Aonoshiki and Oonosato train

[Moti Dichne]

Aonishiki, aiming for consecutive yushos and promotion to Yokozuna, participated in the Tokitsukaze Ichimon's rengo-keiko at Otowayama heya in Sakai City on the 2nd. He had nine bouts, including against Sekiwake Kirishima and Komusubi Wakamotoharu, going 7-2 . He maintained his characteristic low stance and focused on pulling the mawashi and moving forward. While he declined to be interviewed, Otowayama Oyakata (ex- Kakuryuu), who was watching, commented, "He's not particularly big, so his greatest strength is not raising his upper body. From now on, those around him will probably try to counter this, so it'll be important for him to know how to respond when and if his body rises." Concerns remain about the limited number of training bouts he has had. Still, Otowayama encouraged the Ozeki, saying, "I think he's maintaining his own pace. That's fine," remembering that he too made it to Yokozuna when there were two other active Yokozuna.

Yokozuna Oonosato, aiming for his first yusho in three tournaments at Haru, visited Sakaigawa beya for degeiko on the 2nd. He had 26 consecutive bouts against  Hiradoumi, finishing with a record of 16-10. When his opponent's left-handed otsuke blocked his right-handed thrust, Oonosato was then pushed out of the dohyo. "My body is out of whack. I need to work on it a bit more. There's still time until the first day, so I'll get it back together properly," Oonosato said, motivating himself for his final preparations. When he withdrew from a disadvantageous position, his Oyakata Nishonoseki pointed out to him, "You have to be patient and keep moving forward." However, compared to his usual 15 bouts, this was the most training bouts he's had in recent memory. Sweating profusely, the Yokozuna explained his intentions, saying, "At first, I thought I'd stop at around 15 bouts. But it was even more disappointing than I thought it would be." Due to pain in his left shoulder and other factors, he was only able to win 10 matches in the previous tournament. Attention is focused on Ozeki Aonishiki's bid for the yusho this tournament, and he quietly expressed his enthusiasm, saying, "I don't have the time to worry about other people. I'll be up against him in the second half of the basho. I'll make sure I'm in top physical condition by then, and will be focusing day by day till then.".