Nagoya 2025 Day Four
The fourth day of the July sumo tournament brought some key results to the top of the Banzuke.
Public League Leaderboard
Scores from Fantasizr
Notable Maneuvers
Tottari. Gonoyama needed three tries before not committing a false start, then seemed to get blown up by Takerufuji. But Takerufuji wasn’t moving straight ahead, so Gonoyama grabbed Takerufuji as he was moving back and unleashed the arm bar throw.
Match of the Day
37 Maegashira #15 East Kotoshoho versus 36 Maegashira #14 West Fujinokawa
These two present an interesting visual contrast, with Kotoshoho towering over Fujinokawa. Both are interestingly athletic, and it was proven on Day Four. They took turns trying to turn the match around, which meant they both spun the other and then flew sideways and out together. The gyoji pointed to Kotoshoho, but possibly because he had to point to someone. Mono-ii. Torinaoshi. And they did it all again.
Except in the second match, they collided heavily and the smaller guy easily won. Fujinokawa set aside Kotoshoho despite getting a bloody nose.
Recap
It was Kinboshi day in Nagoya! Both Hoshoryu and Onosato lost, and they weren’t even that close to winning. Abi pulled out the classic version of himself, delivering hard thrusts to Hoshoryu’s upper chest. Hoshoryu didn’t just go backwards—he seemed to have no idea how to even recover. Onosato did his now-trademark tachiai absorption into battle, but Oho was able to keep up his offense. That threw Onosato off his game in an odd way, which made him step out more of his own accord as he regrouped.
Onosato’s loss (plus the defeats by Ura and Kotoshoho) mean just four rikishi are still undefeated. They are Kirishima, Tamawashi, Ichiyamamoto, and Mitakeumi. Ichiyamamoto is an outlier here as someone who hasn’t previously won a yusho. Yet only Kirishima could have been said to be a pre-basho contender. Tamawashi is over 40 and only getting older. Ichiyamamoto is kind of trying to vary his sumo. And Mitakeumi is back from a Juryo demotion and winning, except that he also still looks slow and powerless at times. Maybe they’ll keep winning, or perhaps we’re due for more chaos.
Hoshoryu’s loss is a bigger concern. He now sits at 1-3, with three straight kinboshi given up. Hoss doesn’t seem injured, but he also isn’t fighting well. He is as liable as anyone to unleash ten straight wins, but he may also need to drop out soon. A Yokozuna is supposed to beat Maegashira, which is why a kinboshi is a thing. Hoshoryu is not doing as a Yokozuna should. One kinboshi is acceptable, but this is becoming an issue for him.
This basho also seems to be showing how much of upper Maegashira is pretty close. The best performers so far include some longer serving veterans like Kirishima and Takayasu. Aonishiki is also showing that the next wave of stars might compete immediately. He out-Wakatakakage’d the man himself by getting under and keeping the pressure going. He showed off his technique without demonstrating the tricks. He is 3-1, with both Yokozuna, the Ozeki, and one Sekiwake in his rear-view mirror.
And it’s that performance that gives us a signature matchup on Day Five, when Aonishiki and Kirishima square off for the first time. This basho is clearly throwing up a different shape than usual. Onosato’s loss has opened doors before we’re a third of the way through. The rikishi who could take the reins of this basho is now expanded, but remember that someone will float to the top. That’s how sumo is built. We just might be seeing who survives rather than who dominates.