Onosato Keeps Sharpening at Sakaigawa-beya
Yokozuna Onosato, 26, going for back-to-back titles, visited Sakaigawa stable in Onojo, Fukuoka on the 4th and took 19 straight bouts with maegashira Hiradoumi, winning 12. He kept his bad habit of pulling in check and showed a sharp charge. "I want to stay alert and keep that same sternness toward opening day," he said, making the same visit four days out that he made before winning in September.
Hiradoumi said he was "heavy; I thought I couldn't win." Onosato said he weighs around 185 kg and that his muscle mass is up, and he is watching his health in the cold after falling ill on the autumn tour two years ago. His stablemaster, Nishonoseki Oyakata (former Yokozuna Kisenosato), gave him pointers during and after practice. He is chasing his seventh title and first in Kyushu.