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NAGOYA – Sekiwake Aonishiki regained the top position at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on Friday, yet the title competition is still close with two days remaining, as four competitors are only one victory behind.

Here is a summary of the first 13 days of the competition.

Day 1: Yokozuna Onosato returns, suffers a defeat on the first day of the Nagoya tournament

Sunday, July 12 – Onosato suffered an alarming first-day loss as the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament kicked off on Sunday, while his fellow returning grand champion, Hoshoryu, emerged victorious.

Day 2: Yokozuna Onosato drops to 0-2 after being defeated by Fujinokawa in an unexpected result

Monday, July 13 – The grand champion Onosato faced his second consecutive loss in the tournament on Monday, falling to the cunning No. 1 maegashira Fujinokawa through a thrust down.

Day 3: Onosato defeats Takanosho for his first victory after a difficult 0-2 beginning

Tuesday, July 14 – Onosato secured his first victory in the tournament after a difficult 0-2 beginning, pushing out top maegashira Takanosho on Tuesday.

Day 4: Yokozuna Onosato drops to 1-3 after defeat by Gonoyama

Wednesday, July 15 – Onosato dropped to 1-3 in the competition on Wednesday after being pushed out by Gonoyama, who had not won before and was ranked as No. 2 maegashira.

Day 5: Ozeki Kirishima suffers first defeat, struggling yokozuna Onosato secures second victory

Thursday, July 16 – Ozeki Kirishima’s perfect record at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament ended on Thursday, while struggling yokozuna Onosato earned his second victory, moving his record to 2-3.

Day 6: Yokozuna Hoshoryu faces a second defeat as Shishi moves into sole possession of the Nagoya lead

Friday, July 17 – Yokozuna Hoshoryu suffered his second loss in six days during the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on Friday, with Ukrainian wrestler Shishi remaining the only competitor with an unblemished record.

Day 7: Ozeki Kirishima, seeking promotion, secures victory, sharing the lead in Nagoya with seven others

Saturday, July 18 – Ozeki Kirishima, who is aiming for a yokozuna promotion, tied with six other wrestlers at the top of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament standings on Saturday following the first loss of Shishi, who had remained undefeated for seven days.

Day 8: Aonishiki, the co-leader, raises concerns about injuries after defeating Takanosho

July 19, Sunday – Ukrainian wrestler Aonishiki made further progress toward ozeki promotion on Sunday, although his win against No. 1 maegashira Takanosho might have had a price.

Day 9: Aonishiki maintains his lead after a significant victory over Onosato

Monday, July 20 – Ukrainian sekiwake Aonishiki secured his position at the top on Monday after achieving his first-ever win against yokozuna Onosato in five matches.

Day 10: Aonishiki, co-leader, defeats Hoshoryu, now one victory away from ozeki’s return

Tuesday, July 21 – Sekiwake Aonishiki defeated yokozuna Hoshoryu, bringing him one win closer to his ozeki return on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian star remained tied for the lead with regular-ranked Kotoeiho after 10 days of competition.

Day 11: Aonishiki secures a return to the ozeki rank with 10 victories, establishing a solo lead

Wednesday, July 22 – Sekiwake Aonishiki secured his return to the second-highest position of ozeki with 10 victories, taking the lead in the 15-day Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on Wednesday.

Day 12: Aonishiki falls, joining a four-horse race at the Nagoya tournament

Thursday, July 23 – Aonishiki fell to another sekiwake, resulting in a four-way race for the top spot in the competition on Thursday, only one day after securing his return to the second-highest rank of ozeki with 10 victories.

Day 13: Aonishiki defeats another top contender, Kirishima, and moves into first place alone

Friday, July 24 – Ukrainian sekiwake Aonishiki took the top position on Friday following a remarkable win against ozeki Kirishima, pushing the Mongolian-born wrestler down from the leader’s spot.

The other two overnight leaders, maegashira Takerufuji ranked 13th and Shishi ranked 14th, also dropped to second place after suffering their third losses in the 15-day competition.