Let’s talk Hoshoryu. He’s one of the most exciting, and unique, rikishi to watch, as he packages his super-sized judo with his grumpy-cat demeanour. The Nagoya basho in August marked the one-year anniversary of his lone yusho and the tournament that would make him an ozeki.
Since then Hoshoryu has been excellent, though he’s yet to snag a second Emperor’s Cup. He came closest in March, finishing second place to the improbable Takerufuji.
This Nagoya basho ended in disappointment for The Rising Dragon. He was on a 8-3 run before meeting Kotozakura on Day 12. He beat his fellow ozeki that day, but it would cost him. A knee injury sustained (or aggravated) in that bout forced him out of the crucial final three days of the tournament.
Before the basho Sumo Stomp! readers selected Hoshoryu as the recipient of my ‘spotlight’. Because of that, today I am breaking down — in detail — how Hoshoryu performed in Nagoya.
I hope you enjoy it (and please forgive me for how late I’ve been with this one!).
Day 1 vs. Atamifuji (loss via yorikiri)
Day 1 of the Nagoya tournament did not go to plan for Hoshoryu. Atamifuji was able to defend his attacks and crowd him out along the boundary. Atamifuji is a bad match-up for Hoshoryu, as evidenced by his 3-2 record against the ozeki. Atamifuji’s defensive belt-wrestling and wide stance is what causes Hoshoryu so many problems. Atamifuji’s strong belt grips allow him to tug Hoshoryu back when Hoshoryu tries to twist for a throw and his wide stance makes it difficult for Hoshoryu to lever Atamifuji’s knee over his own knee (a key component to his arsenal of throws).
In the above video Hoshoryu attacked at the 20 second mark, placing his right leg on the inside of Atamifuji’s left leg. Hoshoryu wasn’t going for a throw here, though, it’s the wrong leg to do that on. Instead he tried to wrap his toes around Atamifuji’s shin and then drag his foot out from under him. This is the move he will complete against Shonannoumi on Day 10.
Atamifuji recognized the danger, though, and immediately widened his stance and stepped outside of Hoshoryu’s leg. In doing so he was also able to fully complete a migi-yotsu grip (right arm inside, left arm outside with both hands on the belt). Hoshoryu responded to that by matching the grip, identically. When this happened, though, Hoshoryu signed himself up for a battle of strength (and size). Against Atamifuji, he’s going to lose that battle more often than not.
At the 46 second mark of the video Atamifuji started an assault, wrenching Hoshoryu upwards and marching forwards towards the boundary. Hoshoryu attempted a throw during this move (hoping Atamifuji’s forward momentum would help him), but Atamifuji’s solid grip on the belt meant he was able to twist and elevate Hoshoryu during the attempt, effectively nullifying it.
Hoshoryu is the greatest thrower in the game, but his lack of brawn and bulk means he’s not strong to force very large/defensively sound opponents over.
Hoshoryu starts 0-1 on this tournament. Curiously he’s lost the opening bout 9 out of 23 times during his career in the makuuchi (including the last three in a row).
Day 2 vs. Hiradoumi (win via oshidashi)
Hoshoryu quickly got back on track on Day 2 of this tournament. He was likely relieved to see he was matched up with Hiradoumi. He’s 5-0 against the newest komusubi, including this victory here.
Hiradoumi knows the dangers of getting caught by Hoshoryu’s throws. Look at this beautiful kakenage (hooking inner thigh throw) he got him with in the 2023 Nagoya basho.
This time around Hiradoumi seemed determined not to get too close to Hoshoryu. He was very busy with his hands in an attempt to make sure Hoshoryu could not underhook him or touch his belt. I think Hiradoumi sacrificed a lot of power and accuracy for speed in this exchange, though. His thrusts were bothersome to Hoshoryu, but they did not move him backwards. Hoshoryu was also able to parry a lot of them. When Hiradoumi realized this, he let Hoshoryu come forwards and tried to slap him down.
However, Hoshoryu remained calm and balanced and was able to avoid the slap down attempt and score a relatively easy push out on a moving and off-balance target.
Day 3 vs. Mitakeumi (win via yorikiri)
On Day 3 Hoshoryu met a similar threat to the one posed by Atamifuji on Day 1. In their bout Mitkaeumi immediately tried to lock up a hidari-yotsu grip (left arm inside, right arm outside). He was able to complete half of this, with his sashite on his left side. Hoshoryu immediately recognized what Mitakeumi was going for, though, and he was able to stop it.
He knew that Mitakeumi wanted to get his right hand onto his belt. To stop this Hoshoryu twisted to his right (by pulling on the outside grip he snatched up with his right hand) and used his left arm to keep Mitakeumi’s right arm high, thus preventing him being able to reach for the belt. Hoshoryu also shook his hips to break Mitakeumi’s grip with his left hand.
With Mitakeumi unable to complete the grip, and with him being bent over to one side, Hoshoryu was able to find an opportunity to move the bigger man back and score a quiet (but highly technical) yorikiri (frontal force out).
Day 4 vs. Gonoyama (loss via tsukidashi)
Hoshoryu vs. Gonoyama has become one of the must-watch bouts of any basho.
It all started last November. This was their second time meeting. This bout is remembered for the stare down that took place between them. Sumo Jason (who I recommend you subscribe to) has the video:
Here, the newly minted ozeki, felt he deserved deference from Gonoyama (who was only in his second makuuchi tournament). Deference for Hoshoryu looks like your opponent getting set and putting their hands down first.
Since this incident the bouts between Hoshoryu and Gonoyama have been very spicy. And Hoshoryu has often given Gonoyama an extra shove off the ring and a dagger-like stare.
I personally think this drama is a little sad and not something Hoshoryu, who is a phenomenal athlete and generational rikishi, needs to bother himself with. I think it adds unnecessary baggage to these bouts and give Gonoyama more motivation to bring his A game every time they fight.
In Nagoya, Hoshoryu again made Gonoyama squat for a long time before he would join him in position. All that extra time to get ready seemed to have served Gonoyama well, though. Gonoyama looked very focused in the tachiai and he came out like a cannonball as soon as Hoshoryu touched down.
Hoshoryu has managed to throw Gonoyama (and many others) while being pushed back, but on this occasion Gonoyama was able to get him out quickly and without much fuss.
I think Gonoyama is a monster of Hoshoryu’s own making and if that costs him a big opportunity in the future then he’ll only have himself to blame. My biggest critique of Hoshoryu is that he sometimes gets drawn into mind-games and tit-for-tat exchanges with his competitors. For how skilled he is, I just want him to be above all that. I don’t think this ‘edge’ adds anything beneficial to his game. I think it only detracts.
This loss to Gonoyama put him at 2-2, already two wins behind our eventual winner Terunofuji.
Day 5 vs, Wakamotoharu (win via oshitaoshi)
This is another spicy match-up for Hoshoryu. Though, I think Wakamotoharu deserves much of the blame here. In this bout Hoshoryu gives Wakamotoharu a little look after dumping him off the ring. Those looks, and extra pushes at times, have been common in their matches since last year’s Nagoya tournament.
Last year Hoshoryu was fighting to earn his ozeki promotion. He came into Day 14 at 10-3. He needed to win his last two bouts to secure the promotion. This is what happened against Wakamotoharu that day:
I think the look from Hoshoryu tells us everything we need to know about how he felt about Wakamotoharu using a henka in one of the most important bouts of his career.
Hoshoryu is 5-0 versus Wakamotoharu since then (and has used a henka himself a few times).
In this most recent bout, Hoshoryu recognized that Wakamotoharu would go for his hidari-yotsu grip (something Wakamotoharu goes for in every bout). Hoshoryu gave him the sashite on his right side. He then circled and used that sashite to his own advantage, pulling Wakamotoharu across the ring and scoring the easy push out.
When you watch that replay back, watch with the understanding that Hoshoryu knows Wakamotoharu will be reaching with his left arm towards his belt. Then you’ll see how perfectly timed Hoshoryu is in pulling away and bringing Wakamotoharu through all that empty space.
An easy win for Hoshoryu in the end. It moved him to 3-2.
Day 6 vs. Ura (win via tsukidashi)
Day 6’s win over Ura came after a torinaoshi (immediate rematch). Below is their initial bout, which was deemed too close to call by the shimpan (judges).
In the first bout Hoshoryu went for Ura’s belt off the tachiai. He got it, but he also stood still long enough for Ura to get an opposing grip. By standing still, Hoshoryu also conceded Ura the time and space to step forwards with his right leg. Once Ura did that he was able to drive Hoshoryu back and almost get the win.
In the rematch, Hoshoryu thought better of attacking the belt. This time he went for Ura’s shoulder’s off the tachiai. The result is Ura skidding backwards. With Ura on the move Hoshoryu then started thrusting with an upwards motion. This forced Ura to stand up more, taking away Ura’s driving power from that hunched position he loves so much.
Hoshoryu moved to 4-2 with this win. There was luck involved, but Hoshoryu’s adjustment in the second bout was excellent and deserving of victory.
Day 7 vs. Kirishima (loss via hikiotoshi)
Hoshoryu vs. Kirishima is my favourite head-to-head match-up in sumo. There’s a rivalry here, but it’s not bitter like Hoshoryu’s feuds with Gonoyama and Wakamotoharu. These two trained judo together in Mongolia as teens and in sumo, their rivalry brings out the best in them (not the worst). They are definitely more ‘frenemies’ than enemies. And I think we can see that by how Hoshoryu squats down with Kirishima (I made this gif longer to accommodate that).
Hoshoryu squats in sync with Kirishima even though Kirishima has just been demoted to a rank below him. I feel like this is Hoshoryu telling Kirishima he still respects him and sees him as an ozeki quality wrestler (perhaps recognizing that injuries and stable upheavals have played a role in Kirishima’s poor 2024 form).
The bout itself is over quickly. Kirishima caught Hoshoryu with a nice nodowa (throat thrust) and used that to angle Hoshoryu’s gaze upwards. Hoshoryu likely didn’t see how far Kirishima scooted back after that. When Hoshoryu’s momentum brought him back down, Kirishima was there to help him to the ground with a hand on his shoulder.
That brought Hoshoryu’s record against Kirishima to 8-9. Kirishima has won the last three bouts.
When these two meet it’s a battle to see who can react the quickest and with the most creativity. I still believe that a healthy and focused Kirishima is the best rikishi not named Terunofuji on the planet. So I don’t begrudge Hoshoryu for losing this bout.
This put him at 4-3. And, at this point, it felt unlikely that he’d be one of the guys challenging Terunofuji in the second week of the tournament.
Day 8 vs. Daieisho (win via hatakikomi)
On Day 8 Hoshoryu was gifted one of the least creative opponents he’d face this tournament. Daieisho has one gear and one direction and Hoshoryu is far too good to stand in front of him and allow himself to pushed back in a straight line.
Hoshoryu knew Daieisho was not going to touch his belt, so he was able to neglect defense of that area. Instead he could put his hands on the back of Daieisho’s neck and pull him down as he steps rather daintily to one side.
That win gave him a 10-4 record against Daieisho. He’s won the past five bouts. It also gave him a 5-3 record on the basho.
Day 9 vs. Tobizaru (win via uwatedashinage)
On Day 9 Hoshoryu met a potential banana peel in the form of Tobizaru. Hoshoryu struggles with Tobizaru (he has a 14-9 record against him). Hoshoryu is excellent at countering other rikishi’s moves. He does this because he either knows their reputation or he reads their set-ups. The only thing anyone knows about Tobizaru’s game is that he’s ready to do whatever, whenever. And he doesn’t exactly set up his moves, they just seem to randomly pour out of him. It’s fantastic.
In this bout Hoshoryu clearly came in with a “not today Satan” mind-set and decided to avoid Tobizaru’s exquisite BS with a henka. That moved him to 6-3 and helped him build some momentum heading into the crucial last five days of the tournament.
Day 10 vs. Shonannoumi (win via sotogake)
On Day 10 Hoshoryu was matched with Shonannoumi. This was their first ever meeting.
I’ve long criticized Shonannoumi for seemingly not paying attention to what is happening below the belt when he fights. This makes Hoshoryu the worst possible match-up for him.
This is what Hoshoryu tried to do against Atamifuji. Atamifuji noticed, though, and moved his feet. Shonannoumi didn’t have much of a chance to move out of the way of it. Hoshoryu was able to catch him with his feet very close together. This meant he started falling pretty quickly once Hoshoryu started attacking that foot.
This win didn’t teach us much about Hoshoryu. We already knew he was far better than Shonannoumi.
Day 11 vs. Abi (win via sakatottari)
On Day 11 Hoshoryu was given a tougher test with Abi. Like with other pure thrusters, Hoshoryu has a decent record against Abi (11-4). As we saw with Atamifuji, Hoshoryu struggles when people can counter his offence with a tight grip on his belt. When Hoshoryu doesn’t need to worry about keeping hands away from his belt, he can focus on parrying thrusts and looking for creative solutions.
Abi did what Kirishima did to Hoshoryu, in immediately pushing his throat and forcing him to look up. However, instead of backing away, Abi went forward. It was easier for Hoshoryu to notice Abi’s upper half coming forwards than it was for him to notice Kirishima’s lower half moving backwards. As a result, Hoshoryu was able to track Abi well and not get bullied out of the ring.
As Abi came for his throat, Hoshoryu smartly stayed connected to him, hanging on him to prevent himself falling backwards out of the ring. After surviving the push out he used great footwork to step around Abi and find an angle to pull on his out-stretched right arm.
I would have liked to see Abi try the move Kirishima did here. It’s something he does often enough. It would have been helpful to see if Hoshoryu could defend it after his experience against Kirishima a few days ago.
This win over machine-gun arm put him at 8-3, tied with Kotozakura and two wins behind Terunofuji. With him and Kotozakura matched up for Day 12, it finally felt like Hoshoryu had an outside shot of contending for the cup.
Day 12 vs. Kotozakura (win via kubinage)
On Day 12 Hoshoryu scored an excellent win, but at a terrible cost. Hoshoryu has shown a tremendous amount of balance and flexibility in his career. However, there comes a point where limbs just don’t want to bend that way. In this win over Kotozakura, Hoshoryu is forced to hyper-extend his left knee. It must have been very painful. And that action risked tearing ligaments or even dislocating his knee-cap. Thankfully it seems Hoshoryu may have avoided a catastrophic injury here.
The bout itself is another great chess match (played at hyper speed) between Hoshoryu and Kotozakura. In this bout Kotozakura tried to keep Hoshoryu’s arms high, to prevent the chances of a throw. However, he didn’t bank on Hoshoryu having the strength to elevate his leg as high as he did. Kotozakura was also hoping to keep Hoshoryu chest-to-chest in this bout. But Hoshoryu reacted quickly, and intelligently, in getting his body side-on to Kotozakura as soon as he could to give himself the opportunity for a throw.
At this point I noticed that this was the only throw Hoshoryu had performed in this entire tournament.
I wonder if we’re witnessing a turning point in Hoshoryu’s career. In the previous basho I thought Hoshoryu was fighting hurt and it looked like he was avoiding throws. In this tournament, as we’ve seen, the only other throw he went for was a desperation move against Atamifuji. The fact he went for a throw here I think shows how dangerous of an opponent Kotozakura is for him. Hoshoryu likely doesn’t fancy his changes of beating him in a pushing contest and he perhaps reluctantly went for this throw when he felt himself being pushed back in this must-win bout.
Hoshoryu might have already known that his sumo might have to change if he wants to make the most out of his body. Getting hurt on the only throw he performed may have solidified that.
This reminds me of what happened to the legendary yokozuna Chiyonofuji. He had to change his sumo early in his career due to multiple shoulder dislocations. This forced him to stop throwing opponents as often and instead look for quick force-out victories. The change in style would usher in the best period of his career and help make him a household name and immortal icon of the sport.
Conclusion
How good was Hoshoryu this tournament? Very good. He found ways to win throughout this tournament that didn’t put his body on the line. Those included the trip on Shonannoumi, the henka on Tobizaru, the deft side-steps on Daieisho and Abi, and the perfectly timed slingshot move on Wakamotoharu.
Unfortunately, against his toughest opponent (Kotozakura), Hoshoryu had to sacrifice his body for the win. This could be a sign that the Hoshoryu who got himself to ozeki might need to transform into something else to get past that rank and reach the ultimate goal.
If this happens, we’ll lose a lot of what has made Hoshoryu great. But if we want to see him compete in this sport for years to come, we’ll need to be at peace with that. At just 25-years-old Hoshoryu is still improving as an athlete (physically and mentally). To keep winning, without those knee and back punishing throws, and compete with Kotozakura, Kirishima and Terunofuji (for however long he’s here), I think Hoshoryu might need to finally come good on his promise to put on more weight (he’s one of the lightest wrestlers for his height in the division) and then give himself a chance of being able to force out the heavier and defensively sound yotsu practitioners who have given him trouble in the past.
Also, as he matures, hopefully he’ll let go of the little feuds that mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.
I hope you enjoyed this deep dive on Hoshoryu. I really enjoyed viewing his whole body of work in Nagoya and noticing how his sumo might already be transitioning towards a new style.
If you have feedback, please drop them in the comments below. You can also shoot me a message here on Substack or through email.
OK, the Nagoya tournament is now fully put to bed. Now it’s time for the aki basho. See you on Sunday!
Excellent analysis! I am thankful for you pointing out how exactly Hoshoryu's knee got injured. Some of the Judo-based throws can obviously be dangerous to the thrower when used against men who are this massive (e.g. Kotazakura).
I do love watching this Rikishi in the doyho.
Really appreciated your analysis - especially as a big fan of Hoshoryu (or “I’ll-show-you!”, as the hubs and I like to call him; scowls, glares and all.😏). Have always admired his judo skills but wondered when those killer throws would take their toll. Your insight certainly spoke to that and I’m also intrigued to see how his sumo skills evolve; particularly after the cringe-worthy potential knee damage to get that last win over Kotozakura!😅 Thanks and keep up the fab work.🙏🏽