Hoshoryu Beats Asanoyama With a Shitatenage Setup to Go 2-0: 'No Nerves Today'
Yokozuna Hoshoryu, 27 (Tatsunami), made it two straight wins in his return from three straight absences by yoritaoshi over East Maegashira 1 Asanoyama, 32 (Takasago), who beat Aonishiki on Day 1. Nikkan Sports says Hoshoryu deliberately let Asanoyama have his preferred right-hand-inside grip, took a left outer grip on the front of the mawashi, then released it and threw a right shitatenage as Asanoyama tried to counter. With Asanoyama's balance gone he drove through for the finish. Sponichi adds that Hoshoryu hit low and had Asanoyama's back at the straw.
'Yesterday I was nervous after so long, but today I had no nerves and could concentrate,' he said (Sports Hochi, Sponichi). 'I'd been able to train before the basho, so I only thought about myself.' He said he will take one bout at a time.
Kasugano, NHK commentator (ex-Tochinowaka), called it 'a win from the yokozuna's game plan': 'I wanted Asanoyama to throw the uwatenage first, but he was guarding against Hoshoryu's uwatenage and was caught by the shitatenage.'
Sponichi says Hoshoryu did degeiko at Takekuma stable in Nakagawa, Fukuoka on the 4th and went 6-1 against Asanoyama. He was 5-0 against him coming in, with three shitatenage, an uwatenage and an uchigake; the Day 2 finish by yoritaoshi suits his shift from throwing to pushing. After the bout the talk turned to the oysters of Itoshima, home of his stable, which he bought in bulk before the basho: 'I don't want an upset stomach, so I don't eat them raw. I put them in chanko or grill them.'
Sources: Yahoo! Japan Sports (Nikkan Sports) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Sports Hochi) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Sponichi)