Yokozuna Onosato Says He Has Recovered from Shoulder Injury, Is Ready for New Year

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:31 JST, December 25, 2025

Yokozuna Onosato, whose bid for the title at the Kyushu tournament in November was upended by a shoulder injury, said Wednesday he has made a steady recovery and will be prepared for the upcoming New Year tournament.

“I am working to be well prepared for the opening day,” Onosato said at meeting of wrestlers from the top two divisions at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan. “[My shoulder] is steadily getting better.”

Onosato had been enjoying a breakout year, claiming three championships and earning promotion to yokozuna after back-to-back titles in March and May.

At the Kyushu tourney in Fukuoka, he was right in the thick of the title race with rivals Hoshoryu and Aonishiki after opening with nine consecutive wins. But then he lost three of his next five bouts before making the stunning decision to withdraw on the final day, when the injury to his left shoulder was revealed.

Onosato subsequently skipped sumo’s winter regional tour.

In Fukuoka gave, fellow yokozuna Hoshoryu received the victory by default for Onosato’s withdrawal on the final day, putting him into a playoff with sekiwake Aonishiki. Aonishiki famously won the extra bout to become the first Ukrainian to win a tournament title, then made more history by being promoted to ozeki.

The New Year tournament begins Jan. 11 at Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Meanwhile, the Japan Sumo Association announced that the two yokozuna will be slightly heavier when they take the ring in Tokyo.

Both tipped the scale one kilogram heavier than for the previous tournament, with Hoshoryu weighing in at 150 kilograms and Onosato at a robust 188 kilograms.

Maegashira No. 4 Atamifuji gained three kilograms and is the heaviest wrestler in the upper-most makuuchi division at 195 kilograms.