2025 Hatsu Basho: Day 4 results, replays and analysis

Now with spoilers!

Wow, this basho.

We’ve had a lot of surprising incidents so far in this tournament and more of those cropped up on Day 4.

We also had some great matches. Those include Ura vs. Takayasu, Hoshoryu vs. Takanosho and Oho vs. Daieisho.

Our headliner was the grudge match between Terunofuji and Tobizaru. And, of course, that was must-see TV.

Scroll down for complete results, lots of videos and my commentary/analysis on what went down.

Bonus gif is Gonoyama doing what my four-year-old does when we ask her to smile for a picture.

SPOILERS BELOW

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Results

• Tokihayate (3-1) def. Kagayaki (0-4) via yorikiri (frontal force out)

• Kitanowaka (2-2) def. Nishikifuji (2-2) via yorikiri

• Kinbozan (4-0) def. Tamashoho (1-3) via tsukidashi (frontal thrust out)

• Shonannoumi (1-3) def. Hakuoho (3-1) via hatakikomi (slap down)*

• Nishikigi (3-1) def. Kotoshoho (1-3) via hikiotoshi (hand pull down)

• Onokatsu (2-2) def. Midorifuji (1-3) via yorikiri*

• Tamawashi (4-0) def. Takerufuji (3-1) via oshidashi (frontal push out)*

• Churanoumi (2-2) def. Meisei (1-3) via tsukiotoshi (thrust down)

• Oshoma (2-2) def. Mitakeumi (2-2) via hatakikomi*

• Ichiyamamoto (3-1) def. Takarafuji (0-4) via oshitaoshi (frontal push down)

• Chiyoshoma (4-0) def. Endo (1-3) via tsukidashi*

• Ura (2-2) def. Takayasu (2-2) via tsutaezori (under arm forward body drop)*

• Gonoyama (3-1) def. Hiradoumi (1-3) via oshidashi*

• Wakatakakage (2-2) def. Atamifuji (0-4) via katasukashi (under shoulder swing down)*

• Shodai (1-3) def. Wakamotoharu (1-3) via tsukiotoshi

• Oho (4-0) def. Daieisho (3-1) via hikiotoshi*

• Abi (3-1) def. Onosato (2-2) via hikiotoshi*

• Hoshoryu (4-0) def. Takanosho (0-4) via tsukiotoshi*

• Kirishima (1-3) def. Kotozakura (1-3) via yorikiri*

• Tobizaru (3-1) def. Terunofuji (2-2) via okuridashi (rear push out)*

Must see bouts!

Leaderboard

• O1w Hoshoryu, M3w Oho, M5w Chiyoshoma, M10e Tamawashi, M14w Kinbozan: 4-0

• S1w Daieisho, K1e Abi, M2e Tobizaru, M3e Gonoyama, five others: 3-1

Analysis

Good lord what a day of upsets we just had. Tobizaru defeated his nemesis Terunoufuji, Kirishima out muscled Kotozakura, Abi bewitched Onosato, Tamawashi schooled Takerufuji and Oho beat down Daieisho… Let’s get into it.

Terunofuji vs. Tobizaru has been a marquee match-up ever since Tobizaru upset (in both senses of the word) the yokozuna with a kick to his battered knee. Since then their bouts have been extra spicy.

The latest installment of their feud can be viewed below:

I’ve had questions about Terunofuji’s fitness all tournament. This match gave us further evidence that he is pretty far away from optimal shape. His turning and limping away from Tobizaru on the ending push out does not bode well for his future in this tournament.

Tobizaru needs a ton of credit, though. He’s been on fire this tournament. In this match he did a great job of not letting Terunofuji stick to him off the tachiai. Once he won that separation he excelled at the range battle, keeping Terunofuji at arm’s length and sniping him with pushes to the chest. Terunofuji was able to get an armlock on his left side, but he didn’t have the strength to turn that into a throw or to fight past Tobizaru’s free arm to lock up a potential kimedashi (arm barring force out).

After the bout, as some zabuton began to fly, Terunofuji gave a reverent looking nod to Tobizaru. That’s nice to see. During some of the past bouts Tobizaru, after losing efforts, would respond with a ‘s**t bow’.

Tobizaru now stands 3-1. And he earned that record the hard way, beating the yokozuna and two ozeki. His only loss was to Hoshoryu. And Hoshoryu continued to look untouchable on Day 4.

The boys at Tatsunami-beya need to start practicing their wire skills. If Hoshoryu keeps this performance up they’ll be fitting him the big rope next month.

On Day 4 Hoshoryu powered past Takanosho (who is a surprising 0-4).

Hoshoryu decided to go toe-to-toe, or thrust-to-thrust, with Takanosho (a more practised power thruster). He also used plenty of nodowa (throat thrusts), a move he fell in love with in November. That’s Takanosho’s jam, but Hoshoryu was able to rock him with a few great shots under the chin.

Takanosho was able to steal back some momentum, though, and force Hoshoryu backwards. As he did that, Hoshoryu elite ring/body awareness took over and he shifted his hips, grabbed onto Takanosho’s elbow and launched him off the ring. I implore you to watch that ending in slow motion and marvel at how Hoshoryu managed to get Takanosho out without stepping to the side. He pivots on his feet, by remains still, moving Takanosho around him, not past him.

Incredible stuff from the clear-cut leader of this tournament.

What do you think folks, can he keep this up?

Hoshoryu’s path to the cup (and promotion) grew wider thanks to what happened with the other ozeki, too.

Kotozakura, who is looking very out of sorts this tournament, lost to Kirishima (his first win of the basho). Kirishima engaged Kotozakura in a grappling bout (which Kotozakura would normally prefer). But Kirishima looked much stronger in that position and got Kotozakura out somewhat easily. That loss took Kotozakura down to 1-3. Given how he’s looked so far, Kotozakura might be carrying an injury.

Onosato must really hate the sight of Abi now. After today’s loss, that’s three in a row he’s dropped to the Troll King. Abi is now 3-2 against Onosato. Only Hoshoryu and Kotozakura have better head-to-head records against the young phenom. In this most recent bout Abi caught him with the same combo he used on the last day of the aki basho (a tournament Onosato had already won).

He caught Onosato’s throat off the tachiai, pushed it backwards and then teleported out of there.

That loss dropped Onosato to 2-2 and raised Abi to 3-1.

Oho is currently tied with Hoshoryu with a 4-0 record. He’s looked fantastic this tournament. In beating Daieisho he completed a perfect sweep of the komusubi and sekiwake ranks.

I feel like Oho’s mental maturity has caught up with his body and we’re seeing him bring far more intelligence and intensity to his sumo this tournament. Those mental attributes, paired with Oho’s physique, could be a very successful combination for him moving forwards.

Against Daieisho, below, he showed toughness in taking Daieisho’s best shots and then great timing as he latched onto one of the Battle Pug’s arms and used that to pull him down and out. Oho also showed great awareness and balance as he surfed the straw.

Tamawashi is also 4-0. The 40-year-old got there by putting a beating on the young buck Takerufuji. Takeurufji tried to get under Tamawashi’s armpits to control his thrusts, but Tamawashi was too strong and his nodowa had Takerufuji sliding backwards. Takerufuji grimaced as he hopped off the dohyo. I hope that’s nothing serious.

Ura vs. Takayasu is a bout I have to share. In this bout the Peach Prince was able to add another highlight to his growing reel. Watch below as he catches Takayasu with the rare tsutaezori (something he tried and missed in the last tournament).

Other bouts of note this day include Gonoyama getting his first ever win against Hiradoumi. Those two met in the middle of the ring and went at each other like stags. It was Gonoyama who was able to land the bigger shots, though, and get Hiradoumi stepping backwards and over the straw.

Atamifuji lost to Wakatakakage to go 0-4. The youngster has had a real tough time this tournament and against Wakatakakage his Achilles Heel was on full display. Atamifuji has a tendancy to lean too far into his opponents (with his head eclipsing where his toes are on the dirt). This often leads to him being pulled face down onto the clay (like he was last night).

Kinbozan and Chiyoshoma are also on 4-0 records. I don’t expect them to be serious contenders for the cup, though. Kinbozan has looked pretty good at the lower rankings, having committed fully to his thrusting game. Chiyoshoma has been as tricky as usual and come through some exciting back-and-forth bouts.

Tomorrow’s glamour matches are Terunofuji vs. Gonoyama (I picked Gonoyama to get a kinboshi in my fantasy competition!), Hoshoryu vs. Atamifuji (Atamifuji has a 4-3 record in this match-up), Oho vs. Onosato (Oho’s never beaten Onosato) and Kotozakura vs. Shodi (both of them are struggling on 1-3 records this tournament).

We’ve also got the all chaos match-up on deck with Tobizaru vs. Ura!

It’s going to be a great night of sumo.

Enjoy!

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