Ten wins can restore an Ozeki’s rank in the tournament immediately after demotion to Sekiwake. Aonishiki reached that number against Gonoyama on Day 11 of July 2026. His story did not stop there: he finished 12–3 and won the championship.
Two different achievements
March brought 7–8 at Ozeki; he missed May, competed at Sekiwake in July and returns to Ozeki for September. Regaining a rank and winning a tournament are separate achievements. In July he beat Onosato and Hoshoryu on consecutive days, then Kirishima on Day 13.
Close contact matters
His recent winning finishes include force-outs, 38%, push-outs, 18%, and frontal crush-outs, 9%, in a JSA display listing 56 wins. The two close-contact finishes total 47%. Once he gets his preferred right-hand-inside position, I want to follow where he carries the opponent, not merely whether he has found the belt.
A little more of the person
His questionnaire names Hajime no Ippo and boxer Oleksandr Usyk. He also likes Eigo Kawashima’s music. Aonishiki represents Ajigawa stable, comes from Vinnytsia, Ukraine, and made his professional debut in September 2023. The next chapter begins with a champion returning to sumo’s second-highest rank.
Checked 11 September 2026 JST. Technique shares reproduce the JSA’s previous-six-tournament display (September 2025–July 2026); they describe winning finishes, not success rates across all bouts. Official profile, results and wrestler questionnaire.