Maezumo Shinjo Introductions are on Nakabi. The new recruits don borrowed kesho mawashi and climb the dohyo together, taking turns to stand for their introduction. Asahifuji is the much-hyped Isegahama recruit on the far left, then Tenshoyama, Seki and Takeda.
＜八日目の様子＞
— 日本相撲協会公式 (@sumokyokai) November 16, 2025
新序出世披露が行われました。
一月場所の番付より掲載されます。
左より
旭富士（伊勢ヶ濱）、天昇山（玉ノ井）、関（境川）、武田（中村）#sumo #相撲 #十一月場所 #九州場所 pic.twitter.com/mvBkYcHWeL
Nikkan Sports is among those calling him “the strongest recruit in history.” He’s basically been living and training at Isegahama-beya for four years while waiting for Terunofuji to retire, so he’s been honing his craft for a good while. But the rubber meets the road in January. I’m calling a Day One henka loss at the hands of Mongolian compatriot, Tenshoyama.
Fujiryoga easily defeated Tohakuryu, driving him backward and out to remain undefeated. Kachi-koshi acquired, Fujiryoga knows he will be sekitori in January and has the whole week to pick up more wins to propel himself higher up the banzuke. A zensho yusho will not allow him to leapfrog everyone and move directly into Makuuchi but it will move him toward the top of Juryo.
Asanoyama defeated Fujiseiun. Six straight wins has put him in a great place at the start of week two as he tries to climb back into the top division. Fujiseiun’s hopes are still alive, too. He just needs a kachi-koshi.
Makuuchi Action
Chiyoshoma (5-3) defeated Oshoumi (1-7). Henka! Oshoumi seemed to react well but Chiyoshoma stayed on the attack relentless with his slapdown attack. Eventually he dragged Oshoumi toward the bales and slapped Oshoumi down. Hatakikomi.
Nishikifuji (6-2) defeated Sadanoumi (2-6). Nishikifuji jumped Sadanoumi in a dark alley and blasted away with tsuppari until Sadanoumi left the ring. Oshidashi.
Hatsuyama (6-2) defeated Ryuden (4-4). Hatsuyama stood Ryuden up with strong tsuppari and then pulled, slapping Ryuden down. Hatakikomi.
Tokihayate (6-2) defeated Asakoryu (5-3). Tokihayate withstood Asakoryu’s attack and dragged him over to the edge of the ring. Both men tried to topple the other but Tokihayate had better balance and position. He got behind Asakoryu, grabbed his belt and shoved him forward, over the tawara. Okuridashi.
Mitakeumi (4-4) defeated Shonannoumi (2-6). Mitakeumi pushed Shonannoumi over the bales rather easily. Oshidashi.
Tomokaze (2-6) defeated Fujinokawa (6-2). Tomokaze gave Fujinokawa a few good slaps before wrapping his hands up behind Fujinokawa’s head for a slapdown. Hatakikomi.
Gonoyama (5-3) defeated Roga (4-4). Gonoyama blasted Roga at the tachiai and drove him straight back and over the edge. Oshidashi.
Midorifuji (3-5) defeated Shishi (2-6). Shishi was ready for Midorifuji’s katasukashi but he wasn’t paying attention when Midorifuji locked on with a left hand over arm grip. Midorifuji used that to drag Shishi down. Uwatedashinage.
Kotoshoho (5-3) defeated Churanoumi (4-4). Churanoumi pulled for a slapdown attempt but Kotoshoho pressed through it and shoved Churanoumi from the dohyo. Oshidashi.
Abi (3-5) defeated Daieisho (5-3). Abi of old here. Abi blasted Daieisho and did not let Daieisho attack. Abi hit Daieisho with a nodowa and forced him back and over the edge. Oshidashi.
Tobizaru (4-4) defeated Atamifuji (5-3). Tobizaru pulled and Atamifuji obliged, advancing toward the bales. At the edge, Tobizaru twisted to his left and used his left arm inside grip to pull Atamifuji down. Sukuinage.
Halftime
Ichiyamamoto (4-4) defeated Onokatsu (3-5). Ichiyamamoto’s “Phase One” attack overpowered Onokatsu, drove him back to the edge. Onokatsu tried to dance along the bales but clumsily touched outside of the ring with his right foot. Ichiyamamoto didn’t notice and “played to the whistle,” so even though Onokatsu let up, Ichiyamamoto continued his attack and drove him out (as he should). Oshidashi.
Kinbozan (3-5) defeated Shodai (3-5). Kinbozan hit Shodai. Shodai pivoted but Kinbozan followed to the left and drove Shodai out. Yorikiri.
Wakamotoharu (4-4) defeated Yoshinofuji (6-2). Yoshinofuji tried to blitz Wakamotoharu but Wakamotoharu resisted at the tawara and used his hidari-yotsu to force Yoshinofuji back. Yoshinofuji pivoted and tried a kubinage but Wakamotoharu stuck with him, drove him back and slammed him over the edge. Crucial to all of this was the fact that Yoshinofuji had attacked on one foot. He cannot put full weight on his right leg and his calf was heavily taped. As a result, his right leg spent most of the bout hovering in the air above the dohyo. We will watch the wires for a kyujo notice…but it probably won’t come. Oshitaoshi.
Wakatakakage (3-5) defeated Oshoma (3-5). Wakatakakage wrapped Oshoma with a bear hug, drove him back and over the bales. Yorikiri.
Sanyaku
Takanosho (2-6) defeated Kirishima (4-4). Takanosho staggered Kirishima with a powerful thrust to the chin. With Kirishima on the back foot, Takanosho kept his attack up and thrust Kirishima out of the ring. Tsukidashi.
Takayasu (5-3) defeated Hakuoho (3-5). Takayasu hit Hakuoho with a flurry of tsuppari, driving him back and out. Tsukidashi.
Aonishiki (7-1) defeated Oho (3-5). Aonishiki demonstrated patience. He was not going to be baited into a pull or make any mistakes. Aonishiki drove Oho to the edge. As they approached the tawara, Oho pivoted but Aonishiki shifted with him so his left foot stayed firmly in the dohyo and not in danger. As Oho went out, Aonishiki grabbed at his right leg. Watashikomi.
Kotozakura (3-5) defeated Hiradoumi (2-6). Hiradoumi drove forward to the bales. As they neared the edge, Kotozakura shifted right along the tawara and brought Hiradoumi’s left shoulder up while shoving his head down. Sukuinage.
Onosato (8-0) defeated Tamawashi (4-4). Tamawashi’s fierce tsuppari attack and brutal nodowa got Onosato moving backwards. This is where Onosato gets a bit reckless with his footing. Today, though, Onosato slapped Tamawashi down as he retreated along the tawara. Hatakikomi.
Hoshoryu (6-2) defeated Ura (3-5). Hoshoryu battered Ura and then pulled him forward. Ura stumbled by and Hoshoryu tried to push him out from behind. Ura, being Ura, did not give up at the edge and tried to escape to his left along the bales. Hoshoryu grabbed Ura’s leg and finished him off by throwing him off the dohyo. Ashitori.
Wrap-up
Today was probably the first day of the tournament where Onosato looked shakier than Hoshoryu, maybe even shakier than Kotozakura. Tamawashi was that close to picking up a Birthday kinboshi. You could tell he could taste it as he sat ringside after the bout with a thousand yard stare, contemplating what might have been.
Regardless, Onosato picked up his kachi-koshi and remains in sole possession of the lead. With Fujinokawa and Yoshinofuji losing today, Aonishiki is the only chaser with one loss. Hoshoryu leads a pack of five with two losses, joined by Yoshinofuji, Fujinokawa, Tokihayate, and Nishikifuji.
The Day Nine torikumi looks like this for our boys in sanyaku: Onosato will fight Oshoma tomorrow while Hoshoryu will take on Yoshinofuji. Takanosho will fight Kotozakura. Aonishiki will face Hiradoumi. Tamawashi will fight Oho and Takayasu will battle Wakatakakage.
Aonishiki probably has the toughest challenge here with Hiradoumi.
Meanwhile, the wife and I will take a class on how to make yuzu-kosho: the Hakuho of condiments. I’ll tell you how it goes. See you tomorrow!
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Are you sure a zensho would not earn promotion? Would have thought it might depend on spaces available and the number of other contenders.
Baruto had a zensho yusho back in 2006 from J11e. He was promoted to M11w (then there were 16 ranks in makuuchi). There are no other comparable results. But looking at that one evidence I‘d say it’s possible depending on other records.
A zensho yusho in Juryo is extremely rare, but I’d say it would almost certainly get him promoted. A 14-1 could do it, depending on how crowded the exchange zone gets.
Aonishiki vs Oho ,
watching aonishikis leaning body made oho look like he is twice his body size and weight, yet what a battle of perseverance this was from his side
makes sumo a lot more fun watching this guys matches
Abi didn’t do Abi and won. Daieisho is still waiting for the pull.
Enjoy the class, Andy! Have you noticed any appreciable difference in Atamifuji’s sumo, now that he’s coached by Ex-Terunofuji? He’s doing just fine, but his losses are depressing, collapse-in-a-heap affairs that don’t scream ‘good new coach’. Early days, but I was hoping for a more obvious impact!
I don’t know if the change in Oyakata is making the difference, but one thought I have is that Atamifuji is much heavier than he was on his second (successful) debut to Makuuchi a couple years ago. I yearn for those Atamifuji twinkle toes days when he could masterfully skirt around at edge of the tawara and pull a win. There are way less of those now sadly. Solution? Cross training in ballet? Just kidding…
My highlight bout tomorrow would be Yoshinofuji vs Asashory, if former Kusano was healthy.
Hakuoho vs Kirishima and Fujinokawa vs Tokihayate promise to be very animated, too.
And jmotzi will probably root for Shonannoumi and Tomokaze who’ll lumber against each other…
Uncle is still haunting you :)
U‘re right. I‘m not usually a fan but until Aonishiki came along, the uncle had been the nearest thing to an idol. A double shame that I‘m now even taking the letter „u“ away…
This was the first time I saw Onosato standing in full sweat while handing the chikaramizu after his bout. Tamawashi gave it his all! The nodowa a little bit misplaced, it didn‘t completely unfold its fatal power.
Hoshoryu‘s ashitori for Ura was very dominant, after his oshidashi try didn‘t finish the bout at first. I think he‘s full energy mode now, hope he can carry it through to senshuraku.
It’s great to see him sweat and be in something other than bulldozer mode. IMHO, Onosato has been very very lucky these last two matches to get these wins, they could easily been losses. Perhaps there was a meeting he was not invited to? I think the more strategically minded rikishi are placing a chisel in a found crack in his armour.
I don’t know much about Maezumo, but don’t think Andy gets his wish of day one loss for the new Asashifuji…I think these bouts have already taken place, as I saw him winning a few bouts on a YouTuber’s channel, even over his Maezumo colleague, the tall Mongolian. Very cool that he’s sporting the tied up mage hair and keisho mawashi of the original Asahifuji… expectations are high, hoping he sails onwards and upwards with the wins. His anticipated ascent will be very fun to watch!!
Oh duh, sorry just realized Andy calling for Day one loss in Jan 2026, when the bouts start counting…. Never mind! Haha.
Yeah, the maezumo bouts are over. I was talking about their first tournament bouts when they fight “for realz” in Jonokuchi. In January they will fight for a yusho for the first time. Asahifuji is definitely the favorite and should roll over the competition.
If you watched their maezumo bout, you know there’s no way he’s getting henka’d. He knows that’s the only way he can lose at this level, so he’s been using a very soft tachiai, absorbing his opponent’s charge, and then walking him out.
That’ was so close from Tamawashi. I would have really loved to see a victory there to spice up the title race. It’s still possible that someone like Oho could get an unlikely win, but it seems more likely that Aonishiki will need to figure out something or the title will be wrapped up before the Yokozuna meet.
While watching the Jonidan matches on Abema, one match near the end really entertained. little Kazunofuji (170cm, 107kg) from Isegahama beya against Massive Dewanojo (190cm 258kg). The tachiai had Kaz standing as far back as possible and running full speed into Dewanojo, who just stood and waited for him. The match lasted around two minutes with poor little Kaz ineffectively slamming repeatedly into his HUGE opponent. Dewanojo just stood there and likely said “is that all you got?” as Kaz bounced off time and again, not even moving the giant. Kaz finally tried something different and paid the price as Dewanojo got a hold of him and finished of the totally spent opponent.
Very entertaining, I never laughed so hard and felt sorry for the smaller guy who didn’t seem to have any kind of strategy other than beating his body again and again into the wall that was his opponent.
I love the lower divisions for these bouts. I’ll see if I can find it.
If you can find it, I would love for the Tachiai community to see it. It made my day. Post it if you can.
Midnight Sumo is currently replaying the Jonidan matches. Don’t know if you can record the match when it shows up. Good luck.
I found it online. It’s hilarious. Dewanojo is rather famous for being huge against small opponents. Lots of guys find success with ashitori or okuridashi.
I recorded it, 2-and-a-half minutes of frustration for Kaz, Kakuryu (timekeeper shimpan) couldn’t help but smirk and contain an outright laugh at the show.
He just didn’t try anything new. It was like a three stooges routine.
It’s always interesting to watch opponents have to wrestle with how to approach Dewanojo. Come in sharply enough to the tachiai he doesn’t set his balance? Pull? Throw? Leg pick? Dewanojo is just not an opponent you can get chest to chest with and force out, he’ll just reach over you to grab your belt and wait for you to exhaust yourself before inexorably walking you out.
With a normal day job I can only really watch up to the juryo dohyo-iri live, luckily I can see Dewanojo and the really agile wrestlers like Ikazuchido and Yamato.
As he has had more losses than wins in his 13-years career and with Ms44 as highest rank, it doesn’t seem impossible to beat him…
https://www.reddit.com/r/Sumo/s/4ZdPOinY7a
Hilarious!
Talking about the low divisions, I wonder what happens at the bottom of the banzuke. Can one be demoted from jonokuchi? And if yes, is that the end of the sumo career or may those rikishi still come back?
I’m no expert, but I think they can just keep losing indefinitely. From the Wikipedia entry on Hattorizakura, who retired in 2021: “His highest rank was jonokuchi 9. He was notable for having an exceptionally poor record in sumo, having won only 3 of his 238 career bouts, and set an all-time record of 104 consecutive losses. At times he was criticized for appearing to make deliberate attempts to lose and thus avoid competing. He was a member of Shikihide stable, which is well known for taking on any aspiring wrestler regardless of ability.”
Yeah, Hattorizakura is a good example. He and Houn would go multiple tournaments without wins. No one is demoted from Jonokuchi but prolonged absences will drop you from the banzuke. In that case you have to repeat maezumo. The current example would be Higohikari. Occasionally, wrestlers in Jonokuchi will have 6 absences and then compete in one bout to remain on the banzuke. When he was active, Hattorizakura/Shonanzakura would often be that person’s opponent. He would also occasionally have 8 bouts in a tournament.
Thanks kukufuji and Andy, that’s very interesting and very funny, too.
Was there something in it for Hattorizakura or why would he do it?
I mean we’re talking about six years!
PS: using your information I found that there is not only Higohikari who might fall from the banzuke, but there‘s also Daikinryu who took part in Mae zumo this time. I guess that explains why he wasn’t part of the Maezumo Shinjo Introductions U mentioned yesterday, Andy.
And I found Urutora, who’s had five basho in mae-zumo and eight in banzuke-gai, which of course arises my next question: do U know why he‘s not only returned to mae-zumo but also to banzuke-gai several times?
I love Ultraman. That’s where he gets his shikona from. He loves sumo but he’s so scrawny. He’s pulled off some really agile wins but he gets decimated at times. He’s also from Shikihide-beya. But he’s so genki and genuinely tries hard. He’s only 165cm tall and 60kg soaking wet. I’ve got an Ultraman mask and put it on when I get a chance to watch his bouts. There are so many awesome characters in the lower divisions. The action can be legit great sumo, too. Or there can be hilarious mishaps.
Oh, but I think I forgot to mention the knee injury. He got injured, and had to go kyujo a few times, thus the banzuke-gai periods. He’s been healthy for a while and I think has learned how to avoid further injury.
I seem to remember also someone falling off the banzuke entirely because they were kyujo for so many consecutive basho, but I think they were able to rejoin at the bottom once they were medically able.