Public League Leaderboard
Scores from Fantasizr.
Yusho Arasoi
8 Wins
05 Sekiwake East Kotonowaka
36 Maegashira #14 West Onosho
38 Maegashira #15 West Onosato
7 Wins
01 Yokozuna East Terunofuji
02 Ozeki #1 East Kirishima
03 Ozeki #1 West Hoshoryu
22 Maegashira #7 West Asanoyama
Notable Maneuvers
Henka. Abi has a unique build to execute a henka, and he demolished Gonoyama with one. Gonoyama charged low, so Abi went high as much as to the side and grabbed the back of Gonoyama's mawashi for an easy win.
Match of the Day
05 Sekiwake East Kotonowaka versus 06 Sekiwake West Daieisho
In the Sekiwake battle, Daieisho started with the match he wanted by thrusting away at Kotonowaka. Kotonowaka didn't respond in kind, but he also didn't go backwards. That meant he could get his arms under Daieisho's for a mawashi grip. From there, he could work for a yorikiri, although Daieisho still made him work very hard. Kotonowaka displayed Ozeki sumo on Day Nine.
Recap
The story of this Hatsu basho has certainly become the litany of kyujo. Six Makuuchi men will officially be off the dohyo for illness or injury on Day Ten. Day Nine brought two more kyujo announcements, including one that impacts the yusho race. Asanoyama has a swollen ankle after landing awkwardly against Tamawashi on Day Eight. He may still come back. Hokutofuji won't, since he had a serious knee injury.
Asanoyama's injury give Onosho a fusen win, which also was his eight and kept him in a tie for the yusho leaderboard. Joining him are Kotonowaka and Onosato. Kotonowaka also has a fusen win this basho (over Takayau on Day Eight), but he has been fighting well enough to earn his position in the yusho race. 13 wins would seem to guarantee an Ozeki promotion, although 12 with a Yusho or Jun-Yusho will maybe be enough as well. He is certainly looking like an Ozeki.
His Day Ten opponent will be his biggest test so far. That seems odd for a debutant, but Onosato doesn't seem like any other rookie. He, too, is 8-1, and he has been casting aside most men he's faced. On Day Nine, he finally needed a mawashi grip, but he also still kept moving forward and gave Meisei little chance for offense. Kotonowaka presents a rikishi of similar size to Onosato, which he has rarely seen. The Sekiwake also is great at absorbing other rikishi's best offense. It should be a good one, and it will definitely move the needle on the yusho race.
The basho has come to the point where many matches have big impacts. Even apart from the yusho race, significant numbers are being hit. Shonannoumi and Tomokaze have both hit 8 losses and a guaranteed losing record for the tournament. Those kind of bad outcomes will become more common, and everyone who is on the edge of make-koshi will be fighting with a different intensity.
The matchups are going to start being more interesting from Day Ten on, as well. In addition to Onosato climbing up to see Kotonowaka, Onosho jumps up to see Kirishima. Daieisho and Hoshoryu are the other standout match on paper. Terunofuji does still get Kinbozan, a Maegashira #6 with just a 5-4 record. Yet he still needs to see each of Kirishima, Hoshoryu, Kotonowaka, and Daieisho. He will likely get Onosato or Onosho as well if they win on Day Ten. So expect something to drastically change the yusho race each day from here on out.
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