Akebono, Wakanoyama
remain undefeated to
share the lead

NAGOYA, Japan (AP) -- Hawaii-born yokozuna (grand champion) Akebono and lower-ranked Wakanoyama remained undefeated at 5-0 Thursday, maintaining a two-way tie for the lead in the 15-day Nagoya Grand Sumo tournament.

One victory behind the co-leaders at 4-1 are eight wrestlers, including Musashimaru, whose real name is Fiamalu Penitani from Hawaii, and fellow yokozuna Takanohana, ozekis (champions) Chiyotaikai and Takanonami and No. 10 maegashira (senior wrestler) Kyokutenho from Mongolia.

Wrestling at Aiichi Prefectural gymnasium in central Japan, Akebono, or Chad Rowan, fought off No. 1 maegashira Kotonishiki's arm throw attempt and sent him out, leaving Kotonishiki at 2-3.

No. 13 maegashira Wakanoyama pulled down equally-ranked Tokitsuumi by turning around the ring. Tokitsuumi is 3-2.

In the day's final bout, Musashimaru held on komusubi (junior champion second class) Tosanoumi's arm throw attempt and forced him out, handing Tosanoumi his second defeat against three victories.

Chiyotaikai charged winless No. 2 maegashira Wakanosato with hand thrusts and threw him down and Takanonami sent out winless komusubi Chiyotenzan.

In other major bouts, Kyokutenho, or Mongolian Tsevegnyam Nyamjav, drove out No. 7 maegashira Shikishima, leaving Shikishima at 3-2.

No. 5 maegashira Aogiyama pulled down Kyokushuzan, or Mongolian Batbayar Davaa, leaving both wrestlers at 3-2.

In juryo division, just below the senior makuuchi division, No. 11-ranked Sentoryu, or American Henry Armstrong Miller, pulled down No. 13-ranked Tamanokuni, leaving both wrestlers at 2-3.

No. 12-ranked Kitazakura drove out No. 11-ranked Hoshitango, or Argentine Imach Marcelo Salomon, for his third victory against two defeats. Hoshitango is 2-3.

In makushita, the top junior division, No. 53-ranked Kuniazuma (3-0), or Brazilian Vander Ramos, thrust out No. 55-ranked Asahiumi.

But No. 39-ranked Hoshiandesu (2-1), or Argentine Jose Antonio Juarez, was driven out by No. 42-ranked Ryuho.

In sandanme, the second-highest junior division, No. 27-ranked Kasugaoh (2-1), or Kim Son-tek from South Korea, pushed out No. 26-ranked Kotosakuta.

No. 54-ranked Azumaoh (2-1), or Brazilian Yasuto Morita, threw down No. 53-ranked Sakaguchi.

No. 51-ranked Ryuo (2-1), or Wang Yu from Shanghai, China, was driven out by No. 49-ranked Tsukasaryu.

In jonidan, the third-highest junior division, No. 25-ranked Kaihakusan (3-0), or South Korean Baeg Yun-gi, slapped down No. 24-ranked Yutakaumi.

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

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Akebono maintains share
of lead at Nagoya sumo

NAGOYA, July 8 (Kyodo) -- Yokozuna Akebono boosted his record to a perfect 5-0 Thursday with a routine victory over top-ranked maegashira Kotonishiki, while rival grand champions Takanohana and Musashimaru also won at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.

Kotonishiki almost threw a spanner in the works as he burrowed his way onto Akebono's belt, but the Hawaiian-born yokozuna used his 230-kilogram bulk to smother his smaller opponent and bump him out to his third loss of the 15-day meet at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium.

Akebono finished the day tied for the lead with rank-and-filer Wakanoyama, who yanked down Tokitsuumi, 3-2, in a showdown of No. 13 maegashira.

Takanohana moved to 4-1 with a vintage display of power sumo against No. 4 maegashira Miyabiyama, 1-4, showing excellent balance as he defused his opponent's attack before securing a two-handed belt grip and winning with his bread-and-butter frontal force-out maneuver.

Newly promoted yokozuna Musashimaru also registered his fourth win, but not without a struggle against komusubi Tosanoumi, 3-2, who tried pushing, pulling and tripping the Samoan-born giant only to run out of gas and step out as Musashimaru counterattacked.

Chiyotaikai looked sharp as he flung down winless No. 2 maegashira Wakanosato to improve to 4-1, while fellow ozeki Takanonami upped his record to the same 4-1 mark by blasting out winless komusubi Chiyotenzan in a one-sided bout.

Meanwhile, Kaio saw his hopes of ozeki promotion disintegrate as he surrendered tamely to fellow sekiwake Tochiazuma, 4-1, and slipped to 2-3. Prior to Nagoya, Kaio, who was 10-5 and 12-3 in the previous tourneys, had hoped 12 wins would earn him sumo's second highest rank.

Sekiwake Dejima, however, had little trouble posting his fourth win as he forced out top-ranked maegashira Akinoshima, 1-4, in textbook fashion.

It was a mixed day for the makuuchi division's two Mongolian wrestlers as No. 10 maegashira Kyokutenho muscled out seventh-ranked Shikishima, 3-2, to move to 4-1, while No. 7 maegashira Kyokushuzan bent the knee to fifth-ranked Aogiyama, leaving both men on 3-2.

Results of main sumo bouts

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

Winners Losers

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

Juryo Division

Sentoryu (2-3) Tamanokuni (2-3)
Kitazakura (3-2) Hoshitango (2-3)

Junior Divisions:

Makushita
Ryuho Hoshiandesu (2-1)
Kuniazuma (3-0) Asahiumi

Sandanme
Kasugaoh (2-1) Kotosakuta
Tsukasaryu Ryuo (2-1)
Azumaoh (2-1) Sakaguchi

Jonidan
Kaihakusan (3-0) Yutakaumi

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

Main bouts for 6th day of
Nagoya sumo tourney

NAGOYA, July 8 (Kyodo) -- Makuuchi division bouts for Friday, the sixth day of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium:

Yotsukasa 1 - 0 Ganyu
Ohinode 0 - 1 Daizen
Wakanoyama 0 - 0 Terao
Kotoryu 1 - 1 Kyokutenho
Hamanoshima 4 - 4 Wakanojo
Tokitsuumi 2 - 1 Tochinowaka
Kotonowaka 5 - 4 Asanosho
Aogiyama 2 - 6 Musoyama
Shikishima 0 - 1 Kaiho
Miyabiyama 0 - 1 Kyokushuzan
Tamakasuga 2 - 7 Minatofuji
Wakanosato 1 - 0 Akinoshima
Tosanoumi 2 - 5 Dejima
Kaio 11 - 13 Kotonishiki
Takanonami 9 - 3 Higonoumi
Tochiazuma 4 - 2 Chiyotaikai
Takatoriki 8 - 33 Musashimaru
Akebono 0 - 0 Toki
Takanohana 0 - 0 Chiyotenzan

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Results in Scoreboard

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