Aki Basho: Onosato pulls two wins clear in Tokyo as yokozuna returns to form after injury
Yokozuna Onosato is 10-1 after Day 11 of the September Grand Sumo Tournament, two wins ahead of six wrestlers on 8-3.
With four days to go at the Aki Basho, the September Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, one wrestler is clearly ahead. Yokozuna Onosato is 10-1 after Day 11, and nobody else has fewer than three losses.
The leaderboard after Day 11
Sumo analyst Tim Edwards of Sumo Stomp has the top division like this:
- Onosato (Yokozuna) – 10-1
- Aonishiki (Ozeki) – 8-3
- Atamifuji (Sekiwake) – 8-3
- Fujinokawa (Sekiwake) – 8-3
- Churanoumi (Maegashira 3) – 8-3
- Asanoyama (Maegashira 6) – 8-3
- Kinbozan (Maegashira 10) – 8-3
The 15-day tournament started on 13 September and ends on Sunday, 27 September.
Day 11: Onosato beats Fujinokawa
Onosato beat sekiwake Fujinokawa by yorikiri (a frontal force-out) on Day 11. Sumo Stomp calls it revenge for Fujinokawa's two previous wins over the yokozuna. Elsewhere, ozeki Kirishima forced out Atamifuji, Asanoyama beat Kinbozan, and Aonishiki pushed out Takanosho.
After Day 10, Atamifuji, Fujinokawa and Kinbozan had all been one win behind at 8-2. All three lost on Day 11, which put Onosato two clear.
Back to his best
Combat Press reports that Onosato is back to his best after the shoulder separation he suffered last November. He's winning with strong forward pressure again. The Mongolian yokozuna Hoshoryu isn't competing this time. Wikipedia's 2026 sumo summary says he had knee surgery in July and pulled out of September to recover, which leaves Onosato as the only yokozuna in the tournament.
Promotion races and a struggling ozeki
There's more at stake than the title:
- Atamifuji is trying to reach ozeki. Combat Press says he needed two more wins after Day 10 to get to 10 for this tournament, which would keep his three-tournament promotion run on track. His loss to Kirishima made that harder.
- Kirishima started the tournament as a yokozuna-promotion contender. He won the March tournament and had put together a strong run of results. At 5-5 after Day 10, those promotion hopes are over for now.
- Aonishiki won the January and July tournaments this year. In July he became the first wrestler to lose ozeki rank, win it back in a single tournament and win the title in that same tournament. At 8-3 he needs Onosato to lose.
- Ura, one of sumo's most popular wrestlers for his acrobatic style, was 7-3 after Day 10 with an outside chance.
In the second division (juryo), Combat Press reported that Kagayaki was unbeaten at 10-0 after Day 10.
What Onosato needs
A two-win lead with four days left is a strong position. The chasing group will need Onosato to lose at least twice to force a playoff. Malaysian fans can watch the daily highlights on the Japan Sumo Association's channels. The final day is Sunday 27 September.
Key takeaways
- Onosato is 10-1 after Day 11, two wins ahead of six wrestlers on 8-3.
- Yokozuna Hoshoryu is out of the tournament after knee surgery.
- Atamifuji's ozeki bid suffered a setback, and Kirishima's yokozuna hopes have ended.
- The basho finishes on Sunday, 27 September at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
FAQ
What is the Aki Basho? The September tournament, one of six annual Grand Sumo tournaments (honbasho). It's always held in Tokyo.
How is the champion decided? The wrestler with the best record in the top (makuuchi) division after 15 days wins. If records are tied at the top, a playoff decides it.
Why isn't Hoshoryu competing? He had knee surgery in July and withdrew from the September tournament to recover.
Sources: Sumo Stomp (Tim Edwards), Combat Press, Wikipedia (2026 in sumo)