Rank-and-filer Tobizaru captured his 10th win at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament! It is sensational, but the rookie remains in reach of winning the Emperor’s Cup in his top-division debut.
The makuuchi newcomer defeated Wakatakakage on Day 12 at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan and ended the No. 8 maegashira’s eight-bout winning streak, reports The Japan Times.
Ozeki Takakeisho and sekiwake Shodai also improved to 10-2 and retained their share of the overnight lead.
Wakatakakage (9-3) sidestepped Tobizaru’s initial blast and went for a push-out, but Tobizaru bounced back and slapped Wakatakakage down while shoving him over the straw bales.
Shodai wasted little time dispatching No. 5 Takarafuji (6-6), raising the maegashira’s center of gravity and plowing him out of the ring.
Takakeisho earned his 10th win by forfeit after his scheduled opponent, Endo, withdrew from the tournament with a knee injury. The struggling komusubi fell to his sixth straight loss on Day 11 against No. 4 Tochinoshin.
According to his Oitekaze stablemaster, fluid had been building up in Endo’s right knee, the site of a lingering injury, since Day 4 of the 15-day meet.
“He can’t bend his knee. He’s powerless,” said Oitekaze, who assured his grappler would not return to competition.
