The Most Powerful Man in Sumo Is Leaving — And Nobody Knows Who’s Next

Wrestling

Year2026

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Sumo news rarely gets bigger than this: Hakkaku, the former yokozuna Hokutoumi who has led the Japan Sumo Association since 2015, is stepping away. The question is who takes the chair next. We look at how Hakkaku held power through a decade of scandal, from the Takanohana feud to Hakuho leaving sumo in 2025. Then we turn to the elders whose names keep coming up as a possible Hakkaku successor, including Fujishima oyakata (Musoyama), Sadogatake oyakata and Dewanoumi oyakata. We also explain how the sumo ichimon system really decides the next sumo chairman, and why this kind of sumo politics stays out of public view. The next chairman will shape the careers of yokozuna Hoshoryu and Onosato and rising star Aonishiki, and decide how grand sumo handles its problems after Kyushu basho 2026. On SumoSpirit, we follow the power struggle behind the dohyo with the same care we give sumo history. If you want to know who ends up running the sport you love, like this video and subscribe so you don’t miss the vote.