Harumafuji awaits do-or-die fight at New Year Basho

If one thing is causing yokozuna Harumafuji to lose sleep, haunted by an eerie requiem, it is knowing that the powers that be would just as soon banish him from the ancient Japanese sport than have him disgrace the prized yokozuna rank.

Entering only his second tournament at the top of the sumo's highest perch, Harumafuji is already dangerously close to plunging headlong over that precipice to a fate from whence there will be no deliverance: forced early retirement.

With the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament kicking off this Sunday, the Mongolian dynamo must rekindle the same fire that burned so brightly last year when he won two consecutive tournaments with undefeated 15-0 marks to catapult himself to his current hegemony.

"I want to respond to peoples' expectations of me," said Harumafuji ahead of the Tokyo Basho at Ryogoku Kokugikan, which is held annually over the last fortnight in January. "I want to work hard all year, and have a nice present for myself in the end."

After eking out a barely permissible 9-6 record at the Kyushu Basho in November, and becoming the first yokozuna in history to lose his final five bouts, responding to expectations is the least being asked of him; he must also continue to be an able foil to rival yokozuna Hakuho.

The Japan Sumo Association's Yokozuna Deliberation Council, the same body that recommended him to become sumo's 70th grand champion, is now demanding that Harumafuji at least win 10 bouts with the tacit understanding that anything less would be grounds for an involuntary farewell from the raised ring.

"As a yokozuna, you at least have to be able to get double digits wins, or you don't qualify," Takuhiko Tsuruta, who heads the JSA's deliberation council, has said.

At his first practice of the year on Jan. 4, deliberation council member Tanosuke Sawamura did not mince his words, saying, "A small wrestler like Harumafuji has to become a yokozuna of technique. We want him to produce results that will allow him to preserve his rank."

Harumafuji said he was awakened by a nightmare the night before practice. He sprinkled purification salt over his head and shoulders to ward off evil following his sparring session.

"I was just hoping the morning would come quickly. I had a bad dream, so I think it means that something good will happen."

Harumafuji, who caught a cold near the end of the year and whose training has been scant of late, began to pick up the pace in the final week before the tournament.

He went 5-5 against Hakuho, albeit at the perfunctory annual sparring demonstration in front of the deliberation council at Ryogoku Kokugikan on Monday.

But he earned brickbats from one of the JSA's stablemasters for shoving Kisenosato in the face ex post facto, having already sent the ozeki out of the ring in a frontal force out in a practice session at Tokyo's Oguruma stable the following day.

"A yokozuna can't do things like that. This is a contest," said Matsugane, who is a deputy director on the JSA's officiating committee.

The 28-year-old Harumafuji, who at 133 kg is the lightest in the elite makuuchi division, can hardly be blamed for his firebrand style though; he is well-known for lightning-bolt strikes getting out of hand, perhaps his only recourse to compensate for his relatively small frame.

Although feeling the effects of a series of injuries suffered during the Kyushu Basho, including pain in both ankles and a right-calf muscle strain, there can be no excuses after his now-famous debacle.

"If he had produced a good record in his first basho as yokozuna, then things would be easier for him in the second one. This is going to be a tough meet for Harumafuji. He'll have to take off from the start," said former yokozuna Kitanofuji, who works as a sumo television analyst on NHK.

For Hakuho, meanwhile, another milestone is within his grasp as he aims to win back-to-back tournaments and his 24th career title, a feat that would place him in the same company as former yokozuna and current JSA Chairman Kitanoumi.

Baruto, who has been demoted to sumo's third-highest rank of sekiwake after pulling out of two consecutive basho, needs 10 wins to regain his ozeki status but the Estonian goliath has not fully recovered from an injury to his left hamstring.

Expectations are high that ozeki Kisenosato will finally hit pay dirt with his first Emperor's Cup trophy, but he needs to rectify his high posture and minimize his inconsistencies.

Fellow Japanese ozeki Kotoshogiku is still feeling the remnants of a recent cold and a long way from full strength.

Sekiwake Goeido won 11 bouts in Kyushu, setting himself up for a genuine shot at ozeki promotion. He can put himself in the running for consideration with another dominant performance at the Tokyo meet.

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Kotooshu exits basho with injury

As Bulgarian Kotooshu became the latest ozeki injury casualty to pull out of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament, Harumafuji stood tall for sumo's second rank Friday, delivering another convincing win to stay unbeaten on the sixth day of action in Tokyo.

Back on the yokozuna promotion trail following his 15-0 championship win in Nagoya in July, the tricky Mongolian paved the way for victory by knocking back Homasho (4-2) with a hard opening charge, and then picked his moment to draw in the third-ranked maegashira and haul him to the dirt to retain his share of a five-way lead.

Yokozuna Hakuho, ozeki Kisenosato, evergreen maegashira Kyokutenho and rank-and-filer Takayasu are also at 6-0.

The ozeki rank was cut to three wrestlers earlier in the day when Kotooshu (2-4) withdrew with a right shoulder injury he sustained when he was sentenced to a third straight defeat against Toyonoshima on Thursday. He lost Friday's scheduled bout against Brazilian-born grappler Kaisei (3-3) by default.

A losing record here for Kotooshu would force him to wrestle with his ozeki rank on the line for a fifth time at the Kyushu meet in November. Estonian ozeki Baruto (toe) and Kotoshogiku (knee) both withdrew through injury on Wednesday.

It is the first time three ozeki have pulled out during a meet since Kaio, Chiyotaikai and Miyabiyama at the 2001 Autumn Basho.

Hakuho, meanwhile, kept his sights on a 23rd Emperor's Cup with a routine "sukuinage" beltless arm throw win over maegashira Gagamaru (2-4).

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Baruto wins New Year basho

Ozeki Baruto clinched his first career title Friday with a victory over rival Kotoshogiku, achieving the feat with two days to spare at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.

Heavy lifting: Ozeki Baruto (right) grapples with Kotoshogiku on the 13th day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Friday. Baruto's victory helped him clinch his first Emperor's Cup. KYODO

Baruto's 13th consecutive win coupled by a third loss by deflated and vanquished yokozuna Hakuho, secured the title for the Estonian goliath at a meet that had all but lost steam in the title race a day earlier at Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Baruto got both hands on the back of Kotoshogiku's (7-6) mawashi after a short exchange of slaps before dumping his opponent to improve to an insurmountable 13-0.

He became the ninth foreign-born wrestler and second from Europe after Bulgarian Kotooshu to win a championship.

"I don't have that much to say but I am excited," said Baruto, who made his debut at sumo's No. 2 rank at the 2010 summer meet. "The championship had been a dream of mine until now. I have made a strong effort at this meet and there was a lot of pressure in the title race. I tried not to focus on the title and just give my all."

Hakuho, who had the wind knocked from his sails after a second defeat the previous day against ozeki Harumafuji, also looked out of sorts against Kotooshu in the day's final bout.

Ozeki Kotooshu (10-3), who had not beaten the yokozuna since the 2009 summer basho, got his hand in for a tight grip on Hakuho before heaving him over the straw bales in dominant fashion.

"I wanted to make a strong charge but I hesitated a little at the tachiai. I wanted to cut him loose from the grip on my mawashi, but I couldn't stop him. I have to reflect on this defeat," said Hakuho, whose 22nd victory would have placed him in a tie for fifth on the all-time list with former yokozuna Takanohana.

In other noteworthy bouts, ozeki newcomer Kisenosato came back from the edge against Tochinowaka (7-6), getting his left hand in for an outside grip before ushering his opponent over in a frontal force out to improve to 10-3.

Harumafuji, who was jeered by the crowd a day earlier when he did a sneaky "henka" sidestep maneuver to beat Hakuho, muscled out Miyabiyama in a textbook frontal force out for his 10th win. Former ozeki Miyabiyama, who is back at sumo's fourth rank of komusubi, fell to an unflattering 3-10 mark.

Baruto was also booed on Thursday when he sidestepped Kisenosato in their bout to pick up a quick win.

Mongolian sekiwake Kakuryu pulled Aminishiki (7-6) to the dirt surface after an exchange of slaps to improve his slate to 9-4, moving closer to the double-digit record he will need to make a run at ozeki at the spring basho.

In the lower ranks, Tenkaiho picked up his eighth win in his first campaign in the elite division, heaving out Kyokutenho (7-6), while Czech-born Takanoyama slapped down Yoshikaze (7-6) to move two wins from also securing a winning record.

Makuuchi debutant Chiyonokuni (9-4) appeared to have hurt a shoulder when he was rammed out by Georgian Tochinoshin (8-5) in an early bout.

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Hakuho handed first defeat in New Year Basho

One false move and it was all over for Mongolian yokozuna Hakuho in a shock defeat to countryman Kakuryu at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Tuesday.

Estonian ozeki Baruto emerged as the improbable sole leader after Hakuho suffered his first loss, improving his record to a perfect 10-0 with a dismantling of Toyonoshima at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Hakuho was brought crashing back down to earth in the day's final after Kakuryu got his hand on the yokozuna's mawashi and spun him like a top before heaving his opponent over for his first "kinboshi," win against a yokozuna.

Kakuryu, who improved to 7-3, won his first bout in 21 meetings against the lone yokozuna. Things got off to an ominous start for Hakuho when the yokozuna, who is seeking his third straight title, stood up once to delay the clash.

Hakuho, who fell out of the lead for the first time as yokozuna on the 10th day, on Wednesday faces ozeki Kisenosato, who ended his 63-bout winning streak at the 2010 Kyushu Basho.

Baruto got his huge right arm on the back of Toyonoshima's mawashi out of the crouch and slammed the sekiwake (3-7) with an earth-shattering overarm throw to remain spotless.

Ozeki debutant Kisenosato claimed bragging rights in a rumble with rival ozeki Kotoshogiku on Tuesday, remaining one behind Baruto in a tie with Hakuho. Harumafuji and fellow ozeki Kotooshu sit in a group of four two off the pace at 8-2.

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Kisenosato, Hakuho roll; Kotoshogiku falls at New Year basho

Newly promoted ozeki Kisenosato tossed aside Goeido to get off to a high-octane start, Kotoshogiku took a first-day spill and yokozuna Hakuho was his usual dominant self on the opening day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday.

Kisenosato kept his eyes transfixed on Goeido as he blasted him with a torrent of shoves before sending his opponent fleeing over the edge at Ryogoku Kokugikan.

But Kotoshogiku, promoted to sumo's No. 2 rank after the autumn basho last year, never got rolling against Takekaze who slapped the ozeki down immediately after the face-off.

"I lost to Goeido at the last meet (in Kyushu) last year, so I just wanted to make sure my opponent never got inside for an attack," said Kisenosato, who got the green light for ozeki after the Kyushu basho. "I wasn't really that nervous. I just kept the pressure on him by pushing him down from above and stayed calm. This was a good start."

"Darn it! My sumo today was halfhearted," Kotoshogiku said. "I wasn't ready for the challenge and my body and mind were not in sync. I got ahead of myself when I should have been more relaxed."

After a tumultuous 2011 when sumo was mired in its worst-ever crisis due to a match-fixing scandal, the January meet kicked off to a packed house amidst much anticipation as the national sport attempts to clean up its tarnished image in 2012.

Although expectations are riding high with Kotoshogiku and Kisenosato having gained promotion, for the first time ever, there are no Japanese wrestlers amongst the 32 plaques of title winners draped around the auditorium.

Retired ozeki Tochiazuma's plaque from the 2006 New Year meet has been removed, leaving 20 of Mongolian Hakuho and the rest of other foreign wrestlers including former yokozuna Asashoryu, Mongolian Harumafuji and Bulgarian Kotooshu.

It's the first time since the 2010 summer basho that two Japanese ozeki are competing together, and fans are hoping one of them will be the first Japanese wrestler in six years to cart the coveted Emperor's Cup.

Hakuho, who is the strong favorite to match former yokozuna Takanohana with his 22nd career title, made mincemeat of Wakakoyu in the day's final bout, sending the new komusubi sprawling in a matter of seconds.

Asked for his thoughts on trying to tie Takanohana's record, Hakuho said, "This is just the start but of course I am thinking about it. If I put in the work I feel like I'll definitely be able to match it."

Harumafuji took care of Okinoumi in one swoop, getting his left hand inside for a tight grip on the mawashi before flinging his opponent over with an underarm throw.

Kotooshu unleashed a series of shoves against Aminishiki before getting both hands wrapped around the top-ranked maegashira and jolting his opponent over the ridge.

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Hakuho faces up to gloomy basho

Yokozuna Hakuho has been in this tenuous situation before — sort of.

The Mongolian, who is taking part in a "test meet" in Tokyo in place of the summer basho following a match-fixing scandal, had to deal with disappointment when, despite winning last year's Nagoya basho, he received nothing for his efforts, including the coveted Emperor's Cup.

There are no awards, trophies or cash prizes being offered either at the May Technical Examination Tournament, as it is being called, but the results still count.

The Ryogoku Kokugikan appears even gloomier, due to the reduced lighting to conserve energy following the March 11 earthquake in northeastern Japan.

"I felt the same way at the Nagoya basho last year but I fought through it," said Hakuho, who is aiming to match former yokozuna Asashoryu's all-time record of seven consecutive titles at this meet.

"Last time when I was in this type of situation, I tried to remember the joy of sumo as I wrestled. That's the same thing I have to do here. I have to feel appreciation while I wrestle."

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