NAGOYA - Yokozuna Onosato fell to a worrying opening day defeat while his fellow returning grand champion, Hoshoryu, triumphed as the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament began on Sunday.
After missing the majority of the last two tournaments with left shoulder pain, Onosato bettered new komusubi Yoshinofuji in the opening clash but quickly resorted to an ill-fated pull-down attempt and was easily pushed out at a stunned IG Arena in Nagoya.
Onosato was facing his bogey opponent in Yoshinofuji, who has now won all four of their head-to-head battles in the top-tier makuuchi division.
Hoshoryu, who suffered a hamstring injury on the opening day of the Summer meet in May and missed the rest of that tournament, showed little signs of anxiety as he withstood komusubi Oho's opening charge before driving forward and winning by a thigh-grabbing push-down.
Having gone 12-3 in May in his second meet back at ozeki, a strong championship-caliber performance this month could see Kirishima rise to yokozuna, and the Mongolian-born wrestler was convincing against Fujinokawa.
Kirishima matched a low opening drive from the No. 1 maegashira, and the ozeki's momentum had his diminutive opponent bouncing off to the sandy surface as the bout finished in a flash.
Demotion-threatened "kadoban" ozeki Kotozakura did not back off in the face of strong pushes from Takanosho before his powerful left hand thrust down the No. 1 maegashira to the clay.
Having pulled out of May's Summer meet with a back issue and posting a losing record, Kotozakura needs eight or more wins here to avoid demotion to the third-highest rank of sekiwake. He arrived at this meet on the back of winning the Japan Sumo Association's exhibition tour to Paris in June.
Seeking an ozeki return, Aonishiki prevailed in a matter of seconds against Hiradoumi as the Ukrainian star sidestepped slightly to his left immediately after the opening clash before flooring the No. 3 maegashira with a left overarm throw.
A losing record in March, followed by an absence in May due to a left ankle issue, sent Aonishiki down to sekiwake, but he can secure an immediate return to ozeki by winning 10 or more bouts this month.
Sekiwake Atamifuji and Kotoshoho both won on the opening day, while Summer meet winner Wakatakakage, also a sekiwake, is ruled out due to compartment syndrome stemming from a thigh injury he suffered during practice.
