Onosato dealt stunning 3rd loss at Nagoya Grand Tournament
Veteran No. 4 maegashira Tamawashi was on the brink of defeat when he twisted Onosato down with a last-gasp throw, shocking the crowd that sent a shower of seat cushions flying over and into the ring.
With the victory, Tamawashi, at 40 the oldest wrestler in the makuuchi division, becomes the oldest in modern sumo history to earn a 'kinboshi,' a reward for a victory by a maegashira-ranked wrestler over a yokozuna.
All three of the 25-year-old Onosato's losses have resulted in kinboshi as he heads into the last five days of the tournament with matches against high-ranked opponents looming.
No. 8 maegashira Ichiyamamoto leads the tournament with a 9-1 record, with Tamawashi tied for second place at 8-2 with five others.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kyodo News
8 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Sumo: Onosato survives against Ichiyamamoto, stays 1 win off pace
NAGOYA - New yokozuna Onosato stayed one win off the pace at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament following a lucky escape against joint overnight leader Ichiyamamoto on Thursday. The 25-year-old grand champion won a rematch with the No. 8 maegashira after the ringside officials could not determine a clear winner in the day's final scheduled bout, which was initially awarded to Ichiyamamoto. The result saw Onosato (9-3) finish Day 12 at IG Arena alongside Ichiyamamoto and two other wrestlers on the second rung of the leaderboard, as the four-man leading pack was whittled down to young Ukrainian sensation Aonishiki and No. 15 maegashira Kotoshoho at 10-2. Having failed to beat Onosato in two previous attempts, Ichiyamamoto appeared to find success with a push out after the yokozuna opted for a badly judged pull. But replays showed the maegashira's leg hitting the clay as his top-ranked opponent flew off the dohyo, prompting the judges to convene in the middle. After a long deliberation, the officials ordered a rematch, with Onosato once again ceding ground with a pull but ultimately winning by push out. No. 1 maegashira Aonishiki continued his stunning run at the 15-day tournament with victory over two-time Emperor's Cup winner Tamawashi (8-4). The 21-year-old European absorbed Tamawashi's initial thrusts before securing a belt grip and executing an underarm throw. The 25-year-old Kotoshoho, whose career-high ranking is No. 3 maegashira, kept his share of the lead by slapping down title-contending komusubi Takayasu (8-4), the winner of six of their eight past meetings. Top-division rookie Kusano (9-3) relinquished his share of the lead in a loss to sekiwake Wakatakakage (8-4). The former college star, fighting as a No. 14 maegashira, succumbed to a frontal crush out after a vigorous battle between the two athletic combatants. No. 10 maegashira Atamifuji (9-3) stayed one win back from the lead by thrusting out No. 16 maegashira Mitakeumi (8-4). Ozeki Kotozakura (7-5) closed to within one win of the eight needed to avoid demotion-threatened "kadoban" status in September with a force-out victory over sekiwake Kirishima (8-4) that dented the Mongolian-born grappler's title hopes.
The Mainichi
8 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Sumo: Onosato survives against Ichiyamamoto, stays 1 win off pace
NAGOYA (Kyodo) -- New yokozuna Onosato stayed one win off the pace at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament following a lucky escape against joint overnight leader Ichiyamamoto on Thursday. The 25-year-old grand champion won a rematch with the No. 8 maegashira after the ringside officials could not determine a clear winner in the day's final scheduled bout, which was initially awarded to Ichiyamamoto. The result saw Onosato (9-3) finish Day 12 at IG Arena alongside Ichiyamamoto and two other wrestlers on the second rung of the leaderboard, as the four-man leading pack was whittled down to young Ukrainian sensation Aonishiki and No. 15 maegashira Kotoshoho at 10-2. Having failed to beat Onosato in two previous attempts, Ichiyamamoto appeared to find success with a push out after the yokozuna opted for a badly judged pull. But replays showed the maegashira's leg hitting the clay as his top-ranked opponent flew off the dohyo, prompting the judges to convene in the middle. After a long deliberation, the officials ordered a rematch, with Onosato once again ceding ground with a pull but ultimately winning by push out. No. 1 maegashira Aonishiki continued his stunning run at the 15-day tournament with victory over two-time Emperor's Cup winner Tamawashi (8-4). The 21-year-old European absorbed Tamawashi's initial thrusts before securing a belt grip and executing an underarm throw. The 25-year-old Kotoshoho, whose career-high ranking is No. 3 maegashira, kept his share of the lead by slapping down title-contending komusubi Takayasu (8-4), the winner of six of their eight past meetings. Top-division rookie Kusano (9-3) relinquished his share of the lead in a loss to sekiwake Wakatakakage (8-4). The former college star, fighting as a No. 14 maegashira, succumbed to a frontal crush out after a vigorous battle between the two athletic combatants. No. 10 maegashira Atamifuji (9-3) stayed one win back from the lead by thrusting out No. 16 maegashira Mitakeumi (8-4). Ozeki Kotozakura (7-5) closed to within one win of the eight needed to avoid demotion-threatened "kadoban" status in September with a force-out victory over sekiwake Kirishima (8-4) that dented the Mongolian-born grappler's title hopes.
Japan Times
a day ago
- Japan Times
Disappointing start to Nagoya tournament turns into fascinating final stretch
Ten days into the ongoing Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament and Ichiyamamoto — a 31-year-old journeyman who hasn't posted more than 8 wins in a basho since 2023 — stunningly led the race for the Emperor's Cup going into Wednesday's bouts. Coming off back-to-back losing records — with the most recent being a 5-10 outing in May — no one could have predicted such a hot start for the Chuo University graduate. The big question, of course, is whether or not Ichiyamamoto can keep his title charge going over the meet's final third, and become the 12th first-time champion to be crowned since January 2020. Given that he hasn't had to face any of the 16 highest-ranked men over the tournament's first ten days, the answer to that question is 'probably not.' Sumo's schedule makers will almost certainly ensure that if Ichiyamamoto is going to taste glory for the first time, he'll have to do it the hard way. And while he might have sole possession of first place at the two-third mark, a single-win lead over a chasing pack — including former ōzeki Kirishima, three-time champion Mitakeumi, ageless ironman Tamawashi along with rising stars Aonishiki and Kusano — isn't very secure. With newly crowned yokozuna Onosato also just one win further back, it's far more likely that the Emperor's Cup ends up claimed by one of his pursuers than by Ichiyamamoto himself. But even if he ultimately fails in his quest for silverware, Ichiyamamoto has been a bright spot in a tournament where fans' hopes for something not seen in years were almost immediately extinguished. Following Onosato's promotion to sumo's highest rank earlier this summer, everyone in the sport was looking forward to a first title showdown between yokozuna since March 2020. Those hopes were quickly dashed when Hoshoryu suffered three straight losses from the second day and had to withdraw from the tournament due to injury. It was an unfortunate turn of events that means the 26-year-old grand champion will now finish his first three basho as a yokozuna with a record of 18 wins, 12 losses and 15 absences. That's not what anyone involved in sumo wants to see, and the sooner Hoshoryu gets back into action and wins a first title as a yokozuna the better — not just for his own career and legacy, but the sport as a whole. On the other side of the banzuke, Onosato has, by his own lofty standards, not been having a great tournament either. Three losses in 10 bouts doesn't rule him out of title contention by any means, but the sport's biggest star will need to recapture the form shown over the past few months if he is to claim a third straight championship. But even should Onosato lose one or two more matches, it wouldn't be a cause for concern as the first tournament after promotion to yokozuna is notoriously difficult for wrestlers — particularly younger ones — to do well in. With both yokozuna far from their best, there is a bigger window of opportunity for the aforementioned pack currently chasing Ichiyamamoto. Aonishiki (left) beats Oshoma by oshidashi at IG Arena on Saturday. | JIJI Aonishiki's incredible rise continues unabated with the 21-year-old from Ukraine looking like one of the most accomplished wrestlers in the sport despite only having joined professional sumo two years ago. Just three tournaments into his top division career he is making a 2024 column — which was described at the time as far too optimistic — now look understated. Aonishiki is in the opposite situation to Ichiyamamoto. He has won eight of his first 10 bouts while facing only the highest ranked men in the sport. Everyone that he will be matched up with across the final five days will be of a lower rank. In theory that gives the former refugee, who fled to Japan to escape war in his home country, the inside track to the Emperor's Cup. The mental side of sumo is arguably the most important, however, and being in such a high pressure situation at such a young age will be testing. If Aonishiki can hold his nerve in the spotlight it will create another chapter in what is fast becoming one of sumo's most fascinating stories. In his favor is the fact that all the other main title challengers will have tougher run-ins and are likely to drop bouts to each other. Should Onosato not turn things around, it appears as if Kusano and Kirishima are the main barriers to an Aonishiki championship. Kusano, who is making his top division debut, is currently riding a four-month hot streak. The Nihon University graduate reached sumo's highest tier on the back of consecutive jūryō division titles — something that prompted Hiro Morita, longtime NHK announcer and face of the Japan Sumo Association's English-language YouTube channel, to predict an Emperor's Cup win for the rookie in Nagoya earlier this month. Given that, when Takerufuji managed that exact feat in March 2024 he became the first debutant to win the title in over a century, Morita's prediction seemed outlandish at the time. Ten days later that's not the case, and Kusano has a viable path to history over the next five days if he can keep his hot streak going. Kirishima, meanwhile, not only has legitimate hopes of claiming a third title but also an outside chance of making it back to ōzeki should he do so. With a perfect run-in for the veteran adding up to a combined 32 wins over three tournaments — it's a score that would appear to be slightly short of the oft-cited mark of 33. That's not an official guideline, however, and sumo has just one ōzeki currently. A third Emperor's Cup for a former ōzeki could swing things in Kirishima's favor. However things turn out, a tournament that started in a disappointing manner heads into the final stretch with a range of exciting possible outcomes.
