Both tournament-leading yokozuna extended their winning streaks for their kachikoshi-clinching eighth victories at the midway point of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday, while ozeki Takayasu stayed one off the pace.
Yokozuna Kakuryu slapped down No. 3 maegashira Daieisho (3-5) in the middle of the ring, and fellow yokozuna Hakuho pulled down No. 3 maegashira Shodai (4-4) as both made it through the first week with perfect records.
Ozeki Takayasu exchanged slaps with Tamawashi (1-7), but finally pushed the sekiwake to the surface to improve to 7-1.
No. 16 maegashira Terutsuyoshi, entering the day with one loss to trail the yokozuna, suffered a crucial second defeat as No. 12 maegashira Kagayaki (5-3) pulled him down.
Meanwhile, ozeki Goeido notified the Japan Sumo Association on Sunday that an injury to his right shoulder will force him to skip the rest of the tourney.
Goeido went down to Endo on Saturday for his fourth loss of the basho. The ozeki posted a loss by default to No. 4 maegashira Meisei on Sunday.
With Goeido dropping out of the Nagoya basho, Takayasu is the only ozeki remaining in the basho among the four ozeki -- Tochinoshin was winless after five days when he withdrew to join sidelined Takakeisho, who pulled out before the tourney began.
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