Akebono, Wakanoyama
tied with perfect records

NAGOYA, Japan (AP) -- Hawaii-born yokozuna (grand champion) Akebono stayed tied for the lead in the Nagoya Grand Sumo tournament Friday, pushing winless maegashira No. 2 Toki out of the ring in just seconds to improve to 6-0.

Lower-ranked No. 13 maegashira (senior wrestler) Wakanoyama is the only other wrestler to remain undefeated, after pushing out No. 11 maegashira Terao (3-3).

One victory behind at 5-1 are six wrestlers, including the two other yokozunas competing in the 15-day tournament -- Musashimaru, or Fiamalu Penitani from Hawaii, and Takanohana.

Yokozuna Wakanohana is sitting out the tournament with an injury.

The bout between Musashimaru and maegashira No. 3 Takatoriki was preceded by two false starts, when the wrestlers failed to charge at each other at the same time. Once they got their timing down, however, Musashimaru easily pushed Takatoriki out.

Takanohana pushed down komusubi (junior champion second class) Chiyotenzan (0-6).

In a completely one-sided bout, ozeki (champion) Chiyotaikai (5-1) quickly charged sekiwake (junior champion) Tochiazuma and pushed him out with powerful hand thrusts. Tochizauma fell to 4-2.

Takanonami, another ozeki, also kept his record at 5-1, driving out maegashira No. 3 Higonoumi, who now has one win against five losses. Maegashira No. 10 Kotonowaka and sekiwake Dejima are also 5-1.

In other major bouts, maegashira No. 15 Kotoryu (4-2) toppled maegashira No. 10 Kyokutenho, or Mongolian Tsevegnyam Nyamjav. Kyokutenho now stands at 4-2.

No. 4 maegashira Miyabiyama (2-4) drove out No. 7 maegashira Kyokushuzan, or Mongolian Batbayar Davaa, who fell to 3-3.

In juryo division, just below the senior makuuchi division, No. 11-ranked Sentoryu, or American Henry Armstrong Miller, was driven out by No. 12-ranked Kasuganishiki, leaving both wrestlers at 2-4.

No. 11-ranked Hoshitango, or Argentine Imach Marcelo Salomon, slapped down No. 7-ranked Mitoizumi (3-3) for his third victory against three defeats.

In makushita, the top junior division, No. 11-ranked Wakaazuma (3-0), or Yoshinobu Kuroda from Brazil, pushed down No. 9-ranked Torafusuyama.

No. 42-ranked Takanosho defeated No. 45 Kyokutenzan, or Mongolian Enkhbat Batmunkha, who falls to 0-3.

In sandanme, the second-highest junior division, No. 75-ranked Asahoryu (2-0), or Mongolian Dolgorsvren Dagvadrj, pushed down No. 73-placed Inoki.

In jonidan, the third-highest junior division, No. 146-ranked Kotonomori (2-1), or Brazilian Mario Fuchiue, slapped down No. 145-ranked Asaio.

In jonokuchi, the lowest junior division, No. 44-ranked Tometa beat No. 48-ranked Ryukizan (1-2), or South Korean Kim Soo-young,

Wrestlers in junior divisions have only seven bouts during the 15-day tournament.

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Akebono still in the driver’s
seat at Nagoya basho

NAGOYA, July 9 (Kyodo) -- Rejuvenated yokozuna Akebono had another stress-free day at the office Friday to remain unbeaten at 6-0, while rival grand champions Takanohana and Musashimaru also posted easy wins at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.

Winless No. 2 maegashira Toki gave Takanohana, sitting ringside, more of a workout than his opponent Akebono, forcing the Futagoyama stable yokozuna to take evasive action as he was catapulted out in the day's penultimate bout at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium.

Akebono, chasing his first Emperor's Cup since May 1997, was joined at 6-0 by No. 13 maegashira Wakanoyama, who bumped out 11th-ranked Terao, 3-3, in their second match after the judges decided their first bout was too close to call.

Takanohana continued to impress in his comeback from injury, keeping low at the charge and waiting for his chance to drag winless komusubi Chiyotenzan to the dirt surface to join a group of five other wrestlers one win off the pace at 5-1 in the 15-day meet.

Newly promoted yokozuna Musashimaru pulled off another routine victory to improve to an identical 5-1 record as he pinged out No. 3 maegashira Takatoriki, 1-5, defeating the Futagoyama veteran for the 34th time in 42 meetings.

Ozeki Chiyotaikai also registered his fifth win, brutalizing Tochiazuma, 4-2, with a series of blows to the face and chest which left the sekiwake in a crumpled heat on the ringside cushions.

Fellow ozeki Takanonami also kept pace with the chasing pack as he levered out No. 3 maegashira Higonoumi, 1-5, to boost his record to 5-1.

Sekiwake Dejima finished the day as the only other wrestler from the "sanyaku" class -- the top three ranks below yokozuna -- on 5-1 by slapping down komusubi Tosanoumi, who slipped to 3-3 with the loss.

No. 10 maegashira Kotonowaka also notched his fifth win of the tourney as he barreled out eighth-ranked Asanosho, who dropped his third straight after a 3-0 start.

Meanwhile, sekiwake Kaio waved goodbye to any lingering hopes of a promotion to ozeki as he crashed out to top-ranked maegashira Kotonishiki, 3-3, and left the arena nursing a 2-4 record.

It was a bad day for the makuuchi division's two Mongolians as No. 7 maegashira Kyokushuzan was blown out by fourth-ranked Miyabiyama, 2-4, to fall to 3-3, while No. 10 maegashira Kyokutenho was flipped down by 15th-ranked Kotoryu, leaving both men at 4-2.

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Results of main sumo bouts

NAGOYA, Japan (AP) -- Results of main bouts Friday, the sixth day of the 15-day Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament at Aiichi Prefectural gymnasium:

Winners -- Losers

Ganyu (3-3) Yotsukasa (2-4)
Ohinode (3-3) Daizen (0-6)
Wakanoyama (6-0) Terao (3-3)
Kotoryu (4-2) Kyokutenho (4-2)
Hamanoshima (2-4) Wakanojo (1-5)
Tokitsuumi (4-2) Tochinowaka (2-4)
Kotonowaka (5-1) Asanosho (3-3)
Musoyama (4-2) Aogiyama (3-3)
Shikishima (4-2) Kaiho (3-3)
Miyabiyama (2-4) Kyokushuzan (3-3)
Minatofuji (3-3) Tamakasuga (3-3)
Akinoshima (2-4) Wakanosato (0-6)
Dejima (5-1) Tosanoumi (3-3)
Kotonishiki (3-3) Kaio (2-4)
Takanonami (5-1) Higonoumi (1-5)
Chiyotaikai (5-1) Tochiazuma (4-2)
Musashimaru (5-1) Takatoriki (1-5)
Akebono (6-0) Toki (0-6)
Takanohana (5-1) Chiyotenzan (0-6)

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Juryo Division

Kasuganishiki (2-4) Sentoryu (2-4)
Hoshitango (3-3) Mitoizumi (3-3)

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Junior Divisions:

Makushita
Wakaazuma (3-0) Torafusuyama
Takanosho Kyokutenzan (0-3)

Sandanme
Asashoryu (2-0) Inoki

Jonidan
Kotonomori (2-1) Asaio

Jonokuchi
Tometa Ryukizan (1-2)

(Junior division wrestlers have only seven bouts during the tournament. Records of foreign wrestlers' opponents were not available.)

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Saturday's main bouts:

Ganyu vs. Daizen
Kotoryu vs. Terao
Wakanojo vs. Ohinode
Tokitsuumi vs. Kyokutenho
Kotonowaka vs. Wakanoyama
Hamanoshima vs. Yotsukasa
Musoyama vs. Tochinowaka
Tamakasuga vs. Kaiho
Aogiyama vs. Asanosho
Kyokushuzan vs. Minatofuji
Miyabiyama vs. Shikishima
Wakanosato vs. Takatoriki
Akinoshima vs. Chiyotenzan
Kaio vs. Tosanoumi
Kotonishiki vs. Chiyotaikai
Takanonami vs. Tochiazuma
Higonoumi vs. Takanohana
Toki vs. Musashimaru
Akebono vs. Dejima(yk)

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Results in Scoreboard

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