GRAND SUMO: Day 8 of the July 2025 Tournament – GRAND SUMO Highlights

Konicha and thanks for joining us on Grand Sumo Highlights. It’s day eight, the halfway point of the July tournament. Newly promoted Yokosa Onoto is one of the front runners as we head into day eight in Naguya. Winning a championship as a new Yokosa is no easy task, but Onosato isn’t shying away from the challenge. Onos is tied for first place with several others hot on his heels. With week two just around the corner, we’re in for a fierce battle all the way to the finish. We’re set for day eight here in Naguya. Let the battles begin. We start with Shishi 3 and four meeting a jurial man Nishi Kigi 3 and four. Nishi now in Jurro is determined to fight his way back to Makuuchi without delay. As his fellow Ukrainian Aishki continues to make headlines, Shishi is determined to stay in the spotlight and raise his game. Migotu right hand inside. Shishi goes for the double inside. Motoi, but Nishi Kigi turns the tables and Shishi steps out. A firm shallow grip by Nishi. That was all he needed to take Shishi out of the ring. Shishi goes out and Nishi wins. Yorikiri the jury man goes to four and four. Four consecutive wins. highlight match here on Grand Sumo Highlights. One of them is Hidenomi who returns to action from today meeting Kusano 6 and one. Kasano is on cruise control coming in with four straight wins. He then only has returned to action after sitting out for a few days with a right calf injury. Strong charge by Kusano. Okano goes inside going after Hideni. Hidenomi does a good job. He goes for the squeagano resist. Goes forward and he’s able to put Henomi away. Hidenomi. Look at the right cough. Heavily bandaged. So Hidenomi working on bad wheels. But Hideni put up a fight. So, Henry record now stands at zero wins, six losses, and two absences. In the meantime, Kusano advances to seven wins and one loss. What an row charge by Kusano. Kano maintains the pressure on Hidenomi. Hidenomi does a good job remaining in the ring. Circles away unable to put Hiddenomi away. Hidden attempts to squee with his right hand. It allowed Kanano to get set and Kano has hidden on the ropes and hidden gets taken out. Moving on, we have Fujino Kawa, a top division rookie like Sano 5 and two after seven days meeting Kao for the very first time. Here is Fujinoa. He ended Mitakumi’s perfect run yesterday. Kaio must win all his remaining bounty Naguya or he will finish with another Makoshi losing record. Good initial charge by Fujoka going after hard but it is Kaio circling away showing his good agility despite his roly poly body. Fujinoa gets taken back and down by tremendous aggression by Kaio. The goji gave the match to Kaio. This man on the right, but the judges will review this match again. Kaio got the Goombai from the goji. Did Kaio remain in the ring while Fujino went down to the clay? Who went out first? That is the milliondoll question. Awfully close. Let me explain the judges conference. The Gilji had pointed the win to Kaio, but Amanoy was called to review whether both wrestlers went out at the same time. After discussion, it was confirmed that Kaio was still inside the ring. So therefore, the Gilji’s decision stands and Kaio is the winner. Kaio avoi, he scores his first win here in Nagagoya. It’s Kotojo meeting Chiranomi for the very first time. Cotto, another Shinyaku top division rookie. Kotojo is aiming to bring his record back to the 500 mark today as he is at three and four. Chanomi is an exciting Rkishi to watch as he always fights hard launching aggressive attacks. There goes Kotto advancing keeping up the pressure. Left hand in, right hand out. Ohaki attempt by Kotojo. backfires as Chirani was able to catch Kotojo with a strong grip. He marches Kotojo back and out. Chiranomi wins and that is his fourth win. It is Shai meeting Cotto Sho. Four and three for Shai. Kotto Sho is five and two. Shai is always looking to secure a double inside Morozashi. Once he gets it, he rarely loses. This is Cotto Shoto Ajo’s older brother. Strong pushing attack by Cotto Sho. Shoda advances. Cannot gain the inside position. He wants to. Cotto Sho simply shuts Shai’s offense down. So Cotto Sho is the clear-cut winner. He extends his winning streak to three. Kotto now up to six and two. Moving on, we have Mitakei and Takosho. Mitakumi six and one. He’s aiming to bounce back after suffering his first defeat yesterday. Takenosho nearly claimed his first title here in Nagagoya last year. Takanosho’s pushing attack is one of the most devastating and effective in sumo. There goes Takosho. Takosho marches. Takosho puts Mitakumi away without breaking a sweat. Backto back losses for Mitake Umi. So, Mitakumi started the Basho 6 and 0, but he’s now 6 and2 with two straight losses. Takeno in the meantime goes to five and three. It is Toki Hayate locking horns with Midori Fuji. Toki Hayate three and four. Midori Fuji four and three. They have met three times in the past. Midori Fuji leads the series 3 to zero. So can Toki Hayate gain his first win over Midori Fuji? Midori Fuji attacking with a left hand inside right hand outside position. Toki Hayate struggling. Toki Hayate’s main weapon is the right hand outside. He doesn’t have it. He goes forward. He’s hoping to finish off Midori Pui. But Midori Fuji goes for the Watag. Good job Toki Hayate remaining on his feet. Tokiate once again goes after Midori Fuji, but Midori Fuji counters with a strong watag. Toki Hayate once again loses to Midori Fuji. Midori Fuji is now five wins and three losses. The strong Watag victory. We have Roga and Asaaki on the dojo. Asakori won 10 matches in May, but this time he’s struggling to secure positive results. Logan snapped his four match losing streak yesterday and is now hoping to showcase his true strength. Straight in by Asakori Asakoryu slapping going inside. Arm locked by Loa from the right. Asaki goes for the loa counters with a nag. An arm lock throw victory by loga. Asakoru attempting nag underarm throw but this man overpowers Asakoru with a stronger Kotag armlock throw. It’s Ichyamoto meeting. Atami Fuji. Look at their records. Six and one for Ichyamoto. Five and two for Atami Fuji. Both men doing well so far here in Nagagoya. Yamamoto hard pusher thruster. Atami Fuji wants to gain a right hand inside the left hand outside grip on Ichyamamoto. Straighting Ichamoto pounding away. Atami Fuji taking Felix. Atami Fuji absorbs the charge. Backing up is Atami Fuji. But Atami Fuji is able to get set right handing. Does Atami Fuji has lethal weapon the left hand outside and he works beautifully. pulling underarm throw and down goes Atami Fuji. Ichiyama advances to seven wins and one loss. What a tremendous performance by Ichiyamato only one win away from his Kachoshi now. So Ichyamoto wanted to create a separation because Atami Fuji should have the edge when they go chest to chest. But eventually they go chest to chest. Right hand in, left hand out. The winning factor for Ichyamoto was that strong right hand inside position. Plus, he took the initiative. He didn’t waste any time when he saw the opening. And there he goes. Atami Fuji unable to locate Ichyamoto. Job well done Ichyamoto Dashag. We have Chio meeting Toby Zaru Chio 0 and7. One more loss. It’ll be a Makoshi losing record for him. Today, July 20th, is Chio Sha’s 34th birthday. A victory here would make it a truly happy birthday for him. Tobizar is aiming to secure his first win in four days. Chos pushing, thrusting, keeping to away from his mashi. Oh, Toby. So goals away does a good job remaining in the dojo and Toby goes inside of Chio and Chio gets beat on his 34th birthday. Toby Zaru being a stingy man not giving Kio a birthday present. That’s a victory for Toby Zadu. He goes to three and five meeting. Five and two. UA needs three more wins here in Nagagoya to secure his first Kachoshi in five tournaments. Taker Fuji is gutting it out competing despite a banged up right biceps. Strong charge by Taki. Taki knocking Uda back to the edge. Udura flies. Who goes out first or goes down first? The goji pointing the gumbai to the west side. Uda. Are we going to have another mono? Evidently not. So Uda is the winner of this match. Another close ending. Need to see the replay to make sure. The UA was able to slap down Takuji before he flies out of the ring. Fuji charges. Udura is still inside the ring. Yes. Moving on, we have Gonoyama and Hiadomi locking horns. Nice record Gonoyama. Five and two. It’s nearly impossible to stop Gonoyama when he attacks at full head of steam. Hi is another RKI who’s exciting to watch thanks to his relentless fighting style. Goryama wants to go forward. Hi stays tight, goes inside, left in shallow grip and that’s all she wrote for Goyama. Hi manhandles Goroyama and Gonoyama his offense was completely shut down by Hira Umi. Both men five and three after eight days. Hinadomi extends his winning streak to five. It’s me versus Sadano Umi. Both men at two and five. Me is a true grinder. He fights hard every single day. Sadomi is 38 years old but has no plans to hang up his mawashi soon. Good charge by me. Pulling in Sonomi. Big mistake. Me overwhelms Sadomi with his frontal charge. Sadomi is two and six. Me is three wins and five losses. Moving on to the next match, we have Abby and Tamawashi. Look at Tamawashi six and one making another run at Yusho. Tamawashi’s decisive win over Waka Takagi yesterday showed just how tough and strong he really is. Abby hard pusher thruster against another hard pusher thruster. And this time, Tamarashi’s pushing style or pushing offense overwhelms Abby. Tamasi simply crushes Obby with his frontal charge. Oshidashi win. Tamawashi goes to seven and one. Tamawashi continues to amaze fans with his strong performance. At 40 years old, he seems to be refining his techniques and growing even more powerful. We have Oh, and on the doski, the Ukrainian, is five and two. It is hard to believe Anishki made his pro debut less than two years ago, considering he’s already become a force to be reckoned with. Oh says he’s aiming for a championship in every tournament. If that’s so, he needs to turn things around quick. Strong pushing attack by the two Rico just about the center of the dojo. Anishki gains a shallow grip, stays low, goes inside and dispatches Oho. Another impressive performance by Anishki. Oho is now two and six. Anishki advances to six and two. This man is tough, relentless, and fights with a wide arsenal of effective techniques. Oh, pounds and pounds, but Alishki doesn’t back off. A Nishki takes a lot of punishment, gains a right hand outside position, and he goes after Oho without any kind of hesitation, and he gets the job done. We have Takayasu and Wakamoto Haru. Wakamoto Haru two and five. To elevate his game, Wakamoto Haru must fight with more focus and consistency. Takayasu suffered his second loss yesterday. He needs to bounce back quickly if he wants to finally claim his first Emperor’s Cup by Takayasu. They go chest to chest and Wakamoto advances. Takayasu put the brakes on Wakamoto. Wakamoto goes for the Kotag and that’s a big mistake because that’s when Takayasu advances and defeats Wakamoto Haru with his frontal charge. A very forceful nag by Wakaoto Haru backfires and Takayasua scores a win. Six and two. He likes to fight in this, but he didn’t have the main weapon, the right hand outside. So, he selects to go with the Kotag armlock throw right here trying to hurl Takasu out, but Takaso stays with Wakamoto. We have Kirishima and Uno Katu meeting for the very first time. Kirishima is another Rkishi at one loss. Kirishima looks determined to finish with another impressive record. At 29, he has no time to waste. Katu scored his second win yesterday. He wants to keep things going. Strong charge by Kishima. Onu pushes back. Kishima rallies goes for the slap down putting up a fight goes inside with the right and he goes forward and he is able to come out on top in the end. Another strong performance by the former Ozaki now competing at Seeki Kirishima cruises to seven and one. A lot of pushing and thrusting attacks by the two men. Kirishima taking few licks. He returns the favor. On attempts a slap down. Kirishima shows his lower body stability and Honukatu still going after Kirishima hard. Kirishima doesn’t lose his cool. He keeps his poise, gets the right hand inside position, drives on back and out. We have Wakataka Kag meeting Kiman. Waka Takag was manhandled by Tamawashi yesterday. So he’ll be looking to regain his confidence with a stronger performance today. The Sekiwake Kim Bzan is competing in his 200th top division bout today. Let’s see if he can come away with a victory. Strong charge. Shifting to his left is Kim. Kiman goes for the win, but Wakatakagashi. He goes for the throw. Kiman with a Kimashi attempt. Ready counter by Waka Takag. The backward pivot throw by Waka Taka Kag at the last minute and Kimozan goes down hard. Waka Takag prevails. What a match. Bzan shifting away. Waka Takag with a good reaction. Kim Bzan was going in for the kill. Wakataka Kag remains in the dojo by establishing a double inside. Boro Zashi hoping to disrupt Kimzan’s balance. Kimozan once again hoping to finish off Wakataki but Wakatakagi wins. We have O challenging Oziki Koto Zakura. Oshoma is the newly promoted Kusubi Koto Zakura 5 and2. He enters day seven with four consecutive wins and is looking much more focused. It’s been a bittersweet Kusubi debut for OA so far. Can he score a huge win against Koto Zakuri? Oziki goes forward. Kotagi attempt or Watagi attempt by Osha. O disrupting Koto Zakura’s balance. Koto Zakura keeping up with Osha’s speed. Osha being a former amateur wrestler, he has many techniques from this position. He can break his opponent’s balance very effectively. Osha fending off Cotto Zakura. Cotto Zakura maintaining the pressure. Oshoma again disallowing Koto Zakura from advancing. Now Osha gains a firm grip both hands. Koto Zakura his center of gravity is high. He could be in trouble. Can Oziki recover? O goes in for the kill and he dispatches Oziki Zakura and that’s O’s first victory over an Oziki opponent. Koto Zakura loses for the third time here in Nagagoya. O scores his second win and that’s a huge victory. He upsets an oi Kotoakura does a good job preventing Kotoakura from gaining a firm grip. Shows good defense going chest to chest. Kotagua with the armlock throw attempt doesn’t work toward the end. He has a firm grip on Koto Zakura and Kotto Zakura cannot resist anymore. It was a slightly longer bout today. What do you think went well? I think I was able to stay patient and kept attacking from underneath. You managed to go on the offensive at the end. Yes, that’s right. This is your first tournament as a newly promoted Syaku. How do you evaluate your performance so far? It hasn’t been very good, but I hope to build on this win and start doing better tomorrow. All right, here is the final match on day eight. Onosato, the Yokozuna going up against Haku Oho Mash 4. Only one meeting onto winning by Hataki Komi in May. Onos has bounced back with three straight dominant wins following his setback on day four. With Houyu’s withdrawal, Onos stands as a so Yokosa in Nagua. Hakuo hoping to pick up his first Kimoshiato pulls. Hakuo defeats Onos. A very poor performance by the Yokozuna today. After the initial contact, he immediately pulls straight back and Haku Oho doesn’t let him escape. Hakuo scores his first Kimoshi. Sato suffers his second defeat. Watch the Yokoa pulling straight back. Hakoho charges and doesn’t allow Onoato to get away. Hakoho wins. Huge win. How did you feel about the crowd’s reaction when you won? Hearing the cheers made me realize I had really beaten Aayoko. Seeing the Zabaton flying made me happy. What do you think went well today? Well, this morning my stable master pointed out things I needed to rectify from yesterday’s loss and told me to reset and stick to what I’ve practiced. I think receiving those words before coming into the arena really helped. That’ll do it for day eight, the halfway point of the July tournament. After 8 days, there is a four-way tie for the lead. Kirishima, Tamawashi, Ichimamoto, and Kusano lead the way. What a tournament that this is turning out to be with more surprises, twists, and turns likely awaiting us in the second week. Thanks for joining us. Please join us again tomorrow for day nine of the Nagagoya Basha as we enter the second week. Sayonara.

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Day 8 upper division bouts from the July 2025 GRAND SUMO Tournament.

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