2025 Kyushu Basho: Day 6 results and analysis
Recapping all the top division action from Grand Sumo's 2025 Kyushu Basho (spoilers).
Day 6 of the 2025 Kysuhu basho was a spicy one…
I’ll talk about all that below, but suffice to stay the incident I’m hinting at could have major implications on who wins the Emperor’s Cup this month.
Scroll down for all the results and info on what went down last night in Fukuoka.
Bonus gif today is the grumpiest towel I’ve ever seen.
SPOILERS BELOW
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Results
Kagayaki (4-2) def. Nishikifuji (4-2) by hikiotoshi (hand pull down)
Chiyoshoma (3-3) def. Shonannoumi (2-4) by katasukashi (under shoulder swing down)
Asakoryu (5-1) def. Ryuden (4-2) by hatakikomi (slap down)*
Tokihayate (5-1) def. Oshoumi (1-5) by uwatenage (over arm throw)*
Gonoyama (3-3) def. Sadanoumi (1-5) by oshidashi (frontal push out)
Mitakeumi (3-3) def. Fujinokawa (5-1) by hatakikomi*
Tomokaze (1-5) def. Shishi (1-5) by uwatenage*
Daieisho (4-2) def. Roga (3-3) by oshidashi
Tobizaru (3-3) def. Midorifuji (2-4) by yoritaoshi (frontal crush out)*
Kotoshoho (4-2) def. Kinbozan (1-4) by oshidashi
Atamifuji (5-1) def. Ichiyamamoto (3-3) by yorikiri (frontal force out)
Yoshinofuji (5-1) def. Churanoumi (3-3) by yorikiri*
Shodai (2-4) def. Abi (2-4) by oshidashi
Oshoma (3-3) def. Onokatsu (2-4) by okuridashi (rear push out)
Kirishima (3-3) def. Wakatakakage (1-5) by oshidashi
Takanosho (1-5) def. Takayasu (4-2) by yorikiri
Aonishiki (5-1) def. Ura (3-3) by yorikiri*
Oho (3-3) def. Hakuoho (2-4) by hatakikomi
Tamawashi (4-2) def. Kotozakura (2-4) by okuridashi
Onosato (6-0) def. Hiradoumi (2-4) by oshitaoshi (frontal push down)*
Wakamotoharu (2-4) def. Hoshoryu (4-2) by hatakikomi*
*Must see bouts!
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Leaderboard
Y1e Onosato: 6-0
S1e Aonishiki, M5e Yoshinofuji, M6e Atamifuji, M12e Fujinokawa, M14w Tokihayate, M17w Asakoryu: 5-1
Analysis
Hoshoryu’s chances of beating Onosato to a title took a huge hit last night. Ironically, that happened due to there being no hit at all.
Hoshoryu fell to his hands thanks to a henka from Wakamotoharu. Wakamotoharu earned the ignoble kinboshi and, in doing so, notched only his fifth win against Hoshoryu across 22 matches.
As far as henka go, this was a beaut.
This henka is likely a response to what Hoshoryu did in September. During that tournament he hit a henka on Wakamotoharu’s little brother Wakatakakage. This feels like a baseball game where a batter gets hit by a pitch and then in the next half of the inning the other pitcher hits a batter, since “they have to send a message.”
Wakamotoharu’s message that, if you henka one of us the other will henka you, wasn’t received well by Hoshoryu. He gave Wakamotoharu an extra long stare as he made he way off the ring.
I get the feeling there’s going to be some payback for this one tour and probably in the January basho, too.
It always seems like Hoshoryu and Wakamotoharu are quite chummy out of competition. However, this isn’t the first spicy encounter they’ve had on the dohyo.
In the 2023 Nagoya basho Wakamotoharu tried and missed on a henka against Hoshoryu. Had Wakamotoharu succeeded in that he would have killed Hoshoryu’s ozeki run. Hoshoryu gave Wakamotoharu a long scowl after that.
While this henka won’t cost Hoshoryu a promotion, it could certainly cost him the yusho. Before this happened everyone saw Onosato move to 6-0 with a big win over Hoshoryu’s friend Hiradoumi.
Hoshoryu now has to hope someone else beats Onosato, to give him a chance of getting back into this thing. That’s looking much easier said than done at the moment, though.
Aonishiki might be the man that is able to halt Onosato’s climb to an amazing sixth yusho. He won the Battle of the Bent Backs last night. Ura showed a lot of spirit in his first meeting with Aonishiki, but after some thrusting Aonishiki wisely decided he needed to clinch with Pink Magic (he probably didn’t want to see one of those head fakes, which beat Oho a few days ago). Once he had locked onto Ura, Aonishiki’s strength advantage sealed the deal.
Aonishiki is joined, at 4-1, with a very interesting cast of characters. It’s still early, but if this group becomes the chasing group behind Onosato I think we might be in for a twist in the tail of this basho.
In past tournaments we’ve seen rank-and-filers get good starts and fall away down the stretch. However, they’ve mostly been veterans (Takanosho, Shodai, Ura, Mitakeumi, Ryuden). The big exception to that is Kotoshoho, who was able to pick up enough steam that he would go on and win the July tournament.
This current group includes Yoshinofuji, Atamifuji, Fujinokawa and Asakoryu. I think there’s a good chance at least one of them might rise to the occasion this tournament and end up pushing Onosato to the brink.
Yoshinofuji seems like a good potential candidate for that. He, again, used a nifty pivot in the clinch to swing an opponent around and force him out. See below how he used Churanoumi’s momentum to his advantage. You know who fights with a lot of momentum? Onosato… jus’ sayin’
Fujinokawa was pegged back to 5-1 last night. The veteran Mitakeumi was able to wrap him up and yank him down. I love the disappointment on Fujinokawa’s face here. He feels like a kid who believe he can (and should) win every fight.
Atamifuji is flying a little under-the-radar at the moment. His win over Ichiyamamoto was a little sloppy, but it still counts.
Asakoryu got a clean win over Ryuden last night. His record looks great, but Ryuden was probably his toughest opponent yet this month. Tokihayate is also 5-1. He beat rookie Oshoumi last night. Like Asakoryu, all his wins have come against the dregs of the division.
Higher up the banzuke we saw Oho bounce back from three defeats in a row to slap down Hakuoho, with some style.
And Old Man Tamawashi got a big win, too. He managed to get around Kotozakura (not an easy feat) and then bundle him out.
Takanosho also notched his first win of the tournament. He was able to out-grapple Takayasu, which was a surprise.
In the clash of former recent sekiwake Kirishima got the gunbai. He pushed Wakatakakage out quickly with two hands on his shoulders. Wakatakakage continues to look very out of sorts this tournament.
I want to do a quick juryo check in now.
The two biggest names in the second division this month are former yusho winner Takerufuji and former ozeki Asanoyama. Both are there due to injury. A short-term injury in the case of Takerufuji and a long-term one for Asanoyama.
Asanoyama, who—if he had stayed healthy and clear of suspension—might have been a yokozuna by now, took the win. He showed good mobility to circle around the straw before scoring the slap down. This might be a sign that Asanoyama’s knees are closer to full health and Takerufuji’s right arm.
Asanoyama is 4-2 and Takerufuji is now 3-3. They both trail hot prospect Fujiryoga who is perfect through six matches. He beat the veteran Tsurugisho last night.
Tomorrow’s action includes Onosato vs. Ura. Onosato has never lost to the man in pink. Hoshoryu gets his elder countryman Tamawashi. He’s 11-3 against him and has won the last seven. Aonishiki meets Takayasu, they are 1-1 and Yoshinofuji has Hiradoumi (who he’s beat in their only ever bout).
Asanoyama gets a call-up tomorrow. He takes on Tokihayate. That’s their first ever meeting. Fujinokawa will have Tobizaru. That’s another new match-up.
Can’t wait!
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This is a fascinating one. Atamifuji looks physically worse than at any point in his young career — slow, labored — but he seems to be winning by making the right moves he didn’t make in previous tournaments and deploying his Tsurugisho-like bulk. I’m glad you highlighted the Takerufuji-Asanoyama clash because what a pair of derailed careers those are, the first one by a body that keeps breaking (the biceps is bad enough, how much longer on the ankles that generate that already declining speed?) and the other by bad decision making (and eventually injuries). I was very bullish on Takerufuji after his early runs but you were right to sell high on him. Physically he’s deteriorated so much up top too, grappling isn’t there to compensate