2026 Nagoya Basho: Day 2 results and analysis
Recapping all the top division action from Grand Sumo's 2026 Nagoya Basho (spoilers).
Happy Monday everyone. I hope this week is already shaping up to be a good for you.
There’s sumo to watch all week, so that immediately makes it better than last week, right?
Last night the Nagoya basho gave us some thrilling matches. I can’t wait to tell you all about them. Scroll down for that analysis, full results and lots of videos.
The bonus gif today is our new boy Kazuma.
SPOILERS BELOW
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
Makuuchi Results and Analysis
Results
Asasuiryū (2-0) def. Daiseizan (1-1) by hatakikomi (slap down)
Kazuma (1-1) def. Asakōryū (1-1) by yoriki (frontal force out)*
Kinbōzan (1-1) def. Ōnokatsu (0-2) by yorikiri
Shishi (2-0) def. Takerufuji (1-1) by hatakikomi
Nishikifuji (1-1) def. Asahakūryū (1-1) by yorikiri
Abi (2-0) def. Mitakeumi (0-2) by oshidashi (frontal push out)
Wakanoshō (2-0) def. Asanoyama (1-1) by yoritoashi (frontal crush out)*
Wakamotoharu (1-1) def. Fujiryoga (1-1) by yorikiri
Takayasu (2-0) def. Rōga (0-2) by uwatenage (over arm throw)*
Kotoeihō (1-1) def. Shōdai (0-2) by oshidashi
Fujiseun (2-0) def. Ōshōma (1-1) by yorikiri
Daieishō (1-1) def. Ura (0-2) by kotenage (armlock throw)*
Hakunofuji (2-0) def. Ichiyamamoto (1-1) by oshidashi
Atamifuji (2-0) def. Hiradoumi (0-2) by sukuinage (beltless arm throw)*
Aonishiki (2-0) def. Churanoumi (0-2) by yorikiri*
Kotoshōhō (2-0) def. Gōnoyama (0-2) by tsukiotoshi (thrust down)
Kirishima (2-0) def. Ōhō (0-2) by sukuinage*
Kotozakura (2-0) def. Yoshinofuji (1-1) by okuridashi (rear push out)*
Hōshōryū (2-0) def. Takanoshō (0-2) by sukuinage*
Fujinokawa (1-1) def. Ōnosato (0-2) by tsukiotoshi*
*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 (via PayPal).
Leaderboard
Too soon!
Analysis
Ōnosato is just not looking good, is he?
He lost again last night, this time to Fujinokawa.
Ōnosato opened this bout with a big moroto-tsuki (double handed thrust). That put Fujinokawa back on his heels. The move is rather telling, though. Ōnosato usually opens with his hands low and initates a massive clash with his chest. You could see that Ōnosato isn’t totally comfortable with this opening move. His feet were very awkward after he threw it and he seemed totally unprepared for Fujinokawa not being directly in front of him. Fujinokawa came in at Ōnosato from an angle and was able to get migi-yotsu (right arm inside position). Fujinokawa was, remarkably, able to move Ōnosato back with that hold. Ōnosato was then able to brace and start moving Fujinokawa back to the straw, using his matching migi-yotsu (which is his favoured position).
At the boundary, though, Fujinokawa squirted free out of Ōnosato’s right side. Fujinokawa was able to escape by freeing his right arm from Ōnosato’s left arm overhook. If Ōnosato’s left shoulder wasn’t so banged up, Ōnosato would have likely been able to stop that from happening.
Once Fujinokawa was free, he back-peddled and forced Ōnosato into a big flop onto the straw.
That’s a third career kinboshi for Fujinokawa. However, all three of those gold stars deserve an asterisk. He’s beaten the badly injured Ōnosato twice now and his win over Hōshōryū was due to a false start that the gyoji (referee) missed.
Either way, the zabuton (pillows) still flew and Fujinokawa still got credited with the big win. It doesn’t matter that he would get squished like a bug on a windscreen if Ōnosato was at full strength.
This is yet more compelling evidence that Ōnosato needs to take extended time away from the sport to heal (and possibly have surgery). It would be horrible to lose him for a long time, but I’d rather that than see him get thrown around the ring like this.
Sumo Stomp! is entirely human made. Please continue to support human made writing and art over AI generated content.
Icon by HINOKODO (link).
Ōnosato’s pain is Hōshōryū’s gain this month. The other yokozuna looks totally healthy and back to his dominating self. He took Takanoshō for a ride last night.
Takanoshō didn’t lead with his nodowa (throat thrust) to start this contest. That was a little surprising. He instead opened with arms low and then went for a quick hikiotoshi (hand pull down attempt). Hōshōryū did well to defend that. That’s when Takanoshō let the nodowa fly. He landed some good ones, too, snapping Hōshōryū’s head back.
Hōshōryū, though, was somehow able to stay composed while taking those shots. Under pressure, he was able to swim his right arm under to get an inside position. While doing that he shaped for a throw and got the outside of his thigh on the inside of Takanoshō’s knee. A twist of the hips and a bounce of the thigh then sent Takanoshō flying. Hōshōryū then wrenched on that underhook to add some torque and ensure Takanoshō flipped over and landed with a thud, flat on his back.
Hoshoryu stayed on his feet and gave a triumphant pose towards the audience.
I don’t care what the JSA says, that was yokozuna-zumo.
Kirishima has a very slim shot of joining his old judo clubmate in the yokozuna ranks this month. He’ll need to be perfect to do that. He’s been pretty close to that so far, albeit after just two days.
He used the kachiage (forearm strike) to open his bout, for the second time in two days. He was able to bowl over Fujinokawa with that move on day one, but Ōhō was far more sturdy. Ōhō ate that shot, like it was nothing, and then got his hands on Kirishima’s chest.
Kirishima is perhaps the best defensive thruster in the game, though. He targeted Ōhō’s elbow and made sure Ōhō couldn’t put any power behind his arm. As he did that, Kirishima used his other arm to push behind Ōhō’s shoulder. This succeeded in rotating Ōhō. Kirishima did this to try and get on the back of Ōhō’s belt — so he could run him out with an okuridashi. But as Ōhō turned, Kirishima switched up his attack and instead got a moro-zashi (double inside position) with two hands on the belt. That is extremely hard to get out of, especially your yotsu-zumō (belt grappling) is as poor as Ōhō’s.
Atamifuji was impressive last night, too. He beat Hiradoumi, someone who has historically caused him a lot of trouble.
This was a match-up of gaburi-yori (torso thrusting) enthusiasts. Hiradoumi struck first with a strong tachiai and a mae-mitsu (shallow front grip). He then used his gaburi-yori to get Atamifuji’s feet on the straw.
Atamifuji diffused a lot of Hiradoumi’s pushing power by forcing him to keep his right arm high, though. That helped him withstand that pressure, while Hiradoumi gassed himself out trying to get Atamifuji over the edge. As Hiradoumi tired, Atamifuji turned him and then attacked his left arm for the kotenage finish. Him nearly wrenching Hiradoumi’s arm out of its socket reminded me a lot of his stablemaster, the former Terunofuji.
Last night Aonishiki also beat someone who has given him trouble in the past. He was 1-2 against Churanoumi heading into this bout. And, as in the previous matches, Churanoumi didn’t make it easy for the Blue Whirlwind.
Churanoumi did a good job of keeping Aonishiki at range early on. He also prevented Aonishiki from getting into his prefered freestyle wrestling influenced stance. Despite doing all this good defensive work, Churanoumi didn’t have the offense needed to back it up. He tried a katasukashi (under shoulder swing down), but Aonishiki didn’t fall for it. The Ukranian used that opportunity to go chest-to-chest for a very traditional sumo style force out.
The countdown clock for Aonishiki to get back to ōzeki is now at just eight bouts with thirteen days left.
Want a free way to support Sumo Stomp! Help me get to 1,000 subscribers on YouTube (so then I can monetize the thing).
There were two wild bouts last night that I have to share.
This month’s edition of the Fur Bowl between Rōga and Takayasu was extremely exciting. These two both ended up turned around in this fight, rolling across each other’s back (I’m surprised they didn’t start a fire). After those spins, Takayasu latched onto the outside of Rōga’s belt and used that grip to pull off a throw as Rōga was charging him out the ring.
My other favourite match of the night was Wakanoshō’s win over Asanoyama. Wakanoshō earned a spot on my All Violence Team with this display. Talk about Takakeishō 2.0!
Ōnosato is scheduled to face Takanoshō tonight. I really hope we don’t see that.
Hōshōryū has Fujinokawa. I can’t wait for that one. Hōshōryū has a long memory, so I’m sure he’ll want payback for that cheap win Fujinokawa got over him in March.
Aonishiki has Hakunofuji. Hakunofuji has looked excellent in his first two bouts.
Kirishima has Gōnoyama and Atamifuji has Ōhō.
Keeping count!
Henka counter: 2*
Tobi trample counter (rows): 0
*Asasuiryū got the call-up to fight Daiseizan last night. He responded with a teleportation like henka. No doubt on whether that one counts!
If you’re a paid subscriber, this is where you’ll find coverage of juryo (and even a little bit of makushita).
