Hoshoryu Secures Dramatic Sumo Victory, Impacting New Year Lead

Hoshoryu (8-3) secured a winning record thanks to a desperate arm bar throw at the edge against sekiwake Takayasu (7-4), who had the better of the opening clash and used his size advantage to advance before being sent out of the raised ring at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan. Yokozuna Onosato (7-4) breathed a huge sigh of relief after ending his three-bout losing run, knocking sekiwake Kirishima (8-3) off the top of the leaderboard in the process. The grand champion opened with a right shoulder barge and drove forward for a comfortable force-out win. Ukrainian star Aonishiki (9-2) secured an anti-climax win over No. 3 maegashira Hakunofuji (5-6), whose left foot landed awkwardly following an opening tussle before he collapsed. The Ukrainian star was named the winner with an underarm throw. After beating out-of-sorts yokozuna over the last two days, Atamifuji (9-2) enjoyed a solid win over Fujinokawa (7-4) after the No. 4 maegashira locked the agile No. 7 maegashira's arm and forced him out to continue his nine-bout winning run. No. 12 maegashira Abi (9-2) jumped straight out of the way to his left against also in-form Shishi (8-3) before the former sekiwake thrust the Ukrainian No. 14 maegashira out of the ring to also keep his share of the lead. Resurgent former ozeki Asanoyama (8-3) secured a winning record on his return to makuuchi after the No. 16 maegashira, the first wrestler to twice climb back up to the top division from the fourth-tier sandanme, seized a firm left-overarm belt hold en route to a force-out win. "I was able to keep my opponent right in front of me," said Asanoyama, whose injuries to both knees in 2024 triggered his second big drop in the rankings. "I lost on the first day here, but my knees and foot movements are both getting better gradually." Ozeki Kotozakura (7-4) had a damaging defeat for his title hopes after his soft opening charge was easily exploited during a force-out loss to No. 3 maegashira Takanosho (2-9). No. 16 maegashira Oshoumi (8-3) won to stay in the title race.