Grand Sumo 2025 January Tournament Day9

Hoshoryu Loses—Yokozuna Hopes Fade

Hoshoryu, now in a position where he cannot afford another loss in his quest for Yokozuna promotion, faced Hiradoumi in a crucial match. Up until now, Hoshoryu had never lost to Hiradoumi. However, in this pivotal moment, he suffered a painful defeat.

Perhaps due to nerves, Hoshoryu’s footwork was off. His feet didn’t split front-to-back properly but instead became parallel, leaving him vulnerable. As a result, with just a slap to his hands, he lost his balance and fell forward.

Kinbōzan Maintains Perfect Record with Sheer Determination

Kinbōzan, who has been in excellent form this tournament, faced off against another strong contender, Takerufuji. The two were teammates during their university days, and according to Kinbōzan, they had an intense rivalry characterized by "bachi-bachi" (a Japanese onomatopoeia for sparks flying or fierce practice sessions). However, this marked their first-ever meeting in professional sumo.

Before the match, many fans likely anticipated the following scenarios: if Kinbōzan were to win, it would be through relentless thrusting attacks, similar to how Tamawashi defeated Takerufuji, forcing him to retreat straight back under pressure. On the other hand, if Takerufuji were to win, it would involve him maneuvering past the thrusts and closing the distance to secure his preferred grip.

As the bout began, Kinbōzan, true to expectations, launched a thrusting attack. However, Takerufuji sidestepped, so Kinbōzan chose to Yotsu-zumo. This style of sumo favored Takerufuji, who skillfully scooped with his right hand and secured a moro-zashi (double inside grip) by sliding his left hand into position. At this moment, I thought, "As expected, Takerufuji is a master technician. This is his victory." Kinbōzan himself admitted after the match that he thought, "It’s over," at that point.

But what followed was a stunning reversal at the edge of the ring. Kinbōzan executed a determined kotenage (Arm lock throw), snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. This win wasn’t just about technique or strength—it was the embodiment of sheer determination.

Written by 小柳公寿

Comments

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...

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...

Grand Sumo 2025 May Tournament Day9

Onosato Handles Ura with Composure and Control Even when there is a clear gap in ability, there were two key things Onosato needed to be mindful of today: 1. Ura often lowers his head at the tachiai, tempting his opponent to push down on it and pull straight back—something to avoid. 2. Using that momentum, Ura might look to stage a last-minute reversal at the edge of the dohyō, especially if his opponent tries to force him out too quickly without securing a grip on the mawashi. Onosato understood this well. He didn't recklessly charge forward, nor did he pull straight back. Instead, he applied steady pressure, pivoted smoothly, Ura before okuridashi (sending out from behind) him with precision. I had thought from the beginning that Ura’s brand of sumo wouldn’t work against the current form of Onosato—and sure enough, it didn’t trouble him in the slightest. Ichiyamamoto’s sumo style is almost a carbon copy of Abi’s—fast-paced morote-zuki (two-handed thrusts) from...

Hooked on Sumo: Insights & Analysis 　(by 小柳公寿)

Search This Blog