Ozeki Tochinoshin suffered his first loss at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on Friday, leaving sekiwake Mitakeumi the only wrestler at the meet with a perfect record.
In the day's final bout at Dolphins Arena, Tochinoshin (5-1) suffered a shock defeat to komusubi Tamawashi (3-3). The newly promoted ozeki pushed his opponent toward the edge and held onto his mawashi belt with both hands, but Tamawashi wrapped his arm around the Georgian and threw him down.
Mitakeumi (6-0) showcased his strength against top-ranked maegashira Shodai (1-5). The sekiwake held onto his foe's belt, pulled him toward the edge and gave him a final push.
Mitakeumi, who climbed back to sekiwake after fighting in May as a komusubi, had lost three straight bouts against Shodai this year. But Friday's win improved Mitakeumi's record against the maegashira to 6-6.
The day opened without a single grand champion in competition as yokozuna Kakuryu pulled out due to right elbow injury, joining Kisenosato and Hakuho on the disabled list.
"I talked with him yesterday and he said that he is having trouble exerting force on his elbow because the condition has gotten worse," Kakuryu's stablemaster Izutsu said. "I apologize that this meet has to resume without a yokozuna."
Goeido (4-2) and Takayasu (4-2) are both fighting as demotion-threatened ozeki. No. 3 Abi (2-4), who beat Kakuryu the previous day, almost pushed Goeido out of the ring, but ozeki stayed calm and threw him down. No. 3 Takakeisho (3-3) beat Takayasu.
Among seven wrestlers who started the day with one loss, four maintained their position and remain one win behind the lead. Endo (5-1) beat maegashira Kaisei (4-2) to stay one back.
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