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Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Onosato promoted to yokozuna after record-setting ascent in sumo
Onosato has been promoted to sumo's highest rank of yokozuna, the Japan Sumo Association announced on Wednesday, completing a meteoric rise to the summit of Japan's national sport in the record span of 13 tournaments. The 24-year-old, who weighs 421lb (191kg) and stands 6ft 4in (1.92m) tall, becomes the 75th yokozuna in sumo's centuries-spanning history and the first Japan-born wrestler to hold the title since Kisenosato in 2017. His promotion comes just days after clinching the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryōgoku Sumo Hall with a 14-1 record, clinching his second straight championship and fourth overall. Onosato's promotion was made official after a unanimous recommendation from the JSA's advisory council on Monday and approved by the board of trustees at a special meeting on Wednesday. He is now the fastest wrestler to reach yokozuna in the modern six-tournament calendar era, which dates to 1958. The record ascent eclipses the previous mark of 21 basho set by Wajima, another Ishikawa native, in 1973. 'I am truly happy,' Onosato told reporters on Wednesday after receiving the decision from JSA envoys at his Nishonoseki stable in Ibaraki Prefecture. 'Now, things will become more important than ever. I want to stay focused and continue to work hard.' He added: 'I will devote myself to training so as not to disgrace the rank of yokozuna. I want to be the one and only grand champion.' The phrase 'one and only' echoed his remarks last September when he was promoted to ōzeki, sumo's second-highest rank. 'I didn't originally plan to say it again, but it just felt right,' he said. 'It was the only thing that came to mind.' Onosato, whose birth name is Daiki Nakamura, entered the professional ranks in May 2023 after a decorated amateur career at Toyo University. He began in the third-tier makushita division and quickly scaled the ranks without a single losing record, reaching ōzeki in his ninth tournament and before reaching the top in his 13th. He secured his latest title on day 13 of the Summer tournament – where competitors wrestle once daily and the best record after 15 days wins – by defeating fellow ōzeki Kotozakura to improve to 13-0. His only blemish came on the final day to Hoshoryu, the Mongolian-born yokozuna who was promoted in January. Hoshoryu finished 12-3 and the result has only heightened anticipation for the budding rivalry between the two. They are set to face off as yokozuna for the first time at the Nagoya tournament in July – sumo's grand tournaments are held every two months throughout the year in the odd-numbered months – the first time two grand champions will top the banzuke ranking list since 2021. It makes the first time that two rikishi have earned promotion to yokozuna in the same calendar year since 1987, when Hokutoumi and Onokuni both reached the top. 'Winning two straight tournaments as an ōzeki is an impressive feat,' said Tadamori Oshima, chairman of the Yokozuna Deliberation Council, said on Sunday. 'Above all, he remained composed and consistent under pressure.' The promotion ends a period of scarcity for Japanese-born yokozuna. Before Kisenosato in 2017, Japan had gone nearly two decades without a native wrestler at the top rank, as Mongolian wrestlers dominated the sport. Six of the last seven yokozuna before Onosato were born in Mongolia, including the record-shattering Hakuho, Harumafuji and Asashoryu. Their emergence followed Akebono, the American who became the first rikishi born outside Japan to earn the rank in 1993. 'I hope he leads by example and lifts the entire world of sumo,' said Nishonoseki, Onosato's stablemaster, who competed as Kisenosato. 'He's still developing. He's been building his body properly since entering the stable, making steady efforts. Training does not lie.' Onosato's rise has been widely hailed both for its symbolic significance and his calm, composed style. A technical and balanced wrestler, he has been praised for his maturity in the ring and his steady temperament off it. His promotion has also been a source of pride in his home prefecture of Ishikawa, which was devastated by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake on New Year's Day in 2025. More than 600 people died in a disaster that displaced thousands and the Noto Peninsula region continues to rebuild. 'I will work hard as a yokozuna to encourage and cheer up the Ishikawa prefecture and the Noto region,' he said. He is now the third yokozuna from Ishikawa, following Wajima and Haguroyama. With the sport preparing for an international exhibition at London's Royal Albert Hall in October, his promotion comes at a time when JSA is seeking to broaden its global profile while reconnecting with fans at home. At 24, Onosato is the youngest yokozuna since Takanohana's promotion in 1994 and thought to be the first to reach the rank without a single losing record in the top division. What comes next is not only the pressure of defending the rank, but the responsibility that accompanies it both inside and outside the dohyo. 'This is unknown territory for me,' Onosato said. 'But I want to continue being myself: to wrestle my way, stay focused, and become a unique and unparalleled yokozuna.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Onosato promoted to yokozuna after record-setting ascent in sumo
Onosato's promotion comes just days after clinching the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryōgoku Sumo Hall with a 14-1 record, clinching second straight championship and fourth overall. Onosato's promotion comes just days after clinching the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryōgoku Sumo Hall with a 14-1 record, clinching second straight championship and fourth overall. Photograph: Japan Pool/JIJI Press/AFP/Getty Images Onosato has been promoted to sumo's highest rank of yokozuna, the Japan Sumo Association announced on Wednesday, completing a meteoric rise to the summit of Japan's national sport in the record span of 13 tournaments. The 24-year-old, who weighs 421lb (191kg) and stands 6ft 4in (1.92m) tall, becomes the 75th yokozuna in sumo's centuries-spanning history and the first Japan-born wrestler to hold the title since Kisenosato in 2017. His promotion comes just days after clinching the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryōgoku Sumo Hall with a 14-1 record, clinching his second straight championship and fourth overall. Advertisement Onosato's promotion was made official after a unanimous recommendation from the JSA's advisory council on Monday and approved by the board of trustees at a special meeting on Wednesday. He is now the fastest wrestler to reach yokozuna in the modern six-tournament calendar era, which dates to 1958. The record ascent eclipses the previous mark of 21 basho set by Wajima, another Ishikawa native, in 1973. 'I am truly happy,' Onosato told reporters on Wednesday after receiving the decision from JSA envoys at his Nishonoseki stable in Ibaraki Prefecture. 'Now, things will become more important than ever. I want to stay focused and continue to work hard.' He added: 'I will devote myself to training so as not to disgrace the rank of yokozuna. I want to be the one and only grand champion.' The phrase 'one and only' echoed his remarks last September when he was promoted to ōzeki, sumo's second-highest rank. 'I didn't originally plan to say it again, but it just felt right,' he said. 'It was the only thing that came to mind.' Advertisement Onosato, whose birth name is Daiki Nakamura, entered the professional ranks in May 2023 after a decorated amateur career at Toyo University. He began in the third-tier makushita division and quickly scaled the ranks without a single losing record, reaching ōzeki in his ninth tournament and before reaching the top in his 13th. He secured his latest title on day 13 of the Summer tournament – where competitors wrestle once daily and the best record after 15 days wins – by defeating fellow ōzeki Kotozakura to improve to 13-0. His only loss came on the final day to Hoshoryu, the Mongolian-born yokozuna who was promoted in January. Hoshoryu finished 12-3 and the result has only heightened anticipation for a nascent rivalry between the two. They are set to face off as yokozuna for the first time at the Nagoya tournament in July – sumo's grand tournaments are held every two months throughout the year in the odd-numbered months – the first time two grand champions will top the banzuke ranking list since 2021. It makes the first time that two rikishi have earned promotion to yokozuna in the same calendar year since 1987, when Hokutoumi and Onokuni both reached the top. 'Winning two straight tournaments as an ōzeki is an impressive feat,' said Tadamori Oshima, chairman of the Yokozuna Deliberation Council, said on Sunday. 'Above all, he remained composed and consistent under pressure.' Advertisement The promotion ends a period of scarcity for Japanese-born yokozuna. Before Kisenosato in 2017, Japan had gone nearly two decades without a native wrestler at the top rank, as Mongolian wrestlers dominated the sport. Six of the last seven yokozuna before Onosato were born in Mongolia, including the record-shattering Hakuho, Harumafuji and Asashoryu. 'I hope he leads by example and lifts the entire world of sumo,' said Nishonoseki, Onosato's stablemaster, who competed as Kisenosato. 'He's still developing. He's been building his body properly since entering the stable, making steady efforts. Training does not lie.' Onosato's rise has been widely hailed both for its symbolic significance and his calm, composed style. A technical and balanced wrestler, he has been praised for his maturity in the ring and his steady temperament off it. His promotion has also been a source of pride in his home prefecture of Ishikawa, which was devastated by a 7.6-magnitude earthquake on New Year's Day in 2025. More than 600 people died in a disaster that displaced thousands and the Noto Peninsula region continues to rebuild. 'I will work hard as a yokozuna to encourage and cheer up the Ishikawa prefecture and the Noto region,' he said. He is now the third yokozuna from Ishikawa, following Wajima and Haguroyama. With the sport preparing for an international exhibition at London's Royal Albert Hall in October, his promotion comes at a time when JSA is seeking to broaden its global profile while reconnecting with fans at home. Advertisement At 24, Onosato is the youngest yokozuna since Takanohana's promotion in 1994 and thought to be the first to reach the rank without a single losing record in the top division. What comes next is not only the pressure of defending the rank, but the responsibility that accompanies it both inside and outside the dohyo. 'This is unknown territory for me,' Onosato said. 'But I want to continue being myself: to wrestle my way, stay focused, and become a unique and unparalleled yokozuna.'
New York Times
3 days ago
- General
- New York Times
Japan Welcomes a New Sumo Champ. Surprise: He's Japanese.
Sumo is Japan's national sport, steeped in hundreds of years of history and tradition. But Japanese wrestlers no longer dominate sumo. So there was a sigh of relief in local sumo circles when Onosato Daiki of Japan was named on Wednesday as yokozuna, or grand champion, the highest title in the sport. He is the first Japanese yokozuna in eight years and only the second in 27 years, at least temporarily breaking Mongolian dominance of the elite levels of the sport. Yokozuna are selected by a council of elders after great achievement in the ring. There have been 75 since the 1600s, although the process was only formalized in the early 20th century. Once named a yokozuna, a wrestler can never be demoted. Traditionally, winning two consecutive top-division tournaments is enough to earn the yokozuna title; Onosato, as he is known, earned such titles in March in Osaka and on Sunday in Tokyo. He achieved the title after just 13 top-level tournaments, the quickest ascension since the current system came into effect in the 1950s. 'This is a very much unknown territory for me,' Onosato said at a news conference, as translated by Japan Today. 'I want to maintain my style, be Onosato, and I will work hard to become a unique and unparalleled yokozuna.' There is currently one other yokozuna, Hoshoryu, a Mongolian who earned that title in January in Tokyo. In the May tournament where Onosato won his second consecutive top-division title, Hoshoryu was second, with a 12-3 record to Onosato's 14-1. The rivalry will continue in Nagoya in July. That will be more than a battle between two sumo wrestlers at the top of the game. For many fans, it will be a referendum on sumo in Japan. Sumo's traditional scenes, rituals and action set it apart from other high-profile professional sports around the world. The athletes are enormous; Onosato is 420 pounds, and even his trim rivals are over 300. Rituals before the match, like bowing, foot-stomping and the tossing of salt, last far longer than the match itself, which is over in seconds, as soon as one of the big men is pushed out of the ring or drops to the ground. Athletes wrestle just once a day in the two-week major tournaments, which are held six times a year. Sumo was an all-Japanese affair for centuries. Finally in 1999, Akebono, from Hawaii, became the first non-Japanese yokozuna. The next one, Asashoryu of Mongolia in 2003, ruffled some feathers in Japan for behavior that some felt defied sumo tradition, like celebrating excessively. Asashoryu ushered in a period of Mongolian dominance. At times it seemed as if Japanese wrestlers would never again reach the pinnacle of the sport. While sumo has gained some popularity around the world — events with second-tier wrestlers have been held in the United States — it remains closely linked to Japanese tradition and culture. Japan is still where all the best sumo takes place, and the top wrestlers aspire to succeed there. But the rising popularity of other sports, notably soccer, with young people in Japan has given sumo a reputation for being old-fashioned. The previous drought for Japanese yokozuna was even longer — 19 years — until Kisenosato earned the title in 2017. Kisenosato never became dominant, however, winning just two top-level tournaments in his career. Onosato will try to do better. His rise has been predicted for years, and at age 24 he has already won four top tournaments. That could bring the weight of expectations, however: Some have already labeled him the savior of Japanese sumo.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Onosato, 24, promoted to sumo grand champion in record time – and he's Japanese
Sumo crowned a new grand champion in record time on Wednesday as Onosato became the fastest to attain the exalted rank of yokozuna in the Japanese sport's modern era. And the big news is: he is Japanese. The 24-year-old's elevation by the Japan Sumo Association came after he appeared in just 13 professional tournaments, eight fewer than the current record holder. The wrestler, who weighs 191 kilograms (421 pounds) and is 1.92 metres (six feet three inches) tall, became the 75th grand champion in the centuries-old history of sumo. By comparison, the average weight of an NFL lineman is about 140kg, or just over 300 pounds. Onosato was the second to reach the top rank in the space of four months, following the promotion of Hoshoryu in January. Onosato won the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday to earn his fourth Emperor's Cup. Photo: Kyodo The two will go head-to-head for the first time as yokozuna in July in Nagoya.
The Star
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Sumo-Onosato attains yokozuna rank in record time
(Reuters) - Onosato has been promoted to sumo's highest rank of yokozuna, the Japan Sumo Association said on Wednesday, attaining the honour in a record 13 professional tournaments. The 24-year-old wrestler, who weighs 191 kilograms and is 1.92 metres tall, has become the 75th yokozuna in eight fewer appearances than the previous record held by the late Wajima. Onosato is also the first Japan-born wrestler to reach the rnk since Kisenosato in 2017. He retired in January 2019. "I am truly happy. Now, things will become more important than ever. I want to stay focused and continue to work hard," Onosato told reporters. "This is a very much unknown territory for me. I want to maintain my style, be Onosato, and I will work hard to become a unique and unparalleled yokozuna." Onosato is the second wrestler to reach the top rank within four months following Hoshoryu's promotion in January. Onosato and Hoshoryu will face each other for the first time as yokozuna in July in Nagoya. (Reporting by Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
