Onosato Slaps Down Ura for a Fourth Straight Win, but Kotokaze Warns About the Pulling Habit
Yokozuna Onosato, 26 (Nishonoseki), beat East Maegashira 2 Ura, 34 (Kise), the man who took Hoshoryu's kinboshi the day before, by hatakikomi in the Day 5 musubi-no-ichiban to go 4-1. He opened with a two-handed thrust (morote), and as Ura ducked low to go for his legs, he slapped him down. He had won all seven of their previous meetings (Sports Hochi, Nikkan Sports).
'I was able to watch my opponent. He was low,' Onosato said. 'I tried not to get careless. The first part of the basho is over, so I'll work toward the middle.' Hochi notes his pulling habit nearly cost him against Fujiryoga on Day 2. 'It's leading to wins and I don't think it was bad. I'll just quietly go about my own business,' he said.
NHK commentator Kotokaze was not impressed: 'Not good. In the moment you may think it's a move just for Ura, who dives in, but win like that and your body remembers it' (Nikkan Sports). 'Yokozuna or anyone, if you win that way your body learns it. I wanted to see him drive Ura's upper body up from the left and win' (Chunichi Sports).
Sources: Yahoo! Japan Sports (Sports Hochi) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Nikkan Sports) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Chunichi Sports) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Jiji Press photo)