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

 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...

Today, Takayasu, who has returned to the top of the yusho race, faced Churanoumi, who has been performing well this basho. Churanoumi usually aims for the left mae-mitsu (frontal grip) at the tachiai, but considering the strength of Takayasu’s initial charge, I thought Churanoumi wouldn’t be able to secure that grip. So, I was watching the match expecting Takayasu to win, but… The flow of the match after the tachiai went as I had predicted, but Churanoumi countered Takayasu’s thrusts by blocking from below and using hazu-oshi (pushing up with hands under opponent's armpits). As a result, Takayasu ended up slipping his right arm inside. That’s where the momentum shifted. Takayasu’s usual style would have been to secure the left inside grip, settle down, and then restart his attack. Churanoumi might just win the Gino-sho (Technique Prize) tomorrow. Onosato’s high stance at the tachiai and his large target area seem to make it easier for Daieisho to push him around, which is why Ono...

The biggest shock of this tournament came when newly promoted Yokozuna Hoshoryu announced his withdrawal. During the banzuke announcement press conference, he had declared his intention to compete through the entire tournament, but... Unfortunately, that was not to be. The pressure will only increase for the next tournament, and we hope Hoshoryu takes the time to prepare thoroughly. Although the new Yokozuna had to withdraw, the other rikishi continued to deliver intense and exciting matches, ensuring that the atmosphere did not cool down. The Most Anticipated Bout: Onosato vs. Takayasu Today’s most highly anticipated match was undoubtedly Onosato versus Takayasu. As expected, the key factor was the sashite (inside position) battle. Onosato’s tachiai was strong — he won the initial charge and moved forward while attempting to secure a migi-zashi (right inside position). However, Takayasu, despite being under pressure, did not retreat. He remained patient and successfully secured a hida...

 Yesterday, Takayasu secured a kinboshi by defeating Hoshoryu and expressed his joy, saying, "I'm having the most fun right now" and "There’s still something left to accomplish"—of course, referring to winning the championship. From today, he faces Ozeki opponents. Against Kotozakura, who aimed to secure a right-hand inside position, Takayasu sought a left-hand inside grip. The key to Takayasu victory was successfully getting that left-hand grip. Although Kotozakura applied strong pressure from the right, Takayasu remained patient and composed. He commented, "With years of experience, I’ve come to understand many things. Right now, I’m truly savoring the essence of sumo." It seems his spirit is even more fired up. Onosato, who had lost three consecutive bouts against Abi, faced a crucial challenge: whether he could neutralize Abi’s morote-zuki at the tachi-ai with a sharp forward step. However, Abi had a different plan. At the tachi-ai, he delivered a ...