Haru 2025 Day Fifteen
And we have the conclusion to the March sumo tournament.
Public League Leaderboard
Scores from Fantasizr
Yusho Arasoi
12 Wins and Playoff Win—Yusho
02 Ozeki East Onosato
12 Wins and Playoff Loss—Jun-Yusho
14 Maegashira #4 East Takayasu
11 Wins
35 Maegashira #14 West Churanoumi
36 Maegashira #15 East Aonishiki
Special Prizes
Fighting Spirit Prize
35 Maegashira #14 West Churanoumi
36 Maegashira #15 East Aonishiki
Technique Prize
14 Maegashira #4 East Takayasu
Notable Maneuvers
Kirikaeashi. Aonishiki was facing a Sekiwake for the first time, and while Oho was struggling this basho, that’s still a formidable test for anyone’s 21st birthday. The birthday boy muscled him up, and when Oho began to move, Aonishiki put his leg into the back of Oho’s leg for a twisting backwards knee trip.
Match of the Day
02 Ozeki East Onosato versus 14 Maegashira #4 East Takayasu
Not only was this the playoff, but it was a good match. Takayasu got under at the tachiai for a mawashi grip. Onosato also latched on, and he got a lean on Takayasu. That moved Takayasu backwards, but he is veteran enough to get Onosato off balance. Takayasu almost threw him, but Onosato gathered himself and reengaged for the rear push out and the Yusho.
Recap
Onosato won his third Yusho, as well as his first playoff win, and he is officially on Yokozuna watch for May. A second consecutive Yusho and Onosato will be the 75th grand champion in sumo’s history. More importantly, it feels like Onosato has better sumo to come. His three losses felt like he got off his sumo each time, and finding the consistency to keep his base wide for fifteen days is trouble for everybody else. Winning two matches on the same day, especially against an Ozeki and a former Ozeki, is a sign of solid consistency.
The other story of the Haru basho will be that Takayasu has yet another Jun-Yusho. Takayasu now has 9 career runner up finishes without a win, pushing that bittersweet record past 1960s Ozeki Yutakayama Katsuo. As much as this is a disappointment for the Tagonoura man, he has had an outstanding career overall and an excellent performance this basho. Takayasu is 35 with a dotted injury history. He came to Haru and showed he can still hang with the very best, even if he couldn’t put away the Championship that still alludes him.
He also ran into a steamroller in the playoff. Onosato is poised to become THE dominant rikishi in sumo after his playoff win. He has gone 87-33 in Makuuchi in 8 basho, without yet receiving a losing record. He has won three Yusho in the last year, and this March took his first Emperor’s Cup as an Ozeki. He proved he can overwhelm anyone on the dohyo, especially when he wrapped up Takayasu in the playoff bout after nearly being thrown.
There were other smaller stories in Haru. Hoshoryu struggled in his shin-Yokozuna basho, and he had to pull out. Aonishiki won 11 matches and earned a Special Prize in his first career top-division basho, which finished on the day he turned 21. Tamawashi earned double-digit wins as a 40 year old, continuing his astounding run post-40. Yet in reality, the real story of this basho will be Onosato pipping Takyasu to get his first Ozeki yusho.
Now it’s time to look to May. Beyond Onosato’s possible Yokozuna run, lots of things are unsettled about May. Kotozakura maintained his Ozeki rank, but didn’t look fantastic. Daieisho and Kirishima will make up the Sekiwake, most likely. Otherwise, Wakatakakage, Wakamotoharu, and Takayasu all have Sanyaku-promotable records. On the other end of the Banzuke, Shirokuma, Mitakeumi, Asakoryu, and Nishikifuji all have records that take a rikishi back to Juryo. Other rikishi were disastrous, but might get lucky with demotion. In the end, all eyes will be on Onosato.
I hope you’ll join us again in May, and look for more content in between the basho.