Taka perfect,
Chiyotaikai flops again
at spring sumo

OSAKA -- Yokozuna Takanohana overwhelmed No. 2 maegashira Shikishima to remain unbeaten at 3-0 Tuesday, while Chiyotaikai's nightmare ozeki debut continued with a third straight loss at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.

Takanohana quickly went to his bread-and-butter technique, getting both hands on his opponent's belt and muscling him out of the ring in a textbook display of power sumo at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium.

Chiyotaikai, who was promoted to the sport's second highest rank after capturing the Emperor's Cup at the New Year meet, put in another subdued performance as he allowed komusubi Kaio to barge him out and post his second win of the 15-day tourney.

Chasing his 21st championship, Takanohana was joined at the top of the leaderboard by No. 9 maegashira Chiyotenzan, who disposed of sixth-ranked Wakanosato to improve to 3-0.

Meanwhile, grand champion Wakanohana dropped his second straight in a scrappy bout with top-ranked maegashira Kotonishiki, leaving both wrestlers at 1-2.

Off balance from the start, a backpedaling Wakanohana hastily tried to slap down his determined opponent, but Kotonishiki kept up his assault and catapulted the yokozuna off the dirt surface with some well-aimed shoves to the chest.

"I didn't really have a game plan -- just get stuck in. Luckily he started backtracking, which made things a bit easier," Kotonishiki said afterward.

Ozeki Takanonami, facing a demotion if he fails to get a winning record after nine losses in January, blotted his copybook as Mongolia's third-ranked Kyokushuzan pulled out a slick throw from his bag of tricks to leave both men on 2-1.

Musashimaru salvaged some ozeki pride by chasing down top-ranked maegashira Takatoriki, 1-2, and pushing him out for his second win and 32nd in 40 meetings with the grizzled Futagoyama veteran.

Komusubi Tochiazuma had an easy time against Kotonowaka, 1-2, chalking up his second win after the bulky sekiwake slipped to one knee attempting one of his trademark over-arm throws.

Fellow komusubi Dejima also wasted little time in forcing out No. 3 maegashira Terao, 1-2, to boost his record to 2-1.

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