Overview
- He defeated ozeki Kotonowaka on the final day and then beat yokozuna Hoshoryu in a playoff to capture his first top-division championship.
- The victory completed a 14-tournament rise from debut to ozeki, the fastest since the six-basho-per-year schedule became standard.
- He came to Japan in April 2022 after Russia’s invasion, trained with support from Kansai University, and entered Ajigawa stable.
- He has not returned to Ukraine during the war, and his parents are living in Germany, whom he called after the win.
- Assessments from former greats highlight room to improve his initial charge and responses against larger opponents as he targets the sport’s summit.