Kotomiyama

Yes, sorry, I meant becoming Ozeki anytime in 2023. I should have worded the phrase correctly.

Ichinojo yusho! Since his striking debut in Makuuchi I liked him, but I had lost all hope of him winning. He is the epitome of the gentle giant and his yusho interview just confirms my suspicions: he is a timid likable guy. Now he has a yusho and he will be remembered. Hoshoryu: slowly but firmly, he gets another sanyaku KK. He has everything to be an Ozeki by 2023 and I am sure he will be. Wakatakakage: Ah, the classic yusho hangover. Nevertheless, he managed to pull a good basho overall. I count him as another Ozeki candidate. Shodai: the greatest mystery in sports right now and I am not joking. After 5 days we were sure that he gas going down to Sekiwake with a humiliating MK. And somehow he recovered and with a 10-5 nonetheless! I imagine his oyakata struggling to solve the riddle...

Good news: Tomokaze has posted 6-1 at Makushita 10, which will put him closer to Juryo in July. We are getting used to comebacks lately, let's see if he can make it back to Makuuchi.

I don't know the Japanese for "Highway robbery" but I can give you the Spanish equivalent: ATRACO.

Now that hours have elapsed I am able to elaborate my thoughts of this basho. All and all, it might as well be the best basho of the last years, with an excellent last day to wrap it all. Let me share some thoughts on the protagonists. Wakatakakage deserves the yusho. He has been consistently improving and he seems that he will not stop at Sekiwake. I remember his first basho in Makuuchi (Nov 2019), when he went kyujo and went back to Juryo. Not even three years have passed and here he is, looking strong and with a yusho under his belt. Takayasu. I wanted him to win, it saddens me to think that he will retire without a yusho. But looking at his basho, it simply wasn't good enough. His 9-0 was cemented against low ranking rikishi and as soon as he faced stronger opposition he just crumbled (as he always does). Shodai. After six days he was facing the worst kadoban performance in history and he managed to recover himself to get his kachikoshi. Moreover, he was a factor in the deciding moments of the basho. I am not a psycologist, but it seems that Shodai has the imposter syndrome: he just don't believe he is an Ozeki and thus he doesn't perform accordingly. Hoshoryu. An 8-7 at Komusubi with some excellent victories. He has plenty of room to improve. If he works on his consistency, he can easily be a sanyaku mainstay for years to come. Takakeisho. It is hard to believe that there was a time when he was a Yokozuna prospect. Now he is a one-dimensional Ozeki with huge problems when his opponent is too close, when he is grabbed or when the match lasts more than five seconds. I get anxious when I see him panting after a match, even Ichinojo seems healthier. Tomokaze. Do you remember? He was injured the very same basho when Wakatakakage debuted in Makuuchi. He started this basho in Ms8 and posted a 3-4 score, a stark reminder of how cruel sumo can be.

I did not comment during the basho because I really wanted Takayasu to win and I feared jinxing him. When he lost against Shodai I thought he was done, but the playoff gave me hopes. I really thought he had the yusho in the last push and yet Wakatakakage managed to win. Dramatic. Despite liking Wakatakakage a lot, I can only think on the poor Takayasu. I fear that he will never be in the position to win again in the future...

Of course Asanoyama is an excellent Ozeki in the dohyo, but he is the prime example of how the rank is expected to behave in and outside of a tournament. I did include him in the list on purpose because of that. I do not expect Mitakeumi to misbehave.

What a final day for a great basho! Mitakeumi is the first rikishi ever to win three yusho before being Ozeki, a record that highlights the ups and downs of his career. I wish him luck for his tenure as Ozeki, I am sure he will be more consistent than the last four (Tochinoshin, Takakeisho, Asanoyama and Shodai). A good basho for the future of Sumo as well: Abi, Hoshoryu, Kotonowaka, Wakatakakage... they are the ones I expect to compete for a Yusho in the short term. A moment of recognition to Ishiura. I can't believe this is the same guy that was obsessed with henkas two years ago. I would love to know if Hakuho's retirement has something to do with this change. Finally, I hope that Ōhō has taken notes of what happened since he was 7-3. I kinda think he thought it was done after his seventh win.

Excellent basho so far. I would love an ending with a play off... with a Mitakeumi yusho and Ozeki promotion. Prizes for Ishiura, Ura and Hosho Hoshoryu.

Mitakeumi can be the first rikishi to win 3 Yusho before reaching Ozeki. I wish him a strong second week, the yusho and a promotion.

2022 starts with a wonderful sotogake from Hoshoryu. I expect him to be a sanyaku mainstay by the end of the year.

6-1 for Tomokaze at Ms37. I hope he keeps on winning and returns to Makuuchi. I can't get enough of comebacks.

We knew that this day was going to come and yet I don't think we are ready for it.

It is a nice idea indeed. I would love a prize for the best kimarite of the tournament.

Tomokaze won today and has promotion to Makushita within range. I would love to see him back in Makuuchi...