The nephew of the 68th Yokozuna, Asashoryu, Hoshoryu has been working his way up the Makuuchi ranks. After looking like he hit a rock at M15e, going 0-5 in his first 5 matches, his uncle took to Twitter to critque Hoshoryu’s training and perfromance in a long twitter rant.
Hoshoryu saw these tweets, and afterwards went on a 9-1 roll to finish off the basho, proving that the 21 year old has some fire in him. Post January basho he would have an 8-7, and a 7-8 basho’s, putting him at M5w. How did Hoshoryu do in this Nagoya Basho? Lets find out
Match 1: Onosho (M6e, 0-0)
25 year old Onosho is a veteran of Makuuchi and Juryo. He even has some experience at Komusubi and has 2 Kinboshi stars (with a win over Hakuho!) Hoshoryu is 0-2 against the experienced foe, and this bout will be a challenge for him.
Match Details: This is Hoshoryu’s debut in the Blood red Mawashi which looks great on him. Big collide from both men as Onosho gets a great thrust in. Hoshoryu retaliates with his own as the match becomes a thrusting battle quickly. Hoshoryu gets two big ones sending Onosho back a step. Onosho himself gets another big one to the face. They both continue their thrusts. Onosho goes for a push but Hoshoryu is able to hold it off. Hoshoryu then goes for his own shoves and is able to push The O Man off the Dohyo! First win for Hoshoryu
Good win to start the Basho. Hoshoryu beats a man he was unable to beat before, and Onosho himself put in a good effort.
Match 2: Kiribayama (M6w, 1-0)
A pretty tall Rikishi, Kiribayama is in the Younger side of Makuuchi Rikishi and is a bit inexperienced, with only 5 years worth of Pro sumo under his belt. He is still a tough competitor, due to his fast rise.
Match Details: Big clash as Hoshoryu goes for the chest. Kiri tries to thrust/push him off but Hoshoryu won’t go down, grabbing hold of his opponent. Hoshoryu gets a hold of the Mawashi and tries to push him out but Kiri is able to stop the push. Kiribayama goes for a push but Hoshoryu is able to reverse the momentum to shove Kiribayama to the ground, getting the win.
Dominant victory from the Tachiai right away from Hoshoryu here. Kiribayama was just unable to turn it around
Match 3: Okinoumi (M5e, 1-1)
A 11 year veteran in the Makuuchi, Okinoumi is one of the top veterans in all of the sport. With 4 Kinboshi’s and numerous amounts of special prizes. Hoshoryu has a 1-0 record against the tall veteran but you can never underestimate someone with this much experience
Match details: Like with his last tall opponent, Hoshoryu went for the chest at Tachiai. Okinoumi responds by pulling Hoshoryu in. That plan works and he starts pushing Hoshoryu, who is putting up a fight. Eventually Okinoumi tries to move Hoshoryu into a different direction but in response, Hoshoryu is able to gain momentum and tries for a throw! Okinoumi then shows his spectacular balance and goes over 180 degrees leg to leg, only to gain his balence back and get the leg down. Okinoumi then grapples up with Hoshoryu to ensure no more attempts. Some claps from the exchange are heard as Okinoumi grabs onto the Mawashi. Hoshoryu senses the danger, and tries to wiggle out to no avail. The attempt is able to get Okinoumi off the Mawashi though. Hoshoryu seems to notice this and tries another throw on Okinoumi. Okinoumi survives this, and changes angles so that he can attempt a throw! Okinoumi even tries to grab at the neck to get him down but Hoshoryu survives, putting both men back to a standstill position. Okinoumi is able to get a hand on the Mawashi while Hoshoryu fights to do the same. After a couple second standoff, Hoshoryu goes for another throw, this time attempting to throw Okinoumi off the Dohyo! Okinoumi survives this attempt though and now has Hoshoryu cornered on the Dohyo. Okinoumi tries with all his vigor to push Hoshoryu out but HOSHORYU SURVIVES YET AGAIN!! Hoshoryu goes down again trying to get ahold of the Mawashi but Okinoumi ties up his arms. After some clapping and grappling, Hoshoryu gets ahold of the Mawashi while Okinoumi has the back while defending his own Mawashi from a full grip by Hoshoryu. Some more short grappling jabs. Hoshoryu then tries a push, but that puts him off-balance! Okinoumi then is able to toss Hoshoryu to the ground like a sack of potatos to get the win! What a match
Hoshoryu I feel did no wrong here. He did everything he could to get Okinoumi out but the veterans experience was just so good! If Hoshoryu was older and with a little more strength, he would have won that bout quicker then Okinoumi did here.
Match 4: Chiyotairyu (M4w, 1-2)
Another veteran, Chiyotairyu is a 2 time Gino-Sho winner and has 1 Kinboshi. Hoshoryu has a 2-1 record against the veteran and is looking to increase that lead.
Match Details: Collide to start it off. Chiyotairyu gets a couple good thrusts/slaps in as Hoshoryu tries to get close. The slaps seemed to be so hard it even sent Chiytairyu back a step, and Hoshoryu capitalizes with a couple slaps. He is then able to get some thrusts on Chiyotairyu’s stomach, sending him near and out of the Dohyo in quick fashion
Weird match. It seemed Chiyotairyu just accidentally pushed too hard, which caused Hoshoryu to capatalize. Very diffrenet compared to Day 3’s war.
Match 5: Myogiryu (M7e 1-3)
Veteran Myogiryu has been a Makuuchi mainstay for most of his career. Usually bouncing up in down in the Maegashira ranks, the main fault against a fully successful career has been consistency. Whenever he gets to a highish rank (Sekiwake, Komusubi) he would have a winning record for a basho then drop down after the next. Hoshoryu has a career 2-1 record against him
Match Details: Myogiryu right away gets a hold of Hosho’s back while Hoshoryu goes for the Mawashi. Though he can’t get it from the camera’s point of view, he gets his right hand on it and goes for a lift. He also tries to trip up the hanging leg but Myogiryu recovers. After that Hoshoryu starts pushing Myogiryu back, while having a firm grasp of the Mawashi. Myogiryu for his credit goes for Hoshoryu’s Mawashi as well, and puts up a good fight. It looks like Hoshoryu is just about to push him out but Myo hangs on, basically pushing Hoshoryu sideways to save some time. In the end though Hoshoryu is able to get the final push in and pushes Myogiryu out.
Great win here by Hoshoryu. Myogiryu put up a long and tricky fight, but Hoshoryu seemed to have the edge the whole time. It shows even without experience, Hoshoryu has the ability to put on a dominating show.
Match 6: Chiyoshoma (M7w, 2-3)
Though he has a losing record this tournament, Chiyoshoma is a long term Makuuchi and Juryo wrestler. He is very average and there is not much special about him in terms of awards or bigish wins. He is 2-0 against Hoshoryu though.
Match Details: Big collide to start off. Chiyoshoma grabs hold of the neck of Hoshoryu and tries to pull back. Hoshoryu meanwhile ducks to get out of the hold and tries for the Mawashi. Chiyoshoma meanwhile grapples with Hoshoryu’s body trying to turn him around. He is able to get the back of Hoshoryu and tries to push him down but Hoshoryu survives the attempt. Hoshoryu tries to get close, but Chiyoshoma switches strategies, now thrusting Hoshoryu. Hoshoryu is able to survive the onslaught and wrestles with Chiyoshoma’s hands. Chiyoshoma tries to do a fake out of sorts but Hoshoryu stays close. Both men now start a full on grappling battle with Chiyoshoma eventually breaking it up with a thrust. The push back allowed Chiyoshoma to grab the back of Hoshoryu’s Mawashi and push him down to the floor, getting the 30 year old the win
Hoshoryu showed his own set of balancing techniques and ability to survive through grapple battles but Chiyoshoma’s ability to do both grappling and thrust was just too much even from the start, causing Hoshoryu to be on defense most of the match. So far all of Hoshoryu’s losses have been competitive back and fourth wars which show he has potential in future bashos.
Match 7: Takarafuji (4-2, Ms8e)
Another veteran, “Iron Man” Takarafuji has never pulled out of a sumo bout and has been a Makuuchi veteran for an incredible 8 years. He has experience in the San’Yaku ranks and has 3 Kinboshi (One over Hakuho!) and a Kanto-Sho to his name. He will always be a hard opponent and he and Hoshoryu have never fought.
Match Details: Hoshoryu goes for the back right away but Takara squeezes the arms in to stop any attempt. There is a long grapple, Hoshoryu trying to get past the squeeze while Takarafuji stays on defense. Hoshoryu attempts a throw but Takara stops it easily. Hoshoryu pushes him forward and trips up his knee. Takarafuji survives the attempt though and pushes Hoshoryu back. Takarafuji tries for a push but Hoshoryu digs in, causing Takara to lose his grip. Hoshoryu then takes advantage of the opportunity, taking the side of Takara and pushing him to the ground getting the win.
Big win for Hoshoryu here. He showed he can beat a top veteran in Takarafuji quite soundly. Takara also put up quite the fight in his defense, and helped prove that Hoshoryu has a nice gas tank too.
Match 8: Aoiyama (3-4, M8w)
Up against one of the most divisive men in Sumo, Aoiyama is either a favorite or on top of the most hated for sumo fans. “Mr. March” (Nickname due to his recent ability to be a title contender only in March) has been in Makuuchi for about 10 years now and is mostly disliked for his inconsistent tendency to give some Rikishi an extra push after they are clearly out of the Dohyo/being pushed out. Hoshoryu has a 2-1 record against him.
Match Details: Big headbutt to start the match off. Aoiyama goes for the neck but can’t get ahold of, leaving both men empty handed for a second. Hoshoryu is able to start pushing Aoiyama back a bit but Aoi starts some neck thrusts. Hoshoryu then tries to get a lower center of gravity but Aoiyama sharply moves out of the way, and gives a push to the back of Hoshoryu sending him down to the ground.
This bout showed the inexperience of Hoshoryu I feel. If he didn’t go low I think he would’ve had a better angle to push the Bulgarian out. The big man did show some veteran instinct here which I will give him credit for.
Match 9: Wakatakakage (3-5, K1e)
Fan favorite Wakatakakage has had a rough go at Komusubi, having a poor losing record so far. He is a newcomer to Makuuchi, only being here since January of last year, but he has risen up the ranks fast, and has looked like he could make Ozeki for a second. This basho has so far looked like a big hiccup on this run though. Hoshoryu though is 0-3 against Waka, so it could definitely be a momentum builder for Waka.
Match Details: As usual a hard hit start for Hoshoryu. Both men try to get the best position with Wakatakakage getting hold of the back and mawashi. Hoshoryu meanwhile gets a hold of Waka’s Mawashi and there is a standoff between the two. Hoshoryu is able to get a stronger grip and goes for the throw. Wakatakakage is left hopping on one foot trying to reverse it and get Hoshoryu to the floor first, but is unable too, as Hoshoryu is able to get the finishing throw to the ground.
Well this is good for Hoshoryu. Wins over San’yaku are always special and show that a Rikishi can hang with the best. Wakatakakage, even on a losing record, is still a great win. Hoshoryu is now 6-3 this Basho.
Match 10: Tobizaru (3-6, M3w)
The Flying Monkey is one of the craziest Rikishi’s due to some of the moves he pulls from his back pocket in matches. He grinded his way through Juryo for two years and has had some good bashos in Makuuchi. Just a couple days before this he had one of the weirdest Sumo bouts with Hakuho, if you watched this basho, you know what I’m taking about. Hoshoryu is 3-5 against The Flying Monkey.
Match Details: Tobizaru gets the most ninja slap I’ve ever seen to start it off. Hoshoryu tries for the Mawashi but Tobizaru uses his arms to stop it. Both men continue to grapple with Tobizaru having a firm grasp of the back of Hoshoryu. He then moves down to the Mawashi and Hoshoryu starts to fight with a slight panic to it. Hoshoryu then moves his arm from the outside to the inside of Tobizaru’s arm, which looks pretty beautiful not going to lie. Tobizaru starts to try to wrestle but Hoshoryu instead just pushes Tobizaru near the dohyo, before Tobizaru moves out of the way! Hoshoryu catches himself, and gives a shove to push Tobizaru out of the dohyo, getting the win in pretty good fashion
First time in these roundup’s I ever saw a move like that where an attacker completely switches where his arm is and is still able to win. Hoshoryu showed some technicality here that is only seen by some of the best veterans. He is now 7-3 and needs 1 more win to get a Kachi-Koshi.
Match 11: Shodai (O2e, 6-4)
And sadly, he has to face Ozeki Shodai. Though Shodai is known for getting into his head and not being able to be as good as his fellow Ozeki’s, he is still a tough cookie, and will put up a fight. Hoshoryu does have a past victory against Shodai, happening last basho.
Match Details: Shodai extends up so Hoshoryu hits his chest. Shodai starts wrenching the arm awkwardly, and pushes Hoshoryu back. Hoshoryu puts his back foot down and starts pushing back himself. Shodai stops the push and gets a hand on the Mawashi, and goes for a throw down. Hoshoryu notices this, and hooks his leg around Shodai’s. Shodai tries to get Hoshoryu off him but Hoshoryu basically becomes a backpack on him. Eventually the pressure is too much and Shodai’s knee gives out (no injuries thank god) and Hoshoryu gets the win
And with that, Hoshoryu gets a Kachi-Koshi and his second win over Ozeki Shodai. He will fors sure be moving up in rank and now 2 wins over San’yaku ranks will help that improvement.
Match 12: Hidenoumi (5-6, M9e)
A long time Juryo veteran. Hidenoumi has the occasional jump into Makuuchi where he has mediocre success before falling back down. Only in May just hitting an all time high rank and falling back down 3 ranks. He is looking to get another winning record going. Hoshoryu is 1-2 against Hidenoumi.
Match Details: Big clash to start the match. Hoshoryu tries to get to Hidenoumi’s mawashi but is unable too. Hidenoumi meanwhile kind of hugs Hoshoryu and starts pushing him. Hoshoryu attempts to stand his ground, and is able to turn the angle around. Both men try to eliminate each other, both going on leg. Hidenoumi gets the advantage though, pushing Hoshoryu out with his own body, getting the win.
Seems Hoshoryu let of the gas slightly. Not his usual stuff. Hidenoumi did do good for his own merit. But a more hungry Hoshoryu should’ve been here.
Match 13: Ichinojo (8-4, Ms2w)
Ichinojo has had a nice comeback after a stint in Juryo. Besides a chaotic 8 basho run where he had that fall and comeback, Ichinojo has been one of the best Maegashira wrestlers in the 2010s. He has an incredible 8 Kinboshis, having one against Yokozuna’s 69-72, and has 5 special prizes. He is a bit of a menace when he is on target, but when he is off, he converts into “Snorlax” (Sumo fans nicknamed him.) Hoshoryu has a 4-3 record against Ichinojo but the Snorlax is seemingly awakened for this tournament
Match Details: Hoshoryu goes face first into the stomach of Ichinojo while Ichi gets a hold of the back of the Mawashi immediately. Hoshoryu realizes this and gets his own hold and starts pushing Ichinojo back. He gets sent back all the way to the dohyo with Hoshoryu literally jumping to try to eliminate him, but Ichinojo pushes off the rope. Hoshoryu comes down from the jumping and is almost pushed down but survives. Both men continue to grapple, holding on to each other’s Mawashi’s. Hoshoryu AGAIN pulls his arm from the Mawashi and inserts it for an inside hold. Ichinojo goes for a push but now that Hoshoryu has a nice angle, he is able to twist the momentum! He almost gets Ichinojo out, but Ichi leans back in. A stand off occurs, both men with firm grasps of the Mawashis. Hoshoryu then goes for some belly bumps (!) trying to bump Ichinojo out. Ichi stands firm, and we head to another stand off. Now I had to rewatch this next part a couple of times, as it was a little nuts, but Hoshoryu does a swift backstep to get the side of Ichinojo and then tosses him to the floor! What a throw!
Hoshoryu showed in this one his ability to pull out multiple strategies to get the win. The inside outside switch, the belly bumps, and the surprise throw at the end were all really different and show the flexibility in moves. Ichinojo has shown in this basho too that he is no slouch too!
Match 14: Mitakeumi (7-6, Sw)
The motivated Sekiwake is looking for a Kachi-Koshi here. A young wrestler for Makuuchi standerds, Mitakuemi has been around the San’yaku Ranks/High M ranks for what feels like his whole career. A Kachi-Koshi here will ensure a stay at Sekiwake and will give the Banzuke rankers less of a headache. Hoshoryu has shockingly never fought him.
Match Details: Pretty hard headbutt to start the match off. Both men go for opposing thrusts, though Mitakuemi seems to get the better of it. He is then able to start working the arms of Hoshoryu, pushing him back in the process. Hoshoryu fights back on the rope, trying to dig in. It isn’t enough though, and Mitakuemi pushes him out but losses his balence in the process and both men take out a ringside official. Mitakuemi though touched the outside of the dohyo last.
Hoshoryu did his best, but Mitakuemi was just better here. No excuses but the headbutt probably didn’t help out either. Congrats to Mitakuemi for his Kachi-Koshi though.
Match 15: Hokutofuji (M3e, 8-6)
Tough last day opponent for Hoshoryu. Hokutofuji is the definition of Grit. A top Maegashira mainstay for some years now, Hokutofuji will literally do everything in his heart and soul to win a match. If Hoshoryu wants to pass the 10 win marker, he must get ready for all outcomes. He does have a past win against Hokutofuji though.
Match Details: 3 tries to start the match. Both men collide, hands to chests. They struggle a bit, both pushing each other back and forth. Hokutofuji goes just a little too low, and Hoshoryu gets his hands on Hoku’s back. Hokutofuji goes for one last push, but Hoshoryu moves out of the way sending his opponent to the ground hard.
A bit of an anti-climatic final match, but Hoshoryu still showed his ability to hang with some of the best. He took advantage of a mistake and made good from it.
After this match Hoshoryu was awarded a Technique prize (Gino-Sho) and praise from all the Sumo world. He had a great performance here and earned a special prize for the efforts. This is also his first all around special prize. He looked really good, and will be watched closely to see if he can snag a San’yaku rank next tournament. My main advice to him if he reads this, do not get in your head. You will suffer a losing record at some point. You will suffer a bad loss or injury at some point. Just understand that you have the skills to be a major player for a while, and that these setbacks will come. Continue training, and keeping yourself prepared for every fight and any outcome.
Next up, we go back to review a 17 year old from Makushita. Poll for next roundup is below
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