Kotoshoho has secured his first Emperor’s Cup in a thrilling finale at the IG Arena. The 25-year-old from Chiba Prefecture finished with a 13–2 record, closing out the tournament by defeating Ukrainian standout Aonishiki on the final day.
Earlier in the tournament, he also overcame both yokozuna: Hoshoryu that withdrew after Day 4 following three consecutive losses, and Onosato on Day 13, an effort that earned him his first career kinboshi, the award for defeating a grand champion.
By lifting the cup at Nagoya’s newly completed IG Arena, which opened just ahead of the 15-day tournament, Kotoshoho became the inaugural top-division champion in the venue’s history.
He first entered the elite makuuchi division in July 2020 and reached a career-high ranking of maegashira in January 2021, but has since fluctuated between the top two divisions prior to his win in this tournament.
This victory also intensifies the spotlight on Hoshoryu and Onosato, as neither yokozuna delivered the dominant performances expected at sumo’s highest rank.
Moreover, Kotoshoho’s surge injected excitement into what had been a relatively subdued closing stretch of the tournament, elevating the stakes and drawing renewed attention to the final bouts.
Now, all eyes turn to the next grand tournament in Tokyo this September, where Kotoshoho, Aonishiki, Hoshoryu and Onosato will each seek to build on, or vindicate, their performances in Nagoya. Aonishiki, in particular, remains hungry for his first Emperor’s Cup.
