2026 Nagoya Basho: Day 4 results and analysis
Recapping all the top division action from Grand Sumo's 2026 Nagoya Basho (spoilers).
We are four days in at the Nagoya basho and this tournament continues to deliver some thrilling moments.
We had to wait a little for those last night, after a long series of yorikiri wins. But there is a lot to talk about when it comes to the final few bouts of the night.
Scroll down to see the results from the top division and my analysis. If you’re a paid subscriber, there’s also second and third division coverage to enjoy.
The bonus gif today is Double Stacks!
SPOILERS BELOW
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Makuuchi Results and Analysis
Results
Sadanoumi (1-3) def. Ōnokatsu (0-4) by yorikiri (frontal force out)
Shishi (4-0) def. Kazuma (2-2) by yorikiri
Nishikifuji (2-2) def. Asakōryū (1-3) by yorikiri
Takerufuji (3-1) def. Daiseizan (1-3) by yorikiri
Kinbōzan (2-2) def. Abi (2-2) by yorikiri
Wakanoshō (4-0) def. Mitakeumi (0-4) by tsukidashi (frontal thrust out)*
Asahakūryū (3-1) def. Chiyoshōma (1-3) by yorikiri*
Fujiryoga (3-1) def. Tobizaru (1-3) by oshidashi (frontal push out)
Asanoyama (2-2) def. Rōga (1-3) by yorikiri
Kotoeihō (3-1) def. Takayasu (3-1) by yorikiri
Wakamotoharu (2-2) def. Fujiseun (2-2) by tsukiotoshi (thrust down)
Ura (1-3) def. Ōshōma (1-3) by uwatedashinage (pulling over arm throw)*
Ichiyamamoto (3-1) def. Shōdai (1-3) by oshidashi
Hakunofuji (3-1) def. Hiradoumi (0-4) by hatakikomi (slap down)*
Yoshinofuji (2-2) def. Aonishiki (3-1) by uwatenage (over arm throw)*
Ōhō (1-3) def. Kotoshōhō (3-1) by oshidashi
Daieishō (3-1) def. Atamifuji (3-1) by tsukiotoshi*
Kirishima (4-0) def. Takanoshō (0-4) by oshidashi*
Kotozakura (3-1) def. Fujinokawa (2-2) by hatakikomi*
Hōshōryū (3-1) def. Churanoumi (1-3) by tsukiotoshi*
a (1-3) def. Ōnosato (1-3) by oshidashi after mono-ii (judges’ review) overturns gyoji (referee) decision*
*Must see bouts!
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Leaderboard
Too soon!
Analysis
Ōnosato took another loss last night. Though, it wasn’t as depressing as his first two losses of the tournament.
He stood up well to Gōnoyama’s opening push. He was a little slow in the tachiai, but that’s a criticism I’ve had of him for a long time. After the clash he had Gōnoyama on the back foot, while pushing on his elbow to prevent a thrust. Gōnoyama did a nice move to remove the elbow pressure, though, and then stepped out to get around Ōnosato’s left arm. Ōnosato then cupped the back of his head and started driving him down. Gōnoyama responded to this by pushing as hard as he could.
That all resulted in Gōnoyama going belly first into the dirt while Ōnosato leaped in the air (showing off some pretty impressive hops for a big man). Ōnosato landed out of bounds, but the gyoji called him the winner.
A mono-ii was called to take a second look, though. The ringside judges decided that, Gōnoyama deserved the win. They credited his push out as being more meaningful than Ōnosato’s slap down and penalized Ōnosato for taking flight. They used the notorious dead body rule here, to determine that Ōnosato was as useful as a dead body while he was up in the air.
I don’t like this interpretation of the rule when it comes to these slap down/push out situations. I think the man who is driving his opponent down while leaping is just as active as the man pushing forwards. I would like to see a torinaoshi (rematch) called in these situations. However, I’m not mad about what happened last night.
That’s because a precedent has been set regarding this situation. And every rikishi should be very aware that if you leave your feet in this situation, you’re going to lose. Ōnosato, especially, should be aware of this. He won last year’s Nagoya basho on a play just like this, only with Hōshōryū being the one was in-flight. I hated that one, especially since there was no mono-ii. But if this is the way it’s going to be called, so be at. At least they are being consistent with it.
This ruling against Ōnosato might also help battle some of the conspiracy rumours about Ōnosato getting favourable treatment in matches (that stuff mostly comes from partisan Hōshōryū fans, though).
Regardless where you stand on this rule and its application, Ōnosato now sits at a very un-yokozuna-like 1-3 after four nights. At least he didn’t look too banged up in this bout.
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Icon by HINOKODO (link).
Hōshōryū rebounded from his loss to Fujinokawa last night. He got a win over a very game Churanoumi. He used an underhook to drag and rotate Churanoumi early on in the bout. This was a planned move, I think, designed to counter Churanoumi’s usual mae-mitsu (shallow front grip) opener. Churanoumi responded well to getting turned, though, rotating back to Hōshōryū and firing off tsuppari (palm strikes). Hōshōryū walked through the strikes and forced Churanoumi to go chest-to-chest. Churanoumi responded with a migi-yotsu (inside right position). That was a mistake, though. Hōshōryū used his overhook on that arm to wrench Churanoumi over onto one foot and then pulled him down to the dirt.
Hōshōryū looked in total control, and very intelligent, during this match. That’s a big improvement from what we saw in his bitter battle with Fujinokawa yesterday. He’s now 3-1, trailing three wrestlers, including his old buddy Kirishima.
Kirishima got a big win over Takanoshō last night. That win improves his head-to-head record against Takanoshō to just 9-17. Though, he has now won the past four meetings.
Kirishima led with the kachiage (forearm strike) in this bout. He’s done this twice already in this tournament. It was an especially good option in this bout, though. With his forearm raised high, he was able to get his hand above Takanoshō’s hands and then brush down to block Takanoshō’s opening nodowa (throat thrust).
Takanoshō then chased to try and get his nodowa to land, but Kirishima’s footwork and hand-fighting was too good. Kirishima kept circling to prevent Takanoshō getting a good look at him and his hands were very busy batting away at Takanoshō’s arms to prevent him loading up a big thrust. All this movement helped Kirishima find the angle he needed for the winning push out.
Kirishima is really operating at a high level right now. I don’t think anyone has been better than him in the first half of 2026.
Kirishima was joined at 4-0 by Wakanosho and Shishi (!) last night.
Wakanoshō continues to look like his stablemaster (the former Takakeishō) with a vicious pushing/thrusting game. Mitakeumi fell victim to that last night.
And Evil Shishi, complete with his black mawashi, has been a terror on the dohyō this week. He outmuscled Kazuma for the force out.
There’s a lot of good wrestlers higher up the banzuke, who are performing pretty well this week, so I doubt these two manage to stay ahead of the pack for much longer.
Atamifuji dropped his first bout of the tournament last night. He went toe-to-toe with Daieishō and lost. Atamifuji has really developed his oshi-zumō this year and has looked quite effective, and mean, with his striking. However, he was up against one of the best power pusher/thrusters in the game last night.
It would have been much wiser to grapple with Daieishō. But I’m not too mad at Atamifuji thinking he could outstrike him. That shows confidence and confidence is something he has struggled with in the past.
I still think Atamifuji is on track to be a contender this month.
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Aonishiki also took his first loss of the tournament last night. Yoshinofuji beat him with a Herculean show of strength. I thought Aonishiki had Yoshinofuji dead to rights once he got side-on to him. But Yoshinofuji was able to get his fingers under the fold of Aonishiki’s mawashi. He showed amazing grip strength to keep that hand locked there while being turned to the straw. Then, as Aonishiki tried to nudge Yoshinofuji over the straw, Yoshinofuji had the power to reach back and pull Aonishiki off his feet and over onto the ground.
That was amazing. Aonishiki paused on the floor after and he might have limped away, too. Hopefully that’s not a sign that we’ll lose Aonishiki early in this tournament.
How are my predictions looking, folks? Check out my guesses over everyone’s win-loss totals here (link).
Kotozakura has looked surprisingly good in this tournament. He’s 3-1 now, as he tries to cling to his ōzeki rank. Last night he stuffed Fujinokawa at the tachiai and showed great mobility to circle around the straw and sling Fujinokawa out of bounds.
Tonight’s battles include Hōshōryū vs. Gōnoyama. Hōshōryū is 8-2 against Gōnoyama, someone he sometimes uses as an attendant at his dohyō-iri (ring blessing ceremony).
Ōnosato meets Churanoumi. He’s 2-0 against him.
Kirishima meets the struggling Hiradoumi. Hiradoumi is 0-4 right now and can’t buy a win.
Aonishiki has Kotozakura, someone he is 5-1 against. Fujinokawa vs. Kotoshōhō should be a fun one to watch, with both guys being members of the All Violence Team. Wakanoshō sees Tobizaru tonight. And Evil Shishi will go against jūryō call-up Ryūden.
Keeping count!
Henka counter: 6*
Tobi trample counter (rows): 1
*Asakōryū and Hiradoumi tried and failed in henka attempts and then lost. Wakamotoharu leaped away from Fujiseun for the win.
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