Sumo: Kotoshoho beats Aonishiki to claim maiden Emperor's Cup
No. 15 maegashira Kotoshoho came into the 15th and final day leading young Ukrainian sensation Aonishiki and top-division debutant Kusano by one bout, with the Emperor's Cup guaranteed to go to a first-time winner from among the rank and file at the new IG Arena.
Determined to avoid a loss that would force him into a championship-deciding playoff, Kotoshoho opened with a solid shoulder blast and thrusted Aonishiki (11-4) to the clay as the No. 1 maegashira attempted to get inside for a belt grip.
The 25-year-old Chiba Prefecture native, who earned Fighting Spirit and Outstanding Achievement awards, said he tried not to "think too much" heading into the decisive match against Aonishiki.
"After the initial charge my body just moved naturally," said Kotoshoho, who started thinking about the title "about two days ago" with his win against new yokozuna Onosato.
Kotoshoho, who made his top-tier makuuchi division debut in Nagoya in 2020, came close to winning the title in January 2023 but lost a winner-takes-all battle against ozeki Takakeisho on the last day.
"I learned from my previous experience not to be too nervous and just try to do my best," said Kotoshoho, who added the top-tier debut for his younger brother Kotoeiho this month gave him "motivation."
Aonishiki's loss marked a disappointing end to an otherwise stellar meet for the 21-year-old, who came to Japan in April 2022 to escape the war raging in his home country.
Sumo's new European star took home a Technique Prize, continuing his streak of a special award in each of his three top-division tournaments. The dynamic grappler reached 11 wins in each of those meets.
Kotoshoho's victory also ended No. 14 maegashira Kusano's hopes of becoming the first wrestler to win the Emperor's Cup in his top-division debut since Takerufuji in March 2024.
A day after knocking Aonishiki off the top rung of the leaderboard, former university sumo star Kusano (11-4) came off second-best in a thrusting battle with veteran komusubi Takayasu (10-5). The 24-year-old from Kumamoto Prefecture collected Fighting Spirit and Technique prizes as consolation.
New yokozuna Onosato forced out ozeki Kotozakura to wrap up his debut tournament as a grand champion at 11-4. After a powerful opening collision, the four-time Emperor's Cup winner shifted Kotozakura over the straw bales and consigned him to another lackluster 8-7 finish.
Onosato became the only yokozuna competing in Nagoya following the early withdrawal of Hoshoryu, who pulled out with a damaged big toe after going 1-3 over the first four days.
Wakatakakage (10-5) put himself in contention to earn ozeki promotion at the next meet by forcing out fellow sekiwake Kirishima (8-7), who lost his last five bouts.
No. 10 maegashira Atamifuji, who was knocked out of the title race a day earlier, finished at 11-4 with a force out of No. 13 maegashira Churanoumi (9-6).
Veteran No. 4 maegashira Tamawashi (11-4) forced out komusubi Oshoma (3-12) and earned his third Outstanding Performance Prize, becoming the oldest recipient of the award at 40 years and eight months old.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Kyodo News
18 hours ago
- Kyodo News
Sumo: Hoshoryu being treated for fractured, dislocated big toe
TOKYO - Grand champion Hoshoryu has a fractured and dislocated left big toe, the Japan Sumo Association said Friday in announcing the diagnoses of wrestlers who will miss the summer regional tour beginning this weekend. When the Mongolian-born yokozuna withdrew from the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on its fifth day, July 17, his medical certificate stated that he "had a sprained MTP joint in his left first toe and a bone contusion in his left first metatarsal, requiring one month of rest and treatment." Hoshoryu, a two-time champion in the elite makuuchi division, aggravated an injury he had sustained before the tournament when he took on Ukrainian grappler Aonishiki on the third day, according to his stablemaster Tatsunami. The regional tour starts Sunday. The Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament is scheduled to begin on Sept. 14 at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.
The Mainichi
21 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Easy Japanese news in translation: Kotoshoho wins sumo championship for first time
No. 15 maegashira Kotoshoho, 25, defeated Aonishiki with a thrust down on July 27, clinching his first championship with a 13-2 record at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament. This is the first time a maegashira-ranked wrestler has won since Takerufuji in last year's spring tournament. Kotoshoho said, "I want to improve my strength more and aim for the three 'sanyaku' ranks and beyond," promising to make further progress. Japanese original Easy Japanese news is taken from the Mainichi Shogakusei Shimbun, a newspaper for children. This is perfect material for anyone studying Japanese who has learned hiragana and katakana. We encourage beginners to read the article in English followed by Japanese, or vice versa, to test their comprehension. A fresh set will be published every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4 p.m., Japan time. Click/tap here for past installments. Intermediate learners who do not need English assistance can directly access the Mainichi Shogakusei Shimbun site here. Furigana (hiragana) is added to all kanji in the text.
Japan Times
3 days ago
- Japan Times
Kotoshoho's shock first Emperor's Cup could reinvigorate his career
In last week's column, I wondered whether the tournament-leading Ichiyamamoto could keep his hot streak going and become the 12th first-time champion to be crowned since January 2020. With five straight losses from day 11, the answer to that question was conclusively in the negative, but sumo did get a first-time winner in the form of Kotoshoho — a veteran whose triumph was perhaps even more surprising than Ichiyamamoto's would have been. The 25-year-old had come into the Nagoya meet on the back of four losing records in five tournaments, with his sole kachikoshi an 8-7 finish eked out on the final day of the March basho. A similar outcome looked to be on the cards once again one-third of the way through the just-completed tournament, as Kotoshoho won just three of five fights against some of the lowest-ranked men in the top division. At that stage, no one could have predicted that the Sadogatake stable veteran would go on a 10-bout winning streak for the first time in his career, taking down both the tournament's hottest wrestler (Aonishiki) and sumo's biggest star (yokozuna Onosato) on his way to claiming the Emperor's Cup. Perhaps not since Clark Kent last took off his glasses has someone looked so strikingly similar while performing at a completely different level. In addition to his wins over Onosato and Aonishiki, Kotoshoho also defeated Kusano — the only other man with a shot at the Emperor's Cup — as the tournament headed into its final day. Those victories, as well as wins over former ōzeki pair Kirishima and Takayasu, ought to nullify any complaints about Kotoshoho's title run being devalued due to a much easier schedule over the first 11 days. Of course, given pre-tournament hopes for a first championship-deciding showdown between yokozuna in five years, the Emperor's Cup going to a low-ranked maegashira once again will be a letdown for some, but there is a possibility that this victory will reinvigorate Kotoshoho's career and lead to him reaching greater heights. It shouldn't be forgotten that four years ago, Kotoshoho was ranked higher than stablemate Kotonowaka (current ōzeki Kotozakura) and seemed to have just as much, if not more, potential. In January of 2021, Kotoshoho was at a career-high rank of maegashira 3, having followed up a jūryō division title win with three straight winning records from his top-tier debut. At the time I said the then-21-year-old had been 'nothing but impressive since making his top-division debut' and added that while 'he isn't yet a finished product and inexperience still shows in some of his bouts, all the ingredients are there for a long and successful career.' That obviously hasn't been the case since, as the intervening years have been a rollercoaster of demotions to jūryō, occasional double-digit winning records and a lot of tournaments with a 7-7 record heading into the final day. Various reasons for Kotoshoho treading water have been posited over the past four years but none fully explain why it's taken him so long to capitalize on his obvious potential. The hope for Sadogatake stable supporters now will be that this month's victory kickstarts a return to form for Kotoshoho, and possibly even reignites the yokozuna promotion hopes of stablemate Kotozakura. An improved Kotoshoho could indeed help both men get back on track, as having to face a tough, high-level opponent every single morning in practice can only be good for the ozeki. As the American football cliche goes, 'iron sharpens iron.' Kotoshoho (right) seals his Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament championship by defeating Aonishiki by tsukiotoshi on Sunday. | JIJI Kotoshoho's victory in Nagoya came at the expense of fairytale endings for new rising talents Aonishiki and Kusano. The former man's journey to the higher reaches of professional sumo, which includes fleeing his native Ukraine following the Russian invasion, is unlike any other. Given all Aonishiki has been through in his young life to date, and the way in which he has acclimatized to Japanese culture and the language, it's fair to say the 21-year-old would have been most neutral fans' preferred winner last Sunday. Nerves seemed to play a part in the final day showdown against Kotoshoho, though, with Aonishiki not quite as sharp at the initial charge as he had been for most of the previous two weeks. That is more than understandable given his youth, but Aonishiki fans probably needn't worry as the Ajigawa stable man appears to be on an inevitable path to greater heights. All five tournaments after reaching the salaried ranks have ended with double-digit wins for the Vinnytsia Oblast native, and it's been three straight 11-4 finishes since debuting in the top tier in March. Aonishiki is certain to be promoted to the sanyaku slot that he arguably should have been given for this meet, and it may not be long before Kusano joins him there. Kotoshoho's defeat of Aonishiki as Kusano sat ringside dashed the latter's hopes of a playoff for the title. That almost certainly upset his concentration and contributed to the subsequent loss to Takayasu, but double-digit wins and coming so close to glory in his top division debut marked an outstanding effort by the former collegian. Kusano has been on an incredible run of his own since reaching the paid ranks in March and, like Aonishiki, continues to make predictions of him hitting a career wall look foolish with each passing tournament. Kotoshoho may have grabbed glory in Nagoya, but the two men who missed out should be back in contention the next time out.
