Wakanohana
blasts Musashimaru

TOKYO, Jan. 23 (Kyodo) - Sekiwake Chiyotaikai made sure the title race will go down to the wire Sunday with a devastating win over yokozuna Takanohana on Saturday the 14th day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.

The ozeki candidate improved to 12-2 by sending Takanohana sprawling to the ring's sandy surface in the day's penultimate bout at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan before tournament leader Wakanohana blasted out Musashimaru to up his record to 13-1 in the 15-day meet.

Wakanohana will face Chiyotaikai for all the marbles Sunday, the final day of the 15-day tourney, knowing the Kokonoe stable wrestler has to defeat him twice to make away with the Emperor's Cup -- once in regulation and then again in a championship playoff.

The wiry yokozuna, however, needs only one more win to nail down his first championship since being promoted to sumo's highest rank last May.

Against Takanohana, Chiyotaikai looked every bit ozeki material as he jolted the struggling yokozuna to the edge of the ring with a ferocious charge and followed up with his trademark thrusting attack before dragging his opponent down to his sixth loss of the tourney.

''Before the bout I was so nervous I thought my heart would stop, but I hit him great at the charge. That set things up for me,'' Chiyotaikai said afterward.

Wakanohana, meanwhile, bounced back from Friday's loss to sekiwake Musoyama by ducking under the outstretched arms of Musashimaru and using his superior speed and technique to spin the ozeki round and barge him out.

The Hawaiian-born giant is now a precarious 7-7 and will meet Takanohana in the tourney's final regulation bout Sunday.

Fellow ozeki Takanonami ran out of tricks against Kyushu champion Kotonishiki, who weathered his taller foe's lightweight charge and frog-marched him out to notch his fifth win and soften the blow of his certain demotion from komusubi.

Takanonami slipped to 6-8 and registered his third losing record as ozeki, meaning he will be demoted if he fails to gain a majority of wins at the spring tournament in Osaka in March.

Meanwhile, Mongolian wrestler Kyokushuzan improved to 9-5 by pulling out a slick throw on 14th-ranked Chiyotenzan, 9-5, to improve his chances of a hefty promotion from his current mid-maegashira rank.

Results in Scoreboard

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