Grand Sumo’s 2025 hatsu basho (New Year tournament) ended on Sunday with an exciting three-way playoff to determine the makuuchi (top division) champion. The entire 15-day tournament was an exciting ride featuring great bouts and massive news regarding the departure of one yokozuna and the arrival of a new one.
Full results
| Record | East | Rank | West | Record |
| 2-3 | Terunofuji 🇲🇳 | Yokozuna | ||
| 5-10 | Kotozakura🇯🇵 | Ozeki | Hoshoryu 🇲🇳 | 12-3 |
| Ozeki | Onosato 🇯🇵 | 10-5 | ||
| 6-9 | Wakamotoharu 🇯🇵 | Sekiwake | Daieisho 🇯🇵 | 11-4 |
| 7-8 | Abi 🇯🇵 | Komusubi | Wakatakakage 🇯🇵 | 7-8 |
| 6-9 | Takanosho 🇯🇵 | M1 | Kirishima 🇲🇳 | 11-4 |
| 7-8 | Tobizaru 🇯🇵 | M2 | Atamifuji 🇯🇵 | 5-10 |
| 8-7 | Gonoyama 🇯🇵 | M3 | Oho 🇯🇵 | 12-3 |
| 6-9 | Shodai 🇯🇵 | M4 | Ura 🇯🇵 | 7-8 |
| 7-8 | Hiradoumi 🇯🇵 | M5 | Chiyoshoma 🇲🇳 | 9-6 |
| 8-7 | Takayasu 🇯🇵 | M6 | Ichiyamamoto 🇯🇵 | 8-7 |
| 6-9 | Endo 🇯🇵 | M7 | Mitakeumi 🇯🇵 | 2-13 |
| 0-3-12 | Roga 🇷🇺 | M8 | Takarufuji 🇯🇵 | 5-10 |
| 4-11 | Churanoumi 🇯🇵 | M9 | Oshoma 🇲🇳 | 8-7 |
| 9-6 | Tamawashi 🇲🇳 | M10 | Meisei 🇯🇵 | 6-9 |
| 7-8 | Midorifuji 🇯🇵 | M11 | Takerufuji 🇯🇵 | 10-5 |
| 8-7 | Nishikigi 🇯🇵 | M12 | Onokatsu 🇲🇳 | 7-8 |
| 8-7 | Shonannoumi 🇯🇵 | M13 | Kotoshoho 🇯🇵 | 5-10 |
| 0-0-15 | Hokutofuji 🇯🇵 | M14 | Kinbozan 🇰🇿 | 12-3 |
| 10-5 | Hakuoho 🇯🇵 | M15 | Kitanowaka 🇯🇵 | 4-5-6 |
| 6-9 | Tamashoho 🇲🇳 | M16 | Kagayaki 🇯🇵 | 6-9 |
| 9-6 | Nishikifuji 🇯🇵 | M17 | Tokihayate 🇯🇵 | 7-8 |
Hoshoryu wins second yusho, primed for yokozuna promotion
The 2025 hatsu basho was decided by a three-way playoff on the final day of the tournament. That playoff included Hoshoryu, Oho and Kinbozan. All three of these wrestlers amassed a 12-3 record over the 15 day tournament. Kinbozan could have won the championship outright on Day 15, but he lost to Oho in his regularly scheduled match (which allowed Oho to tie his record). Hoshoryu defeated Kotozakura on the final day to improve his record to 12-3 and join the other two.
In a three-way playoff the first wrestler to win two bouts in a row is crowned the winner. Hoshoryu vs. Kinbozan was randomly selected as the first bout. Hoshoryu quickly beat Kinbozan (whom he defeated once in the regular tournament), using his yotsu-zumo (belt grabbing) prowess against the oshi-zumo (pusher/thruster) practitioner.
Against Oho, Hoshoryu survived an early scare but rallied from a near slip to again force his oshi-zumo dominant opponent into a yotsu-zumo contest. Oho did a good job of defending Hoshoryu’s grappling, initially, but as the match grew on, Hoshoryu was able to improve his position and finally get two hands on Oho’s belt for a push out.
You can see the playoff bouts below:
Hoshoryu had to come from behind to win this tournament. After a loss to Hiradoumi on Day 9 he was two wins back from Kinbozan in first place. However, Hoshoryu would win his next six bouts (including one over Kinbozan) to catch up.
This is the 25-year-old Hoshoryu’s second makuuchi (top division) yusho (championship). He was the runner-up in the previous tournament in November. Neither Kinbozan nor Oho have ever won a top division title (or come close to one).
In winning the title in January, Hoshoryu achieved the criteria needed to have him promoted to become the sport’s 74th yokozuna.
The general criteria for such a promotion is two back-to-back tournament wins, or similar, while ranked ozeki.
Heading into this tournament, the Japan Sumo Association, said that both Kotozakura (who won in November) and Hoshoryu were in line for promotion should they win the January tournament. Despite that announcement from the JSA many sumo watchers still felt that a runner’s up finish followed by a 12-3 playoff win (with all losses to lower ranked maegashira wrestlers) was somewhat of a flimsy case for promotion.
Despite these concerns, news out of Japan states that Hoshoryu has been approved for promotion to yokozuna.
Early during the tournament, the 73rd yokozuna Terunofuji announced his retirement from the sport. Since he was the only current yokozuna, it is believed that the JSA, and their yokozuna deliberation council, were generous with their promotion criteria for Hoshoryu (in order to avoid a period with no yokozuna ranked wrestlers in the sport, something which hasn’t happened since the early 2000s).
Hoshoryu is the nephew of the 68th yokozuna Asahohryu, the so-called ‘Bad Boy of sumo’.
In recent years, though, Hoshoryu has out grown his association to Asashoryu (something which has caused some friction between the two). And despite the circumstances around his promotion, Hoshoryu is a deserving yokozuna. He has been consistently one of the best rikishi in the sport since his promotion to sekiwake and his style and presence on the ring is both highly effective/intimidating and very fan-friendly.
Kinbozan, Oho receive special prizes
Runners up Kinbozan and Oho did not go back to their stables empty-handed. Kinbozan was awarded the Fighting Spirit Prize in recognition of his stellar record over the tournament. Kinbozan was promoted back to the top division in January, having spent a single tournament in the juryo (second division). He won the juryo title in November.
Oho was awarded the Technique Prize in recognition of the versatility he showed with his sumo during the tournament. Oho’s twelve wins included eight different kimarite (finishing moves). Among the most exotic of those moves were the katasukashi (under should swing down) and tsukitaoshi (frontal thrust down).
Kirishima received a Fighting Spirit Prize for his efforts in January, too. The former ozeki amassed an 11-4 record and was a contender to win the title until losing to Kinbozan on the penultimate day of the tournament.
Disappointment for Kotozakura and the Waka Bros.
Kotozakura missed his chance to become yokozuna this month after a terrible tournament. He finished with a 5-10 record. That’s the worst win-loss record of his career (when you ignore tournaments with long injury absences). Kotozakura appeared to be fighting hurt in January, suffering from a possible knee injury. The losing record means he is now kadoban (literally “in a corner”). The only way an ozeki can lose their ranking is if they get two losing records in a row.
Kotozakura wasn’t the only highly ranked wrestler who disappointed in January. Brothers Wakamotoharu and Wakatakakage finished with make-koshi (losing records), too. The Waka Bros. were coming off good November tournaments, which saw them both promoted to san’yaku (special named ranks) positions. Wakamotoharu was a sekiwake in January and Wakatakakage was a komusubi. Both will lose those rankings now, with Wakamotoharu struggling with a 6-9 record and Wakatakakage finishing 7-8 after losing his Day 15 ‘Darwin Match’ against fellow 7-7 wrestler Ichiyamamoto.
Komusubi Abi aka ‘Machine-gun Arm’ also finished with a 7-8 record, which will see him dropped back down to the maegashira rankings.
The worst performer of the tournament was veteran Mitakeumi. The former ozeki slumped to a 2-13 record.
Other news and notes
Daieisho banked an 11-4 record in January. To progress from his sekiwake rank to ozeki, he need to score 33 wins over three back-to-back tournaments. These 11 wins are a good start for him.
Onosato, who won two tournaments last year in his first year in top division sumo, was on the outside looking in for most of this basho. Though he did finish with a commendable 10-5 record.
Takerufuji, who won a title last year in his top division debut, was a contender this month. Though he was eliminated from title contention by Hoshoryu on Day 14.
Chiyoshoma was a surprise contender this month. He got out to a 7-0 start. However, unlike Kinbozan, when match-making shifted from ranking based to record based, he struggled, going 2-6 in the second half of the tournament.
Former super-prospect Hakuoho (who had his initial rise spoiled due to shoulder surgery) put in a solid 10-5 record in his first tournament back in the second division (only his second appearance overall).
Ukrainian rikishi Shishi won the second division title. That ensures he will be returning to the top division for the March tournament. He may be joined by his countryman Aoinishiki, who earned an 12-3 record in January. Other likely juryo promotion candidates are veteran top division wrestlers Ryuden and Sadanoumi.
More sumo content on Combat Press
The next Grand Sumo tournament will be in the middle of March. Combat Press will have you covered for previews, viewing guides and results.
If you’d like even more sumo content, please check out Sumo Stomp! where I will be releasing some deep dives on this tournament and the wrestlers who featured in it. Subscribe for free for daily newsletters during tournaments.