Ozeki Asashoryu showed the confidence of a true warrior Sunday but yokozuna Takanohana needed some extra help from the sumo gods to join the winners circle on the first day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.
Asashoryu, the normally mercurial Mongolian, demonstrated some technical savvy moving in low on Tosanoumi with firm strikes to the throat and face of the top-ranked maegashira in the premier bout at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Asashoryu, who could get the nod for promotion to yokozuna with a tournament victory and at least 13 wins, was never in trouble as he firmly maneuvered his opponent over the bales with solid body mass.