OSAKA - Yokozuna Hoshoryu defeated Takanosho, one of the overnight leaders, to stay in the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament title race on Monday as sekiwake Kirishima remained at the top of the leaderboard along with rank-and-filers Kotoshoho and Gonoyama.
Hoshoryu (7-2) had an unconvincing opening at Edion Arena Osaka after backing off slightly to his right against a solid charge from No. 4 maegashira Takanosho (7-2), but he positioned himself well to recover the ground and before launching a counter.
After keeping his balance through Takanosho's pushes to the face and throat in the middle of the raised ring, the grand champion drove in low to win by a force-out and avoid back-to-back defeats.
Kirishima (8-1) thrust down Daieisho (4-5) at the edge to secure a winning record after the pair clashed twice and separated on both occasions. The sekiwake moved to his left just before their third collision, leaving the No. 4 maegashira hitting the sandy surface at the edge.
No. 5 maegashira Kotoshoho (8-1) kept up the pace by overcoming Ura (4-5), knocking the No. 8 maegashira off balance with an early slap-down attempt. With the trickster floundering at the edge, last year's Nagoya meet winner followed up with a series of shoves to clinch a push-out win.
No. 10 maegashira Gonoyama (8-1) was at his best in storming past his fellow in-form wrestler Kotoeiho (6-3), showing his trademark bullish drive to oust the No. 17 maegashira in a flash in front of his home crowd in Osaka.
While his yokozuna promotion bid this month is over, ozeki Aonishiki (4-5) ended his three-day losing streak by displaying his usual low-angled attack and persistence against sekiwake Takayasu (6-3), pushing out the former ozeki to a second straight defeat.
Ozeki Kotozakura (5-4) came out on top of a pushing and shoving battle with No. 3 maegashira Oho (3-6), while komusubi Wakamotoharu (2-7) won his second straight bout with a dramatic backward pivot throw at the edge against No. 3 maegashira Hiradoumi (5-4).
