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Musashimaru downs
Kaio to cinch title

TOKYO, Sept. 16 (Kyodo) - Yokozuna Musashimaru rammed out newly promoted ozeki Kaio to win the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on Saturday and claim his first Emperor's Cup of the year.

Musashimaru dealt Kaio some devastating thrusts before pitching the ozeki over the straw bales to capture the championship at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan and notch his eighth career title.

Musashimaru will be looking to put the icing on the cake with a 15-0 perfect record Sunday where he will face fellow grand champion Akebono in the final bout of the tournament.

No wrestler has achieved a perfect 15-0 championship since yokozuna Takanohana won all his matches at the autumn tourney in 1996.

The Samoan-born yokozuna remarked that he was "tired" after the bout but that he will do his best to finish the 15-day tournament undefeated.

Akebono (12-2), meanwhile, did everything right in the day's penultimate bout easily bumping ozeki Chiyotaikai (9-5) out of the ring but could do little else but watch from the ringside as Musashimaru took the title.

In other key bouts, Dejima (10-4) burst from the blocks in typical fashion but lurched forward too quickly and handed the initiative to komusubi Takanonami (9-5) who slapped him down for the win.

Ozeki Miyabiyama (8-6), who had been in danger of losing his rank, breathed a sigh of relief after charging out Mongolia's third-ranked maegashira Kyokutenho (4-10) to retain the right to wrestle at sumo's second highest rank.

Sekiwake Musoyama (9-5), desperate to post the 10th win that will assure his return to ozeki, will have to wait until Sunday after No. 10 maegashira Wakanosato (10-4) locked onto the right of the sekiwake's belt before barging him over the ridge.

In earlier bouts, American No. 13 maegashira Sentoryu (4-10) stumbled to a 10th loss after 11th-ranked maegashira Minatofuji flipped the St. Louis native down with a beltless arm throw.

Mongolia's No. 14 maegashira Kyokushuzan slipped to 8-6 as eighth-ranked maegashira Kaiho (7-7) forced the former komusubi out for the win.

Meanwhile, Kotomitsuki assured himself of promotion in November, after claiming the second-tier juryo division title by forcing out No. 15 maegashira Tochisakae (8-6) for a 13-1 record.

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Results of main bouts for
14th day of autumn sumo

TOKYO, Sept. 16 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi division bouts on Saturday, the 14th day of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan (+ denotes juryo division wrestler):

Won Technique Lost
+Kotomitsuki 13-1 oshidashi Tochisakae 8-6
Minatofuji 5-9 sukuinage Sentoryu 4-10
Tamakasuga 7-7 oshidashi Kinkaiyama 5-9
Tokitsuumi 6-8 hatakikomi Aminishiki 7-7
Kaiho 7-7 yorikiri Kyokushuzan 8-6
Asanowaka 6-8 tsukiotoshi Daishi 4-10
Tochinohana 9-5 uwatenage Hamanoshima 8-6
Oginishiki 5-9 yoritaoshi Otsukasa 5-9
Higonoumi 9-5 yorikiri Takanowaka 5-9
Chiyotenzan 5-9 oshitaoshi Toki 5-9
Hayateumi 9-5 yorikiri Kotonowaka 7-7
Takatoriki 5-9 oshidashi Tosanoumi 5-9
Tochinonada 4-10 yorikiri Kotoryu 1-13
Akinoshima 6-8 yorikiri Wakanoyama 7-7
Wakanosato 10-4 uwatenage Musoyama 9-5
Miyabiyama 8-6 yorikiri Kyokutenho 4-10
Takanonami 9-5 hatakikomi Dejima 10-4
Akebono 12-2 yorikiri Chiyotaikai 9-5
Musashimaru 14-0 oshidashi Kaio 10-4

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Sunday's bouts

Kinkaiyama x - x +Wakakosho
Higonoumi x - x +Jumonji
+Daizen x - x Minatofuji
Otsukasa 0 - 0 Tochisakae
Daishi 0 - 0 Aminishiki
Tamakasuga 2 - 2 Tokitsuumi
Kyokushuzan 8 - 4 Asanowaka
Kaiho 1 - 3 Wakanosato
Hamanoshima 0 - 2 Takanowaka
Oginishiki 0 - 0 Sentoryu
Tochinohana 0 - 1 Hayateumi
Chiyotenzan 3 - 2 Tochinonada
Takatoriki 3 - 4 Kotoryu
Tosanoumi 2 - 1 Toki
Wakanoyama 1 - 4 Takanonami
Akinoshima 2 - 1 Kyokutenho
Kotonowaka 10 - 17 Musoyama
Kaio 6 - 2 Miyabiyama
Chiyotaikai 7 - 5 Dejima
Akebono 20 - 16 Musashimaru

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Musashimaru clinches
early tournament
victory at 14-0

TOKYO (AP) - Yokozuna (grand champion) Musashimaru kept his perfect 14-0 record to clinch an early tournament victory Saturday in the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament.

Musashimaru, or Fiamalu Penitani, chased ozeki (champion) Kaio to the ringside after exchanging fierce pushing and slapping, then gave the opponent a final ringside push.

Musashimaru's two-victory margin ahead of his fellow yokozuna Akebono makes him the early winner, his eighth career tournament victory.

Akebono, or Chad Rowan, also won Saturday and stands at 12-2, followed by two ozekis Kaio and Dejima and lower-ranked Wakanosato, who are 10-4.

"I did my best so I don't have to wait until tomorrow," Musashimaru, with sweat pouring down his face, said in a nationally-televised TV interview.

Musashimaru said, however, he still has a major goal to accomplish - a victory with the perfect 15-0 record.

Akebono gripped ozeki Chiyotaikai's "mawashi" loin belt, dragged him to the ringside and gave him a decisive push. Chiyotaikai slipped to 9-5.

In Sunday's final bout, the two Hawaiian-born wrestlers will face each other.

In other major bouts Saturday, No. 12 maegashira Sentoryu (4-10), or American Henry Armstrong Miller from St. Louis, Missouri, was pushed to the ringside and thrown down by No. 11 maegashira Minatofuji (5-9).

Ozeki Miyabiyama gripped No. 3 maegashira Kyokutenho from both sides and bulldozed him out for his eighth victory against six losses. Kyokutenho, or Mongolian Tsevegnyam Nyamjav, fell to 4-10.

Another Mongolian, No. 14 maegashira Kyokushuzan, or Batbayar Davaa, was pushed out by No. 8 maegashira Kaiho (7-7) despite his last-ditch struggles to remain inside the ring.

In the 26-member juryo division just below the senior makuuchi, No. 7-ranked Asashoryu (9-5), or Mongolian Dolgorsvren Dagvadrj, shoved out No. 13-ranked Wakanojo (5-9).

No. 9-ranked Kuniazuma (9-5), or Brazilian Vander Ramos, lost against No. 9-ranked Wakatsutomu (9-5) by default as he withdrew from the tournament after dislocating his left wrist during Friday's bout.

In makushita, the top junior division, No. 9-ranked Hoshiandesu (2-5), or Argentine Jose Antonio Juarez, was pushed out by No. 10-ranked Toshinyama. No. 18-ranked Wakaazuma (4-3), or Yoshinobu Kuroda from Brazil, pushed out No. 23-ranked Hokutohikari.

In sandanme, the second-highest junior division, No. 65-ranked Azumaoh (5-2), or Brazilian Yasuto Morita, drove out No. 68-ranked Otsuna.

In jonidan, the third-highest junior division, No. 82-ranked Kitakasuga (4-3), or Mongolian Tsolmonbayar Munkhbat, was thrown down by No. 83-ranked Kotohirayama. No. 96-ranked Ryukizan (4-3), or South Korean Kim Soo-young, suffered an overarm throw by No. 100-ranked Izuka.

In sumo's lowest division of jonokuchi, No. 41-ranked Daionji (6-1), or Mongolian Ulziibayar Ulziijargal, bulldozed out No. 19-ranked Miyajima.

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

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