Terunofuji exhibits poise

Ozeki Terunofuji outlasted Myogiryu to secure a majority of wins and keep sole possession of the lead at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday.

Myogiryu (5-3) showed nifty footwork and edged Terunofuji to the bales after twice being lifted off his feet at Tokyo’s Ryogoku Kokugikan.

But the Mongolian, who won the Summer Basho for his first championship in May, kept a cool head and sent the sekiwake out with a kotenage armlock throw to stay perfect at 8-0.

Mongolian yokozuna Kakuryu, ozeki Kisenosato and No. 12 maegashira Ikioi are one win back at the 15-day meet.

Kakuryu wrapped up the day’s action with a hard-fought win, digging in deep to overpower towering No. 4 maegashira and compatriot Ichinojo (4-4).

Kisenosato had little trouble in dealing with Sadanoumi (2-6), the Tagonoura ozeki blasting his way past the third-ranked maegashira to stay in contention for his first championship.

Also at ozeki, Kotoshogiku bundled out No. 4 maegashira Takarafuji (4-4) and was a further win off the pace at 6-2.

Goeido leveled his mark at 4-4 when he got his hands around the back of sekiwake Tochiozan’s neck and slapped him to down to a third defeat.

Tochiozan will need to quickly get back on track if he is to keep alive his hopes of a shot at ozeki promotion at the Kyushu meet in November. He went 10-5 in Nagoya last time out and will need to at least match that at this tournament.

Elsewhere, Georgian komusubi Tochinoshin (3-5) shrugged off an early attack from second-ranked Sadanofuji and got both hands on his belt and yanked him out to an eighth consecutive loss.

But Okinoumi (3-5) was unable to make it a winning double for sumo’s fourth-highest rank as he got slapped down by Bulgarian-born No. 1 maegashira Aoiyama (2-6).