Sumo

Kyushu Basho: Onosato Dispatches Hiradoumi to Open Ozeki Career with a Win

The ozeki grappler is the odds-on favorite in Fukuoka with grand champion Terunofuji sitting out the 15-day Kyushu Basho due to injury.

by
Jim Armstrong
November 10, 2024

Onosato defeated top maegashira Hiradoumi on Sunday, November 10 to pick up his first win as an ozeki on the opening day of the Kyushu Basho.

Pushed back to the edge in Sunday's featured bout at Fukuoka Kokusai Center, Onosato deployed a thrust-down technique at the edge to ensure he starts off his ozeki career with a victory.

After winning the Autumn Basho as a sekiwake, the 24-year-old native of Ishikawa Prefecture became the fastest wrestler to reach ozeki since the start of the Showa era in 1926, needing only nine meets after turning professional.

With grand champion Terunofuji absent due to injury, Onosato is the favorite in the 15-day meet, which is officially called the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.

In the day's final bout, komusubi Shodai shoved Kotozakura right back to the edge seconds after the face-off. But the ozeki grappler deftly shifted to his side and thrust his opponent down for the opening-day win.

Wakatakakage Upsets Kirishima

There was only one major upset on Sunday. No 2 maegashira Wakatakakage got a left-hand grip on the belt of Kirishima and used a perfectly timed underarm throw at the edge of the ring to topple the former ozeki grappler.

Sekiwake Kirishima went 12-3 in the previous tourney and comes into the Kyushu Basho as a strong contender to lift the Emperor's Cup.

Mongolian ozeki Hoshoryu got a left-handed grip of Oho immediately after the face-off and shoved the top maegashira out over the edge for a convincing win.

Komusubi Wakamotoharu, Wakatakakage's brother, shoved out third-ranked maegashira Abi to open with a forceful victory.

Wakamotoharu was a third-ranked maegashira in the previous tournament but was promoted to komusubi for the Kyushu Basho.

Sumo's ironman Tamawashi, who will turn 40 on Saturday, November 16, spun Takarafuji around after the face-off and drove him out from behind to pick up his first win.

Tamawashi is currently ranked at No 11 maegashira. Takarafuji is one rank higher at No 10.

Successful Start for Takerufuji at the Kyushu Basho

Further down the ranks, Takerufuji displayed impressive footwork at the edge when he swatted down fellow rank-and-filer Asakoryu to kick off his Kyushu campaign on a winning note.

Takerufuji, 24 at the time, stunned the sumo world when he won the 2024 Spring Basho in March with a 13-2 record.

But he injured his right ankle and dropped down to the juryo ranks before earning his way back up to the elite division by winning the juryo division championship in September with a 13-2 record.

Shishi Wins Makuuchi Debut

Ukrainian Shishi, who is making his debut in the elite makuuchi ranks, got a double-handed grip on the belt of Tokihayate and shoved the No 15 maegashira out with a frontal force-out.

Shishi, who is fighting as a No 16 maegashira, put together back-to-back winning records in the juryo division in his previous two tournaments to earn promotion to the top ranks.

Author: Jim Armstrong

The author is a longtime journalist who has covered sports in Japan for over 25 years. You can find his articles on SportsLook.