2024 Kyushu Basho: Day 14 results and analysis
Spoilers! Get 'em while they're hot.
Just one day left friends.
What a wonderful tournament to end 2024. It’s been thrilling and a very different vibe from the previous five basho (except perhaps when Takanosho and Terunofuji went down to the wire in Nagoya).
The pivotal match-ups this day were Kotozakura vs. Onosato and Kirishima vs. Hoshoryu. Those are dynamite pairings no matter the context, but in Kyushu this month they are especially fascinating and exciting.
Those are your must see matches of the day.
Scroll down to see how those went and learn what the state of play is heading into our final day.
Bonus gif today is our sweet boy Ura because… why not?
PS. I know this is later than usual. But that’s always going to be the case on weekends.
SPOILERS BELOW
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Results
Kinbozan (11-3) def. Tokihayate (6-8) via oshidashi (frontal push out)
Hokutofuji (6-9) def. Asakoryu (5-9) via hatakikomi (slap down)
Bushozan (2-8-4) def. Tamawashi (8-6) via oshidashi
Meisei (8-6) def. Shonannoumi (8-6) via yorikiri (frontal force out)
Takerufuji (9-5) def. Ichiyamamoto (7-7) via oshidashi
Chiyoshoma (10-4) def. Takarafuji (8-6) via uwatenage (over arm throw)*
Shishi (4-10) def. Midorifuji (6-8) via sukuinage (beltless arm throw)
Onokatsu (9-5) def. Takayasu (8-6) via oshidashi*
Nishikifuji (6-8) def. Roga (6-8) via yorikiri
Ryuden (4-10) def. Endo (6-8) via yorikiri
Nishikigi (5-9) def. Sadanoumi (4-10) via shitatenage (underarm throw)
Tobizaru (8-6) def. Mitakeumi (7-7) via okuridashi (rear push out)
Abi (11-3) def. Atamifuji (7-7) via oshitaoshi (frontal push down)*
Wakatakakage (10-4) def. Ura (5-9) via oshidashi
Oho (5-9) def. Kotoshoho (3-11) via fusen (default)
Hiradoumi (3-11) def. Oshoma (3-11) via tsukidashi (frontal thrust out)*
Wakamotoharu (9-5) def. Gonoyama (10-4) via yorikiri
Churanoumi (4-10) def. Shodai (4-10) via koshikudake (inadvertent collapse)
Daieisho (8-6) def. Takanosho (10-4) via tsukiotoshi (thrust down)*
Kotozakura (13-1) def. Onosato (8-6) via uwatenage*
Hoshoryu (13-1) def. Kirishima (6-8) via tsuridashi (frontal lift out)*
*Must see bouts!
Leaderboard
O1e Kotozakura, O1w Hoshoryu: 13-1
Analysis
We are going down to the wire folks.
This month’s senshuraku (final day) will feature a musubi no ichiban (final bout of the day) for all the marbles.
It’s going to be Kotozakura vs. Hoshoryu, straight-up, for the Emperor’s Cup.
Both men guaranteed that outcome by winning their bouts (the only other possible scenario would have included one of them needing to force a play-off on the final day). And they won in style, too.
First Kotozakura beat Onosato. He rose and clashed with Onosato beautifully off the tachiai and forced Onosato out of his comfort zone. In the resulting yotsu battle Kotozakura was able to lock up an overhook and belt grab with his left hand. He attempted an uwatenage from that position. He couldn’t complete the throw, but he forced Onosato to the brink and was then able to force him out without much fuss.
This opening impact was really sensational from Kotozakura. He was able to hit and then stick to Onosato to prevent his opponent utilizing his top tier thrusting game. Once he had the belt grip, Onosato’s inexperience showed a little. Onosato tried to power through Kotozakura for a force out without paying much mind to the terrible position he was in on his right side.
Kotozakura is now 4-2 against Onosato. But this was, by far, his most important win over the young phenom.
This result put all the pressure on Hoshoryu. Not that you could tell with how cooly he dispatched of Kirishima.
In their bout Hoshoryu got chest-to-chest as quickly as possible and then morphed himself into a Mongolian forklift for the tsuridashi win. This is only the second time he’s won a bout with the frontal lift out. His first was back in his jonokuchi (sixth division) days.
The way this played out, it seemed as though Hoshoryu had game-planned to use this move. He immediately worked to get both hands behind Kirishima and had no hesitation before wrenching backwards to lift out his former judo clubmate. That’s about 325 lbs. he’s lifting there, by the way.
From this replay you can see how futile Kirishima’s efforts to prevent being lifted out were. From this angle he reminds me of a toddler being put in time out.
To add insult to injury, this loss dropped Kirishima to 6-8. That record will result in his demotion from sekiwake.
With so much attention on those top two bouts, nothing else this day felt like it registered as that big of a deal.
Some notable incidents, though, included Abi air-mailing Atamifuji and walking off like he couldn’t care less…
Onokatsu, who was a surprise leader early on in the basho, getting a quality win over Takayasu (who has likely survived the whole basho)…
and Shodai summing up the plight of the Kyushu-born wrestlers this tournament. He fell over his feet to gift a win to Churanoumi.
That result gave both Shodai and Churanoumi (who hails from Okinawa) 4-10 records. Hiradoumi got a win over Oshoma to get his record to 3-11. Sadanoumi lost to Nishikigi to go down to 4-10. The only Kyushu-born wrestler with a positive record this tournament is Meisei, who beat Ichiyamamoto to secure his kachi-koshi this day.
You know what’s happening tomorrow; it’s Kotozakura vs. Hoshoryu for the cup!
I can’t wait.
Peace!
Horshoryu's lift-out of Kirishima was one of the funniest wins of this tournament. I think even Kirishima had to laugh about it. But it really showed that, besides all his various throws and techniques, Horshoyu is one of the few who has the sheer power to carry people out by brute strength. I mean, that was Terunofuji-esque. Wow!
Man, what an exciting way to end the day! This was a great tournament. I hope Kotozakura can get it done but Hosohoryu has been a beast pretty much everyday.