Three yokozuna
on mend

Star-Bulletin wire services

FUKUOKA, Japan -- Yokozuna (grand champion) Akebono is battling to get fit in time for next month's Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament while rival yokozona brothers Wakanohana and Takanohana are also both touch-and-go for the competition, stable master Futagoyama said today.

Akebono, or Chad Rowan from Hawaii, who pulled out on the third day of the Tokyo meet with a thigh injury, also is in a race against time to be ready for Nov. 7.

After the injury, specialists diagnosed that Akebono would need two months to fully recover.

Wakanohana, who struggled to a 7-8 record in Tokyo last month, received a recommendation from the Yokozuna Deliberation Council that he pull out of the 15-day tourney.

After he tore a thigh muscle during the Tokyo meet, there had been speculation that Wakanohana would retire from the sport. But late last month the 28-year-old yokozuna informed the Japan Sumo Association of his intention to carry on.

Meanwhile, younger brother Takanohana has yet to recover fully from a dislocated finger sustained during the Nagoya tourney in July and is mindful of rushing back into action too soon. He attempted to wrestle in the September meet, only to withdraw after losing his first two bouts.

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