Sumo
TOKYO, May 26 (Kyodo) - Ozeki Musoyama saddled Takanohana with his first loss of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on Saturday, spoiling the yokozuna's chance to claim an early victory in the 15-day tourney and giving stablemate Musashimaru a chance to win it all Sunday. Takanohana dealt
his first lossMusashimaru back in contention
Musashimaru, meanwhile, shoved down ozeki Chiyotaikai in a match between wrestlers with 11-2 records to keep his title hopes alive at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan - even though he will need a pair of wins against Takanohana on Sunday to cart aware the championship hardware.
In Saturday's main event, Takanohana and Musoyama came to grips at center ring off the charge and the yokozuna appeared to have the advantage as he repeatedly forced the ozeki the straw bales and appeared to have him on the verge of stepping out.
Musoyama (9-5), however, wiggled out of the situations, forcing his way back into the center of the ring. And then, in the critical exchange, he got Takanohana leaning to the right and then twisted him down to the ring's surface.
In his spiral to the dirt, Takanohana appeared to twist his right ankle or right foot and was seen limping back to the locker room after the match.
With his title hopes reinvigorated, Musashimaru (12-2) wasted little time against Chiyotaikai (11-3) and shoved the ozeki to the straw and then sent him topping over the edge.
On Sunday, a win by Takanohana in the match-up between grand champions will give the Futagoyama stable yokozuna the 22nd Emperor's Cu of his career.
Musashimaru, on the other hand, will need to defeat Takanohana in the final bout of regulation, putting both wrestlers at 13-2, and then triumph in the winner-take-all playoff for his ninth career crown.
In other matches, sekiwake Tochiazuma (9-5) thrust out ozeki Miyabiyama (9-5) while the woes of ozeki Dejima (4-10) continued as No. 5 maegashira Takanonami (8-6) walked him out from behind.
Newly promoted komusubi Asashoryu (7-7) grappled with Hayateumi (8-6) but the No. 4 maegashira hooked him with a twisting underarm throw that spoiled his chance of securing a winning record.
Mongolia's Kyokushuzan (10-4) used a well-timed over-arm throw against Jumonji (6-8) that sent the No. 7 maegashira sprawling to the dirt.
Chiyotenzan (4-10), however, made short work of Kyokushuzan's Mongolian compatriot Kyokutenho (6-8), tossing him to the dirt with an under-arm throw.
Kyokushuzan will be looking to take a leap up the rankings from his No. 15 maegashira position for the Nagoya tourney in July, while Kyokutenho will dip from his seventh-ranked position.
TOKYO, May 26 (Kyodo) - Yokozuna Takanohana, apparently injured in Saturday's loss to ozeki Musoyama, has decided to postpone any decisions about wrestling on the final day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament until Sunday morning. Takanohana injured, mulls final bout
Takanohana was thrown down by Musoyama in Saturday's action at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo for his first loss of the 15-day tourney after 13 wins in a row and just when he appeared ready to capture his 22nd Emperor's Cup.
The loss, coupled with Musashimaru's win over ozeki Chiyotaikai, leaves the door open for the Samoan-born grand champion to win the eighth sumo championship of his career.
Takanohana (13-1) is scheduled to square off with Musashimaru (12-2) in the finale of the tourney on Sunday. A win by Takanohana will give the championship to the Futagoyama stable wrestler while a win by Musashimaru will force a winner-take-all playoff.
TOKYO, May 26 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi division bouts, the 14th day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo (+ denotes juryo division wrestler): Summer Sumo results
Won Technique Lost
+Sentoryu 7-7 oshidashi Takatoriki 5-9
Asanowaka 7-7 oshitaoshi Daizen 8-6
Hamanishiki 3-11 okuridashi Terao 2-12
Akinoshima 8-6 hikiotoshi Tochinohana 8-6
Otsukasa 8-6 shitatenage Kotonowaka 8-6
Kyokushuzan 10-4 uwatenage Jumonji 6-8
Kaiho 6-8 watashikomi Aminishiki 7-7
Wakatsutomu 7-7 oshitaoshi Tokitsuumi 4-10
Toki 10-4 hikiotoshi Tochisakae 6-8
Higonoumi 10-4 yorikiri Tamakasuga 5-9
Chiyotenzan 4-10 shitatenage Kyokutenho 6-8
Takanowaka 4-10 katasukashi Tamanoshima 4-10
Kotomitsuki 9-5 oshidashi Wakanosato 7-7
Hayateumi 8-6 shitatenage Asashoryu 7-7
Tosanoumi 6-8 yoritaoshi Tochinonada 4-10
Tochiazuma 9-5 tsukidashi Miyabiyama 9-5
Takanonami 8-6 okuridashi Dejima 4-10
Musoyama 9-5 makiotoshi Takanohana 13-1
Musashimaru 12-2 tsukitaoshi Chiyotaikai 11-3
Sunday's bouts
Wakatsutomu x - x +Minatofuji
Higonoumi 3 - 2 Daizen
Otsukasa 2 - 0 Tochinohana
Jumonji 1 - 0 Takatoriki
Kyokushuzan 5 - 9 Takanonami
Tochisakae 0 - 1 Kyokutenho
Tamakasuga 5 - 0 Terao
Asanowaka 0 - 5 Tosanoumi
Tamanoshima 1 - 1 Kaiho
Hamanishiki 0 - 0 Chiyotenzan
Tokitsuumi 2 - 4 Takanowaka
Wakanosato 1 - 0 Aminishiki
Akinoshima 0 - 0 Asashoryu
Kotomitsuki 1 - 0 Toki
Hayateumi 1 - 1 Tochiazuma
Kotonowaka 1 - 3 Miyabiyama
Dejima 11 - 1 Tochinonada
Chiyotaikai 3 - 10 Musoyama
Takanohana 29 - 17 Musashimaru
TOKYO (AP) - Hawaiian-born yokozuna (grand champion) Musashimaru won to keep his hopes alive for a ninth tournament victory as archrival Takanohana suffered his first loss Saturday with one day left in the 15-day Summer Grand Sumo Tournament. Takanohanas’ first loss,
Musashimaru winsTakanohana is 13-1, and Musashimaru, Hawaii-born Fiamalu Penitani, sits right behind him at 12-2.
Takanohana, seeking his 22nd tournament victory, survived ozeki (champion) Musoyama's earlier throwing attempts, but Musoyama tugged the yokozuna's loin belt and threw him down to the ground.
Takanohana apparently hurt his right leg in the bout, limping as he retreated backstage and holding onto assistants supporting him from both sides.
Musashimaru quickly drove out ozeki Chiyotaikai with hand thrusts to his opponent's chest. Chiyotaikai is 11-3.
If Musashimaru wins and Takanohana loses on Sunday, resulting in a tie, then the two yokozunas would face each other in a playoff to determine the winner.
In other matches, sekiwake (junior champion) Tochiazuma repeatedly banged himself against ozeki Miyabiyama's chest at the edge of the ring and pushed him out, leaving both at 9-5.
No. 5 maegashira (senior wrestler) Takanonami (8-6) chased ozeki Dejima (4-10) to the ringside and gave him a decisive final push from behind.
Mongolian komusubi (junior champion second-class) Asashoryu, or Dolgorsvren Dagvadrj, was rolled down after a failed attempt to push out No. 4 maegashira Hayateumi (8-6). Asashoryu is 7-7.
No. 8 maegashira Kyokutenho, or Mongolian Tsevengnyam Nyamjav, was pushed down by No. 2 maegashira Chiyotenzan (4-10) and suffered his seventh defeat against six victories.
Another Mongolian, No. 15 maegashira Kyokushuzan (10-4), or Batbayar Davaa, grabbed No. 7 maegashira Jumonji's arm and threw him down. Jumonji is 6-8.
Sentoryu (7-7), or American Henry Armstrong Miller, drove out No. 14 maegashira Takatoriki (5-9), giving him a series of fierce hand thrusts. Sentoryu, who is No. 4-ranked in the lower division of juryo, was among top-ranked juryo wrestlers to sit in for an absent wrestler in the senior division.
In the 26-member juryo division, No. 8-ranked Kuniazuma (8-6), or Brazilian Vander Ramos, threw down No. 5-ranked Daishi (7-7). His fellow Brazilian Yoshinobu Kuroda, or No. 13-ranked Wakaazuma, won by default as No. 2-ranked Hamanoshima (5-9) sat out Saturday due to an injury.
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