2026 Haru Basho: Day 8 results and analysis
Recapping all the top division action from Grand Sumo's 2026 Haru Basho (spoilers).
Good Sunday one and all. Our spring tournament is rolling on and, by this time next week, we will have our latest makuuchi champion. Currently there’s still a lot of guys in the running for that championship. So that’s fun.
Scroll down to see who is in that leading pack and who might be starting to fade.
The bonus gif today is Tobizaru, who is totally not playing ball when it comes to my fun new trample counter.
SPOILERS BELOW
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Results
Mitakeumi (3-5) def. Daiseizan (5-3) by hatakikomi (slap down)
Kotoeiho (6-2) def. Nishikifuji (4-4) by uwatenage (over arm throw)*
Fujiryoga (5-3) def. Tobizaru (2-6) by hatakikomi
Fujiseun (5-3) def. Asahakuryu (5-3) by yorikiri (frontal force out)
Chiyoshoma (5-3) def. Shishi (4-4) by tsukidashi (frontal thrust out)
Gonoyama (7-1) def. Kinbozan (4-4) by oshidashi (frontal push out)
Tokihayate (4-4) def. Asanoyama (4-4) by yorikiri*
Asakoryu (5-3) def. Tamawashi (2-6) by yorikiri
Ura (4-4) def. Roga (3-5) by shitatenage (underarm throw)*
Oshoumi (2-6) def. Shodai (5-3) by yorikiri
Oshoma (3-5) def. Ichiyamamoto (4-4) by shitatenage
Kotoshoho (7-1) def. Hakunofuji (1-3-4) by okuridashi (rear push out)
Oho (3-5) def. Onokatsu (1-5-2) by yoritoashi (frontal crush out)
Yoshinofuji (4-4) def. Fujinokawa (3-5) by oshidashi
Wakamotoharu (1-7) def. Churanoumi (3.5) by kotenage (armlock throw)*
Atamifuji (5-3) def. Wakatakakage (3-5) by kotenage
Kirishima (7-1) def. Takayasu (6-2) by sukuinage (beltless arm throw)*
Takanosho (7-1) def. Aonishiki (3-5) by hatakikomi*
Hiradoumi (5-3) def. Kotozakura (4-4) by yorikiri
Daieisho (4-4) def. Hoshoryu (6-2) by hatakikomi*
*Must see bouts!
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Leaderboard
S1e Kirishima, M4w Takanosho, M5w Kotoshoho, M10e Gonoyama: 7-1
Y1e Hoshoryu, S1w Takayasu, M17w Kotoeiho: 6-2
Analysis
Hoshoryu fell back from the leading pack last night after losing to Daieisho. This was a pretty surprising loss, considering how locked in Hoshoryu has looked during this tournament. He was pretty sloppy in this bout.
Daieisho hit Hoshoryu with a few good shots off the tachiai. Hoshoryu tried to get past those and into an inside position. It looked like he was trying to score either a kubinage (headlock throw) or the okurinage (rear throw down) that he did on Yoshinofuji a few tournaments ago. Whatever he was trying, it didn’t work. Daieisho got free and went for a slap down. Hoshoryu went for a last ditch watashikomi (thigh grabbing push down) while he was going down, but Daieisho circled off and managed to stay up long enough to leave no doubt that he was the winner.
Hoshoryu gave a little look at the shimpan (judge) as if he was begging for a mono-ii (review). I think he was trying to save face/hide his embarrassment with that.
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Aonishiki lost last night, too. And this was perhaps the worst loss of his tournament so far. Takanosho is having a great tournament (he’s among the leaders on 7-1), but he’s one of the easier match-ups Aonishiki will have this month.
We’ve seen, on multiple occasions, this month that keeping Aonishiki upright is the key to victory over him. In this bout Takanosho used his thrusts to stand him up and then used the slap down to win when Aonishiki ducked down and desperately tried to get to the belt.
That loss drops Aonishiki to 3-5. This means he is guaranteed to finish this tournament with his worst ever record. Before now he’s worst mark was the still excellent 11-4.
This all, of course, means Aonishiki’s chances of a yokozuna promotion in March are now zero.
This was the first bout this tournament where, to me, Aonishiki looked like the pressure/disappointment over his current situation was getting to him. This is the first real adversity he’s faced in pro sumo, but I think it will serve him well in the long run. He now has an opportunity to adjust his sumo and try and find ways to win which don’t include being slumped over.
He’s good enough and young enough to do that.
Kirishima is tied with Takanosho on 7-1. He continued to look excellent this basho with a masterful display against the very dangerous Takayasu.
After some very fun slapping, Kirishima stuck to Takayasu’s mawashi like glue — using a left hand outside grip. After a long stalemate, which tired out Takayasu, Kirishima switched to moro-zashi (double inside) and heaved the big man to the clay.
Kotoshoho and Gonoyama are also on 7-1. Kotoshoho got an easy win over the banged up Hakunofuji. And Gonoyama blasted through Kinbozan. Could Kotoshoho repeat his heroics from last year’s Nagoya basho? Or will Gonoyama take home his first yusho in his hometown? I didn’t have either of those stories on my radar coming into this one.
I also didn’t think Wakamotoharu would go 0-7 to start this tournament. He staved off the make-koshi (losing record) last night with a win over Churanoumi.
Tokihayate and Asanoyama had a fun back and forth bout. Tokihayate, our dead ringer for Arya Stark, got the win after getting around the big man and then digging in to push him out.
Ura got a big win last night. He went all WWE with a powerslam on Roga.
Tonight we’ve got Hoshoryu vs. Takanosho. He has a commanding 10-3 record against him.
Kirishima has Daieisho, the man he beat to win his first yusho. He’s got a 15-11 record against him.
Kotoshoho has Ura tonight. He’ll hope his brother Kotoeiho can help him out by beating Gonoyama, too.
Things aren’t getting easier for Aonishiki. He’s got Takayasu tomorrow. His rope-run may be over, but he’s still got plenty to play for. He needs a winning record to avoid being kadoban in the next tournament.
Abi also returns tonight, after taking a few days to nurse a bad back. He’s got Churanoumi.
Keeping count!
Henka counter: 4
Tobi trample counter (rows): 1
Ura flips: 2
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Are loose mawashi an accident or a tactic? Seems like we're seeing a lot of them lately...
Ao is injured!
https://www.reddit.com/r/Sumo/s/IvBUjuKr6o