Haru 2025 Day Four

Four days are in the books for the March tournament, and here is how every sumo wrestler stands.

Public League Leaderboard

Scores from Fantasizr.

Notable Maneuvers

Kikaeshi. Tobizaru won with a “minor inner foot sweep” after a long and odd match with Takayasu where Takayasu kept his distance from Tobizaru, but Tobizaru didn’t give up. In the end, Tobizaru just did a light kick out at Takayasu’s leg to make the big fella collapse.

Match of the Day

02 Ozeki East Onosato versus 09 Maegashira #1 West Wakamotoharu

Onosato tried keeping his steady and stable sumo that meant he can’t be disrupted. The trouble for him was that Wakamotoharu can disrupt from any angle. In this match, the angle was sideways after the tachiai stood up Onosato and seemed to squash Wakamotoharu’s momentum. Instead, Wakamotoharu shifted his left arm in a way that he began pushing on Onosato’s right side. That was enough to unsettle the Ozeki and give Onosato his first loss.

Recap

After four days, your two undefeated rikishi are Maegashira #9 West Endo and Maegashira #12 West Onokatsu. Neither man was exactly a pre-tournament favorite, as both had losing records last time out. Endo has been trying to hang on in his thirties with veteran craft after injuries sapped his athletic gifts from what they were. Onokatsu is trying to establish whether he can succeed as a Maegashira, with a 23-22 record in three Makuuchi basho coming in. They are both 4-0 here, which no one else has managed.

Neither Endo nor Onokatsu has been spectacular, bet spectacular isn’t necessary to win. You can doubt whether these two rikishi will keep it up for many reasons. Their recent track record doesn’t suggest domination. They have still not faced a rikishi with a winning records between them. Their ranks mean they won’t see an upper Maegashira for a few days. They should both enjoy this while it lasts.

Of course, for Endo and Onokatsu to stand out, other rikishi had to lose. The four previously undefeated rikishi to lose on Day Four were Onosato, Abi, Takayasu, and Asakoryu. Asakoryu is giving his all and it finally blew up on him against Tokihayate. The other three lost matches they really should have won, both based on opponent and how the match was going. Onosato didn’t keep Wakamotoharu in front of him. Abi somehow decided to arm lock and throw Chiyoshoma and couldn’t do much of anything. Takayasu couldn’t gather up Tobizaru and got kicked down.

Those losses, especially from Onosato and Abi, open the door for some other rikishi. Hoshoryu in particular is now in a prime position to compete. He still needs to see Onosato, probably on the last day. Fellow 3-1 rikishi and old rival Kirishima is probably guaranteed to be on the Yokozuna’s dance card. Wakamotoharu, Takayasu, and Ura are also all likely to see Hoshoryu before this match is out. The blessing and curse of being a Yokozuna is you will face any contender, which also includes Endo and Onokatsu if they keep winning.

As much as the day should highlight Endo and Onokatsu—again they are the two undefeated rikishi in Makuuchi—Day Four is also a lesson in the fact everyone is vulnerable. Zensho Yusho are a rarity for a reason, especially without a Hakuho competing. Onosato picked up his first loss on Day Four, but it doesn’t mean he’ll get another loss on Day Five. Yet he easily could, as could any other rikishi.