Sumo
TOKYO, Jan. 12 (Kyodo) -- Yokozuna Musashimaru pulled out of the 15-day New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Wednesday due to a sprained left wrist, his stablemaster Musashigawa said. Musashimaru
pulls out of
New Year sumo"I can't put any pressure on my wrist, and after talking things over with the stablemaster, we decided it would be better to sit out the tourney," said Musashimaru, who posted a 2-1 record after three days.
Musashimaru twisted his left wrist in practice last week, sparking speculation he may withdraw from the tournament.
With the wrist heavily taped, Musashimaru, 28, beat sekiwake Kaio on the opening day Sunday, lost in a marathon match with top maegashira Kotoryu on Monday, and drove out top-ranked maegashira Toki on Tuesday.
It is the first time Musashimaru has pulled out of a regular sumo tourney.
"He wouldn't have been able to fight up to his abilities as a yokozuna and the best thing for him right now is to get ready for the next tournament," said Musashigawa, who disclosed Musashimaru's withdrawal during a morning training session.
Musashimaru, who had posted a winning record in 55 consecutive tourneys, was aiming for his third straight championship and his fifth during the past 12 months.
TOKYO, Jan. 12 (Kyodo) -- Yokozuna Akebono maintained his unbeaten record at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Wednesday as he flattened No. 2 maegashira Asanowaka, but sekiwake Takanonami earned the biggest kudos for his demolition of komusubi Tosanoumi. Akebono, Takanonami
still pacesettersAkebono charged out with a slap to the face of his winless opponent and almost paid for the move as he appeared to lose his balance, but Asanowaka crumpled as the giant Hawaiian staggered into him with his 235-kilogram bulk to improve to 4-0 in the 15-day meet.
A packed house at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan applauded appreciatively as Takanonami, on a mission to regain his ozeki status, preserved his perfect start to the New Year by making mincemeat of Tosanoumi (1-3) in one of the day's highlight bouts.
Takanonami, who needs 10 wins to get back the rank he lost after a second straight losing record at the Kyushu tourney last November, stepped to the side at the face-off and ushered Tosanoumi into the ringside cushions like a stewardess pointing out the emergency exits.
Yokozuna Takanohana moved to 3-1 with a bread-and-butter win against komusubi Miyabiyama (2-2) in the day's final bout, while sekiwake Kaio also notched his third win by bulldozing out top-ranked maegashira Kotoryu (2-2).
Earlier in the day, Samoan-born grand champion Musashimaru, winner of four of the last five Emperor's Cups, announced his withdrawal from the tourney due to a sprained left wrist.
Further down sumo's elite makuuchi division, No. 4 maegashira Tochinonada bundled out fifth-ranked Shikishima (1-3) to boost his record to 4-0, while No. 13 maegashira Kyokutenho of Mongolia walked out 12th-ranked Takanowaka (2-2) for his fourth win.
It was a bad day for the two ozeki as Chiyotaikai got catapulted out of the ring by sekiwake Musoyama (3-1) to slip to 1-3, the same record as Dejima, who ended up face down in the dirt after a some roughhouse treatment from top maegashira Toki (1-3).
Mongolian Inspector Gadget Kyokushuzan went to his bag of tricks for a winning technique not seen in the makuuchi ranks for 10 years as the No. 6 maegashira toppled veteran Terao (2-2) in a fiery bout between two of the sport's smaller wrestlers.
Kyokushuzan notched his first win of the New Year by locking onto his seventh-ranked opponent's belt with his left hand while grabbing Terao's thigh with his right for a win by "sotokomata," which roughly translates as an under-thigh scoop dump in English.
Results of 4th-day bouts at New Year Grand Sumo Tournament Results
TOKYO, Jan. 12 (Kyodo) --Results of makuuchi division bouts Wednesday, the fourth day of the 15-day New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo (+ denotes juryo division wrestler):
Won -- Technique -- Lost Kyokutenho 4-0 -- yorikiri -- Takanowaka 2-2
Kinkaiyama 2-2 -- oshitaoshi -- Ohinode 0-4
Tokitsuumi 3-1 -- yorikiri -- Oikari 2-2
Chiyotenzan 3-1 -- yorikiri -- Takatoriki 0-4
Minatofuji 3-1 -- uwatenage -- Otsukasa 1-3
Kaiho 2-2 -- yoritaoshi -- Tamakasuga 2-2
Wakanoyama 3-1 -- okuridashi -- Asanosho 2-2
Kyokushuzan 1-3 -- sotokomata -- Terao 2-2
Hamanoshima 1-3 -- okuritaoshi -- Aogiyama 1-3
Tochinonada 4-0 -- yoritaoshi -- Shikishima 1-3
Kotonishiki 1-3 -- shitatenage -- Akinoshima 2-2
Tochiazuma 2-2 -- oshidashi -- Higonoumi 2-2
Kaio 3-1 -- okuridashi -- Kotoryu 2-2
Takanonami 4-0 -- hatakikomi -- Tosanoumi 1-3
Toki 1-3 -- hatakikomi -- Dejima 1-3
Musoyama 3-1 -- yorikiri -- Chiyotaikai 1-3
Akebono 4-0 -- oshidashi -- Asanowaka 0-4
Takanohana 3-1 -- yorikiri -- Miyabiyama 2-2
Kotonowaka 3-1 -- default -- Musashimaru 2-2
Results in Scoreboard
For more sumo information online, try:
Sumo Web
Da Kine Sumo E-zine
Ozumo
Kyodo News Service