Komusubi Takayasu toppled ozeki Kotozakura with an uchimuso inner-thigh twist on day three of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament in Fukuoka, dropping the ozeki to 1–2 while keeping his own slate at 2–1. Asuka Mori’s sports desk tracks a crowded leaderboard where unbeaten maegashira Fujinokawa and sekiwake Aonishiki share the front pack with yokozuna Onosato at three wins.
Day three headline bout
Kotozakura, who entered with championship aspirations, lost his second bout after Takayasu denied a frontal force-out and countered at the edge. The technique ended a brief push attempt and put the ozeki on his back, amplifying questions about Kotozakura’s endurance two tournaments removed from a yokozuna run.
Yokozuna Hoshoryu beat kirishima to stay one off the lead at 2–1, preserving a path to a Monday duel with Onosato if both keep winning.
Leader board
Onosato dispatched Wakatakakage with an oshidashi, looking untroubled on the west side. Aonishiki needed a mono-ii judges’ conference to confirm a headlock throw victory, a sign of thin margins even for undefeated records. Fujinokawa, posting from maegashira 12, continued an unlikely perfect run that crowds the jungyo highlight reels.
Tournament context
Kyushu is the final basho of the calendar year in Fukuoka Kokusai Center, where cramped hanamichi space and vocal local crowds amplify ring movement. Day three is early for yusho predictions, yet two losses for an ozeki already put kadoban pressure on the horizon if form does not improve by the middle weekend.
Fan and media angles
Terunofuji’s absence from yokozuna contention reshaped pre-basho storylines toward the new Onosato-Hoshoryu axis. Takayasu’s resurgence gives the komusubi slot sporting meaning beyond banzuke math.
Bottom line
Kyushu day three delivered the first major upset on the sanyaku ladder: Kotozakura stumbling, Takayasu rising, and a three-way tie atop the scoreboard. Mori’s desk sets day four watch on whether Fujinokawa’s perfect record survives contact with sanyaku-class thrusting attacks.
Junior and makushita notes
Lower divisions saw withdrawals on day three when a juryo-ranked wrestler exited at 0–3, gifting a fusen win that reshuffles pairing math for the middle of the banzuke. Fans tracking promotion races should separate juryo drama from makuuchi headline bouts that drive television ratings.
Television and attendance
NHK and sports channel splits keep prime bouts after 18:00 local time so workers leaving Hakata Station can reach seats before dew-sweeper rituals end. Crowd noise in Fukuoka’s compact building makes kimarite reviews louder than in Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan—a stylistic cue for viewers comparing venues.
Promotion picture
A two-loss ozeki on day three is not elimination math, but patience among ozeki-kai elders thins when both losses come before mid-basho. Takayasu’s technique win adds banzuke resume fodder if he reaches kachi-koshi, while Kotozakura needs Day 4 resiliency against a compact rikishi field still hunting upset television clips for regional broadcasters.