Tochiazuma tops Hokutoriki, in line for third title

Ozeki Tochiazuma swatted Hokutoriki to keep his lead, moving him within shooting distance of his third career title while grand champion Asashoryu saw his dream for an eighth straight title shattered at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Saturday.

Ozeki Tochiazuma downs No. 11 maegashira Hokutoriki on the 14th day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Tochiazuma kept Hokutoriki at bay with a salvo of shoves to the chest before pulling down the 11th-ranked maegashira in the penultimate bout at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, improving his record to 13-1 and immediately knocking Asashoryu out of the running for the Emperor's Cup spoils.

Asashoryu won all six tournaments in 2005, but appears to have lost his luster this time out.

He was the heavy favorite to win his 16th career title but suffered defeats to Kokkai, sekiwake Hakuho and rank-and-filer Ama, injuring his right elbow in his bout against Hakuho.

In the day's finale, Asashoryu bounced back from his defeat of the previous day, controlling his bout against ozeki Kotooshu from start to finish. He dragged the ozeki-debutant around by the arm before tossing him to the clay to improve to an 11-3 mark. Kotooshu dropped to 10-4.

Tokitsuumi and Hakuho went head to head but the sekiwake got the better of his 14th-ranked maegashira opponent with a powerful overarm throw to stay in the running against Tochiazuma at 12-2. Tokitsuumi slipped to 11-3.

Hakuho will have to beat Kotooshu in his bout on the final day Sunday and hope that Tochiazuma loses his bout against Asashoryu to set up a playoff for the title.

Up until Saturday, six wrestlers had been in contention for the title, including Asashoryu, Tochiazuma, Kotooshu, Hakuho, Tokitsuumi and Hokutoriki.

Asashoryu suffers another setback

Tochiazuma dismantled Bulgarian fellow ozeki Kotooshu to take sole possession of the lead at 12-1 on Friday while Mongolian yokozuna Asashoryu was slammed to a third defeat by countryman Ama with two days remaining at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.

With Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko looking on from the upper-level box seats, Tochiazuma never gave the ozeki debutant a chance to launch an attack as he steamrolled ahead and shoved his opponent over the edge with a salvo of slaps to the chest in the day's penultimate bout at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Tochiazuma, who came out this basho facing demotion, moved a step closer to capturing his third career title with sekiwake Hakuho and rank-and-filers Tokutsuumi and Hokutoriki trailing one off the pace at 11-2.

Asashoryu, who lost to Hakuho a day earlier, was tossed down like a rag doll immediately after the faceoff with an overarm throw, leaving him with a 10-3 mark along with Kotooshu and slim hopes of winning his eighth straight title with after claiming all six Emperor's Cups in 2005.

The yokozuna lost just six bouts in 2005 but has already suffered three defeats to start of the New Year.

Eleventh-ranked maegashira Hokutoriki (11-2) faced off in a rumble with Mongolian Hakuho but immediately backpedaled over the edge, slipping out of a share the lead.

Hakuho battles back to hand Asa second defeat

Mongolian yokozuna Asashoryu was handed a second shock defeat at the hands of countryman Hakuho on Thursday, causing mayhem with just three days remaining at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.
In the day's finale, Asashoryu appeared to have the sekiwake on the ropes when he pushed him immediately to the edge after the face-off at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.

But Hakuho made a last-gasp maneuver on the edge, cranking the yokozuna's arm and flipping him into the ringside seats, leaving Asashoryu trailing leading duo ozeki Tochiazuma and rank-and-filer Hokutoriki, who improved to 11-1.

"I was able to hold on till the end. I tried to stay calm and I will just keep my concentration on the final three days," said Hakuho, who stayed in contention tied with Asashoryu at 10-2.

Though coming out the favorite to capture his eighth straight title after winning all six crowns in 2005, Asashoryu now faces an uphill battle against five hungry contenders in the remaining days.

Tochiazuma, who is aiming for his third career title after shrugging off relegation this time out, made quick work of Mongolian little-man Ama (7-5), who tried to stay low out of the crouch only to be swatted forward onto his hands and knees.

Bulgarian ozeki-debutant Kotooshu (10-2) also kept his title hopes alive with a strong victory over Iwakiyama (5-7).

The ozeki grappled at the ring's center with the No. 5 maegashira before using his trademark overarm throw to slam his opponent to the clay.

In his excitement, 11th-ranked maegashira Hokutoriki made four false starts before executing a "henka" maneuver after the face-off and slapping down Georgian Kokkai, who fell to 6-6.

Tokitsuumi, a 14th-ranked maegashira, moved quickly to his left after the face-off and got a grip on Russian Roho's belt before dragging his opponent to a fourth defeat to improve to 10-2.

Asa maintains after boxing Iwakiyama

Grand Champion Asashoryu overpowered Iwakiyama on Wednesday to share the lead with Hokutoriki and Tochiazuma at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.

Ozeki Tochiazuma pulls down Kokkai on the 11th day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Mongolian Asashoryu had his hands full with the bulky No. 5 maegashira in the day's final bout at Ryogoku Kokugikan but eventually prevailed when he waltzed Iwakiyama out to improve to 10-1.

Iwakiyama, one of the biggest wrestlers in sumo, pushed Asashoryu a few steps back after the faceoff but couldn't sustain the pressure and dropped to 5-6.

Asashoryu, the only grand champion competing in sumo, won all six tournaments last year and is gunning for a record eighth straight Emperor's Cup.

In an earlier bout, No. 11 maegashira Hokutoriki overpowered Kitazakura to stay tied for the lead at 10-1. Kitazakura, a No. 17 maegashira, dropped to 8-3.

Ozeki Tochiazuma also maintained his share of the lead at 10-1 when he swatted down No, 2 maegashira Kokkai at the center of the ring.

Kokkai, who started off the tournament with upset wins over Asashoryu and Kotooshu, appeared to lose his footing while attempting to make an arm thrust and fell to 6-5.

Newly-promoted ozeki Kotooshu got both hands on the belt of Hakurozan and lifted the hapless No. 4 maegashira over the straw ridge to improve to 9-2. Russian Hakurozan dropped to 3-8.

Mongolian Hakuho hauled down fellow sekiwake Kotomitsuki to improve to 9-2. Kotomitsuki fell to 7-4.

Asashoryu fends off tough challenge to grab share of lead

Grand champion Asashoryu defeated Kotomitsuki on Tuesday to grab a share of the lead heading into the final stretch of the 15-day meet at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo.

Yokozuna Asashoryu pulls down komusubi Kyokutenho during their bout at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Asashoryu's win moved him into a strong position for a record eighth straight Emperor's Cup, joining ozeki Tochiazuma and dark horse Hokutoriki in a three-way tie at 9-1 as the race for the championship heats up.

Tochiazuma rebounded from Monday's defeat to Miyabiyama with a win over Iwakiyama but 11th-ranked Hokutoriki surrendered pole position after suffering his first loss of the tournament.

Asashoryu, winner of all six tournaments in 2005, was given the fright of his life as Kotomitsuki (7-3) matched the yokozuna blow for blow after the tachiai in the day's finale at Ryogoku Kokugikan.

But the Mongolian magician pulled a rabbit out of his hat and claimed victory by toppling the sekiwake with a beltless arm throw.

Tochiazuma also dodged a bullet in his bout with Iwakiyama (5-5), and had to pull of a balancing act on the straw ridge to yank the No. 5 maegashira down to the dirt.

In other matches, Bulgarian Kotooshu stayed in the hunt for a first title, securing a winning mark on his ozeki debut after making mincemeat out of Kasuganishiki (4-6).

Kotooshu's eighth win keeps him in a chasing pack of four wrestlers on 8-2, including sekiwake Hakuho, who ground out a hard-fought win over Miyabiyama.

But Russian No. 2 maegashira Roho's title hopes suffered a blow after he was chased out of the ring by Mongolian Ama, leaving both men on 7-3

Georgian No. 2 maegashira Kokkai, who handed Asashoryu his only defeat of the tournament so far, burst out of his blocks and stunned Kakizoe with a barrage of thrusts to post his sixth win.

Seventh-ranked Kakizoe is also 6-4.

Hokutoriki plows Aminishiki to win ninth

Surprise package Hokutoriki beat Aminishiki to emerge as the sole leader with a ninth victory while grand champion Asashoryu continued to circle like a shark at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Monday.

No. 11 Maegashira Hokutoriki sends No. 7 maegashira Aminishiki out of the ring on the ninth day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Monday.

Record-chasing Asashoryu shot down Russian maegashira Hakurozan to remain one win behind Hokutoriki at 8-1, but ozeki Tochiazuma lost his first bout of the 15-day meet after an upset defeat to Miyabiyama.

No. 11 maegashira Hokutoriki was never in danger of surrendering his share of the overnight lead, elbowing Aminishiki (4-5) to the ring's edge before sending him out with a fierce neck thrust.

Meanwhile, Asashoryu, who won all six tournaments in 2005, stayed firmly on course for an unprecedented eighth straight Emperor's Cup at the New Year meet by bulldozing out Hakurozan (2-7) without much of a serious threat.

Injury-plagued Tochiazuma came into the New Year meet with his rank on the line, but he secured ozeki status for the spring basho in March on Sunday.

Even so, he was always on the defensive against top-ranked Miyabiyama (5-4), who dug deep after a mid-ring slapfest and barged the ozeki out.

Elsewhere, newly promoted Bulgarian ozeki Kotooshu, the only other ozeki still standing in the New Year meet, got both hands on Asasekiryu's belt and promptly marched him out to record a seventh win. Mongolian Asasekiryu dropped to 2-7.

Troubled Kaio (3-6) became the latest ozeki to join the casualty list when he pulled out of the tournament after aggravating a lower back injury and forfeited his bout with Mongolian sekiwake Hakuho (7-2).

Asashoryu dominates in a flash, stays one back

Grand champion Asashoryu took apart Tochinohana to stay in hot pursuit of front-running duo Tochiazuma and Hokutoriki at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo on Sunday.

Yokozuna Asashoryu shoves out Tochinohana at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo.

Asashoryu was all business in the day's finale at Ryogoku Kokugikan and needed only a matter of seconds to dispose of the third-ranked maegashira with a series of powerful shoves.

Asashoryu, who is one win off the pace at 7-1, won all six tournaments in 2005 and is chasing an unprecedented eighth Emperor's Cup at the New Year meet.

Tochiazuma (8-0) sent Mongolian sekiwake Hakuho (6-2) flying out of the ring after a clash of heads at the tachi-ai and was awarded the win as Hakuho's heel appeared to touch the sand outside the ring before both men went crashing into the ringside cushions.

Injury-plagued Tochiazuma came into the New Year meet with his rank on the line, but his eighth win ensured him ozeki status at the spring basho in March.

Newly-promoted ozeki Kotooshu (6-2) also won handsomely, wrapping both arms around top-ranked Tokitenku (1-7) to send him out from behind, but struggling ozeki Chiyotaikai dropped out and Kaio was handed another embarrassing defeat.

Takekaze (2-6) piled more misery on Kaio when he floored the troubled ozeki with a hand pull-down technique and condemned him to a fifth defeat.

Kaio withdrew, citing a back injury.

Ozeki Chiyotaikai (4-4) pulled out earlier in the day after sustaining a chest injury and forfeited his scheduled bout against Russian maegashira Roho (6-2).

Chiyotaikai damaged muscles in the right side of his chest and suffered a cervical vertebrae sprain in Friday's defeat to komusubi Tamanoshima and will need a month to fully recover. That defeat was followed by another loss to Miyabiyama.

Sekiwake Kotomitsuki was two wins off the pace at 6-2 after slam-dunking Mongolian fourth-ranked maegashira Asasekiryu, who fell to 2-6.

In earlier bouts, No. 11 maegashira Hokutoriki slapped about Futeno (4-4) before barging out the eighth-ranked wrestler to secure a winning record and stay in a tie for the lead with Tochiazuma at 8-0.

"I think I'm getting in well and hitting hard, and I'm pleased (to get a winning record)," said Hokutoriki.

Colorful maegashira Takamisakari won a huge round of applause after forcing seventh-ranked Kakizoe (6-2) on to his knees with an "uwatenage" overarm throw to collect his fifth win.

"There are still seven bouts to go, and I will focus on doing my best in each and every bout," said Takamisakari.