Special Prizes

Fighting Spirit

• West Sekiwake #1 Fujinokawa (10-4)
• West Maegashira #3 Churanoumi (9-5) - Conditional
• East Maegashira #6 Asanoyama (10-4) - Conditional
• West Maegashira #16 Toshinofuji (9-5) - Conditional

Outstanding Performance

• East Maegashira Takayasu (7-7) - Conditional on Ōnosato winning the Yūshō & Takayasu winning his match

Technique

• Not Awarded

Relevant Matches

• S1e Atamifuji (8-6) vs. S1w Fujinokawa (10-4)
• M3w Churanoumi (9-5) vs. K1w Daieishō (5-9)
• M2e Takaysu (7-7) vs. M4w Fujiryōga (7-7)
• M6e Asanoyama (10-4) vs. M2w Yoshinofuji (8-6)
• M16w Toshinofuji (9-5) vs. M8w Hiradoumi (8-6)

Matches

• Jk14e Moriurara (1-5) vs. Jk21w Terunosato (2-4) - >!Terunosato wins by Uwatenage!<
• Jd11e Asahabataki (5-1) vs. Jd25e Hikarumusashi (5-1) - >!Hikarumusashi wins by Oshidashi!<
• Sd67w Dewanojo (2-4) vs. Sd63w Hatooka (2-4) - >!Dewanojo wins by Yorikiri!<
• Sd22w Yago (2-4) vs. Sd15w Chiyoraizan (2-4) - >!Yago wins by Yorikiri!<
• Sd22e Hamanoumi (4-2) vs. Sd13w Kiryuko (4-2) - >!Hamanoumi wins by Hatakikomi!<
• Ms45e Tokitenran (3-3) vs. Ms46e Tenrosei (3-3) - >!Tenrosei wins by Oshidashi!<
• Ms33e Hananofuji (4-2) vs. Ms28w Kurohimeyama (4-2) - >!Kurohimeyama wins by Hatakikomi!<
• Ms24w Obara (3-3) vs. Ms19w Shimanoumi (3-3) - >!Obara wins by Yorikiri!<
• Ms9e Fudoho (4-2) vs. Ms13e Wakamiyabi (4-2) - >!Fudoho wins by Oshidashi!<
• Ms7w Gojinyu (5-1) vs. Ms1w Asahifuji (5-1) - >!Asahifuji wins by Tsukiotoshi!<
• J14e Tochitaikai (4-9) vs. Ms4w Ikarigata (3-3) - >!Ikarigata wins by Tsukiotoshi!<

>!Even with our lower division Yūshō decided yesterday, there is still some stuff to be done in the unsalaried ranks! To start, two of our elder statesmen of Jonokuchi, 39-year-old Moriurara and 48-year-old Terunosato, clashed with each other, with Terunosato emerging victorious with an Uwatenage. In this basho, Moriurara's sole victory came by default in his opening match. In Jonidan, Hikarumusashi was unable to clinch a sixth victory to end an otherwise successful basho. In Sandanme, we have the final matches of two notable rikishi. First, 32-year-old Dewanojo, who weighs an incredible 555 pounds (252 kilograms), won his final match with a Yorikiri. Former Maegashira Yago (who fought his last on Day 13, but I've included the bout today instead) won his final match as well. Injury returnee Kiryuko suffered a third loss this tournament and likely narrowly missed out on a return to Makushita.!<

>!In Makushita, Hōshōryū's younger cousin, Tenrosei, secured his Kachi-Koshi in his final match. Former Jūryō Hananofuji lost his match, though he already secured his winning record. Former Maegashira Shimanoumi lost his final match and was unable to get a second consecutive winning record. I do wonder why he's still fighting, especially considering he already has an elder stock waiting for him. I doubt he can make it back to Sekitori status, but only time will tell. Fudōhō won a fifth match and continues to make his way towards Jūryō. Asahifuji finished this tournament with a sixth win to put his overall career record at 33-2. Despite his good record this basho, this was his first career tournament without a Yūshō, and he had quite a few matches that looked close. It will be interesting to see how he does in his Jūryō debut in November, which comes just one year after he fought in Maezumo. Lastly, Ikarigata, the younger brother of Fujinokawa, defeated struggling Tochitaikai to get his Kachi-Koshi.!<

Dewanojo (32, Dewanoumi stable), the heaviest active sumo wrestler at 555 lbs (252 kgs) and ranked Sd67w, has decided to retire from active competition. On Day 14, he faced Hatooka, ranked Sd63w. The bout, which he won with a yorikiri, turned out to be his final match. At the back of the Hanamichi, he was greeted by the wrestlers of the Dewanoumi stable. “My sumo career began with a loss in Jonokuchi. I’m glad I was able to end it with a win,” he concluded with a smile.

He decided to retire as both his body and mind were nearing their limits. He has a history of injuries, including torn muscles in his right shoulder and chest, and has also strained the ligaments in his right ankle. “I was told that even with treatment or surgery, there’s a chance the injuries could recur. As long as I remain a sumo wrestler, I won’t be able to make a full recovery,” he explained. Last year, his maternal grandfather, Hideo Hayase, passed away at the age of 88. “Since I was his first grandchild, he was the one who cheered me on the most. The passing of my grandfather had a significant emotional impact on me. “For the past two or three years, I’ve felt I was nearing my limit, and I realized I couldn’t keep relying on the sumo world forever.”

He is from Kamimikawa Town, Kawachi District, Tochigi Prefecture. He played first base for the baseball team at Mibu High School in Tochigi. A supporter of the Dewanoumi stable—who was an alumnus of a rival high school—contacted then-Stablemaster Dekiyama (former Sekiwake Dewanohana), saying, “There’s a big kid there,” and Dekiyama came to scout him at his high school. Although he had no interest in sumo at the time, his mind changed after watching the morning practice on the first day of the 2012 Hatsu Basho. “That’s when I realized how amazing sumo is.” He made his debut on the dohyo during the Haru Basho that same year.

It’s been 14 and a half years since then. His highest rank was Ms44e. As an attendant to Mitakeumi, he has long supported the stable’s star sekitori. “I’ve had so many great experiences. I even got to witness a Makuuchi tournament victory. To me, he’s the coolest sekitori there is.” He has many memorable bouts of his own. “I wrestled against both Asahifuji and Tanji. Being able to face them when they were on the rise is something I’ll be able to tell people about even after I retire.”

Source: Nikkan Sports

It has been decided that Maegashira Wakanoshō (23, Minatogawa-beya) will sit out the Aki Basho. A match-scheduling meeting was held at Ryogoku Kokugikan on the 11th, and he was not included in the matchups for the first or second days.

Wakanoshō suffered a contusion to his right femur during his match against Fujiryōga on Day 6 of the Nagoya Basho and had been sidelined since Day 7.

During a medical examination on August 19, he revealed that he had not undergone surgery and expressed his determination to compete in the Aki Basho, stating, “I’m training with the intention of competing,” but he was unable to recover in time.

As he is ranked East Maegashira #16, his demotion to the Jūryō division for the Kyūshū Basho is certain if he sits out the entire tournament.

Yokozuna Hōshōryū to Sit Out Aki Basho from Day One; Delayed Recovery from Right Knee Surgery Leads to Painful Decision

On the 11th, the Japan Sumo Association held a match-scheduling meeting at Ryogoku Kokugikan for the Aki Basho and finalized the matchups through the second day. Yokozuna Hōshōryū (27, Tatsunami-beya), who underwent surgery on his right knee at the end of July, will not compete on the first or second days, and it has been decided that he will sit out the tournament. This marks Hōshōryū's withdrawal in three consecutive tournaments and his fifth in the 10 tournaments he has spent as Yokozuna. It is the first time he has withdrawn from the tournament starting on the opening day since his debut at the 2018 Hatsu Basho.

His stablemaster, Tatsunami (former Komusubi Asahiyukata), explained the decision to sit out: “I am truly sorry to the Association and to the fans who support him. I’ve said for some time that I wanted him to return in a condition where he could win the tournament, but we were unable to get him to a point where he could perform at his best.”

It was a painful decision. He withdrew on the 14th day of the Nagoya Basho. On the 29th of that month, he underwent surgery to repair a partial tear of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee. He sat out the entire August tour. Although it was considered unlikely from the start that he would compete in the Aki Basho, when Hōshōryū attended a Sumo Wrestlers’ Association meeting on the 1st of this month, he said, “I won’t know until the very last minute whether I’ll compete. I want to compete,” showing his determination to continue training without giving up.

However, although he began practicing his shiko (leg-stomping) this month and exposed his chest during contact drills at the Yokozuna Deliberation Committee’s practice review on the 4th, he did not participate in the practice bouts among Yokozuna and Ōzeki, partly due to his doctor’s advice. He continued training at his stable afterward but had not yet reached the stage where he could resume practice bouts.

Since becoming a new Yokozuna at last spring’s tournament, Hōshōryū has not won a single tournament in his nine tournaments as a Yokozuna. According to Tatsunami-oyakata, the prolonged uncertainty regarding his return to the ring caused him to suffer from a loss of appetite and insomnia, resulting in a weight loss of nearly 10 kilograms. It is said that he was deeply depressed when the decision to take a leave of absence was finally made. His stablemaster expressed his concern, saying, “He has a strong desire to lead everyone, but he is shocked by the fact that he cannot wrestle and must take a break. He feels a great sense of responsibility, so I want to be there to support him.”

Source: Sports Hochi