Skip to main content

Grand Sumo 2025 January Tournament Day11

 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 Record with Strong Persistence

It was anticipated that if the match turned into a mawashi grip battle, Onokatsu would have the advantage, while if it became a pushing and thrusting contest, Oho would have the upper hand. However, in a battle of the yotsu-sumo (grip fighting), Oho emerged victorious.

Initially, Onokatsu pulled a good right-hand grip from below while pushing forward. In the past, Oho might have been pushed back in such a situation, but this time, he didn’t give up. While it may have been due to Oho’s mawashi being loose and stretched, preventing Onokatsu from fully securing a right-hand grip, Oho’s persistence and the physical strength to back it up were key factors in his victory.

Oho commented, “The results are beginning to show from the daily practice I’ve been steadily accumulating.”

Onokatsu seemed slow to react when Oho attempted a Makikae(belt reversal), which may have contributed to his loss.



Takerufuji Falls into Trouble with a Pulling Move

Takerufuji managed to evade his opponent effectively and took the initiative early on. Daieisho, despite being pushed to the edge of the ring, did not attempt to pull. Instead, he first secured his footing by placing his foot inside the Tawara(straw bale) and maintained his position, then launched a thrusting attack to counter.

Takerufuji, similar to his match against Tamawashi, made the mistake of pulling straight back, and was immediately countered, resulting in a loss.


Kinbozan Maintains His One-Loss Record with Strong Performance

In the initial charge, Kinbozan used his right arm to thrust Onosato backward, and when he pushed further, Onosato, weighing 185 kg, was lifted off the ground. When Onosato instinctively attempted to pull, Kinbozan swiftly executed a thrust-down.

Kinbozan's winning streak was halted yesterday, but he managed to reset his mindset and focused on today’s match, showcasing his true strength. He recalled the advice Oyakata gave him after his first loss in professional sumo: "It's also a sumo wrestler's job to switch gears mentally after a loss."

During his university days, Kinbozan had previously defeated Onosato in a pushing and thrusting match, so it’s possible that both wrestlers had that memory in mind. Nonetheless, Onosato tends to resort to pulling or slapping whenever he’s put on the back foot. It would be great if he could follow the example set by wrestlers like Shishi, Oho, and Daieisho today, showing patience and perseverance before launching a counterattack.




Written by 小柳公寿


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Grand Sumo 2025 January Tournament Day4

 It was an excellent bout and very enjoyable to watch.  TAKANOSHO - HOSHORYU  Hoshoryu had a strong tachi-ai (initial charge) and maintained good flow throughout the match. However, Takanosho showed remarkable determination, refusing to back down even when in a disadvantageous position. The pivoting movement he made when he was cornered against the tawara (bales on the edge of the dohyo) on the far side was particularly impressive. This turned the tide of the match in Takanosho’s favor. In the end, though, Hoshoryu secured the victory with his incredible athleticism and the exceptional strength of his lower body, snatching the win in dramatic fashion. TAKAYASU - URA Wow, that was surprising! A tsutaezori (Under arm forward body drop)—and not just any tsutaezori, but one executed so beautifully! Watching the match, it was clear that Ura was aiming for a sori-waza (Backwards body drop). Still, I thought, “There’s no way this will work against Takayasu.” But this was truly a...
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

Grand Sumo 2025 January Tournament Day15 (Final)

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...
Post a Comment
Read more