Kotonishiki, Tosanoumi
tumble in Kyushu sumo

FUKUOKA, Nov. 19 (Kyodo) -- Former sekiwake Kotonishiki and Tosanoumi were given rude re-introductions to life in the upper ranks of the makuuchi division Thursday as both were saddled with losses on the 12th day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.

Kotonishiki, wrestling as a No. 12 maegashira, was thrown down to his first loss of the 15-day tourney by grand champion Wakanohana while Chiyotaikai tagged ninth-ranked Tosanoumi with a second loss at Fukuoka Kokusai Center.

The losses by Kotonishiki and Tosanoumi, both former holders of sumo's third-highest rank, tightened up the chase for the Emperor's Cup with yokozuna Takanohana posting his 10th win and Wakanohana and ozeki Musashimaru notching their ninth.

In Thursday's featured bout, Kotonishiki, who rolled up 11 straight wins against wrestlers at the lower end of sumo's top division, fired out aggressively at Wakanohana and had the grand champion digging in against the straw ridge.

Wakanohana, on the verge of elimination, however, spun around 360 degrees to get back into the ring. When Kotonishiki came back at him, Wakanohana twisted him down the ring's surface.

Earlier, sekiwake Chiyotaikai slapped down Tosanoumi while quickly retreating at the face-off, for his eighth win as Tosanoumi suffered his second loss.

Takanohana, meanwhile, seeking his third straight Emperor's Cup after a slow start this year, drew even with Tosanoumi with his 10th win, narrowly escaping the eager charge of Musoyama at the edge of the ring and then sending the komusubi out from behind.

Musashimaru won the battle of 8-3 ozeki, but needed three chances to down Takanonami, the defending champion in Kyushu.

Ringside judges ordered the rematches after ruling the results of the first two matches were inconclusive, but Musashimaru muscled Takanonami out of the ring for a one-sided win in the third face-off.

In the first bout, Takanonami appeared to win as he spun away from Musashimaru's charge at the edge of the ring, but the five judges ruled they stepped out at the same time.

In the second bout, Musashimaru twisted Takanonami over along the straw ridge, but again the judges said both wrestlers hit out at the same time.

In a match-up of top maegashira, Tochiazuma bulldozed Kaio out of the ring for his seventh win. Local favorite Kaio, who won his first five matches of the basho, fell to 6-6.

In an early bout, No. 12 maegashira Kyokushuzan of Mongolia flipped Gojoro over with a quick tug on the right wrist of the No. 13 maegashira and a twist on the belt for his third win in a row to even his record at 6-6.

Results in Scoreboard

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