when banzuke scroll
unfurls, mid-makuuchi
is poised for struggle
high maegashira (plus the
sanyaku ranks) face the top
this means thrown in to
freshly-ranked ozeki and
aged yokozuna
and yet opening
day of Nagoya Basho
saw ozeki fall
all three, in fact, suffered loss
to lower maegashira
Tochinoshin, with
his eternal bandaged knee
fought off ozeki
and noble Takayasu
lost first bout as ozeki
but in next-to-last
bout of day, Yoshikaze
had today’s moment
that grizzled yokozuna
Harumafuji waited
Harumafuji appears
somewhat mean of spirits most
of the time (it seems)
not easily kinboshi’d,
but quickly put on back heels
the yokozuna’s
balance is impeccable -
resist on one foot
Yoshikaze does not quit,
locking in spinning embrace
Harumafuji
attempts to lock uplifted
leg, to no avail
Yoshikaze attempts to
throw him off balance… no luck
they reach the ring’s edge,
and even then it appears
either man could win
perhaps Harumafuji
would spin Yoshikaze out
but Yoshikaze
roots himself just long enough,
wide feet gripping sand
Harumafuji on edge,
nowhere left to spin, steps out
on opening day,
Yoshikaze scores bonus
pay for kinboshi
opening day - ozeki
and yokozuna lose big
seven bouts, they win
only two, the lower ranks
hungry to move up
Yoshikaze, however,
got biggest gold star of all
just opening day -
there’s two full weeks left for this
Nagoya Basho
but Yoshikaze came out
the gates strong as fuck (for now)
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