More rikishi talk after day 10
Moti Dichne
Maegashira 5W Shoudai won by slapping down Ozeki Kirishima today. He entered the musubi no ichiban with a record of 3-6. At first, he was pushed back by his opponent, but "I didn't want to let him get into his rhythm." He grabbed his opponent's front mawashi and hatakikomi was the winning technique.. "I was watching from above, so at first I didn't see the Ozeki put his hands down," he recalled, but he savored the moment, saying, "It was great to be able to win in the musubi no ichiban after a long time." This bout against the Ozeki, whom he said "I shouldn't be facing at this age," was his 1000th in his career, in his 73rd tournament. Shoudai said with a sense of reality that he is getting older, after winning this milestone bout. Tomorrow he will face Ozeki Kotozakura in the musubi no ichiban as well.. "Tomorrow I'll also be in the final bout." Shoudai was smiling wryly throughout, but this special victory may be good medicine for him.
Kotoeihou defeated Ryuuden by yorikiri today to secure his kachikoshi. After the match, he looked satisfied, saying, "I focused on not letting him get a good grip on my body." Having achieved his goal of kachikoshi, he frankly expressed his feelings, saying, "I feel relieved and happy." He analyzed the reason for his good form as, "I'm able to wrestle with confidence. I'm able to perform freely." This is his third tournament in Makuuchi, and he feels he has become more used to being on the dohyo, saying, "I don't get nervous as much, and I'm no longer overwhelmed by the atmosphere." Although this match was crucial for securing a kachikoshi, he emphasized his composure, saying, "I approached it as just one match out of 15 days." While he is also in contention for the yusho, he emphasized, "I'm the challenger, so I want to give it my all and learn from the competition,"
Enhou, ranked at Juryo 14W, was defeated by Nishinoryuu, postponing his chances of securing a kachikoshi. From the start, Enhou was subjected to Nishinoryuu's fierce thrusts and managed to get a morozashi grip, but Nishinoryuu quickly grabbed both of his arms, forcing Enhou into a defensive position without being able to mount his own offense. The match was long, lasting about two minutes, but in the end, Enhou lost by a right arm kotenage, bringing his record to 7-3. After the match, he reflected, "My tachiai wasn't good. I ended up in a desperate situation, and my opponent controlled the match from start to finish." Regarding the long match, he gave a harsh self-assessment, saying, "I still have a long way to go. I realized my weaknesses." It was a match where a kachikoshi was at stake, but he calmly reflected, "Not particularly. I just focused on today being today." As the tournament enters its final stages, he smiled and looked ahead, saying, "I'm not tired. My body is fine, and I think this is where it really begins. Being able to do sumo every day is my greatest joy, and I'm glad I was able to leave the dohyo today without any injuries."