Report Card: 2025 Kyushu Basho - Part 1
Grading the top division rikishi who were involved in the November tournament.
Hi all,
I’m thick in my favourite time of year. I love Christmas, but I also love the changing of the year. I really enjoy the process of closing one chapter and starting a new one and planning and imagining what I might be able to accomplish in the year to come.
Before I get to the end of the year, though, I’ve gotta fill out some report cards!
This first report card for the 2025 Kyushu basho features wrestlers ranked between maegashira 18 and 11. This includes fun names like Fujinokawa and Shishi. It also includes Tokihayate, Nishikifuji and Chiyoshōma, who all had very good (and surprising) records down in Kyushu.
Bonus gif today are some keen onlookers in Fukuoka.
Meisei
Rank: Maegashira 18 East
Record: 1-5-9
Grade: E
Meisei sat out the first nine days of the tournament. He was recovering from surgery to repair a herniated disc. When he returned he went 1-5. He looked sluggish in his bouts, as was to be expected. Meisei’s greatest gift is his tenacity. But that tenacity is rarely successful for him when it isn’t matched with speed and mobility. He didn’t have that physicality here so he wasn’t able to bully people with his aggression like he usually does.
Asakōryū
Rank: Maegashira 17 West
Record: 8-7
Grade: D-
Asakōryū broke a mini-streak of make-koshi (losing records) with this 8-7. He got over the line in Kyushu with a final day win over jūryō call-up Kotoeihō. That was the third jūryō call-up he fought (and beat) in November. The fact three of his wins came over second division opposition, and that he was in the basement of the first division, means I’m going to be pretty stingy with him here.
I also wasn’t thrilled with the nature of his sumō last month. He stepped off center in the tachiai in five of his bouts. He wasn’t doing a full henka most of the time, more a floating henka. And he didn’t win all the time doing this. It just looked very iffy to me. I would rather he just committed to the henka and looked to drive someone down into the dirt, with authority, instead of this halfway approach which only succeeds in plopping him into a bad position close to the rope, with his opponent bearing down on him.
He was a henka victim himself on two occasions (to Fujinokawa and Mitakeumi). Still, I’d like to see Asakōryū put his muscle to good use either slamming into guys and driving them back (which he is actually good at) or stepping back and hammering them down.
Chiyoshōma
Rank: Maegashira 17 East
Record: 10-5
Grade: B
For the second year in a row Chiyoshōma has banked a gaudy record in Kyushu. Last year he went 11-4. In both these instances Chiyoshōma had just been promoted back to makuuchi after a one tournament stint in jūryō. It would be easy to right off Chiyoshōma’s record here, given his low rank. But he scored some wins of some guys ranked considerably higher than him (Kinbōzan, Gōnoyama, Rōga, Kotoshōhō). And he looked very sharp in November. He moved very well and was able to rotate opponents and catch them off balance with his usual tricks and trips. He was also pretty spicy moving forwards with his thrusts (without drifting too far into cheap shot territory). See how he beat the impressive Tokihayate below:
Chiyoshōma will get a big promotion off this record. That’s a rotten prize for him, though. He has struggled every time he’s been ranked higher than the maegashira basement lately.
Sadanoumi
Rank: Maegashira 16 West
Record: 4-11
Grade: D-
The other iron man did not look good in Kyushu in November. He’s one of many locals to suffer a bad losing record here. The same thing happened last year. Sadanoumi was 4-11 again back then. This time around Sadanoumi looked his normally aggressive self and was very willing to throw himself into his bouts. However, he just didn’t have the strength to convert that aggression into wins. Opponents had their way with him in the clinch and he was thrown around and onto the dirt a lot (seven of his eleven losses saw him hit the ground with a thud).
Sadanoumi turns 39 in May. He’ll be in jūryō to start the year. He doesn’t have the size or style of Tamawashi (each of which helps the true iron man stay competitive in spite of his age). So I’m not expecting to see Sadanoumi stick around much longer.
Oshoumi
Rank: Maegashira 16 East
Record: 7-8
Grade: D+
Oshoumi had an odd debut makuuchi tournament. He beat the woeful Shōnannoumi on day one and then lost his next eight bouts for a fast-tracked make-koshi. He then won his last six bouts. The pressure of being in the top division might have gotten to him in November. Once he got his losing record confirmed a lot of that pressure might have lifted. Those late wins included very good showings against Midorifuji and Hiradoumi. His bandages appeared to be breading throughout the tournament. By the end of it he had some pretty serious strapping around his shoulder. Despite being banged up he showed some decent yotsu-zumō (belt grappling) sensibilities.
Shōnannoumi
Rank: Maegashira 15 West
Record: 3-12
Grade: F
I just need to stop expecting anything from Shōnannoumi. This is a dreadful end to a pretty bad year for the 27 year-old. And I’m trying not to be mad about it. I have to let go of the fact that Shōnannoumi is letting his incredible size go to waste and recognize that his flashes of grappling acumen are just that… flashes. In November we saw Shōnannoumi plod through another tournament without outwardly showing a lick of passion or desire. Through both his demeanour and his sumō, Shōnannoumi gives me the impression that he feels this is what he should be doing with his time, but that he doesn’t particularly enjoy it.
Check out below as he slow-plays Rōga and then can’t summon up the strength needed to push him over the line. After that he failed to summon up the grit needed to prevent him being turned and forced out.
Nishikifuji
Rank: Maegashira 15 East
Record: 9-6
Grade: B
This was one of the best performances of Nishikifuji’s career.
