July Basho 2026 — Bouts

DAY 15 REVIEW

The final day kept its secret until the very end. Aonishiki, alone at the top, met sekiwake Atamifuji two bouts from the finish — and was pushed out, unable to settle it there. Moments later ozeki Kirishima forced out Kotozakura for his twelfth win, and with three men tied at 12-3 the championship went to a playoff. It was Aonishiki who came through it, avenging his regular-bout defeat and lifting his third Emperor's Cup. Having sat out the previous tournament entirely on kadoban, he needed ten wins for a special return to ozeki — and became the first wrestler in history to secure that return and the championship in the same basho. The 22-year-old had beaten both yokozuna on consecutive days while nursing an injured left foot, and when asked about it afterwards he simply said, 'Let's talk about the sumo.' Atamifuji and Kirishima both finished on twelve wins, Onosato closed with nine after pushing down Kotoshoho, and Hoshoryu ended the tournament withdrawn. Fifteen days that belonged to a young man from Ukraine.