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Akebono falls to
1st defeat in Nagoya

NAGOYA, July 22 (Kyodo) - Yokozuna Akebono fell to his first defeat of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament at the hands of Chiyotaikai on Saturday while Kaio took a big step toward promotion to ozeki with an upset victory over grand champion Musashimaru.

A mere 24 hours after Akebono had assured himself of the championship, Chiyotaikai pulled the yokozuna down at center ring of Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium for his 11th win of the meet and denied the Hawaiian giant a chance for his first 15-0 perfect record.

Both wrestlers went for the kill right away in a match that turned into a free-for-all as Akebono chased after the rapidly retreating ozeki around the ring.

Chiyotaikai, wrestling for pride rather than the hardware, timed one of Akebono's lunges just right, stepping to the right and slapping down his 230-kilogram opponent to the ring's surface.

In other key bouts, sekiwake Kaio took a big step toward promotion to sumo's second highest rank of ozeki, tripping up grand champion Musashimaru (9-5) for his 10th win of the tourney and his second yokozuna scalp.

Kaio, who won the summer tourney in May with a 14-1 record, has also defeated three ozeki in Nagoya to strengthen his chances of being promoted to the rank for September.

Sekiwake Tochiazuma also notched his 11th win against Takatoriki (8-6) by pulling out a last-ditch throw at the edge to defeat the pesky eighth-ranked maegashira.

Ozeki Dejima posted win No. 10 as he ousted Mongolia's seventh-ranked maegashira Kyokutenho (9-5) while Musashigawa stablemate Musoyama (4-10) twisted down fifth-ranked maegashira Hayateumi (7-7).

Newly promoted ozeki Miyabiyama (5-9) stumbled to defeat in a close encounter with sekiwake Takanonami (6-8), who beat him with an underarm throw.

No. 8 maegashira Kyokushuzan, fighting one rank lower than Mongolian compatriot Kyokutenho, slipped to his 10th loss as 14th-ranked Kinkaiyama lifted him out of the ring to improve to 7-7.

American No. 13 maegashira Sentoryu (8-6), making his makuuchi division debut, secured promotion as the St. Louis, Missouri native forced out 11th-ranked Tokitsuumi, also 8-6.

Results of main bouts on
14th day of Nagoya sumo

NAGOYA, July 22 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi division bouts Saturday, the 14th day of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium (+ denotes juryo division wrestler):

Won Technique Lost

Shikishima 3-11 oshidashi +Terao 6-8
Otsukasa 8-6 yorikiri +Daishi 10-4
Sentoryu 8-6 tsukiotoshi Tokitsuumi 8-6
Hamanoshima 6-8 yorikiri Aogiyama 5-9
Daizen 4-10 tsukiotoshi +Kotonishiki 7-7
Kinkaiyama 7-7 tsuridashi Kyokushuzan 4-10
Chiyotenzan 10-4 yorikiri Kotonowaka 8-6
Kaiho 7-7 kirikaeshi Aminishiki 9-5
Takamisakari 10-4 tsukiotoshi Kotoryu 8-6
Tochinonada 6-8 makiotoshi Minatofuji 6-8
Asanowaka 4-10 oshidashi Higonoumi 4-10
Oginishiki 6-8 oshidashi Toki 5-9
Akinoshima 7-7 hikiotoshi Wakanoyama 7-7
Tosanoumi 7-7 oshidashi Tochinohana 5-9
Takanowaka 6-8 sotogake Tamakasuga 2-12
Tochiazuma 11-3 okuritaoshi Takatoriki 8-6
Musoyama 4-10 tsukiotoshi Hayateumi 7-7
Dejima 10-4 oshidashi Kyokutenho 9-5
Takanonami 6-8 shitatenage Miyabiyama 5-9
Kaio 10-4 uwatedashinage Musashimaru 9-5
Chiyotaikai 11-3 hatakikomi Akebono 13-1

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Sunday's bouts

Aogiyama x - x +Terao
Hamanoshima 5 - 9 Minatofuji
Takamisakari 0 - 0 Takatoriki
Kotonowaka 2 - 0 Kinkaiyama
Otsukasa 0 - 2 Kotoryu
Kaiho 3 - 4 Kyokushuzan
Daizen 1 - 3 Higonoumi
Tochinonada 4 - 2 Shikishima
Tokitsuumi 0 - 3 Takanowaka
Toki 0 - 0 Sentoryu
Aminishiki 0 - 0 Tochinohana
Akinoshima 1 - 1 Kyokutenho
Asanowaka 2 - 5 Tamakasuga
Tosanoumi 0 - 0 Hayateumi
Chiyotenzan 0 - 5 Takanonami
Kaio 1 - 0 Wakanoyama
Oginishiki 2 - 8 Musoyama
Dejima 6 - 8 Tochiazuma
Chiyotaikai 3 - 2 Miyabiyama
Akebono 20 - 15 Musashimaru

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Akebono suffers first
loss in Nagoya

NAGOYA, Japan (AP) - Hawaiian-born yokozuna (grand champion) Akebono fell for the first time in 14 matches Saturday, losing to ozeki (champion) Chiyotaikai with one day remaining in the 15-day Nagoya Grand Sumo tournament.

Akebono, or Chad Rowan, clinched the tournament title Friday - his first championship in three years - by defeating ozeki Miyabiyama.

That leaves much of the attention focused on sekiwake (junior champion) Kaio, who is seeking promotion to ozeki, sumo's second highest rank. Kaio defeated yokozuna Musashimaru, or Fiamalu Penitani of Hawaii, to raise his record to 10-4 and put himself in a five-way tie for third place.

At the Aichi Prefectural (state) Gymnasium in central Japan, Akebono, 13-1, was kept off-balance by a quicker Chiyotaikai, who used the whole ring to attack and then retreat from the larger wrestler.

Chiyotaikai drove his hand into the back of the lunging Akebono to push him down, prompting many fans to hurl their blue cushions into the ring in celebration of the upset.

Chiyotaikai improved to 11-3 with the win, putting him in a second-place tie with sekiwake (junior champion) Tochiazuma.

They are followed in third place by five wrestlers at 10-4: Kaio, ozeki Dejima, and maegashiras (senior wrestler) Takamisakari, Chiyotenzan and Daishi, the No.9 ranked wrestler in the juryo division, a step below the top makuuchi division.

Kaio won by tripping Musashimaru after the pair spent most of the 1-minute, 45-second match deadlocked. Most sumo bouts last just 15 or 20 seconds.

In other bouts, Dejima recovered after almost falling down to push No. 7 maegashira Kyokutenho, or Tsevengnyam Nyamjav from Mongolia, out of the ring. Kyokutenho, 9-5, is in a three-way tie for fourth place with No. 13 maegashira Aminishiki and Musashimaru.

No. 11 maegashira Takamisakari regained his balance after being pushed to the edge of the ring by Kotoryu, using his arm to drive the No. 6-ranked maegashira down to the ground. Kotoryu is 8-6.

No. 9 maegashira Chiyotenzan wrapped his leg around Kotonowaka's bandaged knee and pushed the No. 7 ranked maegashira out of the ring. Kotonowaka is 8-6.

Daishi grabbed No. 12 maegashira Otsukasa by the belt and pushed him out of the ring.

No. 13 maegashira Sentoryu, or American Henry Armstrong Miller from St. Louis, Missouri, pushed down No. 11 maegashira Tokitsuumi. Both wrestlers are 8-6.

No. 8 maegashira Kyokushuzan, or Mongolian Batbayar Davaa, was defeated by No. 14 maegashira Kinkaiyama, who lifted him up and out of the ring. Kyokushuzan fell to 4-10 while Kinkaiyama evened his record at 7-7.

In the 26-member juryo division just below the senior makuuchi division, No. 8-ranked Hoshitango, 0-14, or Argentine Imach Marcelo Salomon, was defeated by Tomonohana, 6-8.

In makushita, the top junior division, No. 14-ranked Hoshiandensu, 4-3, or Mongolian Dolgorsvren Dagvadrj, defeated No. 10-ranked Ogura. No. 42-ranked Kyokutenzan, or Mongolian Enkhbat Batmunkha, downed No. 35-ranked Kotokuni. Kyokutenzan is 4-3.

In Jonidan, the third-highest junior division, No. 52-ranked Kitakasuga, Mongolian Tsolmonbayar Munkhbat, was defeated by Yamagashira, ranked 59th, and fell to 2-5. No. 80-ranked Ryukizan, or Kim Soo-young of South Korea, lost to No.85-ranked Maeda. Ryukizan is 3-4.

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

Results of main sumo bouts

NAGOYA, Japan (AP) - Results of main bouts Saturday, the 14th day of the 15-day Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium:

Winners Losers

Shikishima (3-11) Terao (6-8)
Otsukasa (8-6) Daishi (10-4)
Sentoryu (8-6) Tokitsuumi (8-6)
Hamanoshima (6-8) Aogiyama (5-9)
Daizen (4-10) Kotonishiki (7-7)
Kinkaiyama (7-7) Kyokushuzan (4-10)
Chiyotenzan (10-4) Kotonowaka (8-6)
Kaiho (7-7) Aminishiki (9-5)
Takamisakari (10-4) Kotoryu (8-6)
Tochinonada (8-6) Minatofuji (8-6)
Asanowaka (4-10) Higonoumi (4-10)
Oginishiki (6-8) Toki (5-9)
Akinoshima (7-7) Wakanoyama (7-7)
Tosanoumi (7-7) Tochinohana (5-9)
Takanowaka (6-8) Tamakasuga (2-12)
Tochiazuma (11-3) Takatoriki (8-6)
Musoyama (4-10) Hayateumi (7-7)
Dejima (10-4) Kyokutenho (9-5)
Takanonami (6-8) Miyabiyama (5-9)
Kaio (10-4) Musashimaru (9-5)
Chiyotaikai (11-3) Akebono (13-1)

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Juryo Division

Kuniazuma (4-3) Tomikaze (5-9)
Tomonohana (6-8) Hoshitango (0-14)
Wakakosho (7-7) Tamanokuni (7-7)
Kitazakura (6-8) Mitoizumi (5-7)
Tochisakae (11-3) Kotoiwakuni (7-7)
Kotomitsuki (8-6) Kitakachidoki (5-9)
Toyozakura (3-11) Yotsukasa (6-8)
Tamarikido (9-5) Wakanojo (7-7)
Oikari (8-6) Gojoro (8-6)
Jumonji (7-7) Tamanonada (6-8)
Wakanosato (12-2) Hamanishiki (9-5)

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Junior Divisions:

Makushita

Hoshiandesu (4-3) Ogura
Kyokutenzan (4-3) Kotokuni

Jonidan

Yamagashira Kitakasuga (2-5)
Ryukizan (3-4) Maeda

(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:

Aogiyama Terao
Hamanoshima Minatofuji
Takamisakari Takatoriki
Kotonowaka Kinkaiyama
Otsukasa Kotoryu
Kaiho Kyokushuzan
Daizen Higonoumi
Tochinonada Shikishima
Tokitsuumi Takanowaka
Toki Sentoryu
Aminishiki Tochinohana
Akinoshima Kyokutenho
Asanowaka Tamakasuga
Tosanoumi Hayateumi
Chiyotenzan Takanonami
Kaio Wakanoyama
Oginishiki Musoyama
Dejima Tochiazuma
Chiyotaikai Miyabiyama
Akebono Musashimaru

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