My name is Kimitoshi Koyanagi , Japanese. I am a sumo fan with approximately 50 years of experience watching the sport. My English is poor. But I aim to share the appeal of sumo with the world, focusing on analyzing and providing commentary on the bouts and their content during tournaments.
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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 ready to lift the Emperor’s Cup.
Onosato dominates Kotozakura in the regulation match.
Just like yesterday, Onosato had a strong tachi-ai, and while moving forward, he was able to secure a right-hand inside position (migi-zashi). What makes Onosato so impressive is that he not only wins the initial clash but also powers through with strong second and third steps. When he’s in that rhythm, there’s no stopping him.
As I had hoped, this led to a championship playoff between the two rikishi with three losses.
In the regulation match, Takayasu won by prevailing in the battle for inside position (sashite). I expected that the playoff would once again hinge on the sashite battle, but...
Ōnosato won the tachi-ai and drove forward, but Takayasu managed to secure a left-hand inside grip (hidari-zashi), following the same pattern as their regulation match. However, this time, things unfolded differently.
In the regulation match, Ōnosato panicked, stepped back, and attempted a right uwate-nage (overarm throw), which ended up pulling Takayasu into his own space, ultimately costing him the match. But today, he made the right decision. He held on to his right uwate firmly, drove forward, and applied steady pressure, forcing Takayasu out.
This adjustment proved to be the key. Ōnosato had made several mistakes during the tournament, but by correcting them within the same basho, he ultimately claimed the championship.
In the post-match interview, Ōnosato commented on his performance, saying:
"I had never beaten him before, so I didn’t worry about the finer details and just fought with all my spirit. I ended up in a disadvantageous position, but pushing forward turned out to be the right choice."
Reflecting on the tournament, he added:
"Since becoming an Ozeki, I hadn’t been able to achieve good results, so I’m glad I finally managed to win the championship. I had confidence from the first day. I’ve had some really tough tournaments lately, so this victory makes me very happy."
Takayasu commented on his performance, saying:
"I lost because I was overwhelmed by the pressure. I’d be lying if I said I had no regrets, but I gave everything I had."
He continued:
"I was able to compete until the end without any major accidents. The support from the fans kept me going, and it was a fulfilling tournament."
Looking ahead, he added:
"I will not forget this frustration and will prepare my body for May. I want to aim for the championship again."
Onosato defeated Hoshoryu in a championship playoff between yokozuna, both having finished with a 13–2 record. With this victory, Onosato claimed his fifth career championship, his first since being promoted to yokozuna, and his first in two tournaments. The Onosato–Hoshoryu matchup turned out very differently from what I had expected. In the honwari (regulation bout), I thought Onosato would charge forward with an unhesitating attack at the tachi-ai (initial charge). Yesterday, Hoshoryu won with a henka (sidestep at the initial charge) at the initial charge. Precisely because of that, I believed it would be extremely difficult for him to attempt a second consecutive henka in such a high-stakes yokozuna showdown for the championship. I assumed Onosato thought the same way—but I was wrong. In the honwari bout, rather than focusing on the kind of sumo he wanted to impose, Onosato seemed too preoccupied with the possibility that his opponent might attempt another henka or some other varia...
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...
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...
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