Makuuchi banzuke — Nagoya 2026
Juryo Division
Nagoya 2026 arrives with more compelling storylines than any single basho can resolve. A potential new Yokozuna, a yusho winner chasing an even greater dream, a fan favourite returning with something to prove, and two of the sport's most dominant forces here to remind everyone they still dominate. This July the dohyo will sort out who gets to move forward and who has to work harder. Everyone is training to win and heading into day one the anticipation is real.
The sanyaku leads by example and none of them are merely content with their place. Kirishima wrestles with a Yokozuna promotion within reach. Kotozakura seeks to defend his position. Atamifuji plans to establish himself as a permanent fixture at the top. Wakatakakage enters as reigning yusho winner with Ozeki ambitions of his own while Kotoshoho defends his yusho title on the same dohyo where he first lifted the Emperor's Cup a year ago. Meanwhile Aonishiki needs ten wins to reclaim his Ozeki rank, Yoshinofuji continues to climb with new skills every day, and Oho has always enjoyed being disruptive in the higher ranks. Underlining this all is our two Yokozuna returning after injury to make a statement. Every one of them has a reason to push harder than usual across fifteen days, and they will all meet each other in the ring before it is over.
As we look down the banzuke the stories continue. Takayasu brings his tsuppari refined in the sanyaku for several tournaments and introduces himself to the middle ranks from his position at M7 West. Beside him at M7 East we have another interesting character as Kotoeiho arrives at his highest rank with a point to make about exceeding his brother's accomplishments. Into this chaos Kazuma arrives to make his Makuuchi debut at M15 West fresh off the Juryo championship and Takerufuji returns to the top division after injury. In Nagoya 2026, the field is as open as it has been in years and this, my friends, will be a great basho to watch.
Stories to watch
Kirishima's opportunity
Kirishima has been consistent pushing forward at the top of the division since November, and Nagoya is the tournament where that consistency could convert into a promotion. The Yokozuna Deliberation Council's expectations are not precisely outlined — a yusho, or a strong playoff appearance with a double-digit record is a good start — but the reality is that Kirishima needs to win and win convincingly. This is his chance and if he is going to make the case for promotion this is his basho to do it. The chances for Yokozuna promotion rarely come and while we know Kirishima is an excellent rikishi the question of if he can reach higher may be determined in these coming days in Nagoya.
Hoshoryu wants the win
Hoshoryu lasted one bout at Natsu before withdrawing with a clearly painful right hamstring injury during his day one loss to Takayasu but we expect him to be back in form for Nagoya. Hoshoryu shows up and contends for every yusho title and we expect this tournament to be no different. The reason for this is the clear desire to win that he brings into the dohyo. His sumo is adaptive and constantly seeking for openings paired with a reaction time bordering on instinct. There is no bad tournament with Hoshoryu taking the dohyo which may seem like a strong statement but you don't get promoted to Yokozuna by accident.
Aonishiki's promotion path back to Ozeki
Aonishiki was demoted from Ozeki after being injured in training and not competing at Natsu. Missing a basho resulted in demotion and he drops to Sekiwake 2 West with a single opportunity for re-promotion: ten wins in Nagoya will restore his Ozeki rank. At sekiwake he will face sanyaku opponents and upper maegashira through the first week, and the Yokozuna and Ozeki in the second. A tough group but mostly the same rikishi he defeated in January when he won the Yusho. Rumours swirl that his opponents have figured him out so prepare to see something new from Aonishiki if that is the case. If he adopts a shift in strategy or not Aonishiki has become a quick fan favourite we always look forward to seeing.
Wakatakakage chases his dream
Wakatakakage is almost universally loved by sumo fans and after winning the last basho we see him enter this tournament at Sekiwake 2 East. While he would need 13 or maybe 12 wins or a yusho to reach the Ozeki rank we know that this is his personal goal. A difficult challenge will be the sanyaku returning in full force and health (As far as we know at the time of this writing). This will mean 3 challenges he did not face last tournament as Hoshoryu, Onosato, and Aonishiki return. Not impossible but a tough road ahead waits for the rikishi that enters the dohyo and somehow emits an aura of a noble samurai. Reports indicate Wakatakakage's training has gone well and he still sees room to improve and develop his sumo to greater heights so we have not yet seen the limit of his sumo spirit.
Onosato the sleeping giant
Onosato came into the sumo world like a hurricane and dominated from his first days in the sport until his recent injury. We have had the same questions with the last few tournaments "Is he coming back this time?" and "Is he 100% again?". Onosato is dominant when operating at his full capability and possesses a clean beauty to his strikes that allows him to make winning look easy even against veterans of the sumo world. But the questions continue and even after a fairly relaxed bout in Paris on day 1 we saw Onosato uncomfortably roll his shoulder after his win against Tamawashi. While a full article may be needed to explore the story in detail and compare Onosato's injury to that of his Oyakata (former Kisenosato) but until he enters the ring we are left wondering. In a brief exchange with reporters at a regional tournament event he stated he plans to return and aims to win. But is he 100% again? Whatever the answer Onosato is always one to watch and a return to form will present a challenge to several other rikishi trying to rise in the ranks.
Takayasu continues his efforts
Takayasu is an absolute treasure and when introducing new people to sumo somehow "the hairy guy" is often one of the first rikishi new fans can recognize on sight. While unique looks make him recognizable it is his sumo that makes him unforgettable and the question at hand today will be how long he can continue. After his withdraw last tournament discussions of Takayasu potentially retiring have spread across the internets as he turned 36 this year and the weight of an elite sumo career of this length weighs heavily on any body. Although, with an active rival in Hoshoryu and a proven ability to remain a contender we see no reason to doubt this formidable rikishi. Takayasu will bring his tsuppari once again and push forward. With his rank this tournament at M7 west we look forward to some early wins as he will neatly dodge the sanyaku and if he does establish those early wins we will see Takayasu display his style of sumo against the best in the division.
Asakoryu's recovery window
Asakoryu finished Natsu 3–4–8, withdrawing after day six due to a right knee injury. At M16 West in Nagoya he has the most forgiving position on the banzuke, and if full recovered he will be competitive at this rank. While a healthy Asakoryu could excel here his ability to display his sumo will depend on the aftermath of his injury. We can acknowledge the muscleman has a strong body and his history has few previous injuries with his last withdraw being in 2022 before he reached the pro ranks which makes us expect to see a strong return. But as many grandparents and sumo alike will also tell you "knees can be a tricky thing" so you never know. A low rank gives him room to find his feet without the pressure of the sanyaku but by no means will it be an easy basho for him.
Predictions — kachi-koshi or make-koshi
We go on record with our predictions with 6 rikishi in our watchlist this time. We predict if they will achieve a winning record (kachi-koshi) or a losing record (make-koshi) with a brief reason. And before you ask I have not listed either Onosato or Aonishiki due to their injuries but if they show up healthy - they'll win.
If anyone can get 8 wins its Kotozakura. He has the tools to find eight wins at this level without issue. The deeper question is whether he can go further than that and we have an article coming to explore this in detail but for now - watch his footwork.
If he competes at full strength Hoshoryu will be in contention this tournament. The uncertainty is entirely about whether he is at full strength and can bring his full Yokozuna presence to the dohyo. Although we have felt less intensity recently from his side of the ring predicting him to achieve a winning record feels like the right call.
M5 is a difficult rank and it means the schedule in week one likely includes sanyaku opponents. The maegashira above him are not straightforward and while Oshoma has shown flashes at this level he has yet to demonstrate the consistency necessary to hold this rank. We expect a losing record and a learning experience for the mid-maegashira to refine his skills.
Last year Kotoshoho won the Nagoya yusho in 2025, so this venue is not unfamiliar ground. Since that was the first tournament at the new arena you can even say he won 100% of tournaments here. But sekiwake is not an easy rank, we expect both yokozuna to be back and in form, and the four-sekiwake banzuke means he faces a tough group with few breaks. A losing record would not be a surprise.
M7 is well within Kotoeiho's range. He has the size and power to grind out winning records at this depth of the maegashira, and the schedule at this rank gives him enough lower-ranked opposition in the early days to build a cushion. We predict Kotoeiho to exceed his brother Kotoshoho's accomplishments and this is the tournament that might prove the point.
Being a Juryo champion last basho and now promoted to M15 should allow for a reasonable success rate in his debut basho. Granted that Makuuchi is not the same as Juryo but the low rank is manageable, the schedule is as forgiving as it gets, and Kazuma arrives with momentum. Debut nerves are real, but so is the form that earned him promotion.
A note on predictions
These are the considered guesses of an informed fan, and while I may edit up until day 1 it gets locked in as soon as the basho starts. Sumo's fifteen days have a way of making fools of any confident predictions so check back after the basho for the wrap-up.