With Musashigawa Beya's heavy guns -- yokozuna Musashimaru and the ozeki trio of Musoyama, Miyabiyama and Dejima -- getting ready to roll out on the dohyo to do battle with yokozuna Takanohana and yokozuna Akebono, sumo action in the Nagoya Basho opens today at the Aichi Kenritsu Taikukan. Taka and Akebono are slight favorites closely followed by Maru and Miyabi, while sekiwake Kaio -- the yusho victor of the Natsu Basho last May -- is regarded as the tourney dark horse. Ozeki Musoyama and ozeki Dejima must be listed as also-rans.

Meanwhile, the pressure is also on sekiwake Takanonami to wind up with at least 10 wins in order to win back the ozeki rank he lost after two successive make-koshi (losing) records in March and May. The odds that he'll be able to make his second return to ozeki since last November are only about 50-50, at best. If Nami gets his 10 wins to ensure his return to ozeki and if Musoyama, who is kadoban (vulnerable to demotion after one losing record), gets at least eight wins -- and if Kaio comes through with at least 11 wins, it would mean a historic ranking of six ozeki in September.

Although it has only been four basho since Musashimaru took his last championship, Akebono hasn't won the yusho in more than three years -- since May '97 and Takanohana has gone winless for almost two years -- since September '99. On the other hand, newly promoted ozeki Miyabiyama must be just as hungry. He won his first four basho (two in Makushita and two in Juryo) after entering professional sumo two years ago in July '98, but he has now gone more than a year in Makunouchi without capturing the top prize.