Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.

Maru, Taka lead
at Kyushu sumo

FUKUOKA, Nov. 9 (Kyodo) -- Musashimaru marched out Wakanosato and Takanohana backed out Mongolia's Kyokushuzan to remain among the unbeaten leaders Thursday as the eight top-ranked wrestlers all posted wins on the fifth day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.

Grand champion Akebono (4-1) rammed out No. 2 maegashira Higonoumi (1-4) in the day's final bout at Fukuoka Kokusai Center to cap the second perfect day for yokozuna and ozeki wrestlers of the tourney.

Musashimaru, the defending champion in Kyushu, had little trouble with Wakanosato (1-4), backing out the komusubi newcomer for his fifth straight win.

Takanohana, meanwhile, stepped out cautiously against Mongolian trickster Kyokushuzan (1-4), but quickly to the measure of the No. 3 maegashira, wrapped him up by the belt and eased him out of the ring.

At the ozeki rank, Miyabiyama got things rolling by slapping down new sekiwake Hayateumi (1-4) for his fifth win in a row while Musashigawa stable teammate Dejima kept pace by racing out his crouch and bulldozing out komusubi Tochinohana (1-4).

Chiyotaikai thrust No. 2 maegashira Hamanoshima (1-4) out with a series of thrusts for his fourth win against one loss while local favorite Kaio overcame a couple of shaky moments with Wakanoyama to force the upset-minded top maegashira over the straw ring.

Musoyama made it a 5-for-5 ozeki sweep for the day, marching former ozeki Takanonami to the edge and then throwing down the winless sekiwake for his third win of the tourney.

Earlier, No. 8 maegashira Takanowaka was knocked from the unbeaten ranks when Oginishiki (3-2), also eighth ranked, levered the Naruto stable hope out of the ring.

Kyokutenho, a sixth-ranked maegashira from Mongolia, was muscled out by No. 3 maegashira Chiyotenzan in a bout between 2-2 wrestlers.

Kyokutenho's Mongolian compatriot Asashoryu, third-ranked in the second-tier juryo division, won in his debut against a makuuchi division wrestler, shoving out No. 14 maeagashira Tamanonada (3-2) for his fourth win of the tourney.

---

Results

FUKUOKA, Nov. 9 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi division bouts Thursday, the fifth day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament at Fukuoka Kokusai Center (+ denotes juryo division wrestler):

Won -- Technique -- Lost

+Asashoryu 4-1 -- oshidashi -- Tamanonada 3-2
Otsukasa 4-1 -- tsukiotoshi -- Tokitsuumi 2-3
Kotoryu 3-2 -- yorikiri -- Wakakosho 1-4
Minatofuji 2-3 -- okuridashi -- Aminishiki 0-5
Tamakasuga 3-2 -- oshidashi -- Jumonji 1-4
Kotomitsuki 4-1 -- oshidashi -- Asanowaka 1-4
Oginishiki 3-2 -- yorikiri -- Takanowaka 4-1
Kaiho 3-2 -- tsukiotoshi -- Tochinonada 3-2
Tochisakae 1-4 -- oshidashi -- Takatoriki 0-5
Kotonowaka 4-1 -- yoritaoshi -- Tosanoumi 3-2
Chiyotenzan 3-2 -- yorikiri -- Kyokutenho 2-3
Akinoshima 2-3 -- oshidashi -- Toki 2-3
Miyabiyama 5-0 -- tsukiotoshi -- Hayateumi 1-4
Dejima 5-0 -- yorikiri -- Tochinohana 1-4
Chiyotaikai 4-1 -- oshidashi -- Hamanoshima 1-4
Kaio 4-1 -- yorikiri -- Wakanoyama 1-4
Musoyama 3-2 -- tsukiotoshi -- Takanonami 0-5
Musashimaru 5-0 -- yorikiri -- Wakanosato 1-4
Takanohana 5-0 -- yorikiri -- Kyokushuzan 1-4
Akebono 4-1 -- oshidashi -- Higonoumi 1-4

---

Friday's bouts

Wakakosho x - x +Oikari
Tokitsuumi 5 - 3 Minatofuji
Jumonji 0 - 0 Asanowaka
Tamakasuga 4 - 2 Kotoryu
Kaiho 0 - 0 Tamanonada
Otsukasa 0 - 0 Kotomitsuki
Kotonowaka 4 - 2 Tochinonada
Tochisakae 0 - 1 Aminishiki
Takatoriki 13 - 3 Oginishiki
Takanowaka 1 - 2 Toki
Tosanoumi 1 - 0 Kyokutenho
Tochinohana 1 - 0 Wakanosato
Takanonami 1 - 1 Hayateumi
Chiyotenzan 0 - 1 Musoyama
Kyokushuzan 3 - 2 Miyabiyama
Akinoshima 3 - 7 Chiyotaikai
Kaio 11 - 7 Dejima
Wakanoyama 0 - 3 Akebono
Musashimaru 7 - 0 Hamanoshima
Takanohana 14 - 1 Higonoumi

Makushita

Wakatoryu Hoshitango (2-1)
Masunobori Kyokutenzan (2-1)
Kasugaoh (2-1) Kaishuzan
Asashoyu (1-2) Chiyonohana

Sandanme

Azumaoh (1-2) Haguroumi

Jonidan

Tamanohana Takaoh (0-3)
Fudoyama (2-1) Minamoto
Kitakasuga (3-0) Usui
Orora (2-1) Murakawa

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

---

For more sumo information online, try:
Sumo Web
Da Kine Sumo E-zine
Ozumo
Kyodo News Service