Nachi Abe caught a 25-yard pass for the winning touchdown with 10 seconds remaining in the third quarter as the Recruit Club Seagulls (2-0) defeated the Onward Skylarks (1-1) 34-17 Monday at the Tokyo Dome in the X League's Central Division.
Onward's Masaru Hanada, better known as former yokozuna Wakanohana, appeared in nine plays -- three times on offense and four times on the special teams -- in the game with his friends ex-ozeki Konishiki and yokozuna Musashimaru also showing up on the field.
It was the first time that Hanada, a tight end, has performed offensive plays in an X-League game.
He blocked Recruit's defensive ends, including former NFL Europe player Takuro Abe, three times on running plays, all of which went away from his side.
However, it was Nachi Abe who grabbed all the attention after the game. Abe was named a member of the national bobsled team on Sept. 23 and leaves the team temporarily to complete in the World Cup and, if his team qualifies, the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.
During the game Brad Brennan became the first American player to score in the X League.