Overview
- Twenty-one-year-old Aonishiki (Danylo Yavhusishyn) defeated yokozuna Hoshoryu in a playoff on the tournament’s final day in Fukuoka after finishing 12–3.
- He became the first wrestler from Ukraine to claim an elite top-division sumo championship in Japan.
- The JSA’s judging department will meet Wednesday to set the New Year rankings, with a board meeting to follow, and his elevation to ozeki is widely expected.
- If confirmed, he would reach ozeki in just 14 professional tournaments, the fastest in the six-meets-per-year era for a newcomer without collegiate exemptions.
- He fled Ukraine after the 2022 invasion, stayed in Germany, then moved to Japan in April 2022, training with Kansai University through friend Arata Yamanaka before joining Ajigawa stable and stating he now aims for yokozuna.