2025 Nagoya Basho: Day 10 results and analysis

Recapping all the top division action from Grand Sumo's 2025 Nagoya Basho (spoilers).

Day 10 in Nagoya was ACTION packed! We were treated to lots of great bouts and a wide range of kimarite. My white whale is a day when we have different finishing moves for all the top division matches.

I’ll take a day where there’s just one each of yorikiri and oshidashi, though. We almost got that last night. We had four yorikiri and one oshidashi. We had multiple yoritaoshi (frontal crush out) wins today, too. You know you’ve got a wild bout/ending if it’s scored like that.

There are too many must-see bouts to mention right now. The most important bouts were Ichiyamamoto vs. Gonoyama, Onosato vs. Tamawashi and Kirishima vs. Hiradoumi.

Check them out below!

Bonus gif is this nice crowd shot from Aonishiki vs. Onosato.

Acceptance.

SPOILERS BELOW

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Results

• Mitakeumi (8-2) def. Shonannoumi (6-4) by yorikiri (frontal force out)

• Kotoshoho (8-2) def. Churanoumi (5-5) by sukuinage (beltless arm throw)*

• Midorifuji (6-4) def. Kotoeiho (4-6) by shitatenage (underarm throw)*

• Kayo (2-8) def. Asakoryu (2-8) by hatakikomi (slap down)

• Takanosho (7-3) def. Shishi (3-7) by yoritoashi (frontal crush out) after mono-ii (judges’ review) reverses gyoji (referee) decision*

• Hidenoumi (1-7-2) def. Tokihayate (4-6) by hikiotoshi (hand pull down)

• Hakuoho (6-4) def. Tobizaru (3-7) by yorikiri

• Atamofuji (7-3) def. Fujinokawa (6-4) by yorikiri

• Kusano (8-2) def. Ura (6-4) by okuridashi (rear push out)*

• Shodai (6-4) def. Sadanoumi (2-8) by sukuinage*

• Roga (6-4) def. Takerufuji (5-5) by uwatenage (over arm throw)*

• Gonoyama (6-4) def. Chiyoshoma (0-10) by uwatenage*

• Ichiyamamoto (9-1) def. Meisei (3-7) by oshitoashi (frontal push down)*

• Aonishiki (8-2) def. Kinbozan (2-8) by hikiotoshi

• Onokatsu (4-6) def. Wakamotoharu (2-8) by yorikiri

• Abi (6-4) def. Oshoma (2-8) by oshidashi (frontal push out)

• Kirishima (8-2) def. Hiradoumi (5-5) by yoritoashi

• Wakatakakage (6-4) def. Kotozakura (5-5) by yorikiri*

• Tamawashi (8-2) def. Onosato (7-3) by tsukiotoshi (thrust down)*

  *Must see bouts!

Leaderboard

• M8w Ichiyamamoto: 9-1

• S1w Kirishima, M1w Aonishiki, M4w Tamawashi, M14e Kusano, M15e Kotoshoho, M16w Mitakeumi, : 8-2

• Y1wYO Onosato, K1w Takayasu, M10e Atamifuji, M11e Takanosho: 7-3

Analysis

Ichiyamamoto remains atop the leader board after another plucky win. This one came against the always game Meisei (who has shown lots of effort this basho, but has not scored many wins). Ichiyamamoto withstood a good tachiai from Meisei, but then hit him with some very solid, and accurate, harite (palm strikes) to push the smaller Meisei back and out.

This was a very confident and controlled performance from Ichiyamamoto, which is a good sign from a man who is leading a basho for the first time in his career.

After scoring his win Ichiyamamoto got to watch his closest competition for the cup suffer a big loss. Onosato is now two wins back of Ichiyamamoto after losing to the ‘yoko-hunter’ himself.

Tamawashi wasn’t able to get extension on his famed nodowa (throat thrust) off the tachiai on the newest yokozuna. Onosato was too quick and had gotten too close to his body for that to happen. This forced Tamawashi to focus on defense. He was able to use his incredible size (sometimes we forget just how big he is) and brute old-man strength to hold up the surging yokozuna.

He also prevented Onosato from getting his favoured right arm inside position, by underhooking that arm with his left. This forced Onosato to move Tamawashi back in a manner he’s slightly uncomfortable with. He didn’t have his left arm locked tightly to Tamawashi, like he does with his right arm when he usually moves people back.

Tamawashi exploited this by squirting out to the side, past that weak left arm connection. He gave Onosato’s left elbow a little push on the way out to aid in forcing Onosato to take the plunge off the dohyo.

This is a great win for Tamawashi, but it’s another loss where Onosato wasn’t fully focused. He should have worked for his familiar right arm inside position before trying for the force out or at least locked on his left arm as strongly as he usually does with his right.

This is Tamawashi’s eighth kinboshi and first against Onosato. Tamawashi terrorized Terunofuji, going 4-2 against him, while he was yokozuna. Despite his age, Tamawashi remains a tough out for anyone and someone who really shows up in the big matches.

This win didn’t just give Tamawashi a gold star, though. He’s 8-2 now, one behind Ichiyamamoto. And, if he and Ichiyamamoto are the leaders down the stretch, I fancy Tamawashi to get the win there (since he’s king of the pusher/thrusters).

Kirishima is going to have a lot to say about whether Ichiyamamoto or Tamawashi get the cup, though. He looked superb in his bout with Hiradoumi.

He pushed Hiradoumi off center off the tachiai and then used a mix of tsuppari (rapid harite) and a foot sweep to keep Hiradoumi off balance and away from his belt. After hitting the foot sweep to palm thrust combo, Kirishima locked on a strong moro-zashi (double inside) grip, with both hands on the belt. Two hands usually beats one hand on the belt. And it always beats no hands on the belt.

Kirishima is fighting like he can sense a yusho. It’s reminding me of his 2023 form.

Kusano moved to 8-2 yesterday after a run and gun battle with Ura. He’s looking very good in his debut top division tournament, but there are much harder tests ahead for the rookie.

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Aonishiki passed those kinds of tests, as both a rookie and a sophomore. Now he’s a bona fide title challenger. He’s 8-2 after a quick and nifty hand pull down on Kinbozan.

Kotoshoho and Mitakeumi also got wins yesterday. But I’m still refusing to take either of them as a serious title contender. Kotoshoho won a very fun thrusting battle against fellow All-Violence Team member Churanoumi. Mitakeumi bundled out the juryo call-up Shonannoumi.

Wakatakakage has had to shelve thoughts of a yusho this month. Right now he’s just trying to get ten wins to keep an ozeki run alive. Last night he beat Kotozakura in a long grappling bout to go 6-4. Kotozakura is now 5-5. He gassed out in this one, which is not a sign of him being hurt, in my opinion. His gas tank has often been suspect (due to how much weight he carries) and Wakatakakage is the perfect opponent to pull a bigger man into deep waters like this.

We have some very tasty bouts on the docket for tonight.

Kirishima will get a chance to put the death knell on Onosato’s tournament. If he wins that, Onosato will likely be too far off the pace to claim his third yusho in a row. The win would also be a huge morale boost for Kirishima, who is currently 0-6 against Onosato. Kirishima will want to prove that his history with Onosato will not be like what it was with Terunofuji (whom he went 0-13 against).

Ichiyamamoto meets Takayasu tonight. He’s 2-4 against that former ozeki. Tamawashi gets Kotozakura and Aonishiki meets Abi (for the first time).

This is going to be epic.

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