2025 Aki Basho: Day 6 results and analysis
Recapping all the top division action from Grand Sumo's 2025 Aki Basho (spoilers).
We just had a great day of action on the dohyo as Grand Sumo’s 2025 aki basho starts to close out its opening week. As someone who dreams of a day when we get every bout ending in a different kimarite, this was a really a fun one for me.
It was the night of a thousand throws! Well, six throws… but it felt like every bout had someone going over a hip or sailing into the crowd. Last night we had a kotenage, two uwatenage, two sukuinage (!) and a shitatenage (shout out to Cheeky Sumo and our giveaway item this month).
We also had a lot of yoritoashi/oshitaoshi; two of the more chaotic ways for a sumo match to end.
Scroll down to check out who was the hammer and who was the nail in all these thrilling bouts! I’ve also got lots of video and my breakdowns on what’s happening.
Bonus gif today is the mecca…
SPOILERS BELOW
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Results
Shishi (4-2) def. Ryuden (4-2) by yorikiri (frontal force out)
Mita (6-0) def. Shonannoumi (3-3) by oshidashi (frontal push out)
Hitoshi (2-4) def. Sadanoumi (3-3) by hatakikomi (slap down)
Asakoryu (2-4) def. Nishikigi (0-6) by sukuinage (beltless arm throw)*
Tomokaze (5-1) def. Meisei (2-4) by hatakikomi*
Tobizaru (4-2) def. Tokihayate (2-4) by uwatenage (over arm throw)*
Mitakeumi (3-3) def. Daieisho (1-5) by oshitaoshi (frontal push down)*
Churanoumi (5-1) def. Midorifuji (2-4) by yoritaoshi (frontal crush out)*
Shodai (5-1) def. Fujinokawa (2-4) by hikiotoshi (hand pull down)
Roga (4-2) def. Kinbozan (1-5) by uwatenage*
Ura (5-1) def. Onokatsu (3-3) by sukuinage*
Takanosho (5-1) def. Kotoshoho (2-4) by oshitaoshi
Oshoma (3-3) def. Ichiyamamoto (2-4) by hatakikomi
Wakamotoharu (5-1) def. Kusano (2-4) by yoritaoshi*
Hakuoho (3-3) def. Abi (0-6) by yorikiri
Aonishiki (4-2) def. Takayasu (0-6) by yorikiri*
Wakatakakage (4-2) def. Gonoyama (0-6) by tsukiotoshi (thrust down)*
Tamawashi (4-2) def. Kirishima (4-2) by tsukidashi (frontal thrust out)
Kotozakura (5-1) def. Hiradoumi (4-2) by kotenage (armlock throw)*
Onosato (5-1) def. Atamifuji (1-5) by yorikiri
Hoshoryu (6-0) def. Oho (2-4) by shitatenage (underarm throw)*
*Must see bouts!
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Leaderboard
Y1wYO Hoshoryu: 6-0
Y1e Onosato, O1e Kotozakura, M4w Wakamotoharu, five others: 5-1
Analysis
If we’re having a night of throws, you know Hoshoryu is going to get in on the action.
He provided the shitatenage when taking on Oho. Hoshoryu approached this bout with his hands low. This showed he wasn’t interested in trying to push Oho back with the nodowa (throat thrust). That’s wise, since Oho is a pusher/thruster and he has longer arms. Instead, Hoshoryu wanted to get underneath those arms and get on the belt as soon as possible. This meant he knew he was going to take a big shot to the face/throat. So he braced for that and was able to withstand Oho’s thrusts there on route to getting the belt and then easily throwing Oho over. Oho is really quite terrible at defending himself when someone holds onto his mawashi.
You can see Hoshoryu really push himself forwards against Oho’s pressure. He’s lucky Oho wasn’t smart enough to step back and try and pull him down there. Regardless, though, this is another solid win for the 74th yokozuna. And it’s also the third win in a row against an opponent he has a negative head-to-head record against. This win over Oho means he’s now 5-7 against him.
It’s looking pretty good for the Rising Dragon this month. Can he keep it going?
Onosato had a no fuss victory over Atamifuji last night. He got his favorite right arm inside position off the tachiai and used ottsuke (forarm blocking) with his left arm to prevent Atamifuji from doing the same. From that position, Onosato’s strength and size advantage was too much for Atami Pudding to handle.
Kotozakura remains just behind Hoshoryu. He improved to 5-1 with another good display on the dohyo. This time it was opposite Hiradoumi. Kotozakura was able to envelop the smaller Hiradoumi and then wrench him over with the kotenage (which is Kotozakura’s best throw). Kotozakura showed good mobility, standing on one foot while executing the throw. Through these six days he’s looked the healthiest he has all year. That’s a very good sign for him (and superfan David, if he’s still reading). And it might be a bad sign for our yokozuna.
Wakamotoharu is also 5-1. He’s not doing anything unusual, but he’s getting to use his tried and tested hidari-yotsu (left arm inside, right arm outside) game against younger, less experienced, opponents. This time around it was Kusano. Watch how Wakamotoharu slapped on his grip quickly and used that strong outside arm to trap Kusano as he tried to escape to the side.
Ura is also at 5-1 after he beat Onokatsu. Ura did a great job of defending against Onokatsu’s hidari-yotsu. While doing so he circled away and managed to sweep the younger man off his feet. I really need to see the pictures from the photographer in that northwest corner of the ring.
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Wakatakakage added another win to the bank as he tries to secure his ozeki promotion. He played matador instead of his usual bull to throw down the rather hapless Gonoyama. Gonoyama is one of four active wrestlers to be 0-6 at this stage.
Takayasu is one of the other 0-6 wrestlers. He went all out with trying to mash Aonishiki’s face with tsuppari (rapid palm strikes). Aonishiki gave as good as he got, though, before being able to get his head on Takayasu’s chest and push him off the ring.
The others on 0-6 are Abi and Nishikigi. Abi was quickly forced out by Hakuoho last night. And Nishikigi was tossed over by the diminutive Asakoryu.
My dreams of another Kirishima yusho took a big hit last night. He gave Tamawashi too much space and paid for it when the old man hit him with a thrust to put him over the edge. That’s only the fourth time Tamawashi has beaten Kirishima in eighteen meetings.
Daieisho and Mitakeumi put on one of the more dramatic bouts of the day and possibly tournament. Daieisho gave all he could with his oshi-zumo (pushing thrusting). Unfortunately, for him, he just doesn’t seem to have the fitness to make that count for much right now. Mitakeumi weathered the storm and then outlasted Daieisho as both men raced for their second wind. Mitakeumi is now 3-3, despite suffering the passing of his mother on the eve of this tournament. In 2023, Mitakeumi lost his father on the eve of the Nagoya basho.
Tonight the yokozuna have some easy wins, on paper. However, an under-the-radar story for this basho is how the previous head-to-head records have not counted for much at all.
Onosato has Gonoyama, who he is 5-1 against. Hoshoryu has Hiradoumi, who he is 8-1 against.
Kotozakura meets Oho tomorrow. He’s 7-3 against him. Wakatakakage takes on Aonishiki. They are 1-1. Takayasu and Abi will get a chance to get their first win of the basho when they face other tonight, too.
See you tomorrow!
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Cannot wait to see Aonishiki and Wakatakakage go another round.
What in the world is going on with Papa Yasu? 0-6?!? Wrists, ankles and feet all taped -- is he fighting hurt again? That slap-fest with Aonishiki was not his typical style.