Today I have my banzuke prediction for the 2026 Nagoya basho. That tournament gets underway in the second week of July and the actual banzuke comes out June 29.

Below is what I think might happen, along with lots of pictures showing my methodology. Hope you enjoy it!

The bonus gif today is a man who is somewhat of an oddity in this forthcoming banzuke (at least according to my prediction).

Before I get into my banzuke, here’s something to consider regarding how these rankings work:

The general rule is that wrestlers move up and down based on their net wins or losses from the past basho. That means that a wrestler who went 8-7 has a net score of +1. That then means they are probably going to move up one space. However, we can’t assume that’s the case for everyone. Context matters. And, also, sometimes you just have to stick guys somewhere that more or less makes sense.

Now, below is the real May banzuke, along with the records each wrestler earned at that tournament. I’ve also added columns here for net wins. And, for the first time ever, I’ve got jūryō in here, too. Yep, I’m going to be predicting the jūryō rankings, too.

I’m using the Guess The Banzuke helper page (found here) to make my banzuke. Here’s how we’re starting out:

Let’s play.

Step 1: Yokozuna and Ōzeki

As per usual, this is the easiest part of the banzuke to figure out. Hōshōryū and Ōnosato stay put, since Ōnosato didn’t get more wins than Hōshōryū. Kirishima goes up to ōzeki 1 east, since he had a better record than Kotozakura (and since Aonishiki will be departing this section).

Step 2: The san’yaku

This section isn’t tough to figure out, either. Aonishiki drops down to sekiwake from ōzeki due to his two losing records in a row. Atamifuji and Kotoshōhō both got winning records in their debut sekiwake tournaments, so they keep their ranks. Wakatakakage has to be promoted from komusubi with a 12-3 and a yushō.

This means we’re going to have four sekiwake at the July tournament. That’s not a very common occurrence, but it’s also not terribly rare.

Yoshinofuji moves up to komusubi from M2. No one in the jōi did better than him. That will be a debut appearance for him in the san’yaku. Ōhō moves up to komusubi, leapfrogging some guys who got losing records. This will be his second time as komusubi (he has been sekiwake twice, too). He’s yet to get a winning record in the san’yaku.

Step 3: Math it out

My next step is going to be to just moving everyone else around according to their net wins/losses, despite the logjams that this will create.

Here’s what it looks like when I do that.

A little overwhelming, no?

Step 4: The jōi

There’s a lot to do here, but I’ll start with the jōi (positions M1-M4).

This banzuke is a lot like the other ones this year where there is a block of guys around the jōi and just below who did poorly and need to go down and a block of guys who did well and need to come up. But those blocks have a big gap in between. So we’re going to have to over promote some and under demote some others. The tricky part is deciding how generous or lenient to be.

The block of strugglers right under the jōi means there are very few wrestlers who deserve, based on numbers, to come up and take someone’s spot. The only wrestlers who did well, and are within striking distance, are Churanoumi and Hakunofuji. So they will move up. I’m giving Churanoumi a slight over promotion, but Hakunofuji’s promotion is perfect for his net wins.

To make up the numbers, I’m letting four of the jōi guys keep their spots. I just don’t have the bodies to supplant them. If this happens, it would mean Daieishō would have been ranked M4e for four straight tournaments.

Gōnoyama is the only member of the jōi, other than Yoshinofuji, to get a winning record, so he can move up, too. Ichiyamamoto gets a slightly friendly demotion for reasons stated above.

Step 4: M5 to M7

Time to figure out one of our big gaps. The first thing I’m going to do is move Ura up to M5. That makes total sense and it’s just one spot higher than his net wins. Kotoeihōwill join him there. That’s a big promotion for him, but it’s not outlandish.

I’ll move Ōshōma up to the next highest empty spot. And I’ll let Fujiseun stay pat. The next spot I have open is M7. This is where I need to be lenient. It would feel absurd to have the next highest ranked winners (Tobizaru and Rōga) move up this high.

So I’m going to let Wakamotoharu and Shōdai land here. This means Wakamotoharu is going down two ranks on five net losses. And Shōdai is going down two ranks on three net losses. The JSA have, historically, been kind to wrestlers who were in the jōi (respecting how hard their schedule is in a given tournament).

Wakamotoharu and Shōdai weren’t in the jōi in the last tournament. However, since three of the top wrestlers in the division sat out due to injury, wrestlers in the M5 and M6 ranks had tougher schedules than usual (since they needed those ranks to fight the remaining ōzeki and san’yaku). I think it’s likely that Wakamotoharu and Shōdai will get the kind of demotion they might have gotten if they were M4 last month.

After those moves, we’re left with this:

Step 5: Figure out that even bigger gap

I’m now left with a chasm between M7 and M11. The first thing I can do is be kind to Takayasu and let him take the highest spot here.

Now I have to really over promote some guys.

Rōga is the first lucky recipient. I’m putting him up six ranks to sit next to Takayasu. I’ll give Chiyoshōma the friendly demotion and let him go to M9. He doesn’t quite fit my theories about the ‘shadow joi’, which saw a friendly demotion for Wakamotoharu. But this makes the most sense to me right now.

Asanoyama can sit still. I still have a lot of ground to cover, so Tobizaru and Fujiryoga are going to get big promotions, too.

That gives us this:

Step 6: Finishing off the bottom

The bottom section isn’t too hard. I’ll start by bumping up Mitakeumi to M11e. I need someone for the west side and I really don’t want to put Takerufuji there. I checked historical examples and going from J2 to M11 seems a bit too much of a stretch. I’ll be kind to Asahakūryū instead and let him sit opposite Mitakeumi.

Next, I’ll bump Wakanoshō up one space to sit opposite Takerufuji (who is still getting a very kind promotion).

Abi and Nishikifuji can go up one rank each to sit opposite each other at M13. That makes a lot of sense, especially since they were both M9 and both had 5-10 records.

When Abi and Nishikifuji move up, that clears the jam at M14 and lets me leave Kazuma and Kinbōzan there (who are stablemates, by the way). Ōnokatsu and Shishi are both stuck together. I’ll drop Shishi down (as punishment for that henka on Tamawashi!).

I’m left with a very interesting logjam at M16w; between brothers Asakōryū and Asasuiryū.

Step 7: Brother vs. Brother

We now have two ōzeki and four sekiwake on the banzuke, that means we will only be going down as far as M16 for the July tournament (since makuuchi is capped at 42 spaces). So, in my prediction, only one of Asakōryū and Asasuiryū can be in makuuchi and the other has to go down to jūryō.

I think Asakōryū is going to keep his place in the division. In my banzuke, I’ve followed the rule of being kind to guys ranked just outside the jōi and Asakōryū fits that category. I think his slightly tougher than usual schedule will help him get the tiebreaker over his brother. That’s a shame. If Asasuiryū did come up we’d have three sets of brothers in the makuuchi.

By sending Asasuiryū back down to jūryō, I have my completed first pass of the makuuchi banzuke.

It looks nice.

Here’s where jūryō stands.

Step 8: Jūryō

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I’m still in that post basho glow period right now. And the despair of having to wait two months for more sumo action is yet to set in. However, this stretch from May to July is never too bad (since it’s so lovely outside).

In today’s post I’m going through the predictions I made before the 2026 natsu basho and then just roasting myself for how much I got wrong. It’s good, though, it keeps me humble.

Scroll down to see just how far off I was this month (and see the few things I did get right).

Our bonus gif today is the winner I did not see coming.

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Below is the May banzuke with the win-loss records for everyone in the top division. On the outside columns are my predictions, which largely sucked.

The font for the predictions is either green or red. Green means I was right about whether a wrestler would get a winning or losing record. Red means I was wrong.

I went 22-20 on picking kashi-koshi (winning records) and make-koshi (losing records). That’s actually an improvement on the last time I did this, where I went 18-24 (an all-time low for me). I think my best mark is 24-18.

The shading behind the records shows how close I was on the number of wins for each wrestler. A green backing means I got the prediction exactly right. Yellow means I was off by a single win. Orange means was off by two wins. And red means I was off by three or more wins.

I have six greens here (including the obvious 0-0-15 with Ōnosato). That’s down from seven at the last tournament (which included an obvious 0-0-15 for Midorifuji).

I have eighteen red spaces. That’s just two fewer than at the last tournament (which was my worst ever mark).

With my ego now in shatters, let’s dissect some specific rights and wrongs.

Right on Kirishima and very wrong on Wakatakakage

I picked Hōshōryū to win this tournament and Kirishima to be a close second. Here’s what I wrote about Kirishima, who was going for back-to-back yushō.

I think we’re going to see a strong performance from our newest ōzeki. Like with Hōshōryū, I think the statuses of Ōnosato and Aonishiki are going to be a big help for Kirishima. I also think there’s a lot of very winnable match-ups in the jōi for both him and Hōshōryū. Guys like Takanoshō, Ichiyamamoto, Ōhō, Hiradoumi and Gonōyama could all end up with bad records in this tournament.

So, not bad. Kirishima did seem to benefit from the absences of Ōnosato, Aonishiki and Hōshōryū (who tore his hamstring in his opening day bout). And I was mostly right on there being a soft joi for this tournament. Fujinokawa, Takanoshō, Ichiyamamoto, Hiradoumi and Daieishō all finished with losing records. Though, Gōnoyama and Ōhō did better than I was expecting.

When it comes to Wakatakakage, I had him down for a losing record. I overreacted to the elbow injury he sustained at the end of the last basho. Here’s what I said about him.

Wakatakakage got hurt on the tail end of the last tournament. That might have a lingering effect. I also think he’s going to find it tough against the youngsters who are starting to fill out the ranks around him.

I was delighted to be wrong here. Wakatakakage’s performance and yushō were a joy to watch. And he smoked a lot of those youngsters I thought he’d struggle against (he got wins over Yoshinofuji, Fujinokawa, Ōhō, Atamifuji and Gōnoyama).

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Apologies to Kotoshoho

This tournament saw both Kotoshōhō and Atamifuji debut at the sekiwake rank. I correctly picked that Atamifuji would be competitive at his highest ever rank.

I’m picking Atamifuji to go under the radar and stick his landing in the sekiwake ranks. I don’t think he’s going to soar at this tournament. I think Hōshōryū, Kirishima and Kotozakura will do a good job of keeping him grounded and out of the title picture. But I think he can do well enough to keep this ranking and stay in this spot for some time.

Atamifuji didn’t end up fighting any of those guys I mentioned. Instead it was an early rocky start that kept him boxed out of the title run.

I had Kotoshōhō going 5-10, though. And that was way off. Here’s what I said about him.

I don’t think Kotoshōhō will follow up his impressive runner-up finish from March. I think he’s going to get beat-up by the other upper-rankers (though, he won’t have to face Kotozakura). We’ve seen this before with him. He’s had some amazing tournaments and then always follows them up with terrible records.

Kotoshōhō bucked the trend in this tournament, though. This is his third tournament getting nine or more wins in a row. That’s a career first for him.

Shout out to Alan, who knew what was up. Here’s what he put in the comments for that original predictions post.

Five wins for Kotoshōhō? Wow Tim, you really do have it out for him. I think he will surprise us with a kachi-koshi and remain at Sekiwake. I may be thinking with my heart instead of my head but that's my prediction. He's been up and down the ranks in the past but I think he's maturing and now knows when to reign in his "all violence" team nature.

Alan, if you’re reading this, what’s your prediction for Kotoshōhō in Nagoya? Will he repeat his yushō there from a year ago?

Got way too high on Ōshōumi and Asahakūryū

I really thought I saw something in both of these wrestlers. I might end up being right about that in the long-term, since they are both relatively young and have only gotten two or three top division tournaments under their belts.

They both looked out of their depth in May, though. That makes sense for Asahakūryū, who was competing at M8 after being M17 and M16 for his first two tournaments.

I really expected more from Ōshōumi at the M15 rank, though. He managed a very impressive 10-5 from M16 in January and looked like he had very solid potential. But he’s gone 5-10 and 4-11 since then and will be demoted to jūryō for July.

I overlooked Kotoeihō and Fujiryoga

I can’t be too mad about this. I don’t think anyone had a serious belief that these two would take advantage of the high profile absences and fight themselves into a title run that lasted up until the final day.

I did predict Kotoeihō to finish with a winning record, though, stating “Kotoeihō is showing more promise lately.”

I had Fujiryoga going 7-8. I said, “Fujiryoga was lucky to get spared a demotion for this tournament. I’m still yet to see any makuuchi qualities from him.”

I was wrong there, but… and I don’t mean to sound harsh… I’m still not totally sold on Fujiryoga. I think there’s a chance this one was a bit of a fluke. He and Kotoeihō will have a chance to prove how good they are in Nagoya. They should get very healthy demotions up the banzuke for that (and I’m actually not half-bad at predicting those things).

Other Misses

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And, despite how it started, we had a very exciting and captivating finish to this tournament. Things got off to a rocky start with those massive injury absences, but a very competitive field (with an eclectic range of characters) made the second week of this tournament extremely watchable. And there were fantastic matches, too.

On our final day there were seven wrestlers who had a mathematical chance to win the cup and there was the possibility of a six-way play-off.

Scroll down to see how everything panned out. I’ve got all the results from makuuchi, along with plenty of videos and my analysis for you to enjoy. But, wait… that’s not all!

For this tournament I’ve been breaking down the jūryō action for premium subscribers. On this final day, I’ll have jūryō (and even makushita) content for all.

So please enjoy this last tournament update.

Also, if you’ve enjoyed my coverage of this tournament up until now, please consider picking up a paid subscription. If you get one this month, you’ll receive a special 15% discount. Paid subscriptions keep the lights here and also encourage me to keep pumping out sumo content.

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Our bonus gif today features someone who really takes this stoicism stuff seriously. It’s Wakatakakage.

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SPOILERS BELOW

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Makuuchi Results & Analysis

Results

• Dewanoryū (7-8) def. Ōshōumi (4-11) by shitatenage (underarm throw)*

• Shishi (6-9) def. Ryūden (5-10) by yorikiri (frontal force out)

• Kinbōzan (6-9) def. Tobizaru (9-6) by oshitoashi (frontal push down)

• Nishikifuji (5-10) def. Tokihayate (4-11) by hatakikomi (slap down)

• Wakanoshō (9-6) def. Asahakūryū (5-10) by tsukiotoshi (thrust down)*

• Hakunofuji (11-4) def. Fujiseun (7-8) by hatakikomi*

• Rōga (9-6) def. Gōnoyama (8-7) by yoritoashi (frontal crush out)

• Daieishō (7-8) def. Mitakeumi (8-7) by tsukiotoshi*

• Ōhō (9-6) def. Abi (5-10) by tsukidashi (frontal thrust out)

• Hiradoumi (7-8) def. Tamawashi (2-13) by yorikiri

• Ichiyamamoto (6-9) def. Shōdai (6-9) by oshidashi (frontal push out)

• Yoshinofuji (11-4) def. Kotoeihō (10-5) by yorikiri

• Takanoshō (7-8) def. Chiyoshōma (5-1) by hatakikomi

• Fujinokawa (7-8) def. Wakamotoharu (5-10) by hatakikomi

• Wakatakakage (12-3) def. Fujiroyga (10-5) by katasukashi (under shoulder swing down)*

• Kotoshōhō (9-6) def. Churanoumi (9-6) by hikiotoshi (hand pul down)

• Atamifuji (9-6) def. Ōshōma (8-7) by oshidashi

• Kirishima (12-3) def. Ura (10-5) by oshitaoshi*

Play-off

• Wakatakakage def. Kirishima by oshidashi*

*Must see bouts!

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Tournament Champion and Prize Winners

• Makuuchi champion: K1e Wakakatakage (12-3)

• Kanto-shō (Fighting Spirit Prize): M2e Yoshinofuji (11-4), M10w Hakunofuji (11-4)

• Gino-shō (Technique Prize): K1e Wakatakakage (12-3)

Analysis

Wakatakakage is your Grand Sumo top division champion for May 2026! The younger Waka Bros. defeated Kirishima in a play-off to take home his second career yushō. Three years ago Wakatakakage sat out the May tournament after suffering a catastrophic knee injury in the previous tournament. That resulted in him being demoted all the way down to makushita. Since then he’s clawed his way up the ranks and done his best to resume the career path that had many thought would result in an ozeki promotion or perhaps even yokozuna promotion.

This yushō doesn’t make up for the time lost, but it is still a feelgood moment and something all sumo fans can enjoy (even if you’re a big Kirishima fan, like me).

I’m going to analyze Wakatakakage’s play-off win over Kirishima, but first, I want to go through how we got to that point.

As stated earlier, this tournament could have ended up with a six way play-off since so many other wrestlers had a shot at being champions last night.

Hakunofuji was the first man on the dohyō whose bout had championship repercussions. He came into his bout with Fujiseun knowing he needed to win to stand a chance of getting into a play-off (which would only happen if Wakatakakage and Kirishima then lost their scheduled matches).

The stakes involved in this match prompted Hakunofuji to perform a henka on poor Fujiseun (who was dropped to 7-8 as a result). It was a lovely henka, though. I think it might be the first one I’ve ever seen Hakunofuji perform.

That sneaky win kept Hakunofuji from being eliminated in the title chase. The move didn’t win him any friends at the Japan Sumo Association, though. JSA Chairman Hakkaku publicly criticized the move, saying he was disappointed in Hakunofuji. I’m starting to feel like there’s not much Hakunofuji (whose career will always be tied to JSA public enemy number one Hakuhō) can do right in the eyes of Hakkaku and the others behind the ouster of the sport’s undeniable GOAT.

Hakkaku’s criticism aside, Hakunofuji did what he felt he needed to do to keep himself in with a shot at his maiden yushō. He then got to sit back and watch what his teammate Yoshinofuji would do.

Yoshinofuji and Kotoeihō were tied on wins coming into their final day bout. They knew they needed to win to be in the same situation as Hakunofuji and that a loss would officially eliminate them from the title run.

The bout itself wasn’t very competitive. Yoshinofuji was much stronger than Kotoeihō in the clinch and he had him back-peddling quickly. Kotoeihō didn’t look comfortable in that clinch and was bundled out despite Yoshinofuji having neither a very firm right outside grip on the belt nor a tight underhook with his left.

That result now meant that Yoshinofuji and Hakunofuji would be in a hypothetical play-off should Wakatakakage and Kirishima lose. This would have also presented the chance of Yoshinofuji and Hakunofuji wrestling each other, something teammates can only do during a play-off situation.

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The chances of seeing an Isegahama derby on the final day were squashed, though, when Wakatakakage won his scheduled match with Fujiryoga. That result meant that, from that point on, only Wakatakakage or Kirishima could win the title. Had Wakatakakage lost, then he and Fujiryoga would have been tied with Yoshinofuji and Hakunofuji and would have to wait and see if Kirishima lost to set up a big play-off.

Wakatakakage erased that possibility with the same brutally effective sumo we’ve seen from him over the past few days. He gathered Fujiryoga off the tachiai and then set him up for a quick katasukashi.

Since losing to Kirishima on day eleven, Wakatakakage has made mincemeat of his opponents, finishing them all quickly. That list of opponents includes all men who, at the time of the bout, were fighting to stay in the title hunt (Gōnoyama, Tobizaru, Kotoeihō and Fujiryoga).

Wakatakakage’s win put a ton of pressure on Kirishima, who fought Ura in the last scheduled bout of the evening. If Kirishima lost he would have handed the title to his rival.

Had Wakatakakage lost to Fujiryoga, Ura would have been trying to beat Kirishima to force himself into a six-way play-off with Kirishima, Wakatakakage, Fujiryoga, Yoshinofuji and Hakunofuji. As things stood on the night, though, when his match came around he knew he was just fighting for honour.

Kirishima looked like the fighter with more to win (and lose) in this bout. And he handled Ura rather violently in the match. So much so, that it almost looked out of character for him.

He put Ura down with a sequence of moves that looked highly planned and designed for this situation. Off the tachiai, Kirishima used a right outside grip to pinch Ura’s left arm and then turn him away. That move was made to bait Ura into spinning back to face him. Immediately after the turn, Kirishima threw a kick, knowing it would push the rotating Ura off balance. He paired the kick with a short and sharp nodowa (throat thrust) to send Ura over his leg and sprawling into the dirt.

That win set up Kirishima’s play-off bout with Wakatakakage.

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The play-off bout itself wasn’t a match for the ages. Wakatakakage steamrolled Kirishima, using the power of ottsuke (forearm blocking) to prevent Kirishima getting an inside position. Kirishima beat Wakatakakage on day eleven with a moro-zashi (double inside position). With paths to Wakatakakage’s belt/armpits blocked off, Kirishima had nothing to prevent him being stood up and bent backwards by a stiff Wakatakakage forearm shot to the chest. A second chop across the chest sent Kirishima into the seats.

When Kirishima returned to his mark, he gave Wakatakakage a little nod of the head before his traditional bow. There’s no bad blood in this match-up. Kirishima often trains at Wakatakakage’s Arashio stable, getting lots of practise matches in with him and his brother.

Wakamotoharu was next to Kirishima in the celebratory car ride back in March. This time, though, Wakamotoharu got to ride with his little brother. And he was also able to get Wakatakakage to crack a smile, too, for once (see it below).

Keeping count!

Henka counter: 11.5*

Tobi trample counter (rows): 8**

*Henka from Hakunofuji and Fujinokawa (over Wakamotoharu) take our final Henka count to 11.5. That’s 1.5 more than we got in March.

**Tobizaru got with the program in the last few days of this tournament. The eight rows touched here are a slight improvement on the six he trampled at the March tournament.

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And now something extra… FOR EVERYONE!

Jūryō Results and Analysis

Results

• Arashifuji (5-2) def. Ōkaryū (3-12) by yoritoashi (frontal crush out)*

• Kayo (5-10) def. Tamashōhō (8-7) by oshidashi

• Tōhakuryū (6-9) def. Toshinofuji (9-6) by oshidashi

• Midorifuji (9-6) def. Kagayaki (5-10) by yorikiri*

• Kazuma (12-3) def. Nishinoryū (7-8) by yorikiri*

• Kitanowaka (8-7) def. Tochitaikai (8-7) by hikkake (arm grabbing force out)

• Tomokaze (8-7) def. Shirokuma (7-8) by sukuinage (beltless arm throw)

• Asasuiryū (10-5) def. Hitoshi (8-7) by oshidashi

• Kyokukaiyū (9-6) def. Enhō (8-7) by abisetaoshi (backward force down)*

• Hakuyozan (6-9) def. Hatsuyama (5-10) by yorikiri

• Takerufuji (11-4) def. Meisei (7-8) by oshitaoshi

• Sadanoumi (7-8) def. Nishikigi (5-10) by yorikiri

• Daiseizan (9-6) def. Kazekeno (10-5) by tsukiotoshi

• Ōnokats (9-6) def. Shonannoumi (9-6) by yorikiri

*Must see bouts!

Tournament Champion

• J6e Kazuma: 12-3

Analysis

Kazuma if your jūryō champion this month. He beat Nishinoryū last night to avoid a possible play-off with Kazekeno (who was leading this tournament up until the previous night).

Kazuma had his work cut out for him, though. Nishinoryū was very sturdy off the tachiai and he did a good job of initially preventing Kazuma from getting an inside left position. Nishinoryū used hand-fighting to get Kazuma’s left paw off his belt a couple of times and then used ottsuke to keep the left hand away while also pushing Kazuma back. Kazuma was strong enough to put the brakes on, though. When Nishinoryū felt like he couldn’t move Kazuma back any more, he tried to break free. Kazuma’s hold on him was too tight, though. When Nishinoryū failed to get free, Kazuma was able to then get his left hand on the belt. After taking a breather, Kazuma then wrenched upwards and advanced, standing Nishinoryū up and backing him out for the win.

This was a great performance from Kazuma. And he showed a lot of maturity in this tournament, as he chased down and passed Kazekeno. This is only Kazuma’s eighth Grand Sumo tournament. With the yushō, the man from Kise heya (Ura, Kinbozan, Churanoumi) might have done enough to get promoted to makuuchi. That’s going to be a hard call, though, due to how everything else shook out in jūryō. I’ll dive into that later when I work on my banzuke prediction post.

After watching Kazuma win, Kazekeno slumped to his fourth loss in a row. He ran at Daiseizan last night and was slapped down rather easily. It felt like Kazekeno just wanted to get this one over with.

Enhō finished his jūryō return tournament with a loss to Kyokukaiyū. He got stuck in a close-quarter battle with Kyokukaiyū and couldn’t prevent himself getting marched out. At the end of this one Enhō seemed to collapse, awkwardly, and I feared he might have injured his knee. However, Enhō was up quickly and seemed to be walking OK. That result sees Enhō finish with an 8-7 record (after a 7-2 start to the tournament).

Takerufuji pretty much sealed a makuuchi return with a thundering crush out on Meisei (who dropped to 7-8 as a result). Takerufuji, who was sporting extra bandages on his right shoulder last night, came up looking like he was in a lot of pain. It would be tragic if Takerufuji did all this hard work to get back to makuuchi only to go kyūjō (absent) in Nagoya.

As it stands Takerufuji, Daiseizan and Ōnokatsu are locks for promotion. Asasuiryū and/or Kazuma are possibly going up, too.

Makushita and below

Tournament Champions

• Makushita: Ms20w Ikarigata (6-1)

• Sandanme: Sa6e Asahifuji (7-0)

• Jonidan: Jd37w Shōsei (7-0)

• Jonokuchi: Jk15e Hakugetsuro (7-0)

Analysis

Makushita was decided by a seven rikishi play-off featuring Tanji, Mudōhō, Ikaragita, Akua, Tshushimanada, Toshunryū and Omori.

See that mini tournament below.

The first bout, determined by a random draw, was 22 year-old super prospect Omori, whose hair isn’t even long enough to be slicked back, taking on the teenager Ikarigata. Ikarigata bulldozed into Omori and put him out with a tsuridashi (frontal lift out). That advanced him to the next round.

Next up was the 27 year-old Toshunryū against the 24 year-old Mudōhō (younger brother of Ōhō and grandson of 48th yokozuna Taihō). The bigger Mudōhō looked a lot like his brother in this match, thrusting Toshunryū out rather quickly.

After that was Tanji against Akua. Tanji is 19 and from Arashio heya (Wakatakakage, Wakamotoharu). He went viral a few years ago for clowning on NFL star Micah Parsons. The 35 year-old Akua is a former jūryō veteran from Hōshōryū’s Tatsunami beya. He has recently performed the role of bow twirler and is also known for a gigantic salt toss before his bouts. Akua did his best Hōshōryū impression in this bout, putting Tanji down with an uwatenage that featured a very high leg kick.

In the next round Ikagarita met Mudōhō. The smaller and faster Ikagarita was able to get around Mudōhō’s thrusts and push him out from the side.

Then Akua met Tsusushimada. Tsusushimada received the free pass from the first round (due to there being an odd number of participants). He’s 32, from Sakaigawa heya (Hiradoumi, Sadanoumi) and he’s spent a little time in jūryō before. Akua looked like a freight train in this bout, powering Tsusushimada out to set up a final with Ikaragita.

In the final Ikaragita used a henka! That saw Akua sail past him and go sliding into the dirt. Ikaragita’s makushita yushō was met with plenty of grumbles from the crowd (likely due, in part, to how popular Akua is).

Asahifuji won the sandanme yushō with a play-off win over Kiryuko. He won that bout with a confident kotenage (armlock throw) followed by a slight stare down.

The 24 year-old Mongolian was given the name Asahifuji by Isegahama oyakata (stablemaster). That’s the former Terunofuji. Asahifuji is the name of the 63rd yokozuna and the previous Isegahama oyakata (Terunofuji’s mentor). At the time it felt like that was a lot of pressure to put on the newcomer, who made his debut this January.

Asahifuji has been flawless in Grand Sumo so far, though. He’s undefeated after three tournaments and looking like a lock to be featured in makuuchi in the near future.

18 year-old Shōsei won the jonidan yushō with a 7-0 record. That was his second senior tournament.

24 year-old Mongolian Hakugetsuro won the jonokuchi yushō with a 7-0 record. That was his debut tournament.

OK, that’s everything. The 2026 natsu basho has now been put to bed and that’s where I’m going, too, after I hit send.

Next up from me are report cards, banzuke predictions and spotlight post on Wakatakakage (yep, I’m bringing those back).

Thank you everyone for reading, sharing, commenting and sticking with me for the past fifteen days. I’ve loved watching this tournament and writing about it, too.

Take care, be kind and FIGHT WITH SPIRIT!

Tim

Kirishima was our leader heading into day fourteen, after his explosive win over Kotoeihō on the night before. He had a stacked field of wrestlers on his tail, though.

Check out below to see if Kirishima was able to maintain his lead or if the pack caught up with him.

Our bonus gif today is the always expressive Ichiyamamoto.

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Results

• Daiseizan (8-6) def. Tokihayate (4-10) by yorikiri (frontal force out)

• Wakanoshō (8-6) def. Kinbōzan (5-9) by okuridashi (rear push out)*

• Shishi (5-9) def. Abi (5-9) by oshidashi (frontal push out)

• Nishikifuji (4-10) def. Tamawashi (2-12) by hatakikomi (slap down)

• Ōshōma (8-6) def. Rōga (8-6) by shitatenage (underarm throw)

• Asahakūryū (5-9) def. Ryūden (5-9) def. by tsukiotoshi (thrust down)

• Mitakeumi (8-6) def. Chiyoshōma (5-9) by yorikiri*

• Wakamotoharu (5-9) def. Ōshōumi (4-10) by yoritoashi (frontal crush out)

• Churanoumi (9-5) def. Gōnoyama (8-6) by yoritoashi

• Fujiseun (7-7) def. Hiradoumi (6-8) by yorikiri

• Ōhō (8-6) def. Tobizaru (9-5) by oshidashi

• Fujiryoga (10-4) def. Yoshinofuji (10-3) by sukuinage (beltless arm throw)*

• Daieishō (6-8) def. Ichiyamamoto (5-9) by hikiotoshi (hand pull down)

• Ura (10-4) def. Fujinokawa (6-8) by tsukiotoshi*

• Takanoshō (6-8) def. Shōdai (6-8) by hikiotoshi

• Wakatakakage (10-4) def. Kotoeihō (10-4) by oshidashi

• Atamifuji (8-6) def. Kotoshōhō (8-6) by yorikiri

• Hakunofuji (10-4) def. Kirishima (11-3) by yoritoashi (frontal crush out)

*Must see bouts!

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Leaderboard

• O2e Kirishima, K1e Wakatakakage: 11-3

• M2e Yoshinofuji, M10w Hakunofuji, M11e Ura, M13e Kotoeihō, M17e Fujiryoga: 10-4

Analysis

Kirishima lost to Hakunofuji last night and… now there is potential for total chaos on senshuraku (last day of the tournament).

If Kirishima had beaten Hakunofuji he would have strode into tonight’s matches knowing the yushō could be his without him needing to wrestle. He tried very hard to make that a reality, but Hakunofuji proved up to the task of stopping him.

In this bout Hakunofuji showed why he was projected to start his career like Ōnosato and Aonishiki, who came slightly after him. Injuries and controversies have dogged his young career, and possibly stunted his development, but last night he was electric.

He foiled Kirishima last night due, in part, to a genius approach to this bout. Hakunofuji had to assume that Kirishima would want to secure a hidari-yotsu (left arm inside position) in this match. That’s Kirishima’s favorite hold and something he’s used to great effect this month. It’s Hakunofuji’s preferred hold, too, though.

Hakunofuji knew Kirishima would go for the hidari-yotsu off the tachiai and thus present him with the same hold. Kirishima got his left arm inside on the tachiai and so did Hakunofuji. However, Hakunofuji didn’t settle for an underhook (like Kirishima did), he instead went for a mae-mitsu (front narrow grip). The mae-mitsu is something Kirishima likes to use himself. I’ve never seen Hakunofuji go for that as deliberately as he did here.

That grip allowed Hakunofuji to pull against Kirishima when Kirishima tried to generate power to force Hakunofuji out. And it was very effective. His pulling on the belt, along with an inside leg hook with his right foot, kept him in bounds when Kirishima had him right on the straw.

After Hakunofuji survived that, Kirishima reset in the middle and tried to improve his own grips — he tried to get a mae-mitsu himself, but Hakunofuji was able to hamper that with his very strong forearms.

Kirishima then tried to pull Hakunofuji to the side for a throw, but this was rash and he didn’t have a good enough grip to pull it off. As he wheeled to the side, Hakunofuji used an outside trip to destabilize Kirishima. Once Kirishima was wobbled, Hakunofuji put all his weight into him and crushed him out onto the ground.

This massive win puts Hakunofuji in the thick of the title picture for tonight. It’s an amazing turnaround for Hakunofuji who was pretty under-the-radar until this week when he took out other title hopefuls Fujiryoga and Gōnoyama.

The loss means Kirishima is now longer in the driving seat for this tournament. He still has a fantastic chance to win this yushō, but there is a lot more that can go wrong for him now.

Things wouldn’t be so bad for him, had Wakatakakage lost last night. But that didn’t happen. Wakatakakage earned his eleventh win with a fast and clinical push out on Kotoeihō — who is also still in the running.

Wakatakakage has been trailing Kirishima for most of this tournament and has looked brutally effective over the last three nights. He can smell his second career yushō and I bet he’s going to fight like hell to get it.

Due to Kirishima’s loss, both Yoshinofuji and Fujiryoga have a chance of winning the title, too.

Fujiryoga beat Yoshinofuji last night to tie him on a 10-4 record and put them both one win behind the leaders. This was a short smash-mouth-style encounter, with both men clattering each other with thrusts before getting into a clinch. In the clinch, Fujiryoga slipped out from under Yoshinofuji forcing Yoshinofuji to flop onto the ground.

Fujiryoga and Kotoeihō were near unknowns before this tournament, but both have proved to be really fun wildcards here. And both have a chance, now, to make things very interesting tonight.

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Ura is still in this thing, too!

He had a wild brawl with Fujinokawa last night. They swiped at each other in this bout and Fujinokawa got deep on a very hard nodowa (throat thrust). That backed Ura up, but Ura was able to slip out of his grip and shrug Fujinokawa across and out of the ring. Ura gets a lot of love for his creativity, but his toughness deserves a lot of praise, too. He’s a bit of a goof, but he won’t back down from those wrestlers with more violent skill sets.

With that win, the Ura yushō dream is alive again.

Before I get onto the title possibilities for tonight, I just want to highlight Atamifuji vs. Kotoshōhō. Atamifuji got the win last night and secured his kachi-koshi (winning record). Kotoshōhō already had his kachi-koshi. This means both these guys will retain their sekiwake ranks for Nagoya. That’s pretty good (and surprising) for two first time sekiwake.

Ōhō, Mitakumi, Ōshōma and Wakanoshō all secured kachi-koshi last night, too.

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Our final day will see Kirishima vs. Ura, Wakatakakage vs. Fujiryoga, Yoshinofuji vs. Kotoeihō and Hakunofuji vas. Fujiseun. All those wrestlers, minus Fujiseun, have a chance to win the cup tonight.

If Kirishima wins and Wakatakakage loses, Kirishima is our champ.

If Wakatakakage wins and Kirishima loses, Wakatakakage is our champ.

If Kirishima and Wakatakakage both win, they will have a play-off for the cup.

If Kirishima and Wakatakakage both lose, they will go into a play-off with the men who beat them (Ura and Fujiryoga). That play-off will be joined by the winner of Yoshinofuji and Kotoeihō. Hakunofuji will also be in that play-off if he beats Fujiseun. This means there is a chance that teammates Yoshinofuji and Hakunofuji could face each other.

Kirishima has good odds of beating Ura (on paper). He’s 10-4 against Pink Magic and has won the last two bouts. The pressure will be on Kirishima, though. He’s been the favourite to win this since Hōshōryū bowed out on day one. Kirishima has shown he can handle pressure in the past. But pressure plus a care-free Ura (who has been fantastic this month) is going to be quite the task.

Wakatakakage and Fujiryoga have never met. Wakatakakage has beaten up on youngsters in this tournament so far.

Yoshinofuji is 2-0 against Kotoeihō. Hakunofuji has never faced Fujiseun. Fujiseun will be very motivated in this match. He’s fighting for his kachi-koshi and he’ll want to eliminate a potential contender to help out his stablemate Fujiryoga.

This could be epic.

Keeping count!

Henka counter: 9.5

Tobi trample counter (rows): 9*

*Tobizaru upped the trample counter by one, thanks to that loss to Yoshinofuji.

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If you are a paid subscriber, below you will find results, videos and analysis for jūryō.

Jūryō Results and Analysis

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What a night of sumo. These past few nights have delivered some epic matches on the dohyō. It’s been thrilling and a great remedy for the malaise a lot of us felt at the beginning of this one when so many big names had to pull out.

Scroll down to see what happened last night. I took a very deep dive into the most meaningful match of the night. Along with that, there’s also results, videos and much more analysis.

You can listen to me talk about this tournament, too. Yesterday I recorded with my good friend Stephie Haynes for The Level Change podcast. I discussed everything up to day twelve during this appearance.

Level Change Podcast

Sumo Stompin' with Tim Edwards: 12 days of Natsu Basho | Ep. 406

Today’s episode is a return to the world of Sumo and Tim Edwards is back to take us through the first 12 days of the Natsu Basho. He goes through all the highlights and the low points from the tournament, and gives excellent critical analysis of how the leaders are faring. He also takes us through the low points, especially the many injuries that have o…

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22 days ago

The bonus gif today is our missing Kotozakura.

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Results

• Asasuiryū (9-4) def. Ryūden (5-8) by hikiotoshi (hand pull down)

• Ōshōumi (4-9) def. Tamawashi (2-11) by yorikiri (frontal force out)

• Rōga (8-5) def. Tokihayate (4-9) by yorikiri

• Wakanoshō (7-6) def. Nishikifuji (3-10) by tsukidashi (frontal thrust out)*

• Abi (5-8) def. Mitakeumi (7-6) by hatakikomi (slap down)

• Shishi (4-9) def. Asahakūryū (4-9) by yorikiri

• Fujiryoga (9-4) def. Churanoumi (8-5) by oshidashi (frontal push out)

• Wakamotoharu (4-9) def. Kinbōzan (5-8) by yorikiri

• Hakunofuji (9-4) def. Gōnoyama (8-5) by hatakikomi*

• Hiradoumi (6-7) def. Daieishō (5-8) by oshidashi

• Ōhō (7-6) def. Ichiyamamoto (5-8) by oshidashi

• Yoshinofuji (10-3) def. Ura (9-4) by oshidashi

• Ōshōma (7-6) def. Takanoshō (5-8) by hatakikomi*

• Fujiseun (6-7) def. Fujinokawa (6-7) by tsukitoashi (frontal thrust down)*

• Wakatakakage (10-3) def. Tobizaru (9-4) by tsuridashi (frontal lift out)*

• Kotoshōhō (8-5) def. Shōdai (6-7) by oshidashi

• Atamifuji (7-6) def. Chiyoshōma (5-8) by oshitoashi (frontal push down)

• Kirishima (11-2) def. Kotoeihō (10-3) by utchari (backward pivot throw) after mono-ii (judges’ review) reverses gyoji (referee) decision*

*Must see bouts!

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Leaderboard

• O2e Kirishima: 11-2

• K1e Wakatakakage, M2e Yoshinofuji, M13e Kotoeihō: 10-3

Analysis

Kirishima defeated Kotoeiho last night to take sole position of the lead in this tournament. He is now firmly in the driver’s seat, with multiple paths ahead that can result in him winning his fourth career yushō.

He earned this position with an extremely gutsy performance last night. It had to be a gutsy performance, since Kotoeihō brought his A-Game!

Both men were thinking hidari-yotsu (left arm inside position) to start this bout. No surprises there. It’s what both guys prefer. I was a little surprised that Kirishima didn’t try and soften Kotoeihō up with thrusts or a kachiage (elbow strike) off the tachiai. Kirishima going immediately to the belt might speak to his confidence at being able to secure that position and overwhelm Kotoeihō once he had it.

If Kirishima was expecting an easy bout, then that expectation would have been shattered immediately, with Kotoeihō getting his left arm in while initially blocking off Kirishima from doing the same. Kirishima would get the position, but only after being moved back a few steps.

Kirishima’s response to being moved backwards was to circle back to the centre of the ring while attempting a shitatenage (underarm throw) on his left side. That’s a more difficult throw than an uwatenage (over arm throw), since it doesn’t offer the same kind of leverage for the thrower.

Kotoeihō managed to prevent himself going down from the shitatenage because he had secured a very tight outside grip on Kirishima’s belt with his right hand. By pulling on that right hand he prevented Kirishima being able to tip him over. Kotoeihō also used good footwork when untangling his feet and finding the edge of the straw. He was able to dig in on the straw and then bounce back towards the middle of the ring. He maintained that outside grip through all this.

Once he was back in the middle of the ring that outside grip was still in place and it was better than anything Kirishima had. Kotoeihō got a little greedy then, though. He tried to grab Kirishima’s belt with his other hand, but when doing so Kirishima was able to buck and break the outside grip. Kotoeihō was able to recover, quickly, though, securing the left inside grip this time.

Kirishima turned and again tried a less optimal throw; another shitatenage, but with a very loose underhook. Kotoeihō more easily blocked this attempt, by hooking one of Kirishima’s legs.

Kirishima had a big reaction to that leg hook. He might have been worried about a potential sotogake (outside trip). He hopped backwards, landing with his feet close together. That gave Kotoeihō the opportunity to force him back to the straw.

What happened next is something I’m going to be thinking about for a very long time.

Kirishima was dead to rights in the image above. Kotoeihō was pushing forwards with a wide base, while Kirishima stood narrowly, inches away from stepping out. However, Kirishima, somehow, without looking down, managed to sort his feet out and get himself square to his opponent, with the arches of his feet on the straw (below).

Please watch the YouTube video at 0.25 speed from the 46 second point and watch Kirishima’s right foot, which glides to and then plants on the straw.

At this slow motion speed you will also be able to appreciate what Kirishima does as soon as both feet hit the straw. His feet landing is the first part of the process for what will be a whole body movement that results in his utchari.

The first thing he does is twist towards Kotoeihō, bending his right knee and raising his heel.

The power moves up from his legs and into his right shoulder, which he uses to turn Kotoeihō and take Kotoeihō off one of his feet.

With Kotoeihō turning, and on one foot, Kirishima lifts his left leg and sweeps Kotoeihō’s standing leg.

With Kotoeihō no longer connected to the earth, he gets totally rotated by Kirishima (who still has his right toes down).

Kirishima uses that rotation to bring himself on top of Kotoeihō and keeps his left leg raised to make sure he touches down second. The gyoji gave this to Kotoeihō initially, but the judges were able to straighten it out.

After watching this at 0.25 speed. Please go back and watch it at full speed to appreciate the snap and urgency Kirishima has on this throw.

I am a very public hater of the utchari, but if they were always done like this I wouldn’t have any problems with them. Kirishima’s utchari was low and fast and it put Kotoeihō on his back within the raised platform. Many other utchari, like the one Wakamotoharu does, are high and slow, which result in both wrestlers toppling backwards all the way to the ground.

Kirishima was able to keep his utchari so tight partly because Kotoeihō is a little on the small size (when it comes to sumo wrestlers), but there was also a lot of technique going on in that throw. This was a moment where Kirishima’s judo, bokh and sumo all converged. The result is a move worthy of winning a tournament and perhaps, even, defining a legacy.

Kirishima is now potentially one win away from his fourth career yushō (and second in a row). If he achieves that, he’ll head into Nagoya with a tsuna on the line.

Kotoeihō is still in this tournament, though. If Kirishima slips up tomorrow, the door opens back up to him and two others who won last night.

Wakatakakage beat Tobizaru and Yoshinofuji beat Ura in two crucial bouts. Those wins put Wakatakakage and Yoshinofuji on 10-3 records, with Kotoeihō.

As a result, Tobizaru and Ura are now pretty much eliminated from title contention. The best guys won in those match-ups, but in doing so we lost our two most fun title contenders and the potential for a wild storyline.

Wakatakakage sliced through Tobizaru last night, getting a moro-zashi (double inside position) before lifting him out. Mrs. Sumo Stomp! said it looked like someone throwing a kid into a pool and that’s the perfect way to sum it up.

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Ura was more competitive in his bout with Yoshinofuji. He was able to get out of Yoshinofuji’s thrusting range with a good side-step. Ura was hoping Yoshinofuji would then lunge across that range and that he could slap him down. Yoshinofuji didn’t take the bait, though. He knew he had time and space to steady himself. So he did that and then resumed his tsuppari (rapid palm striking) attack. Ura’s second side-step wasn’t nearly as energetic as the first. He wasn’t able to get out of range this time and Yoshinufji easily shoved him off the ring.

Kotoeiho, Wakatakakage and Yoshinofuji will now have to win their matches tomorrow to stand any chance of getting past Kirishima this month.

Fujiryoga and Hakunofuji lost on the previous night to rule themselves out of this title hunt. They both won last night, though, to put themselves one win away from double-digits.

Fujiryoga bounced around Churanoumi and Hakunofuji suckered Gōnoyama into another all out dive into the dirt.

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Last night saw Kotoshōhō get his kachi-koshi (winning record) in a bout with Shōdai. That means he’ll keep his newly acquired sekiwake rank in Nagoya. Rōga also claimed a kachi-koshi by out-grappling Tokihayate. Tamawashi lost again last night. He was forced out by Ōshōumi. He’s now 2-11 and is making it very hard for the JSA to spare him from a demotion in the next banzuke. Ryūden was also a loser last night. Asasuiryū came up from jūryō in a potential replacement match. Ryūden’s loss confirmed his make-koshi (losing record) and will see him demoted for the next tournament.

Tonight Kirishima meets Hakunofuji. A win won’t give him the title, though. We are going to settle this one on the final day, no matter what. Kirishima is 3-2 against Hakunofuji and has won the last two bouts. Hakunofuji is also still looking a little compromised due to a foot injury.

Wakatakakage and Kotoeihō meet tonight for the first time in their careers.

Yoshinofuji has Fujiryoga. That’s also a first time meeting.

The winner of Wakatakakage vs. Kotoeihō will have an 11-3 record. If Yoshinofuji wins he’ll also be 11-3.

If Kirishima wins he’ll have a 12-2 record. But he will also be 11-3 if he loses to Hakunofuji.

If Kirishima wins tonight, he can go into the final day knowing that he is the champion if he wins his final bout or if the winner of Wakatakakage vs. Kotoeihō and Yoshinofuji (should he beat Fujiryoga) loses.

In this scenario, if Kirishima loses his final bout he’ll be in a play-off with any of those three guys who won on both days fourteen and fifteen.

Kirishima’s final match will probably be against Atamifuji, since he’s the next highest ranked person left in the tournament. Fujiryoga vs. Wakatakakage and Kotoeihō vs. Yoshinofuji are likely last day match-ups, too.

Keeping count!

Henka counter: 9.5

Tobi trample counter (rows): 8*

*Tobizaru cleared one and a half rows courtest of Wakatakakage (we round up in the trample counter).

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If you are a paid subscriber, below you will find results, videos and analysis for jūryō.

Jūryō Results and Analysis

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Scroll down to see who is still in with a chance of lifting the cup!

The bonus gif today is Gōnoyama meeting Ōhō on day two.

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Results

• Kyokukaiyū (7-5) def. Tamawashi (2-10) by yorikiri (frontal force out)

• Mitakeumi (7-5) def. Shishi (3-9) by yorikiri

• Ryūden (5-7) def. Tokihayate (4-8) by yorikiri

• Ura (9-3) def. Fujiryoga (8-4) by sukuinage (beltless arm throw)*

• Kotoeihō (10-2) def. Asanoyama (7-5) by fusen (default)

• Rōga (7-5) def. Nishikifuji (3-9) by yorikiri

• Ōshōma (6-6) def. Wakanosho (6-6) by oshidashi (frontal push out)*

• Asahakūryū (4-8) def. Ōshōumi (3-9) by yorikiri

• Chiyoshōma (5-7) def. Kinbōzan (5-7) by watashikomi (thigh grabbing push down)*

• Shōdai (6-6) def. Abi (4-8) by tsukiotoshi (thrust down)

• Ōhō (6-6) de. Hakunofuji (8-4) by uwatenage (over arm throw)*

• Yoshinofuji (9-3) def. Tobizaru (9-3) by oshidashi*

• Hiradoumi (5-7) def. Ichiyamamoto (5-7) by shitatenage (underarm throw)*

• Fujinokawa (6-6) def. Daieishō (5-7) by oshidashi

• Takanoshō (5-7) def. Wakamotoharu (3-9) by oshidashi

• Wakatakakage (9-3) def. Gōnoyama (8-4) by tsukiotoshi*

• Atamifuji (6-6) def. Fujiseun (5-7) by yorikiri after torinaoshi (rematch)*

• Churanoumi (8-4) def. Kotozakura (3-9) by fusen

• Kirishima (10-2) def. Kotoshōhō (7-5) by hatakikomi (slap down)*

*Must see bouts!

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Leaderboard

• O2e Kirishima, M13e Kotoeihō: 10-2

• K1e Wakatakakage, M2e Yoshinofuji, M11e Ura, M15e Tobizaru: 9-3

Analysis

Kirishima and Kotoeihō lead the way after last night’s bouts. Kotoeihō got his tenth victory via a fusenshō due to Asanoyama dropping out of the tournament. Asanoyama hurt his toe after his chaotic bout with Tobizaru on the previous night.

Kirishima earned his tenth victory the hard way, against Kotoeihō’s big brother.

Kotoshōhō must have been very motivated for this match, but — it seems — his motivation didn’t outweigh Kirishima’s confidence and calmness under pressure.

In this classic grappler versus pusher match, Kirishima (the grappler) was happy to start the bout pushing and thrusting. That’s not unusual for him, he likes to set up his grappling with thrusts, often faking a thrust before swimming under for a belt grab.

He almost got a little more than he was bargaining for in the early exchanges, with the immensely strong Kotoshōhō forcing Kirishima to slide back across the ring. Kotoshōhō charged at him after that, but Kirishima used his grappling (in the form of a left arm underhook) to get out of the way. Kotoshōhō charged again, rather rashly, and didn’t notice how much space Kirishima had opened up between them. That space gave Kirishima time and opportunity to latch onto one of Kotoshōhō’s shoulders and drive him down for the dirt sandwich.

This win may have Kirishima tied with Kotoeihō, but he still has to be considered the favourite. It’s very rare that Kirishima throws an opportunity to win a yushō away. Of all the wrestlers in the division, he might be the best at handling pressure and coming out on top in these must win matches.

The path ahead of him now is perhaps the easiest he’s had to a cup. There’s nobody high ranked left for him to wrestle, so it would count as a pretty big fumble if he didn’t end up the champion here.

Wakatakakage is still just one win behind Kirishima. Because he lost to Kirishima a few days ago, he’ll need to keep winning from here and rely on others to hand the front-runner a loss.

His win last night was over Gōnoyama. That effectively took Gōnoyama out of the running for the title. Wakatakakage won by taking Gōnoyama’s huge opening charge straight to the chest and letting that move him backwards as he performed a picture perfect slap down.

That’s the kind of live by the sword, die by the sword performance we’re used to seeing from Gōnoyama. Earlier on in the tournament, though, he did show a little more guile with his sumō.

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Yoshinofuji beat Tobizaru last night to tie them on 9-3 records and keep them both one win away from Kirishima and Kotoeihō.

Tobizaru didn’t move enough in this match. He got hung up in the tachiai and was forced onto his heels quickly. I’m surprised we didn’t see any lateral movement out of him after that. Instead, he was driven straight back and shot putted off the ring.

It’s going to be tough for Tobizaru from here if he wants to stay relevant in this tournament. Yoshinofuji won’t have an easy path, either, but he does have youth on his side.

Ura beat Fujiryoga to keep himself in the title hunt and effectively eliminate Fujiryoga. Ura has really been in the zone over the past few days. In this bout he secured a quick moro-zashi (double inside position) and used that to get Fujiryoga on the straw. He then switched focused to his right arm inside position to complete a throw.

Ura looks like he’s having fun in this tournament and I think that spells trouble for the rest of the field. Do we dare let ourselves dream of an Ura yushō?

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Hakunofuji dropped out of the title hunt last night. He lost to Oho. When Ōhō shows up, he really shows up. And in this bout he bullied Hakunofuji around with a left arm inside position and a very strong outside right grip. He eventually put Hakunofuji onto the clay with a thump. Hakunofuji took some time to get up. It looked like something might have happened with his foot (where it was reported that he had ligament damage earlier this year).

All those results mean we pretty much have a six man tournament for the title over the next few days. After tonight, though, that field could be reduced by half.

Kirishima vs. Kotoeihō is tonight’s headliner. They have never fought each other before. Kirishima has to be the heavy favourite in this match, but maybe Kotoeihō can spring a surprise. Stranger things have happened, after all.

Wakatakakage has Tobizaru and Yoshinofuji has Ura.

Wakatakakge has owned Tobizaru in past tournaments. He has a 12-5 record against him and has won ten of their last eleven bouts (including their last five contests). I think Wakatakakage is probably more hungry for this yushō, too, so I expect him to come out on top of this.

Yoshinofuji has a 3-1 record over Ura. But he’s never faced an Ura who is in this kind of groove.

After all these bouts we’ll have one wrestler on an 11-2 record and three on 10-3 records. This will mathematically eliminate everyone who has five losses from winning the cup. And it will pretty much eliminate everyone with four losses, too (which includes the losers of those Wakatakakage vs. Tobizaru and Yoshinofuji vs. Ura matches).

After these bouts there will only be a few match-ups available within the cohort of front-runners, based on who they have already faced. The only fresh match-ups we can have, before a possible play-off, are Kirishima vs. Ura/Tobizaru, Kotoeiho vs. Wakatakakage/Yoshinofuji and Wakatakakage vs. Ura.

Keeping count!

Henka counter: 9.5

Tobi trample counter (rows): 6*

*Tobi touched the front row after being bundled out by Yoshinofuji last night.

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The first half of this tournament felt very underwhelming, due to the absences of Aonishiki and our two yokozuna. However, in the last few days, we’ve seen a lot of guys step up the intensity. I think they are sensing what a huge opportunity they have this month and are also feeling how every win/loss really counts with so many wrestlers bunched together.

We had a six way tie going into last night’s matches. No matter how they broke down, we’d still be left with a lot of contenders for this cup.

Scroll down to see where we stand now and how everything went down.

Our bonus gif today features someone who is on the outside looking in this month.

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Results

• Mitakeumi (6-5) def. Hatusyama (3-8) by oshidashi (frontal push out)

• Ōshōumi (3-8) def. Shishi (3-8) by yorikiri (frontal force out)

• Tamawashi (2-9) def. Kinbōzan (5-6) by tsukiotoshi (thrust down)*

• Ura (8-3) def. Wakanoshō (6-5) by katasukashi (under shoulder swing down)*

• Hakunofuji (8-3) def. Fujiryoga (8-3) by uwatenage (over arm throw)*

• Tobizaru (9-2) def. Asanoyama (7-4) by hikiotoshi (hand pull down)*

• Ryūden (4-7) def. Nishikifuji (3-8) by okuridashi (rear push out)

• Rōga (6-5) def. Abi (4-7) by yorikiri

• Tokihayate (4-7) def. Asahakūryū (3-8) by shitatenage (underarm throw)

• Kotoeihō (9-2) def. Ōshōma (5-6) by okurinage (rear throw down) after mono-ii (judges’ review) confirms gyoji (referee) decision*

• Ichiyamamoto (5-6) def. Gōnoyama (8-3) by hikiotoshi*

• Daieishō (5-6) def. Takanoshō (4-7) by oshidashi

• Ōhō (5-6) def. Fujinokawa (5-6) by yoritoashi (frontal crush out)*

• Kotoshōhō (7-4) def. Fujiseun (5-6) by oshitaoshi (frontal push down)*

• Churanoumi (7-4) def. Atamifuji (5-6) by yorikiri

• Kirishima (9-2) def. Wakatakakage (8-3) by yorikiri*

• Shōdai (5-6) def. Kotozakura (3-8) by okuridashi (rear push out)*

*Must see bouts!

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Leaderboard

• O2e Kirishima, M15e Tobizaru, M13e Kotoeihō: 9-2

• K1e Wakatakakage, M2e Yoshinofuji, M4w Gōnoyama, M10w Hakunofuji, M11e Ura, M17e Fujiryoga: 8-3

Analysis

Kirishima maintained his lead of the tournament last night, with a very intelligent win over Wakatakakage.

This was an interesting match-up, pitting Kirishima’s favourite hidari-yotsu (left arm inside position) against Wakatakakage’s favourite migi-yotsu (right arm inside position). You can’t have both of those in a match. So this was expected to be a battle to see who would get their favourite position and thus force their opponent into fighting in their least favourite position. The tachiai often determines which way a battle like this is going to go, with wrestlers squeezing their favourite arm tight and trying to get it onto the ribs of an opponent, while also trying to prevent the opponent from doing the same thing.

In this bout, though… Kirishima had another idea.

Kirishima opened the bout with a strong kachiage (elbow/forearm strike) with his right arm. This was very risky, because he left his right arm high and open for Wakatakakage to take his favourite position. But Kirishima really committed to the kachiage and was able to push Wakatakakage backwards and stand him up with it, making it impossible for Wakatakakage to reach forwards.

With Wakatakakage reeling Kirishima first put his hands on the back of his neck, perhaps thinking he would try a slap down, but then he quickly changed his approach. He swam both his arms under and secured the moro-zashi (double inside position). Wakatakakage’s route to an inside right position was blocked off, so he tried to do something with a left outside position, but that just wasn’t strong enough to counter the firm grip Kirishima had (which included double belt grips towards the end).

This fantastic decision making resulted in a massive win for Kirishima. It’s a win that almost counts as two wins, since it robs Wakatakakage of a win.

All is not lost for the man from Arashio heya, though. He’s still just one win behind Kirishima and the other two wrestlers leading this tournament.

Those other two are Tobizaru and Kotoeiho.

I really thought Tobizaru would take his foot off the gas now that his kachi-koshi (winning record) and place in the makuuchi was secured, but I think he might actually be trying to win this!

He beat former ōzeki Asanoyama last night. He got moro-zashi, too, off the tachiai. Asanoyama seemed unprepared for that, as if he was assuming Tobizaru would come at him with thrusts to start things off. Asanoyama managed to break that grip and get his right arm on the inside. But Tobizaru forced him to move every second while he worked for that and wriggled like an eel once Asanoyama attempted to do anything with the grip. Eventually Tobizaru was able to slide out of Asanoyama’s grip and send him down to the dirt.

Kotoeihō had a fun win last night, too. Though the JSA haven’t put it on their official YouTube channel. He did well to force the slap down merchant Ōshōma into an uncomfortable grappling battle. Ōshōma tried an out of character throw on the boundary, but Kotoeihō showed great balance and awareness to step out of that and nudge Ōshōma over. Both hit the ground together, but Kotoeihō managed just a split second more of hang-time to earn himself the win.

Behind those leading three is a growing group of chasers. Wakatakakage is the highest ranked among those, but it’s a very exciting group of contenders as a whole. The group also includes Yoshinofuji, Gōnoyama, Hakunofuji, Ura, and Fujiryoga.

Yoshinofuji has come out of nowhere to get himself into title contention over the last few days. He started this tournament with a 1-3 record, but has won everything since then.

Last night he thrashed around with Hiradoumi, but was able to outmuscle him with his migi-yotsu and throw him down on his third attempt.

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Ura joined the 8-3 club with a classic win over Wakanoshō. Wakanoshō did a pretty good Takakeishō impression in this bout (Takakeishō, now Minatogowa, is Wakanoshō’s new stablemaster). He had Ura on the brink, but then found out that the man’s spine is made of rubber. Ura survived Wakanoshō’s high thrusts with a death defying back bend and then wrapped him up for the katasukashi.

Ura seemed to really enjoy that. He gave a big head nod and strut after the win.

Hakunofuji joined the chasing pack by beating Fujiryoga (and thus stopping Fujiryoga from sharing the lead). He took Fujiryoga’s thrusts and then put him in a hidari-yotsu. Fujiyoga then made a mistake. He went for the watashikomi (thigh grabbing push down), but Hakunofuji was far too sturdy for that move to work. Fujiryoga had landed that finisher earlier in the tournament, but it’s far more effective when the opponent is moving backwards.

This is the closest Hakunofuji has been to title contention since he debuted in makuuchi back in July, 2023 (back when he was Hakuōhō and before he had a top knot).

Like Fujiryoga, Gōnoyama missed his chance at a ninth win last night. He fought hard against Ichiyamamoto, but not as smart as I was hoping. Ichiyamamoto showed a lot of toughness to take Gōnoyama’s pushes and then yanked him down with the hikiotoshi. Ichiyamamoto now has a 5-1 record against Gōnoyama with four of those wins coming by hikiotoshi.

Tamawashi hobbled through his second win of the tournament last night, taking out Kinbōzan. He’s still got some work to do if he wants to be safe from a jūryō demotion (even if I think the banzuke committee might be kind to him when push comes to shove).

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We have some very big matches on tap tonight. The leaders of this tournament are starting to get paired up, so that big group of guys in first and second place is going to start to shrink.

Tournament favourite Kirishima is going to face Kotoshōhō. After a rocky start Kotoshōhō has found some form and is now just one win away from a kachi-koshi as a shin sekiwake (first time sekiwake). They’ve only met twice and have each won once. Kotoshōhō won their last bout, on route to winning last year’s Nagoya tournament.

Wakatakakage has Gōnoyama in a bout that could essentially eliminate one of them from the running. Wakatakakage has a commanding 5-0 record against Gōnoyama.

Yoshinofuji and Tobizaru will duel. They’ve never met. Yoshinofuji is from the Isegahama stable (now led by the former Terunofuji). Terunofuji loathes Tobizaru, so Yoshinofuji might look for some brownie points by beating Tobizaru in as brutal a fashion as possible.

Ura and Fujiryoga are paired off. They’ve also never met.

Hakunofuji is the odd man out. He doesn’t get a fellow title chaser. Instead he has the wildly inconsistent Ōhō, who is currently 5-6. Hakunofuji is 1-3 against Ōhō, but won their last meeting.

Tamawashi is given a bone tonight. He’s got the juryo call-up Kyokukaiyū.

Keeping count!

Henka counter: 9.5

Tobi trample counter (rows): 5*

* Tobizaru just touched the seats in his win over Asanoyama. That’s good for one more point on the tramble counter.

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Thankfully, Kirishima was competing last night after his nasty spill (courtesy of Wakamotoharu) on the previous night. He went into day ten’s action with a one win lead and a very eclectic set of challengers just behind him.

Scroll down to see if Kirishima was able to keep that lead or whether that motley crew caught up to him.

Down there you’ll also see lots of videos and analysis.

Before you get there, though, sorry for all the typos in yesterday’s late night post. Tired Tim often skips his proofreading.

Today’s bonus gif is the pea-cocking Asakōryū.

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Results

• Dewanoryū (3-7) def. Rōga (5-5) by yorikiri (frontal force out)

• Kotoeihō (8-2) def. Ryūden (3-7) by yorikiri

• Wakanoshō (6-4) def. Shishi (3-7) by tsukidashi (frontal thrust out)

• Fujiryoga (8-2) def. Tokihayate (6-4) by oshidashi (frontal push out)

• Mitakeumi (5-5) def. Kinbōzan (5-5) by oshidashi

• Tobizaru (8-2) def. Abi (4-6) by tsukiotoshi (thrust down)*

• Ōshōumi (2-8) def. Nishikifuji (3-7) by yorikiri*

• Ura (7-3) def. Ōshōma (5-5) by yorikiri*

• Hakunofuji (7-3) def. Chiyoshōma (4-6) by shitatenage (underarm throw)*

• Asanōyama (7-3) def. Fujiseun (5-5) by oshidashi

• Daieishō (4-6) def. Churanoumi (6-4) by tsukiotoshi

• Yoshinofuji (7-3) def. Ichiyamamoto (4-6) by yorikiri

• Fujinokawa (5-5) def. Hiradoumi (4-6) by oshidashi

• Ōhō (4-6) def. Takanōsho (4-6) by tsukiotoshi

• Wakatakakage (8-2) def. Atamifuji (5-5) by yorikiri*

• Gonōyama (8-2) def. Kotoshōhō (6-4) by hikiotoshi (hand pull down)*

• Kotozakura (3-7) def. Wakamotoharu (2-8) by yorikiri

• Shōdai (4-6) def. Kirishima (8-2) by hatakikomi (slap down)

*Must see bouts!

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Leaderboard

• O2e Kirishima, K1e Wakatakakage, M15e Tobizaru, M4w Gōnoyama, M13e Kotoeihō, M17e Fujiryoga: 8-2

Analysis

Kirishima wore a bandage on his forehead for his bout with Shōdai last night. That bandage hid the scrape he got when he was sent head first into the ring on the previous night. The bandage lasted about a second, though, flying off as soon as he made contact with Shōdai.

Kirishima’s aggressive opening didn’t push back Shōdai. After that, he was stuck standing mostly still while looking for routes to Shōdai’s belt. Shōdai did great at slapping Kirishima’s hands away and then got the ōzeki down with a sharp tug on his shoulder.

It’s tempting to say that this loss stems from the rough outing Kirishima had 24 hours earlier. However, I don’t see that. Shōdai has, historically, given Kirishima problems. His is a body type that Kirishima finds hard to move. And when he can’t get those big boys moving, they usually punish him (this is a big reason why he went winless against Terunofuji and is currently winless against Ōnōsato).

The loss dropped Kirishima down to 8-2 and, due to what else happened last night, put him in a six way tie in the lead of this basho.

I know we were anticipating a wide open race with both yokozuna and Aonishiki out, but to have six wrestlers tied on 8-2 records is really bizarre and very exciting.

Despite the crowd at the front, Kirishima still deserves to be the favorite to win this tournament. He has the most experience and technical prowess in the group and, as one great philosopher once, said “the cream rises to top.”

The two most serious challengers to Kirishima, and his desire to win back-to-back championships, are Gonōyama and Wakatakakage. They both beat tough opposition to stay on pace.

Gonōyama beat Kotoshōhō last night in a predictably violent encounter. There was some clinching to start this one off, but that soon ebbed away and we were left with a thrusting duel. Gonōyama hits as hard as anyone, but in this match he was the nail and Kotoshōhō was the hammer. The old Gonōyama would have bit down and tried to hit harder, but this month’s Gonōyama seems a lot more graceful under pressure. He stepped back and let Kotoshōhō lean into the thrust, before pulling him down on the boundary. That was a huge decision and it might have some very big repercussions in this championship.

Gonōyama has already faced (and beaten) Kirishima, Kotozakura and Atamifuji in this tournament. And he’s also already faced the pick of the current jōi section (Daieishō, Ōhō and Yoshinofuji). He might have the friendliest schedule of all these competitors over the coming five days.

Gonōyama was among the leaders in the last tournament, too. He was 9-1 to start that tournament, but then lost to Kirishima, Kotozakura and Atamifuji to rule himself out. Kirishima is still my pick to win this, but I would not be surprised if we see a maiden yushō for the man from Osaka.

We can’t count out Wakatakakage, though. Last night he beat Atamifuji in a very competitive match. This was a fantastic yotsu-zumō (belt grappling) duel. Wakatakakage led much of the dance, thanks to his mae-mitsu (narrow front grip). He used that to pull Atamifuji around and put him off balance. Atamifuji used great footwork, though, to not get tangled up and to move laterally when pushed towards the straw.

After a brief pause in the centre of the ring, where both men got back some puff, Atamifuji used gaburi-yori (torso thrusting) to advance Wakatakakage to the straw. However, Wakatakakage then used some incredible strength to lift and turn Atamifuji (that’s a near 400 lbs man!) and put his heels on the straw. Atamifuji grimaced as he tried to stay in, but he was tired at this point and had to step out.

That’s a great win for Wakatakakage and it sees him rebound from his tough loss to Kotoshoho on the night before. Wakatakakage has mostly cleaned out the joi now, but he still has some tough matches ahead of him.

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Tobizaru is 8-2 as well! That guarantees his spot in makuuchi for the next tournament. Last night he beat Abi in a chaotic match. They traded thrusts early in this one and Abi forced Tobizaru into a 360 degree spin. Tobizaru really does have amazing recovery ability, though. He managed to get back to facing Abi, quickly, and then hit him with the thrust down.

Things are going to get very tough for Tobizaru over these next five days. I think we might see him take his foot off the gas, too, now that he’s secured his kachi-koshi (winning record).

Kotoeihō and Fujiryoga round out that 8-2 group. They will probably fall away like Tobizaru over the coming days. However, they might have more energy and willfullness to push on and actually try and compete for the yushō than the tired and still slightly banged up Tobi.

Last night Kotoeihō forced out Ryuden with ease.

And Fujiryoga totally out muscled Tokihayate.

So we have a six horse race, but I’m still only taking the first three names I mentioned seriously here.

There was some good news on the dōhyō last night. Tamawashi got his first win of the tournament. He was able to push out Asahakūryū and then hear one of the loudest crowd pops of the tournament.

His best possible record, at this point, is 6-9. He’s going to need close to that to avoid a jūryō demotion. A demotion to the second division would ruin his chances of breaking the record for most tournaments in the top division. He’s third all time with 100 right now, three behind Hakuhō and seven behind Kaiō.

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Kotozakura and Wakamotoharu are both totally irrelevant in this tournament. They met each other last night and Kotozakura easily handled the older Waka Brother. He forced him out and, elevated him slightly, to ruin the chances of a dangerous utchari (backwards pivot throw) attempt.

Tonight is a big night for this tournament. Kirishima and Wakatakakage will be paired off. Kirishima has the slight advantage in their head-to-head record (winning 13 of 23 bouts). He’s won the last four bouts, too.

Gonōyama has Ichiyamamoto. Ichiyamamoto is only 4-6 in this tournament, but his slap down game is tailor made for a hard charger like Gonōyama (hence why he’s 4-1 against him). Gonōyama has shown a lot more intelligence in this tournament, though, so maybe he won’t get caught out and pull down.

Tobizaru has his first super tough test of the tournament. That comes in the form of former ōzeki Asanōyama. He’s 1-4 against him.

Fujiryoga has a tough test, too. He’s got Hakunofuji. They’ve never fought before.

And Kotoeihō has Ōshōma. That’s another first time meeting.

Keeping count!

Henka counter: 9.5*

Tobi trample counter (rows): 4

*That dastardly Shishi tried another henka last night. The sumo gods aren’t happy with what he did to Tamawashi, though. The sabotaged this henka and had Wakanoshō thrust him out anyway. Mitakeumi also tried a henka on Kinbozan. He missed that, but did end up with the win anyway.

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Today was Victoria Day in Canada, which meant more family time and saving sumo writing for once everyone else has gone to bed.

Scroll down and you’ll see the results for makuuchi and juryo, as well as lots of videos and my analysis.

The bonus gif today is Tobi’s shiko.

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Results

• Takerufuji (6-3) def. Ōshōumi (1-8) by yoritoashi (frontal crush out)

• Wakanoshō (5-4) def. Rōga (5-4) by tsukiotoshi (thrust down)

• Fujiryoga (7-2) def. Mitakeumi (4-5) by oshidashi (frontal push out)

• Kotoeihō (7-2) def. Tobizaru (7-2) by oshidashi*

• Shishi (3-6) def. Tamawashi (0-9) by tsukiotoshi

• Kinbōzan (5-4) def. Ryūden (3-6) by hatakikomi (slap down)

• Ura (6-3) def. Tokihayate (3-6) by okuridashi (rear push out)*

• Hakunofuji (6-3) def. Abi (4-5) by yorikiri (frontal force out)

• Asanoyama (6-3) def. Chiyoshōma (4-5) by oshidashi

• Nishikifuji (3-6) def. Fujiseun (5-4) by kotenage (armlock throw)*

• Churanoumi (6-3) def. Ōshōma (5-4) by tsukidashi (frontal thrust out)

• Shōdai (3-6) def. Asahakūryū (3-6) by oshidashi

• Yoshinofuji (6-3) def. Ōhō (3-6) by yorikiri*

• Takanoshō (4-5) def. Hiradoumi (4-5) by hatakikomi

• Ichiyamamoto (4-5) def. Fujinokawa (4-5) by oshidashi

• Kotoshōhō (6-3) def. Wakatakakage (7-2) by yorikiri*

• Atamifuji (5-4) def. Daieishō (3-6) by oshidashi

• Kirishima (8-1) def. Wakamotoharu (2-7) by yoritaoshi*

• Gōnoyama (7-2) def. Kotozakura (2-7) by hatakikomi after mono-ii (judges’ review) confirms gyoji (referee) decision*

*Must see bouts!

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Leaderboard

• O2e Kirishima: 8-1

• K1e Wakatakakage, M15e Tobizaru, M4w Gōnoyama, M13e Kotoeihō, M17e Fujiryoga: 7-2

Analysis

Kirishima re-took the lead of the basho last night. However, his win was the most painful win he’s had this year. And it came close to causing him some serious damage.

In his bout with Wakamotoharu last night, Kirishima started perfectly. Both men prefer the hidari-yotsu (left arm inside position). So, off the tachiai, Kirishima got his left arm in, but then used ottsuke (forearm blocking) to prevent Wakamotoharu getting his arm snug on the inside.

Because Kirishima had the most firm position with his left arm he was able to turn Wakamotoharu towards the straw and begin marching him out. Wakamotoharu’s reaction to this was an all or nothing utchari (backwards pivot throw) attempt. Those of you who have been here for a while know that I absolutely loathe this move. And this is exactly why.

The throw resulted in a loss to Wakamotoharu, by frontal crush out, since his back hit the dirt before Kirishima came down. The low chance of success on this move isn’t why I hate it, though. I hate it because it is too damn dangerous.

This utchari attempt saw Kirishima hit the dohyo head first and then flip onto the concrete. It took him a while to come up and he was bloody and dazed when he did. Kirishima is reportedly fine after this incident. But, with his history of neck injuries, this could have easily resulted in Kirishima being seriously hurt.

The move needs to be banned immediately. It’s only a matter of time until this happens to someone and they don’t get up.

Wakamotoharu goes for this move often and he does it out of desperation. And he’s desperate in these situations because he is too dependent on the hidari-yotsu. I really hope his refusal to diversify his sumo doesn’t result in something devastating happening.

That loss put Wakamotoharu at 2-7 for this tournament and kept him on route to terrible a record.

The win puts Kirishima up 8-1 with six days left. Hopefully he actually is fine after that and we see him tonight. If he has to pull out of this tournament, the entire basho (with all its injuries thus far) would be a disaster.

Wakamotoharu might have been extra rough on Kirishima (someone he seems quite friendly with outside the ring) because he was trying to get one back for his little brother Wakatakakage.

Wakatakakage had dropped a bout before that happened, losing to Kotoshōhō.

Kotoshōhō has a good record against Wakatakakage and it’s easy to see why. Kotoshōhō used his length to keep Wakatakakage away from his body. Wakatakakage desperately tried to get on the belt, but by the time he did he was already being pushed over the straw.

The win puts Kotoshōhō at 6-3 and gives him an outside shot at contending for this basho.

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Kotoshōhō’s brother Kotoeihō got a big win last night. He took out his fellow surprise contender Tobizaru. Kotoeihō pushed Tobizaru to the straw early, but Tobizaru used his excellent mobility to circle off and find himself some space. Kotoeihō is fast, though, he was able to stay square to Tobizaru and push him out on the move.

I’m still not buying Kotoeihō as a legimitate title contender this month, but he’s coming very close to changing my mind.

Fujiryoga, the other low ranked guy who is really showing up in this tournament, also won last night. He used hazuoshi (armpit thrusting) to get Mitakeumi moving back off the tachiai and then moved his hands up to the throat to seal the deal.

The 23 year-old Fujiryoga is only in his eigth Grand Sumo tournament. Like Kotoeihō, I doubt he can keep this pace up. But I’d love to be proved wrong.

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Gōnoyama is in this title chase this month and he’s got a lot more experience and pedigree than Fujiryoga and Kotoeihō. He took out the woeful looking Kotozakura last night. He hit Kotozakura hard off the tachiai, as you’d expect from him, but then used great awareness and dexterity to execute a slap down when it looked like Kotozakura might turn the tables on him.

Kotozakura is now one loss away from the make-koshi (losing record) and kadoban status.

Tonight Kotozakura will try and stave off those bad situations by beating Wakamotoharu. He’s got a 16-8 record against him. But I think this match-up is a coin flip, given how poor both has looked in this tournament.

Kirishima takes on Shōdai tonight. He’s 12-10 in that match-up. Shōdai has the kind of physical profile that Kirishima often struggles with.

Gōnoyama has Kotoshōhō. That should be violent. They are 3-3 in their past match-ups.

Wakatakakage meets Atamifuji, whom he is 2-1 against. Kotoeihō has a potential lay-up in the former of Ryūden and Fujiryoga meets the struggling Tokihayate.

Keeping count!

Henka counter: 7.5*

Tobi trample counter (rows): 4**

*Shishi executed a particularly gross henka on Tamawashi last night. That side-step, against an already hobbled opponenet, gave Shishi only his third win of the tournament. Tamawashi is now 0-9.

**Tobizaru hit the seats for the second night in a row last night.

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I’ve had a packed day of doing stuff outside with the kid. The kid then decided all that wasn’t going to make her tired, though. So I then had a late put down, too. You know who did get sleepy from all that outside time in the sun, though? MEEEEEEE.

I can’t promise this will be the most detailed tournament update I’ve ever done, but here it is nonetheless.

I was tempted to ask Mrs. Sumo Stomp! to pinch hit for me tonight, but she threatened to spend the entire thing talking about wrestlers’ nipples. So I’ll save that for a real emergency.

Scroll down for results, videos and analysis of day eight’s action.

Bonus gif tonight is Kotoeihō’s impressive shiko.

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Results

• Sadanoumi (4-4) def. Wakanoshō (4-4) by yorikiri (frontal force out)

• Fujiryoga (6-2) def. Kotoeihō (6-2) by watatshikomi (thigh grbbing push down)*

• Ryūden (3-5) def. Tamawashi (0-8) by tsukihiza (knee touch down)

• Tokihayate (3-5) def. Ōshōumi (1-7) by yorikiri

• Tobizaru (7-1) def. Ura (5-3) by oshidashi after torinaoshi (rematch)*

• Rōga (5-3) def. Kinbōzan (4-4) by hatakikomi (slap down)

• Mitakeumi (4-4) def. Hakunofuji (5-3) by shitatedashinage (pulling underarm throw)*

• Nishikifuji (2-6) def. Shishi (2-6) by okuridashi (rear push out)

• Asanoyama (5-3) def. Ōshōma (5-3) by uwatenage (over arm throw)*

• Asahakūryū (3-5) def. Chiyoshōma (4-4) by yorikiri

• Abi (4-4) def. Fujiseun (5-3) by uwatenage

• Hiradoumi (4-4) def. Churanoumi (5-3) by oshidashi

• Yoshinofuji (5-3) def. Fujinokawa (4-4) by oshidashi

• Ichiyamamoto (3-5) def. Takanoshō (3-5) by hikiotoshi (hand pull down)

• Wakatakakage (7-1) def. Ōhō (3-5) by yorikiri*

• Atamifuji (4-4) def. Shōdai (2-6) by oshidashi

• Kotoshōhō (5-3) def. Wakamotoharu (2-6) by oshidashi

• Daieishō (4-4) def. Kotozakura (2-6) by oshidashi

• Gōnoyama (6-2) def. Kirishima (7-1) by oshidashi*

*Must see bouts!

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Leaderboard

• O2e Kirishima, K1e Wakatakakage, M15e Tobizaru: 7-1

• M4w Gōnoyama, M13e Kotoeihō, M17e Fujiryoga: 6-2

Analysis

Kirishima suffered his first loss of the tournament last night. He was pegged back to 7-1 by Gōnoyama.

I don’t think Kirishima did a lot wrong in this match. I think we just have to credit Gōnoyama for an excellent showing. Kirishima started the bout with thrusts and I suppose things might have gone better had he led with his strength (grappling). But he might have done this because he wanted to surprise Gōnoyama. His opening gambit resulted in getting Gōnoyama to the straw, but Gōnoyama did a great job of moving laterally. Kirishima then tried to grapple and even got his favourite left arm inside position. But Gōnoyama, again, did a great job of defending. Kirishima went for a bad throw after that, which might have been a sign of frustration. Gōnoyama stayed on his feet and showed great cardio as he attacked Kirishima and got the push out.

I love Kirishima and I’d love to see him win this basho. But I am delighted to see this development from Gōnoyama. He came into makuuchi with a lot of promise and was quickly thrust into the jōi. He’s slumped for much of the two years that have followed, but he was one of the front runners for a large portion of the March tournament and he’s looking like he might be a factor in this one, too.

Kirishima’s loss means he’s now tied with Wakatakakage and Tobizaru (!). Wakatakakage got his seventh win last night by bullying Ōhō, who really is hapless when you get a hold of his belt. Wakatakakage used a mae-mitsu (front grip to drag the bigger man around the cage before fronting him up for the force out.

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Tobizaru got his seventh win in the All Chaos Cup (which is the special championship that plays out every time he faces Ura). Last night these two had, perhaps, the most fun bout of the year thus far.

It was wild and back-and-forth and finished, initially, when Tobizaru tried to spin out of trouble on the boundary but showed too much of his back to Ura. Ura kept hold of him and launchd Tobizaru off the ring. Tobizaru went flailing into the seats for the first in this tournament.

That ending was too close to call and a torinaoshi was called. I totally agree with the call, because it looked like Tobizaru was making a concerted effort to drive Ura down as he was on his way out. And, also, Tobizaru didn’t jump in the air while he was doing that (something we’ve seen the judges ignore/punish in some very high stake matches lately).

Like so many movies, the sequel didn’t live up to the original here. They clinched up early in the rematch and Tobizaru was able to summon up enough energy to force the slightly more tired Ura out.

Tobizaru is now out of the woods, as far as a potential juryo demotion goes. It’s very sexy to imagine a much bigger goal for him this month. But I have a feeling he’s going to have a very tough time in week two.

Youngsters Kotoeihō and Fujiryoga are both at 6-2, just one win behind the leaders. That’s after Fujiryoga beat the shiko king with a rarely seen watashikomi (a single-leg for MMA watchers).

It would be fun if one of these guys were able to rival Kirishima or Wakatakakage down the stretch, but — like with Tobizaru — I have doubts they can maintain this form when things get tougher for them.

Hakunofuji is having a very under-the-radar tournament. That’s probably optimal for him, right now, given how much negative spotlight he had in the last one. He lost to Mitakeumi last night and, in doing so, reminded us all about how flexible you have to be to becomea sumotori.

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Kotozakura would love to be having an under-the-radar tournament right now. The ōzeki is now 2-6 after a loss to Daieishō. Kotozakura has looked slow and stiff in this tournament and, last night, he seemed to give up on the straw. I hope that’s a sign that his knees are bothering him and not a sign that he’s mentally checked out of the basho. Regardless, he needs to lock in and win six of the next seven bouts to save himself from kadoban status.

Kotozakura sees Gonōyama tonight. He’s got a massive 9-1 record against him. However, based on this month’s form, you can argue Kotozakura might be the underdog in this match.

Kirishima will try and rebound from his loss to Gonōyama with a win over Wakamotoharu. Wakamotoharu is having a nightmare tournament this month and is only 2-6. He’ll be extremely motivated in this bout, knowing that a win will help out his little brother.

Kirishima is 16-7 against Wakamotoharu. Kirishima knows the Waka Bros. very well. He often heads over to their Arashio stable for practise matches. He doesn’t have any sekitori (juryo and makuuchi ranked wrestlers) to scrimmage with at his Otowayama stable.

Wakatakakage faces Kotoshōhō. He’s 1-5 in that match-up and has lost the last three. His last loss against Kotoshōhō was in Nagoya in 2025. That’s the bout that killed his ozeki run (Kotoshōhō would go on to win that basho, too).

Tobizaru meets Kotoeihō tonight. He won their only past meeting.

Keeping count!

Henka counter: 6.5*

Tobi trample counter (rows): 3**

*We had three henka last night! First off, Roga side-stepped Kinbozan. The Abi fooled Fujiseun. And, finally, Wakamotoharu tried one on Kotoshoho, but — just like most things this tournament — it didn’t go well for him and he was pushed out shortly afterwards. I almost gave Nishikifuji credit for a half henka in his win over Shishi, but there’s no need to get greddy.

** We are off the mark!

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Check the results below to see if Kirishima managed to cap off a perfect week or if he was pegged back by Daieisho.

Below you’ll find results for all of makuuchi and jūryō (for premium subscribers only) as well as videos and my analysis.

The bonus gif today is the little man with a very big aura.

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SPOILERS BELOW

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Results

• Rōga (4-3) def. Fujiryoga (5-2) by oshidashi (frontal push out)

• Ryūden (2-5) def. Mitakeumi (3-4) by yorikiri (frontal force out)

• Kotoeihō (6-1) def. Wakanoshō (4-3) by hikiotoshi (hand pull down)*

• Tobizaru (6-1) def. Shishi (2-5) by uwatedashinage (pulling over arm throw)*

• Kinbōzan (4-3) def Ōshōumi (1-6) by tsukidashi (frontal thrust out)

• Ura (5-2) def. Tamawashi (0-7) by oshidashi

• Tokihayate (2-5) def. Asanoyama (4-3) by yoritaoshi (frontal crush out)*

• Hakunofuji (5-2) def. Asakōryū (3-4) by fusen (default)

• Chiyoshōma (4-3) def. Nishikifuji (2-5) by hatakikomi (slap down)

• Fujiseun (5-2) def. Asahakūryū (2-5) by yorikiri

• Ōshōma (5-2) def. Shōdai (2-5) by oshidashi

• Churanoumi (4-3) def. Abi (3-4) by oshidashi

• Yoshinofuji (4-3) def. Gōnoyama (5-2) by oshidashi

• Fujinokawa (4-3) def. Takanoshō (3-4) by hikiotoshi

• Wakatakakage (6-1) def. Ichiyamamoto (2-5) by oshidashi

• Kotoshōhō (4-3) def. Hiradoumi (3-4) by oshitaoshi*

• Atamifuji (3-4) def. Wakamotoharu (2-5) by oshidashi

• Kirishima (7-0) def. Daieishō (3-4) by oshidashi*

• Ōhō (3-4) def. Kotozakura (2-5) by oshidashi

*Must see bouts!

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Leaderboard

• O2e Kirishima: 7-0

• K1e Wakatakakage, M13e Kotoeihō, M15e Tobizaru: 6-1

Analysis

Kirishima is 7-0 now and, despite being just being one win ahead, looks like he’s in total control of this basho. That’s due to how easy everything is looking for him on the dōhyō. Last night he used a kachiage (elbow strike) to disrupt Daieishō in the tachiai (preventing him from extending his hands and getting a double handed thrust into the chest). Once Daieishō was rocked back, Kirishima was able to get his left arm on the inside. He went for the belt, but then saw he had Daieishō already on the edge so only a little push was needed to bump him out.

Kirishima is looking extremely cool and confident so far in this tournament (just like he did when he won in March). I suspect a loss will come eventually, but it will be interesting to see how he reacts to that and whether or not he’ll have much of a cushion between him and the chasers if/when that happens.

Wakatakakage continues to look like the stiffest challenge Kirishima will face in the next eight days. He’s 6-1 after a quick win over Ichiyamamoto (his biggest fan).

Wakatakakage went with hazuoshi (armpit thrusting) off the tachiai. That was smart because he rightly assumed that the pusher-thruster would come at him with hands high. The result was a very routine push out for the san’yaku fighter.

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Kotōeihō is 6-1, too. He’s keeping his name in the running, although he’s had a very low level of competition thus far. Last night he beat the debut top division wrestler Wakanoshō. And he had to use oshi-zumō (pushing/thrusting) to get that win. Wakanoshō was very aggressive from the jump, but Kotōeihō stuck with him and managed to pull him down once they got in close.

Fujiryoga has been an even bigger surprise than Kotōeihō this month. He could have moved to 6-1 last night if he had gotten past Rōga. However, the man in only his second top division tournament was quickly bundled out after he reacted too wildly to Rōga’s mae-mitsu (front grip). Fujiryoga’s big slap down attempt put him almost over the line and gave Rōga an easy time of converting for the win.

That win moved Rōga to 4-3, putting him well on pace for his usual 8-7 or 7-8.

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Gonōyama is in the pack trailing Kirishima and Wakatakakage, too. He took a loss to Yoshinofuji last night, in their first ever meeting.

Gonōyama tried to take lumps off Yoshinofuji with his thrusts in this one and, at one point, had Yoshinofuji’s head popped back like a pez dispenser. Yoshinofuji showed a lot of toughness to get through that, though, and kept coming forwards. His movement forced Gonōyama to the straw and into a late slap down attempt. Yoshinofuji was forced into a dive and was lucky to score the push out victory. That win gives Yoshinofuji his first positive record of the tournament.

Gonōyama will have a chance to hand Kirishima his first loss of the tournament tonight. He’s done pretty well in that match-up in the past, winning four or nine bouts. Kirishima has won the last three, though.

Wakatakakage meets Ōhō. He’s got a commanding 7-2 record over him.

Tobizaru has Ura tonight in the All Chaos Cup. This is always a fun bout. Tobizaru currently edges their head-to-head record 11-9.

Kotoeiho and Fujiryoga will meet each other tonight, too. Fujiryoga has won both prior meetings.

Keeping count!

Henka counter: 3.5*

Tobi trample counter (rows): 0**

*Fujinokawa pulled the rug out from under Takanōsho last night, sending the big man down while barely touching him.

**Tobizaru won a fun brawl with Shishi, but — again — didn’t do any crowd surfing. He seems pretty locked in at this tournament and has put himself among the leaders with his 6-1 record.

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You can see who won and loss below, along with watch videos and read my analysis. The top division is for everyone. The second division coverage is just for paid subscribers. If you want to support me with a paid subscription, you can get 15% off this month!

I also want to turn your attention to something I wrote on MMA Mania. I got to interview the former Ōsunaarashi (aka Sandstorm) about the World Elite Sumo - Pro Sumo - New Era event that is happening tomorrow in Newark, NJ. Check that out here (link)

That interview is just about the upcoming event. I did talk to Sandstorm about his time in Grand Sumo, including what it was like to face Hakuho. I’ll compile those into a piece just for Sumo Stomp!

Our bonus gif today is the pudding man!

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Results

• Tobizaru (5-1) def. Wakanoshō (4-2) by tsukiotoshi (thrust down)

• Mitakeumi (3-3) def. Ōshōumi (1-5) by sukuinage (beltless arm throw)

• Ryūden (1-5) def. Rōga (3-3) by yorikiri (frontal force out)*

• Fujiryoga (5-1) def. Tamawashi (0-6) by hatakikomi (slap down)

• Ura (4-2) def. Kotoeihō (5-1) by uwatenage (over arm throw)*

• Asanoyama (4-2) def. Shishi (2-4) by oshidashi (frontal push out)

• Hakunofuji (4-2) def. Tokihayate (1-5) by yorikiri

• Kinbōzan (3-3) def. Nishikifuji (2-4) by uwatenage

• Chiyoshōma (3-3) def. Abi (3-3) by hatakikomi

• Churanoumi (4-2) def. Asahakūryū (2-4) by yorikiri

• Ōshōma (4-2) def. Fujiseun (4-2) by okuridashi (rear push out)*

• Shōdai (2-4) def. Asakōryū (3-3) by tsukiotoshi

• Wakamotoharu (2-4) def. Ichiyamamoto (2-4) by oshidashi

• Yoshinofuji (3-3) def. Takanoshō (3-3) by kubinage (headlock throw) after torinaoshi (rematch)*

• Wakatakakage (5-1) def. Fujinokawa (3-3) by yorikiri*

• Gōnoyama (5-1) def. Atamifuji (2-4) by oshidashi*

• Kotoshōhō (3-3) def. Daieishō (3-3) by oshidashi

• Hiradoumi (3-3) def. Kotozakura (2-4) by yorikiri*

• Kirishima (6-0) def. Ōhō (2-4) by yorikiri*

*Must see bouts!

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Leaderboard

• O2e Kirishima: 6-0

• K1e Wakatakakage, M4w Gōnoyama, M13e Kotoeihō, M15e Tobizaru, M17e Fujiryoga: 5-1

Analysis

Kirishima is still in cruise control at this tournament. He moved to 6-0, and took the sole lead of this event, after beating Ōhō last night.

In the previous post I warned that Ōhō would be getting a clay sandwich if he fought as wild as he has so far this tournament, with Kirishima likely to side-step and slap him down, as he’s done so excellently in this tournament and the last (where he won his third yushō). In this bout, though, Kirishima didn’t leave anything to chance.

He locked up Ōhō, quickly, with his favourite hidari-yotsu (left arm inside position). That immediately gave him the advantage over the pusher-thruster. Kirishima shaped for an early throw, but Ōhō defended nicely. The bigger Ōhō then managed to send Kirishima towards the straw. However, the ōzeki found the straw with his foot (tough to do while being charged backwards) and was able to push off to get the action back to the centre of the ring.

From there he focused on his mae-mitsu (narrow front grip) and tried to turn Ōhō’s loin cloth into a boob-tube. Ōhō was a little lost in this position. As he wondered what to do next, Kirishima snapped down on his belt and got him moving towards the edge and then out.

Kirishima is yet to put a foot wrong in this tournament. He’s looking exactly like he did in March, where he wrapped things up on Day 13.

For the first time in this tournament, Kotoeihō couldn’t match Kirishima with a win. The youngster, in just his third makuuchi basho, is still doing great, though.

Last night he was stifled by Ura. Ura used ottsuke (forearm blocking) to stop Kotoeihō getting his left arm inside. With Kotoeihō reaching for that position, he didn’t notice Ura reaching for the back of his belt. Once Ura got a fistful of silk he turned Kotoeihō and rolled him off the cage. He then splatted Hakunofuji (can that kid catch a break?!).

That was a close finish, but there was no mono-ii called. Replays showed the gyoji got it right, though, as Ura expertly kept his foot down while Kotoeihō hit the deck.

Ura is now at 4-2 and looking pretty spry out there.

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Wakatakakage got back in the win column last night, to keep himself one win behind Kirishima. He got a strong grip on the outside of Fujinokawa’s belt from the tachiai and was able to dictate the bout from there. He yanked Fujinokawa up and down and was eventually able to wrench him up and force him out of the south east corner of the ring.

Despite his slip up on the previous night, Wakatakakage is looking great this month and he should be a good challenge for Kirishima if they are matched up in crunch time.

There’s a fun and surprising mix of guys at 5-1 right now. That includes Tobizaru! He used the dark arts to get to that record, though. Check out his henka on Wakanoshō below.

I mean, if you’re gonna henka, you might as well do it well, right? This is Tobi’s best start to a tournament since 2022.

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Gōnoyama is in the mix, too. He had one of his best ever tournaments in March, in his hometown of Osaka, but he’s rarely been able to put together two solid tournaments back-to-back. Last night he lit up Atamifuji with a moroto-tsuki (double handed thrust) and then had lots of space to get inside and drive forwards for the win.

Fujiryoga is the other man on a 5-1 record. He beat up on a badly injured Tamawashi last night. It’s getting hard to watch Tamawashi in this tournament.

Kotozakura has completely blown his chance at taking advantage of the absences of Hōshōryū, Ōnosato and Aonishiki. He took his fourth loss last night. And it was against Hiradoumi, someone he usually schools.

Hiradoumi did a great job of using his belly offensively, to nudge Kotozakura back, and then scoot his hips far back to prevent Kotozakura grabbing his belt and doing the same. He did this to put Kotozakura right on the straw. Kotozakura did well to survive that, but he was gassed afterwards and Hiradoumi got him out with a renewed attack.

Oshoma and Fujiseun had one of the bouts of the night. They traded lots of blows as both hunted for a slap down opportunity. Oshoma eventually latched onto Fujiseun’s wrist and used that to turn him around and then score the okuridashi.

Kirishima is going to face Daieishō tonight. He beat Daieishō in a play-off to win his first ever yushō back in 2024. He’s 16-11 against Daieishō and has won four of the last six, usually by side-stepping Daieishō’s lunges.

Wakatakakage has his biggest fan, Ichiyamamoto, tonight. He’s 2-3 in that match-up, but won their last encounter.

Gōnoyama has Yoshinofuji. They’ve never fought before. Kotoeihō has Wakanoshō. He’s 2-1 against him, from their jūryō days together. Fujiryoga meets Rōga for the second time in his career. He lost the first meeting.

Keeping count!

Henka counter: 2.5*

Tobi trample counter (rows): 0**

*Tobizaru’s henka moved us to 2. Wakamotoharu’s half henka on Ichiyamamoto gets us to 2.5.

**Going into the crowd off a successful henka would be quite the feat.

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Day five of the 2026 natsu basho came and went last night. It’s been a bit of struggle to get up for this one, at times. It’s a real bummer to have three of our best and most exciting wrestlers sitting on the sidelines.

Despite that, though, there’s still a lot of great action going on at the Kokugikan. And, because of those absences, the race for the cup is pretty wide open. We might see another surprise winner this month. Though, two of the leaders right now are guys plenty of us expected to do well.

Scroll down to see where we stand after day five. There’s full results, lots of videos and my analysis for you to enjoy. And, if you’re a paid subscriber, there’s jūryō content, too!

Our bonus gif is one of our missing stars.

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Results

• Fujiryoga (4-1) def. Ōshōumi (1-4) by oshidashi (frontal push out)

• Tobizaru (4-1) def. Ryūden (0-5) by oshidashi

• Wakanoshō (4-1) def. Tamawashi (0-5) by oshidashi

• Kotoeihō (5-0) def. Rōga (3-2) by yorikiri (frontal force out)*

• Mitakeumi (2-3) def. Tokihayate (1-4) by tsukidashi (frontal thrust out)

• Shishi (2-3) def. Hakunofuji (3-2) by yoritoashi (frontal crush out)*

• Asanoyama (3-2) def. Kinbōzan (2-3) by yorikiri

• Abi (3-2) def. Nishikifuji (2-3) by hatakikomi (slap down)

• Ura (3-2) def. Asahakūryū (2-3) by okuridashi (rear push out)*

• Ōshōma (3-2) def. Chiyoshōma (2-3) by uwatenage (over arm throw)

• Asakōryū (3-2) def. Churanoumi (3-2) by oshidashi

• Fujiseun (4-1) def. Wakamotoharu (1-4) by sukuinage (beltless arm throw)

• Gōnoyama (4-1) def. Shōdai (1-4) by oshidashi

• Yoshinofuji (1-4) def. Daieishō (2-3) by okuridashi*

• Takanoshō (3-2) def. Wakatakakage (4-1) by hatakikomi*

• Kotoshōhō (2-3) def. Ōhō (2-3) by okuridashi*

• Atamifuji (2-3) def. Fujinokawa (3-2) by yoritoashi*

• Kirishima (5-0) def. Hiradoumi (2-3) by sukuinahge*

• Ichiyamamoto (2-3) def. Kotozakura (2-3) by oshidashi*

*Must see bouts!

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Leaderboard

• O2e Kirishima, M13e Kotoeihō: 5-0

• K1e Wakatakakage, M4w Gōnoyama, M6w Fujiseun, M15e Tobizaru, M16e Wakanoshō, M17e Fujiryoga: 4-1

Analysis

Kirishima remained in the lead last night after he took care of Hiradoumi. Their match was a fast and furious affair which, to me, resembled trying to get a cat into a carrier. In that metaphor Kirishima was the cat owner and Hiradoumi was the feline who really didn’t want get their nails trimmed.

The chaotic look to the fight was mostly due to Hiradoumi’s frantic attempts to keep himself in bounds. Despite all that movement, Kirishima had a pretty firm grip on the bout. He ended up taking Hiradoumi down with a thump, with Hiradoumi painfully stretched across the edge of the ring.

This is the first 5-0 start of Kirishima’s career and he’s looking as cool and in control as he did when he won the cup in March.

Wakatakakage dropped off the pace, slightly, last night. That’s because Takanoshō handed him his first loss of the tournament. Wakatakakage went in strong and low against the taller Takanoshō. Takanoshō smartly put his hands on Wakatakakage’s shoulders, stepped back, and helped the komusubi onto the ground.

Wakatakakage is now 4-1 and stuck in a big pack of guys just behind Kirishima. It’s still early days, but Wakatakakage feels like he’ll be a factor at the business end of the basho.

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Kotoeihō joined Kirishima on 5-0 last night after a fun battle with Rōga. This was another great example of Kotoeihō’s yotsu-zumō (belt grappling) looking much improved. He scored a migi-yotsu (right arm inside) position and was able to out-muscle Rōga for the win.

Kotoeihō might end up being one of the stories of the tournament. Though, the 22 year-old has had a relatively easy schedule up to now (compared to Kirishima and Wakatakakage).

Kotozakura took another loss last night. He was overwhelmed by Ichiyamamoto.

Ichiyamamoto fought with a lot of fury in this bout and kept his thrusts pumping to prevent Kotozakura wrapping him up and forcing him into a belt battle. Ichiyamamoto also won when it came to fashion. His resplendent jade mawashii sparkled on the dohyo opposite the faded teal of Kotozakura’s belt (which has been compared to a sun bleached pool liner on reddit).

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Fujinokawa has been treading water in this tournament, managing wins over Kotozakura and Kotoshōhō, while ranked at his highest ever mark. He was gobbled up by Atamifuji last night, though. That win got Atamifuji to 2-3.

Kotoshōhō and Ōhō had the bout of the day yesterday. Kotoshōhō made up for his lacklustre showing against Fujinokawa with a brawl worthy of the All Violence Team here. He and Ōhō slapped the heck out of each other in this bout. Kotoshōhō blinked first, attempting a side-step and slap down, but Ōhō didn’t bite. Kotoshōhō was then on the run. He was over trading blows with Ōhō, though, and decided to duck under and get on the belt for the force out.

Ōhō, who was sporting a goose egg on his hairline, looked like a rabid dog in that bout. I think he needs to tone it back a little or he’s going to keep running himself into losses.

Ura got a nifty win last night. He got turned around by Asahakūryū in the tachiai and was in danger of being run out the ring. But, instead, the fan favourite pulled off a ‘now you see me, now you don’t moment’ and managed to roll around Asahakūryū and push him out.

Asahakūryū was left standing on the ring wondering what had happened after that. The win got Ura to 3-2.

Tonight Kirishima meets Ōhō. If Ōhō fights like a raging bull here, he’s going to bring out the matador in Kirishima and end up with a mouth full of dirt.

Wakatakakage will try and rebound from his loss by beating Fujinokawa. That will be a fun one.

Kotoeiho’s perfect record will be tested by Ura.

Keeping count!

Henka counter: 1

Tobi trample counter (rows): 0*

*Tobizaru is an impressive 4-1 after five bouts and he’s not put a toe into the seats. He beat Ōshōumi last night and, again, stopped short of the crowd when he sprung from the ring.

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Jūryō Results and Analysis

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We are now four days into this injury ravaged tournament. Despite those high profile absenses, though, there’s still plenty of intriguing characters on the clay this month.

Scroll down to see who won and lost last night in both the makuuchi and juryo (if you’re a paid subscriber).

Down there you’ll also see lots of videos and my analysis.

Our bonus gif today is the highest ranked member of the All Violence Team. I guess that makes him the captain.

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Results

• Daiseizan (4-0) def. Ryūden (0-4) by yorikiri (frontal force out)

• Fujiryoga (3-1) def. Tobizaru (3-1) by oshitaoshi (frontal push down)

• Wakanoshō (3-1) def. Mitakeumi (1-3) by okuridashi (rear push out)

• Rōga (3-1) def. Ōshōumi (1-3) by shitatenage (underarm throw)*

• Tokihayate (1-3) def. Tamawashi (0-4) by yorikiri

• Ura (2-2) def. Shishi (1-3) by shitatenage*

• Kotoeihō (4-0) def. Kinbōzan (2-2) by shitatenage*

• Abi (2-2) def. Asanoyama (2-2) by oshidashi

• Ōshōma (2-2) def. Nishikifuji (2-2) by oshidashi

• Hakunofuji (3-1) def. Asahakūryū (2-2) by yorikiri*

• Fujiseun (3-1) def. Asakōryū (2-2) by tsukiotoshi (thrust down)

• Churanoumi (3-1) def. Wakamotoharu (1-2) by oshidashi

• Chiyoshōma (2-2) def. Shōdai (1-3) by katasukashi (under shoulder swing down)

• Gōnoyama (3-1) def. Hiradoumi (2-2) by hikiotoshi (hand pull down)

• Wakatakakage (4-0) def. Daieishō (2-2) by oshidashi*

• Ōhō (2-2) def. Takayasu (2-2) by fusen (default)

• Takanoshō (2-2) def. Atamifuji (1-3) by oshidashi

• Fujinokawa (3-1) def. Kotoshōhō (1-3) by tsukiotoshi

• Kotozakura (2-2) def. Yoshinofuji (0-4) by oshidashi*

• Kirishima (4-0) def. Ichiyamamoto (1-3) by hatakikomi (slap down)*

*Must see bouts!

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Leaderboard

• Too early!

Analysis

It’s steady as she goes for Kirishima. He’s now 4-0 after beating Ichiyamamoto last night.

Ichiyamamoto was undone on the previous night by his attempts to use yotsu-zumō (belt grappling). He’s improved in that department, but last night he went with his bread-and-butter oshi-zumō (pushing/thrusting). That’s smart, considering Kirishima is one of the premier yotsu practitioners in the sport.

And Kirishima did a great job of deflecting Ichiyamamoto’s early oshi attack and, after slapping the hands away, forcing Ichiyamamoto to fight in close (by using his favourite left arm inside position). At that close range, it didn’t take long for Kirishima to cuff the back of Ichiyamamoto’s neck and bring him down for his second hatakikomi of the tournament.

Kirishima is yet to put a foot wrong in this tournament and I’ll be shocked if he’s not among the contenders this time next week.

Wakatakakage is also looking like a contender. He’s 4-0, too, after coming through a bruising encounter with Daieishō.

Daieishō hit hard on the tachiai, putting his paws on either side of Wakatakakage’s face. He threw a lot of palms at Wakatakakage’s face and Wakatakakage just bit down and took it. He left his face open, to get smacked, so he could focus on Daieishō’s armpits. As Daieishō frantically tried to force Wakatakakage to blink or step back, Wakatakakage worked his hands snug into the pits and then pushed Daieishō out with hazuoshi (armpit thrusting).

This performance really sums up what I love about Wakatakakage. He was willing to accept getting smacked in the face, repeatedly, in order to secure the position he knew he could use for a win. He knew this decision would put him under a lot of pressure and cause some pain, but he also knew he was too tough to let that beat him. What a bad ass.

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I doubt Kotoeihō is among the leaders a week from now, but stranger things have happened. He’s 4-0 after a very nice win over Kinbōzan.

The first time Kotoeihō was in the top division he seemed to have a notable lack of upper body strength. Guys were tipping him over and throwing him around left and right. But in March, and now here, he looks completely different.

And against Kinbōzan he kept his hips low and showed a lot of arm strength to keep Kinbōzan under wraps and then sling him over.

Kotoeihō’s brother, Kotoshōhō, didn’t fare as well last night.

His much hyped (by me) All Violence match was a dud. He and Fujinokawa looked like they were both up for a brawl, but Kotoshōhō’s opening thrust sent Fujinokawa half way across the ring. I think that surprised both men. As a result, there wasn’t anyone home when Kotoshōhō went for his follow up thrust. He was already on the way down, when Fujinokawa stepped sideways and added the lightest of touches.

Kotoshōhō, last tournament’s runner-up, is now 1-3 and exhibiting just why Murray Johnson called him the chocolate box (because you never know what you’re going to get from him). Shout out to Alan.

Kotozakura, stablemate of both Kotoshōhō and Kotoeihō, scored a big win last night. He looked ferocious with his thrusting, much to the dismay of Yoshinofuji. Yoshinofuji is now 0-4. Maybe his new chonmage (topknot) is cursed!

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Like Yoshinofuji, Tamawashi is also 0-4. The Iron Man is looking very banged up in this tournament. He has a lot of strapping around his ankle and calf and he seems incapable of pushing off from that foot with any kind of power. Tokihayate was able to force him out last night, for his first win of the tournament.

Could this be the first time Tamawashi bows out of a tournament due to injury? If he does that, I wonder if he’ll come back.

Hakunofuji endured a lot of pain last night to get a win over Asahakūryū.

Hakunofuji got a moro-zashi (double inside position) early in this bout and Asahakūryū countered that exactly how you’re supposed to; with the dreaded kimedashi (arm barring force out). That was one of the trademark moves of Hakunofuji’s oyakata (stable master) Isegahama (the former Terunofuji). I have a feeling Hakunofuji has been put in this position by Terunofuji on more than one occasion behind closed doors. Maybe that helped Hakunofuji fight through this one?

Asahakūryū had Hakunofuji all the way to the straw, but Hakunofuji was able to hang on — using his foot at one point to hook around one of Asahakūryū’s legs. After that last ditch defense, Asahakūryū’s energy sagged. Hakunofuji then used a burst of strength, and cardio, to reverse the position and score the immensely impressive victory.

Ura and Shishi had a very fun bout last night. Shishi had the early advantage, pushing Ura back to the boundary. But Pink Magic then pulled off a fantastic head fake to side-step, which baited Shishi into a lunge and then made sure he was out of the way when that happened.

We had more bad news last night Takayasu did not come out for his bout with Ōhō. He injured his foot after Hiradoumi launches him off the ring on the previous night.

That means we are now down four wrestlers and they are all in the special upper rankings.

Kirishima’s perfect start will be testing by Hiradoumi tonight. He’s 6-3 against him. Wakatakakage meets Takanoshō. They are 10-9 in that match-up.

Kotoeihō will need to beat Roga to stay undefeated. He lost their only ever bout together, in jūryō last year.

Keeping count!

Henka counter: 1

Tobi trample counter (rows): 0*

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*So close! Tobizaru was bounced off the ring by Fujiryoga last night, but he was able to put on the brakes before going into the seats.

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We’re three days in and this is the first post I’ve been able to put out during daylight.

The gloss has certainly come off this tournament with Ōnosato, Aonishiki and then Hōshōryū pulling out. But we’re left with a wide open race for the cup and we could see some surprise contenders featured in the race.

The action on the dohyō has been decent enough. It’s hard not to get a little down, though, due to the mini injury crisis we have going on. Hopefully no one else goes down.

Scroll down for last night’s results for makuuchi and juryo (if you’re a paid subscriber). There’s also lots of videos and my analysis.

Our bonus gif today is the scene stealing Kimura Konosuke.

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Results

• Ōnokatsu (2-1) def. Fujiryoga (2-1) by hatakikomi (slap down)

• Wakanoshō (2-1) def. Ryūden (0-3) by tsukidashi (frontal thrust out)*

• Tobizaru (3-0) def. Ōshōumi (1-2) by tsukiotoshi (thrust down)

• Rōga (2-1) def. Mitakeumi (2-1) by yorikiri (frontal force out)

• Kotoeihō (3-0) def. Tamawashi (0-3) by oshidashi (frontal push out)

• Shishi (1-2) def. Tokihayate (0-3) by abisetaoshi (backward force down)

• Hakunofuji (2-1) def. Kinbōzan (2-1) by oshidashi

• Asanoyama (2-1) def. Ura (1-2) by oshidashi*

• Asahakūryū (2-1) def. Nishikifuji (2-1) by yorikiri

• Ōshōma (1-2) def. Abi (1-2) by tsukiotoshi

• Chiyoshōma (1-2) def. Asakōryū (2-1) by hatakikomi

• Fujiseun (2-1) def. Churanoumi (2-1) by yorikiri*

• Wakamotoharu (1-2) def. Shōdai (1-2) by yorikiri*

• Gōnoyama (2-1) def. Daieishō (2-1) by oshidashi

• Hiradoumi (2-1) def. Takayasu (2-1) by oshidashi*

• Wakatakakage (3-0) def. Yoshinofuji (0-3) by yorikiri*

• Kotoshōhō (1-2) def. Ichiyamamoto (1-2) by sukuinage (beltless arm throw)*

• Atamifuji (1-2) def. Ōhō (1-2) by oshidashi

• Kirishima (3-0) def. Fujinokawa (2-1) by uwatenage (over arm throw)*

• Kotozakura (1-2) def. Takanoshō (1-2) by oshidashi

*Must see bouts!

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Leaderboard

• Too early!

Analysis

Kirishima is now 3-0 to start this tournament. I guess you could say 4-0, considering he beat Fujinokawa twice!

Kirishima approached this bout very intelligently. He knew what he was going to get from Fujinokawa; pure fury. And he knew that Fujinokawa is incredibly dangerous when he has space to bash you, lean back, and then bash you again — all at a higher pace than anyone else can muster.

To counter this, Kirishima knew he had to trap Fujinokawa and prevent him from getting up a full head of steam. Kirishima managed this by landing a few choice thrusts before sweeping his left arm inside for the belt. That position forced Fujinokawa to slow down and assess what was going on.

After a quick calculation, Fujinokawa decided he didn’t want to be there and he thrashed to get free. But Kirishima started to put pressure on Fujinokawa’s left arm, with an arm bar. That resulted in Fujinokawa putting his left foot out of bounds… but no one saw that.

The bout continued and Fujinokawa was actually able to turn Kirishima! Kirishima kept himself in bounds by pushing his toes into the straw, though. After that Kirishima had a very strong hidari-yotsu (left arm inside position) locked in with two hands on the belt. That allowed him to move Fujinokawa over to the edge.

Fujinokawa shaped for a shitatenage on the way there, but Kirishima used his judo prowess to recognize the move and untangle his leg to get him out of trouble. He used that same leg as the fulcrum for completing his own uwatenage.

That was a very spirited attempt from Fujinokawa, who is now 2-1. It’s very early, but Kirishima is looking so smooth and full of confidence. He has to be the favourite to win, at this early juncture.

Wakatakakage has looked very impressive through three bouts, as well. Last night he ran Yoshinofuji off the dohyō.

Wakatakakage took a stiff kachiage (elbow strike) to the throat off Yoshinofuji in the tachiai. Wakatakakage’s toughness is unrivalled, though. He ate that shot and then slapped on a migi-yotsu (right arm inside position). Once he had that, he pumped his legs and quickly had Yoshinofuji over the line. He then added a little extra shove to put Yoshinofuji in the seats. That might have been a receipt for that opening elbow.

This is the first time Wakatakakage has gotten off to a 3-0 start since 2024.

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Takayasu’s hopes of going 3-0 were dashed by Hiradoumi. Hiradoumi speared Takayasu off the ring with a moroto-tsuki (two handed thrust) and sent him deep into the crowd. Takayasu was very slow to get up from that.

The viciousness of Hiradoumi’s shove has me wondering if this is payback for what Takayasu did to Hōshōryū. Hiradoumi is in Hōshōryū’s ichimon (stable group) and serves as his tachimochi (sword bearer) during yokozuna ceremonies. They are also frequent cross-training partners and it’s pretty obvious, to onlookers, that Hiradoumi holds a lot of reverence for Hōshōryū.

Kotozakura got his first win of the tournament last night. And he was forced to work for it. Takanoshō was able to escape Kotozakura’s clinch and turn this into a running battle. But Kotozakura was up to the task. He looked good on the move and was able to land a big thrust for the win.

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Wakamotoharu also got his first win of the tournament. He and Shōdai met with a crash. That bumped Wakamotoharu back. Wakamotoharu lowered his head and crashed in for a second tachiai, though. After doing that he was able to get his prized hidari-yotsu (left arm inside position) and squeeze Shōdai out along the north side of the ring.

Kotoshōhō also notched his first win last night. Ichiyamamoto tried to slow the All Violence Team member down with a yotsu (belt grappling) battle. However, Kotoshōhō’s strength advantage ended up outweighing Ichiyamamoto’s neophyte-level grappling. On the boundary Kotoshōhō was able to turn and send Ichiyamamoto, head first, into the clay.

Atamifuji also got his first win. The shin-sekiwake (first time sekiwake) beat Ōhō without much fuss.

Kirishima gets Ichiyamamoto tonight. He’s 4-3 in that match-up and hasn’t lost to Ichiyamamoto since his jūryō days in 2019.

Kotozakura has Yoshinofuji. Kotozakura is 3-0 in that match-up. Fujinokawa takes on Kotoshōhō in an All Violence match. Fujinokawa is 3-0 against Kotoshōhō.

Wakatakakage has a tough test in the form of Daieishō tomorrow. Those two are near even in wins after almost 20 bouts together. Wakatakakage has won the last two, though.

Keeping count!

Henka counter: 1

Tobi trample counter (rows): 0*

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*Tobizaru quietly went to 3-0 last night with a confident thrust down on Ōshōumi. He, again, came nowhere near the seats.

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If you are a paid subscriber, below you will find results, videos and analysis for jūryō.

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Day two of the May tournament is now in the books. This is another night time edition of Sumo Stomp! That’s because on Mondays I’m continuing to volunteer at the non-profit where I did my field placement. That will make them hire me! (right?)

Last night we got confirmation that Hōshōryū was out of the tournament. We all knew that was coming, though, with how he hobbled away from that Takayasu bout.

That leaves Kotozakura and Kirishima as our highest ranked wrestlers at the basho. Scroll down to see how they did last night and whether they look like they can snatch this yushō.

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Today’s bonus gif today is Tobizaru raring to go!

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Results

• Fujiyroga (2-0) def. Wakanoshō (1-1) by tsukiotoshi (thrust down)

• Ōshōumi (1-1) def. Ryūden (0-2) by yorikiri (frontal force out)

• Tobizaru (2-0) def. Mitakeumi (1-1) by okuridashi (rear push out)

• Rōga (1-1) def. Tamawashi (0-2) by yorikiri

• Kotoeihō (2-0) def. Shishi (0-2) by shitatenage (underarm throw)*

• Kinbōzan (2-0) def. Tokihayate (0-2) by uwatenage (over arm throw)

• Hakunofuji (1-1) def. Asanoyama (1-1) by oshidashi (frontal push out) after mono-ii (judges’ review) reversed gyoji (referee) decision*

• Nishikifuji (1-1) def. Ura (1-1) by oshidashi

• Asahakūryū (1-1) def. Ōshōma (0-2) by oshidashi*

• Asakōryū (2-0) def. Abi (1-1) by shitatenage*

• Churanoumi (2-0) def. Chiyoshōma (0-2) by oshidashi

• Shōdai (1-1) def. Fujiseun (1-1) by katasukashi (under shoulder swing down)*

• Daieishō (2-0) def. Wakamotoharu (0-2) by hatakikomi (slap down)*

• Ōhō (1-1) def. Gōnoyama (1-1) by hatakikomi

• Takayasu (2-0) def. Ichiyamamoto (1-1) by hikiotoshi (hand pull down)

• Hiradoumi (1-1) def. Atamifuji (0-2) by yorikiri

• Takanoshō (1-1) def. Kotoshōhō (0-2) by oshidashi

• Wakatakakage (2-0) def. Kotozakura (0-2) by yorikiri*

• Kirishima (2-0) def. Yoshinofuji (0-1) by hatakikomi

• Fujinokawa (2-0) def. Hōshōryū (0-2) by fusen (default)

*Must see bouts!

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Leaderboard

• Too early!

Analysis

All eyes on Kirishima now, I guess. And not just because he’s so studly. Due to Hōshōryū joining both Ōnosato and Aonishiki on the sidelines this month, the biggest threat to win the yushō is now the returning ōzeki. Last night he beat Yoshinofuji (who now sports the traditional top knot) in a dog fight to go 2-0.

Kirishima led with a kachiage (elbow strike) off the tachiai, but that didn’t move Yoshinofuji back an inch. Kirishima then switched focus to trying to rotate Yoshinofuji with a kote (armlock). He had to do that twice, since Yoshinofuji was so athletic and good at turning back to face him. Eventually, though, Kirishima experience shone through and he reacted perfectly when Yoshinofuji dipped his head. When he saw that, Kirishima glided back and let Yoshinofuji fly into the dirt.

Kotozakura is 0-2 after losing to Wakatakakage. He’s now got an uphill battle if he wants to take advantage of the high profile absences at this tournament. He and Wakatakakage had a heck of a tilt, though.

Kotozakura succeeded in getting his right arm inside off the tachiai. That’s his go-to move. But Wakatakakage used ottsuke (forearm blocking) to make sure Kotozakura didn’t get his arm fully inside. He was then able to actually push Kotozakura’s bicep and get that right arm out of the inside position, all while forcing Kotozakura to step backwards.

Kotozakura re-established the inside position and then summoned up lots of strength to rear up and force Wakatakakage backwards. Wakatakakage resisted, though, using every inch of his strength to put on the brakes and prevent himself being marched all the way out.

I think that moment sapped a lot of stamina out of Kotozakura. After that, Wakatakakage was able to hoist him up and get him moving towards the boundary. Kotozakura attempted a halfhearted throw along the straw, but he was too drained and Wakatakakage still had plenty of gas in the tank.

Wakatakakage is now 2-0.

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Takayasu is also 2-0. I’m a little mad at him right now, to be honest. I thought it was a little cheap how he went so early against Hōshōryū and I think the extra push he gave him was unnecessary. I think Hōshōryū might have suffered the injury before that, but the second push really hyper-extended Hōshōryū’s leg and might have worsened the extent of the injury.

There would be no cosmic justice last night, though. Ichiyamamoto started well in their bout, with his tsuppari (rapid palm striking), and he had Takayasu on the ropes. But Takayasu executed a perfect inashi (side-step) to help Ichiyamamoto down to the ground. That was an uncharacteristic win for Takayasu, but an impressive one. He seldom has that much spring in his side-steps nowadays.

Wakamotoharu’s terrible form from March seems to have leaked over into May. He’s now 3-14 if you put those two basho together. He lost, quickly, to Daieishō last night.

That gave Daieishō a 2-0 start to the tournament.

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Tonight’s action is headlined by Kotozakura vs. Takanoshō. Kotozakura has the commanding 10-5 record in their head-to-head matches.

Kirishima meets Fujinokawa. He won their only meeting, which was in the March tournament.

Wakatakakage will try to go to 3-0 when he faces Yoshinofuji. He’s 3-0 in their head-to-head record.

Keeping count!

Henka counter: 1*

Tobi trample counter (rows): 0**

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*Asakōryū used a half henka in his bout with Abi. That, combined with Wakatakakage’s half henka from day one, has us up to a full henka.

**Tobizaru is, again, not playing ball with my trample counter. He got around Mitakeumi last night and pushed him out without incident.

And now something extra…

If you are a paid subscriber, below you will find results, videos and analysis for jūryō.

Jūryō Results and Analysis

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This is an evening post because it’s the weekend (and daytime on the weekend is for family). Monday’s post will also be in the evening, since that’s the day I’m out volunteering. I’ll endeavour to have all other tournament updates coming to you in the AM (Toronto time).

Anyways, we are off and running at Grand Sumo’s 2026 May tournament. Before this one started, we learned that Ōnosato and Aonishiki would be skipping the action due to injury. That’s great news for anyone who is interested in the longevity of those two wrestlers. Even so, their absense leaves a big void in the tournament (since they are both such excellent athletes).

Aonishiki will lose his ōzeki rank after this tournament, due to having a second losing record in a row. All is not lost, though. He can get the rank back if he earns ten or more wins in July. Hopefully he’s healthy and ready to go by then.

Now, there’s a lot going on in this first post of the tournament. Please bear with me.

First off, here I am previewing this tournament (and talking about the March tournament) with my good friend Stephie Haynes on The Level Change podcast.

Level Change Podcast

Sumo Stompin' with Tim Edwards + UFC 328 predictions | Ep. 404

Today’s episode is a return to the world of Sumo and Tim Edwards is back to give us a review of the last tournament. He goes through all the highlights and the low points from the basho, and gives excellent critical analysis of how the winner did. Then, he gives us a preview of the upcoming Natsu Basho, including some predictions for the summer tourney…

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a month ago · 4 likes · 1 comment

This is the first tournament, since last July, where I get to cover the action without needing to do school work at the same time. With the luxury of more time comes an opportunity to experiment.

A few tournaments back I covered the jūryō tournament in addition to makuuchi. I really enjoyed that, but it was quite taxing. I’m going to try that again here, but… and it’s a big but… I’m going to paywall that section of these daily updates. So if you are a paid subscriber, you will find — at the bottom of this post — full results for jūryō along with videos and my analysis.

This was a tough action to take, but please hear me out.

I’ve kept my daily tournament updates free for all ever since I started Sumo Stomp! back in January 2023. I’ve viewed these posts as integral for attracting new readers. And I also think these do a great job of introducing people to sumo and helping them understand and enjoy the sport. I don’t want that to change.

However, I do feel like people who support Sumo Stomp! with paid subscriptions (or donations on PayPal) deserve something extra with these posts. Paid subscribers are the reason I can do any of this. Without making supplemental income from Sumo Stomp! it would be very hard to justify the time and mental energy I put into this space.

I don’t know if this will become the norm here, but with the added time I have for this specific tournament, I wanted to try making some sort of premium section in the daily updates.

The big downside to this is that if I put a paywall on something it means that only paid subscribers can comment on the post. Reading and replying to comments are one of my favourite things I get to do with this blog/newsletter. And I hate the idea of cutting off comments from the biggest portion of my readership.

However, I went back and looked through the posts from the past tournament and it looked like the vast majority of people who comment are paid subscribers. So I can live with that, at least for this tournament.

If you want full access to these daily updates (and get my jūryō coverage) and the ability to join the conversation, please consider picking up a paid subscription. I set my subscription prices as low as Substack will let me. This month, subscriptions are even cheaper with my 15% off sale (which gives you a discount for life, by the way).

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OK, thanks for tolerating all that. Please let me know your opinions on these changes. You can do that in the comments or through a personal message.

Today’s bonus gif today is a bemused Hōshōryū.

Oh one more thing and then onto the results — I promise!

I’m wondering about switching the featured images on my posts to static images (not gifs). I’m worried that the gifs on the homepage are making the homepage really slow to load up. I would never ditch the bonus gifs, I just might use something different as the featured image.

I would really value your feedback on this matter, too, so please see the poll below:

Alright! Let’s get to the fun stuff.

SPOILERS BELOW

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Results

• Fujiyroga (1-0) def. Ryūden (0-1) by yoritoashi (frontal crush out)

• Wakanoshō (1-0) def. Ōshōumi (0-1) by tsukidashi (frontal thrust out)

• Tobizaru (1-0) def. Rōga (0-1) by oshidashi (frontal push out)

• Mitakeumi (1-0) def. Tamawashi (0-1) by oshidashi

• Kotoeihō (1-0) def. Tokihayate (0-1) by uwatenage (over arm throw)*

• Kinbōzan (1-0) def. Shishi (0-1) by abisetaoshi (backward force down)*

• Ura (1-0) def. Hakunofuji (0-1) by oshidashi

• Asanoyama (1-0) def. Nishikifuji (0-1) by yorikiri (frontal force out)

• Abi (1-0) def. Asahakūryū (0-1) by oshidashi*

• Asakōryū (1-0) def. Ōshōma (0-1) by oshidashi*

• Fujiseun (1-0) def. Chiyoshōma (0-1) by yorikiri

• Churanoumi (1-0) def. Shōdai (0-1) by oshidashi

• Gōnoyama (1-0) def. Wakamotoharu (0-1) by oshidashi

• Daieishō (1-0) def. Ōhō (0-1) by oshidashi

• Wakatakakage (1-0) def. Hiradoumi (0-1) by tsukiotoshi (thrust down)

• Yoshinofuji (1-0) def. Kotoshōhō (0-1) by sukuinage (beltless arm throw) after mono-ii (judges’ review) reverses gyoji (referee) decision*

• Ichiyamamoto (1-0) def. Atamifuji (0-1) by hatakikomi (slap down)

• Kirishima (1-0) def. Takanoshō (0-1) by hatakikomi

• Fujinokawa (1-0) def. Kotozakura (0-1) by tsukidashi*

• Takayasu (1-0) def. Hōshōryū (0-1) by uwatenage*

*Must see bouts!

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Leaderboard

• Too early!

Analysis

I lied.

This first section of my analysis is not fun at all.

Hōshōryū lost to Takayasu last night and, in the process, it appears as though he may have suffered a tournament-ending injury.

Before things got sad, these two gave us a fun little repeat of their epic staredown from the past tournament. There’s been quite a rivalry between these two, as of late. And I think it stems from Takayasu’s relationship with Ōnosato. A few tournaments back, when Hōshōryū and Ōnosato were neck-and-neck heading down the stretch, it felt like Takayasu was especially aggressive in his bout with Hōshōryū; as if he was trying to clear the way for his friend (who is not his stablemate). Ever since then, Hōshōryū has appeared especially ornery in their matches.

After their stare-off, Takayasu got an early jump on Hōshōryū (another sign that there’s a lot at stake in this match-up). This meant Hōshōryū didn’t have time for any of his usual opening moves. Instead, after bracing for contact, he flapped at Takayasu’s belt and then attempted a makki-kae (switch from outside position to inside position) with his right hand.

Veteran readers of these posts know that this is a high risk move. When Hōshōryū swam his hand to the inside, Takayasu circled off and then pushed Hōshōryū down in the direction he was reaching. That forced Hōshōryū into a split position. Takayasu then added an extra push to flatten him out, hyper-extending Hōshōryū’s right leg. Hōshōryū immediately clutched at his hamstring and then got up, very slowly, before hobbling off the ring.

That looked like a hamstring tear to me. If that’s true, then there’s no way he can fight on that. So we might be down two yokozuna and an ōzeki after just one day of bouts. Not great.

Ōnosato, Aonishiki and now probably Hōshōryū all being out opens the door to plenty of other wrestlers who are targeting a yushō this month.

Kirishima, fresh off his March triumph and ōzeki promotion, is one of those. He looked just like he did in March last night, sending Takanoshō down with a graceful side-step and slap down. He used that combo, repeatedly, during his successful title run.

It’s still ultra early, but you have to fancy Kirishima being among the leaders this month given who else is missing at this point.

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Kotozakura could also take advantage of the power vacuum forming at the top of the banzuke at this tournament. He faltered on day one, though. He was pushed around by the Little Monster (Fujinokawa).

Fujinokawa evaded an early slap down attempt from Kotozakura and then just mad dogged the bigger man. His pressure, and violence, was too much for Kotozakura who was ran out of the eastern side of the dohyō.

Wakatakakage got off to a winning start last night. Though, he used some dark arts to do so.

He hit Hiradoumi with a half-henka. I think I might of heard the Japanese commentator use a portmanteau on the broadcast with kachiage (opening elbow strike) and henka. It sounded, to me, like kachi-henka. I can’t say for sure that this is what he said, but I like it.

Ura was also a winner last night. He powered out Hakunofuji, who was wearing a fetching new bronze mawashi. Hakunofuji is nursing an injured foot. He took a big fall off the ring here, but I think he landed on his healthy foot.

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Tobizaru also won last night (though he didn’t put any mileage on my trample counter). He was also sporting a new mawashi. His was a fine royal blue. He’s shed some bandages since the last tournament, so he must be feeling a lot better. His movement and activity was too much for Rōga.

Tonight Hōshōryū is due to meet Fujinokawa. There’s no way he suits up for that, though. I’m expecting Fujinokawa to get the fusenshō (default win) tonight and thus hold a very cheap 0-2 record over the 74th yokozuna.

Kirishima has a tough early test with Yoshinofuji (who beat Kotoshōhō with the help of a mono-ii last night). He’s 2-1 against him. Kotozakura meets Wakatakakage. They have a 9-9 record against each other.

Keeping count!

Henka counter: 0.5

Tobi trample counter (rows): 0

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And now something extra…

If you are a paid subscriber, below you will find results, videos and analysis for jūryō.

Jūryō Results and Analysis

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We have new sumo this weekend and I can hardly wait.

Before things start rolling, I’m going to stick my neck out (as I always do) and attempt to predict the win-loss records of everyone in the makuuchi. It’s a difficult task and I’m usually woefully incorrect.

Even so… I persist.

Scroll down below to see what I think will happen over the coming weeks, including who I think will lift the cup.

Our bonus gif today is a guilty looking Hiradoumi fleeing the scene.

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14 wins

• Y1e Hōshōryū

I think the path is being cleared for the 74th yokozuna to win his first yushō since January 2025. Hōshōryū has been very good all year, despite what the JSA chairman thinks. He’s been runner up in three of the past four tournaments and I just think he’s due for a championship.

On paper, things look easier than usual for him. Ōnosato is likely out, due to that persistent shoulder injury. And Aonishiki might be out, too, with reported toe and ankle problems. If either of those guys do show up they aren’t likely to be very competitive or make it through all fifteen days. That means Hōshōryū is either going to catch them in weakened states or not have to worry about them at all.

His biggest competition, in my opinion, are Kirishima and Kotozakura. He has mixed results against those two, but I think he might get the better of them here to claim the title in the final few days.

I’m being bold with this prediction with Hōshōryū getting a near zenshō-yushō. I think he’s going to look great through the opening five days or so and then cough up a weird loss in the middle of the tournament. After that wake-up call I see him excelling down the stretch and claiming the title with a big win over a rival.

For that weird loss… how about Ichiyamamoto? Maybe he gets him with the old push-me-pull-you.

13 wins

• O2e Kirishima

I think we’re going to see a strong performance from our newest ōzeki. Like with Hōshōryū, I think the statuses of Ōnosato and Aonishiki are going to be a big help for Kirishima. I also think there’s a lot of very winnable match-ups in the jōi for both him and Hōshōryū. Guys like Takanoshō, Ichiyamamoto, Ōhō, Hiradoumi and Gonōyama could all end up with bad records in this tournament.

10 wins

• O1e Kotozakura

• M9e Abi

• M15w Ōshōumi

Kotozakura looked great in March. And, like with the other two guys I mentioned, I think the questions over Ōnosato, Aonishiki along with a soft jōi are going to benefit Kotozakura. I don’t think we’re going to see Kotozakura kick on and put himself back in that yokozuna conversation, but I do think he’s a solid ōzeki and his grappling is just too good for a lot of the guys ranked in the spots just below him.

I think Abi might be our surprise yushō threat in this tournament. His poor showing in March was due to a back injury he suffered on the eve of the tournament. He was able to come back and compete at the tail end of the basho. So I suspect it wasn’t too bad an injury (in a sumo context, that is). If Abi is close to fighting shape then he should be too good for those ranked around him at M9.

I’m hoping Ōshōumi shows an improvement in this tournament. He looked terrible in March. That was a real surprise considering how good he looked in January, when he went 10-5 in his debut makuuchi basho. He might have been a little hurt in March. That plus his highest ever ranking might have been the reason for his 5-10 showing. If he’s feeling good, I think he has a lot of winnable matches in the maegashira basement.

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9 wins

• M5e Wakamotoharu

• M8w Asahakūryū

• M11w Kinbōzan

• M13w Tamawashi

• M15e Tobizaru

Wakamotoharu went 3-12 in March. He was given a somewhat friendly demotion down to M5, though. Being outside the jōi means he’s going to avoid the san’yaku, ōzeki and yokozuna in the first week. That’s really going to help him put together a solid start to the tournament. There was quite a few guys over promoted to this part of the banzuke this month (Chiyoshōma, Fujiseun, Shōdai) and I think Wakamotoharu is going to do well against them.

I really like what I’m seeing from Asahakūryū. He was one of the best rikishi at the March tournament. He’s got a big promotion this time around, but I think he should be OK. He’s also going to fight some of the same characters Wakamotoharu is going to face.

Kinbōzan had a good March. Despite the promotion he’s still ranked pretty low, in the spaces where he historically does well.

Tamawashi and Tobizaru are both on the ropes a little here, Tobizaru more than the Iron Man. They both need good tournaments to avoid potential demotions here or in July. I think their grit and experience will see them through this month.

8 wins

• O1w Aonishiki

• S1e Atamifuji

• M2e Yoshinofuji

• M4e Daieishō

• M6e Churanoumi

• M10e Asanoyama

• M10w Hakunofuji

• M12w Tokihayate

• M13e Kotoeihō

• M14w Rōga

• M16e Wakanosho

I think Aonishiki is going to try and stick out this tournament and save his ōzeki rank. And, even if he’s hobbled, I think he’s talented enough to scrap his way to the bare minimum amount of wins he needs. He was really exposed in the last tournament by opponents consistently forcing him to fight upright. He knows that’s coming now and I favour him to make the correct adjustments — since he’s so young, smart and physically gifted.

I’m picking Atamifuji to go under the radar and stick his landing in the sekiwake ranks. I don’t think he’s going to soar at this tournament. I think Hōshōryū, Kirishima and Kotozakura will do a good job of keeping him grounded and out of the title picture. But I think he can do well enough to keep this ranking and stay in this spot for some time.

I think Yoshinofuji is good enough to survive in the jōi, but I’m not sure if he’s ready to push on much further than where he’s at right now. Daieishō is also good enough for the jōi, but his san’yaku days might be behind him.

I’m expecting Churanoumi to bounce back from his awful jōi experience in March (at this much friendlier rank). Asanoyama has tremendous quality and should be good enough to get the kachi-koshi while in the middle of the division. Hakunofuji seems to have recovered, somewhat, from his foot injury and he should be too good for this rank.

Tokihayate has been solid at this ranking in the past. Kotoeihō is showing more promise lately. Rōga has to produce something to avoid being in relegation trouble this tournament or next. And I like what I’ve seen from Wakanosho and think he could survive his debut top division tournament.

7 wins

• K1w Takayasu

• M3e Hiradoumi

• M3w Ōhō

• M4w Gōnoyama

• M7w Asakōryū

• M9w Nishikifuji

• M11e Ura

• M17e Fujiryoga

I think Takayasu is going to be a victim of Hōshōryū, Kirishima and Kotozakura’s successes this month. And I think he’s going to drop a couple to the other savvy vets he has ranked around him. He’ll still whoop those young whippersnappers, though.

I could go either way on Hiradoumi and Ōhō, but I think a strong showing from the yokozuna and ōzeki classes is bad news for them. I think Gōnoyama will be lucky to get seven here. He’s really struggled at these climbs in the past.

I’m still not that impressed with Asakōryū’s sumo. I don’t think he hits hard enough to do well at this level of the division. Nishikifuji does well in the lower ranks, but always seems to come unstuck in this middle-ground. Ura, sadly, seems to be picking up speed on his decline right now. Fujiryoga was lucky to get spared a demotion for this tournament. I’m still yet to see any makuuchi qualities from him.

6 wins

• K1w Wakatakakage

• M1e Fujinokawa

• M6w Fujiseun

• M8e Ōshōma

• M12e Shishi

• M16w Ryūden

Wakatakakage got hurt on the tail end of the last tournament. That might have a lingering effect. I also think he’s going to find it tough against the youngsters who are started to fill out the ranks around him.

Fujinokawa got a kachi-koshi by the skin of his teeth in March. He was aided by an early start against Hōshōryū and a match with the severely hurt Ōnosato. I doubt he gets lucky like this again. He’s extremely fun to watch, but his lack of size will be a liability at this high a ranking.

Fujiseun did well in March, but I don’t think this ranking matches his ability. Ōshōma is terribly inconsistent and often struggles when he gets past M10. Shishi is still fun to watch, but he’s still also very limited as a wrestler. Ryūden is treading water at this late stage of his career and I think he’ll dip back down to the second division for July.

5 wins

• S1w Kotoshōhō

• M1w Takanoshō

• M5w Shōdai

• M7e Chiyoshōma

I don’t think Kotoshōhō will follow up his impressive runner-up finish from March. I think he’s going to get beat-up by the other upper-rankers (though, he won’t have to face Kotozakura). We’ve seen this before with him. He’s had some amazing tournaments and then always followed them up with terrible records.

Takanoshō, Shōdai and Chiyoshōma are all on the wrong side of thirty and at ranks where they’ve typically struggled, as of late.

4 wins

• M2w Ichiyamamoto

I love Ichiyamamoto. But we’ve seen, a few times now, that’s just not cut out for life this high up in the division. I think he might end up being a bit of a whipping boy in the first week of the tournament.

0 wins

• Y1e Ōnosato

I’m hoping Ōnosato doesn’t suit up for this one. He needs rest and possibly surgery. That’s the only way he’s going to get back on track to break records (maybe all the records) in this sport.

Well, there’s my picks for all to see (and laugh at in two weeks). Are you feeling plucky? Tell me who you think will win this tournament in the comments!

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The banzuke for May came out over the weekend. That means we are just two weeks away from new Grand Sumo action. I can’t wait.

Before these rankings came out, I did my best to try and predict how the Japan Sumo Association would sort things out. This post recaps my banzuke prediction and examines where I got things right and where I got things wrong.

I did a pretty good job this time around.

Your bonus gif today is this sneer from the big dog.

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Before we get into the nitty gritty, here’s the entire actual banzuke, with some extra columns for past records, net wins and rank changes.

The green highlights here represent when I was exactly right with a prediction. A yellow highlight means I was half a rank off. Orange means I was off by exactly one rank and red means I was off by more than that.

I got 20 predictions exactly right. That’s a record for me. I was half a rank or a single rank off on 15 wrestlers. And I was way wrong on just seven wrestlers this time around. I’ve had seven red spaces three times in a row now!

Here is my full banzuke prediction:

And here’s my methodology behind making that banzuke:

Now, let’s get into some specifics.

Yokozuna, Ōzeki and san’yaku

The only thing I got wrong here was Kirishima’s position. I thought they were going to open up a spot on the west side for the new ōzeki (like they did recently when Wakatakakage became the third sekiwake on the banzuke). I don’t quite understand the rules for when a newly promoted upper ranker gets the east spot or the west spot. I think it has something to do with balance and the literal artistic construction of the banzuke document.

I was right that Kotoshōhō would get this massive promotion to sekiwake, bypassing Wakatakakage.

The jōi

I was near perfect on the jōi. The only thing I got wrong was that I had Shōdai getting over promoted four spots to M4w (on an 8-7 record) and Gōnoyama being just below him at M5e and with Wakamotoharu across from him at M5w.

In the real banzuke Shōdai did get over promoted, but by one less rank than I was expecting. That means he fell just short of the jōi and it was Gōnoyama who was given that last spot (going up 6.5 ranks on five net wins).

Jūryō exchanges

My biggest misses were at the bottom of the banzuke this time around…

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It’s been awhile, I know.

I’ve been quiet on here while I finish up my field placement, final assignments and exams. That all wrapped up for me last Friday. So I am now done with my college program and with my life as a 40 something year-old student. Next up for me is my official graduation in June and then my registration as a licensed socia…

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