Yokozuna Onosato Beat Takanosho to Stand Alone at Seven and One With Eight Wrestlers Chasing Him in Tokyo
Ozeki Kotozakura lost to Hakunofuji and fell into a pack of eight on six wins, alongside both sekiwake and five rank and file wrestlers.
Yokozuna Onosato took sole control of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo on 20 September 2026, forcing out Takanosho by yorikiri on the eighth day to move to seven wins and one defeat.
The result left Onosato one win clear of eight wrestlers on 6-2: ozeki Kotozakura, sekiwake Atamifuji and Fujinokawa, and maegashira Churanoumi, Asanoyama, Ura, Kinbozan and Toshinofuji.
Kotozakura dropped out of a share of the lead when he was pushed out by Hakunofuji. Churanoumi beat ozeki Kirishima with a frontal push down for his third straight win over him, while Atamifuji escaped against Kotoeiho with a last second thrust down, using the straw bales at the edge of the ring to turn defeat into victory. Ura beat Ichiyamamoto with an armbar throw.
Halfway through the tournament, every other wrestler in the top division has lost at least twice. The Fantasy Basho newsletter described him as being in bulldozer mode with manageable opponents to come before he meets the top ranked wrestlers, while Sumo Stomp wrote that it now felt like Onosato's tournament to lose.
The 15 day tournament continues with day nine on 21 September and ends on 27 September.