Grand Sumo’s hatsu basho (new year tournament) is in its final week. The 15-day tournament wraps up on Sunday and the wrestler with the highest record will claim the first Emperor’s Cup of the year. Don’t ask me who that will be, though. This tournament has been uncharacteristically competitive and the field of potential title winners is massive, with at least 11 wrestlers having great shots at winning the yusho (championship this weekend).
Scroll down to see where things stand after nine days of bouts and some key storylines currently playing out on the dohyo (ring).
2026 Hatsu Basho top division Day 9 standings
| 2026 HATSU BANZUKE | ||||
| Record | East | Rank | West | Record |
| 7-3 | Hoshoryu 🇲🇳 | Yokozuna | Onosato 🇯🇵 | 6-4 |
| 7-3 | Kotozakura🇯🇵 | Ozeki | Aoinishiki 🇺🇦 | 8-2 |
| 8-2 | Kirishima 🇲🇳 | Sekiwake | Takayasu 🇯🇵 | 7-3 |
| 4-6 | Oho 🇯🇵 | Komusubi | Wakamotoharu 🇯🇵 | 4-6 |
| 1-9 | Ichiyamamoto 🇯🇵 | M1 | Yoshinofuji 🇯🇵 | 5-5 |
| 1-9 | Ura 🇯🇵 | M2 | Wakatakakage 🇯🇵 | 5-5 |
| 1-9 | Takanosho 🇯🇵 | M3 | Hakunofuji 🇯🇵 | 5-5 |
| 4-6 | Daieisho 🇯🇵 | M4 | Atamifuji 🇯🇵 | 8-2 |
| 4-6 | Tamawashi 🇲🇳 | M5 | Churanoumi 🇯🇵 | 6-4 |
| 7-3 | Hiradoumi 🇯🇵 | M6 | Onokatsu 🇲🇳 | 4-6 |
| 6-4 | Oshoma 🇲🇳 | M7 | Fujinokawa 🇯🇵 | 7-3 |
| 4-6 | Shodai 🇯🇵 | M8 | Kinbozan 🇰🇿 | 3-7 |
| 4-6 | Gonoyama 🇯🇵 | M9 | Roga 🇷🇺 | 3-7 |
| 5-5 | Tokihayate 🇯🇵 | M10 | Kotoshoho 🇯🇵 | 6-4 |
| 4-6 | Chiyoshoma 🇲🇳 | M11 | Nishikifuji 🇯🇵 | 6-4 |
| 4-6 | Midorifuji 🇯🇵 | M12 | Abi 🇯🇵 | 8-2 |
| 3-7 | Tobizaru 🇯🇵 | M13 | Tomokaze 🇯🇵 | 4-6 |
| 8-2 | Shishi 🇺🇦 | M14 | Mitakeumi 🇯🇵 | 4-6 |
| 4-6 | Ryuden 🇯🇵 | M15 | Asakoryu 🇯🇵 | 5-5 |
| 7-3 | Asanoyama 🇯🇵 | M16 | Oshoumi 🇯🇵 | 7-3 |
| 5-5 | Asahakuryu 🇯🇵 | M17 | Hatsuyama 🇯🇵 | 1-8 |
The yokozuna are struggling
Onosato and Hoshoryu came into the first tournament of the year nursing injuries. Onosato hurt his shoulder in November, with some reports saying it may be separated. And Hoshoryu is feeling his knee, with a reported meniscus tear.
This news gave me low expectations from what we might see from our two highest ranked wrestlers this month. And, as far as Onosato is concerned, I was right to do that. Onosato held it together for the first few days of this tournament, but then it became very clear that he was fighting through a lot of pain with that shoulder.
On day four he was thrown over by his old college rival Yoshinofuji. He regrouped and laboured through wins over the next three days. But on day eight he was smashed into by Hakunofuji, Yoshinofuji’s stable mate, and bounced off the ring. Onosato looked in tremendous pain after that one. Despite suffering the loss and possible further damage to his shoulder, he has competed in the two days since — losing in each of them. Last night he lost to Atamifuji (the other team mate of Yoshinofuji and Hakunofuji) to slump to a 6-4 record.
If Onosato comes out to fight for day eleven, I’d be shocked.
Hoshoryu looks hampered in his movements this month, but that hasn’t led to dramatic losses like it has for Onosato. He’s clearly not firing on all cylinders, but he’s still managed to go 7-3, with losses to Yoshinofuji, Daieisho and Atamifuji. Last night he scored a confident win over Oho, though.
Hoshoryu winced after his bout last night. I have the feeling that if Hoshoryu loses one more, and is thus pretty much out of the title hunt, he may sit out the rest of the way.
The race for the yusho is wide open!
With Onosato a non-factor and Hoshoryu not quite at full strength, the race for the first Grand Sumo silverware of the year is wide open. At this time of writing four wrestlers share the lead with 8-2 records (Aonishiki, Kirishima, Atamifuji, Abi and Shishi). And there are seven more just behind them on 7-3 records (Hoshoryu, Kotozakura, Takayasu, Hiradoumi, Fujinokawa, Asanoyama, Oshoumi).
Those names, together, form a wildly varied group of individuals. Among these chasers are men we expected to compete for the title, like Hoshoryu and Aonishiki (who won in November and might become the first ever European born yokozuna if he wins this weekend).
There’s also elite wrestlers who had stumbled lately but now look as good as ever. That includes Kotozakura, whose entire 2025 was ruined by knee injuries, and Kirishima who had neck injuries ruin his 2024, and Asanoyama, who is back in the top division after knee surgery.
There’s also some under-the-radar, but still very good wrestlers, in this pack, including former champ and runner-up Abi and Takayasu and the perennially top ten ranked Hiradoumi and Atamifuji.
And then there are some shocking names in this group. That includes the little Fujinokawa, who has been using his all out aggressive style to win fans and slay giants, Shishi, the other Ukranian wrestler in the top division who might have just turned a corner in his career, and finally Oshoumi, who is only competing in his second top division tournament.
By this time in the tournament there are usually two to four wrestlers who seem primed to compete for the title on the weekend. But we’ve got eleven! It’s going to be fascinating to see who makes it out of that group and has a shot at the trophy.
Other news and notes
The ever popular Ura and Ichiyamamoto are having nightmare tournaments this month. Both were promoted to high positions in the division. For Ichiyamamoto this is his highest ever rank. And both are currently sitting at 1-9 records after being beat down by a murderers’ row of opponents. One of Ura’s losses, though, came to Onosato in a bout that had lots of fans crying foul. Onosato is seen as the golden boy of sumo (the first Japanese yokozuna in almost a decade) and some felt he was given an inappropriate rematch with Ura after an initial bout that should have been given to Pink Magic.
Takanosho and Hatsuyama are also on 1-9 records. Takanosho is ranked with Ura and Ichiyamamoto and has thus been subjected to brutal match-ups during the opening ten days. Hatsuyama, who is ranked at the very bottom, is competing in his first ever top division tournament.
In the second division, veteran Sadanoumi is currently leading the way. Former top division champ Takerufuji, who was demoted due to injuries, is only 5-5 and will almost certainly miss out on a promotion back to the top division for March (which will mark the two year anniversary of his improbable yusho).
More sumo content on Combat Press
Combat Press will provide more grand sumo coverage this month, including the final results for 2026 hatsu basho (new year tournament).
For more sumo news, daily tournament updates and deep drives subscribe to Sumo Stomp! on Substack.