All Japanese sanyaku rikishi were losing today, including the two ozeki Kisenosato and Kotoshogiku. Other Japanese losses in the maegashira ranks combine to form a six rikishi strong all-gaijin leader group at 4-0. Myogiryu was the highest ranked rikishi to beat a foreigner with winless Aoiyama and is back to 2-2. The other five rikishi at 0-4 are all Japanese in the meat grinder while the winless rikishi lower down all got their first win with Takanoyama, Tosayutaka and Daido.
The lower juryo half has a big divide between haves and have-nots as only Tokushinho is at 2-2 (sending Shironoryu to 0-4). Takarafuji's loss also means all four leaders are at J7w and lower. There already are quite a few demotion candidates, but the makuuchi promotion picture is quite fuzzy for now.
Mongolian Sensho is in the juryo promotion zone for the second time and the win over Kitazono means a better start for him than exactly three years ago when he started 1-1 and finished 3-4 (with a subsequent fall to jonidan). Akiseyama looked like he broke his slump with the 5-2 last basho, but maybe it only looked so as he is down to 0-2 already with the loss to Ryuden. A lot of Heisei-born rikishi improved to 2-0 today with Saishin, Chiyomaru, Higoarashi, Kumagai, Asabenkei, Hokaho and Wakamisho (the last to in their makushita debut). Also worth mentioning is 17 years old Tatsu (youngest in makushita) getting to 1-1 with a win over Kamiyutaka. Makushita-jiri Kihonoumi has the kimarite of the day winning with (a usually desperate) ushiromotare against Wakakengo.
In sandanme the rather new entrants Irie, Watanabe, Kotokawazu, Hakuyozan and Meisei all won today and are 2-0 while previously undefeated Wakayama seemingly hit a wall with his second loss already to 34 years old Akinomine.
Doitsuyama (sumoforum)
