Stablemaster Tatsunami (former komusubi Asahoyo) spoke to reporters at Ryogoku Kokugikan, confirming that Yokozuna Hoshoryu (26, from Tatsunami stable) will sit out from Day 2 of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament after suffering a muscle tear in his right leg.
The injury occurred during Hoshoryu’s Day 1 loss to Takayasu, when his opponent grabbed his head with a right hand and threw him with a left-handed overarm throw, causing his legs to spread wide and straining his right thigh area.
Tatsunami explained the cause: “It was a bit of a careless tachiai (initial charge). He stretched once and got pushed hard, then when his head was pushed down again, he stretched once more. We talked about it being two separate stretches.”
After leaving the ring, Hoshoryu needed help walking, limping back down the hanamichi with someone supporting his shoulder. He then went directly to the sumo medical clinic inside the venue in a wheelchair, still wearing his mawashi. The stablemaster made the decision to withdraw, saying, “When he came back, right away. He couldn’t walk.” He added, “It wasn’t a situation where he could just recover a bit and step out. I apologize to the association and all the fans.”
Tatsunami revealed their conversation afterward: “I told him, ‘It can’t be helped.’ He said, ‘I’m sorry.'”
This marks Hoshoryu’s eighth absence since the Nagoya tournament last year. With fellow yokozuna Terunofuji also withdrawing from Day 1, both yokozuna will be absent simultaneously for the first time since the spring tournament in 2021, when Hakuhō and Kakuryū both sat out. Hoshoryu’s scheduled Day 2 opponent, Fujinokawa, will receive a default victory.
