Yoshinofuji Follows His Onosato Upset by Throwing Ozeki Kirishima; Mainoumi Calls Kirishima's Attack 'Reckless'
Komusubi Yoshinofuji (Isegahama), 25, who beat yokozuna Onosato on Day 1, beat ozeki Kirishima (Otowayama), 30, by uwatenage on Day 3 in an exchange of throws, handing Kirishima his first loss. Both are 2-1, and it is Yoshinofuji's second straight win over Kirishima after September. He charged straight in, got his left arm inside and took a right outer grip. When Kirishima went for a left shitatenage and then a forceful kakenage, Yoshinofuji held on with a right sotogake and threw back from the right, and Kirishima hit the clay first (Nikkan Sports, Sports Hochi).
After his Day 2 loss to Aonishiki's uchimuso, his stablemaster Isegahama (ex-yokozuna Terunofuji) told him, 'Your strength should be taking the outer grip and not stopping, twisting in and swinging hard.' 'I think I stopped less than yesterday,' Yoshinofuji said. 'It's the result of trying to do what I was told.' Asked whether beating Kirishima in September gave him confidence: 'Not confidence so much. I'm just charging in all-out.' 'It was good. I get fired up for the upper-rank bouts,' he told Jiji. The Kumamoto native's father, Shinichi Kusano, 55, a former keirin rider, runs Yakiniku Kusano in Uki, Kumamoto; Day 3 was the shop's day off, but Yoshinofuji said his father came on Day 2, 'turning down reservations, it seems.'
'He got the outer grip first. But the end was dangerous, so I'm glad I didn't get hurt,' Kirishima told Sports Hochi. 'It's nothing at all yet.' JSA chairman Hakkaku (ex-yokozuna Hokutoumi): 'The throw failed. He lacked patience.' Mainoumi on NHK was harsh: 'Kirishima's attack was forceful and reckless.'
Sources: Yahoo! Japan Sports (Nikkan Sports) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Nikkan Sports / Mainoumi) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Sports Hochi / Kirishima) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Sports Hochi) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Sports Hochi) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Jiji Press) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Jiji Press photo)