Sumo
NAGOYA, Japan (AP) -- Hawaii-born yokozuna (grand champion) Akebono crushed out lower-ranked Miyabiyama and kept a solo lead at an 11-1 record on Thursday, the 12th day of the 15-day Nagoya Grand Sumo tournament. Akebono keeps solo
lead at 11-1Sekiwake (junior champion) Dejima stayed one victory behind Akebono at 10-2 alone.
Yokozuna Takanohana suffered his third upset defeat, leaving four wrestlers -- Takanohana, newly promoted Hawaii-born yokozuna Musashimaru, ozeki (champion) Chiyotaikai and No. 6 maegashira (senior wrestler) Musoyama, at 9-3.
Wrestling at the Aichi prefectural gymnasium, Akebono, or Chad Rowan, charged No. 4 maegashira Miyabiyama with hand thrusts and crushed him out, handing Miyabiyama his sixth defeat against six victories.
Dejima fought off No. 7 maegashira Kyokushuzan's initial charge of dodging and sent him out. Kyokushuzan, or Mongolian Batbayar Davaa, is 6-6.
Musashimaru, whose real name is Fiamalu Penitani, crushed out sekiwake Tochiazuma after fighting off his opponent's twisting attempt at the ring's edge. Tochiazuma is 6-6.
In the day's final bout, komusubi (junior champion second class) Tosanoumi charged Takanohana with hand thrusts and bulldozed him out for his eighth victory against four defeats.
No. 6 maegashira Musoyama crashed hard against Takanonami and threw him down, handing Takanonami his fourth defeat against eight victories.
In other major bouts, No. 10 maegashira Kyokutenho, or Mongolian Tsevegnyam Nyamjav, lifted out No. 9 maegashira Hamanoshima, leaving both wrestlers at 6-6.
In the juryo division, just below the senior makuuchi division, No. 11-ranked Hoshitango, or Argentine Imach Marcelo Salomon, was driven out by No. 3-ranked Oginishiki for his sixth defeat against six victories. Oginishiki is 5-7.
No. 11-ranked Sentoryu, or American Henry Armstrong Miller, threw down No. 2-ranked Juzan of makushita, the top junior division, to improve his record to 6-6. Juzan is 4-3.
In makushita, No. 53-ranked Kuniazuma (6-0), or Brazilian Vander Ramos, clamped No. 34-ranked Hokutoriki's arms from outside and sent him out.
No. 39-ranked Hoshiandesu (3-3), or Argentine Jose Antonio Juarez, was pushed out by No. 41-ranked Ueda.
In sandanme, the second-highest junior division, No. 27-ranked Kasugaoh (4-2), or Kim Son-tek from South Korea, was crushed out by No. 20-ranked Tenichi.
In jonidan, the third highest junior division, No. 25-ranked Kaihakusan (5-1), or South Korean Baeg Yun-gi, toppled No. 36-ranked Yamamoto by an arm throw.
No. 146-ranked Kotonomori (3-3), or Brazilian Mario Fuchiue, was sent out by No. 149-ranked Kaishimizu.
Wrestlers in junior divisions have only seven bouts during the 15-day tournament.
NAGOYA, July 15 (Kyodo) -- Yokozuna Akebono edged closer to his first championship in more than two years Thursday with a one-sided win over Miyabiyama at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament. Akebono edging closer
to Nagoya sumo winWith the victory, Akebono leads the field after 12 days at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium with 11 wins against one loss. He is trailed in the 15-day event by 10-2 sekiwake Dejima and four wrestlers at 9-3 including yokozuna Takanohana who was stung for a surprise third loss.
Akebono, who last won the summer tourney in 1997, weathered a barrage of thrusts from Miyabiyama, now 6-6, at the face-off of their bout before stepping in to take control of the sash.
The Hawaiian-born grand champion then dropped the No. 4 maegashira from the Musashigawa stable over the edge of the ring to continue to set the pace in the tournament.
Dejima, who owns the only victory over Akebono thus far in Nagoya, shouldered No. 7 maegashira Kyokushuzan, 6-6, out of the ring for his 10th win, refusing to be fooled by the crafty Mongolian's attempt to slip around his low charge.
Takanohana, the winner in Nagoya the last four years, came into the day's bouts even with Dejima a pace behind Akebono, but was left flat-footed at the face-off with komusubi Tosanoumi.
Tosanoumi gave the grand champion little breathing room as he backed Takanohana to the edge of the ring with a series of thrusts and then dumped him out onto his backside for an eighth win.
Meanwhile, Musashimaru drove out sekiwake Tochiazuma, 6-6, for his ninth win to keep alive his own hopes for a third straight championship this year.
The Samoan-born yokozuna, however, had to wait for the nod from the five ringside judges as they debated whether Musashimaru's knee had hit down outside of the ring before Tochiazuma's heel slid over the top and touched outside of the straw bales.
No. 6 maegashira Musoyama -- with Musashimaru and Dejima, the third Musashigawa stable wrestler with a shot at the title -- cranked ozeki Takanonami over with his right arm hooked deep into the ozeki's armpit for his ninth win. Takanonami fell to 8-4 and out of the race.
Also, ozeki Chiyotaikai tossed over No. 4 maegashira Minatofuji, 6-6, with a belt throw to halt a two-day skid and remain in the championship race with his ninth win.
In an early bout, Kyokutenho, a 10th-ranked maegashira from Mongolia hoisted No. 9 Hamanoshima, 6-6, out of the ring to even his mark at 6-6.
NAGOYA, July 15 (Kyodo) -- Makuuchi division results Thursday, the 12th day of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium (+ indicates juryo division wrestler): 12th-day results in
Nagoya sumo tourney
Won Technique Lost
Kotoryu 8-4 hatakikomi +Asanowaka 7-5
Ohinode 6-6 yorikiri Yotsukasa 5-7
Daizen 3-9 oshidashi +Mainoumi 4-8
+Otsukasa 8-4 okuridashi Wakanojo 3-9
Terao 7-5 tsukidashi Tokitsuumi 7-5
Kyokutenho 6-6 tsuridashi Hamanoshima 6-6
Asanosho 6-6 tsukidashi Wakanoyama 7-5
Ganyu 8-4 tsukiotoshi Shikishima 6-6
Kotonowaka 8-4 yorikiri Tamakasuga 6-6
Kaiho 5-7 oshidashi Takatoriki 3-9
Wakanosato 2-10 yoritaoshi Higonoumi 1-11
Kotonishiki 6-6 oshidashi Aogiyama 4-8
Toki 5-7 yorikiri Chiyotenzan 2-10
Dejima 10-2 oshidashi Kyokushuzan 6-6
Kaio 5-7 uwatedashinage Akinoshima 4-8
Musoyama 9-3 sukuinage Takanonami 8-4
Chiyotaikai 9-3 uwatenage Minatofuji 6-6
Musashimaru 9-3 yorikiri Tochiazuma 6-6
Akebono 11-1 yoritaoshi Miyabiyama 6-6
Tosanoumi 8-4 oshitaoshi Takanohana 9-3
Ohinode x - x +Asanowaka Friday's bouts
Daizen 0 - 0 Kyokutenho
Hamanoshima 0 - 0 Wakanoyama
Yotsukasa 0 - 1 Asanosho
Kotonowaka 2 - 4 Shikishima
Kyokushuzan 3 - 5 Kotoryu
Ganyu 0 - 5 Tamakasuga
Terao 1 - 4 Kaiho
Takatoriki 11 - 4 Higonoumi
Wakanosato 2 - 0 Wakanojo
Toki 0 - 2 Akinoshima
Kotonishiki 3 - 0 Tokitsuumi
Aogiyama 0 - 0 Chiyotenzan
Tosanoumi 6 - 6 Musoyama
Tochiazuma 0 - 1 Minatofuji
Kaio 2 - 0 Miyabiyama
Takanonami 5 - 5 Dejima
Takanohana 28 - 12 Musashimaru
Akebono 3 - 1 Chiyotaikai
Results in Scoreboard
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