Oonosato's injury-should we be worried?
Moti Dichne
Yokozuna Oonosato unexpectedly dropped out of contention for the yusho in Kyushu after injuring his left shoulder. This year's tournament schedule for sumo came to an end with the Kyushu tournament in November, and the winter jungyo is currently underway. One of the rikishi absent from the winter jungyo is Yokozuna Oonosato. He was tied for the lead in the yusho race at the end of Day 13 with two losses, but injured his left shoulder in his match against Sekiwake Aonishiki that same day. After losing to Ozeki Kotozakura the following day, he submitted a medical certificate stating that he had a dislocated left acromioclavicular joint and needed one month of rest, and withdrew from the final day of the tournament. Unexpectedly dropping out of contention for the yusho, Oonosato also has been out from day one of the winter jungyo, which began on November 30th after the tournament, to focus on recovery. Many fans are praying for a speedy recovery, but it may be a troublesome injury that will not be easy to recover from.
A former rikishi points out that it's a nasty injury. Former Komusubi Gagamaru, who was active from Kyushu 2005 to Kyushu 2020, expressed concern about Oonosato's injury. On December 11, he posted a video on his official YouTube channel, "GAGA CHANNEL," in which he discussed a topic that had been bothering him during the Kyushu tournament. In the video, he said, "A dislocation (like Oonosato's) is worse than a broken bone. Even if it recovers, it becomes a habit and is prone to popping out of place. Also, with something like a shoulder, you can't hold it in place with tape. You can somehow bandage your fingers or wrist, but shoulders are tricky. Once it becomes a habit, it can pop out even while you're practicing or sleeping. There's no surgery, and there's nothing anyone can do to help. So, everyone can only pray."
Regarding his decision to sit out on the final day in Kyushu, Gagamaru declared, "In my opinion, it was the right decision. If he dislocates it again, it could lead to retirement. It would be a serious problem." This suggests that the injury has a high risk of worsening and recurrence.
Is it possible to take it easy and sit out the Hatsu Basho? Simply put, the aforementioned medical certificate indicates that Oonosato's symptoms are expected to subside somewhat by late December. However, it's unclear how much of his condition and fighting ability he will be able to regain in the roughly two weeks leading up to Hatsu Basho. It's unclear at this stage whether Oonosato will be able to compete in the Hatsu Basho, but if he's not fully recovered, sitting out the tournament is a realistic option. While this will undoubtedly be emotionally difficult, it's far better than forcing himself to compete and making the situation worse.
Furthermore, Oonosato has won 11 or more matches in three consecutive tournaments since his debut as a new Yokozuna in the 2025 Nagoya tournament, and won his first Yokozuna yusho in the September basho. Since he has consistently produced good results since his promotion, it is unlikely that the Yokozuna Deliberation Council will be too harsh on him even if he takes a break. Everything will depend on how well he recovers, but we can only hope that Oonosato makes the best decision in order to remain a stable Yokozuna for the next five to ten years.