Sumo: Yokozuna Terunofuji among those chasing early leaders after day 4

After day 4 of the summer tournament, Yokozuna Terunofuji is in sight of the leaders after posting a 3-1 record so far. The highest-ranking wrestler in the sport was defeated on the opening day by Daieisho.

There are currently three joint-leaders of the basho, each achieving 4 wins out of 4 so far. Tobizaru, Aoiyama, and Ichiyamamoto have all started their tournaments in impressive fashion and will hope their form carries them to winning records at the very least. Even after such a good start, it’s hard to imagine one of those three winning the championship, but anything can happen in sumo.

There is a large chasing pack on 3-1 which includes many of the pre-tournament favourites. In addition to the above-mentioned Yokozuna, Sekiwake Abi and Komosubi Daieisho are also on 3-1. Joining them are up-and-coming future-star Kotonowaka, Tamawashi, Ura, Wakamotoharu and Kagayaki.

Defending champion Wakatakakage has endured a mixed start to the tournament, with a 2-2 record so far. He is far from out of the running but will need to improve if he wants to win his second tournament in a row. Two of the Ozekis, Takakeisho and Mitakeumi – the January champion – join him on 2-2 as well as Komosubi Hoshoryu and a few others.

Ozeki Shodai continues to show that perhaps he is not the wrestler he was when he won his promotion to such a prestigious rank. He has made a 1-3 start to the tournament and is showing the same form which has seen him go without double-figures victories for a long time. It will only be a matter of time until he loses his rank if he keeps performing in such an unconvincing way. If an Ozeki has two losing records in a row, he will lose his rank. Having posted a losing record in January, Shodai managed to save himself with a winning record in March. Will he need to save himself again in July?

In the second division, fan-favourite Enho continues to enjoy an upturn in form. Having moved up the rankings after achieving a winning record in March, he is currently at 3-1 after some impressive performances against much bigger wrestlers. Ryuden, Chiyomaru and Hiradoumi are leading the way with 4-0 records after 4 days completed.

Join us again for the next tournament update after day 8 and keep an eye on the VMTV Twitter page for the best bouts and finishes during the tournament.

The VMTV Sumo introduction and guide can be found here if you need it.