Running another series for the Aki Basho! Jump in! @Cheeseheads84 @ricardo_crespo @zac_sram @jabby_jab @david_w @zander_jones @Tochinojo @fred @stewart_mulholland @taylor_doherty
Photo by Bob Fisher on Unsplash
Day 1: Shonichi (Opening Day)
Final scoresOpening day (shonichi). Everyone starts 0-0 and the basho begins. This game covers the final seven bouts of the top division, the marquee closing stretch that ends with the musubi-no-ichiban, plus one featured bonus bout from earlier in the card. Each pick introduces both wrestlers, so no sumo knowledge needed.
Winners
1 of 8
Kinbozan (M14) vs Takerufuji (M13)
Jul 11 @ 11:00 PM
Pick the correct answer.
PointsKinbozanMaegashira #14. A genuinely huge wrestler even by sumo standards, with a knack for pulls and throws. His weakness is footwork: once he's off balance, all that mass keeps going.
+1
TakerufujiCorrectMaegashira #13, one of the strangest careers in modern sumo. He won the championship on his top-division debut, almost unheard of, then lost years to injuries. A live dark horse if his body holds up.
+1
2 of 8
Hiradoumi (M3) vs Aonishiki (Sekiwake)
Jul 11 @ 11:00 PM
Pick the correct answer.
PointsHiradoumiRugged Maegashira #3, a scrappy technician who has spent the year holding his own against the top ranks.
+1
AonishikiCorrectThe 21-year-old Ukrainian star. Dropped from Ozeki after missing May entirely with injury, and he needs 10 wins here to win the rank straight back.
+1
3 of 8
Churanoumi (M2) vs Kotoshoho (Sekiwake)
Jul 11 @ 11:00 PM
Pick the correct answer.
PointsChuranoumiMaegashira #2, which means he draws the sport's elite in the opening days. A tough test right out of the gate.
+1
KotoshohoCorrectHolds his Sekiwake rank, one of four wrestlers at the position in an unusually deep top order.
+1
4 of 8
Atamifuji (Sekiwake) vs Gonoyama (M2)
Jul 11 @ 11:00 PM
Pick the correct answer.
PointsAtamifujiCorrectYoung powerhouse who has twice lost a championship playoff, both times to Aonishiki. Still chasing the breakthrough.
+1
GonoyamaMaegashira #2, a pusher-thruster who lives or dies on how fast he gets moving forward.
+1
5 of 8
Takanosho (M1) vs Kotozakura (Ozeki)
Jul 11 @ 11:00 PM
Pick the correct answer.
PointsTakanoshoMaegashira #1, the top rank-and-file spot. Beat an Ozeki here and you make headlines.
+1
KotozakuraCorrectOzeki and grandson of a former grand champion, but kadoban: he must win at least 8 bouts or lose the rank. All the pressure is on him.
+1
6 of 8
Kirishima (Ozeki) vs Fujinokawa (M1)
Jul 11 @ 11:00 PM
Pick the correct answer.
PointsKirishimaCorrectEast Ozeki and runner-up in May. In strong form and reportedly on yokozuna watch, so a big tournament could earn promotion.
+1
FujinokawaMaegashira #1, thrown straight into the deep end against an Ozeki on opening day.
+1
7 of 8
Yoshinofuji (Komusubi) vs Onosato (Yokozuna)
Jul 11 @ 11:00 PM
Pick the correct answer.
PointsYoshinofujiCorrectNewly promoted to Komusubi after 11 wins in May. His first tournament at the rank starts against a grand champion.
+1
OnosatoWest Yokozuna, who reached sumo's top rank faster than anyone in history: 13 tournaments from his debut. Returning from a shoulder injury, so watch his sharpness.
+1
8 of 8
Hoshoryu (Yokozuna) vs Oho (Komusubi) - musubi-no-ichiban, the final bout of the day
Jul 11 @ 11:00 PM
Pick the correct answer.
PointsHoshoryuCorrectEast Yokozuna and nephew of the legendary Asashoryu. A sharp, belt-based attacker, and the healthier of the two grand champions.
+1
OhoBack at Komusubi, a rank he last held in January. Grandson of one of sumo's all-time greats.
+1
Series chat
Eloy Avellaneda 2 months ago
Really funny to play and try to pick every winner. It has been my first basho and really enjoyed it. Thank you!
Thank you so much for playing! This was my first basho too! I've been having so much fun learning as I go.
NAGOYA 2026 IS IN THE BOOKS. 🏆 Congrats to @Cheeseheads84 , @dewayneb and @brian_bernstein for placing as our top 3! Aonishiki takes the Emperor's Cup at 12-3, winning a three-way playoff over Kirishima and Atamifuji. What a fortnight for the 22-year-old Ukrainian: he arrived demoted and injured, won his ozeki rank back with four days to spare, beat BOTH grand champions on consecutive nights, lost the Cup in the final bout of the tournament, then won it anyway minutes later. The rest of the story: the grand champions never showed up. Hoshoryu withdrew at 7-7, Onosato limped to 9-6 after starting 1-3, and between them they handed out four gold stars. Kotozakura saved his ozeki rank on the very last day. And rank-and-filers led this thing for a solid week, with Shishi and Takerufuji both finishing 10-5. All nine pre-tournament questions are now scored, and the season leaderboard is final. Thanks for playing, everyone. See you in September.
Day 14 wrap: one win from the Cup. Aonishiki beat Takerufuji to reach 12-2 and stand alone with a single bout left. Win today and the Emperor's Cup is his outright. Lose, and we go to a playoff. Because Atamifuji is still breathing: he beat Shishi to reach 11-3, and Kirishima is level with him after taking a default win. That's the other big news — Hoshoryu has withdrawn from the basho, finishing 7-7. Anyone who took "Yes" on a yokozuna pulling out in the pre-tournament round just cashed it. And the schedulers saved the perfect ending: Aonishiki faces Atamifuji today. The man who beat him in TWO championship playoffs gets one last crack, with everything on the line. Final day picks are live.
Day 13 wrap: Aonishiki won the semifinal. In the bout everyone circled, the 21-year-old beat ozeki Kirishima to move to 11-2 and stand ALONE at the top with two days left. He's now two wins from the Emperor's Cup, having already reclaimed his ozeki rank and beaten both grand champions along the way. What a fortnight. Cinderella didn't get her gold star: Onosato held off co-leader Takerufuji in the musubi. And Kotozakura finally exhaled for real - beating Shishi got him to 8 wins, which SAVES his ozeki rank after two weeks on the brink. Four chase at 10-3: Kirishima, Shishi, Takerufuji, Atamifuji. Tonight Aonishiki faces Takerufuji, and a win essentially seals it. Day 14 picks are live.
Day 12 wrap: the leader went down. One night after winning his ozeki rank back, Aonishiki got caught by Kotoshoho, and just like that we have a FOUR-way tie at 10-2 with three days left: Aonishiki, Kirishima, Shishi, and Takerufuji. An ozeki, the comeback kid, and two rank-and-filers ranked 14th and 13th. Elsewhere: Takerufuji ended Takayasu's title dream in the chasers' clash, Kirishima handled Onosato, and Kotozakura beat a yokozuna to reach 7-5 — the kadoban ozeki is now ONE win from saving his rank. Tonight the schedulers gave us the semifinal: Kirishima vs Aonishiki, co-leader vs co-leader. And Takerufuji gets a grand champion in the musubi with a gold star on the line. Day 13 picks are live.
Day 11 wrap: THE CLAWBACK IS COMPLETE. Aonishiki got win number 10, which means the 21-year-old has officially won back his ozeki rank, four days early, with victories over both grand champions along the way. If you picked "Yes" on his comeback in the pre-tournament round, that point is now locked. And he's not done: at 10-1 he stands ALONE at the top of the tournament. Behind him, a five-man chase pack at 9-2: Kirishima, Kotoeiho, Shishi (who won the leaders' clash), Takerufuji, and Takayasu. That's one ozeki and FOUR rank-and-filers still hunting the Cup with four days left. Tonight the schedulers force the issue: Takerufuji vs Takayasu, 9-2 vs 9-2. Day 12 picks are live.
Day 10 wrap: the kid did it AGAIN. One night after beating Onosato, Aonishiki toppled Hoshoryu. Both grand champions, back to back, at 21 years old. He's 9-1, tied for the lead, and now sits ONE win from reclaiming his ozeki rank. If you took "Yes" on his comeback in the pre-tournament round, you're one bout from cashing it. Sharing the top spot: Kotoeiho, the quiet 9-1 co-leader from Maegashira #7 that nobody has solved. Kirishima won his elimination-flavored showdown with Hakunofuji to stay one back at 8-2 alongside Shishi and Takayasu. Kotozakura kept his rank-saving hopes alive at 5-5 — he needs 3 of his last 5. Tonight's bonus bout: the leaders collide, Kotoeiho vs Shishi. Day 11 picks are live.
Day 9 wrap: the kid beat a grand champion. Aonishiki toppled Onosato in the night's headliner, moving to 8-1 and just TWO wins from reclaiming his ozeki rank. The 21-year-old is now a co-leader with rank-and-filers Shishi and Kotoeiho, both also 8-1 and refusing to go away. Elsewhere the spoilers ran wild: Churanoumi (2-6 coming in!) knocked off Kirishima, and Yoshinofuji beat Hoshoryu, meaning the komusubi has now beaten BOTH grand champions this basho. Kotozakura's rank-saving math got uglier too: at 4-5, the ozeki must win 4 of his last 6. Tonight the schedulers went full villain: Aonishiki gets the other yokozuna, Hoshoryu. Beat both grand champions back to back? Get your Day 10 picks in.
Day 8 wrap (nakabi, the midpoint): the contenders held serve. Kirishima won the night's marquee bout over Atamifuji, and Aonishiki survived a scare from Takanosho — so your leaders at 7-1 are: Kirishima, Aonishiki, Shishi, and Kotoeiho. An ozeki, a sekiwake, and two rank-and-filers nobody had on their radar two weeks ago. Aonishiki is now just 3 wins from reclaiming his ozeki rank. Hakunofuji lurks one back at 6-2 alongside both grand champions' pursuit: Hoshoryu 6-2, Onosato 6-2... check that, Onosato sits 5-3 after handling Oho. And Kotozakura finally exhaled: at 4-4, the kadoban ozeki needs 4 of his last 7 to save his rank. Day 9's headliner: Aonishiki vs Onosato. Get your picks in.