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Akebono unbeaten

Day One

OSAKA, March 13 (Kyodo) -- Grand champions Wakanohana and Musashimaru both fell to sekiwake-ranked wrestlers Monday, leaving Akebono the only unbeaten yokozuna just two days into the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.

Komusubi Tosanoumi also collected his second Futagoyama stable scalp by shoving ozeki Takanonami out of the ring at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium as the 15-day tourney began to show hints of blustery weather ahead for sumo's top-ranked wrestlers.

Still, Monday's two upsets were perhaps not as unpredictable as they might first appear.

Sekiwake Miyabiyama, making his debut at sumo's third highest rank, rattled Wakanohana with a rapid-fire series of thrusts and slaps at the outset. The smaller grand champion, returning to the ring after a six-month layoff, was visibly shaken.

When Wakanohana attempted to move in close and take control of Miyabiyama's sash, the sekiwake went chest-to-chest and bulldozed the yokozuna into the ringside seats.

Against Musashimaru, sekiwake Tochiazuma took advantage of the yokozuna's inability to use his left hand and pushed the one-armed grand champion out of the ring.

Musashimaru, the defending champion in Osaka, had pulled out of the New Year tourney in January with a sprained left wrist and on Monday appeared reluctant to use the left hand.

In other yokozuna bouts, Akebono ran top maegashira Wakanoyama out of the ring for his second win while Takanohana rebounded from Sunday's loss by patiently working Kyokushuzan, a top maegashira from Mongolia, out of the ring.

Tosanoumi, meanwhile, who toppled Takanohana the previous day, stood Takanonami up at the face-off with two strong thrusts to the chest and then rammed the ozeki out in a one-sided bout.

Chiyotaikai waded through a flurry of slaps and thrusts from Tamakasuga and knocked the No. 2 maegashira out of the ring while fellow ozeki Dejima waltzed Mongolia's Kyokutenho out backward.

Sekiwake Musoyama, looking for 10 or more wins in Osaka to be considered for promotion to ozeki, plowed No. 4 maegashira Minatofuji out with a new sense of confidence after winning the New Year tourney.

Results

2nd day of Spring Grand Sumo Tournament

OSAKA, March 13 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi division bouts on Monday the second day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium (+ indicates juryo division wrestler):

Won -- Technique -- Lost
Takatoriki 2-0 -- sukuinage -- Daizen 1-1
Oikari 1-1 -- oshidashi -- Kaiho 0-2
Terao 1-1 -- oshidashi -- Oginishiki 0-2
Asanowaka 1-1 -- tsukiotoshi -- Hayateumi 1-1
Kotonishiki 1-1 -- hatakikomi -- Asanosho 1-1
Toki 2-0 -- oshidashi -- Hamanoshima 1-1
Tochinonada 2-0 -- yorikiri -- Tokitsuumi 0-2
Chiyotenzan 1-1 -- yorikiri -- Shikishima 1-1
Kotoryu 1-1 -- uwatenage -- Akinoshima 1-1
Kaio 1-1 -- yorikiri -- Takanowaka 0-2
Musoyama 2-0 -- oshidashi -- Minatofuji 0-2
Dejima 2-0 -- yorikiri -- Kyokutenho 0-2
Tosanoumi 2-0 -- oshidashi -- Takanonami 1-1
Chiyotaikai 2-0 -- oshitaoshi -- Tamakasuga 0-2
Takanohana 1-1 -- oshidashi -- Kyokushuzan 0-2
Miyabiyama 2-0 -- yorikiri -- Wakanohana 1-1
Tochiazuma 1-1 -- oshidashi -- Musashimaru 1-1
Akebono 2-0 -- oshidashi -- Wakanoyama 0-2

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Waka returns
to ring with win

OSAKA, March 12 (Kyodo) - Yokozuna Wakanohana returned to the ring after a six-month layoff Sunday with a win over Wakanoyama, but sibling grand champion Takanohana opened the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament with an upset loss.

Takanohana's loss to komusubi Tosanoumi at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium was the lone blemish against sumo's top wrestlers on the opening day of the 15-day tourney as grand champions Akebono and Musashimaru also won convincingly.

In the day's final bout, pre-tourney favorite Takanohana was slow off the mark against Tosanoumi and quickly found himself dug in against the straw ridge trying to muscle his way back into the center of the ring.

Tosanoumi, however, pulled Takanohana down to the ring's surface for his second win in a row over the yokozuna and the fourth victory in their last five meetings.

Wakanohana, who had been sidelined by leg injuries the past six months, showed no lack of mobility as he danced away from the attack of Wakanoyama in a bout he appeared destined to lose.

But, like so many times in the his career, Wakanohana worked his way back into the center where he twisted the top maegashira over for the win.

Sumo's two foreign-born grand champions had an easier time of it on opening day as Samoa-born Musashimaru muscled out Mongolian top maegashira Kyokushuzan and Hawaii-born Akebono backed out komusubi Kaio, who is hobbled with a heavily taped knee.

The three holders of sumo's second-highest rank of ozeki all won even though Takanonami, who regained the rank after posting 10 wins in January, survived a scare against Kyokutenho.

The No. 2 maegashira from Mongolia had Takanonami scrambling at the edge of the ring with tight control of the belt, but could not coax the ozeki out before getting spun out of the ring himself.

In other ozeki bouts, Chiyotaikai side-stepped the charge of Tochiazuma at the face-off and shoved the eager sekiwake from behind while Dejima bulled out No. 2 maegashira Tamakasuga.

New Year basho winner Musoyama, seeking 10 or more wins to be considered for promotion to ozeki, launched his quest with an easy win over Kotoryu, shoving the No. 3 maegashira out with a powerful right hand to the chin.

Sekiwake Miyabiyama backed No. 4 maegashira Minatofuji out of the ring to win in his debut at sumo's third highest rank.

Results

1st day of Spring Grand Sumo Tournament

OSAKA, March 12 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi division bouts Sunday the first day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium:

Won -- Technique -- Lost
Takatoriki 1-0 -- tsukidashi -- Kaiho 0-1
Daizen 1-0 -- oshidashi -- Terao 0-1
Hayateumi 1-0 -- yoritaoshi -- Oikari 0-1
Asanosho 1-0 -- oshitaoshi -- Oginishiki 0-1
Hamanoshima 1-0 -- yorikiri -- Kotonishiki 0-1
Toki 1-0 -- hatakikomi -- Asanowaka 0-1
Shikishima 1-0 -- hikiotoshi -- Tokitsuumi 0-1
Tochinonada 1-0 -- tsukiotoshi -- Chiyotenzan 0-1
Akinoshima 1-0 -- yoritaoshi -- Takanowaka 0-1
Miyabiyama 1-0 -- yorikiri -- Minatofuji 0-1
Musoyama 1-0 -- oshidashi -- Kotoryu 0-1
Takanonami 1-0 -- yorikiri -- Kyokutenho 0-1
Chiyotaikai 1-0 -- oshidashi -- Tochiazuma 0-1
Dejima 1-0 -- oshidashi -- Tamakasuga 0-1
Wakanohana 1-0 -- katasukashi -- Wakanoyama 0-1
Musashimaru 1-0 -- yorikiri -- Kyokushuzan 0-1
Akebono 1-0 -- yorikiri -- Kaio 0-1
Tosanoumi 1-0 -- hikiotoshi -- Takanohana 0-1

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Results in Scoreboard

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