The Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament is now in full swing. There are no limits on seating and most of the rikishi are healthy, though Takayasu is out with Covid. But there is one wrestler who is looking increasingly uncomfortable as a top ranker. 

I am speaking of Ozeki Shodai, who looks more and more likely to drop rank in this basho. He is currently at kadoban status, which literally means, 'in the corner.' A wrestler becomes a kadoban ozeki when he fails to achieve a winning record in the previous tourney, such as 7-8. This is known as a makekoshi record, whilst a winning performance is called a kachikoshi. For the last three meets, Shodai has performed poorly in the first week, often getting to 0-5 before he decides to do something about it. He is currently at 0-3.

To be honest, he doesn't look at all happy at ozeki rank. The pressure at this, the second highest level, must be fairly intense and there is an unwritten obligation to achieve at least 10 wins each time around. Ozeki pride, it's called.

Shodai is a good wrestler and got to where he is on merit. There is just something going on inside his head. I don't know if Japan is big on sports psychologists but this is one man who could use a session or two.

Happier days.

Photo courtesy Japan Forward