Benevolance

Meisei totally goaded Kotonowaka into that false start and threw him off.

11 wins seems like almost a given for Daeishou, and 12 wins seems like outside chance for Wakamotoharu and Houshouryuu, which I suspect is the key difference in their mental preparation. The latter two, I expect, are probably wistfully hoping they get 12, yet would be just happy with 11 to secure better odds in September.

I am happy to be wrong, but I didn't expect a yusho showing from Terunofuji. The pre-basho "plans to compete" message from the oyakata seemed like the usual cookie cutter platitudes. I figured he'd win a couple, lose a couple, satisfy the powers that he tried, and withdraw. I don't think he looked completely dominant most of the time, but he did just enough to get the wins. And I'm only saying anything now that he cannot lose, because I did not want to jinx this amazing return. I'm also entirely befuddled by the sanyaku performance. I thought that the kyokai had banned double-digit wins back in 2022?

And whether he can avoid crashing a car at a ski resort with an expired driver's license and then lying to police and the kyokai about who was driving.

Normally I'd have Takakeisho's back on this, but he's five feet to the left, refusing contact and slapping down, so I've got Kinta's back on this instead.

I'm boarding the Wakamotoharu hype train.

Shodai is on an ozeki run, too, right? He just needs to pick up 17 wins this time around?

Smart money is on Mitoryu. He'll be ranked in prime yusho territory.

I don't know if anyone else is following Orora's post-sumo exploits, but that guy is out there living his best life. I love him for it.

Nothing will top Shohozan face-palming Goiedou off the dohyo. Ah, classic Goeidou!

Because I've got, like, one job here and it's pretty evident that it's easily outsourced to AI.

No, if I had my way, Ozeki demoted due to injury would be placed into 6 meter tall exoskeletons and forced to fight on a dohyo made of frickin' lava. And the dohyo would be, like, 5 FEET ABOVE THE GROUND, so the "dohyo is too high" pundits would have heart attacks.

By my math, if Takayasu can win his match tonight, he will safely not take the yusho. That should make him feel pretty confident.

Midorifuji isn't normally this good, is he? I've ignored him in the past, but he's looked really good in all of his matches. Is this a one off? A lucky basho? Do we think he's destined for greatness, inching ahead of Gagamaru to be the next yokozuna hopeful?

Sure, some people make it to ozeki twice in a career, but has anyone ever done it three times? If anyone could, Shodai is the guy!

Eventually the dearth of talent at the top will produce another accidental Ozeki. It may even be Shodai again!

I had A LOT of time to think about this quote during the Takayasu vs Ura match yesterday. Well, okay. It was about 21 seconds to think about it. But I think my heart stopped twice.

You say you don't want to jinx him, and then you go and jinx him. RIP Takayasu's chances.

Hokuseiho is simply modeling his entire sumo style off of Shodai's tachi ai.

I'm on the Shodai hype train. CHOOO CHOOOOOO!

Pity that he didn't gambarize more.

I honestly thought that the banzuke makers would goof up, accidentally put Shodai at Ozeki, and that's how he'd get his rank back.

My demographic has never been so specifically targeted as this. Congrats on the gig, John! As a Canadian, I'm contractually obligated to admire Eugene Levy, or else forfeit all my civil rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I think that's awesome that you got to work with him.

Only half-joking. If a guy who is going to yo-yo up and down the rank-and-file as pure fodder? Fine, you can throw in a henka or two per tournament to save your ass from demotion. For a guy who clearly expects to be a mainstay in sanyaku, maybe make ozeki? He's gotta cut that crap out and wrestle.

Was it Hoshoryu's dominant henka ankle, though? Maybe he is ambihenkaxtrous?