Hooked on Sumo: Insights & Analysis 　(by 小柳公寿)

Hoshoryu secured the championship in a Tomoesen ※ Tomoesen means three-way playoff The road to Hoshoryu’s championship began with Kinbozan’s loss to Oho. While Kinbozan was defeated, it appeared that he was still able to execute his usual style of sumo. He didn’t seem to falter under pressure or fail to demonstrate his strength. Oho skillfully timed a slap down on Kinbozan’s thrusting hand and quickly followed up with a rapid attack. His thrusts extended well, successfully raising Kinbozan’s upper body. Until now, Oho’s sumo hasn’t typically been associated with speed, but this match showcased a rare sense of quickness and urgency in his movements. When Kinbozan lost, I was confident that Hoshoryu would claim the championship. It was unthinkable that Hoshoryu would lose to Kotozakura in this tournament. All that remained was the tomoesen (three-way playoff) against an opponent he had already defeated decisively in the regular match. With the championship and Yokozuna promotion with...

Shishi Moves One Step Closer to the Championship Shishi faced Kotoeiho in a crucial bout between championship contenders. The match featured a fierce battle of tactics, as Kotoeiho aimed for moro-zashi (a double inside grip), while Shishi focused on thoroughly blocking it. At one point, Kotoeiho managed to insert his left hand and attempted to Makikae his right hand for a full moro-zashi. However, Shishi skillfully used his left hand to neutralize the attempt. When Kotoeiho, now in a tight position, broke away and withdrew his left hand, Shishi quickly capitalized. He inserted his right hand and, with a swift scooping motion, lifted Kotoeiho’s left arm high, leaving him vulnerable. Shishi then secured the victory with a yori-kiri (frontal force-out). Although Shishi is often seen as a power-focused rikishi, this match demonstrated his ability to execute precise and technical sumo. If he wins tomorrow, he will clinch the championship. Aonishiki Showed Steady Sumo Shirokuma is not an...

 Shishi Wins Clash of One-Loss Rikishi in Historic Match In the Juryo division, the bout between Aonishiki and Shishi drew significant attention as a showdown between two frontrunners in the yusho (championship) race. This was also the first-ever matchup in professional sumo history between two wrestlers from Ukraine. Aonishiki maintained a strong forward-leaning posture, using harite (slaps) while driving Shishi upward from underneath and pressing forward. Although Shishi was pushed back all the way to the tawara (edge of the ring), he kept his composure and watched his opponent carefully. The decisive moment came when Aonishiki charged headfirst, and Shishi capitalized with a tsuki-otoshi (thrust-down). At that critical moment, Aonishiki’s face was pointed downward, and he wasn’t watching his opponent, which led to his defeat. In the Juryo division, Wakaikari, who lost to Shishi yesterday, has withdrawn from the tournament due to a left arm injury. It’s unfortunate. Kirishima Dom...

 A Thrilling Battle Between Two In-Form Rikishi Excites the Kokugikan In the Juryo division, the highly successful Wakaikari and Shishi, both with only one loss, faced off in a fierce bout filled with offensive and defensive exchanges. From the initial charge, Wakaikari showed great speed, using shitatenage  (underarm throw) to destabilize his opponent, followed by a low posture to push forward and seize the initiative. However, Shishi did not resort to pulling or slapping. Instead, after breaking Wakaikari’s balance with a right-hand slap, Shishi swiftly circled around and launched a counterattack. After a tense and intense battle, Shishi won by yorikiri (force-out). At the moment when Wakaikari attempted sukuinage(beltless armthrow), it was unclear whether Shishi had intentionally released his grip on the left side or if it had slipped away. In any case, this resulted in Wakaikari’s throw losing its power, ultimately leading to Shishi’s victory. Oho Maintains His Two-Loss Re...

 Hoshoryu Loses—Yokozuna Hopes Fade Hoshoryu, now in a position where he cannot afford another loss in his quest for Yokozuna promotion, faced Hiradoumi in a crucial match. Up until now, Hoshoryu had never lost to Hiradoumi. However, in this pivotal moment, he suffered a painful defeat. Perhaps due to nerves, Hoshoryu’s footwork was off. His feet didn’t split front-to-back properly but instead became parallel, leaving him vulnerable. As a result, with just a slap to his hands, he lost his balance and fell forward. Kinbōzan Maintains Perfect Record with Sheer Determination Kinbōzan, who has been in excellent form this tournament, faced off against another strong contender, Takerufuji. The two were teammates during their university days, and according to Kinbōzan, they had an intense rivalry characterized by "bachi-bachi" (a Japanese onomatopoeia for sparks flying or fierce practice sessions). However, this marked their first-ever meeting in professional sumo. Before the match,...

 Hoshoryu Defeated by Shodai—A Painful Second Loss Hoshoryu suffered his second loss of the tournament at the hands of Shodai. As a rikishi who never relies on henka (sidestepping with tachi-ai) and always meets his opponent head-on at the tachi-ai (initial charge), Shodai seemed like the kind of opponent Hoshoryu could confidently and aggressively face without hesitation. With Hoshoryu’s sharp tachi-ai and relentless attacks that have been his hallmark this tournament, I expected him to overwhelm Shodai. However, at the moment of impact at the tachi-ai, Shodai didn’t budge an inch, which was surprising. Soon after, Hoshoryu launched a series of thrusts and pushes, forcing Shodai to retreat, and it looked as though Hoshoryu might secure the win. But Shodai skillfully used his right hand to push up under Hoshoryu’s armpit, causing Hoshoryu to lose his balance and completely shift the momentum of the match. In the end, Shodai secured victory with a oshi-taoshi (frontal push down). Af...