125kg Sekiwake Fujinokawa Brings His 11-Win Aki Momentum to Kyushu
Makuuchi's youngest rikishi, 21-year-old sekiwake Fujinokawa (Isenoumi), heads into the Kyushu basho (opens the 8th at Fukuoka Kokusai Center) as east sekiwake after an 11-4 Aki basho — his second Fighting Spirit Prize, a first-ever makuuchi six-win streak mid-tournament, and a late run at the yusho. At 125 kg he was the third-lightest of 42 makuuchi men in September, and Kyoto's first new sanyaku rikishi in 198 years since Hiodoshi in 1828.
What pleased him most was not the highlight-reel edge throws but winning by going forward: four oshidashi, one oshitaoshi and two yorikiri among his 11 wins. "I've gotten more sumo where I can win by pushing out. I'll keep working to stay on the front foot," he said. He also beat all three ozeki in Aki and stopped Atamifuji's (198 kg) charge with a sukuinage on senshuraku. Hakkaku rijicho called the 11 wins "splendid" and said he is gaining confidence — with a caution about injury at a peak.
Asked about ozeki talk after a sanyaku 11-win bridge toward the traditional 33-in-three-basho path, Fujinokawa laughed it off: "I just became sekiwake. I'm not thinking about that." Asakayama of the judging department said another similar Kyushu result would bring those voices. Kasugayama Oyakata (former sekiwake Ikioi) at the stable says the answer is the same as always: drive the keiko so the body moves before the mind does.