Akebono takes sole lead
as Dejima falls at Nagoya

NAGOYA, July 14 (Kyodo) -- Yokozuna Akebono claimed sole position of the lead Wednesday, defeating nemesis Takatoriki to boost his record to 10-1, while sekiwake Dejima dropped into a tie for second with a tough loss at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.

Chasing his first Emperor's Cup since May 1997, Akebono had his hands full against Takatoriki, almost losing his footing as the No. 3 maegashira tried to slap him down in one of the day's feature bouts at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium.

However, Akebono managed to avoid toppling over and used his 230-kilogram bulk to flatten his smaller foe, who had overcompensated in attempting his slap-down maneuver and ended up on top of the ringside cushions nursing a 3-8 record in the 15-day meet.

Dejima, meanwhile, lost a sekiwake showdown with struggling Kaio, 4-7, who opted out of a battle of strength by stepping to the side at the charge and dragging his opponent to the dirt for just his second loss of the tourney.

Yokozuna Takanohana, looking sharp in his return to action after injury, joined Dejima on 9-2 by quickly pinging out No. 5 maegashira Aogiyama, 4-7, despite a sore left hand sustained in his loss to Dejima on Monday.

Chiyotaikai grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory for the second day running as he was bumped out by the slippery Takanonami in a clash of ozeki, leaving both wrestlers in a tie for third at 8-3 alongside yokozuna Musashimaru and No. 6 maegashira Musoyama.

As in his cat-and-mouse bout with Dejima on Tuesday, Chiyotaikai backed up his opponent with a furious thrusting attack, but lost his balance for a split second, allowing Takanonami to lock onto his belt and force him over the straw ridge.

Musashimaru secured a majority of wins in his yokozuna debut by crushing No. 4 maegashira Minatofuji, 6-5, in the day's final bout, while former ozeki prospect Musoyama dropped top-ranked maegashira Akinoshima, 4-7, to ensure a rise in the rankings next time out.

It was a day to forget for the makuuchi division's two Mongolians as No. 7 maegashira Kyokushuzan was blasted out by 13th-ranked Wakanoyama, 7-4, to slip to 6-5, while No. 10 maegashira Kyokutenho fell to fifth-ranked Tamakasuga, 6-5, and dropped to 5-6.

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Akebono grabs solo
lead at 10-1 in sumo

NAGOYA, Japan (AP) -- Hawaii-born yokozuna (grand champion) Akebono grabbed a solo lead at 10-1 as his rival, sekiwake (junior champion) Dejima, suffered his second upset defeat on Wednesday, the 11th day of the 15-day Nagoya Grand Sumo tournament.

One victory behind Akebono at 9-2 are yokozuna Takanohana and Dejima.

Newly promoted Hawaii-born yokozuna Musashimaru improved his record to 8-3, along with three other wrestlers -- ozekis (champions) Chiyotaikai and Takanonami and No. 6 maegashira (senior wrestler) Musoyama.

Wrestling at the Aichi prefectural gymnasium, Akebono, or Chad Rowan, charged No. 3 maegashira Takatoriki with hand thrusts against his opponent's throat and crushed him down from behind, leaving Takatoriki at 3-8.

Takanohana attacked No. 5 maegashira Aogiyama with hand thrusts and sent him out, handing Aogiyama his seventh defeat against four victories.

In the day's final bout, Musashimaru, whose real name is Fiamalu Penitani, charged No. 4 maegashira Minatofuji with hand thrusts and thrust him down. Minatofuji is 6-5.

Takanonami fought off Chiyotaikai's hand thrusts by turning around the ring, grabbed his opponent's belt and forced him out, leaving both wrestlers at 8-3.

Sekiwake Kaio sidestepped to the left in the initial charge and slapped down Dejima for his fourth victory against seven defeats.

Musoyama pulled down No. 1 maegashira Akinoshima, leaving Akinoshima at 4-7.

In other major bouts, No. 10 maegashira Kyokutenho, or Mongolian Tsevegnyam Nyamjav, suffered his sixth defeat against five victories, losing to No. 6 maegashira Tamakasuga by a driving technique. Tamakasuga is 6-5.

No. 7 maegashira Kyokushuzan, or Mongolian Batbayar Davaa, was sent out by No. 13 maegashira Wakanoyama for his fifth defeat against six victories. Wakanoyama is 7-4.

In the juryo division, just below the senior makuuchi division, No. 11-ranked Hoshitango, or Argentine Imach Marcelo Salomon, was thrust down by No. 8-ranked Wakahayato for his fifth defeat against six victories. Wakahayato is 5-6.

No. 11-ranked Sentoryu, or American Henry Armstrong Miller, threw down No. 12-ranked Kitazakura for his fifth victory against six defeats. Kitazakura is 6-5.

In makushita, No. 11-ranked Wakaazuma (4-2), or Yoshinobu Kuroda from Brazil, downed No. 11-ranked Ushiomaru with an arm throw.

No. 45-ranked Kyokutenzan (1-5), or Mongolian Enkhbat Batmunkha, was driven out by No. 50-ranked Takanoumi.

In sandanme, the second-highest junior division, No. 75-ranked Asashoryu (6-0), or Mongolian Dolgorsvren Dagvadrj, sent out No. 49-ranked Tsukasaryu.

No. 54-ranked Azumaoh (3-3), or Brazilian yasuto Morita, drove out No. 51-ranked Ryuo (2-4), or Wang Yu from Shanghai, China.

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

11th-day results in Nagoya sumo tourney

NAGOYA, July 14 (Kyodo) -- Makuuchi division results Wednesday, the 11th day of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium (+ indicates juryo division wrestler):

Won -- Technique -- Lost

Kotoryu 7-4 -- yorikiri -- Kinkaiyama 7-4
Daizen 2-9 -- hikiotoshi -- Yotsukasa 5-6
Terao 6-5 -- oshidashi -- Wakanojo 3-8
Hamanoshima 6-5 -- yorikiri -- Ganyu 7-4
Asanosho 5-6 -- hatakikomi -- Ohinode 5-6
Tokitsuumi 7-4 -- uwatenage -- Shikishima 6-5
Wakanoyama 7-4 -- oshidashi -- Kyokushuzan 6-5
Tamakasuga 6-5 -- yorikiri -- Kyokutenho 5-6
Kotonowaka 7-4 -- uwatenage -- Kaiho 4-7
Miyabiyama 6-5 -- uwatedashinage -- Higonoumi 1-10
Musoyama 8-3 -- tsukiotoshi -- Akinoshima 4-7
Toki 4-7 -- hatakikomi -- Kotonishiki 5-6
Tosanoumi 7-4 -- yorikiri -- Wakanosato 1-10
Tochiazuma 6-5 -- sukuinage -- Chiyotenzan 2-9
Kaio 4-7 -- hatakikomi -- Dejima 9-2
Takanonami 8-3 -- yorikiri -- Chiyotaikai 8-3
Akebono 10-1 -- okuritaoshi -- Takatoriki 3-8
Takanohana 9-2 -- tsukidashi -- Aogiyama 4-7
Musashimaru 8-3 -- oshitaoshi -- Minatofuji 6-5

Thursday's bouts

Kotoryu x - x +Asanowaka
Yotsukasa 0 - 0 Ohinode
Mainoumi x - x Daizen
Wakanojo x - x +Otsukasa
Tokitsuumi 1 - 3 Terao
Hamanoshima 3 - 0 Kyokutenho
Wakanoyama 0 - 0 Asanosho
Ganyu 5 - 4 Shikishima
Kotonowaka 7 - 0 Tamakasuga
Takatoriki 1 - 0 Kaiho
Wakanosato 2 - 1 Higonoumi
Kotonishiki 1 - 2 Aogiyama
Toki 0 - 2 Chiyotenzan
Kyokushuzan 1 - 4 Dejima
Kaio 19 - 3 Akinoshima
Takanonami 18 - 10 Musoyama
Minatofuji 2 - 2 Chiyotaikai
Tochiazuma 1 - 10 Musashimaru
Akebono 1 - 0 Miyabiyama
Tosanoumi 4 - 14 Takanohana

Results of main sumo bouts

NAGOYA, Japan (AP) -- Results of main bouts Wednesday, 11th day of the 15-day Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament at Aiichi Prefectural gymnasium:

Winners -- Losers
Kotoryu (7-4) Kinkaiyama (juryo) (7-4)
Daizen (2-9) Yotsukasa (5-6)
Terao (6-5) Wakanojo (3-8)
Hamanoshima (6-5) Ganyu (7-4)
Asanosho (5-6) Ohinode (5-6)
Tokitsuumi (7-4) Shikishima (6-5)
Wakanoyama (7-4) Kyokushuzan (6-5)
Tamakasuga (6-5) Kyokutenho (5-6)
Kotonowaka (7-4) Kaiho (4-7)
Miyabiyama (6-5) Higonoumi (1-10)
Musoyama (8-3) Akinoshima (4-7)
Toki (4-7) Kotonishiki (5-6)
Tosanoumi (7-4) Wakanosato (1-10)
Tochiazuma (6-5) Chiyotenzan (2-9)
Kaio (4-7) Dejima (9-2)
Takanonami (8-3) Chiyotaikai (8-3)
Akebono (10-1) Takatoriki (3-8)
Takanohana (9-2) Aogiyama (4-7)
Musashimaru (8-3) Minatofuji (6-5)

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Juryo Division

Sentoryu (5-6) Kitazakura (6-5)

Wakahayato (5-6) Hoshitango (6-5)

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Junior Divisions:

Makushita

Wakaazuma (4-2) Ushiomaru
Takanoumi Kyokutenzan (1-5)

Sandanme

Asashoryu (6-0) Tsukasaryu
Azumaoh (3-3) Ryuo (2-4)

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

Thursday's main bouts:

Kotoryu Asanowaka (juryo)
Yotsukasa Ohinode
Mainoumi (juryo) Daizen
Wakanojo Otsukasa (juryo)
Tokitsuumi Terao
Hamanoshima Kyokutenho
Wakanoyama Asanosho
Ganyu Shikishima
Kotonowaka Tamakasuga
Takatoriki Kaiho
Wakanosato Higonoumi
Kotonishiki Aogiyama
Toki Chiyotenzan
Kyokushuzan Dejima
Kaio Akinoshima
Takanonami Musoyama
Minatofuji Chiyotaikai
Tochiazuma Musashimaru
Akebono Miyabiyama
Tosanoumi Takanohana

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Results in Scoreboard

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