2025 Nagoya Basho: Day 1 results and analysis
Sumo is back! And so are spoilers.
We are off and running for the 2025 Nagoya basho! This is our first tournament with two yokozuna since 2021 and I have a good feeling about it already.
Day 1’s makuuchi program got off to a great start with a wild bout between newbie Kotoeiho and Shishi. Other must see bouts from the day include Kusano vs. Fujinokawa, Roga vs. Atamifuji, Wakatakakage vs. Oho and Aonishiki vs. Kotozakura.
Our debut yokozuna Onosato met Oshoma (a debut komusubi) last night. His rival Hoshoryu met Takayasu. I think we’re due for an epic showdown between these two, so each of their matches this month will be must-see-TV.
Scroll down for all the results from Day 1, along with lots of full bout replays and my analysis.
Our first bonus gif of the tournament is our new(est) yokozuna.
SPOILERS BELOW
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Results
Shishi (1-0) def. Kotoeiho (0-1) by uwatenage (over arm throw)*
Mitakeumi (1-0) def. Kayo (0-1) by yorikiri (frontal force out)
Kotoshoho (1-0) def. Hidenoumi (0-1) by oshidashi (frontal push out)
Kusano (1-0) def. Fujinokawa (0-1) by tsukiotoshi (thrust down)*
Shodai (1-0) def. Churanoumi (0-1) by hatakikomi (slap down)
Midorifuji (1-0) def. Asakoryu (0-1) by oshidashi
Takanosho (1-0) def. Tokihayate (1-0) by oshidashi
Roga (1-0) def. Atamifuji (0-1) by uwatedashinage (pulling overarm throw)*
Ura (1-0) def. Chiyoshoma (0-1) by oshidashi*
Ichiyamamoto (1-0) def. Sadanoumi (0-1) by yorikiri
Gonoyama (1-0) def. Tobizaru (0-1) by oshidashi
Takerufuji (1-0) def. Meisei (0-1) by tsukidashi (frontal thrust out)
Tamawashi (1-0) def. Hiradoumi (0-1) by tsukiotoshi after mono-ii (judge’s review) reverses gyoji (referee) decision*
Kinbozan (1-0) def. Hakuoho (0-1) by hikiotoshi (hand pull down)*
Abi (1-0) def. Onokatsu (0-1) by uwatenage*
Wakatakakage (1-0) def. Oho (0-1) by yorikiri*
Kirishima (1-0) def. Wakamotoharu (0-1) by yorikiri
Aonishiki (1-0) def. Kotozakura (0-1) by uchimuso (inner thigh propping twist down)*
Onosato (1-0) def. Oshoma (0-1) by yorikiri*
Hoshoryu (1-0) def. Takayasu (0-1) by sotogake (outside leg trip)*
*Must see bouts!
Leaderboard
Too early!
Analysis
Our two yokozuna got off to flying starts in Nagoya. Though, Onosato looked a little shaky at the beginning of his match with Oshoma.
This was, of course, Onosato’s first competitive match as the 75th yokozuna. He false started in this bout. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him do that in his makuuchi career. After that he gave a wry smile and it seemed as though he was trying to calm himself down and focus on the task at hand.
Once he did that he steamrolled Oshoma for one of his typical high-powered yorikiri wins.
Hoshoryu looked more assured in his handling of Takayasu. He opened with hands low, looking for the belt. However, a Takayasu throw attempt forced him to switch things up. After defending the throw, Hoshoryu slapped on a nodowa (throat thrust) and tripped Takayasu over and onto the dirt.
This was only the second time Hoshoryu had beaten Takayasu in thirteen matches. He’d lost the last six (not including a fusen [default] win he had last year). Takayasu took a kinboshi off Hoshoryu in his debut yokozuna tournament in March.
The biggest upset of the day was Aonishiki taking down Kotozakura with the extremely creative uchimuso (he got Midorifuji with that in the last tournament). At maegashira 1 Aonishiki is going to be tested with bouts against all the elites. He’s faced Kotozakura once before. In May Kotozakura defended a deep throw attempt from Aonishiki and countered with a successful throw of his own.
Aonishiki learned from that experience. In this bout he didn’t try and angle off of Kotozakura for a throw. Instead he stayed face-to-face with him and quickly looked to slap the inside of Kotozakura’s knee. Aonishiki missed on the first attempt. I don’t think Kotozakura noticed him trying it. Kotozakura switched stances after that, making it easier for Aonishiki to tap his knee and widen his base enough to score the force down.
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Wakatakakage got off to a winning start in Nagoya. He had to earn it, though, against Oho. This was a classic pusher/thruster vs. belt-grabber match, with the belt grabber getting the win. Wakatakakage won because he was able to hang with Oho during the thrusts before getting his right arm on the inside and powering him out.
Kinbozan, someone I’ve picked to do quite well this tournament (he’s also on my fantasy team!), got off to a good start. He hit Hakuoho with his moroto tsuki (double hand thrust) and then pulled back to let Hakuoho hit the dirt.
Roga and Atamifuji had our best yotsu battle of the day. Both these wrestlers prefer the migi-yotsu (right arm inside, left arm outside grip). When two wrestlers like and go for the same grip, we have ai-yotsu (together yotsu) and we get a battle to see who is best at their favourite technique. This time around, it was Roga who came out on top. He won the bout thanks to his strong outside grip, which he used to transition to a pulling throw.
Takerufuji is primed for a good tournament, due to how low he’s ranked this time around. He brushed Meisei aside without much trouble.
Top division rookies Kusano and Fujinokawa met on Day 1. They had a heck of a fight. Fujinokawa fought with a lot of fire, probably due to how overshadowed his promotion has been by Kusano’s. Kusano’s sheer strength bailed him out in this bout, as he hoisted and slung Fujinokawa past him as he was on his way over the straw.
Day 2 has a mouth-watering match-up set for the last bout of the day. Onosato will meet Aonishiki for the first time in his career. Hoshoryu will have Wakamotoharu (who he always beats).
Other big bouts scheduled for tomorrow include Kotozakura vs. Oho, Abi vs. Kirishima and Onokatsu (who was henka’d by Abi on Day 1) vs. Wakatakakage.
See you then!
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Fascinating stuff. Many plotlines but I’m interested to see if Shishi can hang on (decent day 1 50/50 win), if Takerufuji can rebound thanks to a lower rank, and how the debuting Kusano does (2 titles in a row after all!)
Woo day 1