1. Kirishima. When he's on and healthy, there's no one I find more fun to break down. His sumo can be really smart and creative and have just that right amount of spontaneity.
2. Onosato has to be the front runner. That's my boring pick. My fun pick... Hakuoho.
I'm Hengtee, an Australian based out of Tokyo. I try to get to a basho in Ryogoku once a year.
1. Hakuoho. His makuuchi debut is what got me into sumo in the first place, so I have a real soft spot for him.
2. Onosato because he's just so consistently dominant. Hoshoryu has a good shot too if he's healthy and confident; I want to think he may have been fighting nerves in his debut Yokozuna basho (which definitely seemed to be the case when he debuted as an ozeki, too)
3. As much as I like Midorifuji's new red look, it's got to be black.
I'm a big Hakuoho fan, too. I thought we were going to be talking about him like we are talking about Onosato. If he doesn't become a top wrestler (ozeki or yokozuna), I think we'll have a big "what if" conversation regarding that injury and surgery he went through so early in his career.
Also... he's got the best singing voice in all of sumo.
I wish I could put my finger on why sumo is so good for co-viewing. It's the only sport my wife and I watch together and I hear from so many readers that this is something they watch and enjoy as a couple.
I'm Beth and live in the interior of British Columbia.
1. I love Midorifuji! And not because of his new red mawashi, though that's a winner, too. He's fun to watch, and the size matchup always makes the fights interesting. Kirishima is also a fav. Hit and miss, but he's amazing when it all works out.
2. I agree, Onosato is the man to watch. However, I'd love to see Hoshoryu claim it!
3. Orange, despite the felon currently associated with the colour.
Midorifuji was great to watch in this last basho. It seemed like he was able to get off his signature moves more frequently than in the last few prior tournaments. I'm looking forward to putting those bouts under the microscope to figure out why that was the case.
I'm in the same bout re: Onosato. I'd love to see him get the next cup and move on to yokozuna. But I also love it when we get a maegashira surprise. That Takerufuji run was a lot of fun.
If you had to pick a low ranked guy who could make a run next, who you picking?
Always gonna stop by when I can! And yes, let’s hope so. Can you imagine a Day 15 bout for the cup between an Onosato going for Yokozuna promotion, and the new Yokozuna trying to stamp his authority? Positively mouth watering!
I'm Mary Pat, and I live in Westchester County, NY. (I also write Sumo Stats on substack... I'm a bit behind w/ my spreadsheets for the March basho... I'll get around to it.)
1. I stan Ura. Yeah, yeah, I know. HE'S THE PEOPLE'S YOKOZUNA!
I have a whole group of rikishi I love -- I tend to like the shorter guys, even Tobizaru as he's turned heel. ;)
2. Onosato, and I want him to get Yokozuna, too. I go for the easy picks, what can I say. My second pick would be Hoshoryu, as he comes roaring back... get well Hoshoryu!
I think my question should have the caveat who is your favourite rikishi other than Ura (since Ura should, rightfully, be everyone's favourite rikishi).
Used to watch sumo a bit in the early 00's with my dad, got back to it by chance last January and have been hooked on it and this page ever since. Either the fighting is much more technical nowadays than I remember it or I see it with different eyes but I love the analysis here to help point out the little things that are not obvious to the untrained eye. Excellent work, Tim, thank You.
1. Hoshoryu. The throws are otherworldly but even when he does not use them as much lately his matches are always exciting.
2. Onosato looked unstoppable in March, but I'd love some outsider to go on a run and get it this time instead of just getting agonizingly close like it happened recently with quite a few of them.
3. Red, it stands out and i like it. But I would probably change the color like three times each tournament.
Hello Honza! Good to meet you. I'm so glad you're enjoying this newsletter. I started writing this because I wished there were something like this I could read along with during a tournament to help me appreciate what was going on more. It's really cool to hear when Sumo Stomp! is doing just that for other folks.
Sumo might become a process of "who will stop Onosato?" for the next few years. I'm not afraid of that, though, I think we need to embrace dominant figures in sports and have fun seeing who they handle their various challengers.
Another vote for red! I must admit, I do like Midorifuji in his red get-up.
Ich bin Uta aus dem Osten von Deutschland. Mein absoluter Liebling ist Hoshoryu und im Mai wird er zeigen, wer der Boss ist!!!. Es ist schön, dass er seinen roten Mawashi wieder hervorgeholt hat, kann er ruhig öfters tragen. Viele Grüße und danke an Tim❤️
Hey Uta, danke, dass du vorbeigekommen bist und Deutschland vertrittst! Mir gefällt auch der rote Mawashi von Hoshoryu. Ich würde ihn gerne im Mai gegen Onosato um den Pokal kämpfen sehen.
Asakoryu looked great in the last tournament. I'm glad he got a winning record and will likely stick around in makuuchi for May. I love the smaller guys, since I imagine everything they have been through (in school sumo, stable life) is that much harder because of their size. If someone can make it to makuuchi, while being undersized, that says a lot about their character, toughness and dedication. It's hard to not support someone like that.
I'm also a Tokihayate fan. Was really happy to see him get that kachi-koshi last month.
The pressure is really on Hoshoryu to make a statement after that debut, eh? When healthy, that's the kind of occasion I think he really rises, too. Chris Sumo's latest report says his elbow is not all the way healed, yet. Fingers crossed we see him at his best in May.
Maybe the neon green could distract/blind an opponent off the tachiai?
I'd love Hoshoryu to win and get some critics off his back. I fear it might be a few more tournaments before we see him back to his best. I really hope we get a good yokozuna rivalry between him and Onosato over the coming years. Onosato does so well against the field, but struggles against Hosh. Hosh's struggles are against the field, so we might see him squeezing into play-offs with Onosato and then upsetting him in the future.
And purple is my daughter's favourite colour, too. So she lives cheering for the "purple guys" in sumo (so long as they aren't going against Ura).
His technique is so sharp. I think he's the smartest wrestler out there and I love how he can assess situations, make good decisions and execute in a fraction of a second. His balance is often overlooked, too. For a massive man, he's so light on his feet.
Hey everyone!
I'm Tim and I live north of Toronto.
1. Kirishima. When he's on and healthy, there's no one I find more fun to break down. His sumo can be really smart and creative and have just that right amount of spontaneity.
2. Onosato has to be the front runner. That's my boring pick. My fun pick... Hakuoho.
3. Black. Everyone looks cool in black.
Hey there.
I'm Hengtee, an Australian based out of Tokyo. I try to get to a basho in Ryogoku once a year.
1. Hakuoho. His makuuchi debut is what got me into sumo in the first place, so I have a real soft spot for him.
2. Onosato because he's just so consistently dominant. Hoshoryu has a good shot too if he's healthy and confident; I want to think he may have been fighting nerves in his debut Yokozuna basho (which definitely seemed to be the case when he debuted as an ozeki, too)
3. As much as I like Midorifuji's new red look, it's got to be black.
Hey Hengtee! Welcome in.
I'm a big Hakuoho fan, too. I thought we were going to be talking about him like we are talking about Onosato. If he doesn't become a top wrestler (ozeki or yokozuna), I think we'll have a big "what if" conversation regarding that injury and surgery he went through so early in his career.
Also... he's got the best singing voice in all of sumo.
I guess I'm going to have to find clips of him singing now...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owLiSbIoW7k
I’m all about Wakatakage! My husband and I love Sumo! We live in Peoria, Arizona, USA.
I wish I could put my finger on why sumo is so good for co-viewing. It's the only sport my wife and I watch together and I hear from so many readers that this is something they watch and enjoy as a couple.
It's been really great seeing Wakatakakage on the comeback trail. Couldn't have been easy climbing back up after that knee injury!
Amazing what he's been able to do. He most certainly wasn't 100% when he was fighting his way up through Makushita.
Asanoyama is attempting to do the same thing right now.
Konnichiwa Minnasan!
I am Gill and I live in London, England.
My favourite rikisihi is Ura, closely followed by Takayasu.
I think Onosato will continue his rise and win the next basho.
If I had a mawashi, it would be lime green!
You gotta love Ura! And I was really rooting for Takayasu this month. I'm hoping he's just as strong in May.
I was lucky enough to be in Osaska and attend a day at the basho. It was brilliant!!! Can't wait to go back.
Did anything surprise you about the live experience?
Real name: Don Hollway
Lives in: Central Pennsylvania
Favourite rikishi: Wakatakakage
Pick to win next tournament: Onosato
Mawashi color: Red
Hey! Good to see you in here.
Any particular reason for the red? Or is it like my black pick in that... I just think it looks cool.
It's always been my favorite color. Also, it will minimize the bloodstains when I get the crap beat out of me in the ring!
Hi all!
I'm Beth and live in the interior of British Columbia.
1. I love Midorifuji! And not because of his new red mawashi, though that's a winner, too. He's fun to watch, and the size matchup always makes the fights interesting. Kirishima is also a fav. Hit and miss, but he's amazing when it all works out.
2. I agree, Onosato is the man to watch. However, I'd love to see Hoshoryu claim it!
3. Orange, despite the felon currently associated with the colour.
Hey Beth!
Midorifuji was great to watch in this last basho. It seemed like he was able to get off his signature moves more frequently than in the last few prior tournaments. I'm looking forward to putting those bouts under the microscope to figure out why that was the case.
Hey, how are yinz?
I’m Lawrence Watson. I live about 25 miles south of Pittsburgh in a little town called Monongahela, PA.
My favorite rikishi is Oho followed by Ura.
I think Onosato is probably the safest bet, but I sincerely hope it’s not him. I like new winners.
I’d like my mawashi to be be mint green.
Lawrence! Welcome in.
I'm in the same bout re: Onosato. I'd love to see him get the next cup and move on to yokozuna. But I also love it when we get a maegashira surprise. That Takerufuji run was a lot of fun.
If you had to pick a low ranked guy who could make a run next, who you picking?
I think Hakuoho is a guy who looks like he could make a run from the mid-maegashira pack.
I'm a big Hakuoho backer so I'd love to see that. I think we might also be in for an Abi comeback basho in May.
I'm over in York PA. We're practically neighbors!
Nice!
You guys could recruit some more PA folks and knock California off the top spot!
Hi Sumo Stompers!
My name is Maxx and I live in the Bay, CA.
1. My favorite rikishi right now is Takerufuji. Nothing like tiny ankles and huge shoulders.
2. Onosato looking like he can climb to the top.
3. Mitoryu orange! Favorite color!
Hey Maxx (I will message you back today!)
LOL Yeah, Takerufuji is built like a dorito.
And yes, orange!
tiny ankles and huge shoulders! lol
Hi everyone, I’m JR from the beautiful land of Bavaria, Germany.
1. Hoshoryu. I love his dynamic style and ability to pull off fantastic throws. Also the way he gets pumped up before a bout!
2. Takayasu. He’s gonna do it!
3. Dark Green. Represents nature, growth, and depth!
Hey JR, glad you stopped by.
I hope Hoshoryu is all healed up for May (not many signs of that yet) and we see him fighting to his best ability.
Always gonna stop by when I can! And yes, let’s hope so. Can you imagine a Day 15 bout for the cup between an Onosato going for Yokozuna promotion, and the new Yokozuna trying to stamp his authority? Positively mouth watering!
Something I love about sumo is that, every wrestler has a narrative in every tournament. And all those narratives are on a collision course.
Can’t wait!
Name: Mike
Location: Northern California
Fav: I like Ura, but Tamawashi has become a new fav (don't call him old, call him seasoned haha)
Mawashi: red wun go fasta WAAAAAAGGGHHH
Hmmm... now I'm thinking of a black and white checkerboard mawashi.
Howdy!
I'm Mary Pat, and I live in Westchester County, NY. (I also write Sumo Stats on substack... I'm a bit behind w/ my spreadsheets for the March basho... I'll get around to it.)
1. I stan Ura. Yeah, yeah, I know. HE'S THE PEOPLE'S YOKOZUNA!
I have a whole group of rikishi I love -- I tend to like the shorter guys, even Tobizaru as he's turned heel. ;)
2. Onosato, and I want him to get Yokozuna, too. I go for the easy picks, what can I say. My second pick would be Hoshoryu, as he comes roaring back... get well Hoshoryu!
3. For me, I'd pick red for POWER!
Hey Mary, thanks for stopping by.
I think my question should have the caveat who is your favourite rikishi other than Ura (since Ura should, rightfully, be everyone's favourite rikishi).
Hi,
my name is Honza and i'm from Prague, Czechia.
Used to watch sumo a bit in the early 00's with my dad, got back to it by chance last January and have been hooked on it and this page ever since. Either the fighting is much more technical nowadays than I remember it or I see it with different eyes but I love the analysis here to help point out the little things that are not obvious to the untrained eye. Excellent work, Tim, thank You.
1. Hoshoryu. The throws are otherworldly but even when he does not use them as much lately his matches are always exciting.
2. Onosato looked unstoppable in March, but I'd love some outsider to go on a run and get it this time instead of just getting agonizingly close like it happened recently with quite a few of them.
3. Red, it stands out and i like it. But I would probably change the color like three times each tournament.
🇨🇿😊 land of my father’s forebears! Takanoyama too
Hello Honza! Good to meet you. I'm so glad you're enjoying this newsletter. I started writing this because I wished there were something like this I could read along with during a tournament to help me appreciate what was going on more. It's really cool to hear when Sumo Stomp! is doing just that for other folks.
Sumo might become a process of "who will stop Onosato?" for the next few years. I'm not afraid of that, though, I think we need to embrace dominant figures in sports and have fun seeing who they handle their various challengers.
Another vote for red! I must admit, I do like Midorifuji in his red get-up.
Hallo Leute,
Ich bin Uta aus dem Osten von Deutschland. Mein absoluter Liebling ist Hoshoryu und im Mai wird er zeigen, wer der Boss ist!!!. Es ist schön, dass er seinen roten Mawashi wieder hervorgeholt hat, kann er ruhig öfters tragen. Viele Grüße und danke an Tim❤️
Hey Uta, danke, dass du vorbeigekommen bist und Deutschland vertrittst! Mir gefällt auch der rote Mawashi von Hoshoryu. Ich würde ihn gerne im Mai gegen Onosato um den Pokal kämpfen sehen.
Hey there,
I'm one of the french reader, started watching Sumo around summer 2023, and more seriously with november 2024 basho.
I also started doing (amateur) Sumo in september and I love it even though my 30+ years old body has a different opinion on the matter!
I don't have *one* favorite rikishi, but i would say that I look forward to see the next bouts of Asakoryu, Aonishiki and Ura!
The next tournament is obvisously for Hoshoryu, can't wait to see to see him dominate again!
My mawashi would probably be orange because as my wife would say "it goes well with everything"
Hey Bobu, thanks for checking in.
Asakoryu looked great in the last tournament. I'm glad he got a winning record and will likely stick around in makuuchi for May. I love the smaller guys, since I imagine everything they have been through (in school sumo, stable life) is that much harder because of their size. If someone can make it to makuuchi, while being undersized, that says a lot about their character, toughness and dedication. It's hard to not support someone like that.
That's a few people who have picked orange!
Yeah and it's nice to see "regular" sized guy at this level: "with only a few more kg* I could compete with them"
(* and a lifetime of training/dedication, but let's conveniently ignore that)
Hello fellow Sumo fans!
Name is William Shutters -- also called Chris by some. Either name is good.
I live in Colorado Springs, CO. Been watching/tracking Grand Sumo on and off since 1999.
1. I have lots of favorites. Midorifuji, Takayasu, Tokihayate (sympathy for the small rikishi), Shishi, Aonishiki, Hoshoryu.
2. I would like to see Onosato, but I have a feeling Hoshoryu will come roaring back this time out!
3. Someone already said it, but a really bright neon green. The shade that hurts the eye, it is so bright!
Hey William, good to hear from you.
I'm also a Tokihayate fan. Was really happy to see him get that kachi-koshi last month.
The pressure is really on Hoshoryu to make a statement after that debut, eh? When healthy, that's the kind of occasion I think he really rises, too. Chris Sumo's latest report says his elbow is not all the way healed, yet. Fingers crossed we see him at his best in May.
Maybe the neon green could distract/blind an opponent off the tachiai?
There are so many people here! Very cool.
I’m Dan. I live in Washington state.
Favorite: Kotozakura - I just enjoy watching the guy throw down! Hoping next Basho is stronger for him!
Predicted Winner: Hoshoryu - This is more of a hope than anything. Really want to see him come back strong after the injury/rough start to his run.
Mawashi: Purple - Always been my favorite color and I feel like it’s uncommon out there!
I'd love Hoshoryu to win and get some critics off his back. I fear it might be a few more tournaments before we see him back to his best. I really hope we get a good yokozuna rivalry between him and Onosato over the coming years. Onosato does so well against the field, but struggles against Hosh. Hosh's struggles are against the field, so we might see him squeezing into play-offs with Onosato and then upsetting him in the future.
And purple is my daughter's favourite colour, too. So she lives cheering for the "purple guys" in sumo (so long as they aren't going against Ura).
Kotozakura is great to watch. So technical in the way he dismantles his opposition and shuts down their options.
His technique is so sharp. I think he's the smartest wrestler out there and I love how he can assess situations, make good decisions and execute in a fraction of a second. His balance is often overlooked, too. For a massive man, he's so light on his feet.