Sumo
Musashimaru
gets second winTOKYO, Sept. 10 (Kyodo) -- Yokozuna Takanohana looked back to his devastating best on Tuesday as he mugged Shimotori to notch his second win of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament.
Takanohana, who suffered the ignominy of going down to rank-and-filer Kyokutenho on Monday, needed only a matter of seconds to dispose of the winless second-ranked maegashira, sending a fiercely partisan crowd at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan into raptures.
Takanohana, on the comeback trail after missing seven straight tournaments with a knee injury, appeared to have regained the confidence he lacked 24 hours earlier as he quickly locked on to Shimotori's belt before gobbling him up like a Venus flytrap.
Meanwhile, grand champion Musashimaru also had an easy day at the office to move to 2-1 but both yokozuna trail the pride of Ulan Bator, new ozeki Asashoryu, the only wrestler in sumo's top two ranks with a flawless 3-0 record.
There was to be no repeat of Kyokutenho's giantkilling feat in the day's final bout as Samoan-born powerhouse Musashimaru ushered the Mongolian maegashira over the edge of the ring for his first loss with the simplest of shoves.
In contrast, rising star Asashoryu came perilously close to being the latest big name victim to be slain by veteran komusubi Takanonami but luckily hit the dirt second after a tussle at the edge of the ring to stay perfect on his debut at sumo's second highest rank.
Yokozuna promotion candidate Chiyotaikai barely flinched after a clash of heads at the face off and needed minimum effort in picking up a bread-and-butter victory over winless No. 3 maegashira Kotoryu.
Elvis impersonator Toki (1-2) made the mistake of coming in too low at the charge against Kaio, who charged him over the straw bales to pick up the second of eight wins needed to avoid demotion from ozeki.
Musoyama (2-1), meanwhile, was in no mood to be humiliated for the second straight day as he put his shock defeat to Takanonami on Monday firmly behind him by squashing new komusubi Takamisakari (0-3) completing a clean sweep for the ozeki quartet.
At sekiwake, Tosanoumi had little trouble in steamrollering Tochinonada (0-3) to maintain his perfect record but Wakanosato fell to a first loss after being shot down by maegashira top gun Miyabiyama (2-1).
In the lower echelons of the makuuchi division, Mongolian former komusubi Kyokushuzan, an 11th-ranked maegashira improved to 2-1 after tripping up fellow rank-and filer Tokitsuumi (0-3).
Fourth-ranked maegashira Tochisakae (0-3) withdrew from the meet due to an inflammation in his leg, forfeiting his bout with seventh-ranked Aminishiki (2-1).
Results
Won Technique Lost Asanowaka 2-1 hikiotoshi +Oikari 1-2 Tochinohana 2-1 oshidashi Otsukasa 0-3 Wakanoyama 3-0 yorikiri Ushiomaru 2-1 Tamakasuga 3-0 oshidashi Akinoshima 1-2 Kyokushuzan 2-1 uwatenage Tokitsuumi 0-3 Hokutoriki 2-1 oshidashi Daizen 0-3 Kasuganishiki 3-0 hikiotoshi Buyuzan 0-3 Tamanoshima 2-1 oshidashi Gojoro 1-2 Takanowaka 2-1 hatakikomi Kotomitsuki 2-1 Aminishiki 2-1 default Tochisakae 0-3 Tosanoumi 3-0 oshidashi Tochinonada 0-3 Miyabiyama 2-1 yoritaoshi Wakanosato 2-1 Kaio 2-1 yorikiri Toki 1-2 Chiyotaikai 2-1 oshidashi Kotoryu 0-3 Asashoryu 3-0 tsutaezori Takanonami 2-1 Musoyama 2-1 yoritaoshi Takamisakari 0-3 Takanohana 2-1 uwatenage Shimotori 0-3 Musashimaru 2-1 yorikiri Kyokutenho 2-1
Wednesday's bouts
Ushiomaru x - x +Jumonji Tochinohana x - x +Takanotsuru Wakanoyama 3 - 10 Akinoshima Daizen 4 - 5 Otsukasa Asanowaka 0 - 0 Kasuganishiki Kyokushuzan 6 - 8 Tamakasuga Kotomitsuki 0 - 0 Gojoro Aminishiki 3 - 4 Tokitsuumi Tamanoshima 0 - 1 Hokutoriki Buyuzan 0 - 0 Takanowaka Kotoryu 1 - 6 Toki Wakanosato 2 - 1 Takamisakari Shimotori 0 - 0 Musoyama Kaio 20 - 7 Tosanoumi Chiyotaikai 15 - 7 Takanonami Asashoryu 5 - 0 Kyokutenho Musashimaru 16 - 3 Tochinonada Miyabiyama 0 - 9 Takanohana
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