GRAND SUMO: Day 11 of the May 2025 Tournament - GRAND SUMO Highlights

Welcome back to Grand Sumo Highlights. This is day 11 of the main tournament. Young Haku Oho has turned in a fine eight and two record. He'll be in the Musubi no Ichiban, the final match against Yokozuna Hoshoryu. Wakataka Kage also at eight and two. He will take on sole leader, undefeated Onosato. Here's the full leaderboard. Onosato two steps ahead of the second place Rikishi, which are Hoshoryu, Wakataka Kage, Haku Oho and Aonishiki. Another packdown is at the Kokugikan, the home of Grand Sumo. We begin with Asakoryu and Rouga. Both are seven and three, both going for a Kachikoshi, a majority of wins. Asakoryu makes up for his lack of size by bodybuilding. This is their first tussle in any division. Kind of a soft, touchy eye, Asakoryu gets an inside position, but Rouga with his bigger body moving back, Asakoryu, Asakoryu escapes at the edge and he uses a kokutei nage. What a recovery by compact Asakoryu with that kokutei nage arm lock throw. He has his first Kachikoshi in the top division. This is his third makuuchi basho. Here's another look. Rouga wraps up Asakoryu and Asakoryu looks to be in a lot of trouble right here. But somehow Asakoryu escapes by moving to the side. And then he grabs the right arm of Rouga and he uses that for this beautiful kokutei nage. Here's Koto Shouho and Ryuden. Both have four wins. They slam into each other. Back and forth they go and Ryuden steps out. So that was over quickly. Ryuden suffers his seventh loss with that kokutei nage arm lock throw. Koto Shouho picks up his fifth victory. Moving right along to Kaio, the newcomer versus Sadano Umi, the veteran. Sadano Umi, one win away from Kachikoshi. Kaio at four and six. Rather soft tachiai, Kaio gets to the rear of Sadano Umi and with one big push wins by okuridashi rear push out. Denying Sadano Umi his Kachikoshi. Kaio improves to five and six. He still has a chance for his Kachikoshi. Kaio moves well for a big man. And he gets behind Sadano Umi and shoves him out. Here's the other rookie, Tochitaikai against Takano Shouho. Tochitaikai and Takano Shouho have never fought before. The rookie just trying to avoid makekoshi today. Big hit by Takano Shouho and he takes. Rookie Tochitaikai straight back. A one sided match there as Takano Shouho improves to seven and four with that oshidashi push out. So Tochitaikai getting his first taste of maku uchi action this tournament, and it hasn't been a very pleasant experience. Here's Endo and Tama Shouho. Endo started four and oh, but has slumped since then. He's five and five overall. Tama Shouho just too thin and light to have any staying power in maku no uchi. Another soft tachiai, they mix it up and Endo pushes out Tama Shouho and oshidashi for Endo. He now has a winning record, six and five. On the dohyo now, Shonan no Umi and Midori Fuji, big versus small. Shonan no Umi with only three wins, but that must look like a sparkling record for Midori Fuji, who's one and nine. Midori Fuji trying to execute some magic. He gets to the rear of Shonan no Umi. There's the technique that we expect from Midori Fuji. He grabs the mawashi of Shonan no Umi with his left hand and wins by hatakikomi slapdown. So he picks up his second victory in May. Up next, Atami Fuji and Kim Bozan. Atami Fuji is going for his kachikoshi today, his eighth win. Kim Bozan is known as a pusher thruster, but comfortable fighting on the mawashi. Stiff arm by Kim Bozan has Atami Fuji going backwards and Kim Bozan with an awesome pushing display wins by tsukidashi thrust out. Denying Atami Fuji his kachikoshi, both men now at seven and four. Here are Onokatsu and Nishikigi. Nishikigi from five straight wins to five straight losses. Onokatsu's left ankle has been giving him trouble. Still, he's won three in a row. Coming in low is Onokatsu, but getting moved back by Nishikigi. Nishikigi grabs the left arm of Onokatsu. Onokatsu with a pretty strong grip with that left arm. Can he take Nishikigi over the edge? He sure can. And Onokatsu with strong fundamental sumo picks up his seventh win. That's Nishikigi's sixth straight loss. Onokatsu one win away from kachikoshi. Next up, Tokihayate and Chudano Umi. Tokihayate has clawed his way back to an even record. Hard to believe this is the same guy who went eleven and four in March, Chudano Umi. Fast start from the two men. Chudano Umi pushing around. Tokihayate, Tokihayate scrambling around. Tokihayate with a kotenage grip. And he uses that to throw Chudano Umi off the dohyo. An excellent recovery by Tokihayate. And he's up to six and five with that arm lock throw. In this match, Chudano Umi was pushing Tokihayate all around the dohyo, but could not push out Tokihayate. Tokihayate grabs the arm of Chudano Umi, and that was the key. He grabs that arm and doesn't let go until he has Chudano Umi down. A dynamic kotenage win for Tokihayate. Here's Shishi and Tobizaru. A left thigh injury on opening day has ruined Shishi's tournament. Tobizaru fighting Shishi for the first time ever. Tobizaru with a right hand inside grip. Shishi is trying for a kotenage, but it doesn't work. They separate. Shishi has had very little power in his lower body. And once again, he loses his balance. Tobizaru feeling the effects of that kotenage attempt by Shishi. But he picks up the victory, so he's up to six and five. Here are Oshoma and Meisei. Both rikishi are at seven and three, so the winner will earn a kachikoshi. Oshoma loves hataki komi slapdown. About a third of his wins come by that technique. Meisei has won four in a row. Hitting and shifting is Oshoma. Now they mix it up with the tsukkari, and Oshoma follows it up with a push down of Meisei. They call it a hataki komi slapdown. In any case, Oshoma has his kachikoshi. Eight and three record for that man. So Oshoma, in the end, wins by his signature technique, a slapdown. Here's another look. A third of his wins come by that technique. Up next, it's Shodai and Chiyo Shoma. Both men with poor records. One more loss for Shodai, and he'll have his fourth straight makekoshi. Chiyo Shoma already with a losing tournament. Chiyo Shoma rams Shodai, but Shodai comes back briefly, and the gunbai goes to Chiyo Shoma. So another lackluster effort by Shodai, and he has his fourth straight losing tournament. Chiyo Shoma at three and eight. Chiyo Shoma runs into Shodai, but Shodai blocks that tachiai and moves forward, but then the katasukashi move by Chiyo Shoma and undershoulder swing down. Here are Abi and Gonoyama. Abi on a nice roll. He's won six of his last seven matches. Gonoyama has won three of his last four. Inside position by Gonoyama, but with way too much forward lean, Abi sensing that Gonoyama was a bit too overextended, going with the uwatenage overarm throw. So a clever counterattack by Abi as he picks up his seventh victory. Gonoyama, three and eight makekoshi. As usual, Gonoyama with a lot of energy at the tachiai, but he lunges at Abi, and Abi uses that uwatenage. Abi absorbs the hit from Gonoyama and then gets the right hand outside grip. Here are Tamawashi and Oho. They have an identical three and seven record, so the loser will have a makekoshi. This basho started off great for Oho as he had three straight wins over Sanyaku Rikishi, but that has devolved to seven straight losses. 40-year-old Tamawashi at three and seven. Tamawashi pushing with all his might, but he can't back up Oho. Oho fights back and he drops Tamawashi. It's a hiki otoshi hand pull down by Oho. Tamawashi started off great, but could not maintain his balance. So he has a makekoshi while Oho improves to four and seven. Here's another look. Tamawashi looking good right here. Good angle in his pushing attack, but Oho is able to dig in and hold his ground. He moves to the side and that seems to get Tamawashi off kilter and Oho is the winner. Here are Wakamoto Haru and Hirado Umi. Both Rikishi are four and six. Wakamoto Haru has gotten through the toughest part of his schedule. Hirado Umi hasn't been able to budge bigger, stronger opponents. They lock up at the center of the dohyo. Wakamoto Haru surging forward and he pushes out Hirado Umi. So Wakamoto Haru looking a lot better in the second week. As his schedule has lightened up, he's now at five and six with that oshidashi win. That's a push out. Hirado Umi on the small side just isn't able to hold his ground against Wakamoto Haru. It results in an oshidashi win for Wakamoto Haru. On the dohyo now, Takayasu and Ura, both at two and eight, both have a makekoshi, so fighting for pride here. For Takayasu, the joy of returning to sanyaku has been wiped out. Ura has had a hard time maneuvering. They start off fast, Ura with an inside position. Nice tsupari by Takayasu, but he can't finish off Ura. Ura trying to get some sort of inside position. Ura still in there. Takayasu running out of gas. Now Ura wraps out Takayasu. Caught at an awkward angle is Ura. His head is trapped under the arm of Takayasu, but Ura's using his amazing flexibility. Is it a tsutaya zori, an underarm forward body drop? Believe it or not, that's the same technique that Ura used against Takayasu in January. It's a rare technique, but Ura does it to the same opponent that he did in January. Tsutaya zori, an underarm forward body drop. I think Ura is about the only guy who can pull off that kind of move, given his flexible body. Let's take another look at that move at the end. It's a tsupari battle and Takayasu is getting the best of it. Ura being battered around, but he gives himself a chance by moving around the dohyo. And then he can sense that Takayasu is getting fatigued, so he gets an inside position. But then his head is trapped under the left arm of Takayasu, but he uses his amazing bend and he bends backwards for the tsutaya zori. Oh, what an amazing move by Ura at the end. For the second time this year, here's Ichiyamamoto and Kirishima. Ichiyamamoto struggling at maegashira 4. Kirishima says he's serious when he says he wants to get back to ozeki. Off they go and Kirishima calmly absorbs the thrusting attack of Ichiyamamoto and then drops Ichiyamamoto. A hatakikomi slapdown win for Kirishima. He has a kachikoshi as a sekiwake. Nice start by Ichiyamoto, but Kirishima is a clever rikishi. And he steps slightly to the side for the win. Here are Daesho and Takeru Fujii. Sekiwake Daesho is going for a kachikoshi today. Takeru Fujii has a bright future ahead of him, but he has been getting beaten up by the top rankers. Takeru Fujii blasts Daesho, but Daesho responds with some nice thrusting and then the slapdown hatakikomi. So Takeru Fujii down to 4 and 7, while Daesho picks up his kachikoshi. An eighth win for the sekiwake. Pretty good tachiai by Takeru Fujii, but Daesho shows his sekiwake strength. Here's Aonishiki and Kotozakura. The young Ukrainian fighting an ouzeki for the first time in his brief career. Kotozakura has a 6 and 4 record, but has looked vulnerable. Aonishiki, as he usually does, gets an inside position. He has Kotozakura at the edge, but Kotozakura grabs the arm of Aonishiki and uses that to plant Aonishiki. Kotenage by the ouzeki, armlock throw and puts dirt on Aonishiki. It's Aonishiki's third loss. Kotozakura got a scare from the young Ukrainian, but he did not panic. He dug in at the edge and then responded with a kotenage win. So another learning experience for Aonishiki. He starts off well and gets his favorite position, keeping his head down and getting inside on the ouzeki, but the ouzeki has an answer. He grabs the arm of Aonishiki and uses that for a kotenage armlock throw. Our first bout of the day. Soul leader Onozato against Komusubi Wakataka Kage. Onozato has been perfect, but this is his stiffest test yet. They've met in each of the last four tournaments, splitting those matches. Onozato's size, strength and agility versus Wakataka Kage's grappling skills. Who is going to win this fifth meeting? Wakataka Kage immediately to the chest of Onozato. Moving back, Onozato, Wakataka Kage with a left hand inside, but he runs out of room. It looked like Onozato, with his 55 kilogram weight advantage, leaned on Wakataka Kage and Wakataka Kage just did not have enough room to execute that underarm throw. But what a spirited bout between these two. Onozato remains undefeated 11-0, one step closer to yokozuna promotion. Yoritaoshi frontal crush out. Wakataka Kage with a nice tachiai, and he has the advantage right here. He moves back, Onozato, but Onozato has that right hand outside grip, and he squeezes Wakataka Kage at the edge. Putting his full weight on Wakataka Kage and Wakataka Kage cannot stay on his feet. Our second bout of the day is the final bout on day 11. Yokozuna Ho Shoryu versus Maegashira 7 Hakuoho. Both are at eight and two. They met in July 2023, which was Hakuoho's top division debut. And when Ho Shoryu was still a sekiwake, and he won his first yusho in that tournament. It's the final match. Fast start, Hakuoho has the yokozuna in trouble, but he bends a knee. Hakuoho had a great start, but looked a bit over eager. And the yokozuna prevails with a koshikudake inadvertent collapse by Hakuoho. Frustration for young Hakuoho. He had the yokozuna on the run, but could not stay on his feet. He bends a knee, and the yokozuna wins. Another look, a koshikudake inadvertent collapse by Hakuoho. So, Onosato still two steps ahead of the rest of the pack. Ho Shoryu in second place and 7 rikishi tied for third place. It promises to be an exciting final four days of this May tournament. So please tune in to Grand Sumo Highlights.