September tournament, Day 15 — September 27, 2026. Updated after the final results. Records are final regular-bout records unless explicitly labelled otherwise.
The makuuchi championship was decided in the final scheduled bout. Juryo needed an additional three-way playoff. These two outcomes show why a title-deciding bout and a championship playoff are different things.
A regular bout or an additional contest?
Honwari means the regularly scheduled bouts. A playoff is an additional contest needed when wrestlers remain tied for the most wins after that schedule is complete. Aiboshi describes wrestlers with the same record; it does not by itself mean that a playoff is taking place.
How the September titles were decided
| Division | Regular-bout outcome | Championship outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Makuuchi | Onosato beat Aonishiki by tsukidashi and finished 12–3. Aonishiki finished 11–4. | Onosato became champion without an extra playoff. |
| Juryo | Kitanowaka, Kagayaki and Kayo all finished 11–4. | Kitanowaka won the three-way playoff. |
Two stages of the juryo race
Kitanowaka first beat Kagayaki by oshitaoshi in their regular bout. Kayo then beat Tamawashi by hikiotoshi. These results left Kitanowaka, Kagayaki and Kayo tied at 11–4 after the scheduled contests.
The juryo championship playoff
| Order | Winner | Technique | Loser |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kitanowaka | tsukiotoshi | Kagayaki |
| 2 | Kitanowaka | hatakikomi | Kayo |
Kitanowaka won twice in succession to take the championship. Including his regular bout, he won three times on the final day, but playoff wins are not added to his regular-bout record of 11–4.
One useful question when watching
Ask whether the bout appears on the regular card. A decisive result on that card can settle a championship, as Onosato’s win did. If the regular schedule ends with a tie at the top, the additional playoff settles the champion without changing the tied wrestlers’ regular-bout records.
Read all final-day results and the juryo playoff →