Amateur Sumo – the sport as it should be
Mark Buckton
Sakai World Sumo Champs – not all about winning

Las Vegas Koen
Joe Kuroda
Our man reports from the fight capital of the world

Rikishi of Old
Joe Kuroda
A look at a rikishi of yesterday with Kotozakura – our man for October

Heya Peek
John Gunning
John’s early morning dash to Azumazeki-beya & report on TKOTU

SFM Interview
Katrina Watts sits down with SFM’s Mark Buckton to discuss amateur sumo

Photo Bonanza
SFM’s best yet – Aki Basho/ Las Vegas / Amateur World Champs / Azumazeki-beya visit – seen nowhere else

Aki Basho Review
Lon Howard
Lon gives us his Aki Basho summary, along with the henka sightings results, and his take on the tournament while ‘gem’ of the basho takes a break

Lower Division Rikishi
Mikko Mattila
Mikko Mattila returns to cover lower division ups and downs

Kyushu Basho Forecast
Pierre Wohlleben & Mark Buckton
Pierre predicts the Kyushu Basho banzuke while Mark previews the ones to watch next time out

Sumo 101
Barbara Ann Klein
Discovers and explains amasumo & ozumo variations

Kimarite Focus
Mikko Mattila
Mikko once again walks us through his chosen kimarite

Minusha
John McTague
John’s unique bimonthly view of news from outside the dohyo

Online Gaming
Zenjimoto of ‘game fame’ covers some of the very best sumo games around – his own!

Kokugi Connections
Todd Lambert
Todd’s focus on 3 of the most interesting online sumo sites today

Fan Debate
Is the limit on foreign rikishi fair? See what our debaters had to say

SFM Cartoons
Benny Loh
In the first of our cartoon bonanzas, sit back and chuckle at Benny Loh’s offerings

Let’s Hear From You
What was it that made you a sumo fan? Gernobono tells all

Readers’ Letters
See what SFM readers had to say since our last issue

Sumo Quiz
The Quizmaster
Answer the Qs and win yourself next basho’s banzuke.

  on Day 13 with a chance to seal the deal, since Asashoryu had already suffered two defeats. Kotooshu frenzy was building with fans talking zensho yusho – new ozeki – Asa-Kotoo Jidai. It reached a peak when Kotooshu spun Asa around and seemed in position to push him out by okuridashi – was this really going to happen? But his own balance had been compromised just enough to allow the yokozuna to spin around and get face-to-face once again. The flustered sekiwake charged impatiently and was abruptly spun around and down. The following day against M16 Kisenosato, he allowed himself to be manhandled at the tachiai and was thrust straight out with no effort made to employ his lethal mawashi magic. He found his tachiai on senshuraku against ozeki Chiyotaikai with a quick morozashi leading to a yorikiri win, but in the kettei-
sen against Asashoryu, the yokozuna’s ‘creative’ side-step at the tachiai destroyed his timing and balance and he was circled, ‘surrounded’ and quietly thrust out without a whimper. Asashoryu’s sixth straight yusho tied the legendary Taiho, putting him on the verge of being the first rikishi to win seven straight yusho and to win all the yusho in a calendar year – stuff so amazing I really can’t find the words. Whatever you think about the man or his 		competition, we are watching something... still can’t find the words.

I can’t help but be a bit befuddled at all of those ‘choke’ signs being thrown Kotooshu’s way after his crunch time crumble in two consecutive basho. For now, I would put those signs back in the garage and consider this: In his one basho at sekiwake he has recorded a 13-2 record. Counting Takanohana’s (the yokozuna) first sekiwake appearance, it took him 10 basho to gain ozeki promotion and then he spent 11 basho as ozeki before donning the tsuna. In addition, he lost eight of his first nine bouts against Akebono after making sekiwake – and we all know how that rivalry turned out. Everyone exhale slowly and give the kid a chance to settle in. With his tender age and scant experience, it will be most impressive if he comes through with the nine or ten wins in Kyushu necessary to make ozeki.

With every basho you have to go further and further back to find either an ozeki who challenged for the yusho (Kyushu 2004) or to find a basho without a kadoban ozeki (Aki 2004). Both those beats continue with Kaio taking his turn at kadoban next time. He looked in great shape going in, but tore a hamstring in 		practice before the basho and made three dreadful showings on the dohyo before calling it quits, recording 0-4-11 and un-punching his Las Vegas ticket in the process. So many injuries in so many places – what might have or could have been? As for Chiyotaikai, I know I’m not alone in asking: “What’s up with him?” Kadoban with injuries so bad he couldn’t practice before the basho, and with two miserable outings to start, most observers were wondering whether it would be he or Kaio to make the next intai announcement. But on day 3, taking his 0-2 record against upstart komusubi Futeno’s 2-0, he not only ‘upset’ Futeno, but then. reeled off 10 wins in 11 days in classic ‘Taikai style with forward-moving powerful thrusts instead of the dancing push-pulling slap-downs we’ve witnessed from him in the recent past. If anyone can figure out where that came from, pass it on! Ozeki Tochiazuma cruised in with a steady 10-5.

Of course the biggest boost to the hopes of those fans hungry for young power was 19-year-old Kisenosato coming out of hiding with his 12-3 record, though it must be said that the only real scalp he took home was Kotooshu’s. I’m hoping he doesn’t get promoted beyond M5

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