Kyushu 2022 Day Fourteen

Yusho Arasoi

12 wins 11 Maegashira #1 East Takayasu

11 wins 02 Ozeki East Takakeisho 28 Maegashira #9 West Abi

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Scores from Fantasizr.

Notable Manuevers

Hikiotoshi. Abi kept Hoshoryu at his considerable arm's length, which meant that Hoshoryu couldn't get any offense and Abi could hit him to the side for an easy win.

Match of the Day

Maegashira #1 East Takayasu versus Maegashira #15 East Kagayaki

Takayasu's shoulder blast was once again on point in this match, and he looked like he may have easily sent back Kagayaki. Instead, Kagayaki kept reloading. It wasn't model sumo, but he put Takayasu on alert and even had him nearly out a few times. Instead, Takayasu kept his balance and showed why excels at long matches even when they are wild back and forths.

Recap

With one more day in the basho, the yusho race is relatively simple. Takayasu has a one-win lead over Takakeisho and Abi. All he needs to do is win, and he gets to lift the Emperor's Cup for the first time. Abi will face Takayasu, so he wins and automatically gets a playoff with Takayasu. If that happens, Takakeisho will need to win against Wakatakakage in the final match to make it a three-man playoff.

Takayasu is the favorite based on current basho record, although only Takakeisho has previously won a yusho. Prevailing tomorrow will get Takakeisho his third yusho, while a runner-up performance will be his eighth jun-yusho. A yusho to crown an impressive career will be massive for Takayasu, but Takakeisho is theoretically fighting to become Yokozuna. If he gets a yusho at Kyushu, he will need to repeat that performance in January to get the rope. Abi would get his first yusho, with less fanfare over never winning before compared to Takayasu, and that's nothing to sneeze at.

This seemed to be Hoshoryu and Oho's basho for much of the last two weeks, but they are now both out of the running. Special Prizes are likely in order, but this may be a disappointment for both. They should have plenty of chances to get a yusho in the future, and they both showed a new level of sumo in Kyushu. Now they sit alongside Hiradoumi two wins off the pace, forming a triumvirate of young rikishi who showed their future is bright and coming relatively soon. They'll be in plenty more yusho races over their careers.

Apart from the yusho race, plenty is still left to fight for among the Makuuchi rikishi. A full nine are sitting on 7-7, with four matches on Day Fifteen featuring 7-7 versus 7-7. Azumaryu vs Myogiryu, Nishikigi vs Kotoeko, Ichiyamamoto vs Sadanoumi, and Kotoshoho vs Midorifuji will be one of the most exciting things in sumo. Each man has been even over the basho and needs one crucial win to get a kachi-koshi. In these matchups, only one can get it.

After all of that excitement, hopefully Day Fifteen of the Kyushu basho ends with a playoff. That mostly depends on Abi prevailing, but lots of fun should happen no matter the outcome of Abi-Takayasu. And whoever does end up on top tomorrow, it's going to be an amazing story.