Sumo

Onosato dealt stunning 3rd loss at Nagoya Grand Tournament

The Yomiuri Shimbun
No.4 maegashira Tamawashi, left, defeats yokozuna Onosato.

The Japan News

19:23 JST, July 22, 2025

Yokozuna Onosato’s bid to commemorate his debut at sumo’s highest rank with a third consecutive title was dealt a major setback when he was handed his third loss at the Nagoya Grand Tournament on Tuesday, the 10th day of the competition at IG Arena.

Veteran No. 4 maegashira Tamawashi was on the brink of defeat when he twisted Onosato down with a last-gasp throw, shocking the crowd that sent a shower of seat cushions flying over and into the ring.

With the victory, Tamawashi, at 40 the oldest wrestler in the makuuchi division, becomes the oldest in modern sumo history to earn a “kinboshi,” a reward for a victory by a maegashira-ranked wrestler over a yokozuna.

All three of the 25-year-old Onosato’s losses have resulted in kinboshi as he heads into the last five days of the tournament with matches against high-ranked opponents looming.

No. 8 maegashira Ichiyamamoto leads the tournament with a 9-1 record, with Tamawashi tied for second place at 8-2 with five others.