Skip to main content

Grand Sumo 2025 January Tournament Day2

Abi dominated Kotozakura, handing the Ozeki his first loss as he aims for Yokozuna promotion.

KOTOZAKURA - ABI


Yesterday, I wrote about Kotozakura’s performance using terms like "stiff movements," "nervousness," "a mindset of not wanting to lose," and "caution." While it’s possible that Kotozakura wasn’t able to demonstrate 100% of his abilities, the result should be attributed more to Abi’s outstanding performance.

Abi’s initial charge and forward momentum were reminiscent of his form during his championship-winning tournament.


OHO -WAKATAKAKAGE
 

Ōhō dominated Wakatakakage, who had defeated Terunofuji just yesterday.

In the past, Ōhō was often criticized for being slow to attack, hesitating even when in an advantageous position, and sometimes giving up too easily when under pressure, resulting in disappointing losses. However, in recent tournaments, he has shown a significant transformation. He now initiates swift and aggressive attacks and counters effectively even when on the defensive.

Most importantly, there’s a noticeable sense of grit and determination in his sumo now.


KIRISHIMA - ONOSATO


When Onosato gets Migi-zashi (inserts the right arm inside), his opponent responded by taking a left uwate (overhand grip), pivoting, and attempting an uwatenage (overarm throw). This sequence is one of the patterns that often leads to an Onosato loss.

Today, it seemed like this pattern was unfolding, putting Onosato in a dangerous situation. However, Kirishima ended up digging his own grave by making unnecessary moves, such as attempting a leg trip and releasing his uwate grip.

It might have been more effective for Kirishima to continuously use throws to break Onosato’s balance or to stay latched onto him from the side instead of trying extraneous tactics.


TOBIZARU - HOSHORYU


Based on their past matchups, it seems that Tobizaru is not an easy opponent for Hoshoryu. However, today’s performance demonstrated both speed and power.

The sequence of moves—pulling his opponent in, securing a right uwate (overhand grip), drawing Tobizaru closer, and advancing forward—was seamless and fluid. Moreover, Hoshoryu’s powerful pulling motion caused Tobizaru to become almost weightless, lifting him off his feet.


TERUNOFUJI - TAKANOSHO


Based on their past matchups, Takanosho is not an easy opponent for Terunofuji, particularly because Terunofuji has struggled against Takanosho’s powerful right-handed nodowa (thrust to the throat). As a bout following a loss, facing Takanosho would have been a pressure-filled challenge.

At the tachi-ai (initial charge), Takanosho went for a tsuki-oshi (thrusting attack), seemingly aiming to utilize his right nodowa. However, Terunofuji executed a strong tachi-ai, denying Takanosho the chance to mount his preferred offense.

Terunofuji controlled the bout from start to finish, but the uwatenage (overarm throw)  felt unnecessary.



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Written by 小柳公寿

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grand Sumo 2025 March Tournament Day15 (Final)

 Onosato Wins the Playoff for His Third Title, Takayasu Falls Short Once Again Takayasu has come agonizingly close to winning the championship on numerous occasions, only to fall short at the final hurdle. Among those disappointments, there were two instances where he went into the final day (senshuraku) needing just one win against Abi to secure the title. However, he lost both times, forcing a playoff where he was ultimately defeated, missing out on the championship. Today, he faced that same fateful opponent once again. Abi Attempted a Henka(side step) at the Tachi-ai. I’m glad that didn’t decide the match. Perhaps Takayasu was prepared for it, given that Abi had previously attempted a henka at the tachi-ai in a past championship playoff. Takayasu remained composed, dealt with it calmly, applied pressure with a left ottsuke, secured a grip on the uwate, and threw Abi down with authority. At that moment, I thought—perhaps this time, Takayasu has finally overcome his trauma and is...
Post a Comment
Read more

Grand Sumo 2025 May Tournament Day15 (Final)

 Hoshoryu Shows Yokozuna Pride, Hands Onosato His Only Loss of the Tournament Hoshoryu demonstrated the pride and dignity expected of a yokozuna, handing Onosato his only defeat this tournament.  The head-to-head record now stands at five wins for Hoshoryu and two for Onosato (with one of Onosato’s wins being by default), clearly favoring Hoshoryu. However, the content of their bouts tells a different story.  In nearly every match, it has been Onosato who dictated the pace and gained the upper hand, only to be ultimately brought down by one of Hoshoryu’s well-executed throwing techniques.  This pattern played out once again in today’s bout. Hoshoryu’s uwate-hineri (overarm twist-down) was expertly timed and executed, but it must be said that Onosato’s center of gravity was too high, and his ottsuke (press up on the outside of opponent’s elbow from below, as if twisting and lifting it) from the left lacked its usual sharpness. Throughout this tournament, Onosato has d...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Heartwarming Story About Hoshoryu

As many of you know, Hoshoryu won the January tournament and was promoted as the 74th Yokozuna. During his victory interview, he shared that after experiencing the heartbreak of losing on the final day of the November tournament, he made a promise to "a certain person." He vowed to channel that frustration into the January tournament and win the championship no matter what. That "certain person" is Ruri Kubota, whom Hoshoryu refers to as his "mother in Japan." And the boy who sat beside Hoshoryu in the open car during the victory parade was none other than Ruri’s son, Teruchika, whom Hoshoryu calls his "younger brother in Japan."   Teruchika has Down syndrome. Hoshoryu first met Teruchika and his mother in 2019, when he was still in the Juryo division. Their connection began when Hoshoryu was invited to coach Teruchika through Kashiwa Sumo Club, where the club’s representative happened to be Hoshoryu’s former high school mentor. Hoshoryu was deep...
Post a Comment
Read more