Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
Sumo
TOKYO, Sept. 17 (Kyodo) -- Akebono muscled out Musashimaru on the final day of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday to saddle his fellow yokozuna with his only loss of the 15-day event. Akebono spoils
final day for
Musashimaru in
autumn sumoMusashimaru, who had secured his eighth Emperors Cup and first title of the year on Saturday, finished the championship at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan with a 14-1 record while Akebono's victory lifted the Hawaiian giant to his 13th win.
In Sunday's finale, Akebono locked onto Musahimaru's sash and marched his Samoan-born rival to the edge of the ring before getting in a final shove that saw Musashimaru land in the front row of seats.
Musashimaru, however, refused to let the defeat dampen his championship spirits.
"I haven't been in such good shape this year, but I trained really hard and lost about 20 kilograms for this tournament. So, I'm pleased to have won the title," Musashimaru said in the post-tourney interview.
"I couldn't win all of my matches this time so I'll give it my best shot at the Kyushu tournament in November," he added.
In Sunday's other key bouts, sekiwake Musoyama (10-5) tore into Wakanoyama (7-8) at the face-off before blasting the sixth-ranked maegashira out of the ring to register the required 10th win that assures him a return to sumo's second highest rank of ozeki in Kyushu.
Newly promoted ozeki Kaio finished an impressive tourney with a convincing 11th win by tossing out fellow ozeki Miyabiyama (8-7).
Chiyotaikai forced out Dejima in another battle of ozeki to leave both men with a tourney record of 10-5.
In other bouts American No. 12 maegashira Sentoryu's second tournament in the makuuchi division ended with a losing 5-10 record despite slapping down fifth-ranked maegashira Oginishiki (5-10) for a final-day win.
Mongolia's No. 14 maegashira Kyokushuzan closed with a 9-6 record after disposing of eighth-ranked maegashira Asanowaka (6-9) with an overarm throw.
Compatriot Kyokutenho's tournament, on the other hand, hit rock bottom as the No. 3 maegashira crashed to his 11th defeat at the hands of komusubi Akinoshima (7-8).
TOKYO, Sept. 17 (Kyodo) -- Results of makuuchi division bouts on Sunday, the final day of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan (+ denotes juryo division wrestler): Results
Won -- Technique -- Lost
+Wakakosho 12-3 -- oshidashi -- Kinkaiyama 5-10
Higonoumi 10-5 -- tsukiotoshi -- +Jumonji 9-6
Minatofuji 6-9 -- shitatenage -- +Daizen 7-8
Otsukasa 6-9 -- oshidashi -- Tochisakae 8-7
Daishi 5-10 -- hatakikomi -- Aminishiki 7-8
Tokitsuumi 7-8 -- yoritaoshi -- Tamakasuga 7-8
Kyokushuzan 9-6 -- uwatenage -- Asanowaka 6-9
Wakanosato 11-4 -- uwatedashinage -- Kaiho 7-8
Hamanoshima 9-6 -- yorikiri -- Takanowaka 5-10
Sentoryu 5-10 -- hatakikomi -- Oginishiki 5-10
Tochinohana 5-10 -- shitatenage -- Hayateumi 9-6
Chiyotenzan 6-9 -- sukuinage -- Tochinonada 4-11
Takatoriki 6-9 -- oshidashi -- Kotoryu 1-14
Toki 6-9 -- tsukiotoshi -- Tosanoumi 5-10
Wakanoyama 8-7 -- oshidashi -- Takanonami 9-6
Akinoshima 7-8 -- yorikiri -- Kyokutenho 4-11
Musoyama 10-5 -- oshidashi -- Kotonowaka 7-8
Kaio 11-4 -- uwatenage -- Miyabiyama 8-7
Chiyotaikai 10-5 -- oshidashi -- Dejima 10-5
Akebono 13-2 -- yorikiri -- Musashimaru 14-1
Division winners
Makuuchi - Musashimaru, Musashigawa stable, 14-1
Juryo - Kotomitsuki, Sadogatake stable, 14-1
Makushita - Sumanofuji, Nakamura stable, 7-0
Sandanme - Hokutowaka, Hakkaku stable, 7-0
Jonidan - Ito, Kasugano stable, 7-0
Jonokuchi - Muranaka, Mihogaseki stable, 7-0
(Note: Wrestlers in sumo's four junior divisions compete in only seven bouts per tournament.)
Special awards for makuuchi division
Outstanding Performance Award - No award given
Technique Prize - Hayateumi, Oitekaze stable (1st), Tochinohana, Kasugano stable (2nd)
Fighting Spirit Prize - Wakanosato, Naruto stable (2nd)
Juryo Division
Kitazakura (6-9) Asashoryu (9-6)
Junior Divisions:
MakushitaSaigo Kyokutenzan (1-6)
Kasugaoh (5-2) WakayukiSandanme
Asakiumi Kaihakusan (4-3)
Fujinawa Orora (2-5)
(Junior division wrestlers have only seven bouts during the tournament. Records of foreign wrestlers' opponents were not available.)
Results in Scoreboard
For more sumo information online, try:
Sumo Web
Da Kine Sumo E-zine
Ozumo
Kyodo News Service