Sumo

Aonishiki Stuns Hoshoryu to Keep Kyushu Title Hopes Alive

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Sekiwake Aonishiki, right, forces out yokozuna Hoshoryu on Saturday at the Kyushu Grand Tournament in Fukuoka.

The Japan News

19:29 JST, November 22, 2025

Sekiwake Aonishiki kept his hopes of a first tournament title alive, notching a stunning win over yokozuna Hoshoryu on Saturday that, combined with yokozuna Onosato’s loss in the previous bout, left all three wrestlers with 11-3 records heading into the final day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.

The possibility of a winner-take-all battle between the yokozuna on Sunday at Fukuoka Kokusai Center was quashed when Onosato continued a late-tournament slump and was forced out by ozeki Kotozakura, who secured his all-important kachikoshi eighth win.

In the day’s final bout, Aonishiki came out charging hard and never looked back as he bulled Hoshoryu out of the ring — the Ukranian’s third win in three meetings between the two.

On Sunday, a win by Aonishiki over Kotozakura will set up a playoff between him and the winner among the two yokozuna. If he loses, the winning yokozuna will walk off with the Emperor’s Cup.