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Grand Sumo 2025 January Tournament Day8

 Hoshoryu Defeated by Shodai—A Painful Second Loss

Hoshoryu suffered his second loss of the tournament at the hands of Shodai. As a rikishi who never relies on henka (sidestepping with tachi-ai) and always meets his opponent head-on at the tachi-ai (initial charge), Shodai seemed like the kind of opponent Hoshoryu could confidently and aggressively face without hesitation. With Hoshoryu’s sharp tachi-ai and relentless attacks that have been his hallmark this tournament, I expected him to overwhelm Shodai.

However, at the moment of impact at the tachi-ai, Shodai didn’t budge an inch, which was surprising. Soon after, Hoshoryu launched a series of thrusts and pushes, forcing Shodai to retreat, and it looked as though Hoshoryu might secure the win. But Shodai skillfully used his right hand to push up under Hoshoryu’s armpit, causing Hoshoryu to lose his balance and completely shift the momentum of the match. In the end, Shodai secured victory with a oshi-taoshi (frontal push down).

After the bout, Shodai commented, “It was the final match of the day, so I wanted to make a statement (do something memorable),” reflecting the pride and determination that were evident in his performance. He also shared his strategy, saying, “I’ve tried to insert my arm inside before, but it didn’t work as planned, so I decided to go with a tsuki-oshi (thrusting attack) this time.” This approach may have caught Hoshoryu off guard—it certainly surprised me.

This loss is a painful setback for Hoshoryu. Let’s hope the pressure of “not being able to afford another loss” doesn’t negatively affect his sumo going forward.


Tamawashi Shows Resilience in Bout Against Kinbozan

The match between Tamawashi and Kinbozan, which I had been eagerly anticipating, seemed as though it would end quickly with Kinbozan’s dominant tsuki-oshi (thrusting attack) overwhelming Tamawashi in the opening stages. However, Tamawashi displayed incredible resilience from that point on.

Using his left hand to push up under Kinbozan’s armpit, Tamawashi reversed the position and drove Kinbozan back to the edge of the dohyo (ring). In the end, though, Kinbozan managed to secure a moro-zashi (double inside grip) and finished the bout with a yori-kiri (frontal force-out) victory.

This match became an exciting spectacle thanks to Tamawashi’s unwavering fighting spirit and refusal to give up.



Juryo Update—Spotlight on Aonishiki

In the Juryo division, Aonishiki (安青錦), Shishi, and Wakaikari are tied at 7 wins and 1 loss. Aonishiki, a 20-year-old rikishi from Ukraine, is a wrestler to watch.

He maintains a strong forward-leaning posture and demonstrates aggressive, forward-driving sumo. At the same time, he showcases a variety of techniques inherited from his mentor, former Aminishiki, now Ajigawa Oyakata.

Keep an eye on this promising young rikishi, as his future looks very bright.




Written by 小柳公寿


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