A new year, a new basho! The Big 3 Era begins with Aonishiki at Ozeki, challenging Yokozunas Hoshoryu and Onosato while Ozeki Kotozakura waits in the wings. Nick is back to discuss it all, pick dark horses and predict winners along with the 2026 edition of the "Yung-zeki Sweepstakes" ... who stands a chance of doing what Onosato and Aonishiki did in 2024 and 2025 and racing to Ozeki next? 0:00 Intro 0:50 Big 3 Era (Can Kotozakura challenge??) 7:42 Yung-zeki Sweepstakes 11:55 Takerufuji 13:30 Kotoshoho 11:47 Hiradoumi 16:26 Onokatsu 18:37 Oho 21:11 Yoshinofuji 24:12 Atamifuji 27:06 Hakunofuji (Hakuoho) 31:44 Fujiryoga 34:24 Dark Horse Picks and Yusho Predictions 42:48 Outro Outro Music & Sound Effects: Sound Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay Artists: Exchanger, FunWithSound, oldedgar, and Mondschein90 [SFX] & syntheway [Outro Music]

Sean hops on to discuss 2025 year end awards: Heya of the Year, Narrative of the Year, and Burning Question of the Year. Goodbye to an amazing 2025 in sumo and hello 2026! Happy new year all!

Sean returns to talk Hollywood Sumo with a pair of Jean-Claude Van Damme classics in 1988's Bloodsport and 1994's Street Fighter: The Movie. Would sumo benefit from a "Drive to Survive" clone? (If the JSA would ever allow it.) Or would expanded interest exacerbate existing problems like the ticket crunch? Gunning, John. The Japan Times. "When it comes to sumo in popular media, style reigns over substance." Published April 19, 2023. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2023/04/19/sumo/sumo-media-problems/ Accessed 12/21/2025. Gunning, John. The Japan Times. "Can sumo avoid becoming another soulless corporate sport?" Published March 5, 2025. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2025/03/05/sumo/sumo-soulless-sport/ Accessed 12/21/2025. Outro Music: Sound Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay

Goose from the Sunday Morning Sumo Show joined me to discuss his ground level view of the Sumo World Championships in Thailand this year and how international sumo federations can work to grow the sport locally (until hopefully we're all churning out Aonishikis like Ukraine).

Minatogawa (former Takakeisho) will be taking over his own stable after the January basho, which got Sean and I talking about what makes a good Oyakata vs what makes a good coach in other sports and which current rikishi we'd like to see leading stables. What do you think? Is there anyone you think is going to make a particularly good leader in sumo?

Aonishiki wins his first championship and a promotion to Ozeki! The two Yokozunas faulter with Onosato leaving injured on before the final day and Hoshoryu's record against the Ukrainian widening to 0-4. Big things keep on coming in the sumo world!

We're a week into the November basho and at least 2 clear contenders have revealed themselves after the first week. Fellow Yokozuna Hoshoryu is certainly lurking in the background but who do you think comes out of this and what do you think is the best outcome for sumo where you're at in your community?

A pair of dueling Yokozunas, a newly minted Aonishiki Sekiwake waiting in the wings, a bevvy of former sekiwakes all over the banzuke feasting on low rankers? Who will win November 2025, join us as we make some assuredly incorrect predictions! 0:00 Intro 0:49 News: Endo Retires 4:14 Sanyaku Talk: Aonishiki & Oho 10:29 Sanyaku Talk: Takayasu, Takanosho, Wakamotoharu 15:05 Joijin: Hakuoho & Kusano (Yoshinofuji) 19:19 Mid Maegashiras and Atamifuji 23:09 Dark Horse Picks 28:06 Favorites to Win 34:46 Outro Email us! kinboshiproduction@gmail.com If you want to help me save up for a new mic, we have a Patreon but honestly we're just happy you're here! https://www.patreon.com/KinboshiSumo Thanks for listening!

Apologies for the delayed drop but thank you for sticking with me as I got through some travel and related sickness. ANYWAY in the world of sumo the London Expo is done, sans Kotozakura. What does that mean for our Ozeki in November? Isegahama's next monster is about to debut and we may be witnessing the beginning of the end for the last generation of young up and comers (Kirishima and Wakatakakage) and even one of this generation (Takerufuji). What do you think? In honor of Halloween if you have some "treats" to counteract my negative "tricks" on these 3 I'm all ears and would love to hear them at: kinboshiproduction@gmail.com Otherwise thanks for listening! If you wanna contribute to the "Rick needs a new mic and headset" fund you can check out our Patreon, but honestly we're happy you're here and sharing our show with friends who like sumo! Thank you! patreon.com/kinboshisumo Sound Effect by PostadordeMusica from Pixabay Intro via wikimedia commons Outro Music Sound Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay

Dueling Yokozunas Onosato and Hoshoryu! Heartbreak for Wakatakakage's Ozeki bid! The continued rise of Aonishiki! Nick and Rick are back to talk about the September Tournament that was and look forward what should be a stellar finale in November. 0:00 Intro 0:14 Yokozuna Battle: Hoshoryu and Onosato 8:14 Wakatakakage's Ozeki Dreams 12:27 Veteran Carousel Daieisho Kirishima Asanoyama Takayasu Abi 15:46 Aonishiki 26:21 Outro

Sean is with me to discuss the first week of the 2025 September Basho! We start off discussing where most fans attention is focused currently (spoiler, its the Wakatakakage Ozeki push) then pivot to recap the basho so far (Ura, Takanosho, Shodai oh my!) before discussing our favorites to win this thing (dueling Yokozunas, but what is this Aonishiki in the distance?) and end with some over/under predictions for some finishes in week 2.

Nick is back to talk Wakatakakage to Ozeki, Aonishiki's Komusubi Debut, Dark Horse Contendors and Yusho favorites! Email us! kinboshiproduction@gmail.com If you want to help me save up for a new mic, we have a Patreon but honestly we're just happy you're here! https://www.patreon.com/KinboshiSumo Thanks for listening!

Banzuke has dropped and Jungyo has ended! Join Rick and Phil for some updates on recovery expectations for Hoshoryu (broken toe) Wakatakakage (twisted ankle) Kirishima (cracked wrist) and Daieisho (torn? calf). 0:45 Aonishiki's Record Breaking San'yaku Debut https://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2025/09/01/kiji/20250901s00005000223000c.html?page=1 3:35 College Sumo Individual Championships https://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2025/09/01/kiji/20250901s00005000098000c.html?page=1 10:20 Hoshoryu 26:40 Wakatakakage 35:56 Kirishima https://www.sponichi.co.jp/sports/news/2025/08/25/kiji/20250825s00005000333000c.html?page=1 40:01 Daieisho 42:42 Potential Solutions to Injuries? Email us! kinboshiproduction@gmail.com If you want to help me save up for a new mic, we have a Patreon but honestly we're just happy you're here! https://www.patreon.com/KinboshiSumo Thanks for listening!  

Solo episode today! I covered a bit of the news from the Summer Tour (Jungyo) including Hoshoryu bouncing back and practicing through the pain on that injured toe, the grind of Jungyo, and another blow to the Kirishima Ozeki return story with a tour injury. From there I wanted to cover a couple young rikishi from the All Japan Inter-High where Kazuki Sawada was crowned High School Yokozuna (and is looking to join a stable as soon as November or January) and a legacy with major pedigree Kakizoe Haruku (son of a former Komusubi and a multiple time women's world champ) might be joining his dad's stable and training with Shishi in the coming months. Finally I wrapped up with a little Wakatakakage for Ozeki talk. Email me kinboshiproduction@gmail.com if you like this kind of amazumo talk, or have other things you'd like us to discuss instead! Also, I'm just happy you're here listening but if you wanna help me save up for a new microphone and headphones we have a Patreon, but again we're just stoked you're here! https://www.patreon.com/c/KinboshiSumo/membership Otherwise, hope you're getting excited for Banzuke Christmas in a couple weeks, thanks for listening!

Kotoshoho shocks us all by winning the much anticipated 2 yokozuna showdown basho that wasn't! Aonishiki nearly pulls an Onosato, but falls short at runner-up. Kusano delivers, best Miyagino recruit yet? The basho was wild, and we're here to talk about it! Email us at kinboshiproduction@gmail.com with questions, comments, or suggestions for topics you'd like to hear! We're on Patreon if you want to join the "Rick is saving up for a new microphone" fund, but honestly we're just stoked that you're listening! Thank you for being here! https://www.patreon.com/c/KinboshiSumo/membership

Halfway through Nagoya and we have a bevvy of shock contendors to go with some more traditional competitors! Rick is here solo to break down some of the storylines that interested him the most, but let us know what is intriguing you about Nagoya so far! WARNING: Day 8 spoilers ahead! kinboshiproduction@gmail.com email us!

Our new era of two yokozuna with Hoshoryu and Onosato is finally about to start! A changing of the guard in the joijin with Aonishiki and the gang, and a couple new faces to the party with Kusano and Fujinokawa all mean we should have a great basho in the brand new IG Area! Who you got for the yusho?

Phil and I are here for a little pre-banzuke rank guessing along with some discussion of whether our young favorites are on a quick, average, or slow pace to the top of the banzuke. The first 20-25 minutes are talking about what we think we'll see from the banzuke and in the last 25 or 30 we take a look at Hakuoho, Atamifuji, Takerufuji, and Aonishiki's predicted rankings and compare that to the likes of Hakuho and Hoshoryu and where those two yokozuna were at that point in their career.

Hakuho has officially left the JSA after Chairman Hakkaku pushed him one step too far, attempting to make him serve his junior Terunofuji without a promise of getting his Miyagino Stable back.  Now he's rallying his financial backers and other connections to create some sort of international sumo organization to contribute to the sport outside of the JSA.  Sean and I discuss some case studies of "splits" happening in other sports leagues and discuss our ideas for best case scenarios and how this could help rather than hurt sumo. Check the article below that we referenced in the show: https://japantoday.com/category/features/kuchikomi/hakuho%27s-lofty-%27global-sumo%27-ambitions-bolstered-by-generous-backers-with-deep-pockets

We cover Onosato's victory, Hoshoryu's preformance stopping the zensho yusho, and re-visit our January "young guns to Ozeki" picks.