Grand Sumo’s latest tournament, the 2025 haru basho, is over the half-way mark now. The 15-day tournament ends on Sunday. The top division wrestler who finishes with the best win-loss record will receive the Emperor’s Cup. Outside of that winner, though, ever wrestler is hoping to secure a winning record to advance their place in the rankings.
Scroll down to find out who is leading this tournament and other notable happenings from Osaka.
Top division records, as of Day 9
| Record | East | Rank | West | Record |
| 5-4 | Hoshoryu 🇲🇳 | Yokozuna | ||
| 8-1 | Onosato 🇯🇵 | Ozeki | Kotozakura🇯🇵 | 5-4 |
| 6-3 | Daieisho 🇯🇵 | Sekiwake | Oho 🇯🇵 | 4-5 |
| 4-5 | Kirishima 🇲🇳 | Komusubi | Abi 🇯🇵 | 4-5 |
| 4-5 | Wakatakakage 🇯🇵 | M1 | Wakamotoharu 🇯🇵 | 5-4 |
| 3-6 | Gonoyama 🇯🇵 | M2 | Chiyoshoma 🇲🇳 | 3-6 |
| 3-6 | Tobizaru 🇯🇵 | M3 | Takanosho 🇯🇵 | 2-7 |
| 8-1 | Takayasu 🇯🇵 | M4 | Ichiyamamoto 🇯🇵 | 5-4 |
| 3-6 | Ura 🇯🇵 | M5 | Kinbozan 🇰🇿 | 4-5 |
| 5-4 | Hiradoumi 🇯🇵 | M6 | Takerufuji 🇯🇵 | 7-2 |
| 3-6 | Shodai 🇯🇵 | M7 | Tamawashi 🇲🇳 | 6-3 |
| 5-4 | Atamifuji 🇯🇵 | M8 | Oshoma 🇲🇳 | 4-5 |
| 6-3 | Hakuoho 🇯🇵 | M9 | Endo 🇯🇵 | 5-4 |
| 1-8 | Nishikigi 🇯🇵 | M10 | Shonannoumi 🇯🇵 | 1-8 |
| 6-3 | Midorifuji 🇯🇵 | M11 | Meisei 🇯🇵 | 6-3 |
| 3-6 | Takarufuji 🇯🇵 | M12 | Onokatsu 🇲🇳 | 5-4 |
| 0-2-7 | Nishikifuji 🇯🇵 | M13 | Shishi 🇺🇦 | 6-3 |
| 4-5 | Ryuden 🇯🇵 | M14 | Churanoumi 🇯🇵 | 7-2 |
| 6-3 | Aoinishiki 🇺🇦 | M15 | Sadanoumi 🇯🇵 | 5-4 |
| 5-4 | Asakoryu 🇯🇵 | M16 | Kotoshoho 🇯🇵 | 4-5 |
| 4-5 | Mitakeumi 🇯🇵 | M17 | Shirokuma 🇯🇵 | 3-6 |
| 5-4 | Tokihayate 🇯🇵 | M18 |
Hoshoryu’s yokozuna jitters
Ahead of this tournament, Hoshoryu was promoted to the storied rank of yokozuna. He is only the 74th wrestler to receive this honour in the four hundred or so years of organized sumo in Japan.
Before things got underway in Osaka, I wrote about all the pressure Hoshoryu would be facing in his debut tournament as a yokozuna. Sadly, it seems that pressure is getting the best of the 26 year-old.
Hoshoryu lost on Day 1 of the tournament to Abi. This wasn’t a shocking result, since Abi is highly ranked at komusubi and he has a good record against Hoshoryu (and other highly ranked wrestlers). However, in the days since then Hoshoryu has lost to Chiyoshoma, Takayasu and Ichiyamamoto.
All three of those wrestlers are maegashira ranked wrestlers (sometimes referred to as ‘rank-and-filers’). Anytime a rank-and-filer defeats a yokozuna they receive a kinboshi (gold star). This award acts as a life-time multiplier on their salaries. Earning a kinboshi is a special occasion and is usually followed by the crowd flinging their seat cushions into the ring as a celebration. Kinboshi are also supposed to be rare.
A yokozuna is expected to dominate every tournament they appear in. They aren’t supposed to lose very often and the losses they do take are expected to be against fellow high ranked wrestlers.
These losses by Hoshoryu come after some in the Japan Sumo Association warned that Hoshoryu might give up too many kinboshi each tournament as a yokozuna.
Hoshoryu’s record is currently at 5-4. He’ll need to sweep the rest of the tournament to achieve a record befitting of his rank. That’s going to be tough. Hoshoryu has looked rushed and nervous in this tournament, a far-cry from his usual confident (bordering on cocky) demeanour.
Hoshoryu’s struggles are similar to his first tournament as an ozeki (the rank directly below yokozuna). In that tournament (November, 2023) he finished with an 8-7 record. By Hoshoryu’s standards, that’s not very good. Since 2022 he’s had nothing but winning records and he’s only had a record as low as 8-7 six times across 19 tournaments.
Hoshoryu is playing for pride at this point. Even if he were to win his remaining six bouts he would likely still not be able to take home the championship this month.
Onosato the man to beat
Onosato is very much in with a chance of taking home the ‘ship, though. He’s leading the way with an 8-1 record and looking stellar while doing so.
Onosato burst onto the grand sumo scene in 2024. In last year’s six tournaments he won two championships, finished runner up twice and earned eight special prizes. That amazing run led to him being promoted to ozeki.
Onosato has performed below his high standards in the previous two tournaments, going 9-6 and 10-5 and not having a shot at the title.
He’s been near flawless in this tournament, though. His only loss so far is to Wakamotoharu, who surprised Onosato with a thrusting attack (Wakamotoharu is almost exclusively a belt-grappling wrestler). Outside of that loss Onosato has beaten highly skilled wrestlers including Wakatakakage, Kirishima and Abi and he’s barely broken a sweat doing so.
If Onosato wins this tournament and then the next tournament in May, he will become the sport’s 75th yokozuna.
Takayasu the feelgood story so far
The man currently rivalling Onosato for the title is the ever-popular Takayasu. Takayasu is also 8-1 thanks to his win over Hoshoryu and other highly ranked opponents such as Kotozakura and Daieisho.
Takayasu is a former ozeki. The 35 year-old lost his ozeki ranking in 2019 due to recurring injuries. Since then Takayasu has struggled to stay fit and has missed entire tournaments due to knee, back, neck and arm injuries.
If he makes it through the entire March tournament this will be the first time he has completed four tournaments in a row since 2021.
At his best, Takayasu is a difficult match-up for anyone. Despite his age, he is still one of the strongest wrestlers in the game. His brute strength is complimented by his abilities to both thrust and grapple with the best of them.
At this time of writing Takayasu is due to face Onosato on Day 10 of the competition. Takayasu holds a 1-0 record over Onosato. The winner of this bout will move clear atop the leaderboard for this tournament with a 9-1 record and five days left to play.
Other news and notes
Kotozakura is fighting for his ozeki rank this month. He had an awful tournament in January, going 5-10. The only way an ozeki can lose their ranking is if they have losing records in back-to-back tournaments. To avoid that fate, Kotozakura must clinch 8 wins this month. Currently, he’s 5-4. Kotozakura has looked a little rusty this month, but he looks much better than he did in January (when he fought through an injury). He’s even shown some flashes of his previously dominant self.
Oho and Kinbozan, who lost to Hoshoryu in a three-way play-off to determine the January championship, have not successfully followed up on their breakout tournaments. Oho and Kinbozan both have 4-5 records. Neither have put in performances as exciting as what they were doing in January.
Outside of Onosato and Takayasu, Takerufuji has the best shot at winning the title at this time of writing. He’s got a 7-2 record. However, he’s not fought any high ranked opposition yet. Takerufuji won last year’s March tournament in sensational fashion, becoming the first man in over 90 years to win a title in his first ever top division tournament.
Ukrainian wrestler Aonishiki has been impressive in his top division debut. He’s 6-3 and has come out on top in a number of exciting back and forth battles. His countryman Shishi, who is competing in his second top division tournament, also has a 6-3 record. Shishi’s had perhaps some of the most entertaining bouts in this basho and is winning over crowds with his unusual style (including his odd squatting routine).
In the juryo (second division) hot prospect Kusano is currently 9-0. Kusano is 23. His hair is not long enough for the traditional top knot and he wrestles under his family name (he’s not been given a shikona [ringname], yet). He trains at the powerhouse Isegahama stable (home to former yokozuna Terunofuji).
More sumo content on Combat Press
Keep it locked on Combat Press for more sumo content. Next week we will have the final results for this tournament. Then we will start previewing the next tournament, which goes down in May.
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