Sumo: Wakatakakage sets sights on ozeki promotion after championship

The former sekiwake from Fukushima Prefecture clinched his second Emperor's Cup by defeating Mongolian-born ozeki Kirishima in a championship tiebreaker at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan after both finished the 15-day meet through Sunday with 12 wins and three losses.

"I believe the next steps will be crucial as I work toward my goal of becoming an ozeki," Wakatakakage said during his press conference at the arena in central Tokyo. "I want to continue to improve."

Wakatakakage won his first top-division championship at the third-highest rank of sekiwake in March 2022, but his plans of reaching the second-highest rank of ozeki were derailed by a severe right knee injury a year later that saw him plummet to the third-tier makushita division.

Having steadily worked his way back to the upper echelon, the 31-year-old returned this month to komusubi, the lowest of the three distinguished "sanyaku" ranks below yokozuna, after three straight meets among the rank and file.

His gap of 25 tournaments between championships among the longest in the sport's history.

"Some wrestlers I fought alongside before my injury have gone on to become yokozuna and ozeki," he said. "I want to be just as successful."

With yokozuna Onosato and Hoshoryu sidelined, along with ozeki Aonishiki and Kotozakura, the championship race ultimately came down to re-promoted ozeki Kirishima and Wakatakakage, two wrestlers who had fought countless practice bouts while training together since their youth.

"It was a great honor to be able to wrestle on a stage like that," Wakatakakage said.

Before he continues his promotion bid at July's Nagoya tournament, the newly crowned champion is set to take part in the Japan Sumo Association's June 13-14 exhibition in Paris.

Onosato, who sat out the entire May tournament with a left shoulder issue, will also take part in the Paris exhibition, his stablemaster said.