Grand Sumo 2025 May Tournament Day13

Onosato Wins Back-to-Back Championships — Yokozuna Promotion All but Certain

Onosato secured his second consecutive championship with a composed victory in the ozeki showdown against Kotozakura.

At the tachiai, he firmly absorbed his opponent’s initial charge, then applied ottsuke from the left to shut down Kotozakura’s attempt at migi-zashi (right-hand inside grip). Applying steady forward pressure, Onosato slipped in his own right hand and drove his opponent out with a confident yori-kiri (frontal force-out), leaving no room for doubt.

The promotion to yokozuna is formally decided through a special meeting of the Japan Sumo Association’s Board of Directors convened immediately after the final day’s bouts, followed by deliberation by the Yokozuna Deliberation Council (YDC). According to the YDC’s internal guideline, a wrestler must achieve "two consecutive championships at the ozeki rank or equivalent performance" to be recommended for yokozuna. Since the establishment of the YDC, there has not been a single case of an ozeki winning two consecutive yūshō (championships) and not being promoted.

In that regard, Onosato’s path to yokozuna is virtually assured—what remains is a matter of formal procedure. After all, who could possibly object to his promotion? Onosato has never posted a makekoshi (losing record) since his debut. He now holds four yūshō (championships), and his sumo already bears the hallmarks of a true yokozuna.

With his promotion expected to come after just 13 tournaments since debut, Onosato is set to break the record for the fastest rise to yokozuna in the six-tournaments-a-year era (post-1958), far surpassing Wajima’s previous mark of 21 tournaments. From makuuchi debut to yokozuna promotion in just 9 tournaments, he also eclipses Taiho’s legendary pace of 11 tournaments—the fastest in sumo history.

We have witnessed history in the making.

Japanese version of this article here.

https://kimitoshikoyanagi.blogspot.com/2025/05/713_23.html

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