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 May Tournament Day8 ～ Onosato Stays Perfect at 8–0, Takes Sole Lead
Onosato is in the midst of a yokozuna promotion run, but today’s sumo already had all the hallmarks of yokozuna-zumo—dominant, composed, and unshakable.
In past bouts against Hiradoumi, Onosato had struggled when Hiradoumi managed to slip inside at the tachiai or gain the advantage in the sashite-battle. Today, however, even though Hiradoumi came in with a solid initial charge, Onosato absorbed it as if it were nothing, rebuffed his opponent with ease, and swiftly pushed him out of the ring.
After the bout, Onosato spoke calmly and without changing his expression:
“I was able to see my opponent clearly, so that was good. I’m not thinking about what lies ahead or what’s happening around me—just focusing on what’s right in front of me. We’re only halfway through the tournament, so I’ll stay focused and keep doing my best from tomorrow on.”
Already with two losses, Hoshoryu could not afford another defeat—not only to stay in the yusho (championship) race, but also to uphold the dignity of a yokozuna.
What followed was an unexpected turn of events: Takerufuji executed a henka at the tachi-ai. This was likely a strategic response, as in both of their previous bouts, Hoshoryu had opened with hari-zashi (an open-handed slap followed by an inside grip).
However, Hoshoryu handled the surprise calmly and effectively—a sign that he may be regaining his form.
After the bout, Hoshoryu commented:
“I didn’t expect that kind of tachi-ai at all, but I just let my body react naturally. I want to take it one match at a time and stay focused.”
There was a brief moment of drama when the gyoji (referee) fell during the bout, but it had no effect on the outcome.
Aonishiki remained faithful to his signature style and preserved his one-loss record.
From a low stance, he kept the pressure on with relentless tsuki-oshi (thrusting and pushing), maintaining control from start to finish. His final charge was decisive and unrelenting.
Although he was upright on Day 1, since Day 2 he has consistently maintained a strong forward-leaning posture, never losing balance. Remarkably, despite this being only his second top-division tournament, he already seems to possess his own "formula for victory."
After the bout, Aonishiki said calmly:
“If I start thinking about my opponent too much, I can’t wrestle my own style. So I just trust myself and stick to my sumo. There's still a long way to go.”
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...
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...
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...
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