Skip to main content

Grand Sumo 2025 March Tournament Day10 ~ Hoshoryu Withdraws, Takayasu Takes Sole Lead

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 hidari-zashi (left inside position).

When Onosato failed to achieve a migi-zashi and, in turn, allowed his opponent to establish hidari-zashi , he freaks out., preventing him from patiently holding his ground, gradually regaining his position, or launching a counterattack ～ I have seen this pattern many times. And I've pointed it out ～ Since Onosato is seen as a future Yokozuna candidate, it is essential that he overcomes this weakness.

The Hottest Bout of the Day: Daieisho vs. Oho

Today’s most thrilling match was undoubtedly Daieisho versus Oho! This was a clash of pure determination and fighting spirit.

It was the kind of bout where either rikishi could have won, but in the end, Daieisho’s experience in these kinds of high-stakes battles made the difference. He has been through this type of intense match many times before, and that experience gave him the edge.

Wakatakakage Also Showed Impressive Sumo

Just look at his positioning at the tachiai! He bent his knees and lowered his center of gravity, keeping an incredibly low stance. His left uwate grip was in an excellent position, and by keeping his elbow tucked in, he neutralized his opponent’s right shitate. Then, with a perfectly timed Uwatedashinage (pulling over armthrow), he disrupted his opponent’s balance and secured a yorikiri victory. It was truly a work of art.

Churanoumi and Takerufuji also showed strong sumo while protecting their Two-loss records.

In the Juryo division, Kusano extended his winning streak to 10, setting a new record for consecutive wins by a newly promoted Juryo rikishi. He’s strong! As a former collegiate yokozuna, he has a physique comparable to that of a makuuchi rikishi. With his size and skill, Kusano has the potential to create a sensation, much like Onosato.


Written by 小柳公寿

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Heartwarming Story About Hoshoryu

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...
Post a Comment
Read more