2026 Haru Basho: Day 4 results and analysis
Recapping all the top division action from Grand Sumo's 2026 Haru Basho (spoilers).
Wow, this tournament is not what I was expecting. After a bit of a slow start we’ve seen some incredible matches and big upsets.
Scroll down to see what happened last night in Osaka and read my analysis of all the big matches.
Sorry for the late newsletter today. Wednesdays are tough for me.
The bonus gif today is the Man from Delmonte.
SPOILERS BELOW
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Results
Asahakuryu (3-1) def. Fujiryoga (2-2) by tsukiotoshi (thrust down)
Kotoeiho (2-2) def. Kinbozan (2-2) by hikiotoshi (hand pull down)
Nishikifuji (3-1) def. Mitakeumi (2-2) by yorikiri (frontal force out)
Fujiseun (3-1) def. Tobizaru (1-3) by oshidashi (frontal push out)*
Asanoyama (2-2) def. Chiyoshoma (2-2) by sukuinage (beltless arm throw)
Asakoryu (3-1) def. Oshoumi (0-4) by shitatenage (underarm throw)*
Tokihayate (2-2) def. Roga (2-2) by shitatenage*
Shishi (2-2) def. Tamawashi (0-4) by shitatenage*
Shodai (3-1) def. Gonoyama (3-1) by tsukiotoshi
Daieisho (1-3) def. Ura (3-1) by hatakikomi (slap down)
Takanosho (4-0) def. Oshoma (1-3) by tsukihiza (knee touch down)
Hiradoumi (3-1) def. Ichiyamamoto (2-2) by yorikiri
Kotoshoho (4-0) def. Oho (1-3) by tsukiotoshi*
Atamifuji (2-2) def. Wakamotoharu (0-4) by oshidashi*
Kirishima (3-1) def. Wakatakakage (1-3) by yorikiri
Churanoumi (2-2) def. Aonishiki (2-2) by yoritoashi*
Takayasu (4-0) def. Kotozakura (3-1) by yorikiri*
Fujinokawa (2-2) def. Hoshoryu (3-1) by hatakikomi*
Yoshinofuji (2-2) def. Onosato (0-4) by fusen (default)
*Must see bouts!
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Too early!
Analysis
Onosato is out. The 75th yokozuna has made the wise decision to pull out of this basho and give his shoulder some much needed rest. This decision was made after he lost to Fujinokawa on the previous night. That defeat gave him his first ever 0-3 start to a tournament.
With Onosato out, Hoshoryu and Aonishiki are licking their lips. Him being out the picture helps clear the path towards a yusho. However, last night they both lost!
Hoshoryu was slain by Fujinokawa last night. The little man scored a win in similar fashion to the one he pulled off on Onosato. He flew into Hoshoryu at the tachiai, surprising Hoshoryu with his speed. That put Hoshoryu immediately on the backfoot. As Fujinokawa forced him to the south side of the ring, Hoshoryu dug his heels into the clay. But then they started sliding back and out of control. With Hoshoryu’s feet slipping back, Fujinokawa pulled him forwards for his second kinboshi in a row.
Had Hoshoryu not slipped on the clay, things might have gone very different in this match. I saw a few other wrestlers struggle with the surface last night, too. However, I think we need to give Fujinokawa a lot of credit for the win. His approach, and timing, off the tachiai was superb and I think this was an instance of someone creating their own luck.
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Last night Aonishiki had his hands full with another very aggressive rikishi. Churanoumi is a grappler, but he loves to throw down with thrusts, too.
In this bout Churanoumi used his thrusts to push Aonishiki upwards as the Ukrainian leaned in to try and get on his belt. Aonishiki then gobbled up one of those thrusting arms and performed an arm drag (one of his favourite maneuvers) to get behind Churanoumi. Churanoumi reacted really well to that, though. He got square to Aonishiki and was able to fight and circle his way along the straw and then into the centre of the ring. Churanoumi then thrusted again to keep Aonishiki upright and then closed distance to lock up a moro-zashi (double inside position). Aonishiki sensed that danger and started to shift to the side right away, but Churanoumi kept up with him and crowded him out on the boundary for the crush out.
I think everyone in the arena was expecting a mono-ii to be called after that one. I was very surprised no one wanted to look it over. We’ve seen a few bouts recently where a wrestler who goes full out on a dive is considered too out of control to be credited a victory. It certainly looked like Churanoumi left his feet on this one, too. That had seemed like a bit of a red line when determining control in the recent past.
Either way, Churanoumi now has a 2-1 record over Aonishiki. Aonishiki is now pegged back to 2-2 on the tournament.
Kirishima’s ozeki run is moving along OK. His loss to Churanoumi a few days ago doesn’t look so bad now. He beat Wakatakakage last night thanks to some power yotsu-zumo (belt grappling).
In this bout Kirishima went with the migi-yotsu (right arm inside position), despite hidari-yotsu (left arm inside) being his favourite. I love that he went for the migi-yotsu here. It’s the position that Wakatakakage presented him with. Too often you see wrestlers only have eyes for their favourite position. But here Kirishima made the most of the opportunity and then showed he’s more than capable of getting a win with the right arm inside. His left arm did most the work in this one, though, as he wrenched on Wakatakakage’s belt with a very strong outside grip.
Takayasu and Kotozakura had a very fun bout last night. Kotozakura got his prefered migi-yotsu early. But he got greedy. He tried a makki-kae (switch from outside position to inside position) with his left arm to give him moro-zashi. Takayasu pulled himself tight to Kotozakura to defend that and then used his superior outside grip to drag Kotozakura around and find an angle on the push out.
That dropped Kotozakura to 3-1. Takayasu is 4-0.
Kotoshoho and Oho has an all out brawl last night. Kotoshoho is a long standing All Violence Team member. But it looked like Oho was auditioning for a place on the squad. He cut Kotoshoho during a barrage of tsuppari (palm strikes) and had him right on the straw. But Kotoshoho was able to summon up enough grit and wherewithall to pull off a last second dodge to earn the win. He’s 4-0, too!
Shishi and Tamawashi had a slobberknocker last night, too, with Shishi landing the big throw to hand Tamawashi his fourth loss of the basho.
I don’t have official video of it to share, but Tokihayate also used a last second reversal to beat Roga. Sidenote: I was recently alerted to the fact that Tokihayate looks like current Ru Paul’s Drag Race contestant Mikey Meeks and now I can’t un-see it.
Ura suffered his first loss of the tournament last night. He went down, with a flourish, to Daieisho (who earned his first win of the tournament).
Along with Takayasu and Kotoshoho, the only other wrestler on 4-0 is Takanosho. Takanosho, who is competing for the first time with the former Takakeisho (now Minatogawa) as his stable master, beat Oshoma last night.
Tonight Hoshoryu will have to contend with Churanoumi. He’s got a 4-0 record against him (with all throws). Churanoumi is in great form right now, though.
Aonishiki will face the Fujinokawa test. Aonishiki has a 1-0 record against him. Their only bout happened in juryo in 2024, back when Fujinokawa was known as Wakaikari.
Takayasu is going to get Yoshinofuji tonight. He’s 3-0 against him. He’s gone total E. Honda in each of those bouts.
Kotoshoho and Takanosho’s early title credentials will be tested by Daieisho and the returning Onokatsu.
Keeping count!
Henka counter: 3*
*Kotoeiho scored one on Kinbozan early in the night.
Tobi trample counter (rows): 1**
**Tobizaru just stopped short of the crowd after being ran off the ring by Fujiseun.
Ura flips: 1
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speaking of being unable to un-see it, in the stats photo they show before the bouts, tokihayate looks like arya stark. you won't be able to convince me otherwise.
Oh hey it’s the fedora guy!