2025 Natsu Basho: Day 9 results and analysis
Lots of spoilers in here.
We are well into the second week of action for the 2025 natsu basho. We’ve had some really great bouts throughout the tournament. At this point we have a pretty good idea over who are leaders are and will likely be when he get to the final weekend.
Day 9’s big matches included Onosato vs. Ura, Hoshoryu vs. Ichiyamamoto, Kirishima vs. Takerufuji and Wakatakakage vs. Abi.
Scroll down for all the results, replays and analysis you need this Monday!
Bonus gif today is Midorifuji.
SPOILERS BELOW
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Results
Tamashoho (4-5) def. Kayo (4-5) by yorikiri (frontal force out)
Asakoryu (7-2) def. Ryuden (4-5) by shitatenage (underarm throw)*
Kotoshoho (2-1-6) def. Nishikigi (5-4) by tsukiotoshi (thrust down)*
Sadanoumi (6-3) def. Tochitaikai (3-5) by oshidashi (frontal push out) after original decision was overturned by mono-ii (judges’ review)*
Takanosho (5-4) def. Shonannoumi (3-6) by yorikiri*
Atamifuji (6-3) def. Roga (6-3) by yorikiri
Tokihayate (4-5) def. Shishi (1-8) by hatakikomi (slap down)*
Onokatsu (5-4) def. Endo (5-4) by hikiotoshi (hand pull down)
Meisei (6-3) def. Churanoumi (1-8) by oshidashi
Hakuoho (8-1) def. Shodai (3-6) by yorikiri
Tobizaru (5-4) def. Midorifuji (0-9) by uwatenage (overarm throw)*
Oshoma (6-3) def. Kinbozan (6-3) by okuridashi (rear push out)
Aonishiki (8-1) def. Chiyoshoma (2-7) by oshidashi
Gonoyama (2-7) def. Hiradoumi (3-6) by tsukiotoshi
Wakamotoharu (4-5) def. Oho (3-6) by uwatenage*
Abi (5-4) def. Wakatakakage (7-2) by hikiotoshi
Kirishima (6-3) def. Takerufuji (3-6) by kubinage (headlock throw)*
Tamawashi (3-6) def. Daieisho (6-3) by tsukidashi (frontal thrust out)
Kotozakura (6-3) def. Takayasu (2-7) by uwatedashinage (pulling over arm throw)
Onosato (9-0) def. Ura (2-7) by okuridashi
Hoshoryu (7-2) def. Ichiyamamoto (4-5) by hatakikomi*
*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
O1e Onosato: 9-0
M7e Hakuoho, M9e Aonishiki: 8-1
Y1e Hoshoryu, K1w Wakatakakage, M17w Asakoryu: 7-2
Analysis
On Day 9, Onosato and Hoshoryu added to their win totals with relative ease (just like they did on the previous day). Onosato showed us, once again, that he’s just too powerful for Ura. Ura gave this match his best shot, but Ura’s best in 2025 is a long way short of what Onosato is doing in this tournament. Ura was able to avoid getting slapped down by ‘Thanosato’, but was then powerfless to prevent a push in the back.
Hoshoryu used a tight game plan to get past Ichiyamamoto, someone he had an 0-3 record against.
Ichiyamamoto is like Abi in that his reach causes Hoshoryu a lot of problems. Ichiyamamoto and Abi have found a lot of success with pushing Hoshoryu back off the tachiai and then quickly pulling him down. This time around Hoshoryu made sure Ichiyamamoto couldn’t perform the first half of that attack, by brushing his thrusting arms upwards at the tachiai.
With Ichiyamamoto’s arms in the air, Hoshoryu hoped he could then go to his belt. However, Ichiymamoto did a good job of sneaking his right arm between Hoshoryu’s guard and then popping the yokokzuna under the chin.
That ended up creating more distance than Hoshoryu would have wanted.
But he was able to time Ichiyamamoto’s next attack perfectly. As Ichiyamamoto stretched out with his left arm, Hoshoryu swatted it down, leading to the hatakikomi (slap down) win.
That’s another solid display from Hoshoryu. He’s now won five straight. It might be too little, too late, to catch up to Onosato, though.
Our next highest ranked wrestler, Kotozakura, got an easy win on Day 9, too. Or should that be a cheap win? He basically hit Takayasu with a henka for the quick out.
Kotozakura is now 6-3, which is OK. He’ll have some tougher match-ups coming this week, though. In the next six days he’ll probably see both sekiwake, Onosato and Hoshoryu. Takayasu is just 2-7 and looks nothing like the man who pushed Onosato to a play-off in March.
Hakuoho and Aonishiki continue to give themselves a shot at upsetting Onosato’s victory march (and subsequent yokozuna promotion).
Hakuoho overwhelmed Shodai off the tachiai and took him out quickly with his moro-zashi (double inside grip). His go-to move is the hidari-yotsu (left arm inside, right arm outside grip). But he’s shown he can be a force with the moro-zashi, too.
Aonishiki brawled with the ornery Chiyoshoma, absorbing lots of big shots to the face, before getting a mae-mitsu (front of belt grip) and driving him out for the win.
Takerufuji vs. Kirishima had one of the more sensational finishes of the day.
Kirishima did well to stand up to Takerufuji’s brutal opening charge. The former ozeki then slapped Takerufuji off balance and circled to his left. Takerufuji got a hidari-yotsu and tried to force Kirishima off the south side of the ring. Kirishima used his outside arm to get a headlock on Takerufuji and then used his right leg to elevate Takerufuji’s left hip.
Kirishima had to awkwardly rotate himself in the air to try and avoid touching down first. They touched down at about the same time, with Kirishima painfully landing on the side of his head. Hopefully that didn’t cause any kind of neck injury for Kirishima (his 2024 was largely ruined due to a neck injury). At the close of the match, the gyoji (referee) pointed the gunbai (fan) in Kirishima’s direction, but a mono-ii (judges’ review) was called.
The ringside judges recognized Kirishima for being the one performing an actual technique, a kubinage (headlock throw), in the last moments of the match. Takerufuji may have touched down after, or at the same time as, Kirishima, but that was just due to gravity, nothing Takerufuji was intentionally doing.
That decision took Kirishima to 6-3 and dropped Takerufuji to a surprising 3-6.
Wakatakakage fell back in his hunt for the cup this month. He lost to Abi after falling for the Troll King’s go-to move. Abi made a frame with his long arms and then pulled them away to let the hard pushing Wakatakakage roll forwards. Wakatakakage is now 7-2. He’s yet to face Onosato in this tournament. He’s 2-2 against the tournament leader and will fancy his chances of pegging Onosato back when given the chance. They should get matched together during the home stretch.
Daieisho fell even further back on Day 9. He couldn’t move Tamawashi off the tachiai and then suffered the consequences. After that he was forced to play defense with Tamawashi mostly standing still and firing off hard pushes and thrusts. Daieisho eventually tried to move to create space, but over shot on his inashi (side-step). Tamawashi was then able to run him down for the win.
Tomorrow sees Hoshoryu and Onosato switch opponents from today.
Hoshoryu will take on Ura. He’s 8-6 against Pink Magic. Onosato has Ichiyamamoto. Those two are 1-1. Ichiyamamoto beat Onosato when they met in juryo (second division) in 2023. Ichiyamamoto would then win the juryo yusho (championship) that month.
Day 10 will bring huge tests for both Aonishiki and Hakuoho. Aonishiki has Wakatakakage and Hakuoho has Daieisho. This is the first ever match-up of both those pairings.
Asakoryu, who has quietly gotten to 7-2, will take on Takanosho for the first time in his career. Sumo’s mini muscle-man has looked very strong this month, albeit against low ranked opposition.
Sumo’s other little man, Midorifuji, slumped to 0-9 last night with a loss to Tobizaru. He’ll try and snap his losing streak against Chiyoshoma tomorrow.
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.
Dude, thank you for this awesome analysis. I really love it
I am honestly meh on the end of Daeisho's Ozeki run. It would be nice if he got it but if it was in the cards for him he would've gotten it awhile ago. He is a Sanyaku gatekeeper, which is a role he is solid at, but that is all that he will be.