Hakunofuji will make his Komusubi debut in September. But “about to face the top wrestlers” misses something: he already beat Hoshoryu and Kotozakura in July.
Read the names inside the nine wins
At Maegashira 3, he defeated Hoshoryu on Day 6 and Kotozakura on Day 9. From 7–2 he lost four straight, then beat Churanoumi and Oho to finish 9–6. That followed May’s 11–4 and Fighting Spirit prize. The interruption and recovery are more revealing than “good form.”
Pushing, then close contact
His preferred techniques span pushing and left-hand-inside grappling. Recent winning finishes are force-outs, 32%, push-outs, 20%, and overarm throws, 9%, with 44 wins including one default in the JSA display.
I want to follow the distance between the initial push and the left arm getting inside. Those figures give us two meaningful stages to watch rather than a single style label.
Three names, one career
He began as Ochiai, became Hakuoho and now competes as Hakunofuji. A January 2023 debut and July 2023 top-division arrival came quickly; his first sanyaku rank arrives more than three years later. The Isegahama wrestler from Kurayoshi likes enka and Crayon Shin-chan. His chosen motto is about making up his mind and committing.
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.