Public League Leaderboard
Scores from Fantasizr.
Yusho Arasoi
13 Wins
05 Sekiwake #1 West Onosato
12 Wins
06 Sekiwake #2 East Kirishima
22 Maegashira #7 East Wakatakakage
Notable Maneuvers
Abi beat Onosato by barely enagging, and then doing a matador-like side step and swipe. That set up the yusho winner to get easily pushed down for a hikiotoshi.
Match of the Day
There was nothing for either Atamifuji or Shonannoumi to fight for beyond Pride. Nonetheless, they went after it. Atamifuji got the better of the tachiai by a hair, but Shonannoumi put up a fair bit of resistance. Atamifuji did push Shonnannoumi around, but SHonannoumi wasn't giving up. He tried twisting at the end to send Atamifuji out first. In the end, Atamifuji kept his feet in, and the gyoji pointed at him. After a mono-ii, the gyoji's decision was upheld.
Recap
Onosato did drop his second match of the basho on Day Fifteen in a not-that-impressive manner to fellow Sekiwake Abi. In the end, it doesn't really matter. The record will show Onosato won 13 matches to lift the Emperor's Cup and earn two Special Prizes for Fighting Spirit and Technique. He also beat both Ozeki, a Sekiwake, both Komusubi, and most opponents. He is a worthy Ozeki, a title he will start fighting with in November. It wasn't his day, but it's been his basho.
The other Special Prize winners are Wakatakakage (Outstanding Performance) and Nishikigi (Fighting Spirit), which highlights the contradictory other theme of the basho besides Onosato's dominance. The veterans are not going away quietly. Wakatakakage also earned a Jun-Yusho, a prize he shares with Kirishima. Both men are recovering from injuries that saw them fade from their peaks, Kirishima on a normal scale and Wakatakakage on an epic one. Both proved they can still be contenders. Neither one is past their prime, but they aren't exciting youngsters who seemed to be on the rise.
The exciting youngster other than Onosato was Oho, who is not exactly new to Makuuchi and who earned 9 wins rather than some spectacular double-digit total. Wakamotoharu, Nishikigi, Shodai, Takayasu, and Takarafuji all have the bulk of their career highlights behind them, but they also had better records than Oho. In a basho where Takakeisho retired and Onosato earned his promotion to Ozeki, the leaderboard was quite familiar. Even Tamawashi and Sadanoumi, the two elder statesmen of the top division, got 7-8 records that will keep them in the Maegashira ranks.
Those not staying in the Maegashira ranks are a little unclear. Shirokuma and Kitanowaka have the kind of records at the bottom of the Banzuke that mean a Juryo demotion. Kagayaki, Bushozan, and Kinbozan all have lopsided records to the losing end, but have a few rikishi below them to possibly avoid the fall. Takakeisho's retirement means there is a Makuuchi spot available without a demotion. There are three rikishi near the top of Juryo, Chiyoshoma, Tokihayate, and Shishi, who should come up. But the Juryo winner was former Makuuchi yusho winner Takerufuji, who went 13-2 at Juryo #11.
The record in the end will show that Onosato won the yusho in style. Perhaps Takerufuji, who looked like he had rivalry going before his injury during his March Yusho, will be there to challenge him in November. But they'll be far apart on the Banzuke, because Onosato is placing himself at the very top of the Banzuke and sumo itself. Despite his Day Fifteen loss, he had already guaranteed this. That's why the crowd gasped when he lost. Welcome to the Onosato era.