sumoforever

Thanks for the info about this. Really looking forward to watching this new Sumo Prime Time programme. Really cool to be getting more sumo content. I think Morita Hiro has great sumo knowledge so I think this will be a good product.

Really interested to see how Kinbozan fares in juryo. Five basho from sandanme tsukedashi to sekitori (all kachi koshi - 7-0Y, 5-2, 7-0Y, 5-2, 6-1). Very tall, strong rikishi with huge potential. Barring injury, he seems destined to rise high into makuuchi before too long.

Good observation! Not sure the feat of two different M17s winning a yusho in one calendar year will ever be repeated.

Congratulations to Ichinojo on a good yusho. He beat the solo yokozuna and two ozeki, in addition to beating both komusubi and both sekiwake. A good performance indeed!

There is still huge interest in the Terunofuji v Takakeisho fight in the musubi no ichiban, in addition the possibility of a two man playoff for a 12-3 yusho rather than an 11-4 yusho. Plus there's the increased chance of Ichinojo forcing open an extra komusubi spot. So still an interesting afternoon for sure.

Excellent win by Ichinojo. Going to be an interesting afternoon!

Looking back at Asanoyama's fighting record, I'd forgotten he'd been Ozeki for such a short time. Just 6 basho - only 4 basho completed (all double digit KK), with two withdrawals (including the basho from which he withdrew before suspension). Thought it'd been longer than just one year! Also noted this sandamne 22W ranking is his third lowest ever banzuke position, after his 2016 sandamne tsukedashi. Unless he gets injured, I imagine he should be back in makuuchi pretty soon.

@Seiyashi and @Gurowake - thanks for explaining about the Gino-sho, appreciate it!

Re no Gino-sho winner, wonder whether Tobizaru could have won that prize if 1) he'd not had to sit out the last three days due to covid withdrawal, and 2) he'd been able to win 2 of the last 3 bouts to get to double digits. Winning his first eight bouts by different kimarite is really impressive.

A short day of makuuchi bouts but plenty of action with Takakeisho, Ichinojo AND Terunofuji losing!!!!

Wow....really did not expect Takakeisho to go for a kotenage so quickly in that bout!!

Excellent belt work by Meisei - beyond the obvious impact on the yusho race, that was more like the Meisei of a year ago pre-injury, a Meisei who was working his way up the banzuke with some solid, impressive sumo

Tamawashi has long been one of my favourite rikishi. When interviewed, always seems like a really nice guy. I'm sad to see his consecutive match record disrupted by all this, after more than 18 years without missing a match. I read somewhere (I forget where) that the NSK will allow his consecutive match record to continue, as if this covid-related absence never happened. Does anyone have a source to corroborate this? Also thinking of Nishikigi and Tobizaru, who I believe had never missed a match either!

Strong, no-nonsense oshi attack from Takakeisho today. Haven't seen him look quite that dominant in a while

Despite a fairly slow start with 2-2 by Day 4, Takakeisho is still very much in this yusho race.

That fall from Kiribayama was one of the most acrobatic I think I've seen in the dohyo

Lovely throw by Hoshoryu

It's definitely right to give a lot of credit to Wakamotoharu for his effort today. Prior to the mawashi incident, it was already shaping up to be the bout of the day. Defensively, he dug in really deep against Terunofuji, whose yotsu attacks were looking pretty strong today. Offensively, Wakamotoharu was giving Terunofuji a good match. Wakamotoharu looks set to be a sanyaku regular in the near future.

Does anyone have a good understanding of when a gyoji should/ shouldn't adjust the mawashi, or indeed how much discretion they have to decide that?

I have never seen this before...

Also wow Ichinojo is really looking in good form this basho

Solid win by Wakamotoharu. I really like his sumo. Though he currently has a 2-3 record in Nagoya, he's generally looked comfortable and composed since he entered makuuchi. I think he can rise higher in the banzuke.

Kiribayama has been one of my favourite rikishi to watch for a while now. Good composed yotsu sumo, strong offensively and defensively, seems to be getting better and better in the top part of the banzuke. I think this may be the tournament that Shodai loses his Ozeki rank.

In a fairly underwhelming basho compared to those of the past 1-2 years, Shodai v Tobizaru Round 1 and Ura v Takakeisho have been particularly hectic and quite entertaining bouts today

Objectively this is a very special ending to the basho. Despite the sad viewing in the earlier stages of the basho (Terunofuji injured, Shodai seemingly showing the impact of Long Covid, the Ishiura injury), we've since been treated to a three-man race for the yusho (with three strong rikishi who have never won a basho), and we now have a playoff. One of the more entertaining Day 15s I've seen in recent years.