Hoshoryu: Asashoryu’s Nephew Who Rose to Sumo’s Summit

Photo by Michihiro Taguchi — shot ringside.

From wrestling mat to the dohyo

Hoshoryu drew attention from the start as a nephew of Asashoryu — he is the second son of the former yokozuna’s eldest brother. His foundation was in wrestling. He originally came to Japan as a wrestling exchange student, but the sport of sumo captivated him. His athleticism carried over to the ring, and on the expectation of finishing high school he entered Tatsunami stable, run by the former Kyokuho.

The lower divisions

His early progress was smooth. He cleared each division in a single tournament to reach makushita, and along the way he took the jonidan championship. In the maezumo and jonokuchi of the January 2018 basho he lost to Naya, a sign that at the very beginning he still had ground to make up.

In the tournament he debuted in makushita, he went 3–3 and then beat Naya in their meeting. Once he reached the single-digit ranks of makushita, things were no longer easy. Carrying a light frame, his best result there was 4–3, and he also posted a losing 3–4. It took him ten tournaments to climb from jonokuchi into juryo — one more than his uncle Asashoryu had needed, but a fast rise all the same. His record across those divisions was 49 wins and 21 losses. By comparison, Asashoryu had gone 53–10 and had won championships in jonidan, sandanme and makushita.

Bouts with Ura and the rising generation

In makushita, Hoshoryu faced a crop of talented contemporaries, including Ura, Kotokamatani — later known as Kotonowaka — and Kotetsugake, who would go on to wrestle as Kotoshoho.

New to juryo

The struggle continued in juryo. In his first tournament there he went 7–8 and only just held his place in the division. Records of 8–7 followed. Then, ranked sixth in juryo for the July basho, he posted 10–5 to secure his promotion to makuuchi. He took part in a six-way championship playoff but narrowly missed out on the title. Asashoryu had cleared juryo in just two tournaments; Hoshoryu’s record in the division was 20 wins and 15 losses, so once again his uncle had the edge.

Style and what lies ahead

Hoshoryu is young, just 21, with plenty of promise. He weighs 131 kilograms. His strengths are a right-hand inside grip, the force-out and the throw, and he occasionally shows off leg techniques. For reference, Asashoryu won nine bouts on his makuuchi debut, and his first turn at komusubi and his first special prize came in his third tournament in the top division. How far Hoshoryu can go is the open question as a new chapter of his career begins.

Frequently asked questions

Photos by Michihiro Taguchi, shot ringside.