Haru 2025 Day Eleven
The basho heads towards its conclusion, but there's more sumo in this tournament before anything is decided.
Public League Leaderboard
Scores from Fantasizr
Yusho Arasoi
9 Wins
02 Ozeki East Onosato
14 Maegashira #4 East Takayasu
19 Maegashira #6 West Takerufuji
8 Wins
04 Sekiwake East Daieisho
21 Maegashira #7 West Tamawashi
35 Maegashira #14 West Churanoumi
36 Maegashira #15 East Aonishiki
Notable Maneuvers
Hatakikomi. There were five slapdowns on Day Eleven, including wins by Meisei, Aonishiki, Tamawashi, and Wakamotoharu. The biggest and most impressive one was Onosato, who stood up from Ura’s up-and-under and then just pushed him around the ring. The match ended with Ura rolling over on the clay and off the dohyo.
Match of the Day
06 Komusubi East Kirishima versus 14 Maegashira #4 East Takayasu
Kirishima showed just what good defensive sumo can do in this match. Takayasu came out hard, working for a forearm blast. Kirishima went right for it, aiming for a block of Takayasu’s charge. It did dampen Takayasu’s force, but Kirishima was still going to the tawara. Not only did Kirishima fight back, but he aimed for the center of Takayasu’s chest and went right for him. At that point, Takayasu went backwards and out of the dohyo. It looks like Takayasu will have a lot of trouble moving backwards, if someone can get him started that way.
Recap
Takayasu’s loss places him back in a tie for the lead. He has a similar path to his first Emperor’s Cup as he did when the day started. Takayasu needs to win out. After his loss to Kirishima, that task might include the caveat of “win out, probably in a playoff.” He still controls his own fate, but it’s a touch more complicated than it was after he beat Onosato.
The other reason things are a little more complicated is that Onosato won. Ura was always someone he should have beaten, but Ura is also a strange opponent especially when he is in his hometown of Osaka. Onosato took full Ura-zumo and spun him around for an easy win. If there was any sense that he was shaken by his loss to Takayasu, Onosato showed he was still locked in to the solid, stable sumo that has done him so well.
Takerufuji is the other rikishi at 9-2. The winner of his match against Churanoumi was guaranteed to have that record, and he took what would be a co-leader record with ease. There’s a debate to be had about Takerufuji’s ceiling, but he’s clearly a Sanyaku-level wrestler. He took it right to Churanoumi, barely broke a sweat, and now he has a better track to a second career yusho. Facing Takerufuji is something no one should be looking forward to.
And on Day Twelve, Takerufuji and Onosato will renew their brief but exciting rivalry. Apart from what it means from their career trajectories and the near-term future of sumo, Takerufuji and Onosato both sitting at 9-2 as they face each other means the Haru basho gets unsettled on Day Twelve again. We will not have a three-way tie again after one more day of matches.
That is because Takayasu picked up his loss to Kirishima. Kirishima is 5-6, which is not a good record. Yet it also is a record that has not guaranteed kachi-koshi or make-koshi. A lot of rikishi who are not in the leader group might fight a little more recklessly to insure a winning record. Daieisho, Tamawashi, and Aonishiki all picked up a crucial 8th win on Day Eleven. They also all will look for more, but Daieisho will remain Sekiwake, Tamawashi gets to keep going, and Aonishiki got a winning record in his first Makuuchi basho. They all want more, but that demonstrates the value of an 8th win. The leaders are fighting best, but seeing a rikishi fighting for the next win might be the toughest matchup over the last few days.