Day 12 results and day 13 pairings, Makuuchi and Juryo

[Doitsuyama 1,156]

Hakuho and Harumafuji continue to roll over the other rikishi and both Mongolians are 12-0. Kaisei lost to Gagamaru, but still gets Harumafuji as opponent for tomorrow. Kisenosato won a bout of attrition against Baruto, but at three wins behind he is (like all other rikishi) out of the yusho race as the yusho will need at least 13 wins (hmm, except one of the leaders going kyujo and the other losing all bouts).

It's different in juryo where a 9-3 score actually is the yusho leading score as all leaders lost today with Chiyootori catching up. Asahisho, Fujiazuma and Nionoumi clinched kachi-koshi to stay in the yusho race. No sure demotions yet besides kyujo Tosayutaka (Hokutokuni and Kyokushuho are also kyujo and sitting on the fence while Kimikaze should stay). But there still are seven rikishi still needing wins to stay, and Masuraumi, Takanoiwa and Homarefuji can't afford more losses.

Day 12

Juryo

Ms2w Satoyama (4-3) katasukashi J14e Takanoiwa (5-7)

Ms4e Arawashi (4-3) yorikiri J13e Masakaze (5-7)

J10e Nionoumi (8-4) oshidashi J12w Oniarashi (5-7)

J13w Masuraumi (4-8) oshidashi J7e Kokkai (3-9)

J7w Kotoyuki (6-6) tsukidashi J14w Homarefuji (5-7)

J11w Chiyootori (9-3) yorikiri J6w Takamisakari (5-7)

J12e Tokushinho (6-6) oshidashi J5e Yoshiazuma (6-6)

J5w Fujiazuma (8-4) oshidashi J10w Tokushoryu (9-3)

J9e Oiwato (7-5) oshidashi J4e Sotairyu (5-7)

J4w Asahisho (8-4) oshidashi J9w Jokoryu (9-3)

J3e Kimurayama (7-5) tsukite J8e Kitaharima (6-6)

J2e Tenkaiho (7-5) yorikiri J11e Chiyonokuni (9-3)

Makuuchi

J3w Sagatsukasa (5-7) oshidashi M15e Hochiyama (1-11)

J1e Asasekiryu (7-5) uwatenage M14e Tochinowaka (4-8)

M12w Takanoyama (5-7) tottari M16e Ikioi (6-6)

M14w Wakanosato (7-5) sukuinage M10w Takarafuji (5-7)

M9w Tokitenku (8-4) susoharai M12e Sadanofuji (4-8)

M8e Yoshikaze (6-6) okuridashi M15w Chiyotairyu (6-6)

M7e Gagamaru (8-4) yorikiri M8w Kaisei (9-3)

M7w Toyohibiki (7-5) yoritaoshi M13e Daido (8-4)

M13w Masunoyama (8-4) oshidashi M6e Homasho (7-5)

M6w Shotenro (7-5) oshidashi M10e Tamaasuka (2-10)

M5e Aran (9-3) kotenage M11w Kitataiki (7-5)

M5w Takayasu (4-8) uwatenage M11e Tamawashi (2-10)

M9e Miyabiyama (6-6) oshidashi M4e Tochinoshin (7-5)

M3w Shohozan (5-7) okuridashi M3e Wakakoyu (3-9)

M4w Takekaze (6-6) sukuinage M2e Aoiyama (5-7)

M1w Aminishiki (3-9) tsukiotoshi K1w Toyonoshima (3-9)

S1e Goeido (7-5) yorikiri M1e Kyokutenho (0-12)

M2w Okinoumi (3-9) kotenage S1w Tochiozan (3-9)

O3e Kotooshu (8-4) tsukiotoshi K1e Myogiryu (6-6)

O1e Kisenosato (9-3) oshidashi O2e Baruto (8-4)

O2w Harumafuji (12-0) uwatenage O3w Kakuryu (6-6)

Y1e Hakuho (12-0) oshidashi O1w Kotoshogiku (9-3)

Day 13

Juryo

Ms1w Kei (4-2) J14w Homarefuji (5-7)

Ms2e Terashita (4-2) J12w Oniarashi (5-7)

J12e Tokushinho (6-6) J13w Masuraumi (4-8)

J11e Chiyonokuni (9-3) J10w Tokushoryu (9-3)

J7e Kokkai (3-9) J14e Takanoiwa (5-7)

J10e Nionoumi (8-4) J5w Fujiazuma (8-4)

J5e Yoshiazuma (6-6) J13e Masakaze (5-7)

J9e Oiwato (7-5) J4w Asahisho (8-4)

J4e Sotairyu (5-7) J6w Takamisakari (5-7)

J8e Kitaharima (6-6) J3w Sagatsukasa (5-7)

J3e Kimurayama (7-5) J11w Chiyootori (9-3)

J2e Tenkaiho (7-5) J9w Jokoryu (9-3)

J1e Asasekiryu (7-5) J7w Kotoyuki (6-6)

Makuuchi

M13e Daido (8-4) M11w Kitataiki (7-5)

M11e Tamawashi (2-10) M14e Tochinowaka (4-8)

M12w Takanoyama (5-7) M10w Takarafuji (5-7)

M10e Tamaasuka (2-10) M13w Masunoyama (8-4)

M9e Miyabiyama (6-6) M12e Sadanofuji (4-8)

M8e Yoshikaze (6-6) M9w Tokitenku (8-4)

M16e Ikioi (6-6) M7w Toyohibiki (7-5)

M7e Gagamaru (8-4) M14w Wakanosato (7-5)

M6e Homasho (7-5) M15w Chiyotairyu (6-6)

M15e Hochiyama (1-11) M5w Takayasu (4-8)

M3e Wakakoyu (3-9) M4w Takekaze (6-6)

M3w Shohozan (5-7) M2w Okinoumi (3-9)

M2e Aoiyama (5-7) M6w Shotenro (7-5)

M1e Kyokutenho (0-12) M1w Aminishiki (3-9)

K1e Myogiryu (6-6) M5e Aran (9-3)

K1w Toyonoshima (3-9) S1w Tochiozan (3-9)

S1e Goeido (7-5) M4e Tochinoshin (7-5)

O3e Kotooshu (8-4) O3w Kakuryu (6-6)

M8w Kaisei (9-3) O2w Harumafuji (12-0)

O1e Kisenosato (9-3) O1w Kotoshogiku (9-3)

Y1e Hakuho (12-0) O2e Baruto (8-4)

[gianlucailgrifone 0]

O3e Kotooshu (8-4) O3w Kakuryu (6-6)

Kotooshu do your job, please, do it for mankind!

Y1e Hakuho (12-0) O2e Baruto (8-4)

Baruto is already on holiday... Maybe he'll send a postcard...

[Washuyama 588]

In almost any other basho, Kaisei might have a slim chance against Harumafuji, but the ozeki has been looking like the Ama of old this basho.

[shimodahito 245]

1) i don't understand these match ups... M5E Aran (9-3) gets matched with a 6-6 Komusubi; while M8W (9-3) Kaisei gets matched with a 12-0 Ozeki? Why not pair them up against the two 8-4 Ozekis? Can anyone explain this reasoning?

2) I've always been a Kisenosato fan, but he really needs to learn to touch the clay on the tachiai.... that was terrible agains Bart.

[shumitto 417]

1) i don't understand these match ups... M5E Aran (9-3) gets matched with a 6-6 Komusubi; while M8W (9-3) Kaisei gets matched with a 12-0 Ozeki? Why not pair them up against the two 8-4 Ozekis? Can anyone explain this reasoning?

2) I've always been a Kisenosato fan, but he really needs to learn to touch the clay on the tachiai.... that was terrible agains Bart.

1) My uneducated guess is that they have paired Harumafuji with 4 Ozeki and all Sekiwake and Komusubi to make room for a possible confront with a Maegashira, which would eventually deny another journeyman the Yusho. It has turned out no one is flying really him in lower Makuuchi so they had to pit Harumafuji with someone else, namely Kaisei. It reminds of Homasho facing Asashoryu in the final days of another basho. The two 8-4 Ozeki (Baruto and Kotooshu) have had one bout each as far as facing same-ranked rikishi is concerned, so their last three days last should be Ozeki-filled.

2) I will tell him just that :-D

Edited July 20, 2012 by shumitto

[Asashosakari 16,974]

1) i don't understand these match ups... M5E Aran (9-3) gets matched with a 6-6 Komusubi; while M8W (9-3) Kaisei gets matched with a 12-0 Ozeki? Why not pair them up against the two 8-4 Ozekis? Can anyone explain this reasoning?

They're not going to scratch an ozeki-ozeki matchup for two maegashira who aren't really in the yusho race. In any case, they were 8-3 and 9-2 when the matches were made, and Harumafuji needed a non-sanyaku opponent for Day 13, so why not Kaisei?

[Asashosakari 16,974]

1) My uneducated guess is that they have paired Harumafuji with 4 Ozeki and all Sekiwake and Komusubi to make room for a possible confront with a Maegashira ...

I think it's just a coincidence that it's Harumafuji. The first-week schedule seemed to be geared towards finishing the ozeki-sekiwake matches more quickly than in the past, likely to allow the sekiwakes to perform maegashira stopper duty if needed. (They'd really boxed themselves in during Natsu basho, with not enough stoppers available for all the rikishi that needed stopping.) One of the lower 3 ozeki was going to have an open slot as well on either Day 13 or 14, and it was apparent early on (after Day 6 or so) by the already-scheduled matches that it would be Harumafuji. But that was at a time when it was far from clear that Harumafuji would be running away into yusho contention.

[shimodahito 245]

ok.. kaisei-ama makes a little more sense.... thanks for the different perspective...

but aran should be getting an opponent with a winning record.... an ozeki would have made more sense.... (can you tell, i'm not an aran fan).

[Asashosakari 16,974]

Incidentally, this was Hakuho's 400th victory as yokozuna. Doing it in 29 basho + 12 days apparently makes him the fastest ever to reach that total.