Aki 2025: Day Three

Andy Aki 2025, Aki Basho , ,

No new kyujo but there are certainly a few guys who could stand to take some time off. The thing is, kyujo will likely mean no trip to London. So, while Tobizaru and Nishikigi might be better off on the couch for this basho, I’m guessing these guys will want to stick it out. From what I’ve heard, Prince William is a sumo fan. Frankly, I miss seeing the Emperor at these tournaments. Showa would get so into the action back in the day.

Anyway, back to this tournament. Juryo action has whittled the field to a foursome at 3-0. Asahakuryu, Kotokuzan, Mita and Oshoumi lead, undefeated. Asanoyama, Asasuiryu, Kyokukaiyu and Nishinoryu, are at 2-1.

In the top division, we have had a good start from the guys at the top of the banzuke. No kinboshi so far. No big surprises or upsets, yet. The flood of young guns, though, will certainly work to keep things interesting. Hell, Onosato still probably counts as a “young gun,” himself. Aonishiki, Hakuoho, Atamifuji, and Hiradoumi all look healthy and “genki” so far. Well, enough of my blabbing, let’s get to the action.

Day Three NHK videos are here.

Makuuchi Action

Shishi (2-1) defeated Hitoshi (0-3). The pair exchanged tsuppari to start the bout. Shishi pressed forward and Hitoshi pulled until he jumped off the dohyo. Hitoshi’s looking even worse on his knee. Yorikiri.

Ryuden (3-0) defeated Kotoeiho (0-3). Kotoeiho got his left hand inside and forced Ryuden back to the bales. As they approached the tawara, Ryuden got his left hand inside and rotated, dragging Kotoeiho up against the edge. Ryuden kept up the pressure and pressed Kotoeiho over. Yorikiri.

Shonannoumi (1-2) defeated Nishikigi (0-3). Nishikigi’s only advance in the bout was when Shonannoumi pulled. Shonannoumi realized his mistake and stopped before he got to the edge. “My oyakata won’t speak to me if I lose this bout.” He then used his right hand inside grip to drag Nishikigi down. Uwatenage.

Tomokaze (2-1) defeated Tobizaru (2-1). Tomokaze pulled and nearly caught Tobizaru but he recovered, spun and retreated back to center. The two traded tsuppari and Tomokaze tried a few more pulls before he charged forward. Tobizaru tried a slapdown and fell off the dohyo as Tomokaze flopped forward. Gunbai Tomokaze. Mono-ii. Gunbai confirmed as Tobizaru’s heel appeared to go over the edge before Tomokaze fell. Oshidashi.

Tokihayate (2-1) defeated Asakoryu (1-2). Asakoryu charged forward and then did a quick pull and tried to shove Tokihayate’s head into the ground. Tokihayate kept his balance and decided to take revenge with his own pull. He shoved Asakoryu down as he stepped out. Gunbai Tokihayate. No mono-ii. Tsukiotoshi.

Sadanoumi (2-1) defeated Meisei (1-2). Meisei initiated a pull and Sadanoumi rode him over the edge. Oshidashi.

Mitakeumi (1-2) defeated Shodai (2-1). Shodai got his right hand inside, briefly before Mitakeumi shifted to get his left arm back inside and on Shodai’s belt. He then drove forward and forced his old friend over the bales for his first win of the tournament. Yorikiri.

Churanoumi (2-1) defeated Roga (2-1). Churanoumi got his left-hand up front on Roga’s belt. After pressing forward for a few seconds, he launched his pull and slapdown attempt. This caught Roga off balance and Churanoumi pivoted to drove Roga to the edge. Churanoumi kept up the pressure and forced Roga over the edge. Yorikiri.

Kinbozan (1-2) defeated Daieisho (1-2). Kinbozan blasted Daieisho with tsuppari to the head then pulled and Daieisho stumbled forward. Kinbozan grabbed Daieisho’s belt and pulled him forward over the bales. Uwatenage.

Ura (3-0) defeated Fujinokawa (0-3). This was a brawl as both men lashed out at the other with a flurry of tsuppari. Fujinokawa pulled twice with slapdown attempts. On the second attempt, Ura drove forward and forced Fujinokawa over. I know Fujinokawa has his boosters, that he’s “for real.” I know he did well in Nagoya…but I don’t get the hype. Maybe one of you can convince me how he’s much better than, say, the shorter Tobizaru or even the powerful Asakoryu? Where does he fit in the top division? A grinder like Sadanoumi? Or someone who will reach sanyaku? Oshidashi.

Oshoma defeated Midorifuji. Midorifuji got both hands inside but Oshoma clamped down on Midorifuji’s left arm. Midorifuji couldn’t make much use of his free right hand under Oshoma’s shoulder. Oshoma broke Midorifuji’s right hand grip and then pulled him to the edge before shoving him over. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Kusano (1-2) defeated Onokatsu (2-1). Kusano got a double inside grip and Onokatsu struggled to counter attack as Kusano pressed forward and walked Onokatsu out. Yorikiri.

Takanosho (2-1) defeated Ichiyamamoto (1-2). Ichiyamamoto gave a quick shove but then pulled. This was a huge mistake as Takanosho pressed forward. Takanosho kept up the pressure and forced Ichiyamamoto out. Yorikiri.

Hiradoumi (2-1) defeated Wakamotoharu (2-1). Hiradoumi blitzed Wakamotoharu at the tachiai and drove him out quickly. Wakamotoharu looked as ill-prepared as Wakatakakage was on Day One against Hakuoho. Oshidashi.

Kotoshoho (2-1) defeated Gonoyama (0-3). Gonoyama charged forward and drove Kotoshoho toward the bales. Kotoshoho pivoted as he approached the bales and hooked his right arm under Gonoyama’s left, pulling him to the edge. Kotoshoho then shoved Gonoyama out. Oshidashi.

Sanyaku

Oho (1-2) defeated Takayasu (0-3). Oho pulled and shifted left as Takayasu charged forward. Oho shoved Takayasu as the freight train barreled forward and off the dohyo. Tsukiotoshi.

Kirishima (3-0) defeated Atamifuji (1-2). Kirishima overpowered Atamifuji quickly. Atamifuji tried to counter at the edge but Kirishima’s momentum carried him through. Yorikiri.

Tamawashi (1-2) defeated Wakatakakage (1-2). Tamawashi hit Wakatakakage so hard with the right hand to the face and the follow through thrust that Wakatakakage stumbled out to the side. This was not the start WTK needed for his Ozeki run. Oshidashi.

Aonishiki (2-1) defeated Kotozakura (2-1). Kotozakura was all too happy to let Aonishiki force him to the edge. With his heels at the tawara Kotozakura woke up and tried to counter attack. Kotozakura finally shoved Aonishiki down to the dirt but not before he had stepped out of the ring. Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu (3-0) defeated Hakuoho (1-2). Hoshoryu shifted to the right immediately after contacting Hakuoho, grabbed Hakuoho’s belt, and spun. Hakuoho fought hard to maintain his balance but Hoshoryu kept up the Tasmanian Devil attack and wrangled Hakuoho to the ground. Uwatenage.

Onosato (3-0) defeated Abi (0-3). Abi hit Onosato with his early flourish and then jumped to the side. Onosato calmly cornered Abi at the edge, walked through a volley of tsuppari, and threw him clear from the dohyo. I suppose Abi wanted to do a slapdown or something but he just got yeeted. What did I say about Abi looking good this tournament? Holy crap. He just got embarrassed there. Oshitaoshi.

Wrap-up

Onosato and Hoshoryu keep up their charge at the top of the leaderboard. Hoshoryu will fight Abi tomorrow. That’s certainly a dangerous one. I’ve got it circled for two reasons. Abi got embarrassed today and will want to come back and give it a better try tomorrow. Hoshoryu, on the other hand, probably lacks a bit of confidence if he decided to take on Hakuoho from the side.

Meanwhile, Onosato will face Hakuoho. Onosato has been dominant in his three bouts but Hakuoho is a strong challenger and he will take Onosato head-on. Kotozakura will fight Tamawashi. Will the Ozeki get himself into trouble again? Kirishima will take on Gonoyama, Wakatakakage will fight Takayasu, and Aonishiki will fight Oho. Lots to look forward to on Day Four!

Aki 2025: Day Two

Andy Aki 2025, Aki Basho ,

We had a great first day of action, especially for the top-ranked wrestlers. Both Yokozuna and our Ozeki won their bouts. Onosato, in particular, looked dominant in his victory over the promising young Ukrainian, Aonishiki. Wakatakakage stumbled in his first bout, though, as he tries for Ozeki promotion. We will see if he can make up for the setback today.

Your NHK Day Two videos are here. The Grand Sumo App from Dwango will be the best option for those Juryo videos for now. You can find the link on the sumo.or.jp homepage, toward the bottom.

Makuuchi Action

Oshoumi (2-0) defeated Hitoshi (0-2). Oshoumi plowed forward and Hitoshi tried to twist and throw with his right hand. Oshoumi just continued to press forward, trapped Hitoshi’s right arm, and dragged Hitoshi down. Kotenage.

Shishi (1-1) defeated Tomokaze (1-1). Tomokaze rotated and pulled, trying a slapdown. This just helped Shishi shove him out faster. Oshidashi.

Ryuden (2-0) defeated Nishikigi (0-2). Ryuden wrapped Nishikigi up and drove him over the edge with relative ease. It’s Day Two but Nishikigi is looking like he wants to buy a ticket for the barge to Juryo, already. Yorikiri.

Tobizaru (2-0) defeated Sadanoumi (1-1). Tobizaru hit out at Sadanoumi forcefully at the tachiai but suddenly grabbed Sadanoumi’s right arm and pulled. As Sadanoumi stumbled forward, Tobizaru grabbed Sadanoumi’s belt and pushed him down to finish him off. Hikiotoshi.

Asakoryu (1-1) defeated Shonannoumi (0-2). Asakoryu hit Shonannoumi hard and drove him back. Shonannoumi pivoted and peeked over Asakoryu’s back, tried to reach in and pull but Asakoryu just slammed into him and drove him out. Oshidashi.

Tokihayate (1-1) defeated Mitakeumi (0-2). Tokihayate overpowered Mitakeumi head-to-head and drove him back and out. Yorikiri.

Roga (2-0) defeated Meisei (1-1). Roga drove Meisei back to the edge but Meisei resisted the charge and drove him back through the ring. At the edge, Roga slapped Meisei down as he fell out. Gunbai Meisei. We got our first mono-ii of the tournament. On video review, Meisei touched down while Roga was still in the dohyo. Uwatenage.

Shodai (2-0) defeated Daieisho (1-1). Daieisho slammed into Shodai, driving him back to the edge. Shodai suddenly slipped to the side with a shove to Daieisho’s shoulder to throw him off balance. Daieisho tried to regroup but Shodai pounced and shoved Daieisho out while he retreated. Okuridashi.

Churanoumi (1-1) defeated Fujinokawa (0-2). Churanoumi got his right hand inside and drove Fujinokawa toward the bales but Fujinokawa escaped and countered with strong tsuppari. Churanoumi wrangled Fujinokawa again, though, and drove him back and over the bales. Yorikiri.

Ura (2-0) defeated Midorifuji (1-1). Ura got his left hand inside and right hand outside grip. Once corralled, Ura pulled up and charged ahead. Midorifuji pivoted as he was driven back, trying to shake Ura loose. But Ura drove Midorifuji down onto the bales. Yoritaoshi.

Oshoma (1-1) defeated Kinbozan (0-2). As Kinbozan charged ahead, Oshoma pivoted, grabbed Kinbozan’s belt with his left hand and threw him to the ground. The quick, powerful move drew “Oohs” from the crowd. Uwatenage.

Halftime

Onokatsu (2-0) defeated Takanosho (1-1). Takanosho forced Onokatsu to the edge with a powerful nodowa. Onokatsu was able to escape to his left along the tawara. Takanosho was off balance as he pursued so Onokatsu helped finish him off with a shove over the edge. Oshidashi.

Ichiyamamoto (1-1) defeated Kusano (0-2). Ichiyamamoto overpowered Kusano, drove him back and over the edge. Oshidashi.

Kotoshoho (1-1) defeated Hiradoumi (1-1). Kotoshoho weathered Hiradoumi’s energetic attack and neither man wanted to allow the other inside to get a grip, so both men hit each other with tsuppari. Kotoshoho pulled back and Hiradoumi charged forward. Kotoshoho pivoted to his left and caught Hiradoumi off-balance. Hiradoumi stumbled while Kotoshoho shoved him down from the side. Tsukiotoshi.

Wakamotoharu (2-0*) defeated Gonoyama (0-2). This was a great back-and-forth as both men traded taking the offensive. Gonoyama charged forward, then pulled. He charged forward again, using a bit more mis-direction and agility than what I usually see from him. Wakamotoharu kept Gonoyama in front of him and drove him over the edge as Gonoyama tried another pull. Oshidashi.

*corrected Wakamotoharu’s record. Thx, Markus.

Sanyaku

Aonishiki (1-1) defeated Atamifuji (1-1). Aonishiki displayed a lot of power by forcing Atamifuji around the ring. But Atamifuji stayed with him. Aonishiki tried an uchimuso but Atamifuji came down on top of him. Gunbai Aonishiki. “Who touched first?” Mono-ii. Judges decided on a rematch. In the rematch, Atamifuji tried a slapdown but Aonishiki kept his balance. Atamifuji had a grip deep over Aonishiki’s back but Aonishiki charged forward and forced Atamifuji out. Yorikiri.

Wakatakakage (1-1) defeated Oho (0-2). Wakatakakage bounced back well from his loss yesterday. He attacked Oho, got his right hand inside immediately and pressed Oho to the bales. At the bales, he got his left hand inside as well and forced Oho to step out. Yorikiri.

Kirishima (2-0) defeated Abi (0-2). Abi lashed out forcefully with his tsuppari. He followed up with a pull. Kirishima maintained his balance and kept up the pressure, eventually twisting Abi down. Despite the loss, Abi seems more active and stronger than in recent basho. I’ll be keeping my eye on him if he can keep this up. Sukuinage.

Kotozakura (2-0) defeated Hakuoho (1-1). Hakuoho charged forward and Kotozakura absorbed his tachiai. As Kotozakura tried to slip his right hand inside, he thought better of it, shifted to his left and pulled Hakuoho down. Tsukiotoshi.

Onosato (2-0) defeated Tamawashi (0-2). Tamawashi lashed out with a powerful nodowa against the Yokozuna. But Onosato batted his arm away, slipped to the side and slapped the geezer down. Tsukiotoshi.

Hoshoryu (2-0) defeated Takayasu (0-2). Hoshoryu was aggressive but patient today. He got his right hand inside immediately and tried several times to pull Takayasu over. Takayasu resisted and stayed in the bout for a long time but Hoshoryu worked his right hand inside for a morozashi grip. Once Hoshoryu got that double-inside grip, he plowed forward and forced Takayasu out. Yorikiri.

Wrap-up

It’s kind of funny how sumo seems to be the only sport where I hear the crowd give an appreciative cheer when there are more ads. There was a stonking load of kensho banners for the musubi-no-ichiban. That means a big ole stack of envelopes for the winner. Each time the yobidashi turned around to get another banner and go back up to the dohyo, the crowd gave an approving cheer.

Great action so far. Aonishiki almost pulled off another one of his brilliant finishes. Atamifuji’s reaction, though, probably deserved the win as he fell into the komusubi and knocked him down. I am sure Aonishiki will see the vulnerability and adjust his strategy accordingly.

Takayasu will fight Oho tomorrow with both men looking for their first win. Atamifuji will fight Kirishima. Wakatakakage will fight Tamawashi. Kotozakura gets his turn against Aonishiki on Day Three while Hoshoryu will fight Hakuoho. The musubi-no-ichiban will feature Onosato against a seemingly healthy and genki Abi. We might have some surprises tomorrow! For now, I’m going to get some coffee.

Aki 2025: Day One

Andy Aki 2025, Aki Basho , ,

Welcome back, everyone. I am eager to get this basho going. Stuff has been rather busy and it’s nice to wake up at 3am every morning to catch a little sumo action to start the day.

There are several storylines heading into the tournament, but we will start with who is not here. Takerufuji is absent due to bicep surgery. We will not see him in action this tournament. Endo, down in Juryo, is also kyujo with those knee surgeries. Wakatakakage has a chance here in Tokyo for Ozeki promotion. He needs 11-wins to hit that infamous 33-win benchmark.

Nagoya champion, Kotoshoho has leapt up the banzuke to Maegashira 5 and will fight Wakamotoharu here on Day One. The odds are stacked against a repeat with this tougher competition. His yusho portrait was unveiled alongside Onosato’s in Kokugikan. Thank you to OneLoveLulit who was in attendance on Shonichi for the videos.

Down in Makushita, Enho is back in action and got things started with a win! It was a bit shaky there but a win is a win. At Makushita 31, he will be hoping for a kachi-koshi to move up the banzuke into the promotion zone.

NHK videos are here: The NHK video site is being redesigned. All of the top division bouts from Day One are on that page. The site has needed a “refresh” for a while as the list of videos has gotten rather long. But the bad news is that Juryo videos for Aki appear to be blocked from viewing outside Japan, as is the highlight video at the top of the Makuuchi page. This is not good. But it gets worse! According to this announcement, they will also take down the videos of prior tournaments on September 24. Watch them while you can.

For today’s Juryo action, here’s a video of Asanoyama’s return. The former Ozeki is on the left in the video above. He claimed a sukuinage win over Kyokukaiyu, a rookie sekitori from Kyokutenho’s Oshima-beya. And Asasuiryu outlasted the creaking Takarabune (below). Let me know if you all are able to watch the videos. But, let’s get to the top division action.

Makuuchi Action

Daiseizan defeated Shishi. Daiseizan visited from Juryo and secured a right-hand inside grip. Shishi’s left hand over arm grip couldn’t get enough leverage to topple Daiseizan so he released to change his grip inside, which was a mistake. Daiseizan pulled and dragged Shishi down to the ground. Uwatenage.

Ryuden defeated Hitoshi. It was Hitoshi’s debut bout in the top division but Ryuden dominated, driving Hitoshi back and over the edge with powerful shoves. Oshidashi.

Tomokaze defeated Nishikigi. Tomokaze pressed forward and ushered Nishikigi over the edge quickly. Oshidashi.

Tobizaru defeated Shonannoumi. Shonannoumi tried to get a deep overarm grab of Tobizaru’s belt. But each time Shonannoumi grabbed hold, Tobizaru spun away. As the bout went on, Shonannoumi tired and Tobizaru was able to square up and drive Shonannoumi over the edge. Despite the win, we saw Tobizaru’s taped right knee did not appear to be able to take the full weight of both men. Oshidashi.

Sadanoumi defeated Asakoryu. Sadanoumi drove forward and got his right hand inside, forcing Asakoryu out. Yorikiri.

Meisei defeated Tokihayate. Meisei pressed forward with powerful thrusts and charged ahead quickly when Tokihayate attempted to pull. Meisei kept Tokihayate centered and shoved him over the bales. Oshidashi.

Roga defeated Mitakeumi. Mitakeumi had a solid right hand inside grip but couldn’t make much headway. He pressed Roga toward the edge but Roga countered well. Mitakeumi pulled and Roga chased him out the other side of the dohyo. Yorikiri.

Shodai defeated Churanoumi. Churanoumi got a left-hand over arm grip and pressed Shodai to the edge. Churanoumi had tons of space to pivot and pull but Shodai used the maneuver to cut off the dohyo and attack. He forced Churanoumi to the edge and finished him off with a shove. Yorikiri.

Daieisho defeated Fujinokawa. Daieisho blasted Fujinokawa with his powerful thrusting attack. Fujinokawa pivoted right with his right hand inside Daieisho’s shoulder but Daieisho followed well and shoved Fuijinokawa out. Oshidashi.

Midorifuji defeated Kinbozan. Kinbozan pulled Midorifuji over to the edge with a powerful lefthand outside. But Midorifuji’s position and leverage were superior as both men tipped toward the edge, Midorifuji used that leverage to pull Kinbozan off-balance and Kinbozan had to catch himself with his hand. Shitatenage.

Ura defeated Oshoma. Oshoma was leery of Ura and stayed back with rather passive, reactive sumo. Ura lunged forward and grabbed Oshoma’s forward right leg and drove forward. Oshoma reared up and tried to get his leg back but Ura shoved him out. Oshidashi.

Halftime

Takanosho defeated Kusano. Takanosho drove Kusano to the edge quickly. Kusano resisted and brought action back to the center. Kusano pulled with his left hand overarm hold but Takanosho adjusted and shoved Kusano out. Yorikiri.

Onokatsu defeated Ichiyamamoto. Onokatsu weathered Ichiyamamoto’s tsuppari attack and waited for Ichi to tire. Onokatsu got both hands inside and immediately charged forward and forced Ichiyamamoto over the edge. Yorikiri.

Wakamotoharu defeated Kotoshoho. Kotoshoho pivoted and tried to drag Wakamotoharu forward to the bales but Kotoshoho’s right foot stepped over the tawara. Yorikiri.

Hiradoumi defeated Gonoyama. Gonoyama charged forward. Hiradoumi pivoted and slapped Gonoayama down to the ground. Hatakikomi.

Sanyaku

Atamifuji defeated Takayasu. Atamifuji worked his right hand inside and got a left-hand over arm grip, forcing Takayasu to the edge. Takayasu resisted but Atamifuji reinforced his attack with some gaburi hip-thrusting to force Takayasu over the edge. Yorikiri.

Kirishima defeated Oho. Kirishima used his left hand to reach around Oho’s arm and latch on to his belt. While Oho was still trying to figure out what to do, Kirishim  Yorikiri.

Hakuoho defeated Wakatakakage. Hakuoho, in full Juggernaut mode, plowed forward and shoved Wakatakakage off the dohyo. Wakatakakage rotated to his right but Hakuoho kept pace and shoved WTK in the face. Oshidashi.

Kotozakura defeated Abi. Kotozakura obliterated Abi, forced him to the edge and shoved him over. Oshidashi.

Hoshoryu defeated Tamawashi. Hoshoryu drove forward and grabbed Tamawashi’s right thigh, pulling his leg up and pushing him backward. Both men went down simultaneously. No mono-ii. Tamawashi was clearly dead but that was really close. Hoshoryu glanced uncomfortably toward the shimpan, praying no one’s hands went up. Watashikomi.

Onosato defeated Aonishiki. Onosato hit Aonishiki well at the tachiai and pressed forward. Aonishiki tried to escape to the right but Onosato stuck with him and pinned him to the ground. Yoritaoshi.

Wrap-up

Great, powerful start from Onosato, a bit of a shaky first bout from Hoshoryu and a promising win from Kotozakura. Hakuoho splashed cold water on Wakatakakage’s Ozeki run, here on Day One.

Aki Opening Bouts Posted!

lksumo Nagoya 2025

In a sign that the September tournament is almost upon us, the pairings for the first two days have been released. The link takes you to the day 1 bouts, but you can use the toggle at the top to see the day 2 matchups as well.

A few highlights:

  • Onosato opens with Aonishiki, followed by Tamawashi on day 2
  • Hoshoryu has Tamawashi, then Takayasu
  • Kotozakura will fight Abi before taking on Hakuoho
  • Wakatakakage’s Ozeki promotion pursuit will start with Hakuoho and Oho
  • The other Sekiwake, Kirishima, has Oho on day 1 and Abi on day 2
  • When they’re not taking on Yokozuna, Takayasu and Aonishiki have been matched with Atamifuji

The only announced absence in the top division is that of Takerufuji, who is recovering from surgery to repair the bicep injury he sustained in July.

We are less than two days away from sumo! What are you looking forward to for the Aki basho?