Grand sumo just wrapped up its latest tournament. The 2025 Nagoya basho was held over 15 straight days in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It finished on Sunday and crowned the latest top division champion. See below for the final standings from the makuuchi (top division) and then the key takeaways from a thrilling tournament.
2025 Nagoya Basho top division final standings
| Record | East | Rank | West | Record |
| 1-4-10 | Hoshoryu 🇲🇳 | Yokozuna | Onosato 🇯🇵 | 11-4 |
| 8-7 | Kotozakura🇯🇵 | Ozeki | ||
| 0-0-15 | Daieisho 🇯🇵 | Sekiwake | Kirishima 🇲🇳 | 8-7 |
| Sekiwake | Wakatakakage 🇯🇵 | 10-5 | ||
| 3-12 | Oshoma 🇲🇳 | Komusubi | Takayasu 🇯🇵 | 10-5 |
| 11-4 | Aoinishiki 🇺🇦 | M1 | Wakamotoharu 🇯🇵 | 6-9 |
| 7-8 | Oho 🇯🇵 | M2 | Abi 🇯🇵 | 9-6 |
| 6-9 | Onokatsu 🇲🇳 | M3 | Kinbozan 🇰🇿 | 4-11 |
| 8-7 | Hakuoho 🇯🇵 | M4 | Tamawashi 🇲🇳 | 11-4 |
| 8-7 | Hiradoumi 🇯🇵 | M5 | Meisei 🇯🇵 | 3-12 |
| 5-8-2 | Takerufuji 🇯🇵 | M6 | Gonoyama 🇯🇵 | 9-6 |
| 3-10-2 | Tobizaru 🇯🇵 | M7 | Endo 🇯🇵 | 0-0-15 |
| 4-11 | Sadanoumi 🇯🇵 | M8 | Ichiyamamoto 🇯🇵 | 9-6 |
| 8-6-1 | Ura 🇯🇵 | M9 | Chiyoshoma 🇲🇳 | 1-14 |
| 11-4 | Atamifuji 🇯🇵 | M10 | Roga 🇷🇺 | 7-8 |
| 9-6 | Takanosho 🇯🇵 | M11 | Tokihayate 🇯🇵 | 6-9 |
| 9-6 | Midorifuji 🇯🇵 | M12 | Asakoryu 🇯🇵 | 6-9 |
| 9-6 | Churanoumi 🇯🇵 | M13 | Shodai 🇯🇵 | 9-6 |
| 11-4 | Kusano 🇯🇵 | M14 | Fujinokawa 🇯🇵 | 10-5 |
| 13-2 | Kotoshoho 🇯🇵 | M15 | Hidenoumi 🇯🇵 | 2-11-2 |
| 4-11 | Kayo 🇯🇵 | M16 | Mitakeumi 🇯🇵 | 10-5 |
| 6-9 | Kotoeiho 🇯🇵 | M17 | Shishi 🇺🇦 | 7-8 |
Kotoshoho’s Cinderella run earns him first career yusho
The unheralded Kotoshoho was the last man standing this weekend, beating Aonishiki to secure a 13-2 record. That record stood as the best out of everyone and thus earned Kotoshoho his very first yusho (championship).
The 25-year-old started this tournament ranked at just maegashira 15 and was coming off an injury hit May tournament. After going 3-2 to start things off, Kotoshoho went on a ten-fight winning run that culminated in victories over some of the best wrestlers currently in the sport.
Kotoshoho wasn’t considered a serious threat to win this tournament until Day 12 when he beat former ozeki (and March tournament runner-up) Takayasu. Prior to that his wins had come over much lower ranked wrestlers.
That confident win over Takayasu was followed by a fantastic victory over Onosato, who was competing in his first tournament since being crowned the sport’s 75th yokozuna.
Kotoshoho manhandled the much bigger Onosato and used an outside grip to turn Onosato over and bundle him off the dohyo (ring). This was Kotoshoho’s first career kinboshi (win over a yokozuna from the maegashira ranks). That honor secures a career-long salary bonus for the 25-year-old.
That win put Kotoshoho into the lead and added a great deal of pressure to his next two bouts. You wouldn’t have guessed that to look at him, though. Kotoshoho remained cool in his next bouts and, on the penultimate day of the tournament, he defeated former ozeki and two-time former champion Kirishima in a carbon copy of his win over Takayasu.
That win set up a match with Aonishiki (who was one win behind him) on the final day of the tournament. Kotoshoho bested the sensational 21-year-old Ukrainian to lift the cup. If he would have lost that match, he would have had to fight Aonishiki in a play-off for the cup. That play-off might have also included top division rookie, Kusano, who was only second to Kotoshoho in how well he looked fighting down the home stretch.
Kotoshoho avoided the possibility of a play-off by beating Aonishiki with a relaxed and controlled slap down to earn the cup.
Afterwards Kotoshoho said that his previous experience from 2023 helped him stay focused and relaxed during this improbable yusho run. Back in Jan. 2023, Kotoshoho had a chance to win his first title on the final day of the tournament, but lost to the recently retired Takakeisho. He and Takakeisho had attended the same high school. Kotoshoho was clearly very nervous in that bout. However, that loss seems to have served him well and carried him to this win over a very competitive field of opponents.
Kotoshoho will receive a big boost in the rankings thanks to this win.
Disappointment for both yokozuna
With the success of Kotoshoho and other lower ranked wrestlers, the performances of the two highest ranked (and most important) wrestlers in the sport became just footnotes for this tournament.
Hoshoryu, who became the 74th yokozuna after winning the January tournament, was forced to pull out of the Nagoya basho on Day 5 citing an injured toe and thumb. At that time he was just 1-3, having won his opening day bout but then coughing up three kinboshi in a row to Wakamotoharu, Aonishiki and Abi.
Onosato fought out the whole tournament. However, his 15 days were marked with a number of uncharacteristic mistakes which spoke to a lack of focus and determination. On Day 4, he was upset by Oho, after he accidentally stepped out of bounds. Then, on Day 8, he lost to Hakuoho after getting his gameplan crossed up and whiffing on a slapdown attempt. On Day 10, he was out muscled and slung over by the 40-year-old Tamawashi, who ended up having a stellar tournament.
And then, on Day 13, he looked checked out while losing to eventual winner Kotoshoho.
Onosato finished with an 11-4 record. He was mathematically in with a shot of winning the tournament up until the penultimate day of the tournament. However, after the midpoint of the tournament he didn’t look like a serious title contender. 11-4 is a fantastic record for most wrestlers, but for a yokozuna it’s considered a bare minimum achievement and somewhat disappointing (especially for one who had won the previous two tournaments). Onosato’s four kinboshi losses is a record for a debuting yokozuna.
Both Onosato and Hoshoryu will now be under a lot of pressure to rebound at the September tournament, with the Japan Sumo Association expecting both of them to be competing for a cup on the final weekend.
Mixed bag for the other upper rankers
The other upper-ranked wrestlers in Nagoya had mixed success during the tournament. Ozeki Kotozakura, the highest ranked man behind the two yokozuna, managed to secure a bare minimum winning record of 8-7. That result means his ranking is safe, for now. Kotozakura, who won the November tournament, has been treading water this year as he tries to compete while also recovering from a knee and neck injury. Despite having a so-so record this month, Kotozakura did show some flashes of his past brilliance.
Daieisho, the highest ranked sekiwake for this tournament, sat out due to injury. His 0-0-15 record will see him demoted from sekiwake and likely pushed down to the maegashira ranks for the first time in a year.
The two other sekiwake Kirishima and Wakatakakage finished with winning records. Kirishima finished with a mediocre 8-7 and Wakatakakage ended with a good 10-5.
Sekiwake progress to ozeki typically if they secure 33 wins in three consecutive tournaments as a sekiwake. Kirishima’s 8-7 basically puts him back to zero in his attempt to get 33 wins. Wakatakakage, on the other hand, has a decent shot of getting promoted this year with a good showing in September.
Below those two, Oshoma–who was debuting as a komusubi in this tournament–had an awful tournament. He looked overwhelmed as he slumped to a 3-12 record. Takayasu, the other komusubi, fought great and scored his tenth win on the last day after blasting through the super hyped rookie Kusano.
Sumo’s youth movement in full swing
Kotoshoho, Aonishiki and Kusano were the only wrestlers eligible to win the championship on the final day. All of them are under 25 years old. Aonishiki, who won’t turn 22 until next March, was especially impressive.
He’s now finished with 11-4 records in all three of his top division tournaments. He’ll be ranked as a komusubi after this performance. At times Aonishiki looked like the man to beat in this tournament, as he fooled more experienced wrestlers with his quirky freestyle wrestling infused sumo. He scored a number of wins using little known or utilized finishing moves, such as the uchimuso (inner thigh propping twist down).
The former Ukrainian refugee, whose name means ‘Blue Whirlwind’, may not have won the cup this month, but he showed he’s one of the most exciting wrestlers in the game and a threat to win more cups going forwards.
Kusano finished with an 11-4 record and earned a technique prize and a fighting spirit prize. The top college recruit, who was coming into this tournament with a lot of hype, looked extremely strong in Nagoya.
Other young wrestlers who impressed in Nagoya include Atamifuji (22), Fujinokawa (20) and Hakuoho (21).
Atamifuji was in the title picture until a loss on the penultimate day of the tournament. Fujinokawa was making his top division debut. He scrapped his way to a 10-5 record and a Fighting Spirit prize. And Hakuoho managed to get a kachi-koshi (winning record) after being ranked at his highest ever ranking (maegashira 4).
Injuries abound in Nagoya
Nagoya is notorious for injuries. This tournament happens during the hottest month in Japan and in one of the hottest places. Historically, this tournament took place in an arena with no air conditioning. Those sweltering conditions meant that the clay ring was often very slippery, which resulted in trips, slips, falls and injuries.
This tournament was being held at a new stadium with air conditioning. However, early on in the tournament there were still a few slides on the slippery clay. Thankfully, slips didn’t seem to impact the tournament during the crucial final stages.
Despite the improved conditions in Nagoya there were a lot of injuries this month. Daieisho and Endo pulled out before the tournament had began. During the tournament Hoshoryu, Tobizaru, Ura, Takerufuji and Hidenoumi all spent times on the sidelines.
Takerufuji’s injury looked like the worst of the bunch. He tore his bicep against Sadanoumi on Day 6. In that bout you could see his bicep contort and begin to immediately bruise. Takerufuji fought on with it for another six days (going 1-5) before sitting out the remainder of the tournament.
Other news and notes
Ichiyamamoto, who was the surprise leader at the half way point of this tournament, struggled with his front runner status. After his 9-1 start he lost his final five bouts to quickly remove himself from the title picture.
Mita won the juryo yusho (second division championship) in Nagoya with an 11-4 record. This is his first ever championship and he was only competing in his sixth senior tournament. Due to his low ranking, this win is probably not enough to see him promoted to the top division in September.
Veterans Nishikigi, Ryuden, Shonannoumi and Tomokaze all scored winning records in juryo. Due to their high rankings they will likely all be promoted to makuuchi in September, which is somewhere each of them has spent considerable time before.
Kotoshoho’s brother Kotoeiho will likely be demoted from the top division after he finished with a 6-9 record. Kayo, Hidenoumi, Shishi and Chiyoshoma are all candidates to be demoted from the top division in September as well.
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