Grand Sumo kicks off its 2026 season this weekend with the hatsu basho (New Year Tournament) in Tokyo. In preparation for the tournament the Japan Sumo Association released its latest banzuke (ranking document) a few weeks ago. That official ranking list puts all wrestlers in the Grand Sumo system into ranks and divisions for the upcoming tournament. Those are based on the records the wrestlers earned in the previous tournament, the 2025 Kyushu basho.
You can check out the official rankings here:
These Combat Press rankings are not based on the win-loss records from the past tournament. Instead, this list ranks wrestlers based on who I think is the most likely wrestler to win the top division championship this month (regardless what their actual rank is).
1. Onosato (1)
Official rank: Yokozuna 1 west
Record at last tournament: 11-4
There are murmurs that the 75th yokozuna Onosato is still dealing with the shoulder injury that forced him out on the last day of the 2025 Kyushu basho in November. The fact I still have him number one speaks to how dominant he has been over the past year and a half. The young man has won five out of the ten top division tournaments he has been involved in and he scored two yusho (championships) last year. He’s well on pace for a record breaking career if he can stay relatively injury free.
2. Aonishiki (3)
Official rank: Ozeki 1 west
Record at last tournament: 12-3 yusho (championship), gino-sho (technique prize), shokun-sho (outstanding performance prize)
This is the highest I’ve ever had Aonishiki on this kind of list and to get him here I had to bump down our other yokozuna Hoshoryu to third. That’s the lowest Hoshoryu has ever been in my rankings. The reason Aonishiki, who was just promoted to ozeki, leap frogs the 74th yokozuna is because Aonishiki has dominated their head-to-head battles. If he and Hoshoryu are in winning form in a tournament then I have to believe that Aonishiki is more likely to get past Hoshoryu when it comes to crunch time.
3. Hoshoryu (2)
Official rank: Yokozuna 1 east
Record at last tournament: 12-3 yusho-doten (championship runner up after a play-off loss)
Despite bumping him down to third, I still have a lot of faith in Hoshoryu as a yokozuna. His first year with this rank was plagued by nagging injuries. In the moments he was healthy, though, he looked incredible and was extremely competitive (losing one yusho to Onosato on a razor thin finish). He, Onosato and Aonishiki are the top three wrestlers in the sport right now, by some distance.
4. Yoshinofuji (15)
Official rank: Maegashira 1 west
Record at previous tournament: 9-6, gino-sho, kinboshi (gold star)
Yoshinofuji is still raw, but he’s looked very impressive in his first three top division tournaments. He has great physicality and some very nice technique when it comes to belt grappling. However, what gives me confidence in his potential to cause a surprise is how confident he appears to be on the dohyo. That’s reminiscent of Aonishiki in his first year in the big league. Yoshinofuji has already come close to getting into the title picture and he also already has wins over both Onosato and Aonishiki (he’s actually 3-0 against the Ukrainian). He should have a good tournament in January, partly due to two of his stable mates also being ranked high up in the joi (which means he won’t have to fight them and will get two easier opponents instead).
5. Kirishima (7)
Official rank: Sekiwake 1 east
Record at previous tournament: 11-4, kanto-sho (fighting spirit prize)
I am going back to the Kirishima well, stubbornly believing the former ozeki is capable of the kind of form that made him the best active rikishi in the sport back in 2023. He looked great in the last tournament, showing off the kind of creativity and swagger we’re used to seeing when he’s at his best. He appears to have overcome the neck injury that spoiled his 2024 and he might be a dark horse contender this month.
Full rankings
- Onosato (1)
- Aonishiki (3)
- Hoshoryu (2)
- Yoshinofuji (15)
- Kirishima (7)
- Kotozakura (4)
- Takayasu (8)
- Wakatakakage (5)
- Oho (6)
- Wakamotoharu (10)
- Hakunofuji (9)
- Ichiyamamoto (NR)
- Atamifuji (18)
- Daieisho (14)
- Takanosho (11)
- Ura (13)
- Tamawashi (17)
- Churanoumi (NR)
- Onokatsu (20)
- Hiradoumi (12)
Just missed the cut: Fujinokawa, Kinbozan, Gonoyama, Tokihayate, Asanoyama.
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