Onosato remains undefeated after dispatching Gonoyama with ease.
Though he is currently in the midst of a tsunatori (Yokozuna promotion bid), the sumo he’s showing already resembles yokozuna sumō—composed, powerful, and dominant.
Many sumo fans would agree that Onosato’s forward-driving pressure is the best in the top division—by a considerable margin. On top of that, this basho he has overcome a major issue that had previously been pointed out: even when he fails to get a right-hand inside grip (migiyotsu), he no longer panics.
His offense is fast, but not rushed or frantic. In this match, Onosato went for a right shitate grip and even managed to get his hand on the mawashi, but Gonoyama broke the grip by driving his elbow in to block (ottsuke). In past tournaments, Onosato might have panicked in such situations—getting flustered, slapping down on his opponent’s head, or pulling unnecessarily and digging his own grave. But this tournament, we’ve seen none of that.
That said, it’s only Day 6—there’s still a long road ahead. The real test will come when the yūshō (championship) or promotion to yokozuna is within reach. Will he be able to maintain this same mental composure and execute the same quality of sumo under that pressure? That’s what we’ll be watching closely.
Hoshoryu Scores an Easy Win Over Tamawashi
Although Tamawashi is known for his youthful, high-energy sumo despite being 40 years old, something seems different this tournament. His initial charge (tachiai) and tsuki-oshi (pushing and thrusting attacks) lack their usual power.
Lately, instead of coming in hard at the tachiai, Tamawashi tends to shift to the left and rely on ottsuke (frontal arm pressure) to engage. He has strong right-hand nodowa (throat thrust) and tsukihanashi (pushing the opponent away) , but he's wearing a supporter on his right elbow, which suggests he may be in significant pain.
For Hoshoryu, this bout was relatively easy.
What I want to emphasize most about this match video is actually not about the bout itself. Around the 46-second mark in the footage, a spectator can be heard shouting loudly. Raising your voice at such a moment—right before the tachiai (initial charge), when rikishi are at their peak concentration—is a serious breach of etiquette and absolutely unacceptable.
If you ever have the chance to watch professional sumo live, please keep this firmly in mind. The same goes for camera flashes—they are equally inappropriate.
Takerufuji vs Kotozakura
Takerufuji's sumo today lacked precision. Despite delivering a strong tachiai (initial charge), he ended up going chest-to-chest and trying to push against an opponent who is not only larger, but also an Ozeki.
Instead of shifting from the tachiai into a more strategic position, he should have kept his head low, tucked Kotozakura’s chest or under his chin, and fought from that angle. Perhaps he got stood up because Kotozakura managed to get an inside grip against the smaller Takerufuji.
Takerufuji's uwatenage (overarm throw) attempt was also too forceful—it turned into a throw that invited his opponent into his own space, rather than using leverage and proper body positioning. He didn’t open his hips enough to execute it cleanly.
Despite suffering his third straight loss, Takerufuji remains a dangerous opponent—someone that Onosato must not underestimate in tomorrow’s bout.
Wakatakakage Stays Hot, Holds at One Loss
Facing an opponent known for a low, forward-leaning tachiai, Takayasu chose to counter with a kachiage (rising upper arm thrust) at the initial charge.
However, at the moment of impact, Takayasu didn’t gain any ground—his feet remained square, his legs aligned, and his posture upright. With no forward momentum, the kachiage lacked power and failed to lift Wakatakakage’s upper body.
Wakatakakage skillfully sidestepped Takayasu’s attempted counter-push and used that opening to seal the win.
Japanese version of this article here.
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