Asashoryu wins, stays one off pace

Grand champion Asashoryu overpowered Tokitenku on Saturday to remain one win behind co-leaders Tochiazuma and Hokutoriki at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.

Ozeki Tochiazuma slams down No. 3 maegashira Takekaze to stay undefeated with a 7-0 record Saturday at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan.

In the day's final bout at Ryogoku Kokugikan, Mongolian Asashoryu had his hands full against the determined top maegahsira but finally prevailed when he used an arm throw to send Tokitenku sprawling to the dirt surface.

Asashoryu, who improved to 6-1, won all six tournaments last year and is gunning for a record eighth straight Emperor's Cup in the New Year tourney. Tokitenku dropped to 1-6.

Ozeki Tochiazuma, who needs a winning record to maintain his status, held on to his share of the lead at 7-0 after swatting down third-ranked maegashira Takekaze, who fell to 1-6.

Mongolian Hakuho relinquished his share of the lead when he stepped out in a bout with third-ranked maegashira Tochinohana.

Sekiwake Hakuho was pushed back after the faceoff and stepped out with his left foot to fall to 6-1. Tochinohana improved to 2-5.

Bulgarian ozeki Kotooshu muscled out winless komusubi Kyokutenho after forcing the Mongolian to the edge of the ring shortly after the faceoff.

Kotooshu, who was promoted to sumo's second highest rank in November, picked up his fifth win against a pair of losses.

In an earlier bout, No. 11 maegashira Hokutoriki forced out 15th-ranked Wakatoba to remain tied for the lead at 7-0. Wakatoba dropped to 2-5.

Asashoryu picks up fifth win of basho

Grand champion Asashoryu of Mongolia defeated compatriot Kyokutenho on Friday to remain one win off the pace at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament. In the day's final bout at Ryogoku Kokugikan, Asashoryu twisted down winless komusubi Koyokutenho to improve to 5-1. Ozeki Tochiazuma, Mongolian Hakuho and rank-and-filer Hokutoriki share the lead at 6-0.

Asashoryu won all six tournaments last year and is gunning for a record eighth straight Emperor's Cup in the New Year tourney.

In other major bouts, Bulgarian Kotooshu, who is making his ozeki debut, bounced back from Thursday's loss to Kokkai with a hard-fought win over Miyabiyama.

Kotooshu got a hold of Miyabiyama's belt shortly after the faceoff and used his weight advantage to topple the top maegashira while picking up his fourth win against two losses. Miyabiyama stands at 2-4.

Tochiazuma barely broke a sweat and remained perfect when he forced out No. 3 maegashira Tochinohana, who was handed his fifth loss.

Sekiwake Hakuho also stayed undefeated at 6-0 when he overpowered No. 2 maegashira Kokkai, who dropped to 3-3 in the 15-day tournament.

Kokkai defeated Asashoryu and Kotooshu earlier in the tournament but couldn't pull off another upset against the determined Mongolian.

Hokutoriki, a No. 11 maegashira, shoved out 13th-ranked Tochisakae to maintain a share of the lead at 6-0.

No. 7 maegashira Kakizoe shoved Hakurozan out to improve to 5-1 while handing the struggling fourth-ranked maegashira his fifth loss.

Kokkai hands Kotooshu second defeat

Giant-killer Kokkai of Georgia claimed another scalp Thursday when he bashed up Kotooshu to condemn the newly promoted ozeki to his second defeat at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.

Georgia's No. 2 maegashira Kokkai unleashes a neck throw to ozeki Kotooshu to hand him second loss of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.

There was no such surprise in store for record-hungry yokozuna Asashoryu, however, as the fiery Mongolian outclassed Russian Roho in the day's finale at Ryogoku Kokugikan to sit one win off the early pace at 4-1.

Injury-plagued ozeki Tochiazuma further eased relegation fears with a win over Kyokutenho (0-5) and shares the lead at 5-0 with Mongolian Hakuho, and rank-and-filers Hokutoriki and Tokitsuumi.

Asashoryu, stunned by Kokkai on Monday, put on a sumo clinic and after breaking free from a midring stalemate, dumped Roho (3-2) in the front row of ringside cushions with a clinical two-handed leg tip-over technique.

Asashoryu won all six titles last year and remains the hot favorite to clinch an unprecedented eighth straight Emperor's Cup here but Kotooshu was left dazed after his title hopes were hit with another reverse.

Fresh from his victory over Kaio on Wednesday, second-ranked Kokkai, whose ring name means Black Sea, steamed into Kotooshu and repeatedly yanked at the ozeki in a fierce battle between eastern European wrestlers.

Kokkai stood firm and added Kotooshu to his list of victims when he finished him off with a twisting head throw to leave both men with 3-2 records.

In other key bouts, Tochiazuma turned the tables on Kyokutenho to retain his share of the lead and move within three wins of the eight he needs to retain his rank, while Kaio rebounded from Wednesday's loss and forced out winless komusubi Tamanoshima to post a second win.

Chiyotaikai needed to do little more than flex his muscles to see off Mongolian No. 1 maegashira Tokitenku (1-4) to complete a triumphant day for Japanese ozeki.

Mongolian Hakuho produced a quick-fire force-out over Russian No. 4 maegashira Hakurozan to preserve his flawless record, 14th-ranked Tokitsuumi made it five wins out of five by overpowering Katayama (1-4) and 11th-ranked Hokutoriki ousted Tosanoumi (3-2).

Kotomitsuki (3-2) was unable to match sekiwake teammate Hakuho's performance and was hauled down to a second defeat at the hands of former ozeki Miyabiyama (2-3).

Earlier, former amateur grand champion Yoshikaze finally got in the winning column on his top flight debut as he barged out Kyokushuzan (2-3).

Asashoryu, Kotooshu still on track after victories

Mongolian grand champion Asashoryu and newly promoted Bulgarian ozeki Kotooshu improved their records with comfortable wins at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Wednesday.

Sekiwake Hakuho takes the arm of komusubi Tamanoshima and forces him out of the ring at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Asashoryu barely broke sweat in barging third-ranked maegashira Takekaze out of the ring in a matter of seconds for his second straight win after suffering an upset defeat at the hands of Kokkai on the second day.

Asashoryu, who is aiming for an unprecedented eighth straight Emperor's Cup, is one win behind the four early co-leaders in the 15-day meet at Ryogoku Kokugikan. Takekaze dropped to 1-3.

Kotooshu matched Asashoryu at 3-1 after slapping down No. 3 maegashira Tochinohana (1-3), whose defensive tactics kept the ozeki at bay early on but eventually was caught off-balance and crumbled down to the surface in the middle of the ring.

Tochiazuma came within four wins of retaining his ozeki rank following a tactically superb bout that prevented Russian No. 2 maegashira Roho from holding the belt en route to a force-out victory. Tochiazuma stayed perfect at 4-0 while Roho is 3-1.

Fellow ozeki Chiyotaikai (3-1) did not repeat his mistake in Tuesday's loss to Takekaze, unleashing a relentless string of slaps to the chest of Hakurozan (1-3) straight from the face-off and forced the Russian No. 4 maegashira over the straw ridge.

Veteran ozeki Kaio, wrestling with a lower back injury, was unable to withhold an initial charge by No. 2 maegashira Kokkai and backpedaled out of the ring in a lopsided bout. Georgian Kokkai, who upset Asashoryu on Monday, improved to 2-2.

Sekiwake returnee Hakuho extended his winning streak to four with an easy win over winless komusubi Tamanoshima, who was dragged down onto the dirt by the Mongolian's powerful arm-lock technique.

Sekiwake Kotomitsuki bounced back from his loss Tuesday to pick up his third win with a belt-grip twist that sent Mongolian-born komusubi Kyokutenho to his fourth defeat in a row.

In other bouts, crowd favorite Takamisakari evened his record to 2-2 against veteran Kyokushuzan (2-2).

Asashoryu bounces back

Yokozuna Asashoryu rebounded from an upset loss to post his second win at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Tuesday, while newly promoted ozeki Kotooshu won his second straight following an opening-day defeat.

Ozeki Tochiazuma pulls down No. 4 maegashira Hakurozan to stay undefeated at 3-0 in the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan on Tuesday.

Asashoryu put his defeat at the hands of Kokkai behind him and wasted no time in shoving his way to crushing top-ranked Miyabiyama (1-2) at Ryogoku Kokugikan, leaving him one win behind the pace in his bid for an unprecedented eighth straight Emperor's Cup.

Kotooshu (2-1) appeared to have come back to winning ways with a solid win against winless komusubi Tamanoshima.

The Bulgarian giant, who began his ozeki campaign with a loss to Russian Roho on Sunday, sidestepped to the left at the face-off and then took the belt firmly before shrugging off a leg-trip attempt to finish off the bout with an uwatenage upper-arm throw.

Tochiazuma stayed on course to retain his ozeki rank with a little help from Russian fourth-ranked maegashira Hakurozan, who slipped when he tried to charge forward and crumbled to the sandy surface with a simple push.

With a 3-0 start, Tochiazuma needs at least five more wins to avoid a drop from the second-highest rank in sumo. Hakurozan is 1-2.

It was a bad day for veteran ozeki duo Kaio and Chiyotaikai.

Kaio suffered his second loss in the 15-day meet after showing little resistance to an initial charge from third-ranked maegashira Tochinohana (1-2) and backpedaling out of the ring, with his arm-lock throw proving too little, too late.

Chiyotaikai was bulldozed out of the ring in a matter of seconds and fell to his first loss after allowing No. 3 maegashira Takekaze (1-2) to capitalize on the ozeki's poor attempt to yank him down.

Asashoryu suffers loss

Mongolian grand champion Asashoryu fell to a first defeat at the hands of Kokkai on Monday while newly promoted Bulgarian ozeki Kotooshu brushed aside an opening day loss, disposing of Takekaze at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.

No. 2 Maegashira Kokkai drops yokozuna Asashoryu to the ground at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan on Monday.

In the day's finale, Georgian No. 2 maegashira Kokkai got his hands on the yokozuna's belt and ushered him to the ring's edge before toppling him over with a strong one-handed shove to the chest, causing the crowd to erupt in cheers at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.

"After I got my hands on his belt I just kept moving forward. That's all I could think about," said Kokkai, who improved to 1-1.

Asashoryu, who is gunning for an unprecedented eighth straight title after winning all six basho last year, slipped to 1-1 and with the upset has put himself in a tie one off the pace with Kotooshu, leaving the 15-day competition up for grabs after only the second day of action.

Kotooshu (1-1), who was promoted to sumo's second-highest rank after the Kyushu meet last November, took control from start to finish, charging out of the crouch before ramming his No. 3 maegashira opponent into the ringside seats. Takekaze slipped to 0-2.

The 203-cm wrestler [6'6"], who reached ozeki in just 19 meets, appears to have regained his focus after his defeat to Russian Roho on Sunday and has high expectations to stay in contention in the title race in a showdown with the yokozuna this time out.

In other key bouts, Chiyotaikai (2-0) steamrolled over Tochinohana (0-2) with a salvo of thrusts and slaps to stay on the pace in a share of the lead while fellow ozeki Tochiazuma (2-0) bulldozed komusubi Tamanoshima (0-2) in a matter of seconds to move a step closer to easing his relegation worries.

Asashoryu stays in control at New Year

Yokozuna Asashoryu kicked off 2006 with a routine win, but Bulgarian bulldozer Kotooshu made a nightmare start on his ozeki debut after a shock loss to Roho on the opening day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday.

Roho flips ozeki Kotooshu to the ground on the opening day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Asashoryu, who won all six titles last year, continued where he left off in 2005, making mincemeat out of Tamanoshima, but Kaio was defeated at the hands of Miyabiyama in another upset for ozeki at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Asashoryu never looked in danger in the day's finale, and the fiery Mongolian got a firm grip on both his opponent's arms before sending him to the dirt with a well-worked pulling overarm throw.

While Asashoryu is the undoubted favorite to cart home an unprecedented eighth straight Emperor's Cup, the spotlight here is firmly fixed on Kotooshu, whose meteoric rise to sumo's second-highest rank comes after just 19 meets.

But Kotooshu, who recently revealed his hobby growing up was baking cakes soaked in caramel, choked on the pressure, and second-ranked Roho turned the gentle giant into fudge by flooring him with an overarm throw.

"I just wanted to keep him off the left side of my belt, and everything went as planned," said Roho.

"Ozeki are strong, but so am I. I wanted to start the year with a win, and it was important not to allow my opponent to take the initiative."

Despite the defeat, the meet is still likely to be a showdown between Asashoryu and Kotooshu, with usual suspects Kaio, Chiyotaikai and Tochiazuma, who is in danger of losing his rank for the sixth time, each struggling somewhere in the mix.

Tochiazuma began his battle against the drop by barging out top-ranked maegashira Tokitenku to post the first of eight wins he needs to preserve his ozeki rank.