Ozeki Takakeisho opened his campaign for back-to-back championships and a yokozuna promotion with a convincing victory over komusubi Hokutofuji at the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday.
The four-time grand tournament winner delivered a powerful opening hit and quickly pushed out Hokutofuji, back among the three distinguished "sanyaku" ranks below yokozuna for the first time since March 2020.
The 15-day meet at Fukuoka Kokusai Center is the second in a row to open without a grand champion, because sumo's sole yokozuna, Terunofuji, is out due to a back injury.
Former ozeki Asanoyama is another notable absentee, pulling out with a calf injury after earning promotion to No. 1 maegashira with his 9-6 record at the September meet.
Hoshoryu made a confident start to his second ozeki tournament after debuting with a lackluster 8-7 performance in September. The nephew of Mongolian great Asashoryu overpowered No. 2 Shodai, knocking the former ozeki backward and thrusting him out.
Ozeki Kirishima also had no trouble logging his first win, wrapping up No. 1 Ura and flinging him off the raised ring.
Looking to make his case for ozeki promotion, sekiwake Daieisho thrust out No. 2 Meisei. Sekiwake Kotonowaka pushed out dangerous No. 3 Tobizaru, while the remaining sekiwake, Wakamotoharu, succumbed to an overarm throw against former ozeki and current No. 3 Takayasu.
Komusubi Abi, the 2022 Kyushu champion, got off to a strong start in his bid for a second Emperor's Cup by pushing out No. 4 Gonoyama.
No. 8 Atamifuji, who jumped seven places in the rankings after grabbing headlines with his surprise title challenge in September, won by arm-lock throw over No. 9 Myogiryu.
No. 14 Tomokaze returned to the top division after a four-year absence with a loss to No. 13 Tsurugisho. The former No. 3, who severely injured his knee at the 2019 Kyushu meet, is only the third wrestler to come back to the elite makuuchi division after dropping to fifth-tier jonidan.
Four wrestlers made their top-flight debuts, the most since May 2013, with No. 15s Tohakuryu and Churanoumi, No. 16 Roga, and No. 17 Kitanowaka fighting in makuuchi for the first time.
Roga became the sixth Russian-born makuuchi wrestler when he fought Churanoumi, the first top-tier wrestler from Okinawa Prefecture in 17 years. The 30-year-old Churanoumi earned a force-out victory over the 24-year-old from the Russian republic of Tuva.
Tokyo-born Tohakuryu lost to No. 14 Ichiyamamoto, while Yamagata Prefecture native Kitanowaka defeated No. 16 Nishikifuji.
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