2025 Nagoya Basho: Day 2 results and analysis

Spoilers for everyone.

Jul 14, 2025

Day two is in the books in Nagoya, which seems to be pretty sweaty despite the new arena having air conditioning (still lots of fans being waved in the crowd).

We had some good matches last night. Hoshoryu vs. Wakamotoharu and Onosato vs. Aonishiki were among the most important.

Ura vs. Atamifuji was must-see TV, though. Roga vs. Chiyoshoma, Wakatakakage vs. Onokatsu were also great, with lots of technique on display.

Scroll on down to see who won. You’ll also find some videos and my analysis.

Bonus gif is Tamawashi, lifted from when he was helping to make Onosato’s tsuna (yokozuna belt).

SPOILERS BELOW

Results

Kotoeiho (1-1) def. Kayo (0-2) by yorikiri (frontal force out)
Kotoshoho (2-0) def. Shishi (1-1) by yorikiri
Mitakeumi (2-0) def. Hidenoumi (0-2) by oshidashi (frontal push out)
Kusano (2-0) def. Churanoumi (0-2) by yorikiri*
Shodai (2-0) def. Fujinokawa (0-2) by yorikiri
Midorifuji (2-0) def. Takanosho (1-1) by hatakikomi (slap down)*
Asakoryu (1-1) def. Tokihayate (0-2) by shitatenage (underarm throw)*
Ura (2-0) def. Atamifuji (0-2) by katasukashi (under shoulder swing down)*
Roga (2-0) def. Chiyoshoma (0-2) by uwatedashinage (pulling over arm throw)*
Ichiyamamoto (2-0) def. Tobizaru (0-2) by oshidashi
Gonoyama (2-0) def. Sadanoumi (0-2) by tsukidashi (frontal thrust out)
Takerufuji (2-0) def. Hiradoumi (0-2) by oshidashi
Tamawashi (2-0) def. Meisei (0-2) by tsukiotoshi (thrust down) after mono-ii (judges’ review) overturned gyoji (referee) decision
Hakuoho (1-1) def. Oshoma (0-2) by yoritaoshi (frontal crush out)*
Takayasu (1-1) def. Kinbozan (1-1) by tsukiotoshi
Kirishima (2-0) def. Abi (1-1) by uwatenage (over arm throw)*
Wakatakakage (2-0) def. Onokatsu (0-2) by yorikiri*
Kotozakura (1-1) def. Oho (0-2) by yorikiri*
Wakamotoharu (1-1) def. Hoshoryu (1-1) by yorikiri*
Onosato (2-0) def. Aonishiki (1-1) by oshidashi*
*Must see bouts!

Leaderboard

Too early!

Analysis

Advantage Onosato.

For the third straight tournament as a yokozuna Hoshoryu has coughed up an early kinboshi. Of the six gold stars he’s given up so far, this was perhaps the most surprising.

It came to Wakamotoharu, a wrestler he has a 16-4 head-to-head record with. The manner of the defeat was most surprising, though.

Wakamotoharu angled off the tachiai, in a quasi-henka attempt. He’s tried this move on Hoshoryu before, clearly desperate to find something that works.

Hoshoryu was able to avoid the subsequent slapdown, but he made a strange decision once he regained his balance. He put his left arm on the inside of Wakamotoharu, gifting Wakamotoharu the same position. Hidari-yotsu (left arm inside, right arm outside) is Wakamotoharu’s specialty and almost the only way he gets wins nowadays.

With a strong grip on Hoshoryu’s mawashi with his left hand, Wakamotoharu was able to defend two throw attempts. After those attempts, they paused in the centre of the ring. Wakamotoharu then decided to attack, putting his head in Hoshoryu’s chest and wrenching with his left arm to power Hoshoryu back and eventually out.

This is the second straight match where Hoshoryu has not used the nodowa (throat thrust) off the tachiai. On Day 1 he went for Takayasu’s belt right away and then switched to the nodowa after Takayasu tried to throw him. He really should have led with that move here. He won the January tournament, and his promotion, with that move in January and Wakamotoharu’s weakness is thrusts.

I’m quite baffled by his decisions here and hope it wasn’t a case of hubris, with Hoshoryu believing he could do whatever he liked and still get the win over Wakamotoharu.

This loss puts Hoshoryu back to 1-1. Onosato then beat Aonishiki to go 2-0. It’s early, but… given what we’ve seen from Onosato, a one loss difference might already be too big a mountain to climb for Hoshoryu. Hopefully I’m wrong, though, and we have lots of drama between these two yet to come.

Onosato’s win over Aonishiki wasn’t dramatic, though.

This match reminded me a lot of baseball. I saw Aonishiki like a hitter who had never faced a certain pitching ace before. He decided to take the first pitch, just so he could see what the pitcher’s stuff was like. In this context, that meant him facing Onosato straight up off the tachiai and being quickly rushed out.

Now Aonishiki knows what that feels like, he might be able to plan something more interesting for the next time they fight.

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Kotozakura showed some great signs of life on Day 2. He managed to get his favourite grip on Oho, the migi-yotsu (right arm inside, left arm outside). That’s not surprising, his grappling technique hasn’t been a problem during this difficult year. After some time paused in the clinch, Kotozakura was then able to turn on the gas and power Oho over the line. That show of strength is what we’ve been missing during a lot of 2025, with Kotozakura fighting through a knee injury.

Kirishima and Wakatakakage are looking as good as expected early on in Nagoya. They are both 2-0 now. Kirishima out-trolled the Troll King Abi, hitting him with a henka which was officially scored as an uwatenage.

And Wakatakakage moved Onokatsu around, like they were swing dancing, for an impressive yorikiri. Wakatakakage managed this despite Onokatsu getting hidari-yotsu (a move he’s very good with) and despite Onokatsu being the bigger man.

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Ura had a great win on Day 2. He slung Atamifuji around him and into the shimpan (judge) for what has officially been scored as a katasukashi. Though, the rotation of the move has it looking like a hybrid between a katasukashi and an utchari (backwards pivot throw).

Ura bounced off the tawara (straw bales) to make this happen. Play the bout at 0.25 speed and watch Ura’s left foot from the 0:48 mark. It’s very cool.

Roga got a good win, too. He landed his second pulling overarm throw in a row, this time it was Chiyoshoma who get dragged down. Will he be our maegashira surprise this tournament?

It’s out of the frying pan, into the fire, for Aonishiki tomorrow. He’s got Hoshoryu, who will surely be fired up and wanting to get a win. I’m a little nervous for him, though. Aonishiki has the kind of profile that usually gives Hoshoryu problems. If Aonishiki plays pusher/thruster he might be able to replicate the success Abi and Ichiyamamoto have had over the 74th yokozuna.

Onosato will have Wakamotoharu tomorrow. He’s 5-2 against him. Wakamotoharu beat him in March with a surprising pushing/thrusting attack.

Kirishima will face Oho. Wakatakakage will get Abi.

Kusano, who is 2-0 after beating Churanoumi, will have a stiff test in the form of Kotoshoho (also 2-0).

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