NAGOYA - Yokozuna Onosato notched his first win of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament following a nightmare 0-2 start, pushing out No. 1 maegashira Takanosho on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old grand champion withdrew from the past two meets with left shoulder pain and had begun the 15-day tournament at IG Arena looking like a shadow of the wrestler who has collected five Emperor's Cups.
Onosato (1-2) finally got on the board for his first win since Day 14 of this year's January meet, driving Takanosho (0-3) out with a series of strong shoves after holding his ground against the former sekiwake's initial charge.
Hoshoryu (2-1), meanwhile, became No. 1 maegashira Fujinokawa's latest yokozuna victim on Day 3, a day after the rising star upset Onosato.
The Mongolian-born grand champion looked in control with a powerful initial charge but failed to finish the job and was thrust down at the edge by Fujinokawa (2-1).
"His opening charge certainly came hard and fast, but I reacted well," the 21-year-old Fujinokawa said.
The youngest current member of the elite makuuchi division has remarkably won four straight bouts against yokozuna opponents.
Ozeki Kirishima (3-0) continued his flawless start by pushing out No. 2 maegashira Gonoyama (0-3), while sekiwake Aonishiki (3-0) forced out No. 3 maegashira Hakunofuji (2-1) to move another win closer to the 10 he needs for automatic re-promotion to ozeki.
The Ukrainian dynamo, who was demoted after sitting out the May tourney with ankle trouble, maneuvered the explosive Hakunofuji over the straw bales after the two 22-year-old combatants locked up with competing grips.
Demotion-threatened "kadoban" ozeki Kotozakura (2-1) hit the first hurdle in his pursuit of the eight wins needed to keep his rank, losing to No. 2 maegashira Churanoumi (1-2) by force out.
Kotozakura, winner of last month's Paris exhibition tourney, was ushered out by the rank-and-file grappler from Okinawa after being spun around in the opening collision.
Sekiwake Kotoshoho (3-0) won a highly anticipated battle with komusubi Yoshinofuji (1-2), driving the rising talent over the straw bales after a furious opening exchange, while fellow sekiwake Atamifuji (3-0) stayed unbeaten while handing komusubi Oho (0-3) his third straight loss with a pulling overarm throw.
