About
Fantasy Basho is the best way to be invested in a sumo tournament, whether you're a lifelong sumo fan or a newcomer to the sport. Pick four rikishi and see how they do for you.
Follow along with daily recaps on FantasyBasho.com or on twitter @FantasyBasho.
Scoring
Each team owner for Fantasy Basho will pick four rikishi to make up their team. The one rule is that you must stay within the budget, all assigned by rank. Each team earns:
- 2 Points for Each Win
- 1 Point for Each Kinboshi
- 1 Point for a Special Prize
You can pick one team and ride it out for the whole basho, or consider your selection for all 15 days. The team with the most points at the end of the basho wins.
Name | Wins | Kinboshi | Prizes | Total |
---|
YUSHO ARASOI
13 wins
15 Maegashira #3 East Tamawashi
11 wins
05 Sekiwake #1 East Wakatakakage
18 Maegashira #4 West Takayasu
34 Maegashira #12 West Ryuden
NOTABLE MANEUVERS
Nodowa. It's always been Tamawashi's trademark, but he used the throat thrust throughout Aki. A particularly effective one gave him the yusho.
MATCH OF THE DAY
Maegashira #3 East Tamawashi versus Maegashira #4 West Takayasu
It wasn't classic back-and-forth sumo, but it won the yusho for Tamawashi. Takayasu did not get immediately rocked back at the tachiai, to his credit. He even looked like he had a chance to halt Tamawashi's momentum and extend the bout. Yet, in the end, Tamawashi's pushing was just too strong, and a re-grouped Tamawashi had one final nodowa for th...
YUSHO ARASOI
12 wins
15 Maegashira #3 East Tamawashi
11 wins
18 Maegashira #4 West Takayasu
NOTABLE MANEUVERS
Ashitori. Makuuchi newcomer Hiradoumi apparently needs to work on his scouting, because he fell hard to Terutsuyoshi's signature leg pick.
MATCH OF THE DAY
Maegashira #5 East Takarafuji versus Ozeki #1 West Shodai
Little was on the line in the musubi no ichiban, as the consequential matches were earlier in the day (and pretty one-sided). Takarafuji and Shodai have also been disappointing in Aki. But Takarafuji made this interesting by sort-of, but not really trying a henka. That seemed to unleash the good Shodai, who bounced and bobbed his way to a fun yorikiri.
RECAP
It was on Takayasu, really. Once Tamawashi blew back Tobiz...
YUSHO ARASOI
11 wins
15 Maegashira #3 East Tamawashi
10 wins
18 Maegashira #4 West Takayasu
26 Maegashira #8 West Hokutofuji
9 wins
05 Sekiwake #1 East Wakatakakage
11 Maegashira #1 East Tobizaru
29 Maegashira #10 East Nishikifuji
34 Maegashira #12 West Ryuden
NOTABLE MANEUVERS
Shitatenage. An underarm throw isn't usually too notable, but Hoshoryu used a spectacular one to flip over Nishikigi for his win on Day Thirteen.
MATCH OF THE DAY
Ozeki #1 East Takakeisho versus Sekiwake #1 East Wakatakakage
After moving to the side and knocking down Hokutofuji on Day Twelve, it would seem Takakeisho would be most aware of avoiding a hit-and-shift. Alas, no, Wakatakakage took the Ozeki out of even theoretical yusho contention with his own tex...
YUSHO ARASOI
10 wins
15 Maegashira #3 East Tamawashi
9 wins
11 Maegashira #1 East Tobizaru
18 Maegashira #4 West Takayasu
26 Maegashira #8 West Hokutofuji
29 Maegashira #10 East Nishikifuji
NOTABLE MANEUVERS
Kubinage. How do you beat Shodai when he's got a solid mawashi grip and is backing you up? Well, if you're Hoshoryu, you just unleash a powerful neck throw, of course.
MATCH OF THE DAY
Maegashira #3 East Tamawashi versus Maegashira #6 East Wakamotoharu
Tamawashi got his nodowa and showed Wakamotoharu how far back he can push a man's jaw. Remarkably, Wakamotoharu took it in stride. While getting a view of the Kokugikan's ceiling, Wakamotoharu managed to get a mawashi grip. That led directly to a convincing yorikiri win.
RECAP
T...
YUSHO ARASOI
10 wins
16 Maegashira #3 East Tamawashi
9 wins
26 Maegashira #8 West Hokutofuji
29 Maegashira #10 East Nishikifuji
8 wins
05 Sekiwake #1 East Wakatakakage
11 Maegashira #1 East Tobizaru
18 Maegashira #4 West Takayasu
NOTABLE MANEUVERS
Henka. Midorifuji did an extremely well executed henka, going forward at first and then heading sideways while redirecting the out-of-sorts Daieisho for an easy win.
MATCH OF THE DAY
Maegashira #1 East Tobizaru versus Maegashira #3 West Ura
It seems obvious that these two would have an interesting match, but what was surprising was that they both seemed so aware of the other's tricks they didn't engage. That produced a sort-of-slapping, sort-of-stalemate dance around the dohyo for awhile. Th...
YUSHO ARASOI
9 wins
15 Maegashira #3 East Tamawashi
26 Maegashira #8 West Hokutofuji
8 wins
18 Maegashira #4 West Takayasu
29 Maegashira #10 East Nishikifuji
NOTABLE MANEUVERS
Fusen. Daieisho gets the first free win of the Aki basho in Makuuchi, as Yokozuna Terunofuji has decided to withdraw.
MATCH OF THE DAY
Maegashira #2 East Kotonowaka versus Maegashira #1 West Midorifuji
A matchup so nice, they fought it twice. These two are both looking at breaking into Sanyaku in November, and they came right at each other. Midorifuji's tricks looked like it topped Kotonowaka's fundamental soundness, as he unleashed his signature katasukashi at the edge. However, Kotonowaka managed to keep himself airborne long enough as he was turning to run in...
YUSHO ARASOI
9 wins
26 Maegashira #8 West Hokutofuji
8 wins
15 Maegashira #3 East Tamawashi
7 wins
18 Maegashira #4 West Takayasu
29 Maegashira #10 East Nishikifuji
37 Maegashira #14 East Chiyoshoma
NOTABLE MANEUVERS
Shitatenage. Not just did Tobizaru win with an underarm throw, but he did it as a counter to what seemed to be a decisive throw from Kotonowaka.
MATCH OF THE DAY
Yokozuna East Terunofuji versus Maegashira #4 West Takayasu
It wasn't the best sumo or the most dramatic match, but the musubi no ichiban was representative of the day. Terunofuji and Takayasu squared up, with Terunofuji going for a grip and getting blocked by the former Ozeki. That was kind of the story of the match, as they engaged in an awkward slapfest, with ...
YUSHO ARASOI
8 wins
26 Maegashira #8 West Hokutofuji
7 wins
15 Maegashira #3 East Tamawashi
6 wins
02 Ozeki #1 East Takakeisho
18 Maegashira #4 West Takayasu
21 Maegashira #6 East Wakamotoharu
29 Maegashira #10 East Nishikifuji
36 Maegashira #13 West Oho
37 Maegashira #14 East Chiyoshoma
NOTABLE MANEUVERS
Yoritaoshi. Yes, it was Nishikifuji who lifted Tochinoshin over the edge and out, not the other way around.
MATCH OF THE DAY
Ozeki #1 East Takakeisho versus Maegashira #4 West Takayasu
This was the on-paper match of the day coming in, and then it delivered. Takakeisho got his preferred slapping battle, but he couldn't immediately put away Takayasu. Instead, Takayasu took on the Ozeki's blows and came inside. That made Takakeisho da...
YUSHO ARASOI
5 Wins
15 Maegashira #3 East Tamawashi
26 Maegashira #8 West Hokutofuji
36 Maegashira #13 West Oho
4 wins
02 Ozeki #2 East Takakeisho
06 Sekiwake #1 West Hoshoryu
18 Maegashira #4 West Takayasu
21 Maegashira #6 East Wakamotoharu
29 Maegashira #10 East Nishikifuji
37 Maegashira #14 East Chiyoshoma
NOTABLE MANEUVERS
Katasukashi. Midorifuji busted out his signature under-shoulder swing down to beat Nishikigi, and it is always a fun watch.
MATCH OF THE DAY
Komusubi #2 West Kiribayama versus Komusubi #1 West Ichinojo
Kiribayama and Ichinojo had a sumo marathon, going over two minutes. Generally speaking, that should benefit the much bigger Ichinojo. However, Kiribyama looked comfortable in the three long stallouts, and every...
NOTABLE MANEUVERS
Tsutaezori. Ura put away Takarafuji with an "underarm forward body drop." This spectacular maneuver is so rare it has not been seen in Makuuchi since Yokozuna Asashoryu busted it out at Aki 2002.
MATCH OF THE DAY
Ozeki #1 East Takakeisho versus Maegashira #2 East Kotonowaka
A classic clash of styles, Takakeisho clearly had the goal of hitting Kotonowaka up and back while also keeping his hands away from any grip. To Kotonowaka's credit, he took a lot of the Ozeki's best blows and kept at it. He even briefly got a hold of Takakeisho's belt for a second. But the full power of Takakeisho blew that up and just kept pushing the Maegashira back for an oshidashi win.
RECAP
The four co-leaders, and four undefeated rikishi,...
NOTABLE MANEUVERS
Sotogake. Both Chiyoshoma and Hoshoryu won over fellow Mongolians with an outside leg trip. Hoshoryu's victory over Ichinojo was more interesting, because a leg trip was the Sekiwake's clear intention the whole match and he eventually got it.
MATCH OF THE DAY
Maegashira #5 East Takarafuji versus Maegashira #6 East Wakamotoharu
Takarafuji looked for all the world like he had handled Wakamotoharu from the start, but for the second time in three days, Wakamotoharu pulled off an utchari. It wasn't exactly textbook, but Wakamotoharu sent the aging veteran around and over the side of the dohyo in his last-ditch effort. That's not a long-term way to keep winning, but it's working right now.
RECAP
Just six rikishi sit unde...
NOTABLE MANEUVERS
Yorikiri. Sometimes a day is just dominated by the simple force out. Day Two had eleven matches end with yorikiri.
MATCH OF THE DAY
Komusubi #2 West Kiribayama versus Ozeki #1 West Shodai
This was a wild one from the start. Shodai blew up whatever Kiribayama was trying to do initially, and even flung his arms away so fast Kiribayama looked like he would go right out. Instead, he regrouped, charged back at Shodai, and got blasted again. From there, though, Kiribayama used his comfort in strange positions to get sideways and then snake his long left arm to get a rear grip on Shodai's mawashi. Techinically, the end was a Yorikiri, although the match belies the simplicity of that kimarite.
RECAP
An almost unbelievable ...
NOTABLE MANEUVERS
Kainehineri. Terutsuyoshi looked like he had gotten lower than Yutakayama and that was about it. Then he put both hands on Yutakayama's mawashi and pulled off a beautiful "two-handed arm twist-down."
MATCH OF THE DAY
Yokozuna East Terunofuji versus Komusubi #10 West Kiribayama
Terunofuji has spent most of 2022 fighting extremely hard and having challenging matches, but mostly winning. Kiribayama has always been as comfortable as any rikishi from odd positions. At the start, neither man had a great grip from the tachiai, but Kiribayama was standing with his torso parallel to the dohyo. This at least meant Terunofuji never really had a chance to put him away for the opening stretch. As soon as Kiribayama tried to rea...