endo will be so humiliated he cannot compete well the rest of the basho.