Basho– category –
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Ichinojo’s First Championship at the 2022 Nagoya Tournament
On the final day of the 2022 July (Nagoya) Grand Sumo tournament, Ichinojo won his first top-division championship. No playoff settled it. Ichinojo had finished his work at 12-3, and the title was sealed when the yokozuna Terunofuji lost... -
An Unexpected Finish: Kotozakura Wins His First Title
At the 2024 November (Kyushu) Grand Sumo Tournament in Fukuoka, the ozeki Kotozakura won his first top-division championship at 14-1, when his co-leader Hoshoryu collapsed on a slipped grip in their final-day decider. Ozeki is the second... -
How Hoshoryu Won His First Title and Sealed Ozeki
On the final day of the 2023 July (Nagoya) Grand Sumo Tournament, the sekiwake Hoshoryu won his first top-division championship in a playoff over Hokutofuji. In the same instant, that victory clinched his promotion to ozeki. Sekiwake is ... -
Spirit Over Pain: Takerufuji Wins a Historic Debut Title
On an injured leg, in his very first top-division tournament, Takerufuji drove out Gonoyama on the final day to win the 2024 March Grand Sumo Tournament. It was the first debut-division championship — a title won in one's debut top-divis... -
The Fastest Ever: Onosato Wins His First Title in Seven Tournaments
At the 2024 May (Natsu) Grand Sumo Tournament, the new komusubi Onosato won his first top-division championship — and he did it in only his seventh tournament since turning professional, the fastest anyone has ever managed it. He sealed ... -
A Star Is Born: Aonishiki Wins His First Championship in Fukuoka
On the final day of the 2025 Kyushu tournament in Fukuoka, the 21-year-old Aonishiki won his first top-division championship — in only his fifth makuuchi tournament — by beating ozeki Kotozakura with an uchimuso and then defeating yokozu... -
Kotoshoho’s Instant Title: A First Championship at the 2025 Nagoya Basho
At the 2025 Nagoya tournament, Kotoshoho won his first championship by beating Aonishiki on the final day. Kotoshoho came in on two losses, Aonishiki on three, so their head-to-head bout decided the title outright. It ended in an instant... -
Aonishiki’s Kubinage: How the Ukrainian Star Clinched Back-to-Back Titles
On the final day of the 2026 January tournament, Aonishiki forced out ozeki Kotozakura to set up a championship playoff with Atamifuji, then threw his rival over with a left-handed kubinage at the edge of the ring to clinch back-to-back ... -
Honbasho: Sumo’s Six Grand Tournaments
A honbasho is an official grand sumo tournament, the only kind that counts toward a wrestler's ranking. Six are held each year, one in every odd-numbered month — January, March, May, July, September, and November. Each runs fifteen days,... -
Zensho Yusho: The Perfect 15-0 Championships in Sumo
Zensho Yusho: Sumo's Perfect 15-0 Championships Zensho Yusho: Sumo's Perfect 15-0 Championships A zensho yusho is a championship won without a single loss. In today's 15-day format that means a flawless 15-0; in earlier eras, when tourna...
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