Photo/Illutration Sekiwake Aonishiki speaks with a reporter after winning the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Nov. 23. (Masaru Komiyaji)

FUKUOKA—Ukrainian sekiwake Aonishiki continued his rapid and inspiring rise to the upper echelons of the sport by capturing his first Emperor's Cup in a playoff in the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Nov. 23. 

Aonishiki, 21, quickly got behind and pulled down yokozuna Hoshoryu in thrilling fashion before a roaring crowd after both wrestlers ended the tournament tied. 

With a 12-3 record, Aonishiki also assured himself promotion to the second-highest ozeki rank for the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament in January.

Aonishiki first defeated ozeki Kotozakura on the final day of the tournament, setting up the showdown against Hoshoryu. 

Aonishiki kept his record spotless against the yokozuna to win the championship. Aonishiki defeated Hoshoryu on the 14th day of the tournament to maintain his mastery with a 3-0 record against the 26-year-old Mongolian. 

Winning the makuuchi championship in the 14th tournament after entering the sumo world placed Aonishiki tied for fourth place in terms of fewest tournaments needed.

At 21 years and 8 months, Aonishiki is also tied for sixth youngest in winning a championship.

Aonishiki entered the top makuuchi division only in this year’s Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in March. But he has piled up at least 11 wins in all five tournaments since entering makuuchi.

This was only his second tournament in one of the top four ranks.

A rule of thumb for promotion to ozeki is accumulating 33 wins over the most recent three tournaments as either a komusubi or sekiwake. But sumo elders decided to promote Aonishiki to ozeki because he has also defeated yokozuna and ozeki in the process.

The last new ozeki was Onosato, now a yokozuna, who gained promotion after the 2024 Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament. Onosato was in a three-way tie for the lead going into the final day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament but suffered an injury in his bout with Aonishiki on Day 13 and had to withdraw. 

Aonishiki becomes the ninth ozeki of the Reiwa Era, which began in 2019.

He is the first Ukrainian to reach that rank, but the second to make it to the makuuchi division.

Becoming ozeki in only 14 tournaments is a tie for second fastest among those who started out from the very bottom of the sumo world from the Showa Era (1926-1989).

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