Grand sumo returns this month with the aki basho (autumn tournament) at Tokyo’s historic Ryoku Kokugikan. As always, the dawn of a new tournament brings a new banzuke (ranking sheet) which tells us what division and ranking each of Japan’s pro sumotori (sumo wrestlers) will be competing from. These rankings are usually quite predictable, based off of a wrestlers performance in the previous tournament. However, there are some surprises this time around. See below for the makuuchi (top division) rankings and scroll further for a breakdown on what this all means.
Full banzuke (2024 aki basho)
| East | Rank | West |
| Terunofuji 🇲🇳 | Yokozuna | |
| Kotozakura🇯🇵 | Ozeki | Hoshoryu 🇲🇳 |
| Abi 🇯🇵 | Sekiwake | Onosato 🇯🇵 |
| Kirishima 🇲🇳 | Sekiwake | Takakeisho 🇯🇵 |
| Daieisho 🇯🇵 | Komusubi | Hiradoumi 🇯🇵 |
| Takanosho 🇯🇵 | M1 | Tobizaru 🇯🇵 |
| Atamifuji 🇯🇵 | M2 | Oho 🇯🇵 |
| Mitakeumi 🇯🇵 | M3 | Wakamotoharu 🇯🇵 |
| Shodai 🇯🇵 | M4 | Kotoshoho 🇯🇵 |
| Ura 🇯🇵 | M5 | Shonannoumi 🇯🇵 |
| Meisei 🇯🇵 | M6 | Gonoyama 🇯🇵 |
| Wakatakakage 🇯🇵 | M7 | Churanoumi 🇯🇵 |
| Endo 🇯🇵 | M8 | Midorifuji 🇯🇵 |
| Ichiyamamoto 🇯🇵 | M9 | Oshoma 🇲🇳 |
| Tamawashi 🇲🇳 | M10 | Roga 🇷🇺 |
| Sadanoumi 🇯🇵 | M11 | Kagayaki 🇯🇵 |
| Bushozan 🇯🇵 | M12 | Kinbozan 🇰🇿 |
| Hokutofuji 🇯🇵 | M13 | Nishikigi 🇯🇵 |
| Ryuden 🇯🇵 | M14 | Onokatsu 🇲🇳 |
| Takayasu 🇯🇵 | M15 | Takarufuji 🇯🇵 |
| Shirkouma 🇯🇵 | M16 | Kitanowaka 🇯🇵 |
| Nishikifuji 🇯🇵 | M17 |
No surprises for the top of makuuchi
Nagoya tournament winner Terunofuji remains atop the banzuke as the only yokozuna in the sport. The ozeki ranks have been thinned to just include Kotozakura and Hoshoryu. Takakeisho has been demoted from that rank due to his 5-10 record in Nagoya. He had held the ozeki rank since 2019. Kirishima also remains outside the ozeki ranks thanks to him failing to secure double-digit wins in Nagoya (he went 7-8).
Joining Takakeisho and Kirishima in the sekiwake ranks are Abi and Onosato. None of these wrestlers managed double-digit wins in Nagoya, so all of them are effectively starting new ozeki runs at the aki basho (ozeki promotion is typically earned by getting 33 wins across three tournaments, while ranked sekiwake).
Daieisho and Hiradoumi remain komusubi due to winning records in Nagoya. Nagoya runner-up Takanosho has been promoted from M6 to M1. The rest of the joi (the upper most maegashira ranks who can expect to face the yokozuna and ozeki in a given tournament) are mostly the same as what we saw in Nagoya, minus Onosho who went 0-4-11 from the M5 position. Due to his injury hit tournament Onosho has received an extremely harsh demotion to juryo (sumo’s second division). His free-falling down the rankings is one of a number of head scratching decisions made by the Japanese Sumo Association.
Plenty more weirdness from there
Generally, you expect to see a rikishi move up/down one position per net wins/losses in the last tournament. For example, if a rikishi were ranked M5 and they finished the tournament with a 9-6 record, they will usually move up three spaces to M2. However, as with everything in sumo, no rules are written in stone and exceptions are common.
Some notable exceptions to this general rule are Hokutofuji, Nishikigi and Nishikifuji. Hokutofuji has kept his M13 rankings despite going 6-9 in Nagoya. And Nishikigi has moved only two spots down despite going 5-10. Nishikifuji has shockingly managed to keep his M17 rank, the very lowest in makuuchi, despite going 6-9.
Other rikishi to get friendly demotions were Meisei, Ura and Gonoyama, who I expected to see fall further down the banzuke after their showings in Nagoya.
Wakatakakage and Churanoumi, who both scored double-digit wins in Nagoya, were given slightly stingy promotions .
Two hot prospects
Shirokuma and Onokatsu received their first call ups to makuuchi with this banzuke. Shirokuma won the championship in juryo in Nagoya with a 12-3 record. He’ll be debuting at M16. Shirokuma is stablemate, and best friend, to Onosato. Onokatsu makes it to makuuchi after just five senior tournaments. The Mongolian prospect went 9-6 in juryo in Nagoya.
Juryo situation
Chiyoshoma and Asanoyama were the only wrestlers to join Onosho in being demoted to juryo. Chiyoshoma went 5-5-5 in Nagoya after missing the first five days due to injury. Asanoyama went 3-2-10 after suffering an ACL injury on Day 4 of the competition. Asanoyama and Onosho have both undergone surgery and they will be out for the entirety of the aki basho.
Juryo looks to be very competitive this month. Ukranian wrestler Shishi is poised to crack into the top division with a good showing here. Makuuchi returns for Tokihayate, Shimazuumi and Shimanoumi could also be on the cards. Hakuoho, the one time super prospect who overshadowed Onosato, is ranked at J5. He’s been stuck in juryo for three tournaments since having shoulder surgery. He went 11-4 in Nagoya. Takerufuji, who shocked the world by winning in his top division debut in March, is ranked J11 after an injury hit 2-1-12 last time out.
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