Sumo 2025 Year in Review: The Rise of the Blue Whirlwind

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2025 has been an epic year for sumo. Over the last twelve months we’ve seen the sport transform, for the better, with the rise of phenomenal young talent. It’s been exactly what fans had been clamouring for after years of faltering and stagnation in the upper ranks. Thanks to what we’ve seen in 2025 there’s lots of reasons to be excited for the future of the sport (so it’s a great time to get into it, too!).

January

2025 started with an unusual announcement from the Japan Sumo Association (the organization, made up of former rikishi [sumo wrestlers] that oversees and controls the Grand Sumo system). The JSA said that two wrestlers were in the running to be promoted to yokozuna based on their performance in the forthcoming hatsu basho (new year tournament); the annual curtain raiser for the Grand Sumo season. Yokozuna is the highest rank in sumo and something, at the time, that only 73 men had achieved in the four hundred or so years of the sport’s recorded history.

The men in line for the top rank were Kotozakura and Hoshoryu. Those ozeki (the rank directly below yokozuna) had just fought it out in the November tournament with Kotozakura defeating Hoshoryu in a dramatic final day bout. The JSA said that both Kotozakura and Hoshoryu would be promoted to yokozuna if they won the January tournament or came close to doing so. This represented leniency from the JSA, who typically only promote an ozeki to yokozuna if they win two back-to-back tournaments. By stating, publicly, that the criteria had been relaxed a little the JSA was admitting how badly they wanted another wrestler to be promoted to the top rank.

This is because, for years, the JSA (and fans) had suffered from there being only one yokozuna in the sport — Terunofuji. Terunofuji, when healthy, was a ferocious force on the dohyo (ring). However, thanks to double knee surgery the only reigning yokozuna was absent for much of the tournaments over the past three years. To make matters worse, over that time, a number of ozeki ranked wrestlers seemed to crumble under the pressure of that rank and failed to take the next step forwards to become worthy of the ultimate promotion.

The New Year tournament began on January 12 at the historic Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. Terunofuji, who sat out the previous two tournaments, suited up for day one. He went 2-2 in the opening four days. On day five he announced his retirement from the sport.

Terunofuji’s retirement was not a surprise. It had felt like the 33 year-old had been desperate to retire (and heal his battered body) for the last year. The idea of leaving no yokozuna in the sport was probably kept him around longer than he wanted. With the JSA’s announcement making it more likely that a new yokozuna would be promoted, this might have freed Teruonifuji up to finally call it a day. Terunofuji left with ten top division championships and a spot as an elder in the JSA. Later in the year he would become stablemaster of his Isegahama stable (and also adopt the name Isegahama, too).

With Terunofuji out, that improved the chances of everyone else in the 15 day tournament. It also increased the pressure on Kotozakura and Hoshoryu to win and not leave the sport hanging with zero yokozuna. Kotozakura was not up to the task. He labored through a knee injury in this tournament (this would be the story of his entire 2025) and he finished with just a 5-10 record. However, Hoshoryu would save the JSA’s blushes by winning the tournament after going 12-3 and beating Kinbozan and Oho in a three-way play-off.

This was the second top division title for the 25 year-old Hoshoryu, who is known for his high powered judo infused sumo and wicked scowl.

March

Hoshoryu’s promotion to yokozuna was confirmed soon after the January tournament. He became the sport’s 74th yokozuna and continued Mongolia’s dominance of that top rank. Six out of the seven past yokozuna had all been Mongolian. Hoshoryu is also the nephew of the 68th yokozuna Asashoryu (known by some as the ‘bad boy of sumo’).

Not everyone was pleased with Hoshoryu’s promotion, though. There were some, in both the JSA and the fanbase, who thought Hoshoryu’s promotion was earned a little cheaply (off a runner-up finish and then a win through a play-off). And there were also some who wondered, aloud, about whether Hoshoryu’s temperament and style was befitting of being a yokozuna. The JSA itself said it hoped that Hoshoryu would adopt a more Japanese style stoicism to his sumo (revealing their distaste for the more exuberant personas of recent famous Mongolian yokozuna).

Hoshoryu’s first tournament as the top guy in the sport did not go well. At the haru basho (spring tournament) in Osaka he finished with just a 5-5-5 record after pulling out on day nine and going absent for the final six days of the tournament. He pulled out citing an elbow injury. However, it is common for yokozuna to sit out of tournaments to avoid losing records (since they are the only ones in the sport who are not demoted from their rank based on losses and absences). This pull out intensified the murmuring around Hoshoryu’s fit as a yokozuna.

In Hoshoryu’s absence, Onosato thrived. Onosato, a college sumo stud who broke onto the scene in 2024, was starting to mature into a truly awesome presence in the sport. His size and athleticism is unmatched in sumo. In his first year as a pro he won two titles and he would take his third here in March.

He went 12-3 and defeated the popular Takayasu in a play-off. Takayasu has been a mentor to Onosato during the young man’s rise in the sport. Onosato’s win meant all eyes would be on him in May, where a second title would guarantee his promotion to yokozuna.

The March tournament also saw the top division debut of Aonishiki. The 21 year-old Ukrainian refugee entered the Grand Sumo system in 2023 and quickly progressed through the sport’s lower tiers. In March he earned a very impressive 11-4 record.

May

Onosato’s supremacy continued in May. He dominated the natsu basho (summer tournament), back in Tokyo, going 14-1. That claimed his fourth top division title and, due to winning back-to-back as an ozeki, secured his promotion to become the 75th yokozuna. Onosato become the first Japanese wrestler to be promoted to yokozuna since Kisenosato in 2017. Kisenosato, now named Nishonoseki, is Onosato’s stablemaster. This also marked the first time there had been two active yokozuna since 2021.

Though Onosato stole the headlines with his dominance in this tournament, Hoshoryu was able to steal back some of the narrative on the final day. On day fifteen Onosato had a zensho-yusho (perfect 15-0 championship) in his sights. However, Hoshoryu beat him on the last day, landing an empathetic uwatehineri (twisting over arm throw) to spoil his record. This win was a sign that Onosato vs. Hoshoryu would be a rivalry worth watching moving forwards.

Despite that last day loss, Onosato lifted the Emperor’s Cup for the fifth time in his young career. This accomplishment put the 24 year-old on pace to potentially break all kinds of records in the sport, including those held by sumo’s GOAT Hakuho (like his 45 top division titles).

June

In June, between tournaments, the sumo world was left stunned by the retirement of Hakuho from the JSA. Hakuho, the ‘Michael Jordan of Sumo’, retired from competition in 2021 and took the elder name Miyagino (along with control of the Miyagino stable). Hakuho has long been at odds with the JSA (who some say didn’t like how Hakuho had become, in some sense, bigger than the sport).

In 2024 there was a hazing incident at Hakuho’s newly acquired Miyagino stable, involving one of his protege’s Hokuseiho. This resulted in Hokuseiho retiring from the sport at 21 years-old (before he was likely banned) and Hakuho’s stable being absorbed by the Isegahama stable. Isegahama is the lead stable of the ichimon (stable group) that Miyagino belonged to. This meant that all of Miyagino’s wrestlers (many of whom were young elite prospects scouted and recruited by Hakuho) were sent to live and train at the Isegahama stable. Hakuho was demoted within the JSA’s elder ranking system, making him essentially an assistant coach at Isegahama. This meant that Hakuho was due to work under Terunofuji, who was on track to becoming the Isegahama stablemaster. Hakuho and Terunofuji had a fierce rivalry when they were both competing. Faced with serving under Terunofuji, and with the reinstatement of Miyagino seeming unlikely (despite the JSA claiming otherwise), Hakuho saw no better option than to leave the Grand Sumo system altogether.

With him leaving, a certain section of the JSA was victorious; the section who seemed desperate to fufill the old addage about Japanese culture that states that, “the nail that sticks out must be hammered down.”

On leaving Grand Sumo Hakuho suggested that he would put his efforts into advancing worldwide and amateur sumo, as well as creating more opportunities for women in sumo (all things the JSA likely frowns upon).

July

The Nagoya basho, named for the city where it takes place, came with more excitement than usual this year. That’s because this would be the first tournament where Onosato and Hoshoryu would both compete as yokozuna. And, based on their performances in May, it was believed that they were both fit and at the top of their games. However, this tournament would quickly fall out of reach for bothof them.

Hoshoryu won on day one, but then lost his next three before pulling out due to injury. That meant he finished 1-4-10 and, yet again, gave opportunity for his naysayers to air their greviances. Onosato showed some yokozuna jitters, too, losing on days four, eight and ten to effectively put himself out of the running. He would finish on 11-4. That’s a respectable record for most, but the expecations for Onosato’s shin-yokozuna (debut yokozuna) tournament were much higher than that.

Instead of a yokozuna duel for the cup we were treated to a very competitive tournament featuring a slew of unsung wrestlers from the maegashira ranks (the ranks below the special named ranks). The race for the title came down to Kotoshoho, Kusano and Aonishiki. Kotoshoho was the one who was able to hold his nerve the longest, beating Onosato and the dangerous Kirishima down the stretch. He would claim the title with a win over Aonishiki on the final day, with a 13-2 record. Aonishiki finished 11-4, the same record he had in all his previous top division tournaments this year.

Kotoshoho’s maidan yusho (championship) was the end of a redemption arc for him. In 2023, while in just his sixth top division tournament he finished runner-up to his old highschool classmate Takakeisho, whom he lost to on the final day.

Kotoshoho’s win in July marked the first time a maegashira ranked wrestler had won the title since Takerufuji won in March, 2024.

September

Kotoshoho failed to follow-up on his shock title win in the following aki basho (autumn tournament) in September, held back at the Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. He slumped to a very disappointing 3-12 record. There were no underdog stories this time around. In September, we saw the best from our two yokozuna who dueled it out over the fifteen days to set up an epic senshuraku (final day).

Onosato lost on day four of the tournament, but other than he was perfect leading up to day fifteen. Hoshoryu, who had been leading the way for most of the tournament was pegged back by Aonishiki on day twelve and his old rival Kotozakura on day thriteen.

There was some controversy over the last two days of this tournament. On day forteen, Kotozakura pulled out of the tournament. This meant that Onosato, whom he was due to face, received a fusensho (default win). Hoshoryu then went into his day fourteen bout, with Wakatakakage, knowing he needed a win to prevent Onosato being gifted the championship. Hoshoryu secured his win with a henka (an immediate side-step). The henka is a divisive move in sumo with its strongest detractors wanting it outlawed from the sport. Hoshoryu’s henka prevented the title being awarded on a technicality, though, and allowed him to fight Onosato for the cup on the last day.

Hoshoryu won his bout with Onosato on day fifteen to tie their records at 13-2. In the ensuing immediate play-off Onosato took the victory, though many think his win was too close to call and wished there would have been a mono-ii (judges review) to confirm the victory. Regardless, Onosato took home his fifth yusho — keeping him on pace to break all those records.

Aonishiki again finished 11-4 in this tournament. That record would see him promoted to komusubi, the lowest of the special named ranks and three promotions away from yokozuna. He was still just 21 at this point.

This tournament also saw a sad story play out with Wakatakakage. At the aki basho he needed 12 wins to secure a promotion to ozeki. He had looked fantastic all year and seemed very likely to hit that mark. Had he done that he would have picked up where he left off in 2023. Back then, while sekiwake (the rank below ozeki), he suffered a devastating knee injury that forced him to sit out for three tournaments. Those absences resulted in him being demoted down to the third division (an injury absense counts the same a loss in sumo, unless you are a yokozuna). Wakatakakage’s dream of becoming an ozeki fell apart in September. He lost his opening bout and never looked comfortable after that. He ended up with a 6-9 record, ending his ozeki run and probably the last chance of his career to make that rank.

October

In October most of the top division boarded planes (separate planes) to fly to London to compete in a tournament at the historic Royal Albert Hall. The JSA, and those who watch sumo, knew this would be just an exhibition. However, the British organizers promoted it as the first “real” Grand Sumo tournament to happen outside of Japan. In reality the matches were hard sparring affairs with some being somewhat choreographed. Despite this not being a serious tournament, where wrestlers fight for their ranks (which determines their salaries), the whole spectacle was very well received and could lead to an upswing in sumo interest outside of Japan.

November

After their little jaunt to London, Grand Sumo’s top rikishi headed to Fukuoka on the southern island of Kyushu for the Kyushu basho, the regular curtain closer of the season. With what happened in the aki basho many expected a repeat performance from the yokozuna and another duel between them for the yusho. We almost got that. However, there was one man who played a big role in preventing that from happening: Aonishiki, the Blue Whirlwind.

Aonishiki had been excellent all year and had shown that he could be a real problem for the yokozuna, especially Hoshoryu (whom he beat in most their match-ups). In November, the young Aonishiki proved that he is undoubtedly worthy of being considered alongside Onosato and Hoshoryu as the top three wrestlers on the planet right now.

Aonishiki cut through his competition in Kyushu, demonstrated his freestyle wrestling influenced style of sumo. He was a national level wrestler in Ukraine before switching over to sumo. His sumo is incredibly creative and involves lower body attacks with both trips and his now famous uchimuso (a move where you chop the inside knee of an opponent to take them off their feet).

This tournament was a three horse race between Aonishiki and the yokozuna right until Onosato pulled out on the final day due to a shoulder injury. Onosato was due to face Hoshoryu on the last day, so that guaranteed one more win for Hoshoryu. This meant Aonishiki needed to beat Kotozakura in order to force a play-off with Hoshoryu. He did just that, taking out the ozeki with his uchimuso. In the play-off Aonishiki continued to show nerves of steel as he took the fight to Hoshoryu and scored another win off him to claim his first title.

Aonishiki’s title win capped off an incredible year for the youngster. His 2025 top division records of 11-4, 11-4, 11-4, 12-3 are amazing accomplishments. That string of records, along with the yusho, enabled Aonishiki to get a fast tracked promtion to ozeki, which was confirmed soon after the tournament ended. Aonishiki is the first European born wrestler to be promoted to ozeki since Tochinoshin, of Georgia, managed the feat in 2018.

Aonishiki now has a chance to make history and become the very first European born wrestler to become yokozuna. Given what we’ve seen from him in 2025 you wouldn’t bet against that happening in 2026. It might even happen in January if he wins the next tournament.

He’s not going to have an easy time doing that, though. As 2026 approaches we are now blessed with the prospect of a dominat triumvirate of elite wrestlers fighting it out for titles. Both Onosato and especially Hoshoryu will be hoping to take back their momentum and pip the Ukrainian to the first silverware of the year. I can’t wait to see what happens!

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