Musashimaru still flawless

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FUKUOKA, Nov. 12 (Kyodo) -- Yokozuna Musashimaru did his best juggernaut impression Tuesday, running over No. 3 maegashira Tamakasuga to preserve his flawless record on the third day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.

But Kyushu's favorite son Kaio was stunned by maegashira top gun Tosanoumi and was joined by Tochiazuma and Musoyama on the ozeki scrap heap as all three suffered embarrassing losses at Fukuoka Kokusai Center.

Chiyotaikai rebounded from Monday's loss but Mongolian bully Asashoryu was the only ozeki to keep his slate clean with a third win to join Musashimaru and unbeaten rank-and-filers Tochinonada and Aminishiki in a four-way tie for the early lead.

A sore left wrist had hampered Musashimaru's preparations for the 15-day meet but the powerhouse showed no signs of discomfort as he gave his lower-ranked opponent a proper hiding to wrap up the day's actions.

The grand champion, gunning for his fourth title of the year, smothered Tamakasuga at the center of the ring and showed strong lower-body technique and power as he bulldozed the winless maegashira over the straw bales with a pair of trademark shoves.

Musashimaru took his career total of wins in sumo's elite makuuchi division to 700. His opening-day victory Sunday moved him past yokozuna rival Takanohana into fourth on the all-time list.

With injury-plagued Takanohana pulling out at the eleventh hour due to a niggling knee injury, Kaio had been tipped as a possible threat to Musashimaru's campaign for a 13th Emperor's Cup.

But despite being roared on by a fiercely partisan crowd, Kaio looked anything but a title contender, losing the plot as he was outmaneuvered before being marched out sideways to a first loss by Tosanoumi (2-1).

Tochiazuma (1-2), who needs eight wins to keep his rank, was handed his second upset defeat after being pinged around the ring like a rubber ball and wrenched down with a left-hand belt grip by Takanowaka, who claimed his second ozeki scalp in as many days.

Musoyama (2-1) was next to go, allowing resurgent sekiwake Kotomitsuki to instantly yank him down at the face-off, leaving both men with 2-1 records.

Asashoryu, wrestling in his second tournament as ozeki, managed to restore some pride with a convincing force-out win over winless No. 2 maegashira Hokutoriki.

Chiyotaikai (2-1) thwarted Miyabiyama's attempt to chalk his second ozeki victim scalp in three days as he freed himself from a one-handed neck clamp and jumped to his left to send the former ozeki sprawling onto the sandy surface.

Results

FUKUOKA, Nov. 12 (Kyodo) - Results of makuuchi-division bouts Tuesday, the third day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament at Fukuoka Kokusai Center (+denotes juryo-division wrestler):

Won		Technique	Lost
Aogiyama	1-2	oshidashi	Asanowaka	1-2
+Takanotsuru	2-1	yorikiri	Akinoshima	2-1
Iwakiyama	2-1	oshidashi	Jumonji	2-1
Tamarikido	1-2	yorikiri	Dejima	1-2
Wakanoyama	2-1	oshidashi	Tochinohana	1-2
Kotonowaka	2-1	uwatenage	Tochisakae	0-3
Tokitsuumi	2-1	sukuinage	Buyuzan	0-3
Tochinonada	3-0	yorikiri	Ushiomaru	1-2
Shimotori	2-1	hatakikomi	Kaiho	1-2
Aminishiki	3-0	oshidashi	Kyokushuzan	1-2
Takamisakari	2-1	oshidashi	Toki	1-2
Kotoryu	1-2	katasukashi	Tamanoshima	0-3
Takanonami	2-1	yorikiri	Gojoro	1-2
Kyokutenho	1-2	yorikiri	Wakanosato	1-2
Chiyotaikai	2-1	tsukiotoshi	Miyabiyama	1-2
Tosanoumi	2-1	yorikiri	Kaio	2-1
Takanowaka	2-1	uwatenage	Tochiazuma	1-2
Kotomitsuki	2-1	tsukiotoshi	Musoyama	2-1
Asashoryu	3-0	yorikiri	Hokutoriki	0-3
Musashimaru	3-0	oshidashi	Tamakasuga	0-3

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Wednesday's bouts

(+ indicates juryo division wrestler):

Tamarikido	x	-	x	+Komahikari
Tochinohana	3	-	1	Asanowaka
Akinoshima	2	-	2	Tochisakae
Buyuzan	2	-	1	Jumonji
Aogiyama	0	-	0	Iwakiyama
Kotonowaka	6	-	9	Dejima
Ushiomaru	0	-	1	Wakanoyama
Toki	5	-	5	Kaiho
Aminishiki	4	-	4	Tokitsuumi
Kyokushuzan	3	-	4	Tochinonada
Kotoryu	0	-	2	Shimotori
Tamakasuga	3	-	0	Gojoro
Takamisakari	1	-	0	Tamanoshima
Wakanosato	4	-	6	Miyabiyama
Asashoryu	8	-	1	Takanowaka
Kotomitsuki	1	-	6	Chiyotaikai
Kaio	8	-	0	Kyokutenho
Tochiazuma	13	-	13	Takanonami
Tosanoumi	14	-	14	Musoyama
Musashimaru	1	-	0	Hokutoriki

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