Onosato Set for Yokozuna Promotion After Clinching Emperor’s Cup

Sumo: Onosato clinches championship, certain to become yokozuna

Ozeki Onosato secures his promotion to yokozuna by winning back-to-back championships at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.

Onosato set for yokozuna promotion after clinching Emperor’s Cup

The title marks the second in a row for the Nishonoseki stable wrestler and the fourth overall, completing his meteoric rise to the top of the sport.

Sumo history! Onosato becomes first Japanese yokozuna since 2017

Sumo wrestler Onosato with his trophy after the 2025 aki basho. | Photo by STR/JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images Sumo’s ultimate rank has been dominated by Mongolian wrestlers since the early 2000s. Grand Sumo’s 2025 natsu basho (summer tournament) is happening right now in Japan. The 15-day tournament is due to end on Sunday. However, a winner has already been determined. And that winner has made some history, too. Onosato won last night to secur…

The May basho of professional sumo is coming to an end. On the 13th day of the tournament, undefeated ozeki Onosato defeated fellow ozeki Kotozakura to win his 13th round and his fourth Emperor's Cup. The 24-year-old Japanese, who has won the last two tournaments in a row, is set to become sumo's 75th grand champion, or yokozuna. Since Wakanohano won the yokozuna title in 1998, no other Japanese champion has been born except for Kisenosato, the …