J1 – Début difficile pour Hakuho

Terunofuji dodged a bullet to score a hard-fought win over maegashira Aoiyama on his ozeki debut Sunday, the opening day of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.

Tournament favorite Hakuho got more than he bargained for against Takarafuji in the day’s final bout at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium but also prevailed to complete a sweep for yokozuna after Kakuryu and Harumafuji posted opening-day wins.

Out to the prove his stunning championship victory in May was no fluke, Terunofuji looked in trouble when he got knocked back by the Bulgarian at the charge and then nearly lost his footing as he surged forward to counter.

But the 23-year-old Mongolian regrouped and got both hands on the back of Aoiyama’s belt before sending his second-ranked opponent to the dirt with a textbook overarm throw.

Terunofuji, whose real name is Gantulga Ganerdene, earned promotion after a 12-3 mark at May’s summer tourney in Tokyo, clinching the title thanks in part to a late meltdown by fellow Mongolian Hakuho.

Terunofuji is the first wrestler in 64 years to be promoted to ozeki after spending just two tournaments as a komusubi or sekiwake and the first since the season went to six meets in 1958.

Provided he is fit, Terunofuji could be the first ozeki debutant to win a championship since Hakuho achieved the feat at the summer meet in 2006.

Takarafuji gave Hakuho run for his money but the Mongolian grand champion showed why he has won a record 34 career championships, biding his time to break out of a deadlock and force the komusubi out of the ring.

Kakuryu, back in action after missing the both the spring and summer meets owing to a left shoulder injury, comfortably dealt Ichinojo, barging the towering sekiwake out for the win.

Harumafuji escaped with a win over Myogiryu but he was left clutching the right elbow he had surgery on after the summer meet when he landed on it after taking the komusubi out with an overarm throw.

It was very much a day of contrasting fortunes for the four wrestlers at sumo’s second rank of ozeki.

Relegation-threatened Kotoshogiku got off to the worst possible start as top-ranked maegashira Sadanoumi quickly took him down with pulling overarm throw.

Facing demotion from ozeki for the fifth time in his career following a « makekoshi » 6-9 record in May, Kotoshogiku will need to win at least eight bouts to avoid the drop.

There was more grief in the next bout as Goeido was left on both knees after being knocked over by second-ranked Takayasu.

Goeido pulled out of the summer meet with two days left owing to a fractured left shoulder and admitted earlier this week that he was lacking match fitness.

Kisenosato came perilously close to suffering the same fate but managed to turn the tables on Tochinoshin at the death to send out top-ranked maegashira.

Tochiozan dug in deep to see off the challenge of Ikioi, the sekiwake chasing the No. 3 maegashira out to mark his return to sumo’s third rank with a win after going 8-7 at komusubi in May.

In the lower ranks, popular maegashira Endo got off on the right foot, surging forward to usher 40-year-old Mongolian warhorse Kyokutenho over the straw ridge.

Written by Kyodo