Skip to main content

Grand Sumo 2025 January Tournament Day4

 It was an excellent bout and very enjoyable to watch. 

TAKANOSHO - HOSHORYU 


Hoshoryu had a strong tachi-ai (initial charge) and maintained good flow throughout the match. However, Takanosho showed remarkable determination, refusing to back down even when in a disadvantageous position.

The pivoting movement he made when he was cornered against the tawara (bales on the edge of the dohyo) on the far side was particularly impressive. This turned the tide of the match in Takanosho’s favor.

In the end, though, Hoshoryu secured the victory with his incredible athleticism and the exceptional strength of his lower body, snatching the win in dramatic fashion.


TAKAYASU - URA


Wow, that was surprising! A tsutaezori (Under arm forward body drop)—and not just any tsutaezori, but one executed so beautifully! Watching the match, it was clear that Ura was aiming for a sori-waza (Backwards body drop). Still, I thought, “There’s no way this will work against Takayasu.” But this was truly a display of Ura’s mastery as a waza-shi (a technician of sumo techniques).

That said, I can’t help but wonder—was this really a sori-waza? It looked more like a nage-waza (throwing technique) to me. Either way, it was an incredible move that thrilled the crowd.

As for Takayasu, I think his morote-tsuki (double-hand thrust) at the tachi-ai was an attempt to keep Ura from getting inside, where he could unleash his array of techniques. However, Ura’s low tachi-ai rendered it ineffective, causing Takayasu to miss entirely.

Using a kachi-age (upward forearm thrust) at the tachi-ai, followed by a strong thrust to push Ura away, might have been more effective. I hope to see such a strategy in their next matchup.


TAMAWASHI - TAKERUFUJI


Over the past three days, both rikishi have delivered outstanding performances, so I was really looking forward to this bout. And once again, it was a surprising match.

Tamawashi, at 40 years old, continues to show incredible aggression, securing four straight wins since the opening day. It’s truly impressive. Takerufuji, on the other hand, challenged Tamawashi—known as a tsuki-oshi (thrusting and pushing) specialist—by engaging in a tsuki-oshi duel. However, it was Takerufuji who ultimately backed away from the pressure of Tamawashi’s thrusts.

Although Takerufuji suffered his first loss, I still expect him to stay in the yusho (championship) race until the final stages of the tournament.


Kotozakura lost to his nemesis, Kirishima, putting his Yokozuna promotion bid in a very difficult position. With 11 bouts remaining, I hope he can reset his mindset and deliver bold, aggressive sumo.

Onosato suffered a defeat against Abi, marking a losing streak against him. Each time, Onosato loses in a similar manner, being sidestepped after leaning too far forward. In their next encounter, I’d like to see a strategy that makes us think, “He’s come prepared this time.”

Terunofuji was also defeated by Tobizaru. It was a clash between Terunofuji, who was determined to get a grip, and Tobizaru, who absolutely refused to be caught. Although Tobizaru came close to being locked in several times, he kept moving and never allowed it. 


In the end, when Terunofuji almost managed to trap Tobizaru’s right arm, Tobizaru used his elbow to push , which proved to be decisive.




Written by 小柳公寿


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grand Sumo 2026 January Tournament Day 2

Yoshinofuji vs Aonishiki I felt that Yoshinofuji attacked effectively, but the key to Aonishiki’s victory was the speed of his decision-making and his ability to switch tactics instantly.  Minatogawa-oyakata (former Ozeki Takakeisho), commenting on the NHK broadcast, pointed out that Yoshinofuji’s downfall was that “he failed to knock Aonishiki back at the tachi-ai (initial charge),” adding that Yoshinofuji wanted to create distance by thrusting his opponent away rather than continuing to push forward. Indeed, had he managed to keep Aonishiki at arm’s length, Aonishiki would not have been able to execute his techniques. That said, when Aonishiki briefly touched the dohyo (ring) with his left hand at the end, I couldn’t help thinking that if it had been Takanohana (the 65th yokozuna) or Wakanohana (the 66th yokozuna), they would have gone down face-first without hesitation.  Wakatakakage vs Takayasu Wakatakakage defeated Takayasu with a kata-sukashi (shoulder swing-down). At th...
Post a Comment
Read more

Grand Sumo 2026 January Tournament Day 1 ~ The Rikishi I Paid More Attention to Than Aonishiki

 At last, the opening day of the 2026 January Tournament (Hatsu basho) has arrived.  How will the newly promoted Ozeki Aonishiki fare?  What about Onosato, returning after an absence?  And how will former Ozeki Asanoyama perform after regaining his place in the makuuchi division? As always, this tournament offers plenty of highlights for sumo fans.  However, for me, the single most intriguing bout of the day was in the jonokuchi division (the lowest division on the banzuke).  I have never looked forward to jonokuchi bouts this much before a tournament, nor have I ever been this excited watching a jonokuchi match.　 In sumo, jonokuchi refers to the lowest rank on the banzuke (the official ranking list of rikishi).  The bout in question was Asahifuji versus Tenshoyama . Both of them are newcomers. If any overseas sumo fans already knew these two, they would truly qualify as hardcore connoisseurs. Please take a look at this astonishing bout. This is a matc...
Post a Comment
Read more

Grand Sumo 2026 January Tournament Day 7

 KirishimaーYoshinofuji The bout between these two rikishi—both of whom have been showing excellent form this tournament—lived up fully to expectations. At the tachi-ai (initial charge), Yoshinofuji clearly had the better hit, but Kirishima succeeded in getting moro-zashi (double inside grips). From there, Kirishima’s right kaina-no-kaeshi (inside arm turn-back) was effective, and his movement to cut off Yoshinofuji’s right uwate (outside grip) was particularly impressive (0:39-40 in the video).  Kirishima is a rikishi with undeniable ability, yet when he is carrying even a minor injury, it tends to show very clearly in his results. Judging by his performances in the previous tournament and this one, however, he appears to be in good condition. Although the bout could easily have turned into a one-sided affair, Yoshinofuji showed admirable resilience and fought on stubbornly. HoshoryuーHakunofuji In the first bout, Hoshoryu’s tachi-ai (initial charge) was not good. His body came...
Post a Comment
Read more