Churanoumi Gets His First Sanyaku Win, Throwing Sekiwake Fujinokawa, Who Falls to 0-3
New komusubi Churanoumi (Kise), 33, the first Okinawa-born rikishi to reach sanyaku, beat sekiwake Fujinokawa (Isenoumi), 21, by uwatenage on Day 3 for his first win, after losses to yokozuna Hoshoryu on Day 1 and ozeki Kotozakura on Day 2. Sponichi says Fujinokawa false-started twice; on the third try Churanoumi grabbed his favored left front grip and held it even after Fujinokawa got both arms inside, then pulled him in and threw him in the center of the ring. 'It was forced. I was trying to cut his grip, and it went down from there,' he told Nikkan Sports, though he said he had 'built the shape' he wanted. Mainoumi on NHK said the pull with the outer grip worked, and the throw may have landed as Fujinokawa went for a right shitatenage.
He is now 5-1 against Fujinokawa. Asked about his first komusubi win, he said 'Nothing has changed' and that he 'wasn't thinking about it much,' though he let out a big 'phew' as he sat down for reporters. His mother and older brother came on Day 1; his mother got the tickets, saying Tokyo tickets were impossible. Kyushu is his regional basho, but 'my sumo doesn't really change.' JSA chairman Hakkaku (ex-yokozuna Hokutoumi): 'He hasn't changed. He's working hard.' He meets sekiwake Atamifuji on Day 4.
Churanoumi won the Kanto-sho at 10-5 as West Maegashira 3 in September. Sponichi says his 63 basho from debut to sanyaku is the slowest for a former collegian and his age, 33 years 5 months, is the fourth-oldest for a new sanyaku since the war. Fujinokawa won 11 as a new sekiwake in September and could have set up an ozeki run, with the rough target of 33 wins over three basho in sanyaku, with double digits here, but has opened 0-3.
Sources: Yahoo! Japan Sports (Nikkan Sports) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Nikkan Sports) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Sports Hochi) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Sponichi) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Jiji Press photo)