2025 Nagoya Basho: Day 13 results and analysis

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

After 13 days of fantastic action, our large herd of potential yusho winners has been thinned down to a handful of wrestlers. It’s been extremely fun getting here and it feels like there are a few more twists in this story left before it all comes to an end on Sunday.

Last night’s pivotal matches were Aonishiki vs. Ichiyamamoto, Kirishima vs. Kusano, Kotozakura vs. Atamifuji and Kotoshoho vs. Onosato.

I’ve got videos of all those below, along with my analysis on how they went down.

Bonus gif today is the blue whirlwind.

Slava Aonishiki!

SPOILERS BELOW

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Results

• Shishi (5-8) def. Tamashoho (5-8) by yorikiri (frontal force out)

• Asakoryu (5-8) def. Kotoeiho (4-9) by shitatenage (underam throw)*

• Tokihayate (6-7) def. Kayo (2-11) by oshidashi (frontal push out)

• Mitakeumi (9-4) def. Roga (7-6) by uwatenage (over arm throw)

• Shodai (8-5) def. Chiyoshoma (1-12) by oshidashi

• Sadanoumi (3-10) def. Hidenoumi (1-10-2) by yorikiri

• Churanoumi (8-5) def. Tobizaru (3-10) by fusen (default)

• Gonoyama (8-5) def. Midorifuji (8-5) by tsukitoashi (thrust down)

• Fujinokawa (8-5) def. Takerufuji (5-8) by fusen

• Hiradoumi (7-6) def. Onokatsu (5-8) by hatakikomi (slap down)

• Abi (8-5) def. Takanosho (8-5) by hikiotoshi (hand pull down)*

• Oho (5-8) def. Kinbozan (3-10) by oshidashi

• Wakamotoharu (5-8) def. Hakuoho (7-6) by yorikiri*

• Aonishiki (11-2) def. Ichiyamamoto (9-4) by yorikiri*

• Tamawashi (9-4) def. Takayasu (8-5) by oshidashi

• Oshoma (3-10) def. Meisei (3-10) by hatakikomi

• Wakatakakage (9-4) def. Ura (8-5) by oshitaoshi (frontal push down)

• Kusano (10-3) def. Kirishima (8-5) by sotogake (outside leg trip)*

• Atamifuji (10-3) def. Kotozakura (7-6) by yorikiri*

• Kotoshoho (11-2) def. Onosato (9-4) by uwatenage*

  *Must see bouts!

Leaderboard

• M1w Aonishiki, M15e Kotoshoho: 11-2

• M14e Kusano, M10e Atamifuji: 10-3

• Y1wYO Onosato, S2w Wakatakakage, M4w Tamawashi, M8w Ichiyamamoto, M16w Mitakeumi: 9-4

Analysis

Aonishiki and Kotoshoho remained joint leaders of this tournament thanks to wins over Ichiyamamoto and Onosato, respectively.

Aonishiki fought first last night, against the man who had previously been in pole position in this basho.

Aonishiki tried to use hazuoshi (armpit thrusting) off the tachiai. But I think he was surprised by the reach and velocity of Ichiyamamoto’s harite (palm strikes). He abandoned the hazuoshi and instead focused on hand-fighting, looking to mitigate the impact of Ichiyamamoto’s strikes. After deflecting a few strikes, Aonishiki found an entry point to get a left arm inside position. Once he got there, Ichiyamamoto was in all sorts of trouble. He flailed around looking at uwatenage, hatakikomi and kubinage (headlock throw) attempts, but didn’t commit to anything and was over the straw before he could try anything in earnest.

After the win Aonishiki nodded his head in a very rare show of emotion from the youngster. That was the look of a man who believes he’s close to his first championship. There was also some relief there, too, that now the pressure had been passed from his shoulders onto those of Kotoshoho.

To keep pace with Aonishiki, Kotoshoho had the unenviable task of trying to beat Onosato. I said yesterday that I thought Kotoshoho could win this match-up. I didn’t think he’d make it look so easy, though.

Kotoshoho got a migi-yotsu (right arm inside, left arm outside position) right off the tachiai. This is Kotoshoho’s preferred position. The right arm inside is also Onosato’s preferred position. Onosato tried to rush Kotoshoho back, but Kotoshoho’s strong outside grip allowed him to harness Onosato’s momentum and rotate him towards the straw before turning over his wrist and getting the biggest uwatenage win of his career.

This gave Kotoshoho his first career kinboshi and put him on level pegging with Aonishiki.

You have to give Kotoshoho a lot of credit for going into this bout knowing he had to win and him still being able to execute. I theorized yesterday that his second place finish as a 22 year-old in 2023 would steel him for this title run.

Kotoshoho deserved this win, but it did look like Onosato was lollygagging a bit out there. His focus has been less than ideal during this tournament and, at these late stages, he might already be thinking about the September tournament.

Behind Aonishiki and Kotoshoho are teammates Kusano and Atamifuji. Kusano got to ten wins with a win over Kirishima. Atamifuji took out Kotozakura.

In taking down Kirishima, with a nifty outside trip (a move Kirishima is especially good at himself), Kusano beat his best opponent to date (again — he’s done that a few times this tournament). He’s not faded down the stretch, as things get harder, he’s actually improved. This is a good sign that Kusano is as good as expected and that he might be replicating what Aonishiki is doing soon.

Atamifuji got his migi-yotsu grip on Kotozakura and was then very active with his gaburi-yori (hugging and chugging). That activity prevented Kotozakura from getting set and going to work with his arsenal of nuanced yotsu techniques.

Our four leaders are now all under 26 years-old. How lucky are we folks? We’ve got an amazing generation of sumo talent developing right in front of our eyes here.

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We have five wrestlers at this tournament with 9-4 records. They are all in with a mathematical chance of winning the tournament. Though, it’s unlikely any of them manage to crash into a play-off situation.

That group includes the defeated Onosato and Ichiyamamoto as well as Wakatakakage, Tamawashi and Mitakeumi.

Wakatakakage blasted out Ura last night. Tamawashi pushed out Takayasu and Mitakeumi threw down the throwing-machine Roga.

We had two wrestlers go kyujo (absent) last night. Tobizaru has an elbow injury and Takerufuji was finally forced out with the torn bicep he suffered days ago. Takerufuji’s pull out means he gets a make-koshi (losing record) in this tournament. These pull outs resulted in All Violence Team members Churanoumi and Fujinokawa getting kachi-koshi (winning records).

Kotoshoho’s chances of bringing home the cup for the All Violence Team rests on his ability to beat Kirishima tomorrow. He’s 0-1 against the former ozeki. Kirishima needs to win this and his final day bout to get ten wins and keep his hopes of an ozeki promotion alive.

Aonishiki has been paired off with Kusano. These two have met one time before, in makushita (third division) last year. Kusano won that bout.

Atamifuji has Takayasu, someone he’s beaten in three out of four bouts.

Wins for either Kotoshoho or Aonishiki will eliminate everyone with four losses from the title run (including either Onosato or Wakatakakage, who face each other tomorrow).

If Kusano wins, he and Aonishiki will be tied on 11-3 records. Atamifuji can join them at 11-3 if he beats Takayasu. Kotoshoho, who fights later than all of them, could then take the lead at 12-2 or be tied with them all at 11-3 heading into the final day.

The match-making for the final day could get a little complicated, since Atamifuji and Kusano can’t fight each other unless it’s a play-off (due to being teammates) and Kusano has already fought Kotoshoho.

No matter what happens, though, we’re in for two days of thrilling bouts between young guys who are battling for their first title.

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