2025 Natsu Basho: Day 3 results and analysis

Spoilers abound!

Three days in and things are getting spicy.

Due to the circumstances around this basho, it’s hard not to view the whole tournament through a Hoshoryu vs. Onosato lens. We’re waiting to see which of them will blink first and we’re already imagining them going head-to-head on the final day, with the cup on the line.

Hoshoryu had Oho today and Onosato had Abi. Those are tough match-ups for both men (Hoshoryu and Oho are 5-5 and Onosato and Abi are 3-3).

This tournament isn’t just about two guys, though. There some bangers on the dohyo last night. And good number of bouts ended with photo finishes and rikishi flying into the stands.

Of those matches you’ve got to check out Atamifuji vs. Endo, Kinbozan vs. Meisei and Tobizaru vs. Oshoma. Daieisho vs. Wakamotoharu and Takayasu vs. Gonoyama were great, too.

Scroll down for all the goods (full results, video replays and my analysis).

Bonus gif today is the Battle Pug, Daieisho.

Tsuppari… loading…

SPOILERS BELOW

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

---

---

Results

• Asakoryu (2-1) def. Tochitaikai (2-1) via oshidashi (frontal push out)

• Tamashoho (1-2) def. Hidenoumi (1-2) via yorikiri (frontal force out)

• Shonannoumi (1-2) def. Kayo (0-3) via oshidashi

• Nishikigi (3-0) def. Ryuden (1-2) via yorikiri

• Tokihayate (2-1) def. Roga (2-1) via yorikiri

• Takanosho (2-1) def. Sadanoumi (1-2) via oshidashi

• Endo (3-0) def. Atamofuji (2-1) via katasukashi (under shoulder swing down) after mono-ii (judges review) reverses original result*

• Shodai (2-1) def. Shishi (0-3) via tsukiotoshi (thrust down)

• Meisei (2-1) def. Kinbozan (1-2) via yorikiri after mono-ii confirms original result*

• Aonishiki (2-1) def. Onokatsu (2-1) via yorikiri*

• Churanoumi (1-2) def. Midorifuji (0-3) via okuridashi (rear push out)

• Tobizaru (2-1) def. Oshoma (1-2) via oshidashi after torinaoashi (immediate rematch)*

• Hakuoho (3-0) def. Chiyshoma (0-3) via yorikiri*

• Takerufuji (3-0) def. Ichiyamamoto (1-2) via oshidashi

• Hiradoumi (2-1) def. Ura (0-3) via yoritaoshi (frontal crush out)

• Takayasu (1-2) def. Gonoyama (0-3) via okuridashi*

• Kirishima (2-1) def. Tamawashi (1-2) via yorikiri

• Daieisho (3-0) def. Wakamotoharu (0-3) via tsukiotoshi*

• Wakatakakage (2-1) def. Kotozakura (1-2) via yorikiri*

• Onosato (3-0) def. Abi (0-3) via okuridashi*

• Oho (3-0) def. Hoshoryu (2-1) via hatakikomi (slap down)*

*Must see bouts!

---

If you’re unable to pick up a paid subscription to Sumo Stomp! but would still like to tip me for these posts, please consider buying me a coffee below (via PayPal).

---

Leaderboard

• Too early!

Analysis

Well, when it comes to Hoshoryu vs. Onosato, Hoshoryu has blinked first. He lost on Day 3 to Oho, coughing up his first kinboshi (gold star) of the tournament. It was well earned from Oho, though, who is fighting with a lot of grit so far in this young tournament.

Here’s how it all happened:

Both men led with the nodowa (throat thrust) in this one.

Neither was able to land a big blow on the other, though. Both were able to slap away the nodowa attempt with their off hand.

Hoshoryu was the first to regroup from that stalemate.

He faked a thrust and then swam his right hand down to try and get an inside position. However, Oho kept his left arm close to his side, preventing Hoshoryu from getting an underhook on that side.

Hoshoryu decided to push Oho’s body to his left with his right hand and then come back with another attempt to get the underhook. This time he succeeded, but at a terrible cost.

Hoshoryu found that inside position because Oho had conceded that part of his body. He gave Hoshoryu free entry there because he had gotten both hands behind Hoshoryu’s ears.

Oho then yanked Hoshoryu down, while stepping away, for the massive hatakikomi (slap down) win.

It’s hard to criticize Hoshoryu for this loss. I think a lot of credit needs to go to Oho for springing that collar tie and slap down on Hoshoryu. Hoshoryu was not expecting that, he was hoping to either use his underhook for a throw or get moro-zashi (double underhooks) and get Oho into a yotsu battle, which is not Oho’s strength. Though, we did see Oho defend the moro-zashi with the double arm bar against Kotozakura on Day 1.

Oho is now 3-0 with wins over Hoshoryu, Kotozakura and Kirishima. That’s a fantastic start for him. Tonight he’ll try and go 4-0 by beating Onosato.

Beating Onosato is never easy, but at this tournament Onosato looks as close to his final form as we’ve ever seen. He took another decisive victory this day. This time his victim was Abi, someone who has given him trouble in the past.

Abi got off to a great start in this bout, landing his left hand right under Onosato’s chin. Onosato was slow to react here. One of the very few areas Onosato could improve is his reaction time off the tachiai.

Abi has a good record against Onosato because on a couple of occasions he’s been able to go from this above position to a slap down or hand pull down, where he let Onosato spring forwards and then pulled him down. Onosato didn’t give that to him in this bout, though. He didn’t move forwards. Instead, he took a step back.

And then another step back…

Before breaking Abi’s hold and using his right underhook to gather him up for the push out.

Onosato moving back when under pressure from Abi shows a great deal of confidence and composure. Most wrestlers, when put in that position, panic and want to plough forwards as hard as possible to make sure the thruster is not going to push them back and out (the thruster can then take advantage of that with a slap/pull down). That’s what Onosato was doing last year. What he did on Day 3, though, continues to signal his evolution as a technically, tactically and mentally sound wrestler. Add those attributes to his freakish physicality and it’s good luck everyone else.

Abi is now 0-3. Perhaps that is some divine punishment for abandoning the superior black mawashi in favour of the midnight blue get-up he’s wearing this tournament.

Our other ozeki dropped to 1-2 on Day 3. Kotozakura and Wakatakakage went chest-to-chest, but Wakatakkage did a great job of getting under Kotozakura and preventing him from pushing forwards. Kotozakura was forced to play defense for the whole match and that eventually sapped his strength.

Wakatakakage’s brother Wakamotoharu met the buzz saw that is Daieisho on Day 3. Daieisho has looked ferocious in these first three days. Against Wakamotoharu he scored some big strikes, as expected, and then performed a beautiful, and less expected, iniashi (side-step) for the win.

Hakuoho is 3-0. He put up with Chiyoshoma’s BS during the build-up, weathered a big slap off the tachiai, defended two shitatenage (under arm throw) attempts and then swung Chiyoshoma around and over the straw. That was a great display of balance and strength from the former super prospect (who I still think has a very bright future).

Takayasu had a great win on Day 3. Gonoyama seemed to have him dead to rights after a good opening push from the tachiai. But the old veteran showed he has plenty of spring still in his step as he circled around the entire length of the ring to escape Gonoyama and then land a great push out of his own.

Day 4’s glamour matches are Hoshoryu vs. Abi, Onosato vs. Oho, Wakamotoharu vs. Kotozakura, Daieisho vs. Takayasu and Takerufuji vs. Wakatakakage.

Takerufuji vs. Wakatakakage is especially interesting. Takerufuji is off to a 3-0 start and this will be his first bout with Wakatakakage.

See you then!

---

I’m planning some content for YouTube in the very near future. Please head on over and subscribe to the channel and hit the notification bell so you get an alert when that content drops.