<div dir="auto">Let’s see how good these predictions are in 15 days. </div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Gaijingai </div><div><br><div class="gmail_quote gmail_quote_container"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>From: <strong class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">Sumo Stomp!</strong> <span dir="auto"><<a href="mailto:sumostomp@substack.com">sumostomp@substack.com</a>></span><br>Date: Sat, Sep 12, 2026 at 5:16 PM<br>Subject: 2026 Aki basho predictions!<br>To:  <<a href="mailto:jpaitv@gmail.com">jpaitv@gmail.com</a>><br></div><br><br><div style="font-kerning:auto"><img src="https://eotrx.substackcdn.com/o/a3768aa139715758/p.gif?token=eyJtIjoiPDIwMjYwOTEyMjExNjE1LjMuYzRkNmVkMzRhMTFhMWZjM0BtZy1kMC5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20-IiwidSI6MTg5NDAyOTk5LCJyIjoianBhaXR2QGdtYWlsLmNvbSIsImQiOiJtZy1kMC5zdWJzdGFjay5jb20iLCJwIjoyMDg3MTE0NDYsInQiOiJuZXdzbGV0dGVyIiwiYSI6ImV2ZXJ5b25lIiwicyI6MTUxOTY1NiwiYyI6InBvc3QiLCJmIjp0cnVlLCJwb3NpdGlvbiI6InRvcCIsImlhdCI6MTc4OTI0Nzc4OCwiZXhwIjoxNzkxODM5Nzg4LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImVvIn0.Uqs0u0KUdWYCd8r2EspUx-8Iqj5AUSareoPyYkYHMvk" alt="" width="1" height="1" border="0" style="height:1px!important;width:1px!important;border-width:0!important;margin-top:0!important;margin-bottom:0!important;margin-right:0!important;margin-left:0!important;padding-top:0!important;padding-bottom:0!important;padding-right:0!important;padding-left:0!important"><div style="display:none;font-size:1px;color:#333333;line-height:1px;max-height:0px;max-width:0px;opacity:0;overflow:hidden">Here's my projected win totals for every top division sumo wrestler competing in the top division at the September tournament.</div><div style="display:none;font-size:1px;color:#333333;line-height:1px;max-height:0px;max-width:0px;opacity:0;overflow:hidden">͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­͏     ­</div><table role="presentation" width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td></td><td width="550"></td><td></td></tr><tr><td></td><td width="550" align="left"><div style="font-size:16px;line-height:26px;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin:0 auto"><table role="presentation" width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td align="right" style="height:20px"><table role="presentation" width="auto" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align:middle"><span style="list-style:none;text-decoration:unset;color:rgb(119,119,119);margin:0;font-size:13px;line-height:20px;font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol'"><div style="list-style:none;color:unset;text-align:right;font-size:12px;line-height:16px;text-decoration:unset;margin:0"><span style="list-style:none;color:unset;text-decoration:unset;margin:0">Forwarded this email? <a href="https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3Vtby1zdG9tcC5jb20vc3Vic2NyaWJlP3V0bV9zb3VyY2U9ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPWVtYWlsLXN1YnNjcmliZSZyPTM0cmthZiZuZXh0PWh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LnN1bW8tc3RvbXAuY29tJTJGcCUyRjIwMjYtYWtpLWJhc2hvLXByZWRpY3Rpb25zIiwicCI6MjA4NzExNDQ2LCJzIjoxNTE5NjU2LCJmIjp0cnVlLCJ1IjoxODk0MDI5OTksImlhdCI6MTc4OTI0Nzc4OCwiZXhwIjoyMTA0ODIzNzg4LCJpc3MiOiJwdWItMCIsInN1YiI6ImxpbmstcmVkaXJlY3QifQ.5fdu01q-Q0kMZ97dzftgYMHmwPEJMWbldXG7cbyoQFM?" style="list-style:none;color:unset;text-decoration:unset;margin:0;text-decoration-line:underline" target="_blank">Subscribe here</a> for more</span></div></span></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><div dir="auto" style="padding:32px 0 0 0;font-size:16px;line-height:26px"><div role="region" aria-label="Post header" style="font-size:16px;line-height:26px"><h1 dir="auto" style="direction:auto;text-align:start;unicode-bidi:isolate;color:rgb(54,55,55);word-break:normal;font-family:Lora,sans-serif;font-weight:600;margin:0;line-height:36px;font-size:32px"><a href="https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1519656&post_id=208711446&utm_source=post-email-title&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=34rkaf&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxODk0MDI5OTksInBvc3RfaWQiOjIwODcxMTQ0NiwiaWF0IjoxNzg5MjQ3Nzg4LCJleHAiOjE3OTE4Mzk3ODgsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNTE5NjU2Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.y_kmjb4y_rMvSeUM_YK-Bey-1eB0VE1MPfqVAzpbX8g" style="color:rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration:none" target="_blank">2026 Aki basho predictions! </a></h1><h3 dir="auto" style="direction:auto;text-align:start;unicode-bidi:isolate;font-family:'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:normal;margin:4px 0 0;color:#777777;word-break:normal;line-height:24px;font-size:18px;margin-top:12px">Here's my projected win totals for every top division sumo wrestler competing in the top division at the September tournament.</h3><table role="presentation" width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="margin:1em 0;height:20px"><tbody><tr><td><table role="presentation" width="auto" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td><table role="presentation" width="auto" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align:middle"><div style="list-style:none;font-size:11px;line-height:20px;text-decoration:unset;color:rgb(54,55,55);margin:0;font-family:'SF Compact',-apple-system,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:500;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.2px"><a style="list-style:none;color:rgb(54,55,55);margin:0;font-size:11px;line-height:20px;font-family:'SF Compact',-apple-system,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:500;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.2px;text-decoration:none" href="https://substack.com/@sumostomp" target="_blank">Tim Edwards</a></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td><table role="presentation" width="auto" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align:middle"><div style="list-style:none;font-size:11px;line-height:20px;text-decoration:unset;color:rgb(119,119,119);margin:0;font-family:'SF Compact',-apple-system,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:500;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:.2px">Sep 12</div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-top:1px solid rgb(0,0,0,.1);border-bottom:1px solid rgb(0,0,0,.1);min-width:100%"><tbody><tr height="16"><td height="16" style="font-size:0px;line-height:0"> </td></tr><tr><td><table role="presentation" width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td><table role="presentation" width="auto" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align:middle"><table role="presentation" width="38" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1519656&post_id=208711446&utm_source=substack&isFreemail=true&submitLike=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxODk0MDI5OTksInBvc3RfaWQiOjIwODcxMTQ0NiwicmVhY3Rpb24iOiLinaQiLCJpYXQiOjE3ODkyNDc3ODgsImV4cCI6MTc5MTgzOTc4OCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTE1MTk2NTYiLCJzdWIiOiJyZWFjdGlvbiJ9.5Cowg01TahaV8P84ue2oyfQLkG_iWV_fRHWcrK8fv5E&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email-reaction&r=34rkaf" style="font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';display:inline-block;font-weight:500;border:1px solid rgb(0,0,0,.1);border-radius:9999px;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:12px;line-height:1;padding:9px 0;text-decoration:none;color:rgb(119,119,119);min-width:38px;box-sizing:border-box;width:38px" target="_blank"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PeVs!,w_36,c_scale,f_png,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2Ficon%2FLucideHeart%3Fv%3D4%26height%3D36%26fill%3Dnone%26stroke%3D%2523808080%26strokeWidth%3D2" width="18" height="18" style="border:none;vertical-align:middle;max-width:18px" alt=""></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td width="8" style="min-width:8px"></td><td style="vertical-align:middle"><table role="presentation" width="38" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td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center"></td><td align="left" width="550" style="text-align:center"><a href="https://substack.com/redirect/e86cd82b-b0e5-4366-bf11-5c3593167d0f?j=eyJ1IjoiMzRya2FmIn0.mqIahmYQP5uuDHgaPbSRAIInM5kVcoCIz74UwCcJSC0" style="padding:0;width:auto;height:auto;border:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin:0" target="_blank"><img alt="" width="550" height="309.375" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!eWCQ!,w_550,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_lossy/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F21a87cc2-f916-4a3b-81e2-5efc34c93e9e_640x360.gif" style="border:none!important;vertical-align:middle;display:block;height:auto;margin-bottom:0;width:auto!important;max-width:100%!important;margin:0 auto"></a></td><td style="text-align:center"></td></tr></tbody></table>“Up we go.”</div><h2 style="font-family:'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:bold;margin:1em 0 0.625em 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:1.16em;font-size:calc(1.625em*1);word-break:normal">12 wins</h2><ul style="margin-top:0;padding:0"><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>O2e Aonishiki</strong></p></li></ul><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>Not exactly going out on a limb here, I know. However, </span><strong>Aonishiki</strong><span> is my pick to get the most wins this month and is thus my pick to take home this </span><em>yushō</em><span>. That would be his fourth </span><em>yushō</em><span> and it should come with a promotion to </span><em>yokozuna</em><span>.</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>Aonishiki was back to his best in July, despite hobbling on a weakened ankle. That was the best of his three prior </span><em>yushō</em><span>. He has benefited from surprising the field up until very recently. Initially, they really didn’t see him coming and had no idea how to deal with his unique brand of </span><em>sumō</em><span>. In July, though, his opposition had a thorough scouting report on him and he was operating at far less than one-hundred percent. Yet, he was still able to best the entire division and lift the cup. He’s a phenom and he’s an obvious favourite to take home this title (especially with question marks remaining around Ōnosato).</span></p><h2 style="font-family:'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:bold;margin:1em 0 0.625em 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:1.16em;font-size:calc(1.625em*1);word-break:normal">11 wins</h2><ul style="margin-top:0;padding:0"><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>Y1e Ōnosato</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M8e Takerufuji</strong></p></li></ul><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I’m choosing to be optimistic with </span><strong>Ōnosato</strong><span>. There were moments in July where he looked back to his awesome self. I’m really hoping that the past couple of months have seen more improvement to that damaged shoulder and that we are closer than ever to seeing the big man perform like we know he can.</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px">I doubt he’s completely recovered, though. That’s why I have him coming up short here. A second place finish, after how this year has gone for him, would be a very positive sign, though. </p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><strong>Takerufuji</strong><span> is my other pick for the </span><em>jun-yushō</em><span> spot. He’s looked very good since the second half of the May tournament. And he had an outside shot of working himself into the title chase at the tail end of the July tournament. He seems to have shaken off the injuries that sent him down to, and got him stuck in, </span><em>jūryō</em><span>. Despite how long ago it was now, I’m not ready to call that debut </span><em>yushō</em><span> a fluke. He’s a little one note, as a </span><em>rikishi</em><span>, but that one note he plays is pretty darn good. He’s still young, and around his athletic prime, so I think he’s still capable of going on a deep run for a </span><em>yushō</em><span>. We might see that here (especially with teammates like Atamifuji, Yoshinofuji and Hakunofuji possibly knocking off other contenders for the cup).</span></p><h2 style="font-family:'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:bold;margin:1em 0 0.625em 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:1.16em;font-size:calc(1.625em*1);word-break:normal">10 wins</h2><ul style="margin-top:0;padding:0"><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>O1e Kirishima</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>S1e Atamifuji</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M2e Yoshinofuji</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M15e Asasuiryū</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M16w Toshinofuji</strong></p></li></ul><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I think we’re in for a closely fought tournament this time around. Even though I think Aonishiki is the best of the bunch right now, I don’t see him running away with it. I think, like in a few tournaments this year, we might get towards the wire with still half a dozen or so </span><em>rikishi</em><span> in contention.</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px">This is a group I think will be there up until the last few days of the tournament. </p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><strong>Kirishima</strong><span> and </span><strong>Atamifuji</strong><span> are my least daring picks. They have been excellent this year. Kirishima has a possible </span><em>yokozuna</em><span> promotion waiting for him if he wins this one. With Aonishiki possibly back to full health, though (as full as health ever gets in sumo, that is), I think that presents too big an obstacle for that goal to be achieved. </span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I wouldn’t be surprised if Atamifuji is thinking more about an </span><em>ōzeki</em><span> run than a </span><em>yushō</em><span>. He needs ten wins to keep that alive and I think he’s good enough to get that. I also wouldn’t be surprised if he continues to show positive steps in his career by coming close to another title. Like with Kirishima, though, I think Aonishiki is going to slam the door shut on that possibility (as he did in July).</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I think </span><strong>Yoshinofuji</strong><span> is going to bounce back from his poor showing as a </span><em>komusubi. </em><span>The schedule will be a little easier for him here and he’s still improving. He also benefits from being able to avoid all these tough Isegahama wrestlers at this end of the </span><em>banzuke</em><span>.</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px">I’m sticking my neck out on two newcomers reaching double digit wins. Those two also happen to be the shortest and the tallest men in the division right now.</p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I am very high on the giant Toshinofuji (also of Isegahama). His </span><em>yotsu-zumō</em><span> (belt grappling) is very easy on the eye. He has a great feel for those positions and a lot of size to throw behind his offense.</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><strong>Asasuiryū</strong><span> is the opposite. He has no size. What he does have is tremendous speed. I think he and Toshinofuji will be good enough to put together a strong opening week against the </span><em>makuuchi</em><span> cellar dwellers and then pick up enough wins down the stretch to get to ten and earn some special prizes.</span></p><div style="font-size:16px;line-height:26px"><hr style="margin:32px 0;padding:0;height:1px;background:rgb(0,0,0,.1);border:none"></div><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px;text-align:center"><strong>Sumo Stomp! </strong><em><strong>is entirely human made. I don’t use any AI tools or services to create these newsletters (or anything else). Please continue to support human made writing and art over AI generated content.</strong></em></p><div style="font-size:16px;line-height:26px;margin:32px auto"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align:center"></td><td align="left" width="218" style="text-align:center"><a href="https://substack.com/redirect/198196f7-f5fa-4fdf-a514-1b4783abe616?j=eyJ1IjoiMzRya2FmIn0.mqIahmYQP5uuDHgaPbSRAIInM5kVcoCIz74UwCcJSC0" style="padding:0;width:auto;height:auto;border:none;text-decoration:none;display:block;margin:0" target="_blank"><img alt="" title="" width="218" height="98.11844331641286" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!_23w!,w_218,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff061583b-886e-49c1-91ea-9b2a58b6f69b_1182x532.png" style="border:none!important;vertical-align:middle;display:block;height:auto;margin-bottom:0;width:auto!important;max-width:100%!important;margin:0 auto"></a></td><td style="text-align:center"></td></tr></tbody></table></div><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px;text-align:center"><em><strong><span>This icon was made by a human who goes by HINOKODO. You can find their work here (</span><a href="https://substack.com/redirect/68f449da-f6d5-4f56-8686-7cd1b2351f3b?j=eyJ1IjoiMzRya2FmIn0.mqIahmYQP5uuDHgaPbSRAIInM5kVcoCIz74UwCcJSC0" style="color:rgb(54,55,55);text-decoration:underline" target="_blank">link</a><span>).</span></strong></em></p><div style="font-size:16px;line-height:26px"><hr style="margin:32px 0;padding:0;height:1px;background:rgb(0,0,0,.1);border:none"></div><h2 style="font-family:'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:bold;margin:1em 0 0.625em 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:1.16em;font-size:calc(1.625em*1);word-break:normal">9 wins</h2><ul style="margin-top:0;padding:0"><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M2e Takayasu</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M6e Asanoyama</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M10e Ōhō</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M11w Shōdai</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M12w Asahakūryū</strong></p></li></ul><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><strong>Takayasu</strong><span> looked excellent in July and I think he will continue his march back to the </span><em>san’yaku</em><span> here. He’s got a lot of youngsters grouped around him and that will suit him fine. He does great against the up-and-comers (just ask Yoshinofuji).</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I have two more veterans in this cohort. </span><strong>Asanoyama</strong><span> has been underranked for years now, due to injury problems. I think we’re close to reaching his current ceiling (given his age and injury history), but I also think he’s good enough to get a winning record here — just below the </span><em>jōi</em><span>.</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I have a hunch that </span><strong>Shōdai</strong><span> will have a good tournament. Admittedly, those good tournaments are becoming few and far between. There’s a few guys ranked around him who I am projecting to do poorly, so I think there’s a decent number of wins he can pick up.</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><strong>Ōhō</strong><span> has to respond here, doesn’t he? He was terrible in July and he received a big demotion for that. We didn’t see any leniency from the JSA for him being in the </span><em>san’yaku</em><span> last time out. If he can’t put up a big number at M10, then I think it’s time we forget about him having any real potential in the sport.</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I still want to believe in </span><strong>Asahakūryū</strong><span>. He’s looked so-so lately, but I saw lots of potential in his first two </span><em>makuuchi</em><span> tournaments. I’m predicting he shows more of that promise here.</span></p><h2 style="font-family:'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:bold;margin:1em 0 0.625em 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:1.16em;font-size:calc(1.625em*1);word-break:normal">8 wins</h2><ul style="margin-top:0;padding:0"><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>O1w Kotozakura</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>K1e Hakunofuji</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>K1w Daieisho</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M1e Kotoshōhō</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M1w Kotoeihō</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M4w Fujiryoga</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M7e Fujiseun</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M10w Kinbōzan</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M11e Wakamotoharu</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M13e Asakōryū</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M15w Tokihayate</strong></p></li></ul><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I think </span><strong>Kotozakura</strong><span> will continue to tread water as an </span><em>ōzeki</em><span>. It seems pretty clear that he’s peaked and the best he can do at this rank, with those creaky knees, is hover around the eight win mark. He’s able to hover because he still posses a fantastic sumo brain and is able to out-fox a lot of the other grapplers he meets (most of whom he has a big size advantage over).</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>My expectation for a close and competitive </span><em>basho</em><span> has me thinking that there’s going to be a lot of parity among a large group of wrestlers towards the top of the division, with guys essentially trading wins and losses. I see this leading to </span><strong>Hakunofuji</strong><span> and </span><strong>Daieishō</strong><span> doing good, not great, in the </span><em>komusubi</em><span> slots. And I see the same happening for the Koto brothers. I think both are great and I’m very excited by </span><strong>Kotoeihō</strong><span>’s potential. But I think this is a tough tournament with a lot of really strong guys in the </span><em>jōi</em><span> and </span><em>san’yaku</em><span> and I think it will be hard for them (and most others) to get a good lopsided record. </span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I’ve also got </span><strong>Wakamotoharu</strong><span> getting an 8-7. He simply has to stop the bleeding here, hasn’t he?</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I’m also picking </span><strong>Tokihayate</strong><span> to survive after coming up from </span><em>jūryō</em><span>. I think the older veterans at this end of the division are going to cough up a lot of wins to the newly promoted guys. </span></p><h2 style="font-family:'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:bold;margin:1em 0 0.625em 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:1.16em;font-size:calc(1.625em*1);word-break:normal">7 wins</h2><ul style="margin-top:0;padding:0"><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M4e Takanoshō</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M5w Ōshōma</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M5e Rōga</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M7w Nishikifuji</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M6w Ichiyamamoto</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M14e Tobizaru</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M9e Ura</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M13w Abi</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M17e Shōnannoumi</strong></p></li></ul><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><strong>Takanoshō</strong><span> has done better than I expected in his last few </span><em>jōi</em><span> postings. However, given who else is around him right now (and how good the </span><em>ōzeki</em><span> and most the </span><em>san’yaku</em><span> are) I think it’s going to be very hard for him to get eight wins.</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I think </span><strong>Ōshōma</strong><span> and </span><strong>Rōga</strong><span> have climbed a little too high to be comfortable. And I think </span><strong>Shōnannoumi</strong><span>, while he showed a ton of heart in </span><em>jūryō</em><span>, might still not be cut out for </span><em>makuuchi</em><span>.</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px">The rest of the 7-8 wrestlers I have here are all veterans who are starting to show their age. Their declines are extra noticeable thanks to how many solid young wrestlers there are in the division right now.</p><h2 style="font-family:'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:bold;margin:1em 0 0.625em 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:1.16em;font-size:calc(1.625em*1);word-break:normal">6 wins</h2><ul style="margin-top:0;padding:0"><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M9w Shishi</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M14w Chiyoshōma</strong></p></li></ul><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>Sorry folks, but I don’t think </span><strong>Shishi</strong><span> is going to follow up on his amazing Nagoya </span><em>basho</em><span>. I think his breakout tournament will end up looking like Kinbōzan’s 2025 January tournament, where he lost a play-off to Hōshōryū. I’ve gained a lot of respect for Shishi with his exploits in July and I think he’s better than I had given him credit for. Still, I just think there’s a lot of guys  ranked around him who are faster, stronger and/or more technically sound.</span></p><h2 style="font-family:'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:bold;margin:1em 0 0.625em 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:1.16em;font-size:calc(1.625em*1);word-break:normal">5 wins</h2><ul style="margin-top:0;padding:0"><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>S1w Fujinokawa</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M3e Gōnoyama</strong></p></li></ul><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>This pick might not be very popular, either. I think </span><strong>Fujinokawa</strong><span> has caught a lot of opponents off guard during his march up the rankings. Sometimes that happened quite literally, thanks to his tendency to false start. I think he might struggle at this </span><em>sekiwake</em><span> rank because his grappling technique is a little sloppy. He tries to make up for that with his ferocity and pace. But I think a lot of the high ranked wrestlers he’ll meet this month will be familiar enough with him by now that they won’t be so easily overwhelmed by that pressure.</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I’m picking </span><strong>Gōnoyama</strong><span> to be one of the whipping boys of the </span><em>jōi</em><span> this time around. I’ve picked most guys ranked here (and almost all the upper rankers) to do well, so someone has to suffer. Gōnoyama is my pick for that since he’s a very one dimensional pusher/thruster. It’s mostly grapplers around these rankings, so I think he’ll get exposed often. And I think the other pusher/thrusters up this high (Daieishō, Kotoshōhō, Takanoshō), whom he’s likely to meet, are better than him.</span></p><h2 style="font-family:'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:bold;margin:1em 0 0.625em 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:1.16em;font-size:calc(1.625em*1);word-break:normal">4 wins</h2><ul style="margin-top:0;padding:0"><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M3w Churanoumi</strong></p></li></ul><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><strong>Churanoumi</strong><span> is my other whipping boy. He’s a far better grappler than Gōnoyama, but he’s never performed well when ranked this high. He’s gone 4-11 at M2 and M4 in the last twelve months.</span></p><h2 style="font-family:'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:bold;margin:1em 0 0.625em 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:1.16em;font-size:calc(1.625em*1);word-break:normal">0 wins</h2><ul style="margin-top:0;padding:0"><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>Y1w Hōshōryū</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M12e Wakatakakage</strong></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><strong>M16e Wakanoshō</strong></p></li></ul><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>All three of these wrestlers are listed absent for day one. And, due to the seriousness of their injuries, I doubt any of them feature later on in the tournament. </span><strong>Hōshōryū</strong><span> is recovering from knee surgery. That’s obviously for the best. I hope he comes back ready to live up to his rank.</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><strong>Wakatakakage</strong><span> will likely miss his second entire tournament as he recovers from compartment syndrome surgery. He’s lucky to be walking, let alone competing. </span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I don’t have the specifics on </span><strong>Wakanoshō</strong><span>’s injury, but it looked like he possibly blew out a knee ligament during a bout in July’s tournament. That would likely require surgery and a lengthy rehab process. That’s a shame, since I was really enjoying his </span><em>sumō</em><span>. </span></p><h2 style="font-family:'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:bold;margin:1em 0 0.625em 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:1.16em;font-size:calc(1.625em*1);word-break:normal">Jūryō</h2><ul style="margin-top:0;padding:0"><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><span>J3e </span><strong>Tamawashi</strong><span>: 11-4</span></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><span>J5w </span><strong>Arashifuji</strong><span>, J7e </span><strong>Midorifuji</strong><span>, J10e </span><strong>Nabatame</strong><span>: 10-5</span></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><span>J2w </span><strong>Kazuma</strong><span>, J4e </span><strong>Kazekeno</strong><span>, J6e </span><strong>Kitanowaka</strong><span>, J6w </span><strong>Shirokuma</strong><span>, J11e </span><strong>Kagayaki</strong><span>, J12w </span><strong>Kayo</strong><span>, J13e </span><strong>Meisei</strong><span>: 9-6</span></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><span>J3w </span><strong>Ōnokatsu</strong><span>, J4w </span><strong>Mitakeumi</strong><span>, J7w </span><strong>Tomokaze</strong><span>, J8w </span><strong>Hatsuyama</strong><span>:  8-7</span></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><span>J1e </span><strong>Dewanoryū</strong><span>, J1w </span><strong>Kyokukaiyū</strong><span>, J2e </span><strong>Daiseizen</strong><span>, J9e </span><strong>Enhō</strong><span>, J9w </span><strong>Tōhakuryū</strong><span>, J11w </span><strong>Hitoshi</strong><span>, , J12e </span><strong>Tamashoho</strong><span>, J14e </span><strong>Tochitaikai</strong><span>: 7-8</span></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><span>J5e </span><strong>Sadanoumi</strong><span>, J8e </span><strong>Ryūden</strong><span>, J10w </span><strong>Tanji</strong><span>, J14w </span><strong>Nishikigi</strong><span>: 6-9</span></p></li><li style="margin:8px 0 0 32px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;margin-bottom:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding-left:4px;font-size:16px;margin:0"><span>J13w </span><strong>Tokifudō</strong><span>: 5-10</span></p></li></ul><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I may have gone against some fan favourites in my </span><em>makuuchi</em><span> predictions, but I’m going with the Iron Man to win </span><em>jūryō</em><span> this month. After recovering from the leg injury that got him demoted in May, </span><strong>Tamawashi</strong><span> looked too good for </span><em>jūryō</em><span> in July. The 41 year-old still has plenty left in the tank and I think he’ll be able to push around the second division this month. </span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I think his biggest challengers will be </span><strong>Arashifuji</strong><span>, </span><strong>Midorifuji</strong><span> and </span><strong>Nabatame</strong><span>. Arashifuji looked very good in July and he seems good enough to be in </span><em>makuuchi</em><span>. Midorifuji has found his feet since landing here a few tournaments ago. And Nabatame is a very exciting addition to the second division this month. I think his fast-paced and aggressive game will overwhelm a lot of the older, slower guys who are lurking in </span><em>jūryō</em><span> (that doesn’t include Tamawashi, though!).</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I’ve got </span><strong>Kazuma</strong><span>, </span><strong>Ōnokatsu </strong><span>and </span><strong>Mitakeumi</strong><span> bouncing back from their demotions. I think </span><strong>Daiseizan</strong><span> will struggle, though. Of that group, Daiseizan seemed to fight with the most anxiety in </span><em>makuuchi</em><span> (as well as in </span><em>jūryō</em><span> when he lost while on the cusp of promotion a few times).</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I’m picking </span><strong>Meisei</strong><span> to save his </span><em>sekitori</em><span> (salaried wrestler) status this month. Like with Wakamotoharu, I feel like he simply has to stop the bleeding here and show he still has a future in this sport.</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I think </span><strong>Enhō </strong><span>will get his first </span><em>make-koshi</em><span> (losing record) since becoming a </span><em>sekitori</em><span> again. He’s scraped by in the last two tournaments. I think he’ll just come up short here.</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I’m picking </span><strong>Dewanoryū </strong><span>and </span><strong>Kyokukaiyū </strong><span>to blow their chances at promotion this month. That’s mostly because I think there are more skilled wrestlers ranked just below them who are going to take wins off them and end up leapfrogging into </span><em>makuuchi</em><span>.</span></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><span>I’ve got </span><strong>Tokifudō </strong><span>as my worst performer. He’s chugged along through </span><em>makushita</em><span> to get here, but he hasn’t been especially notable. Both Nabatame and Tanji appear to have more upside.</span></p><div style="font-size:16px;line-height:26px"><hr style="margin:32px 0;padding:0;height:1px;background:rgb(0,0,0,.1);border:none"></div><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px">Well, there are my picks. What do you think?</p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px;text-align:center;border-radius:4px"><a href="https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1519656&post_id=208711446&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&isFreemail=true&comments=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxODk0MDI5OTksInBvc3RfaWQiOjIwODcxMTQ0NiwiaWF0IjoxNzg5MjQ3Nzg4LCJleHAiOjE3OTE4Mzk3ODgsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNTE5NjU2Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.y_kmjb4y_rMvSeUM_YK-Bey-1eB0VE1MPfqVAzpbX8g&r=34rkaf&utm_campaign=email-half-magic-comments&action=post-comment" style="font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';display:inline-block;box-sizing:border-box;border:none;border-radius:8px;font-size:14px;line-height:20px;font-weight:600;text-align:center;margin:0;opacity:1;outline:none;white-space:nowrap;color:#ffffff!important;text-decoration:none!important;background-color:#2f036e;padding:12px 20px;height:auto" target="_blank"><span style="color:#ffffff;text-decoration:none">Leave a comment</span></a></p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px">Next up from me… daily tournament updates!</p><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px">Tim</p><h3 style="font-family:'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:bold;margin:1em 0 0.625em 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:1.16em;font-size:calc(1.375em*1);word-break:normal"></h3><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"></p><h3 style="font-family:'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:bold;margin:1em 0 0.625em 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:1.16em;font-size:calc(1.375em*1);word-break:normal"></h3><p style="margin:0 0 20px 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:26px;font-size:16px"><br></p><h3 style="font-family:'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:bold;margin:1em 0 0.625em 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:1.16em;font-size:calc(1.375em*1);word-break:normal"></h3><h3 style="font-family:'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:bold;margin:1em 0 0.625em 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:1.16em;font-size:calc(1.375em*1);word-break:normal;margin-bottom:0"></h3></div></div><div style="margin:32px 0 0;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box;border-top:1px solid #d2c9e4;font-size:16px;line-height:26px"></div><div style="font-family:'Roboto Slab',sans-serif;font-weight:400;text-align:initial;margin-bottom:32px;word-break:break-word;margin:32px 0;font-size:16px;line-height:26px"><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);text-align:center;width:90%;line-height:26px;font-size:16px;margin-top:0;max-width:384px;margin:auto"></p><h4 style="font-family:'SF Pro Display',-apple-system-headline,system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';font-weight:bold;margin:1em 0 0.625em 0;color:rgb(54,55,55);line-height:1.16em;font-size:calc(1.125em*1);word-break:normal;text-align:center">Invite your friends and earn rewards</h4><div style="line-height:26px;text-align:center;font-size:14px">If you enjoy Sumo Stomp!, share it with your friends and earn rewards when they subscribe.</div><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);margin:0 auto 20px;text-align:center;width:90%;line-height:26px;font-size:16px"></p><p style="color:rgb(54,55,55);margin:0 auto 20px;width:90%;line-height:26px;font-size:16px;margin-bottom:0;text-align:center;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto"><a role="button" href="https://substack.com/redirect/2/eyJlIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3Vtby1zdG9tcC5jb20vbGVhZGVyYm9hcmQ_cmVmZXJyZXJfdG9rZW49MzRya2FmJnI9MzRya2FmJnV0bV9jYW1wYWlnbj1lbWFpbC1sZWFkZXJib2FyZCIsInAiOjIwODcxMTQ0NiwicyI6MTUxOTY1NiwiZiI6dHJ1ZSwidSI6MTg5NDAyOTk5LCJpYXQiOjE3ODkyNDc3ODgsImV4cCI6MjEwNDgyMzc4OCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTAiLCJzdWIiOiJsaW5rLXJlZGlyZWN0In0.N39WV27CsrUwhZbkCawXJzBQyX07oKLlTK6vLU8J4xQ?&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=postcta" style="font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';display:inline-block;box-sizing:border-box;border:none;height:40px;border-radius:8px;font-size:14px;line-height:20px;font-weight:600;text-align:center;padding:10px 20px;margin:0;opacity:1;outline:none;white-space:nowrap;color:#ffffff!important;text-decoration:none!important;background-color:#2f036e" target="_blank">Invite Friends</a></p></div><table role="presentation" width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="border-top:1px solid rgb(0,0,0,.1);border-bottom:1px solid rgb(0,0,0,.1);min-width:100%"><tbody><tr height="16"><td height="16" style="font-size:0px;line-height:0"> </td></tr><tr><td><table role="presentation" width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td><table role="presentation" width="auto" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="margin:0 auto"><tbody><tr><td style="vertical-align:middle"><table role="presentation" width="auto" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1519656&post_id=208711446&utm_source=substack&isFreemail=true&submitLike=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxODk0MDI5OTksInBvc3RfaWQiOjIwODcxMTQ0NiwicmVhY3Rpb24iOiLinaQiLCJpYXQiOjE3ODkyNDc3ODgsImV4cCI6MTc5MTgzOTc4OCwiaXNzIjoicHViLTE1MTk2NTYiLCJzdWIiOiJyZWFjdGlvbiJ9.5Cowg01TahaV8P84ue2oyfQLkG_iWV_fRHWcrK8fv5E&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email-reaction&r=34rkaf" style="font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';display:inline-block;font-weight:500;border:1px solid rgb(0,0,0,.1);border-radius:9999px;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:12px;line-height:12px;padding:9px 14px;text-decoration:none;color:rgb(119,119,119)" target="_blank"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PeVs!,w_36,c_scale,f_png,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2Ficon%2FLucideHeart%3Fv%3D4%26height%3D36%26fill%3Dnone%26stroke%3D%2523808080%26strokeWidth%3D2" width="18" height="18" style="margin-right:8px;min-width:18px;min-height:18px;border:none;vertical-align:middle;max-width:18px" alt=""><span style="vertical-align:middle">Like</span></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td width="8" style="min-width:8px"></td><td style="vertical-align:middle"><table role="presentation" width="auto" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://substack.com/app-link/post?publication_id=1519656&post_id=208711446&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&isFreemail=true&comments=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxODk0MDI5OTksInBvc3RfaWQiOjIwODcxMTQ0NiwiaWF0IjoxNzg5MjQ3Nzg4LCJleHAiOjE3OTE4Mzk3ODgsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNTE5NjU2Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.y_kmjb4y_rMvSeUM_YK-Bey-1eB0VE1MPfqVAzpbX8g&r=34rkaf&utm_campaign=email-half-magic-comments&action=post-comment&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email" style="font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';display:inline-block;font-weight:500;border:1px solid rgb(0,0,0,.1);border-radius:9999px;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:12px;line-height:12px;padding:9px 14px;text-decoration:none;color:rgb(119,119,119)" target="_blank"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!x1tS!,w_36,c_scale,f_png,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack.com%2Ficon%2FLucideComments%3Fv%3D4%26height%3D36%26fill%3Dnone%26stroke%3D%2523808080%26strokeWidth%3D2" width="18" height="18" style="margin-right:8px;min-width:18px;min-height:18px;border:none;vertical-align:middle;max-width:18px" alt=""><span style="vertical-align:middle">Comment</span></a></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td width="8" style="min-width:8px"></td><td style="vertical-align:middle"><table role="presentation" width="auto" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td align="center"><a href="https://open.substack.com/pub/sumostomp/p/2026-aki-basho-predictions?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=email-restack-comment&action=restack-comment&r=34rkaf&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjoxODk0MDI5OTksInBvc3RfaWQiOjIwODcxMTQ0NiwiaWF0IjoxNzg5MjQ3Nzg4LCJleHAiOjE3OTE4Mzk3ODgsImlzcyI6InB1Yi0xNTE5NjU2Iiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.y_kmjb4y_rMvSeUM_YK-Bey-1eB0VE1MPfqVAzpbX8g&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email" style="font-family:system-ui,-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,'Segoe UI',Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif,'Apple Color Emoji','Segoe UI Emoji','Segoe UI Symbol';display:inline-block;font-weight:500;border:1px solid rgb(0,0,0,.1);border-radius:9999px;text-transform:uppercase;font-size:12px;line-height:12px;padding:9px 14px;text-decoration:none;color:rgb(119,119,119)" target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