Day 6: Onosato Pushes Down Hakunofuji for a Fifth Straight Win, Joins the Leaders; Onoe: 'A Perfect Bout'
Yokozuna Onosato, 26 (Nishonoseki), going for a second straight title, pushed down West Maegashira 3 Hakunofuji, 23 (Isegahama), on Day 6 for his fifth straight win since an opening-day loss to Yoshinofuji. He came in 4-3 against Hakunofuji, who kept trying to get his favored left arm inside; Onosato jammed him with ottsuke and kept pressing forward until he toppled him at the edge. With Atamifuji's loss, he is tied for the lead at 5-1 (Sports Hochi, Nikkan Sports). 'I was able to wrestle going forward, so that was good,' he said. 'The last few days I've been wrestling solidly.' Asked whether he was on a roll: 'Not at all. I'm just focused on each bout in front of me' (Nikkan Sports). Nikkan notes he is building up the same way he did at Aki, where he won his sixth title.
Before the bout, Chairman Hakkaku addressed his habit of pulling: 'If you keep telling yourself "don't, don't," you do it even more. Just think about pushing.' Afterward he praised him: 'He didn't give in. From the tachi-ai he got his right in, moved his feet, worked his right arm inside and jammed with the left. You can't do that unless you've trained.' He added that winning even when he slapped opponents down mattered: 'If he had lost that way, his rhythm would have gone bad' (Nikkan Sports). Sports Hochi notes he backed off right away against Ura on Day 5 and against Fujiryoga on Day 2 but survived both. Judging chief Onoe said from ringside, 'A strong bout. A perfect bout. If he wrestles like today, he won't lose' (Sports Hochi).
Sources: Yahoo! Japan Sports (Sports Hochi / Onoe) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Sports Hochi) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Nikkan Sports) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Nikkan Sports) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Nikkan Sports / Hakkaku) · Yahoo! Japan Sports (Jiji Press photo)