(english.kyodonews.net 11-23-25)
FUKUOKA - Ukrainian sensation Aonishiki clinched his maiden elite-level championship and virtually guaranteed his promotion to ozeki Sunday with a tie-breaking playoff victory over yokozuna Hoshoryu to win the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.
The 21-year-old sekiwake has risen through the ranks at a record pace, is the first sumo wrestler from his country to win the Emperor's Cup, achieving the feat in just his 14th tournament.
Aonishiki forced the playoff by defeating ozeki Kotozakura and finishing the scheduled portion of the 15-day meet tied at 12-3 with Hoshoryu, who picked up a forfeit win following the injury withdrawal of fellow yokozuna and joint overnight leader Onosato (11-4).
With his title-clinching victory at Fukuoka Kokusai Center, Aonishiki also stayed unbeaten in his four career matches against the 26-year-old Hoshoryu, nephew of Mongolian former yokozuna Asashoryu, including their scheduled bout the previous day.
"I'm genuinely happy," Aonishiki, whose real name is Danylo Yavhusishyn, said of the title. "It's something I've always been aiming for and I'm really happy to have achieved it."
Aonishiki is the first champion ever from Ajigawa stable, while Ukraine becomes the sixth foreign country to produce a sumo grand champion winner after the United States, Mongolia, Bulgaria, Estonia and Georgia.
"It's pure joy. I'm sure he prepared well for the day's bout despite many different pressures," said his stablemaster Ajigawa, former sekiwake Aminishiki. "He was able to show on the dohyo what we've been working on."
Had Aonishiki lost to Kotozakura (8-7), the tournament would have ended with the anticlimactic crowning of Hoshoryu as champion without the yokozuna competing on the final day.
Onosato's Nishonoseki stable earlier in the day announced that the five-time Emperor's Cup winner had dislocated his left shoulder a day before Saturday's loss to Kotozakura that left the two yokozuna and Aonishiki tied for the lead.
In his do-or-die battle with Kotozakura, Aonishiki gave up a belt grip but held firm and stayed low before toppling his much larger opponent with a sensational "uchimuso" inner thigh propping twist down.
Returning to the ring after only a brief interval, the young sekiwake kept Hoshoryu away from his belt at the initial charge and slipped behind the yokozuna to execute a rear throw down.
"This was my first playoff, so I just wanted to make sure I got it right and finish with no regret," Aonishiki said. "I'm always a little nervous but I was able to focus on my style of sumo."
The new champion was told during his victory ceremony interview that the Japan Sumo Association will discuss promoting him to ozeki at an upcoming meeting, signaling his likely elevation to the second-highest rank for January's New Year tournament.
"I'm happy," said Aonishiki, who moved to Japan in April 2022 to escape the war that is still raging in his home country. "But there's one more rank above ozeki and I'll be doing my best to get there."
Aonishiki won his first Outstanding Performance Prize as well as his third Technique Prize, tying Onosato's record of winning at least one prize in each of his first five meets in the elite makuuchi division.
For two-time Emperor's Cup winner Hoshoryu, the frustrating loss marks the second time in a row he has been denied the championship in a playoff, following his defeat to Onosato at September's Autumn tournament in Tokyo.
Onosato remained at three championships for 2025 and five for his career, but finished the year with the most wins in makuuchi. The powerhouse from Ishikawa Prefecture will miss sumo's winter regional tour but is expected to be back after a month of treatment and recovery.
In other action from the final day in Fukuoka, former ozeki Kirishima (11-4) solidified his case for promotion from No. 2 maegashira back to the three "sanyaku" ranks below yokozuna by pushing down No. 3 maegashira Ura (8-7), securing his third Fighting Spirit Prize in the process.
Another former ozeki, veteran komusubi Takayasu, narrowly held onto his place at sanyaku by improving to 8-7 with a hard-fought win against talented No. 5 maegashira Yoshinofuji, previously known as Kusano, who finished at 9-6 and won his second Technique Prize.
No. 8 maegashira Ichiyamamoto won his second Fighting Spirit Prize after going 11-4.
https://english.kyodonews.net/articles/-/65480
