2026 Nagoya Basho: Day 1 results and analysis
Recapping all the top division action from Grand Sumo's 2026 Nagoya Basho (spoilers).
Sumo is back in our lives! The Nagoya basho kicked off last night. This is the second time the tournament is happening at the new IG Arena in Aichi. That arena has air conditioning. So gone are the days of slippery sweat covered rings and audiences desperately fanning themselves to stay cool.
Scroll down to see what happened on our first night in Nagoya. I’ve got results. I’ve got videos. I’ve got analysis. What more could you want?
A free t-shirt, you say?
Well… OK then!
Cheeky Sumo are giving me one of their brand new shirts to giveaway to a paid subscriber this month. It’s a beautiful pink number. I think you can guess which rikishi it is celebrating. There’s a picture of that below, too. Head on over to www.CheekySumo.com to check out more of their stuff.
To win this month’s giveaway, you need to be either a paid subscriber from substack or someone who has contributed via PayPal. If you are a monthly subscriber you get one entry in the draw. If you are an annual subscriber you get ten entries in the draw and if you are a founding subscriber you get twenty-five entries in the draw.
Our bonus gif today are some Atamifuji fans (I think he’s going to have a very good tournament, by the way).
SPOILERS BELOW
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Results
Asakōryū (1-0) def. Kyokukaiyū (0-1) by kotenage (armlock throw)
Daiseizan (1-0) def. Kazuma (0-1) by shitatenage (underarm throw)
Shishi (1-0) def. Ōnokatsu (0-1) by yorikiri (frontal force out)
Takerufuji (1-0) def. Kinbōzan (0-1) by yorikiri
Abi (1-0) def. Nishikifuji (0-1) by oshidashi (frontal push out)*
Asahakūryū (1-0) def. Mitakeumi (0-1) by yorikiri
Wakanoshō (1-0) def. Chiyoshoma (0-1) by tsukidashi (frontal thrust out)*
Asanoyama (1-0) def. Tobizaru (0-1) by tsukitoashi (frontal thrust down)*
Fujiryoga (1-0) def. Rōga (0-1) by yorikiri*
Takayasu (1-0) def. Wakamotoharu (0-1) by hatakikomi (slap down)
Fujiseun (1-0) def. Kotoeihō (0-1) by sotogake (outside trip)*
Ōshōma (1-0) def. Shōdai (0-1) by oshidashi
Ichiyamamoto (1-0) def. Ura (0-1) by hikiotoshi (hand pull down)
Hakunofuji (1-0) def. Daieishō (0-1) by oshidashi
Aonishiki (1-0) def. Hiradoumi (0-1) by uwatenage (over arm throw)*
Kotoshōhō (1-0) def. Churanoumi (0-1) by oshidashi
Atamifuji (1-0) def. Gōnoyama (0-1) by oshidashi*
Kotozakura (1-0) def. Takanoshō (1-0) by tsukiotoshi (thrust down)
Kirishima (1-0) def. Fujinokawa (0-1) by oshitoashi (frontal push down)*
Yoshinofuji (1-0) def. Ōnosato (0-1) by oshidashi*
Hōshōryū (1-0) def. Ōhō (0-1) by watashikomi (thigh grabbing push down)*
*Must see bouts!
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Leaderboard
Too soon!
Analysis
We were all really hoping the Nagoya basho would feature the sport’s biggest stars, unlike the injury hit May tournament. There’s been good news early on with Ōnosato, Hōshōryū and Aonishiki all reporting for duty. However, it’s still very sad that last tournament’s winner Wakatakakage can’t be here.
We might have had both our yokozuna on the dohyo last night, but only one of them looked like he should be there.
Ōnosato lost to Yoshinofuji last night. He didn’t look like himself in this match. He was timid in the tachiai and quickly went for slap downs (which had a desperate/hopeful vibe to them). They had no muscle behind them, so Yoshinofuji easily brushed them off. And when Ōnosato saw they weren’t working, he shyly turned from the conflict and stepped out. Afterwards he paused, seemingly in pain.
For Yoshinofuji that was a debut win as a komusubi. That also extended his perfect record against his old college rival to 4-0. Though, this win deserves a heavy asterisk behind it.
Hōshōryū looked in fighting shape last night. He dispatched of the sometimes dangerous Ōhō.
In this bout, Hōshōryū got both his hands to the inside off the tachiai. Ōhō made it easier for him to do that by leading with his arms folded up and down, instead of outstretched and aimed at Hōshōryū ’s throat. From the inside position, Hōshōryū pushed Ōhō back, while Ōhō attempted a possible katasukashi (under shoulder swing down). When Ōhō brought his right arm over to Hōshōryū’s right shoulder he left his right side totally exposed. Hōshōryū saw that and grabbed his thigh to score the somewhat rare watashikomi (just the fifth he’s landed in his career).
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Aonishiki won on his return. Though, due to the nature of the win, it’s hard to gauge how healthy he is. He hit Hiradoumi with a henka, side-stepping out the away and then scooping Hiradoumi out of the ring with a firm hand on the back of his belt.
Poor Hiradoumi. The spotlight post I wrote on Wakatakakage reminded me that Hiradoumi was beaten with a henka on the first day of the last tournament, too.
Kirishima brought the violence last night, against one of the newest members of the All Violence Team. He cracked Fujinokawa with a kachiage (forearm strike) off the tachiai and then had an easy time of pushing him over.
I think this move from Kirishima was motivated by how early Fujinokawa is known to fly off the line in the tachiai. Kirishima touched down and quickly got that forearm up to meet the charge of the little river monster.
Atamifuji looked good last night. He continued his dominance over Gōnoyama. He got the win by using Gōnoyama’s favoured oshi-zumō (pushing/thrusting) instead of his usual yotsu-zumō (belt grappling).
If you read my predictions piece, you’ll know that I’ve picked Atamifuji to do very well in this tournament. I have him and Hōshōryū getting twelve wins and ending up in a play-off together.
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I picked Kotoazakura to have a poor tournament, but he opened things up with a win. He withstood Takanoshō’s nodowa (throat thrust) and then sent him to the dirt with a hard shove to the elbow.
That’s a good win, but I think my prediction on him will still prove right. Before this tournament he went 0-11 in practise bouts with Ōnosato. And, as we saw in the Yoshinofuji bout, Ōnosato might be fighting far below capacity at the moment.
There was a match-up of the variety show favourites last night with Ura vs. Ichiyamamoto. Ichiyamamoto used his push forwards, pull down routine to elicit a belly flop from Pink Magic.
The other variety show fave, Tobizaru, lost last night. He was pushed back on his heels by Asanoyama. Tobizaru got caught flat footed after that and a second push sent him ass over teakettle (or is that ass over salt basket?).
With Tobizaru falling off the corner of the ring, he had lots of space to land in. So the crowd were safe for this bout. He’ll get into those seats soon, though.
Ōnosato is scheduled to face Fujinokawa tonight. Will Ōnosato test his shoulder out on a smaller man? Or is he just going to call it a day here and finally get some surgery?
Hōshōryū has Takanoshō. He’s 11-3 against him. Aonishiki has Churanoumi. He’s 1-2 against him.
Yoshinofuji vs. Kotozakura is another match to circle. Yoshinofuji is 0-4 against the ozeki so far in his career.
Catch you tomorrow!
Keeping count!
Henka counter: 1
Tobi trample counter (rows): 0
Jūryō Results and Analysis
Oh wait, there’s more!
If you’re a paid subscriber, this is where you’ll see results and anaylsis of the juryo tournament, too. This month we’ve got Tamawashi joining the second division ranks, along with names like Enhō, Midorifuji, Kayo and Toshinofuji (my pick to win it all).
