2025 Haru Basho: Day 12 results, replays and analysis

Spoilers.

Twelve days down and just three to go!

Our yokozuna left the building a while ago and our field of contenders has shrunk down to a select few including Onosato, Takayasu, Takerufuji, Tamawashi, Shishi, Churanoumi and Aonishiki.

Onosato was the pre-tournament favourite, but names like Aonishiki, Shishi and Tamawashi are delightful surprises.

Today had some pivotal matches to determine which of those runners and riders would continue to stay in with a chance of winning the title. Among those bouts were Aonishiki vs. Meisei, Tamawashi vs. Kirishima and Churanoumi vs. Abi.

Onosato and Takerufuji were paired off together and they had an exciting bout. As did Takayasu and Oho.

Scroll down to see how all those bouts went and find out who is currently in pole position to win this thing.

Bonus gif is Hakuoho taking off!

Buff stuff comign through.

SPOILERS BELOW

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Results

• Kotoshoho (6-6) def. Ryuden (4-8) via abistetaoshi (backward force down)

• Mitakeumi (5-7) def. Takarafuji (3-9) via tsukiotoshi (thrust down) after mono-ii (judges review)*

• Onokatsu (8-4) def. Sadanodumi (6-6) via yorikiri (frontal force out)

• Aonishiki (9-3) def. Meisei (7-5) via oshidashi (frontal push out)*

• Tokihayate (8-4) def. Shonannoumi (2-10) via yorikiri

• Endo (7-5) def. Asakoryu (6-6) via yorikiri*

• Oshoma (7-5) def. Midorifuji (6-6) via kotenage (armlock throw)

• Shirokuma (5-7) def. Shodai (4-8) via yorikiri*

• Hiradoumi (7-6) def. Hakuoho (6-6) via tsukiotoshi*

• Ura (5-7) def. Atamifuji (6-6) via yorkiri

• Nishikigi (2-10) def. Kinbozan (5-7) via sukuinage (beltless arm throw)

• Tobizaru (5-7) def. Ichiyamamoto (6-6) via tuskiotoshi after mono-ii*

• Chiyoshoma (5-7) def. Gonoyama (4-8) via uwatenage (over arm throw) after torinaoshi (rematch)

• Wakatakakage (7-5) def. Takanosho (3-9) via oshidashi*

• Shishi (8-4) def. Wakamotoharu (7-5) via uwatedashinage (pulling over arm throw)*

• Tamawashi (9-3) def. Kirishima (5-7) via oshidashi*

• Abi (5-7) def. Churanoumi (8-4) via oshitaoshi (frontal push down)*

• Takayasu (10-2) def. Oho (4-8) via okuridashi (rear push out)*

• Onosato (10-2) def. Takerufuji (9-3) via hatakikomi (slap down)*

• Kotozakura (7-5) def. Daieisho (8-4) via yorikiri*

*Must see bouts!

Leaderboard

• Oe1 Onosato, M4e Takayasu: 10-2

• M6w Takerufuji, M7w Tamawashi, M15e Aonishiki: 9-3

Analysis

Onosato held his lead in this tournament after defeating Takerufuji on Day 12. And he played his hand perfectly in this bout.

It’s a joy to see Onosato maturing on the dohyo. He still makes mistakes, but he is also showing a lot of improvement, turning himself from very very good to very very very good.

This bout was very similar to their first ever meeting, at last year’s March basho. In that bout Onosato went for the hatakikomi but couldn’t pull it off before being pushed out. Takerufuji would then go on to win the tournament.

In this bout, though, Onosato was able to land the hatakikomi before going out of bounds. The difference between these bouts was that Onosato committed fully to the hatakikomi in his victory, as if he’d planned to use this technique ahead of time. And it’s a good one to use on the hard charging Takerufuji. In the first meeting, though, the hatakikomi was rushed and sloppy.

Here’s that first meeting between them:

In this loss Onosato used the hatakikomi as an emergency option and tried to do it while still holding onto Takerufuji’s belt.

When Onosato pulled on Takerufuji’s belt in this position, he both pulled Takerufuji into his own body and brought himself away to the side. These two things prevented him from executing the slapdown, which needs very forceful vertical pressure to pull off.

In his win last night, Onosato absorbed Takerufuji’s blitz off the tachiai and then immediately went for the hatakikomi (he knew that he had to start it in the middle of the ring if he wanted a chance of completing it against Takerurufji, someone who can move you back very far and very fast).

There was no messing around with the belt this time, either. Instead Onosato primed himself to push straight down on Takerufuji, not pull him towards him.

His jump out of bounds made this look closer than it actually was. In this freeze frame you can see that Onosato still had some space to play with.

Onosato’s losses usually come when he gets flustered and needs to do something spontaneous. That’s going to be an issue until he has a wealth of top division experience to draw from. Right now, his best chance to dominate is to come in with a good game plan and ensure it works. That’s exactly what he did here.

Takayasu kept pace with Onosato on Day 12. He’s also 10-2 thanks to a win over the underperforming Oho. Takayasu wanted to go yotsu-zumo (belt grabbing style) with Oho (who is a oshi-zumo [pushing/thrusting style] practitioner). He got his wish off the tachiai, but he didn’t account for Oho showing some great ottsuke (forearm blocking) to break his grip on the belt. After Oho escaped, Takayasu was relentless. He chased the younger man around the ring before scoring the push out.

Kotozakura put in a good performance on Day 12, perhaps his best of the year, to deny Daieisho. He gave Daieisho the thrusting fight Daieisho would have wanted. But he looked very sturdy in doing so. Daieisho couldn’t knock him off balance and Kotozakura didn’t over-commit to risk himself being pulled forwards. When Daieisho got too close Kotozakura gobbled him up and put him out with his prefered yotsu-zumo.

Kotozakura is now 7-5, just one win away from saving his ozeki rank.

Former ozeki Kirishima took a loss on Day 12 and dropped to 5-7. He lost to his countryman Tamawashi (someone he has a good head-to-head record against). Tamawashi has looked fantastic this tournament and has overwhelmed a lot of opponents with his intensity, violence and raw strength. That’s what he did to Kirishima. He locked onto Kirishima’s throat with one hand and took a handful of flesh with his other. Once locked on he drove forwards and scored the big push out. That puts Tamawashi on 9-3, second behind the leaders.

Aonishiki is 9-3, too. He continued to show he is way ahead of schedule in his development by beating Meisei. Aonishiki’s low centre of gravity and hand speed make him a very good pusher/thruster. I like how much he looks at his opponent, too. He reminds me of the Clint Eastwood anecdote where a prop master remarks that Eastwood was the only man who didn’t close his eyes when he fired a gun. Aonishiki looks very comfortable within the fray and is able to really pick and choose his shots.

Our other Ukrainian Shishi got a big win this day, too. He beat Wakamotoharu (the best opponent he’s ever faced). Nice to see his arms still work after what Atamifuji did to him yesterday.

Tobizaru and Ichiyamamoto had a very fun and predictably chaotic bout on Day 12. Tobizaru won with a photo finish while flailing off the ring.

Ura delighted his hometown crowd on Day 12. He was able to avoid a make-koshi (losing record), but putting his head down and driving out Atamifuji.

Lastly, I want to point out Hiradoumi doing the dirty on Hakuoho. Hiradoumi did a false start on purpose to disguise the henka he would do moments later. Listen to the growns of the Osaka crowd after that.

Tomorrow’s action is highlighted by Onosato vs. Oho and Takayasu vs. Wakamotoharu. Both Onosato and Takayasu have good records against those opponents, so we might see them tied on 11-2 heading into the final weekend.

Takerufuji has Kotozakura tomorrow. Kotozakura will be desperate to get his kachi-koshi (winning record) and get revenge for the humiliating loss he took to Takerufuji last time out.

Tamawashi has Churanoumi, who has fell off since being matched with better opponents. Aonishiki will have the very tough test of Daieisho (who is running out of time to keep his ozeki run alive).

Can’t wait!

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