Aonishiki Tops Atamifuji in Playoff to Win New Year Grand Sumo Tournament in Ozeki Debut

The Japan News

18:12 JST, January 25, 2026

Ozeki Aonishiki became the first newly promoted ozeki to win a championship in almost two decades when he captured his second straight title — and again in a playoff.

The Ukrainian star defeated No. 4 maegashira Atamifuji in a playoff at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan after the two finished tied with 12-3 records.

In the playoff, Aonishiki secured a belt hold and planted his face in Atamifuji’s chest, but Atamifuji put the pressure on and backed him to the edge. Aonishiki then suddenly went up top, using a headlock throw to send Atamifuji to his back and secure the victory.

The 21-year-old Ukrainian, who has never had a losing record since joining pro sumo in September 2023, was the first wrestler to win the title in his ozeki debut since Hakuho did it at the 2006 Summer tournament.

Tied for the lead heading into the final day with a quartet of others waiting in the wings for the possibility of both losing their matches, both Atamifuji and Aonishiki came away with victories to set up the playoff.

Atamifuji, at 195 kilograms the heaviest wrestler in the upper-most makuuchi division, put all of it to good use as he bulled No. 16 maegashira Oshoumi straight back on the jump-off, then after a momentary stand at the edge, forced him out for his 12th win.

Then he and the rest of the sumo world waited the 50 minutes or so for Aonishiki’s bout, in which he forced out fellow ozeki to match Atamifuji at 12-3 — with one of his wins coming over Atamifuji on the 12th day.

Atamifuji, whose ring name is derived from his hometown, the Shizuoka Prefecture hot springs resort city of Atami, came up just short of becoming the first wrestler from the prefecture to win a tournament title.

The final day began with no less than six wrestlers still with a chance of walking off with the Emperor’s Cup, with the last-day pairings setting up a possible scenario of a four-man playoff.

But the four who went into the day trailing the two leaders with four losses, including yokozuna Onosato, saw their hopes end in one fell swoop when Atamifuji defeated Oshoumi, who himself had been among the quartet at 10-4.

Atamifuji, who notched back-to-back victories over the two yokozuna, was no stranger to the pressure of a championship playoff. In just his second tournament in the top division, he was involved in a playoff for the 2023 Autumn title, but lost to Takakeisho.

In the final regulation bout of the tournament, yokozuna Hoshoryu made quick work of fellow yokozuna Onosato, grabbing a two-handed belt hold and swiftly shuffling him out of the ring as both finished a generally disappointing tourney at 10-5.

In a direct clash between two of the wrestlers with 10-4 records, sekiwake Kirishima forced out No. 12 maegashira Abi. A second straight tournament with an 11-4 record boosts his chances of regaining the ozeki rank he lost in 2024.