Photo/Illutration Ozeki Onosato forces out maegashira No. 4 Takayasu from the dohyo in a playoff on March 23 at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka. (Takuya Tanabe)

OSAKA—Ozeki Onosato captured the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in a playoff on March 23 at Edion Arena Osaka and improved his chances of promotion to yokozuna.

Onosato and maegashira No. 4 Takayasu both finished the 15-day tournament with 12-3 records, forcing the extra bout.

The ozeki charged into Takayasu at the face-off, got a strong grip on his opponent’s belt and pushed him out of the dohyo to win his third Emperor’s Cup and first since being promoted to sumo’s second-highest rank.

By winning the championship, Onosato is now in position to gain promotion to yokozuna should he win the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo in May.

Onosato won his first makuuchi division title just seven tournaments after debuting in the sumo world. He was promoted to ozeki after the 2024 Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament.

The result of the March 23 bout was another major disappointment for Takayasu, 35, a former ozeki who has now lost in three playoffs.

Probably his biggest disappointment was in the 2022 Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament, when he entered the final day with a win advantage over his closest rivals only to lose twice to the same opponent, Abi, including the playoff, and miss out on a chance to win the Emperor’s Cup.

Takayasu has never won a tournament in the makuuchi division.

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