2026 Natsu Basho Results: Wakatakakage Wins His Second Title in a Playoff at the May Tournament

At the 2026 Natsu Basho, the May tournament held in Tokyo, komusubi Wakatakakage took the Emperor’s Cup for the second time in his career. He won it the hard way, beating ozeki Kirishima in a championship playoff after both men finished tied on the same record. With two yokozuna and two ozeki out of the tournament through injury, the title race was wide open, and on the final day it came down to a sudden, one-sided playoff that ended almost the instant the two wrestlers collided.

A senshuraku that did not go as expected

The final day looked, on paper, as though it would be built around ozeki Kirishima against sekiwake Atsumifuji. Instead the schedule turned, and Kirishima was matched with Ura in the closing bout. That pairing put a three-loss wrestler against a four-loss wrestler, an arrangement that leaned toward keeping the championship picture alive rather than following the expected order.

That choice fed into a wider debate. A record of 11 wins and 4 losses has been common since the fifteen-day format settled in, and there is a real argument that such a mark is simply first place rather than a true championship. The worry going into the last day was that the basho might be decided, or even topped, by a wrestler carrying four losses.

Wakatakakage ends Fujiryoga in an instant

One of the three-loss men, Wakatakakage, faced Fujiryoga, who was only in his second tournament in the top makuuchi division. This was a bout Wakatakakage was expected to win, and losing it would have been an embarrassment. At the tachiai, the moment the two made contact, Wakatakakage landed a clean katasukashi, the under-shoulder swing-down. The gap in experience and class showed plainly, and the bout was over almost as soon as it began.

Kirishima overpowers Ura in the final bout

The other three-loss wrestler, Kirishima, met Ura in the musubi, the day’s final bout. The one concern was whether Kirishima would be drawn into Ura’s movement and tricky, low-to-the-ground style. That concern proved unnecessary. Kirishima drove forward hard off the tachiai and finished it with a powerful oshitaoshi, the frontal push-down. With that win, the feared scenario of a four-loss wrestler standing first was avoided.

The playoff: two wrestlers tied on three losses

With both wins on the board, the tournament went to a championship playoff between two three-loss wrestlers: Kirishima against Wakatakakage. There was history here. In the regular bouts, back on Day 11, Kirishima had already beaten Wakatakakage. At that early point it had come too soon in the schedule to feel much like a title-deciding result.

The playoff itself was decided in a flash. Wakatakakage came off the tachiai and pushed straight through, sending Kirishima out with an oshidashi, the frontal push-out, in one motion. The rematch went the other way from Day 11, and the cup was settled on the spot.

A second title nobody saw coming

Komusubi Wakatakakage claimed his second career championship. Before the tournament, this outcome was impossible to predict; it went beyond anything the form suggested. With two yokozuna and two ozeki sitting out injured, the basho had every reason to feel flat. Instead Wakatakakage unexpectedly carried the energy of the fortnight, and it was fitting that the man who had done so much to lift the tournament was the one to close it out.

FAQ

Key takeaways

• Komusubi Wakatakakage won the 2026 Natsu Basho, the May tournament in Tokyo, his second career championship.
• He took it in a playoff against ozeki Kirishima, after both finished tied on three losses.
• Two yokozuna and two ozeki were absent through injury, leaving the title race wide open.
• Wakatakakage won the playoff instantly, pushing Kirishima out by oshidashi off the tachiai, reversing their Day 11 result.

Who won the 2026 Natsu Basho?

Komusubi Wakatakakage won the May tournament. It was the second championship of his career, and he secured it by defeating ozeki Kirishima in a playoff on the final day.

How was the title decided?

Wakatakakage and Kirishima finished level on three losses, which forced a championship playoff. On the final day Wakatakakage beat Fujiryoga by katasukashi and Kirishima beat Ura by oshitaoshi, setting up the rematch. In the playoff, Wakatakakage pushed Kirishima out almost immediately to take the cup.

Why was the tournament so unpredictable?

Two yokozuna and two ozeki were out injured, so the usual favorites were missing. Wakatakakage’s run to the title was not something anyone could have forecast before the basho, and he ended up being the wrestler who gave the tournament its energy.

Photos by Michihiro Taguchi, shot ringside.