Sumo Onosato secures fourth title, to be promoted to 75th yokozuna

Today, Ozeki Onosato delivered a dominant performance on the 13th day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, overpowering fellow Ozeki Kotozakura and driving him out of the dohyō to clinch both the championship and his promotion to yokozuna. The 24-year-old powerhouse from the Nishonoseki stable maintained a flawless 13–0 record with two days remaining in the tournament at Tokyo's Ryōgoku Kokugikan, making his victory mathematically unassailable. Kotozakura, by contrast, fell to an 8–5 record following the bout.




Onosato's relentless form earned him his fourth top-division title and his second straight championship since attaining the rank of ozeki. This achievement guarantees promotion to sumo's highest rank. Since adopting the six-tournament system in 1958, no ozeki who has won back-to-back titles has ever been denied elevation to yokozuna. The Japan Sumo Association is scheduled to convene a special board of trustees meeting on 28 May. If the promotion is formally approved, Onosato will become the 75th yokozuna, joining Mongolian-born Hōshōryū at the pinnacle of the sport.

Onosato will be the first Japanese-born yokozuna since his stablemaster, the 72nd yokozuna Kisenosato, achieved the feat in March 2017. Onosato made his debut in the 2023 summer tournament. He won his first championship in the 2024 summer tournament, the fastest in history to do so after entering the professional ranks.

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One of the peculiarities of sumo is the widespread desire among those who follow the sport to see two strong yokozuna atop the rankings. Regardless of affiliation or personal preference, fans, almost universally, want tournaments to come down to a final-day title-decider between grand champions. Onosato and Hoshoryu might already be the clear top two in the sport, but meeting as yokozuna carries a far greater significance than if one was still an ōzeki. There is an aura around the white rope that's hard to convey in words.

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Two days after Onosato clinched the title at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament to assure his promotion to the top rank of yokozuna, Hoshoryu prevented him from finishing with an undefeated record with a dramatic victory in the final bout on Sunday at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Onosato had been aiming to become the first wrestler to win a tournament with a 15-0 record since Terunofuji did it at the Kyushu Tournament in November 2021. But Hoshoryu, mustering the pride of a yokozuna, fought off an initial charge by Onosato, worked his way to the side and twisted him down to finish with a 12-3 record. "I wanted to win every match, but it didn't work out," Onosato said. "I'll try harder next time." It was Hoshoryu's sixth win in eight career meetings with Onosato. But with both still relatively young — Hoshoryu just turned 26, while Onosato is 24 — it bodes well for a long rivalry between yokozuna that sumo fans so savour.

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Today, the Japan Sumo Association formally promoted Onosato to yokozuna, marking the beginning of a new chapter in sumo as he became the sport's 75th grand champion. At his Nishonoseki stable in Ami, Ibaraki Prefecture, the 24-year-old wrestler pledged, as he had when he reached the second-highest rank of ōzeki last September, to dedicate himself entirely to his training. He vowed not to dishonour the title, stating, "I aim to be the one and only grand champion." Onosato acknowledged that his choice of words—"the one and only"—was a spontaneous decision. However, it echoed his earlier ambition to distinguish himself as a unique and exceptional rikishi.

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Newly promoted yokozuna Onosato carried out his debut ring-entering ceremony at Tokyo's Meiji Jingu shrine on 30 May. However, the ritual took place indoors due to rainy weather. The event was not open to the public. At 24, Onosato becomes the 75th wrestler to achieve the prestigious yokozuna rank and only the third from Ishikawa Prefecture.



He was joined at the venue in Shibuya Ward by two fellow wrestlers from the Nishonoseki stable: komusubi Takayasu, who acted as the sword-bearer, and maegashira No. 15 Ryuden, who served as the usher. Onosato performed the Unryu-style ring-entering ceremony, following in the footsteps of his stablemaster, Nishonoseki, formerly the yokozuna Kisenosato. According to the Japan Sumo Association, this was the first time the ritual had to be held indoors at Meiji Jingu shrine due to rain since the tradition began with the 41st yokozuna, Chiyonoyama.


Here's a video of the entire ceremony: