Yokozuna Hakuho and ozeki Baruto crushed their opponents to remain unbeaten after three days of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on July 10, but ozekis Kotoshogiku and Kakuryu fell to unexpected defeats.
Hakuho drove in hard against giant-killer Aminishiki and fought a fast and furious bout. The yokozuna was in control throughout, but he clearly was not taking Aminishiki lightly.
He ended up pulling the top maegashira down at center ring after deflecting a desperate, full-frontal attack.
Estonian ozeki Baruto marked one of the most decisive wins of the day, tossing maegashira No. 2 Okinoumi down with a beautiful throw after getting off to a flawless face-off. Baruto is starting to look once again like a title contender. He certainly has the talent and the strength. The question is just whether he can remain steady enough to go the distance. He was a disappointing 9-6 the last time out.
Ozeki Harumafuji, a perennial threat, waited for his opening after getting inside on sekiwake Tochiozan, and as soon as he got it he unleashed a throw that decided the bout. Harumafuji has been consistent so far, winning all three of his bouts. Tochiozan is 1-2.
Bulgaria's ozeki Kotooshu also moved in on the belt and dominated No. 3 maegashira Wakakoyu to get back on track after his loss the day before. Kotooshu fumbled a bit at the finish, but overwhelmed Wakakoyu at the edge and fell on top of him as his knees buckled.
Kakuryu fell to an upset at the hands of new komusubi Myogiryu, who took the lead from the start and thrust the Mongolian ozeki out without really allowing him a chance to fight back. Myogiryu launched out low and kept his head down the whole way as Kakuryu struggled to mount a thrusting counterattack from his weaker, upright position.
"I am just fighting the way I always do," Myogiryu said. "But I'm pushing myself and keeping my concentration on each bout."
Ozeki Kisenosato drove ahead with confidence and took defending champion Kyokutenho out of the ring. Kisenosato is in his groove, fighting with focus and composure, but Kyokutenho, now fighting at the top maegashira slot, is not living up to the buzz he created with his surprise victory the last time out. He hasn't won a bout yet in Nagoya.
Rising star Aoiyama of Bulgaria, a No. 2 maegashira, marked a big victory over ozeki Kotoshogiku. He won with a strong throw, and although this is his first win of the tournament he is showing a lot of potential that could come out in the months ahead as he polishes his skills and starts taking on the top wrestlers more often.
"I didn't think I could do it, but I won, so I'm very pleased," Aoiyama said after the match. "He's really strong."
In another major bout on Day 3, sekiwake Goeido defeated komusubi Toyonoshima for his second win. Toyonoshima is 0-3.
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