As a result of Kirishima’s recent promotion to sumo’s second-highest rank, there will be three ōzeki in action during the summer grand sumo tournament.

The veteran from Ulaanbaatar will obviously be hoping to do much better his second time around, after a disappointing 12-month stint at the same rank between 2023 and 2024.

Despite that less-than-stellar stretch, should Kirishima repeat March’s Emperor’s Cup winning performance in the upcoming meet, he’ll immediately become one of the most successful ōzeki of all time.