Musashimaru
in control in
autumn sumo

Kyodo News Service

TOKYO -- Yokozuna Musashimaru remained in the driver's seat Friday after posting an impressive victory over sekiwake Kaio to head into the final weekend of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament in the lead.

Fighting in the day's final bout at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, Musashimaru suffered a brief scare when Kaio (8-5) got both hands under the arms of the grand champion and forced him back several steps.

But Musashimaru held his ground by getting a left hand on the belt of his opponent and shoving him out over the edge to improve to 11-2, one win ahead of third-ranked maegashira Akinoshima with two days left in the 15-day meet.

Akinoshima stayed on the heels of Musashimaru with a convincing win over sekiwake Tosanoumi. Shortly after the face-off, Akinoshima stepped to his right and shoved Tosanoumi out from behind to improve to 10-3. Tosanoumi fell to 6-7.

Yokozuna Wakanohana, wrestling despite a torn thigh muscle, suffered his sixth loss of the tourney when ozeki Chiyotaikai came out of the face-off with an arm thrust to the throat and then swatted the grand champion down with a hand on the back of his opponent's head.

Chiyotaikai joins top maegashira Tochiazuma and No. 7 maegashira Takatoriki, both winners Friday, in a trio with 9-4 records.

Tochiazuma forced Mongolian-born grappler Kyokushuzan back to the edge of the ring and shoved him out with ease to send the No. 2 maegashira to a record of 6-7.

Takatoriki, meanwhile, used some impressive footwork along the straw ridge to turn the tables on Hamanoshima and shove the No. maegashira out to his fifth loss against eight wins.

Newly promoted ozeki Dejima (8-5) assured himself of a winning record when he got a hold of the right arm of Chiyotenzan (5-8) and powered the sixth-ranked maegashira out of the ring in a matter of seconds.

Earlier, No. 10 maegashira Kotoryu read Miyabiyama like a book and slapped the fifth-ranked maegashira down to his fifth straight loss after side-stepping him shortly after the face-off. Both wrestlers now stand at 8-5.

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Results from 13th day of autumn sumo

Kyodo News Service

TOKYO -- Results of makuuchi division bouts Friday, the 13th day of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo (+ denotes juryo division wrestler):

Won -- Technique -- Lost

+Daizen 7-6 -- uwatenage -- Asanowaka 8-5
+Oikari 8-5 -- oshidashi -- Kinkaiyama 5-8
Otsukasa 7-6 -- yorikiri -- Wakanoyama 8-5
Ohinode 7-6 -- oshidashi -- Aogiyama 6-7
Tochinonada 5-8 -- tsukiotoshi -- Kyokutenho 7-6
Takatoriki 9-4 -- oshidashi -- Hamanoshima 8-5
Wakanosato 6-7 -- yoritaoshi -- Kaiho 6-7
Kotoryu 8-5 -- hatakikomi -- Miyabiyama 8-5
Higonoumi 7-6 -- shitatenage -- Kotonowaka 6-7
Tokitsuumi 5-8 -- shitatenage -- Shikishima 2-11
Toki 4-9 -- tsukidashi -- Ganyu 4-9
Tamakasuga 7-6 -- oshidashi -- Terao 6-7
Tochiazuma 9-4 -- oshidashi -- Kyokushuzan 6-7
Musoyama 7-6 -- oshidashi -- Minatofuji 5-8
Asanosho 6-7 -- tsukiotoshi -- Kotonishiki 4-9
Akinoshima 10-3 -- okuridashi -- Tosanoumi 6-7
Dejima 8-5 -- oshidashi -- Chiyotenzan 5-8
Chiyotaikai 9-4 -- hatakikomi -- Wakanohana 7-6
Musashimaru 11-2 -- yorikiri -- Kaio 8-5

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Results in Scoreboard

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Kyodo News Service