2025 Nagoya Basho: Day 9 results and analysis

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

We’ve got a pretty fun basho on our hands here, folks. We’re into the second week of the Nagoya tournament and we still have a crowded and diverse pack of contenders (with some surprise leaders).

Must see matches from last night include Onosato vs. Takayasu, Kirishima vs. Hakuoho, Aonishiki vs. Wakamotoharu, Oshoma vs. Oho and newest All Violence Team member Fujinokawa vs. Asakoryu.

Scroll down for all the results, lots of vids and my commentary on what wen down.

Bonus gif today is the extremely gifable Atamifuji.

Me, daily, since turning 40.

SPOILERS BELOW

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Results

• Kotoeiho (4-5) def. Ryuden (5-4) by yorikiri (frontal force out)

• Shodai (5-4) def. Kayo (1-8) by oshidashi (frontal push out)

• Churanoumi (5-4) def. Shishi (3-6) by oshidashi

• Fujinokawa (6-3) def. Asakoryu (2-7) by yorikiri*

• Mitakeumi (7-2) def. Midorifuji (5-4) by yorikiri

• Takanosho (6-3) def. Kusano (7-2) by oshidashi*

• Roga (5-4) def. Hidenoumi (0-7-2) by uwatenage (over arm throw)

• Tokihayate (4-5) def. Ura (6-3) by oshitaoshi (frontal push down)*

• Kotoshoho (7-2) def. Sadanoumi (2-7) by yorikiri

• Atamifuji (6-3) def. Tobizaru (3-6) by yorikiri

• Ichiyamamoto (8-1) def. Gonoyama (5-4) by hikiotoshi (hand pull down)*

• Takerufuji (5-4) def. Chiyoshoma (0-9) by oshidashi*

• Onokatsu (3-6) def. Tamawashi (7-2) by yorikiri

• Abi (5-4) def. Meisei (3-6) by hatakikomi (slap down)

• Aonishiki (7-2) def. Wakamotoharu (2-7) by shitatehineri (twisting underarm throw)*

• Oho (3-6) def. Oshoma (2-7) by oshidashi*

• Wakatakakage (5-4) def. Hiradoumi (5-4) by yorikiri

• Hakuoho (5-4) def. Kirishima (7-2) by yorikiri*

• Kinbozan (2-7) def. Kotozakura (5-4) by yorikiri

• Onosato (7-2) def. Takayasu (7-2) by yorikiri

  *Must see bouts!

Leaderboard

• M8w Ichiyamamoto: 8-1

• Y1wYO Onosato, S1w Kirishima, M1w Aonishiki, M4w Tamawashi, M14e Kusano, M15e Kotoshoho, M16w Mitakeumi, : 7-2

Analysis

Ichiyamamoto took sole possession of the lead last night, beating Gonoyama with some very polished oshi-zumo (pushing/thrusting).

I’ve not wanted to make those ‘fake Abi’ jokes about Ichiyamamoto since he returned from juryo last year. I think he’s really improved since then and come into his own as a rikishi. Even so, in this match he certainly resembled the Troll King, but in the best way possible. He was clinical in striking Gonoyama in the throat and then very explosive in springing back and pulling his opponent down by the wrist.

Ichiyamamoto hasn’t just been doing an Abi impression this tournament, though. He’s pieced together a very nice run by mixing his oshi-zumo skills with a sprinkling of yotsu-zumo (belt grabbing). I doubt he’ll keep this run going and lift his first ever top division yusho, but I would love to be wrong about that.

There is a big, and very talented, pack of wrestlers on Ichiyamamoto’s heels after Day 9. Onosato is the top dog among those guys.

He got to 7-2 with a quick force out on Takayasu. That result also dropped Takayasu to 7-2. Given the storyline between these two (senpai/kohai relationship, March play-off for the cup), this bout was a little anti-climatic. Onosato, keen to bounce back from his loss to Hakuoho, got his right arm inside quickly and committed to the force out for the victory.

Onosato is still, in my view, most likely to walk away with the cup this month, but that’s not a foregone conclusion. He’ll need to lock in and be as excellent as he has been in the past if he wants to run the table here and seize on any mistake from Ichiyamamoto and the others.

Kirishima missed his chance to join Ichiyamamoto at 8-1 last night, thanks to Hakuoho. I know I’m a Kirishima-stan and all, but I thinkhe got a raw deal here with both how the bout started and how it finished.

I think Hakuoho’s repeated false starts may have affected his concentration. In no way do I think those were intentional. If anything, I think they were a product of nerves on the part of the young Hakuoho. However, they did seem to have an irksome effect on Kirishima. Kirishima looked frustrated after the last one and I think this distracted him when the bout finally started.

In the bout itself, Kirishima played for slap downs. He couldn’t get the first one to go, thanks to Hakuoho being so quick to close distance on him. The second one did work, but he had to hop out the ring to pull it off. The gyoji (referee) pointed his gunbai (fan) at Hakuoho for the win. And, surprisingly, the shimpan (judges) didn’t review this.

The screenshot below shows that Kirishima, who lingered for a moment expecting a mono-ii, had a right to be upset about this one.

The top of Hakuoho’s foot and shin were touching the clay while Kirishima was airborne. It’s unfortunate that this was missed, especially with the referee and two judges were seemingly looking in the right place.

This wasn’t the first time I felt a mono-ii was missed last night. I thought Chiyoshoma had Takerufuji beat in a very similar situation. However, the decision was again given to the pusher and not the slapper-downer.

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Aonishiki is also in the trailing pack with Onosato and Kirishima. He beat Wakamotoharu last night with another creative move off of his mae-mitsu (front of belt grip). Just when everyone thought they were safe from the uchimuso (inner thigh propping twist down) Aonishiki showed his rivals he can do a shitatehinari (twisting underarm throw) from this position, too.

It looked like Wakamotoharu was protecting against the uchimuso in this bout, by underhooking Aonishiki’s left arm and keeping his knees way out of reach.

Being flat-footed like this made Wakamotoharu more susceptible to losing his footing once Aonishiki started to twist, though. Aonishiki continues to show that he is working with a massive toolbox, already, in his young sumo career.

Kusano also lost out on the chance to go 8-1 last night. He faced his best opponent ever, in the form of Takanosho. Takanosho nailed Kusano with a strong nodowa (throat thrust) off the tachiai and had him off the ring before he could mount a response.

Tamawashi was also prevented from going 8-1. His loss came to Onokatsu. Tamawashi has beaten up on a lot of fellow pusher/thrusters, but Onokatsu was able to withstand the thrusts and then implement his yotsu game and target Tamawashi’s weakness (chest-to-chest battles).

The most exciting bout of the day was between Oshoma and Oho. They threw down in a very entertaining pushing/thrusting brawl. Oho got the win after he crowded Oshoma out on the north side of the ring.

Both Oshoma and Oho have struggled in this tournament. Oshoma seems out of his depth in his first ever komusubi tournament and Oho hasn’t been able to replicate his performance from January, where he lost a play-off to Hoshoryu.

Tonight Ichiyamamoto will need to beat Meisei if he wants to stay on top the leader board. Meisei has a 3-0 record against Ichiyamamoto.

Day 10 will also give us Onosato vs. Tamawashi, Kirishima vs. Hiradoumi, Takayasu vs. Oho, Aonishiki vs. Kinbozan and Kusano vs. Ura.

I’ll let you know how those go tomorrow.

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