Sumo's OZEKI Rank Is Broken Too: Nobody Can Hold It Anymore

Wrestling

السنة2026

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The ozeki rank is supposed to be sumo's proving ground, and right now almost nobody can hold onto it. This video looks at why sumo's second-highest rank has turned into a revolving door, and what the kadoban rule has to do with it. We break down how ozeki promotion actually works, why a demoted ozeki gets exactly one basho to win his rank back, and how injuries keep wrecking that math. Along the way we cover Takakeisho's long run of kadoban tournaments, Kirishima's fast rise and faster fall, and what the paths of Kotozakura, Onosato, Hoshoryu and Aonishiki reveal about the widening gap between sekiwake and yokozuna on the banzuke. If the ozeki rank stops functioning, the whole shape of makuuchi shifts with it — who gets promoted, who fights whom, and how a grand sumo tournament is built in the first place. Sumo Spirit digs into the rules, the history and the drama behind rikishi careers, so heading into the aki basho you'll know exactly what's at stake on the banzuke. Hit like and subscribe if you want to find out whether anyone left in sumo can survive the ozeki curse.