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Takatoriki still
two-up on the pack

OSAKA, March 22 (Kyodo) - Grizzled Futagoyama stable veteran Takatoriki steamrollered his way to an 11th straight win Wednesday, while Takanohana, Musashimaru and Musoyama all posted solid victories to boost their records to 9-2 at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.

No. 14 maegashira Takatoriki, a former sekiwake, crashed hard into komusubi Tosanoumi (5-6) at the face-off and, spotting his opponent struggle to regain a footing, quickly dragged him to the dirt surface to the delight of a packed Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium.

With his training mate already soaking in a hot bath with a perfect 11-0 record, yokozuna Takanohana iced the cake for the Futagoyama stable by turning in a textbook performance to bump off rising star Miyabiyama, who slipped to 8-3 with the loss.

Takanohana, chasing his 21st Emperor's Cup, took Miyabiyama to school in the day's final bout, returning the sekiwake's thrusting attack with interest before securing a grip on the belt and snuffing out any last signs of resistance.

Grand champion Musashimaru flattened No. 5 maegashira Akinoshima (4-7) after a spot of slow-dancing in the middle of the ring, while sekiwake Musoyama did his ozeki promotion chances no harm by muscling out second-ranked Tamakasuga (4-7) to keep pace with the yokozuna duo.

Yokozuna Akebono, however, failed to keep pace with the chasing pack, lurching to his third defeat of the 15-day meet against ozeki Chiyotaikai, who had the game to back up his pre-bout posturing.

Akebono had no answer to the hit-and-slide tactics of Chiyotaikai, who had the Hawaiian-born giant staggering like a toddler in a playpen with his speedy footwork before launching him off the ring for win No. 7.

Takanonami levered out No. 3 maegashira Kotoryu (3-8) to up his record to 5-6, while Dejima completed a perfect day for the ozeki trio by bundling out fifth-ranked Chiyotenzan (4-7) to register his seventh win.

It was a bad day for the top makuuchi division's two Mongolians, however, as top-ranked maegashira Kyokushuzan and second-ranked Kyokutenho both lost one-sided bouts.

Kyokushuzan crashed to his seventh loss of the tourney against komusubi Kaio (6-5), while Kyokutenho will face a demotion next time out after flopping against No. 4 maegashira Takanowaka (3-8) and taking a 3-8 record back to the changing rooms with him.

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Results on 11th day of
Spring Grand Sumo

OSAKA, March 22 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi division bouts Wednesday, the 11th day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium (+ indicates juryo division wrestler):

Won Technique Lost
Terao 6-5 oshidashi +Otsukasa 5-6
Hayateumi 5-6 yorikiri +Kinkaiyama 8-3
Oginishiki 6-5 oshitaoshi Asanowaka 7-4
Kaiho 7-4 oshidashi Toki 6-5
Hamanoshima 6-5 yoritaoshi Tokitsuumi 4-7
Daizen 6-5 yorikiri Shikishima 2-9
Tochinonada 8-3 oshidashi Asanosho 5-6
Oikari 3-8 oshidashi Minatofuji 2-9
Takanowaka 3-8 yoritaoshi Kyokutenho 3-8
Kaio 6-5 yorikiri Kyokushuzan 4-7
Takatoriki 11-0 tsukiotoshi Tosanoumi 5-6
Musoyama 9-2 yorikiri Tamakasuga 4-7
Tochiazuma 5-6 katasukashi Wakanoyama 3-8
Dejima 7-4 yorikiri Chiyotenzan 4-7
Takanonami 5-6 yorikiri Kotoryu 3-8
Musashimaru 9-2 uwatedashinage Akinoshima 4-7
Chiyotaikai 7-4 oshidashi Akebono 8-3
Takanohana 9-2 yorikiri Miyabiyama 8-3

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Main bouts for 12th day of Spring Grand Sumo Tournament

OSAKA, March 22 (Kyodo) - Makuuchi division bouts for Thursday, the 12th day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium (+ denotes juryo division wrestler):

Terao x - x +Kotomitsuki
Oikari x - x +Akinoshu
Hayateumi 0 - 0 Oginishiki
Asanowaka 8 - 7 Hamanoshima
Tokitsuumi 2 - 3 Kaiho
Daizen 0 - 0 Toki
Asanosho 0 - 1 Takanowaka
Kotoryu 6 - 6 Minatofuji
Tamakasuga 0 - 2 Chiyotenzan
Shikishima 1 - 1 Kyokutenho
Tosanoumi 0 - 0 Wakanoyama
Tochinonada 1 - 3 Miyabiyama
Musoyama 21 - 8 Takatoriki
Kyokushuzan 1 - 9 Tochiazuma
Dejima 7 - 6 Akinoshima
Takanohana 6 - 3 Chiyotaikai
Musashimaru 21 - 14 Kaio
Takanonami 5 - 29 Akebono

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Takatoriki keeps sole
lead at 10-0, Musashimaru
suffers second defeat

OSAKA, Japan (AP) - Lower-ranked Takatoriki kept the sole lead at 10-0, while Hawaiian-born yokozuna (grand champion) Musashimaru suffered his second defeat Tuesday, the 10th day of the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.

Two victories behind Takatoriki at 8-2 are five wrestlers - Musashimaru, or Fiamalu Penitani, fellow yokozunas Takanohana and Akebono and sekiwakes (junior champions) Musoyama and Miyabiyama.

Wrestling at Osaka Prefectural Gymnasium, No. 14 maegashira (senior wrestler) Takatoriki held off No. 9 maegashira Oginishiki's driving attempts at the ring's edge and thrust him down, leaving Oginishiki at 5-5.

In the day's final bout, ozeki (champion) Takanonami grabbed Musashimaru's belt tightly and forced him out for his fourth victory against six defeats.

In other major bouts, Takanohana forced out No. 4 maegashira Takanowaka, handing Takanowaka his eighth defeat against two victories.

Akebono, or Hawaiian-born Chad Rowan, grabbed No. 3 maegashira Kotoryu's belt and sent him out, leaving Kotoryu at 3-7.

Chiyotaikai grabbed his fellow ozeki (champion) Dejima's belt and bulldozed him out, leaving both wrestlers at 6-4.

Miyabiyama charged fellow sekiwake Tochiazuma with a series of hand thrusts and sent him out. Tochiazuma falls to 4-6.

Musoyama drove out No. 1 maegashira Kyokushuzan after fighting off Kyokushuzan's initial charge and sidestepping to the right. Kyokushuzan, or Mongolian Batbayar Davaa, is 4-6.

No. 2 maegashira Kyokutenho, or Mongolian Batbayar Tsevegnyam Nyamjav, suffered his seventh defeat against three victories, losing to No. 4 maegashira Minatofuji by a driving technique. Minatofuji is 2-8.

In juryo, just below the senior makuuchi division, No. 7-ranked Hoshitango, or Argentine Imach Marcelo Salomon, pulled down No. 4-ranked Susanoumi for his third victory against seven defeats. Susanoumi is 1-9.

No. 11-ranked Sentoryu, or American Henry Armstrong Miller, sent out No. 11-ranked Wakanojo for his ninth victory against one defeat.

In the makushita, top junior division, No. 19-ranked Asashoyu (3-2), or Mongolian Dolgorsvren Dagvadrj, pushed out No. 24-ranked Kiyonoumi.

No. 22-ranked Wakaazuma (4-1), or Yoshinobu Kuroda from Brazil, was sent out from behind by No. 16-ranked Kasuganishiki.

In sandanme, the second highest junior division, No. 63-ranked Azumaoh (2-3), or Brazilian Yasuto Morita, was toppled by No. 67-ranked Choukozan with a leg trick.

No. 68-ranked Ryuo (2-3), or Wang Yu from Shanghai, China, was pushed out by No. 70-ranked Hokutosho.

In jonokuchi, the lowest junior division, No. 38-ranked Fudoyama (4-1), or Mongolian Nyamjuv Luvsandorj, crushed down No. 36-ranked Takahashi.

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

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Results of Main Sumo Bouts

OSAKA, Japan (AP) - Results of main bouts Wednesday, the 11th day of the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament at Osaka Prefectual Gymnasium:

Winners Losers
Terao (6-5) Otsukasa (juryo) (5-6)
Hayateumi (5-6) Kinkaiyama (juryo) (8-3)
Oginishiki (6-5) Asanowaka (7-4)
Kaiho (6-5) Toki (6-5)
Hamanoshima (6-5) Tokitsuumi (4-7)
Daizen (6-5) Shikishima (2-9)
Tochinonada (8-3) Asanosho (5-6)
Oikari (3-8) Minatofuji (2-9)
Takanowaka (3-8) Kyokutenho (3-8)
Kaio (6-5) Kyokushuzan (4-7)
Takatoriki (11-0) Tosanoumi (5-6)
Musoyama (9-2) Tamakasuga (4-7)
Tochiazuma (5-6) Wakanoyama (3-8)
Dejima (7-4) Chiyotenzan (5-6)
Takanonami (5-6) Kotoryu (3-8)
Musashimaru (9-2) Akinoshima (4-7)
Chiyotaikai (7-4) Akebono (8-3)
Takanohana (9-2) Miyabiyama (8-3)

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Juryo Division

Sentoryu (10-1) Takamisakari (8-3)
Hoshitango (4-7) Wakanojo (4-7)

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Junior Divisions:

Makushita

Hoshiandesu (4-2) Saigo
Kasuganishiki Kuniazuma (5-1)
Kasugaoh (5-1) Kyokutenzan (4-2)

Sandanme

Kaihakusan (4-2) Toho

Jonokuchi

Asasekiryu (5-1) Fudoyama (4-2)
Takahashi Hakuba (3-3)

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

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Thursday's main bouts:

Terao Kotomitsuki (juryo)
Oikari Akinoshu (juryo)
Hayateumi Oginishiki
Asanowaka Hamanoshima
Tokitsuumi Kaiho
Daizen Toki
Asanosho Takanowaka
Kotoryu Minatofuji
Tamakasuga Chiyotenzan
Shikishima Kyokutenho
Tosanoumi Wakanoyama
Tochinonada Miyabiyama
Musoyama Takatoriki
Kyokushuzan Tochiazuma
Dejima Akinoshima
Takanohana Chiyotaikai
Musashimaru Kaio
Takanonami Akebono

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Results in Scoreboard

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Sumo Web
Da Kine Sumo E-zine
Ozumo
Kyodo News Service