Overview
- Aonishiki defeated yokozuna Onosato on Monday to move to 8-1 and share the tournament lead in a three-way tie.
- He grimaced and limped from the ring after the match, raising fresh concern about the foot and ankle injuries that cost him his ozeki rank.
- Both yokozuna have struggled for consistency, with Onosato at 5-4 and Hoshoryu at 6-3 after a loss to komusubi Yoshinofuji.
- Upsets and tactical wins by lower-ranked wrestlers such as Kotoeiho, Shishi and Yoshinofuji have reshuffled the leaderboard and kept title chances open.
- The standings and promotion stakes remain volatile because this is a 15-day basho where injuries or withdrawals can let surprise challengers seize the yusho and affect ozeki demotion battles like kadoban Kotozakura’s fight to avoid losing his rank.