Grand Sumo’s aki basho (autumn tournament) is in its final week. The 15-day tournament will end on Sunday and the wrestler who has the best record will be awarded the Emperor’s Cup. The tournament has had some great matches so far. However, what’s more important is that we have the potential for a very special ending to this tournament.
Scroll down to see where things stand after nine days of bouts and some key storylines currently playing out on the dohyo (ring).
2025 Aki Basho top division Day 9 standings
| Record | East | Rank | West | Record |
| 8-1 | Onosato 🇯🇵 | Yokozuna | Hoshoryu 🇲🇳 | 9-0 |
| 6-3 | Kotozakura🇯🇵 | Ozeki | ||
| 5-4 | Wakatakakage 🇯🇵 | Sekiwake | Kirishima 🇲🇳 | 5-4 |
| 2-7 | Takayasu 🇯🇵 | Komusubi | Aoinishiki 🇺🇦 | 7-2 |
| 3-6 | Tamawashi 🇲🇳 | M1 | Abi 🇯🇵 | 0-9 |
| 6-3 | Hakuoho 🇯🇵 | M2 | Oho 🇯🇵 | 5-4 |
| 2-7 | Atamifuji 🇯🇵 | M3 | Gonoyama 🇯🇵 | 0-9 |
| 5-4 | Hiradoumi 🇯🇵 | M4 | Wakamotoharu 🇯🇵 | 6-3 |
| 2-7 | Kotoshoho 🇯🇵 | M5 | Ichiyamamoto 🇯🇵 | 3-6 |
| 5-4 | Onokatsu 🇲🇳 | M6 | Kusano 🇯🇵 | 5-4 |
| 7-2 | Takanosho 🇯🇵 | M7 | Oshoma 🇲🇳 | 5-4 |
| 6-3 | Ura 🇯🇵 | M8 | Kinbozan 🇰🇿 | 3-6 |
| 3-6 | Midorifuji 🇯🇵 | M9 | Fujinokawa 🇯🇵 | 3-6 |
| 3-6 | Daieisho 🇯🇵 | M10 | Churanoumi 🇯🇵 | 6-3 |
| 8-1 | Shodai 🇯🇵 | M11 | Roga 🇷🇺 | 5-4 |
| 0-0-9 | Takerufuji 🇯🇵 | M12 | Mitakeumi 🇯🇵 | 3-6 |
| 3-6 | Meisei 🇯🇵 | M13 | Tokihayate 🇯🇵 | 3-6 |
| 3-6 | Sadanoumi 🇯🇵 | M14 | Asakoryu 🇯🇵 | 4-5 |
| 6-3 | Tobizaru 🇯🇵 | M15 | Shonannoumi 🇯🇵 | 5-4 |
| 6-3 | Tomokaze 🇯🇵 | M16 | Nishikigi 🇯🇵 | 1-8 |
| 7-2 | Ryuden 🇯🇵 | M17 | Hitoshi 🇯🇵 | 4-5 |
| 6-3 | Shishi 🇺🇦 | M18 |
Yokozuna showdown brewing in Tokyo
After suffering through years of an inactive and injured yokozuna, this year sumo fans finally got to see two young rikishi (wrestlers) secure promotion to that storied rank. Hoshoryu became the sport’s 74th yokozuna in January and Onosato became the 75th yokozuna in May. The current ‘double-yoko’ era got off to a rocky start in July, with Hoshoryu bowing out mid-tournament due to injury (for the second time in a row) and Onosato left on the outside looking in as the unheralded Kotoshoho stormed through the tournament to win his first yusho (championship).
This month, though, both yokozuna have been locked in and it’s feeling like we’re going to see them face each other on the final day with the cup on the line.
Hoshoryu is 9-0 and enjoying his best start to a tournament ever. His sumo has looked incredible over the past nine days and he’s gotten wins through strength (with powerful force outs), speed (with fancy footwork) and craft (with his usual arsenal of judo throws). This is the first time Hoshoryu, as a yokozuna, has gotten off to a good start in a tournament. It’s also the first time, as a yokozuna, that he’s leading a tournament. The momentum he’s feeling has him looking and acting like the imposing yokozuna many hoped he would be once he secured his tsuna (the special rope belt yokozuna wear during ceremonies).
Onosato is 8-1 having lost on day four to Hakuoho. Outside of that hiccup, he’s looked his usual dominating self. Onosato has been pushing and bouncing opponents into the crowd at will this tournament, showing off that he’s the strongest wrestler in the game right now.
Due to mach-making norms, the yokozuna will be paired off against each other on day fifteen. If both of them keep winning then that bout will be for the championship.
It’s easy to imagine this happening, thanks to there not being much competition for Hoshoryu and Onosato at the moment. There’s only one other wrestler with an 8-1 record. That’s Shodai. The former ozeki has put that record together from the rank of M11, meaning he’s not fought anyone close to the calibre of the opponents our yokozuna are currently beating.
The match-making is about to shift now, though, with wrestlers getting paired based on their records, not rank. Shodai might struggle against the stiffer opposition that’s waiting for him.
Others who are close behind Onosato and Shodai include the 21 year-old Ukrainian phenom Aonishiki and the veterans Takanosho and Ryuden. Of that group, Aonishiki has fought the toughest opposition yet.
Wakatakakage stumbling on his ozeki run
Wakatakakage has a chance to be promoted to ozeki after this tournament, so long as he gets eleven wins. Sekiwake ranked wrestlers are typically promoted to ozeki (the rank directly below yokozuna) if they amass 33 wins across three consecutive tournaments.
At this time of writing, Wakatakakage has a 5-4 record. This means the best record he can finish with is 11-4. But in order to get that he has to win every match between now and the end of the tournament. That’s a tough ask, especially since he’s likely to face Onosato, Hoshoryu and Kotozakura (the only current ozeki) over the next six days.
Wakatakakage has looked pretty good in this tournament, but he dropped two early bouts to Hakuoho and Tamawashi. Those are opponents he would have expected to have done better against. Since then his losses were to Aonishiki and former ozeki Kirishima. He and Kirishima put on one of the bouts of the tournament so far.
If Wakatakakage just misses out on eleven wins and finishes with a 10-5 record he might still get promoted (since the Japan Sumo Association prefers to have two ozeki at all times). If he’s not promoted off that record he would go into the November tournament needing thirteen wins to get promoted. If he gets less than ten wins in this tournament, his race for 33 wins would essentially be reset to zero.
What’s up with Abi?
Abi is one of two wrestlers who are winless at the aki basho. Abi, who is ranked at M1, just below the special named upper ranks is the more surprising wrestler of those two. ‘Machine-gun Arm’ is known for being inconsistent. But he’s also known for being a ruthless tough out, capable of beating anyone on his day. In this tournament, no one has fallen for his evasion tricks or rapid fire palm striking. He’s currently on pace for one of the worst records of his career and a massive demotion down the banzuke (rankings).
Gonoyama is the other wrestler on 0-9. Like Abi, he’s had to face a murderer’s row of opponents so far in this tournament. However, it’s still shocking to see a good young wrestler struggle this much. Like Abi, he’s facing a big demotion unless he can go on a run and pull out some wins during the tournament’s second week.
Other news and notes
Kotoshoho, last tournament’s surprise winner, is struggling with a 2-7 record. He’s fighting from the M5 position in this tournament and that’s been much tougher than what he had to do from M15 last time out.
Kotoshoho’s stable-mate Kotozakura is looking good so far. He’s struggled with injuries this year, but he’s managed to show flashes of his best self in this tournament and is currently on a 6-3 record.
In the juryo (second division) Mita is leading the way with an 8-1 record. He won the previous second division tournament with a 11-4 record.
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