Overview
- Aonishiki beat yokozuna Hoshoryu to move to a 9-1 record and stand one win short of the 10 victories required to reclaim the ozeki rank after his May absence.
- Maegashira Kotoeiho matches Aonishiki at 9-1 after defeating Abi, creating a two-way lead with five days left in the 15-day Nagoya tournament.
- Both top yokozuna, Onosato and Hoshoryu, are off the pace with roughly 6-4 records and have shown signs of physical trouble that have opened the field to challengers.
- Ozeki and promotion stakes remain high: Kirishima keeps his bid for yokozuna consideration alive while kadoban ozeki Kotozakura must reach eight wins to avoid demotion.
- The tournament’s volatility traces to earlier absences and injuries this year, and the next five days will decide the yusho race and several career-defining promotion or demotion outcomes.