Taka, Musashimaru win,
set up all-yokozuna finale

FUKUOKA, Nov. 20 (Kyodo) -- Yokozuna Takanohana strong-armed ozeki Dejima on Saturday to remain tied for the lead in the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament at 11-3 and set up a showdown with fellow grand champion Musashimaru in Sunday's finale.

Ozeki Takanonami, meanwhile, suffered a losing record for the second consecutive time with his eighth loss and will be demoted from the second-highest rank in sumo he kept for 35 tournaments.

In the day's final bout at Fukuoka Kokusai Center, Takanohana, aiming for his elusive 21st Emperor's Cup, took a hold of Dejima's belt with his left hand immediately after the face-off.

Despite being pushed back several steps, Takanohana held his ground and then threw Dejima (10-4) over the straw ridge to knock the Musashigawa stable wrestler out of title contention.

Yokozuna Musashimaru secured a place in Sunday's epic battle for the Emperor's Cup with an impressive win over ozeki Chiyotaikai (8-6).

After coming in low at the face-off, Musashimaru temporarily lost his balance in an attempt to get a hold of Chiyotaikai's belt when the Kokonoe wrestler side-stepped the charging grand champion.

Musashimaru, however, maintained his composure and then got a hand in the chest of his opponent and simply overpowered Chiyotaikai to post his 11th win in the 15-day tournament.

In a do-or-die bout for Takanonami, the Futagoyama stable ozeki lost his balance at the edge of the ring after being shoved around by No. 5 maegashira Toki (9-5), crumbling to his eighth loss that will demote him to the sekiwake rank for the New Year meet in January.

Takanonami, whose thigh injury forced him to pull out of the autumn meet in September with only three wins, will have the chance to reclaim the ozeki status if he racks up 10 wins or more in the January tournament.

In other bouts Saturday, local favorite Kaio (10-4) was sent to the edge by Tochiazuma (5-9) but quickly turned the tables and won the battle of the sekiwake with a force-out victory to the delight of the partisan crowd.

It was a good day for the tournament's two Mongolian wrestlers.

No. 8 maegashira Kyokutenho came charging out of the face-off and got both arms around Asanosho (3-11) and shoved the third-ranked maegashira out in a matter of seconds to improve to 6-8.

Third-ranked maegashira Kyokushuzan, meanwhile, was bulldozed back to the edge of the ring but recovered nicely and then muscled top maegashira Tamakasuga (3-11) out for his fourth win.

Results of main bouts on
14th day of Kyushu sumo

FUKUOKA, Nov. 20 (Kyodo) -- Results of makuuchi division bouts Saturday, the 14th day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament at Fukuoka Kokusai Center (+ denotes juryo division wrestler):

Won Technique Lost

Takanowaka 9-5 hatakikomi +Oikari 11-3
Daizen 6-8 uwatenage +Dewaarashi 7-7
Kaiho 8-6 tsukiotoshi Tokitsuumi 8-6
Ohinode 8-6 hatakikomi Asanowaka 8-6
Tochinonada 10-4 kimedashi Chiyotenzan 7-7
Otsukasa 8-6 yorikiri Minatofuji 7-7
Shikishima 8-6 yorikiri Higonoumi 7-7
Wakanoyama 6-8 oshidashi Terao 5-9
Kyokutenho 6-8 yorikiri Asanosho 3-11
Hamanoshima 7-7 yorikiri Takatoriki 2-12
Kyokushuzan 4-10 yorikiri Tamakasuga 3-11
Miyabiyama 7-7 hatakikomi Kotonishiki 6-8
Kotoryu 9-5 yorikiri Musoyama 9-5
Kotonowaka 7-7 yorikiri Tosanoumi 9-5
Aogiyama 5-9 hatakikomi Akinoshima 3-11
Kaio 10-4 oshidashi Tochiazuma 9-5
Toki 9-5 oshitaoshi Takanonami 6-8
Musashimaru 11-3 yorikiri Chiyotaikai 8-6
Takanohana 11-3 uwatenage Dejima 10-4

Main bouts for Final day of
Kyushu sumo tourney

FUKUOKA, Nov. 20 (Kyodo) -- Makuuchi division bouts for Sunday, the Final day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament at Fukuoka Kokusai Center (+ denotes juryo division wrestler):

+Kinkaiyama x - x Tochinonada
Daizen 0 - 0 Otsukasa
Kaiho x - x +Hayateumi
Asanowaka 0 - 0 Takanowaka
Chiyotenzan 2 - 0 Higonoumi
Wakanoyama 2 - 0 Ohinode
Kyokutenho 1 - 0 Aogiyama
Terao 8 - 8 Hamanoshima
Tokitsuumi 0 - 4 Kotonishiki
Takatoriki 9 - 1 Kyokushuzan
Shikishima 0 - 2 Miyabiyama
Tamakasuga 5 - 1 Asanosho
Kotoryu 1 - 2 Tosanoumi
Kotonowaka 13 - 12 Akinoshima
Musoyama 8 - 1 Minatofuji
Toki 0 - 1 Tochiazuma
Takanonami 19 - 15 Kaio
Chiyotaikai 4 - 3 Dejima
Musashimaru 13 - 28 Takanohana

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Takanohana steals
Dejima’s chance

FUKUOKA, Japan (AP) -- Yokozuna (grand champion) Takanohana used a one-arm belt-grip to shove ozeki (champion) Dejima out of both the ring and the lead Saturday in the 15-day Kyushu Grand Sumo tournament.

The bout left Takanohana and fellow yokozuna Musashimaru in the top position with 11 wins and three losses, with one more day of wrestling to go at Fukuoka Kokusai Center. Dejima fell to 10-4.

Hawaiian Mushashimaru, whose real name is Fiamalu Penitani, easily drove ozeki Chiyotaikai from the ring in the day's penultimate bout. Chiyotaikai ended the day at 8-6.

Ozeki Takanonami fell to No. 5 maegashira (senior wrestler) Toki when he was unable to fend off the lower-ranked wrestler's relentless hand thrusts. Toki stood at 9-5, and Takanonami at (6-8).

Sekiwake (junior champion) Kaio surged back after nearly being pushed out of the ring by fellow sekiwake Tochiazuma. He got a grip under his opponent's neck and drove him out, moving up to 10-4. Tochiazuma fell to 9-5.

Komusubi (junior champion second class) Akinoshima put up a good fight against No. 4-maegashira Aogiyama, but was eventually thrown down in the middle of the ring. This left Akinoshima at 3-11 and Aogiyama at 5-9.

In one of the day's longer bouts, sixth-ranked maegashira Kotoryu stood almost immobile with his head braced against komusubi Musoyama's chest. But Kotoryu finally got a stonger grip on his rival and walked him out of the ring, leaving both wrestlers at 9-5.

Third-ranked maegashira Kyokushuzan, or Mongolian Batbayar Davaa, took his fourth win against 10 losses by driving out top maegashira Tamakasuga by the belt. Tamakasuga was at 3-11.

Eighth-ranked maegashira Kyokutenho, or Mongolian Tsevegnyam Nyamjav, also won his bout. He grabed No. 3 maegashira Asanosho under the arms and quickly bulldozed him out, ending at 6-8. Asanosho had 3-11.

In the 26-member juryo division, No. 8-ranked Hoshitango, or Imach Marcelo Salomon of Argentina, pulled down No. 9 Tochinohana to take his ninth win against five losses. Tochinohana was at 6-8.

No. 13-ranked Sentoryu, or American Henry Armstrong Miller, did the same to Toyozakura, sending the No. 2 wrestler from the top junior makushita division down to 6-8. Sentoryu stood at 9-5.

In makushita bouts, No. 21-ranked Kuniazuma, or Brazilian Vander Ramos, pushed No. 12 Kanechika from the ring. This put Kuniazuma at (6-1).

Fellow Brazilian and 18th ranked wrestler Wakaazuma, formerly Yoshinobu Kuroda, suffered his third loss against four wins at the hands of No. 16 Tamanokuni.

No. 59-ranked Kyokutenzan, or Mongolian Enkhbat Batmunkha, beat No. 55-ranked Tanimura by shoving him from the ring by the belt. This left Kyokutenzan at 2-5.

In sandanme, the second highest junior division, South Korean wrestler Kasugaoh, ranked No. 28, moved up to 6-1 in a win against No. 16-ranked Sumanofuji. Kasugaoh's real name is Kim Son-tek.

No. 81-ranked Ryou, or Wang Yu from Shanghai, China, beat No. 85 Araumi, ending the day at 5-2.

In jonidan, the third highest junior division, No. 131 Ryukizan slapped down No. 134 Araiyama. Ryukizan, or South Korean Kim Soo-young, stood at 4-3.

In jonokuchi, the lowest junior division, No. 44-ranked Daibanjaku defeated a fellow Mongolian, No. 42-ranked Kitakasuga. Both Daibanjaku, or Batsukh Khaidavmunkh, and Kitakasuga, or Tsolmonbayar Munkhbat, were left at 4-3.

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

Results of main sumo bouts

FUKUOKA, Japan (AP) -- Results of main bouts Saturday, the 14th day of the 15-day Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament at Fukuoka Kokusai Center:

Winners Losers

Takanowaka (9-5) Oikari (Juryo) (11-3)
Daizen (6-8) Dewaarashi (Juryo) (7-7)
Kaiho (8-6) Tokitsuumi (8-6)
Ohinode (8-6) Asanowaka (8-6)
Tochinonada (10-4) Chiyotenzan (7-7)
Otsukasa (8-6) Minatofuji (7-6)
Shikishima (8-6) Higonoumi (7-7)
Wakanoyama (6-8) Terao (5-9)
Kyokutenho (6-8) Asanosho (3-11)
Hamanoshima (7-7) Takatoriki (2-12)
Kyokushuzan (4-10) Tamakasuga (3-11)
Miyabiyama (7-7) Kotonishiki (6-8)
Kotoryu (9-5) Musoyama (9-5)
Kotonowaka (7-7) Tosanoumi (9-5)
Aogiyama (5-9) Akinoshima (3-11)
Kaio (10-4) Tochiazuma (9-5)
Toki (9-5) Takanonami (6-8)
Musashimaru (11-3) Chiyotaikai (8-6)
Takanohana (11-3) Dejima (10-4)

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Juryo Division

Sentoryu (8-6) Toyozakura (3-4)
Hoshitango (9-5) Tochinohana (6-8)

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Junior Division

Makushita

Kuniazuma (6-1) Kanechika
Tamanokuni Wakaazuma (4-3)
Kyokutenzan (2-5) Tanimura

Sandanme

Kasugaoh (6-1) Sumanofuji
Ryuo (5-2) Araumi

Jonidan

Ryukizan (4-3) Araiyama

Jonokuchi

Daibanjaku (4-3) Kitakasuga (4-3)

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

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Sunday's main bouts:

Kinkaiyama Tochinonada
Daizen Otsukasa
Kaiho Hayateumi (juryo)
Asanowaka Takanowaka
Chiyotenzan Higonoumi
Wakanoyama Ohinode
Kyokutenho Aogiyama
Terao Hamanoshima
Tokitsuumi Kotonishiki
Takatoriki Kyokushuzan
Shikishima Miyabiyama
Tamakasuga Asanosho
Kotoryu Tosanoumi
Kotonowaka Akinoshima
Musoyama Minatofuji
Toki Tochiazuma
Takanonami Kaio
Chiyotaikai Dejima
Musashimaru Takanohana

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