The first Grand Sumo tournament of the year is coming to a close this weekend. After 10 days of bouts there are a handful of wrestlers with a chance of earning the first Emperor’s Cup of 2025.
That small group features a number of surprising names going for their first ever top division titles.
Current standings
| Record | East | Rank | West | Record |
| 2-3-5 | Terunofuji 🇲🇳 | Yokozuna | ||
| 4-6 | Kotozakura🇯🇵 | Ozeki | Hoshoryu 🇲🇳 | 7-3 |
| Ozeki | Onosato 🇯🇵 | 7-3 | ||
| 3-7 | Wakamotoharu 🇯🇵 | Sekiwake | Daieisho 🇯🇵 | 6-4 |
| 6-4 | Abi 🇯🇵 | Komusubi | Wakatakakage 🇯🇵 | 5-5 |
| 3-7 | Takanosho 🇯🇵 | M1 | Kirishima 🇲🇳 | 7-3 |
| 5-5 | Tobizaru 🇯🇵 | M2 | Atamifuji 🇯🇵 | 2-8 |
| 5-5 | Gonoyama 🇯🇵 | M3 | Oho 🇯🇵 | 8-2 |
| 5-5 | Shodai 🇯🇵 | M4 | Ura 🇯🇵 | 5-5 |
| 5-5 | Hiradoumi 🇯🇵 | M5 | Chiyoshoma 🇲🇳 | 8-2 |
| 6-4 | Takayasu 🇯🇵 | M6 | Ichiyamamoto 🇯🇵 | 6-4 |
| 5-5 | Endo 🇯🇵 | M7 | Mitakeumi 🇯🇵 | 2-8 |
| 7-3 | Roga 🇷🇺 | M8 | Takarufuji 🇯🇵 | 4-6 |
| 4-6 | Churanoumi 🇯🇵 | M9 | Oshoma 🇲🇳 | 5-5 |
| 6-4 | Tamawashi 🇲🇳 | M10 | Meisei 🇯🇵 | 3-7 |
| 3-7 | Midorifuji 🇯🇵 | M11 | Takerufuji 🇯🇵 | 8-2 |
| 5-5 | Nishikigi 🇯🇵 | M12 | Onokatsu 🇲🇳 | 6-4 |
| 5-5 | Shonannoumi 🇯🇵 | M13 | Kotoshoho 🇯🇵 | 2-8 |
| 0-0-10 | Hokutofuji 🇯🇵 | M14 | Kinbozan 🇰🇿 | 9-1 |
| 6-4 | Hakuoho 🇯🇵 | M15 | Kitanowaka 🇯🇵 | 4-5 |
| 3-7 | Tamashoho 🇲🇳 | M16 | Kagayaki 🇯🇵 | 3-7 |
| 5-5 | Nishikifuji 🇯🇵 | M17 | Tokihayate 🇯🇵 | 5-5 |
Kinbozan out of nowhere!
Valentina Shevchenko’s favorite sumo wrestler, Kinbozan, is leading the New Year basho with a 9-1 record (at this time of writing). Kinbozan, the only Kazakhstan-born wrestler to ever compete in grand sumo’s top division, is a surprise leader of the tournament. A win for him would be a real shock for sumo fans, very few of which would have picked him to win this title before the tournament began.
Kinbozan got off to a 9-0 start to the tournament before losing to the highly ranked Abi on Day 10. Kinbozen is ranked maegashira 14 (just three spots from the bottom of the division). In the first week of a tournament wrestlers compete against opponents with similar rankings. In the second week of a tournament the match-making shifts with wrestlers facing those with similar win-loss records.
It’s coming to see a low-ranking wrestler rack up lots of wins in the first week of a basho and then start to fall off once the opponents get more difficult.
Kinbozan is ranked low because he is coming off a promotion from juryo (second division). He was demoted to the juryo in November after back-to-back 4-11 records. He won the juryo championship in November, going 12-3, and earned his promotion back to makuuchi.
Kinbozan has never won a top division title. The best he’s ever done in his eleven top division tournaments was an 11-4 record. That was in his debut top division tournament in Mar. 2023. That performance also earned him a Fighting Spirit prize.
Behind Kinbozan are Chiyoshoma, Oho and Takerufuji, all of whom are from the lower maegashira ranks. Chiyoshoma and Oho have never won top division titles. Takerufuji won the title in his debut tournament last year, a feat not done in over 90 years.
Of those wrestlers Oho is the highest ranked and has beaten the best opposition thus far.
Behind those wrestlers are three elite level rikishi. This includes the ozeki (one rank below yokozuna) Hoshoryu and Onosato and the former ozeki Kirishima.
Hoshoryu and Kotozakura struggling
Hoshoryu and Kotozakura came into the New Year tournament with a chance of earning a yokozuna promotion. Kotozakura won the November tournament, beating Hoshoryu on the final day. The Japan Sumo Association said a similar outcome in January could lead to both men being promoted yokozuna.
Early into this tournament Terunofuji, the sport’s 73rd and only current yokozuna, announced his retirement from the sport. At this point Hoshoryu was among the leaders of the tournament and seemed likely to realize his potential, and life’s dream, of becoming a yokozuna.
However, losses to Atamifuji, Shodai and Hiradoumi have dented his chances. Though, at this time of writing, he still has a shot to win the title and force a conversation about a yokozuna promotion.
Kotozakura, on the other hand, has zero chance of winning the title or being promoted to yokozuna after this tournament. He’s 4-6 after going on a five bout losing streak. Kotozakura is now more concerned about securing a kachi-koshi (winning record) and preventing himself from going kadoban (literally ‘in a corner’). An ozeki loses his rank if he gets a losing record while kadoban.
Other news and notes
Onosato, who won two titles in his first year of pro sumo last year, started this year slowly but has given himself a shot at this title after winning his last five bouts.
The brothers Wakamotoharu and Wakatakakage are having disappointing tournaments. After both being promoted to the san’yaku for good performances in November, both are in danger of getting make-koshi (losing records) this month. Wakamotoharu is currently 3-7 and Wakatakakage is 5-5.
Kitanowaka was forced to withdraw from the tournament after fracturing his foot on Day 8 in a bout with Takerufuji. He joins Roga and Hokutofuji on the sidelines.
In the second division Ukrainian wrestlers are leading the way. Shihi and Aonishiki are tied on 9-1 records (along with Wakaikari).
More sumo content on Combat Press
Combat Press will have final results for the New Year tournament next week. If you’d like even more sumo coverage, subscribe to my newsletter Sumo Stomp! That newsletter will provide daily updates, highlights and analysis during the tournament.