Grand Sumo is back! The ink is dry on the banzuke (ranking document), the dohyo (ring) has been built. All that’s left is to bless the ring and send the big boys out to do battle. The Kyushu basho starts on Sunday, November 9 and runs for 15 straight days, finishing on November 23.
Over those days, everyone in the Grand Sumo system, who is able, will head out onto the dohyo and compete for the best record they can muster. Records mean everything in sumo and can determine whether you go up or down in rank.
In the makuuchi (top division), wrestlers are competing for something extra, too. Whoever gets the best record over 15 days will also win the Emperor’s Cup.
To set up the up coming tournament (and convince you to start watching sumo) here are five storylines that I’ll be tracking at the 2025 Kyushu basho.
Onosato vs. Hoshoryu Round 2 (3?)
The previous tournament, the 2025 aki basho in September, gave us everything we have been hoping for in sumo. We saw two yokozuna on top of their game smash through the competition and set up a final day showdown for all the marbles. That showdown was incredibly close, with the 74th yokozuna Hoshoryu defeating the 75th yokozuna Onosato to force a play-off for the cup. In that play-off, Onosato won — by a hair — to secure his fifth top division yusho (championship).
Both these men were promoted to the hallowed rank of yokozuna this year and this was the first time we saw them firing on all cylinders. It was a sight for sore eyes, since sumo fans have had to endure years of just a single yokozuna on the scene (who was injured more often than not).
The Kyushu basho will be Hoshoryu’s chance to get revenge on Onosato in what has become a fascinating rivalry between the two. For Onosato, he’ll want to prove his win in September was no fluke and beat Hoshoryu (someone he has historically had trouble with) in commanding fashion.
This all sets up a thrilling tournament. However, in order to get that big pay-off at the end, we need these guys to look as good as they did in September.
Aonishiki Expectations
The blue whirlwind, Aonishiki, has defied expectations so far in his Grand Sumo career. So much so that the only expectation left for him is to win a championship. The sensational 21 year-old blew onto the scene this year and has banked 11-4 records in four back-to-back tournaments. This incredible achievement has seen him elevated to the rank of sekiwake (two below yokozuna) ahead of this tournament (and in record time).
Aonishiki is now on his ozeki run, hoping to secure the second highest rank in the sport (a rank very few wrestlers ever attain in their careers). Aonishiki will likely earn that rank if he wins this tournament in dominating fashion. Otherwise, scoring eleven wins or more over the next two tournaments will certainly get the job done.
Aonishiki, a former national level freestyle wrestler in Ukraine, has confounded traditional rikishi (sumo wrestlers) this year with his awkward, explosive and unpredictable style. In the previous tournament, though, there were a few tactics which seemed to work well against him (mostly forcing him to fight upright and not lean over like in freestyle).
Kyushu will be an intriguing tournament for Aonishiki as we see whether or not a deeper scouting report leads to wins being harder to come by for him.
Can Kotozakura play spoiler?
Kotozakura was the man best placed to become yokozuna at the start of the year. However, the ozeki has been plagued with knee injuries for the past eleven months. He’s fought hurt in every tournament this year. Despite that, he’s only had one losing record over this time as he’s scraped by with low winning records in all others. That’s enabled him to keep his ozeki rank.
Kotozakura being hurt has been a shame since, when he’s on his game, he’s one of the very best wrestlers in the sport. He has some of the best size in the division, but it is complimented with elite grappling acumen and intelligence. He’s long been a tough match-up for the current reigning yokozuna.
Kotozakura showed flashes of his best self in September (including when he took a win off Hoshoryu), raising hopes that we might soon see a fully healed Kotozakura on the dohyo. Kotozakura also sat out the recent exhibition tour in London to further rest his knees.
This all could mean that Kotozakura heads into Kyushu fresher than anytime this year, ready to play spoiler and remind the two yokozuna how tough he is to beat.
The Waka Bros. have points to prove
It was mixed fortunes for brothers Wakatakakage and Wakamotoharu in September. Wakatakakage was looking to secure his promotion to ozeki. He needed to score 13 wins to do this. Unfortunately, he slumped in September, finishing with a 6-9 record. Wakatakakage was visually upset after the loss that confirmed his ozeki run was over. Wakatakakage had been on an ozeki run in 2023 when he suffered a devastating knee injury that would require surgery and multiple missed tournaments. He fought hard to claw his way back to the top division and reach the precipice of an ozeki promotion this year only to fall at the last hurdle.
In contrast, Wakamotoharu had a very good tournament in September, going 10-5. However, he didn’t have nearly as high stakes as his brother. Wakamotoharu has always been second fiddle to Wakatakakage and this year he’s struggled to maintain a high rank in the division. His 10-5 in September has advanced him to maegashira 2, just below the san’yaku; home to the lowest of the special named upper ranks.
Wakatakakage is ranked just ahead of him at maegashira 1, also staring up at the elite ranks.
Both men can crash the san’yaku with winning records in November and set themselves up for a big 2026.
Can Takerufuji escape Juryo on the first try?
Takerufuji was one of the stories of 2024 when he won a yusho in his debut makuuchi tournament. This was the first time that had happened in 91 years. Takerufuji injured his ankle during that run and that forced him to go absent in the following tournament. Absences count as losses in sumo, so Takerufuji was quickly demoted to juryo (second division). Takerufuji fought his way back to makuuchi and he’s been hit-and-miss since. In July he badly tore his bicep during a bout. That forced him to sit out some of that tournament and all of the following tournament.
The 0-0-15 record in September has landed him back in juryo for the Kyushu tournament. He’ll be hoping to get out of juryo at the first available opportunity. Given how far down he’s been ranked (J7), it’s going to take a substantial effort to earn an immediate promotion back to makuuchi.
However, if he wins the second division championship, that would likely be enough to do it. That’s easier said than done, though, especially with some tough opponents lurking down there.
Former ozeki Asanoyama, who is only in the second division because he spent a long time out with a serious knee injury, is a popular pick to win the division. There are also the bright young prospects Mita, Asahakuryu and Fujiryoga to worry about.
MORE SUMO ON COMBAT PRESS
Combat Press will include a viewing guide, mid-way and final results for the Kyushu tournament. 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.