J7 – Kakuryu et Mitakeumi restent en tête

Yokozuna Kakuryu and sekiwake Mitakeumi remained unbeaten and in the lead at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Saturday.

The seventh day of action in the 15-day tournament opened with four wrestlers atop the elite makuuchi division with perfect records. Mitakeumi earned a safe but uninspired victory to improve to 7-0, while Kakuryu handed No. 3 maegashira Tochinoshin his first loss in bruising finale at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Entering their bout having won just once in 21 career meetings, Tochinoshin delivered some furious blows to the yokozuna’s chest and face. Kakuryu, however, kept his eye on the prize, a right-handed underarm belt hold that he used to lever the Georgian out of the ring.

Mitakeumi survived an energetic assault that is a trademark of No. 2 maegashira Yoshikaze (3-4). In a straight-forward, pushing, pulling and shoving fight, Yoshikaze twice tried to yank the sekiwake downward to the sandy surface, but Mitakeumi kept his feet.

The sekiwake clinched victory by shoving Yoshikaze backward at ring’s edge and then pulling him down as he teetered forward slightly off balance.

Ozeki Takayasu (4-3) suffered his second straight defeat despite holding an opening advantage against Ichinojo (3-4). Takayasu grabbed an early belt hold with his right hand, but got greedy. In his bid to switch one hold for two, he came up empty handed.

Instead, the mountainous Mongolian No. 1 maegashira locked onto the ozeki’s belt with his right hand and flung him down to defeat.

Fellow ozeki Goeido (5-2) bounced back from an embarrassing loss the day before to Yoshikaze. Goeido withstood a charge from up-and-coming komusubi Takakeisho (2-5), grabbed a belt hold in the process and used it to propel his opponent from the ring.

No. 16 maegashira Asanoyama, started the day unbeaten, but was shoved out by No. 13 Daiesho (6-1), who won his fifth straight bout.

Asanoyama tried but failed to secure a belt hold from the get-go and was knocked backward by Daiesho, who wasted no time on finesse. With his opponent poised at the edge of the ring, Daiesho lowered his shoulder into Asanoyama’s chest and rammed him out.

Written by Kyodo