Eikokurai

Takakeisho tries the mid-basho nekodamashi to confuse Terunofuji. Doesn't work. Three-way tie for the yusho on 10-3. Teru gets a freebie tomorrow against Shodai. As good as a fusen.

Shodai finally gets the 8th loss his performance this basho deserves after Mitakeumi wins the 5-7 Ozeki head to head.

Wakatakakage blows the yusho race wide open (not that it was very closed with Takanosho only one ahead, but still ...) Terunofuji surely the favourite now, which after his shaky start isn't something I expected, tbh.

Loving this version of Sadanoumi. He's never been this fearless.

Not just boring, but bad with it. All those hands cut off and the random anonymous shoulders at the bottom left. Terrible cropping.

Would have more likely been called a simple oshidashi or, at a push (pun intended), a watashikomi for the hook-and-tug on Shodai’s left thigh before the shove.

We’ve seen feet go that direction a thousand times and it never be a point of contention. The whole ‘top of the foot’ thing rarely seems to actually matter. It smacks of looking for a reason to give Shodai a second chance.

Fair play to WTK. I thought he was a goner the moment Teru had the kime grip early on but WTK fought him at his own game and made him earn that win. The loss does dent his Ozeki run though. The best he can hope for now is 9-6. He'll need a strong July.

Now, THAT was a weird bout. Ura played some tricks at the start, moving forward at the squat, then Takakeisho does a strange tachiai, and then it ends in highly comic fashion. Ura should be given the win though. Well, "win".

It's taken me 11 days to remember Ichinojo exists and isn't in this basho.

His thigh was down about an hour before Tobizaru. It didn't even look contentious to me. Figured they'd do a quick video check and confirm it. As much as I like Shodai, he doesn't deserve the KK. He should already be MK after two free wins. And now Mitakeumi joins him on 5-7 and the cusp of a makekoshi. Could we have all three Ozeki kadoban in July?

Shodai continues to find whole new ways to look like an impostor. Is the real one on a beach somewhere and a body-double standing in for him? MK for him and kadoban next basho (I'm going ahead and calling the mono-ii against him). WTF?!!! Torinaoshi?!!! Shodai lost that by a mile. Second time he's benefited from some highly dubious officiating this basho. And of course he wins the rematch he should never have been allowed, saving himself from MK for another day. What a joke.

Happy to see Daieisho KK and protect his Komusubi rank at a minimum. Might not be much room in sanyaku, with Hoshoryu needing only one more win, WTK two and Abi three. Maybe the useless Ozeki should give up their slots.

Tochinoshin secures back-to-back kachikoshi for the first time since Sept and Nov 2018 when he was still Ozeki. Takanosho is the first to double-digits and remains in the sole lead for the yusho. 10-2. Sadanoumi keeps himself in the hunt at 9-3, but Kiribayama drops to 8-4. The chasing pack loses two members (Ichiyamamoto lost to Takanosho). Ura and Terunofuji to come.

It’s pretty common for rikishi to adjust the tightness of their mawashi as a tactic, so probably.