Report Card: 2026 Hatsu Basho - Part 4 (Free Preview)
The final report card for Grand Sumo's 2026 Hatsu basho, before we switch focus to the March tournament.
Well, I’ve left it late as usual, but here is your final report card covering the January tournament. This time I’m grading the top ranked guys in the division. Perhaps this will serve as a nice reminder for how these elites fared in the last basho, as well as a nice preview for what we might expect of them this time around.
I do wish I could turn these things around faster, but that’s easier said than done with the current schedule. I am noodling on some changes to my coverage going forwards, though (starting in April). I might send out some sort of survey to gauge what’s important to you all out there and then try to best balance that with my own desires (since, above all else, I want to write what I find enjoyable to write — otherwise this thing will not last much longer).
I’m making this report card free for everyone. Despite that, if you do want to buy a subscription that would be very cool. Paid subscribers this month will be entered into a giveaway to win a free hat courtesy of Cheeky Sumo.
There’ll be more details about that once the tournament gets going.
In the meantime, please enjoy this report card.
Bonus gif today is the devilishly handsome Kirishima.
Wakamotoharu
Rank: Komusubi 1 West
Record: 8-7
Grade: B-
Wakamotoharu got off to a rotten start to this tournament, losing his first five. He opened with Hōshōryū and then faced Hakunofuji, Kotozakura, Kirishima and Takayasu. That’s not easy, but you’d like to see Wakamotoharu gut out at least one win from that cohort. He snapped the losing streak with a death defying utchari (backward pivot throw) on Ōhō. I hate those. He tried that on Aonishiki and Hiradoumi later, but wasn’t credited with the win in either of those bouts.
After that he went 7-2 to rescue a kashi-koshi (winning record) from the jaws of a make-koshi (losing record) — relying heavily on his hidari-yotsu (left arm inside position). That took a lot of nerve, especially after his loss to Hiradoumi on day twelve. After that he had to fight three times knowing any further loss would give him the make-koshi and cost him his komusubi spot. He had to beat two tough opponents in that stretch, too, in the form of the blossoming Ōshōumi and the veteran Asanoyama. His belt grappling was superb in those bouts.
The 8-7 keeps him in the san’yaku for March and gives him his second tournament a row in those upper rankings. He hasn’t gone longer than two tournaments at komusubi or higher since 2023.
Ōhō
Rank: Komusubi 1 East
Record: 4-11
Grade: D-
Every time I think Ōhō has turned a corner and he’s ready to stick the landing in the san’yaku, he disappoints. He debuted in these upper rankings a year ago, after he went to a play-off with Hōshōryū and Kinbōzan. As a shin-sekiwake he went 6-9 and it took him eight months to get back there. In November he went 7-8 as sekiwake to drop down to komusubi for this tournament.
During the bright spots of his career Ōhō has looked very effective. His pushing/thrusting has gotten snappier and he has a lot of size and speed he can throw into that. When he’s bad, though, his thrusting is haphazard and he can’t stop guys getting into his body, where they can then exploit his lack of yotsu-zumō (belt grappling). In this tournament he was also pushed and slapped down more than you’d like a good oshi-zumō (pushing/thrusting) guy to be. Takanoshō and Ura had no problems sending him to the dirt. Shishi also got him down, with a beautiful head fake.
Maddeningly, Ōhō’s few wins were really good ones. He was one of the three men who defeated Aonishiki. He did that by crushing Aonishiki’s outside arm and using that to move him around the ring (like he did in his previous win over him). That resulted in a very painful fall to the ground for both men.
Ōhō also beat Kirishima (with very strong thrusts), someone he had a 3-6 record against in prior matches. He also beat Kotozakura, whose yotsu game usually confounds him.
Yet, Ōhō just seems incapable of stringing all these good performances together and going on a serious run. He’s 26, so there is a little bit of time for him to improve. The window is closing fast for him, though.
Takayasu
Rank: Sekiwake 1 West
Record: 8-7
Grade: B+
Takayasu looked fine in March. And that’s fantastic. The 36 year-old has now fought nine entire tournaments in a row. The last time he did that was in 2016-17. I’m not trying to jinx him here. I just want to recognize how great it has been to see Big Taka in action for such a long stretch. And he’s been good during that stretch, too!
In those nine tournaments he’s only had a losing record twice (a 6-9 and a 7-8) and that’s meant he’s been in the san’yaku now since last May.
In this tournament he did a great job of turning back the young bucks. He beat Hakunofuji, Ōhō and Yoshinofuji. Much of his losses were to expected opponents, usually guys who have a speed advantage, like Hōshōryū, Aonishiki and Wakatakakage.
Takayasu has always been dangerous because he is equally adept in both oshi-zumō and yotsu-zumō. I think when you consider strength in both styles, no one equals Takayasu. Aonishiki is close, but his pushing/thrusting isn’t as strong as Takayasu’s (though his grappling is superior). Takayasu has leaned more into his oshi-zumō lately. That was quite clear in this tournament, with a lot of his wins coming with rapid fire pushes and thrusts. I think Takayasu is leaning into this style because it will benefit his longevity (look at Tamawashi to see how oshi-zumō can preserve your body far better than yotsu-zumō will).
Takayasu also made good use of the kachiage (forearm attack) in this tournament. He clattered most his opponents off the tachiai with a forearm/elbow to the face. That was often effective in rocking his opponents backwards and giving him a clear view of their chests, which he could then warm with his tsuppari (palm strikes).
This 8-7 wasn’t much on paper, but Takayasu’s sumō looked good. And, at his age and with his injury history, just treading water as a sekiwake is a heck of an achievement.
Kirishima
Rank: Sekiwake 1 West
Record: 11-4, kantō-shō
Grade: A-
Everyone who has read this blog for long enough knows that Kirishima is my favourite rikishi to watch. I love his combination of smooth technique and beefy power. And when he’s on, he delivers all that with a coolness that I personally can’t get enough of.
In this tournament he was mostly at the top of his game, recalling memories of his days as Kiribayama, when he won two yushō and beat his buddy Hōshōryū to an ōzeki promotion. At times in this tournament I thought Kirishima had a great chance of coming out on top, especially after he beat Aonishiki on day eight. That was his first career win over the Blue Whirlwind (who had beaten him on three prior occasions).
Kirishima used great ottsuke (forearm blocking) on Aonishiki to deny the ōzeki’s attempts to lock his left hand onto his belt. That’s important, since Aonishiki’s left hand can lock down like a vice. Kirishima then transitioned from ottsuke to moro-zashi (double inside grips) to get the win. He used the moro-zashi a few times in this tournament, including on Hōshōryū, who he snagged right off the tachiai.
Kirishima’s title candidacy took a hit when he was out-muscled by Kotozakura, though. Kotozakura chose that match to rewind the clock and look like his own best version. Kirishima then lost to the injured Ōnosato, making him now 0-10 against the ‘Big O’ (shout out to Chad). He was more competitive in that bout than in previous ones. That’s not much of a consolation, though.
His yushō chances were sunk on day fourteen thanks to Atamifuji, someone he once punked to win his second yushō. Atamifuji was a man on a mission in this most recent bout and seemed extra motivated to even the score with Kirishima.
The 11 wins in January now mean that Kirishima can get back to ōzeki if he gets 11 wins this month. His ōzeki run is very under-the-radar, right now, given what Aonishiki is attempting. I like that, though. And I think Kirishima has a great chance of snagging the ōzeki spot that Aonishiki is probably going to be vacating at the end of the month.
Aonishiki
Rank: Ōzeki 1 East
Record: 12-3, yushō
Grade: A+
I’m getting a little deja vu here. It’s so hard to find new ways to describe how excellent Aonishiki is. All I ever do is write about his fascinating and effective technique and his solid as a rock composure. And I’m trying to make sure I don’t become bored with him. This is what happened with Ōnosato during his fast rise through the ranks, too.
I recognize that these two are both generational talents and I am extremely lucky to be writing about sumo during the time where they are emerging. However, I just can’t help lose a little interest when all they do is win. I’m always going to be more drawn to characters who have rocky roads to success, than smooth ones. That’s not to say that neither Aonishiki nor Ōnosato have struggled, Aonishiki’s non-sporting struggles are very well documented. Their success just feels inevitable to me. And, as a result, I’m not that invested in the storylines that get them there.
All that aside, though, Aonishiki’s accomplishment in this tournament deserves to be celebrated. He is the first wrestler to win back-to-back tournaments since Ōnosato in 2024 and he could be the first get three in a row since Hakuho in the late 2010s.
My attitude over Aonishiki’s supremacy is partly due to how amazing he was in this tournament, despite things not going completely his way. He didn’t have a single easy win in January. It looked like every opponent really showed up for their bout with him. Most of his bouts also ended with him and his opponent heading to the ground, with a thud, including when Wakamotoharu’s failed on an utchari attempt.
I am in awe that this kid was able to survive through all those bouts and not get hurt along the way. I think this might be a tournament he looks back on in years and thinks to himself, “damn that was a tough one.”
His title winning bout over Atamifuji was another good example of this, with Atamifuji getting Aonishiki to the straw before Aonishiki’s unmatched creativity and reaction speed took over and claimed the victory.
Aonishiki’s three losses were to Ōhō, Kirishima and Ōnosato. In each of those he was forced to stay upright and denied his preferred leaned over, freestyle-influenced, stance. Ōhō and Kirishima managed this by going chest-to-chest with him. Ōnosato managed this with a massive shove to the chest. I think more folks are starting to learn that this is his Achilles’ Heel. So maybe I’ll have more reasons to doubt him in the future (thus making him more watchable, personally).
For now, though, Aonishiki sits on the verge of being crowned the next yokozuna. He’ll get that promotion if he wins or finishes runner-up. It’s hard to imagine him doing neither of those. And that’s exciting! Aonishiki’s presence in this sport makes everything better and, despite my struggles with apathy over him, I can’t deny that.
Kotozakura
Rank: Ōzeki 1 East
Record: 8-7
Grade: C
Kotozakura got off to a good start in this one and looked the healthiest he has in a while. I’ve said that about every tournament over the last six months, though. No matter how many flashes of his old brilliant, pre-injury self, he’s showed he still was not able to leave a mark on this basho. He’s now has 8-7 in five of the seven tournaments since he won his maiden yushō in November, 2024 (the last tournament before he felt the sting of a knee injury).
Kotozakura’s strong start saw him win on the opening three days, against Yoshinofuji, Ura and Wakamotoharu. He then took a surprising loss to Ichiyamamoto. I covered that at length in the last report card. The TLDR version of that is that Kotozakura was lazy and didn’t respect his opponent’s skills, much to his later regret.
His other losses were to the new triumvirate (Ōnosato, Hōshōryū and Aonishiki) on the final three days of the tournament and to Takanoshō, Ōhō and Hakunofuji. He will likely be disappointed in losing to the non yokozuna/ōzeki wrestlers, since he has good winning records against all of them.
Despite the dull nature of the record, this 8-7 does keep him at ōzeki for the foreseeable future. And, if he can get back to full strength, that’s a great springboard for him to potentially vie for a yokozuna promotion. I think that’s a tough ask for him at this point, given the competition he has around him. However, if he is able to perform like he did in 2024, consistently, then he’s going to be a problem for that triumvirate and their hopes of racking up yushō.
Ōnosato
Rank: Yokozuna 1 West
Record: 10-5
Grade: A
Ōnosato came into the January tournament nursing a shoulder injury, but that wasn’t enough to prevent him earning the yokozuna kashi-koshi (10-5). His ability to score double digit wins while clearly hampered (and in a lot of pain) just shows how much of an incredible physical specimen he is.
His lack of shoulder mobility meant he wasn’t able to show his evolving grappling techniques (or his wicked slap down). But he has so much athleticism to fall back on that he was able to simply revert to his older style of doing things to get wins; smash through guys with his speed and power.
That approach was good enough to bowl over most the guys he faced. His losses came against Yoshinofuji, Hakunofuji, Wakamotoharu, Atamifuji and Hōshōryū. Yoshinofuji, Hakunofuji and Hōshōryū all have great records against him. Yoshinofuji is actually 2-0 against him, making him the only active wrestler he’s failed to beat on two attempts. He also had an 0-2 record against Ōnoshō, though I’m sure that would have changed a lot had Ōnoshō not retired when he did.
Despite really hurting at the tail end of the tournament Ōnosato was able to summon up enough resolve to win four of his last five bouts. That included beating Kirishima, Takayasu, Kotozakura and Aonishiki (all of whom finished with winning records).
I think this showed a lot of toughness. That’s a quality we haven’t really seen much from Ōnosato, since he’s never needed to show it. Before now he’s breezed through most tournaments, forcing people out with strength that comes so easy it looks almost gentle. I don’t want to see anyone endure pain, but I did enjoy seeing Ōnosato persevere and get an opportunity to show he’s got some grit under all that God given ability.
Reports are saying he’s still less than one hundred percent for this tournament. But if he’s a little better than he was in January, that still makes him a title threat.
Hōshōryū
Rank: Yokozuna 1 East
Record: 10-5
Grade: B+
Like Ōnosato, Hōshōryū came into the New Year basho with an injury. He had a problem with his knee, but it didn’t appear as severe as Ōnosato’s shoulder problems. Even so, he deserves a lot of credit for fighting through his discomfort and managing to also pick up the yokozuna kachi-koshi. This is his third double digit win record in a row, sixth if you ignore tournaments where he missed time due to absences.
He coughed up an early kinboshi to Yoshinofuji (who has become a bit of a yoko-hunter in his young career). On day eight he gave up a silly slap down loss to Daieishō. That was followed by a push out loss to a very good Atamifuji. Down the stretch he lost to his old friend Kirishima and then his new enemy Aonishiki. Hōshōryū is 0-4 (0-5 counting play-off bouts) against Aonishiki. That’s gotta really eat him, don’t you think?
Hōshōryū finished the tournament on a high, despite not being in the running for the yushō. He managed a very strong victory over Ōnosato on senshukraku (last day of the tournament), to improve his head-to-head record against his rival yokozuna to 9-2 (excluding fusensho [default wins] and their one play-off bout that Ōnosato won).
Hōshōryū’s sumō looked a little bit like his pre-yokozuna days. He’s tried to reduce his reliance on throws since getting the top rank; to spare his knees and to also satisfy the JSA’s desires that he look more sumōtori and less judoka.
He landed those judo throws on Kotozakura and Hakunofuji, though. And he needed to, after he was pressured backwards in those bouts. I think he’s still looking for the perfect synthesis of his more comfortable style and a more yokozuna looking style (exemplified by strong and graceful force outs).
In January Hōshōryū’s outside shot of getting into the title race fell in the last few days with his losses ot Kirishima and Aonishiki.
Against Kirishima he got stuck in a moro-zashi right off the tachiai, a very yokozuna-like position and one he has favoured lately (he got wins over Wakamotoharu and Ichiyamamoto using that position in January). Kirishima was then able to bait Hōshōryū into a makki-kae (switch from outside to inside position) and use that as the opportunity to press the force out. Yoshinofuji used the moro-zashi to earn his win over Hōshōryū, too.
The Aonishiki loss was an example of Hōshōryū not playing head-to-toe defense against the soon to be yokozuna. He focused too much on Aonishiki’s upper body and missed the inside trip that led to the throw. Most Aonishiki’s wins over Hōshōryū have involved a lower body attack.
Despite those losses, Hōshōryū fought with a lot of swagger in January, especially in his wins over Ōnosato’s enforcer Takaysu (who he had a vicious brawl with in November) and Hakunofuji (which was settled in a torianoshi after he was bloodied in their first bout).
He may feel like the third banana at this point, but Hōshōryū is still a threat to win any tournament he enters. And his dominance over Ōnosato contributes to the fascinating rock-paper-scissors situation we have with those two and Aonishiki.
It doesn’t seem like he’s carrying an injury into March. If that’s true, he might be the one who spoils all this talk of a three-peat for the Ukrainian.
Thank you for reading that, everyone. I hope you enjoyed reminiscing on what these wrestlers did in January. Now, let’s look forwards to the haru basho. The next thing you’ll get from me will be a prediction piece on who I think will win the tournament (spoiler alert: I’m not picking Aonishiki).
Until then, peace.
