Sumo Scene / Onosho’s Retirement Accents Value of Healthy Rivalries

By Kuniyuki Kamimura / Yomiuri Shimbun Senior Writer

11:24 JST, January 22, 2025

It may be the case in any sport, but in the sumo world in particular, wrestlers of the same age or who start their careers at the same time often regard each other with a strong sense of rivalry. There was an occurrence at the end of last year that reaffirmed such this situation.

Former komusubi Onosho, who thrilled the crowds with his dynamic thrust-and-push attacks, retired in December at the tender age of 28. At a press conference announcing his retirement, Onosho recalled his rivalry with former ozeki Takakeisho (now stablemaster Minatogawa). The two, who are the same age, had competed against each other in national-level competitions dating back to elementary school.

Onosho’s most vivid memory, he said, was a bout against Takakeisho on the 13th day of the 2023 New Year Grand Tournament. At the time, Takakeisho was an ozeki, while Onosho was ranked as a No. 8 maegashira, which means that under normal circumstances, they would not have faced each other.

But as Onosho had managed to stay in the title chase up to the final days, their paths crossed. Takakeisho came away with a one-sided win, dashing Onosho’s hopes of a first-ever tournament title.

Even so, Onosho commented, “As we have a connection from knowing each other from long ago, I was really happy to face him in the fight for the championship on the biggest stage of all.”

Constantly aware of each other, they had been clashing in big tournaments since childhood. Onosho said that when he informed Takakeisho, who had been the first of the two to retire, that he was bringing his career to an end, the stablemaster replied, “We fought hard, didn’t we?”

When Onosho revealed this episode at the press conference, it brought tears to his eyes. “I am happy that we were born at the same time,” he said with a trembling voice. That and his facial expression were enough to convey their relationship as mutual rivals, regardless of who ended up higher in the rankings.

The year in sumo has begun with the footsteps of a changing of the guard already being heard. Hopes are high that we will see the emergence of new yokozuna or ozeki. But transcending the championship battles and the rankings, there is also beauty in the relationships that make both wrestlers better. By raising both of their levels, it naturally adds punch to sumo as a whole.

This is the essence of real competition.

— Kamimura is a sumo expert.