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 variation at the tachi-ai. When he hesitated to probe Hoshoryu’s intentions, Hoshoryu came forward all at once, leaving Onosato no chance to mount a defense.
Another unexpected development was that, if Onosato were to lose, I thought it would be in a scenario where he allowed Hoshoryu to win with a nage-waza (throwing technique). Yet in that very scenario, it was Onosato who emerged victorious—though only by the narrowest of margins.
At the tachi-ai (initial charge), Hoshoryu shifted slightly to the side and secured a left uwate (outside grip). This was the classic pattern in which Onosato usually loses: Onosato drives forward hard with a right-hand shitate (inside grip), and his opponent uses that forward momentum to pull off a reversal with a left uwatenage (overarm throw) at the edge of the dohyo.
But this time, Hoshoryu’s uwate was too deep, Onosato managed to insert his right shitate deeply, and he pressed in quickly with his body. Thanks to those factors, the gunbai (referee’s decision) went to Onosato.
Wakamotoharu ー Aonishiki
Opponents of Aonishiki always try to devise ways to raise his upper body. Wakamotoharu chose to attempt a kachi-age (forearm smash at the tachi-ai), but it didn’t work. However, by inserting his left arm at the tachi-ai (initial charge) and driving forward with pressure on the second and third steps, he succeeded in lifting Aonishiki’s upper body and securing a right uwate (outside grip).
Once Wakamotoharu had locked in a right uwate from a hidari-yotsu (left-hand inside grip position), there are very few rikishi who can defeat him. Aonishiki had no chance to mount any offense.
Aonishiki finished with an 11–4 record and received the Gino-sho (Technique Prize). Takadagawa, head of the judging department, stated that these 11 wins would serve as the starting point for Aonishiki’s future Ozeki-tori (promotion run to Ozeki).
Takanosho, a maegashira (rank-and-file rikishi) who was in contention for the championship until the final days, received the Kanto-sho (Fighting Spirit Prize). This was his sixth special prize overall, and his first since the Kyushu tournament last year.
When his right-hand thrusts are extending well, Takanosho is a formidable force. He mentioned that Minatogawa-oyakata (former Ozeki Takakeisho) had advised him to make full use of the power in his right-hand tsuki-oshi (thrust-and-push techniques).
The Shukun-sho (Outstanding Performance Prize) went to Hakuoho, who defeated yokozuna Onosato earlier in the tournament and secured kachikoshi on the final day.
His shift in fighting style is paying dividends. Previously, he tended to settle into a hidari-yotsu (left-hand inside grip) and wait to gauge his opponent’s moves. Recently, however, he has been charging sharply at the tachi-ai (initial charge), diving into his opponent’s chest and driving forward at once—similar to the style of his stablemate Takerufuji.
Although he injured his right arm partway through the tournament—and it surely must have been painful—his mental toughness was unmistakable.
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