Hakuouhou

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Moti Dichne

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Sep 20, 2025, 6:13:45 PM (4 days ago) Sep 20

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Hakuouhou defeated Kirishima today but a very worrying incident occurred after the match. Hakuouhou was 3-3 and Kirishima was 4-2. Hakuouhou started this bout with a strong tachiai and a morozashi but Kirishima grabbed both of his arms and threw him around. Still, he continued to apply pressure with his feet, at some point Kirishima lost his patience and went for a pull, and was finally pushed out of the dohyo. Despite his impressive performance and the win, Hakuouhou showed signs of concern about his right arm immediately after the bout. After being declared the winner and leaving the dohyo, he looked at his right arm, which was unnaturally swollen around his biceps. According to a post-match statement on NHK's broadcast, Hakuouhou stated that he "thought it was torn." While there was no indication of a kyujo as of the end of Day 7, it appears he may have suffered a serious injury that could lead to an immediate withdrawal from the tournament on Day 8. Hakuouhou, now 22, is one of the rising stars of the sport, having achieved the fastest promotion to Juryo in just one tournament and the fastest promotion to Makuuchi in three tournaments. However, his career has been plagued by frequent injuries, and he missed the entire Aki and Kyushu bashos last year due to surgery on an old left shoulder injury. During the 2024 Natsu Basho, he tore his right biceps. However, he has continued to compete to this day without taking a break or undergoing surgery for his right arm injury. While the pain worsened during the 2025 Natsu basho he competed in some matches with taping. It's possible that his continued push to compete may have contributed to the current accident. Takerufuji, who belongs to the same Isegahama beya continued competing despite injuring his right arm on the sixth day of the Nagoya tournament. However, his condition worsened, and onday 13, he submitted a medical certificate stating that he had a "ruptured right biceps tendon and required two months of rest and treatment," and withdrew from the tournament. He underwent surgery in August after the tournament, but was unable to compete in the ongoing basho, and a fall to Juryo is inevitable for Kyushu. The nature and details of Hakuouhou's injury are still unknown, but it's conceivable that he may be forced to miss not only this basho but also the entire Kyushu basho. Regarding day 8 and beyond, the majority of fans are of the opinion that he should not push himself too hard and should withdraw, but attention will likely be focused on what decision he and his Oyakata Isegahama will make.