Public League Leaderboard
Scores from Fantasizr.
Yusho Arasoi
12 Wins
01 Yokozuna East Terunofuji
10 Wins
20 Maegashira #6 East Takanosho
33 Maegashira #12 West Churanoumi
Notable Maneuvers
Fusen. Any injury is sad to see, but Hoshoryu having to pull out with a reported hip injury is shocking. He gets to do it because he is an Ozeki, and he will keep his rank. But it makes the yusho race different over the final weekend.
Match of the Day
This was a quick one, but still had a few back-and-forth. Kirishima was working to keep his chances of returning to Ozeki alive, while Takanosho was trying to stay in the yusho race. Initially, Kirishima pushed Takanosho to the edge, but Takanosho turned Kirishima around. At the edge, Kirishima went for the pull. Takanosho responded by shoving hard enough to send Kirishima over.
Recap
How do you know when it's over?
The yusho race is not over, as Terunofuji continues to hold the two-win lead he has had seemingly all basho. Yet he now has a two-win lead with two days to go. He also is down a main rival, as Hoshoryu has pulled out with a hip injury. He can win it all on Day Fourteen with a win over surprise yusho rival Takanosho. Even if he loses, he could still win it in regulation. If Churanoumi picks up the shocker over Onosato, the playoff possibility is still live. But it's simple enough. Terunofuji just needs one more win.
Can you say it's over?
Takakeisho won't stay at Ozeki since he got his 8th loss. He will be a Sekiwake in September. He can be back at Ozeki in November if he gets 10 wins next time. Although his Ozeki career has been wildly uneven, he has been an Ozeki since 2019. He has even come back from a Sekiwake demotion in September 2019. Yet doing it again seems so hard. Kirishima is demonstrating what a challenge bouncing right back to Ozeki is. His loss to Takanosho meant he can't get his 10 wins. He now needs one more win to ensure he stays at Sekiwake.
Is anything ever really over?
Someone who has been demoted from Ozeki before and has seemed to be done is Terunofuji. Maybe his steamrolling everyone in Nagoya, except Onosato, is a sign Takakeisho can come back. And if you want to say Takakeisho's problem is an accumulation of injuries, you can point to Terunofuji as someone who has returned from catastrophic injuries. That doesn't mean you should expect it to work out again for Takakeisho and Kirishima. Sumo is hard. Onosato is still working toward Ozeki, even if he hit a speed bump. Kotozakura and Hoshoryu haven't had the bashos they wanted, but their going to be a challenge for anyone.
Is it over?
Not yet. But Terunofuji is close to making it over for Nagoya. Then, as always, sumo will move on to the next basho.
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