Grand Sumo’s summer tournament is in its final week. The 15-day tournament comes to a close on Sunday. Whoever has the best record in the top division will be crowned champion and awarded the Emperor’s Cup.
Check out where we stand after 11 days of action below.
Sumo results (after Day 11)
| Record | East | Rank | West | Record |
| 9-2 | Hoshoryu 🇲🇳 | Yokozuna | ||
| 11-0 | Onosato 🇯🇵 | Ozeki | Kotozakura🇯🇵 | 7-4 |
| 8-3 | Daieisho 🇯🇵 | Sekiwake | Kirishima 🇲🇳 | 8-3 |
| 2-9 | Takayasu 🇯🇵 | Komusubi | Wakatakakage 🇯🇵 | 8-3 |
| 5-6 | Wakamotoharu 🇯🇵 | M1 | Oho 🇯🇵 | 4-7 |
| 7-4 | Abi 🇯🇵 | M2 | Gonoyama 🇯🇵 | 3-8 |
| 3-8 | Tamawashi 🇲🇳 | M3 | Hiradoumi 🇯🇵 | 4-7 |
| 4-7 | Takerufuji 🇯🇵 | M4 | Ichiyamamoto 🇯🇵 | 4-7 |
| 3-8 | Ura 🇯🇵 | M5 | Chiyoshoma 🇲🇳 | 3-8 |
| 8-3 | Oshoma 🇲🇳 | M6 | Tobizaru 🇯🇵 | 6-5 |
| 8-3 | Hakuoho 🇯🇵 | M7 | Churanoumi 🇯🇵 | 2-9 |
| 7-4 | Onokatsu 🇲🇳 | M8 | Kinbozan 🇰🇿 | 7-4 |
| 8-3 | Aoinishiki 🇺🇦 | M9 | Midorifuji 🇯🇵 | 2-9 |
| 7-4 | Meisei 🇯🇵 | M10 | Shodai 🇯🇵 | 7-4 |
| 6-5 | Endo 🇯🇵 | M11 | Shishi 🇺🇦 | 7-4 |
| 7-4 | Atamifuji 🇯🇵 | M12 | Takanosho 🇯🇵 | 7-4 |
| 6-5 | Tokihayate 🇯🇵 | M13 | Sadanoumi 🇯🇵 | 7-4 |
| 5-1-5 | Kotoshoho 🇯🇵 | M14 | Roga 🇷🇺 | 7-4 |
| 4-7 | Ryuden 🇯🇵 | M15 | Shonannoumi 🇯🇵 | 3-8 |
| 5-6 | Kayo 🇯🇵 | M16 | Nishikigi 🇯🇵 | 5-6 |
| 4-7 | Tamashoho 🇲🇳 | M17 | Asakoryu 🇯🇵 | 8-3 |
| 3-8 | Tochitaikai 🇯🇵 | M18 |
Onosato heading for zen-yusho
Onosato, the 24 year-old phenom, is chasing history this month. As an ozeki (the rank directly below yokozuna) he came into this tournament knowing that if he won the championship he would earn promotion and become the sport’s 75th yokozuna. He earned that possibility by winning the previous tournament, in March. Onosato was the odds-on favourite to win this tournament before any salt had been thrown. Now, his victory looks like a foregone conclusion.
He is undefeated after eleven days. And, in the vast majority of his matches, he hasn’t broken a sweat. This impressive form has him eyeing up a potential zensho-yusho (undefeated championship). The last zensho-yusho was achieved by Hakuho (the sport’s GOAT) back in 2021.
This performance adds to the growing legend that is Onosato. He’s only been competing in senior sumo since 2023 and this is only his ninth top division tournament. In his past eight tournaments he’s won three championships, finished runner-up twice and earned eight special prizes. He’s on pace to smash perhaps every record in the books.
On Day 11 he beat one of his closest challengers, Wakatakakage, to give him a commanding two victory lead in the tournament with four days left.
Hoshoryu improves after early wobbles
Hoshoryu is at 9-2 and currently second place to Onosato. Hoshoryu, who became the sport’s 74th yokozuna before the March tournament, had some early troubles this month. He lost on day three and four to wrestlers outside the san’yaku (special named rankings). Since then, though, he’s won seven straight.
In the first week of this tournament he looked nervous and his sumo was quite haphazard. This recalled memories of his March tournament, his first as a yokozuna. In March his nerves, and a nagging elbow injury, conspired to give him a paltry 5-4 record before he pulled out of the tournament on Day 10.
In the last few days, though, Hoshoryu has looked like his normal self. He’s seemed locked in and has been able to use his throwing arsenal to devastating affect in wins over Hiradoumi and Takerufuji.
He is destined to face Onosato on the final day of this tournament. If he keeps winning and Onosato loses a couple (that’s a massive if), Hoshoryu might be able to beat him to the cup.
Young guns Aonishiki and Hakuoho impressing
Hoshoryu is the only wrestler with a 9-2 record. After Day 11 a slew of other wrestlers fell to 8-3. Those wrestlers have a mathematical chance of winning the title, but it seems highly unlikely that they will do that. They’d need Onosato and Hoshoryu to go winless from this point on.
Among that cadre of 8-3 wrestlers are Aonishiki and Hakuoho, both of whom are just 21 years-old.
They both came into Day 11 with 8-2 records and hopes of staying within arm’s reach of Onosato. However, both took losses to elite veteran talents.
Hakuoho lost to Hoshoryu, in a bout where his legs seemed to give out underneath him. And Aonishiki lost to Kotozakura, the only other ozeki in the sport right now.
Despite those losses pretty much ending their chances of a championship, it’s a massive surprise (and accomplishment) for these two to even be in this conversation at this late point of the tournament.
Hakuoho is a former hot prospect and the protege of Hakuho. He came on the scene with the same kind of hype that Onosato had. However, a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery prevented him from immediately making good on that hype. Aonishiki, a former Ukrainian refugee, is only competing in his 11th ever senior tournament and just his second in the top division.
Both men are examples of a young and exciting generation of rikishi that is currently progressing up the ranks.
More sumo coverage on Combat Press
Combat Press will provide more coverage of the 2025 summer tournament. Next week we will bring you the final results.
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