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Musashimaru moves
within 1 win of Emperors
Cup in autumn sumo

TOKYO, Sept. 15 (Kyodo) - Yokozuna Musashimaru slapped down ozeki Chiyotaikai on Friday for a 13th straight win at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament to leave himself just one win away from his first championship of the year.

Musashimaru opened up a two-win advantage after ozeki Dejima did his Musashigawa-beya stablemate a favor by saddling grand champion Akebono with a second loss only two days from end of the 15-day event at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.

In the Friday's penultimate bout Chiyotaikai (9-4) looked in a determined mood as the ozeki charged out of his crouch forcing Musashimaru to retreat to the edge of the ring.

But just as the Samoan-born Musashimaru was preparing to launch his own attack, Chiyotaikai slipped and his right knee gave way to hand the defending champion the win and almost certainly an eighth Emperors Cup.

Yokozuna Akebono saw his chance to snag back-to-back titles all but disappear with a second loss at 11-2 after Dejima (10-3) took the full force of his initial charge before cleverly dodging to the left and sending the Hawaiian-born giant sprawling to the dirt.

Kaio (10-3) notched up an impressive 10th win over Wakanoyama (7-6) as the newly-promoted ozeki twisted the sixth-ranked maegashira to the right before slamming him onto the dirt.

Tochinohana (8-5) posted a winning record with an upset victory over ozeki Miyabiyama (7-6) as the No. 7 maegashira charged into the his left side before flipping him over with a twisting backward knee trip.

Meanwhile, Sekiwake Musoyama (9-4) wasted no time in blasting out No. 5 maegashira Takanowaka (5-8) and can return to sumo's second highest rank of ozeki with a win over 10th-ranked maegashira Wakanosato on Saturday.

Mongolia's Kyokutenho (4-9) could only backpedal to a ninth loss as No. 5 maegashira Oginishiki easily barged the third-ranked maegashira out for the win.

In earlier bouts, No. 11 maegashira Otsukasa (5-8) pulled down America's 13th ranked maegashira Sentoryu (4-9) while No. 4 juryo wrestler Kotomitsuki forced out 14th ranked maegashira Kyokushuzan (8-5), also from Mongolia for a 12-1 record in sumo's second tier.

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Results of main bouts for
13th day of autumn sumo

TOKYO, Sept. 15 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi division bouts on Friday, the 13th day of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan (+ denotes juryo division wrestler):

Won Technique Lost
+Aogiyama 5-8 oshidashi Daishi 4-9
+Kotomitsuki 12-1 yoritaoshi Kyokushuzan 8-5
+Jumonji 8-5 yorikiri Minatofuji 4-9
Otsukasa 5-8 uwatenage Sentoryu 4-9
Tokitsuumi 5-8 yorikiri Hamanoshima 8-5
Aminishiki 7-6 hikiotoshi Tochisakae 8-5
Asanowaka 5-8 okuridashi Kinkaiyama 5-8
Higonoumi 8-5 oshidashi Toki 5-8
Tamakasuga 6-7 oshidashi Takatoriki 4-9
Oginishiki 4-9 oshidashi Kyokutenho 4-9
Hayateumi 8-5 yorikiri Wakanosato 9-4
Kaiho 6-7 shitatenage Kotoryu 1-12
Tosanoumi 5-8 tsukiotoshi Tochinonada 3-10
Takanonami 8-5 uwatenage Kotonowaka 7-6
Chiyotenzan 4-9 tsukuinage Akinoshima 5-8
Musoyama 9-4 yorikiri Takanowaka 5-8
Tochinohana 8-5 kirikaeshi Miyabiyama 7-6
Kaio 10-3 uwatenage Wakanoyama 7-6
Musashimaru 13-0 hikiotoshi Chiyotaikai 9-4
Dejima 10-3 hatakikomi Akebono 11-2

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Saturday's bouts

Tochisakae x - x +Kotomitsuki
Sentoryu 0 - 1 Minatofuji
Tamakasuga 1 - 0 Kinkaiyama
Tokitsuumi 0 - 1 Aminishiki
Kaiho 3 - 5 Kyokushuzan
Daishi 5 - 3 Asanowaka
Tochinohana 0 - 0 Hamanoshima
Oginishiki 0 - 0 Otsukasa
Higonoumi 0 - 1 Takanowaka
Chiyotenzan 4 - 3 Toki
Kotonowaka 1 - 1 Hayateumi
Tosanoumi 9 - 11 Takatoriki
Tochinonada 5 - 2 Kotoryu
Akinoshima 5 - 0 Wakanoyama
Wakanosato 1 - 1 Musoyama
Kyokutenho 0 - 1 Miyabiyama
Takanonami 6 - 10 Dejima
Akebono 5 - 4 Chiyotaikai
Kaio 15 - 22 Musashimaru

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Musashimaru perfect
at 13-0, Akebono loses

TOKYO (AP) - Yokozuna (grand champion) Musashimaru improved his perfect record to 13-0 to stay in the lead of the 15-day Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament, but fellow yokozuna Akebono suffered his second loss Friday with only two days left.

Akebono slipped to 11-2 but remained just behind Musashimaru and was trailed by two ozekis (champions) Kaio and Dejima at 10-3.

Musashimaru, or Fiamalu Penitani, grabbed ozeki Chiyotaikai by the shoulders and pulled him down. Chiyotaikai fell to 9-4.

Akebono, or Chad Rowan, was slapped down by Dejima.

Both Musashimaru and Akebono are originally from Hawaii.

Kaio tightly gripped the mawashi, or loin belt, of No. 6 maegashira (senior wrestler) Wakanoyama (7-6) to heave him down.

In other major bouts, No. 12 maegashira Sentoryu, or American Henry Armstrong Miller from St. Louis, Missouri, was pulled by the neck and thrown down by No. 11 maegashira Otsukasa (5-8), slipping to 4-9.

No. 3 maegashira Kyokutenho, or Mongolian Tsevegnyam Nyamjav, was shoved out by No. 5 maegashira Oginishiki, leaving both at 4-9.

Another Mongolian, No. 14 maegashira Kyokushuzan (8-5), or Batbayar Davaa, was gripped by the loin belt, dragged to the ringside and thrown to the ground by Kotomitsuki (12-1), No. 4-ranked in the lower division of juryo.

Kotomitsuki was wrestling in the senior division to fill in for one of the two wrestlers - sekiwake (junior champion) Tochiazuma and No. 7 maegashira Takamisakari - sitting out since midway through he tournament because of injuries.

In the 26-member juryo division just below the senior makuuchi, No. 7-ranked Asashoryu (8-5), or Mongolian Dolgorsvren Dagvadrj, pushed out No. 6-ranked Terao (7-6). No. 9-ranked Kuniazuma (9-4), or Brazilian Vander Ramos, threw down No. 10-ranked Juzan (8-5).

In makushita, the top junior division, No. 8-ranked Hoshitango (6-1), or Argentine Imach Marcelo Salomon, threw down No. 1-ranked Toyozakura.

In sandanme, the second-highest junior division, No. 45-ranked Asashoryu (6-1), or Mongolian Badaarch Dashunyam, was slapped down by No. 31-ranked Hokutowaka. No. 90-ranked Takaoh (3-4), or Wang Yu from China, shoved out No. 85-ranked Gotsukasa.

In jonidan, the third-highest junior division, No. 54-ranked Ryuo (4-3), or Mongolian Erkhem Ochirsanchirbold, pushed out No. 53-ranked Fukutsukasa.

Fellow Mongolian Nyamjuv Luvsandorj, wrestling as No. 59-ranked Fudoyama (3-4), also drove out No. 64-ranked Otokoyama. No. 97-ranked Daibanjaku (5-2), or Batsukh Khaidavmunkh, also from Mongolia, shoved out No. 114-ranked Masunoumi.

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

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Results of main sumo bouts

TOKYO (AP) - Results of main bouts Friday, the 13th day of the 15-day Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena:

Winners Losers
Aogiyama (juryo) (5-8) Daishi (4-9)
Kotomitsuki (juryo) (12-1) Kyokushuzan(8-5)
Jumonji (juryo) (8-5) Minatofuji(4-9)
Otsukasa (5-8) Sentoryu (4-9)
Tokitsuumi (5-8) Hamanoshima (8-5)
Aminishiki (7-6) Tochisakae (8-5)
Asanowaka (5-8) Kinkaiyama (5-8)
Higonoumi (8-5) Toki (5-8)
Tamakasuga (6-7) Takatoriki (4-9)
Oginishiki (4-9) Kyokutenho (4-9)
Hayateumi (8-5) Wakanosato (9-4)
Kaiho (6-7) Kotoryu (1-12)
Tosanoumi (5-8) Tochinonada (3-10)
Takanonami (8-5) Kotonowaka (7-6)
Chiyotenzan (4-9) Akinoshima (5-8)
Musoyama (9-4) Takanowaka (5-8)
Tochinohana (8-5) Miyabiyama (7-6)
Kaio (10-3) Wakanoyama (7-6)
Musashimaru (13-0) Chiyotaikai (9-4)
Dejima (10-3) Akebono (11-2)

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Juryo Division

Asashoryu (8-5) Terao (7-6)
Kuniazuma (9-4) Juzan (8-5)

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Junior Divisions:

Makushita

Hoshitango (6-1) Toyozakura

Sandanme

Hokutowaka Asashoryu (6-1)
Takaoh (3-4) Gotsukasa

Jonidan

Ryuo (4-3) Fukutsukasa
Fudoyama (3-4) Otokoyama
Masunoumi Daibanjaku (5-2)

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

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Saturday's main bouts:

Tochisakae Kotomitsuki (juryo)
Sentoryu Minatofuji
Tamakasuga Kinkaiyama
Tokitsuumi Aminishiki
Kaiho Kyokushuzan
Daishi Asanowaka
Tochinohana Hamanoshima
Oginishiki Otsukasa
Higonoumi Takanowaka
Chiyotenzan Toki
Kotonowaka Hayateumi
Tosanoumi Takatoriki
Tochinonada Kotoryu
Akinoshima Wakanoyama
Wakanosato Musoyama
Kyokutenho Miyabiyama
Takanonami Dejima
Akebono Chiyotaikai
Kaio Musashimaru

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Results in Scoreboard

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