2025 Haru Basho: Day 10 results, replays and analysis

Here be spoilers.

Mar 18, 2025

Just five days left and it feels like we know where this one is heading.

The overarching narrative of this basho is still feeling a little underwhelming. However, if it ends a certain way that it might… that would be pretty darn cool.

Sadly, this basho has been rather dominated by poor performances and these are overshadowing the really good ones.

That being said, Day 10 delivered as far as the matches were concerned. We had lots of exciting bouts on this day and lots of throws, too!

Nishikigi vs. Tamawashi is must-see TV. Daieisho vs. Oho, Meisei vs. Shirokuma, Asakoryu vs. Takarafuji, Shodai vs. Midorifuji and Shishi vs. Mitakeumi were all a lot of fun, too.

Scroll down for the results, videos and analysis you need to start your day right!

Today’s bonus gif is the Rising Dragon himself.

SPOILERS BELOW

Results

Tokihayate (6-4) def. Fujiseun (6-4) via tsukiotoshi (thrust down)
Aonishiki (7-3) def. Kotoshoho (4-6) via uwatedashinage (pulling over arm throw)*
Sadanoumi (6-4) def. Ryuden (4-6) via shitatenage (underarm throw)*
Shishi (7-3) def. Mitakeumi (4-6) via uwatenage (over arm throw)*
Asakoryu (6-4) def. Takarafuji (3-7) via oshidashi (frontal push out)*
Meisei (7-3) def. Shirokuma (3-7) via kotenage (armlock throw)*
Churanoumi (8-2) def. Hakuoho (6-4) via oshidashi
Onokatsu (6-4) def. Atamifuji (5-5) via yorikiri
Shodai (4-6) def. Midorifuji (6-4) via makiotoshi (twist down)*
Tamawashi (7-3) def. Nishikigi (1-9) via hatakikomi (slap down)*
Oshoma (5-5) def. Hiradoumi (5-5) via hatakikomi
Takerufuji (8-2) def. Shonannoumi (1-9) via oshidashi
Kinbozan (5-5) def. Endo (5-5) via tsukitaoshi (frontal thrust down)
Tobizaru (4-6) def. Chiyoshoma (3-7) via oshidashi
Wakatakakage (5-5) def. Gonoyama (3-7) via okuridashi (rear push out)
Takanosho (3-7) def. Wakamotoharu (6-4) via oshidashi
Daieisho (7-3) def. Oho (4-6) via hikiotoshi (hand pull down)*
Takayasu (9-1) def. Onosato (8-2) via yorikiri*
Ichiyamamoto (6-4) def. Kotozakura (5-5) via hatakikomi*
Ura (4-6) def. Hoshoryu (5-5) via fusen (default)

*Must see bouts!

Leaderboard

M4e Takayasu: 9-1
Oe1 Onosato, M6w Takerufuji, M14w Churanoumi: 8-2
S1e Daieisho, M7w Tamawashi, M11w Meisei, M13w Shishi, M15e Aonishiki: 7-3

Analysis

The biggest news on Day 10 is the withdrawal of yokozuna Hoshoryu. He backs out of the competition with a 5-5 record, which will be a 5-5-5 when it is all said and done. The official explanation is an elbow injury that requires two weeks to heal. It’s thought that the injury was initially caused in his bout with Atamifuji in January (see that here).

The Atamifuji loss did look very painful/awkward and Hoshoryu did have his elbow strapped up in the early days of the basho. However, I am doubtful that the injury is the only thing affecting his performance. That, and the nerves that come with being the new and only yokozuna, have likely conspired to affect Hoshoryu’s ability to show us his full ability on the dohyo this month. This pull out, I believe, is a face saving measure to spare him having a more straight forward losing record in his first ever yokozuna tournament.

If that’s true, then at least it means the injury is a minor one and something which might not affect him in future tournaments. Hopefully that’s the case. As we’ve seen this month, when Hoshoryu is not on his game… everything is a little less fun.

Anyways… onto the folks who are doing well in Osaka and could grab themselves an Emperor’s Cup.

Onosato and Takayasu met on Day 10 to determine a sole leader of the tournament. And it was the veteran Takayasu who earned that right, taking out Onosato for the second time in his career.

Both men gave the tachiai everything in this bout. You could hear Takayasu exert as he launched himself forwards at Onosato, determined not to be taken backwards off the initial charge. Despite giving Onosato one of his hardest collisions of the tournament, Takayasu was still forced back.

As Onosato was building up steam, Takayasu halted his progress with a fantastic defensive swipe.

If Onosato had landed that thrust clean on Takayasu’s chest, I think Takayasu would have been pushed back to the point of no return.

That swipe created some space and gave Takayasu a clear view of Onosato’s chest. His yotsu-zumo (grappling focused sumo) mind kicked into gear when he saw that.

After some bumping, Takayasu put his head right in the middle of Onosato’s chest. One of the first things a sumotori learns is to get your head in that position if you want to force someone out. With his head in position, Takayasu also swam his left arm forwards hoping to grip Onosato’s belt.

Takayasu touched the belt and Onosato replied in kind. This is where Onosato made a mistake, possibly a yusho costing mistake.

Both men got their fingers into each other’s belts, then Onosato decided to reverse and try and drive Takayasu’s head down for a hatakikomi.

Takayasu had decided to push forwards for an attempted force out.

Onosato conceded the direction of this bout by electing to go backwards. That made Takayasu’s job to push him back very easy. With his feet moving, and close together, Onosato could not stop Takayasu driving him backwards. Takayasu made sure to keep his head close to Onosato’s body to make it hard for Onosato to push him down (in a way that would make him touch dirt first, at least). And his arms around Onosato’s waist made it hard for Onosato to escape out the side.

Onosato tried to balance on one foot and let Takayasu crash out, but he was too far gone over the straw to pull that off.

In retrospect, I’m sure Onosato would choose a different plan of attack. Let’s go back to the screenshot when they both had a hold of each other’s belts.

Onosato would have been better off further securing his grip and then trying to push or lift out Takayasu past the straw there. That being said, Onosato is very flat-footed here. He would have needed to take a step forwards in this position to attempt a force out. When he raised his foot that would have given Takayasu a good opportunity to push him back.

Onosato could have planted his left foot back, to mirror what Takayasu is doing and create a stalemate and long clinch. His youth and athleticism may have meant he got his second wind first and could have done something for the win.

Regardless how it happened, and how it could have been avoided, Takayasu is now in the driving seat for this tournament.

Tomorrow he has a tough match-up with Kirishima. Takayasu is 7-9 against Kirishima and has lost the last four bouts. Onosato has been given a much easier bout against Ura, someone he typically overpowers. He’s 3-0 against Pink Magic.

The last time Takayasu beat Onosato, Onosato came back to win the entire tournament. Will the same thing happen here or will Takayasu be able to hold onto this lead and scoop his first ever top division yusho?

Leave a comment

Takerufuji and Churanoumi are now tied with Onosato on 8-2 records.

Takerufuji breezed through his bout with Shonannoumi (dropping the Big Sho to 1-9).

Churanoumi had to work a lot harder to beat Hakuoho. Hakuoho took Churanoumi’s thrusts away by locking up his arm off the tachiai. That forced a long clinch between the pair. Churanoumi was surprisingly able to push Hakuoho out from that position.

There are five wrestlers tied with 7-3 records. Those are Daieisho, Tamawashi, Meisei and the Ukrainian boys Shishi and Aonishiki.

Daieisho beat Oho in a fun bout on Day 10 as he continues to build his case for a future ozeki promotion.

Tamawashi scored a highlight reel finish over Nishikigi. After giving up his back to Nishikigi, Tamawashi timed a spin perfectly to force his fellow veteran to flop onto his tummy.

Meisei beat Shirokuma on Day 10, outlasting and exhausting the ‘Polar Bear’ before finishing him with an armlock throw. Shishi scored a nice over arm throw on a stubborn Mitakeumi. And Aonishiki brawled with Kotoshoho before executing on a pulling over arm throw.

Kotozakura took another loss on Day 10. He was slapped down by Ichiyamamoto (who is having his best makuuchi tournament ever despite his so-so 6-4 record). Kotozakura is 5-5 now and has Oho next.

There’s no official video of it, but please check out Midorifuji vs. Shodai. Midorifuji went for his katasukashi (under shoulder swing down) on Shodai. However, Shodai defended it and then was able to wrench Midorifuji around and put him down with the rare makiotoshi.

See you tomorrow folks!

Thanks for reading Sumo Stomp!! This post is public so feel free to share it.