Autumn basho has all the ingredients of a classic

The September Grand Sumo Tournament got underway on Sunday looking like it could be a free-for-all.

With yokozuna Hoshoryu withdrawing prior to the meet, and injury worries hanging over several other big names, there was genuine concern over the quality of sumo that would be on display, and whether anyone could step up to claim the Emperor’s Cup in the fashion that fans want to see.

However, three days into the action at the Kokugikan in Tokyo and the 2026 Autumn Tournament is shaping up to be one of the best in recent times.

The four highest-ranked competing rikishi are a combined 11-1 through Tuesday and, while there have been a couple of rocky moments, all seem to be close to full health and able to perform as normal.

Sumo administrators will have fingers crossed the exciting sumo seen so far continues through next week and that a showdown for silverware involving the best wrestlers currently active takes place on Sept. 27.

The obvious names for that title matchup are Onosato and Aonishiki and, given how they have performed so far, it’s a scenario that has a very real chance of taking place.

Onosato is 3-0 for the first time since January — the most recent tournament in which the yokozuna managed double-digit wins — and has shown flashes of the dominance that propelled him to sumo’s highest rank.

Aonishiki has been even more impressive with the way in which he spun out of a precarious position against Kotoshoho on Day 3, making his absence from much of the pre-tournament training almost incomprehensible.

To be fair to the ōzeki, it’s not the first time he has shaken off what looked like a tournament-ending injury and immediately produced elite level sumo.

The young Ukrainian appears as sharp as ever, and has now reached a stage with his left-handed grip that is going to elicit comparisons with yokozuna Wajima’s famous “golden left.”

That Aonishiki is still just 22 must be a terrifying prospect for the rest of the top division. He is still three to five years away from the age at which most wrestlers hit their peak and a full decade younger than wrestlers such as Takanosho and Wakatakakage — neither of whom feel like aged veterans.

The one eye-catching stat about Aonishiki that still surprises people is that, despite having reached double-digit wins in 9 of the 10 tournaments he has participated in since reaching the jūryō division, he is yet to record 13 wins at a basho.

That’s simply stunning. Three Emperor’s Cups and seven special prizes all while never going past 12 wins. The flip side, of course, is that in all the top-division meets in which he competed he’s only fallen below 11 wins once.

If Aonishiki figures out how to turn those 12-3 records into 13-2 finishes he’ll rack up silverware over the next decade. Given how he has performed so far in the September meet, that step up might be in the process of happening.

Also with an unbeaten start in the Autumn meet is Kotozakura.

The big ōzeki entered 2025 on the back of a 14-1 record and in line for promotion to yokozuna but collapsed to double-digit losses and, with a subsequent series of middling tournament records, had fallen out of the spotlight somewhat.

Among sumo’s highest ranks it’s fair to say Hoshoryu, Onosato, Kirishima and Aonishiki have all eclipsed Kotozakura over the past few years, but the Chiba native (unlike the latter two men) has never fallen from the rank of ōzeki and deserves respect for holding his own against such a tough slate of opponents each basho.

Kotozakura’s two most recent 3-0 starts both came this year but neither developed into a serious title challenge. However, if the 28-year-old can stay in contention into week two, then all bets are off.

No one on the banzuke in 2026 has the invincible aura of a Hakuho or Asashoryu and all have vulnerabilities that can be exploited in late tournament showdowns or title playoffs.

Three other men have had perfect starts to the current basho, but it’s too early to start discussing the championship aspirations of Takanosho, Fujiseiun or Asakoryu.

More compelling for now at least is ōzeki Kirishima, who is just a slip against Takayasu away from also being unbeaten.

That’s a mistake that will sting, with the prospect of yokozuna promotion hanging in the air should Kirishima take home the Emperor’s Cup this month.

It’s not the end of the world, though, and with a 13-10 career head-to-head record against Takayasu losses to the former ōzeki are to be expected.

But Kirishima needs to bounce back quickly — particularly with so many title rivals looking to be in good form.

After three straight 12-3 records — the last two followed by a playoff defeat — Kirishima may need to emulate his 13-2 record from November 2023 if he is to claim both the Emperor’s Cup and the white rope.

In the 12 tournaments since Terunofuji won the final title of his career, only once has a yokozuna managed to lift the Emperor’s Cup — Onosato in September 2025.

The five-time champion could make it six later this month, or Kirishima could reach the same rank with a title run. Aonishiki could be yokozuna before long as well, though even an Emperor’s Cup triumph this month won’t be enough for that to happen yet.

Kotozakura is keeping pace with those three and there are a whole host of others who could join the fray.

The September 2026 basho has certainly delivered from the get-go.