Aonishiki Says Preparation Is Going Well Ahead of Kyushu
November 4, 2026
Ozeki Aonishiki, 22, trained at Ajigawa stable in Kurume, Fukuoka on November 3rd, doing basic exercises and offering his chest to the young wrestlers. On November 1st he made his first outside practice visit in half a year, taking 8 bouts with Sekiwake Fujinokawa at Tokitsukaze stable. Before the Aki basho, injuries to his left ankle and left big toe kept him from taking a single bout with sekitori, so he said he has "been able to train more than last basho." He plans no more outside visits and will finish his preparation at his own stable.
"Preparation is going well, so if I catch a cold it all goes to waste. Not getting sick is important," he said, mindful of the colder mornings and evenings. Aonishiki lost the September senshuraku tie-deciding bout to Yokozuna Onosato, but Kyushu is a lucky venue for him, as last year he won his first yusho there and earned promotion to Ozeki. He is aiming to become the first wrestler to win back-to-back Kyushu basho since Hakuho, who won six in a row there starting in 2007.