Yokozuna Asashoryu suffered another upset defeat and dropped into a three-way tie for the lead as the title race unexpectedly became wide open at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on Wednesday.
No. 6 Maegashira Kokkai pulls down Asashoryu to hand the yokozuna his second loss during 11th-day action at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on Wednesday.
Rank-and-filer Kokkai (8-3) handed Asashoryu his second loss in the 15-day meet when he outshoved the Mongolian and then survived a comeback attempt by the grand champion, whose body fell to the sandy surface a fraction quicker at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium.
It was Kokkai's first-ever win against a grand champion and also against Asashoryu, who had won all six of his previous meetings with the 24-year-old from the former Soviet republic of Georgia.