The January 2018 Grand Sumo Tournament was the first honbasho of 2018. It was held at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan from January 14 to January 28. The tournament was won by Tochinoshin, the first wrestler from the maegashira ranks to win a top division championship in nearly six years.[1] He became the third wrestler from Europe to win a championship after Kotooshu and Baruto. He was also the wrestler from Kasugano stable to win in 46 years.[2] The tournament was the first in a three basho run of 37 wins for Tochinoshin which saw him promoted to ōzeki after the May 2018 tournament. It was to be the only tournament championship won by Tochinoshin before his eventual retirement in 2023.
Banzuke edit
The banzuke for the tournament was released on December 25, 2017. It saw Takakeisho make his debut at komusubi, and Abi and Ryūden make their top division debuts. Ryūden is the first top division wrestler from Yamanashi Prefecture since Onohana 30 years previously. Yutakayama is promoted to makuuchi for the third time having twice been demoted down to juryo.
| East | rank | West |
|---|---|---|
| Hakuhō | yokozuna 1 | Kisenosato |
| Kakuryū | yokozuna 2 | |
| Gōeidō | ōzeki | Takayasu |
| Mitakeumi | sekiwake | Tamawashi |
| Takakeishō | komusubi | Ōnoshō |
| Hokutōfuji | maegashira 1 | Ichinojō |
| Yoshikaze | maegashira 2 | Kotoshōgiku |
| Chiyotairyū | maegashira 3 | Tochinoshin |
| Shōdai | maegashira 4 | Arawashi |
| Okinoumi | maegashira 5 | Endō |
| Takarafuji | maegashira 6 | Ikioi |
| Chiyoshōma | maegashira 7 | Chiyonokuni |
| Tochiōzan | maegashira 8 | Kaisei |
| Shōhōzan | maegashira 9 | Chiyomaru |
| Terunofuji | maegashira 10 | Aminishiki |
| Kotoyūki | maegashira 11 | Daishōmaru |
| Sōkokurai | maegashira 12 | Kagayaki |
| Takekaze | maegashira 13 | Daieishō |
| Abi | maegashira 14 | Yutakayama |
| Ishiura | maegashira 15 | Nishikigi |
| Ryūden | maegashira 16 | Asanoyama |
| Daimami | maegashira 17 |
Day-by-day edit
Day 1 edit
Day 2 edit
Day 3 edit
Day 4 edit
Day 5 edit
Day 6 edit
Day 7 edit
- Tochinoshin loses to Kakuryū (for the 21st time in their 22 meetings). This proves to be his only loss in the tournament.
Day 8 edit
Day 9 edit
Day 10 edit
Day 11 edit
Day 12 edit
- Tochinoshin moves into the sole lead for the first time, after Kakuryu loses his second straight match.[3]
Day 13 edit
- Tochinoshin defeats Ichinojō, leaving him one win away from clinching the championship. Kakuryū is defeated for the third straight day, by Mitakeumi.[4]
Day 14 edit
- Tochinoshin wins his first championship by defeating Shōhōzan to move to a 13–1 record. Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili tweets his congratulations.[5] The former wrestler Kyokutenhō, who was the last man to win the championship as a maegashira in 2012, remarked than the manner of Tochinoshin's victories were more impressive than his own.[6]
Day 15 edit
- Tochinoshin finishes the tournament with a 14–1 record. Presented with the Emperor's Cup, he tells reporters afterwards, "it was so heavy."[7]
Results edit
Final Standings edit
| 2018 Hatsu basho results - Makuuchi Division | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | East | Rank | West | Result | ||||||||||||
| 2 | - | 3 | - | 10 | ø | 
|
Hakuho | Y | ø | 
|
Kisenosato | 1 | - | 5 | - | 9 |
| 11 | - | 4 | - | 0 |
|
Kakuryu | Y | 0 | - | 0 | - | 0 | ||||
| 8 | - | 7 | - | 0 |
|
Goeido | O |
|
Takayasu | 12 | - | 3 | - | 0 | ||
| 8 | - | 7 | - | 0 |
|
Mitakeumi | S |
|
Tamawashi | 6 | - | 9 | - | 0 | ||
| 5 | - | 10 | - | 0 |
|
Takekeisho | K | ø |
|
Onosho | 4 | - | 6 | - | 5 | |
| 4 | - | 11 | - | 0 |
|
Hokutofuji | M1 |
|
Ichinojo | 10 | - | 5 | - | 0 | ||
| 4 | - | 11 | - | 0 |
|
Yoshikaze | M2 |
|
Kotoshogiku | 7 | - | 8 | - | 0 | ||
| 8 | - | 7 | - | 0 |
|
Chiyotairyu | M3 | 
|
Tochinoshin | 14 | - | 1 | - | 0 | ||
| 7 | - | 8 | - | 0 |
|
Shodai | M4 |
|
Arawashi | 8 | - | 7 | - | 0 | ||
| 5 | - | 10 | - | 0 |
|
Okinoumi | M5 |
|
Endo | 9 | - | 6 | - | 0 | ||
| 8 | - | 7 | - | 0 |
|
Takarafuji | M6 |
|
Ikioi | 4 | - | 11 | - | 0 | ||
| 6 | - | 9 | - | 0 |
|
Chiyoshoma | M7 |
|
Chiyonokuni | 6 | - | 9 | - | 0 | ||
| 6 | - | 6 | - | 3 | ø |
|
Tochiozan | M8 | 
|
Kaisei | 8 | - | 7 | - | 0 | |
| 9 | - | 6 | - | 0 |
|
Shohozan | M9 |
|
Chiyomaru | 9 | - | 6 | - | 0 | ||
| 0 | - | 7 | - | 8 |
|
Terunofuji↓ | M10 |
|
Aminishiki↓ | 3 | - | 9 | - | 3 | ||
| 7 | - | 8 | - | 0 |
|
Kotoyuki | M11 |
|
Daishomaru | 7 | - | 8 | - | 0 | ||
| 6 | - | 9 | - | 0 | 
|
Sokokurai | M12 |
|
Kagayaki | 9 | - | 6 | - | 0 | ||
| 5 | - | 10 | - | 0 |
|
Takekaze↓ | M13 |
|
Daieisho | 9 | - | 6 | - | 0 | ||
| 10 | - | 5 | - | 0 |
|
Abi | M14 |
|
Yutakayama | 9 | - | 6 | - | 0 | ||
| 9 | - | 6 | - | 0 |
|
Ishiura | M15 |
|
Nishikigi | 8 | - | 7 | - | 0 | ||
| 10 | - | 5 | - | 0 |
|
Ryuden | M16 |
|
Asanoyama | 9 | - | 6 | - | 0 | ||
| 8 | - | 7 | - | 0 |
|
Daiamami | M17 | ø | 0 | - | 0 | - | 0 | |||
| ø - Indicates a pull-out or absent rank |
| winning record in bold |
| Yusho Winner |
| Demoted from makuuchi |
Awards edit
- Outstanding Performance (Shukun-sho): Tochinoshin (1st)
- Fighting Spirit (Kanto-sho): Ryūden (1st), Abi (1st, awarded on the condition that he win his final match)
- Technique (Gino-sho): Tochinoshin (2nd)
Reaction edit
Speaking to reporters the day after the tournament, Tochinoshin remarked that the Emperor's Cup was "so heavy... I will never forget it." He mentioned that he had spoken to his wife who was back home in Georgia with their newborn daughter, but that "she was crying too much to speak."[8]
Attendence edit
See also edit
References edit
- ^ "Tochinoshin clinches New Year Basho title for first career tournament triumph". Japan Times. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- ^ "Tochinoshin reflects on unlikely New Year Basho victory". Japan Times. 29 January 2018. Retrieved 23 February 2018.
- ^ "Tochinoshin grabs sole lead as Kakuryu loses again". Japan Times. 25 January 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
- ^ "Sumo: Tochinoshin 1 win away from 1st championship". Kyodo News. 26 January 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ "Georgian Tochinoshin wins maiden grand sumo tournament". Yahoo Sports/Reuters. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
- ^ "Sumo: Tochinoshin wins New Year tourney to earn 1st championship". Kyodo News. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
- ^ "SUMO/ "It was so heavy," says Emperor's Cup winner Tochinoshin". Asahi Shimbun. 29 January 2018. Archived from the original on 30 January 2018.
- ^ "SUMO/ 'It was so heavy,' says Emperor's Cup winner Tochinoshin". Asahi Shimbun. 29 January 2018. Retrieved 2 April 2019.