On May 11, at the Summer Grand Sumo tournament, ozeki Kirishima rediscovered his form with his ninth victory, reclaiming the outright lead. Meanwhile, fellow ozeki Kotozakura continued his slump with his eighth defeat, now facing the prospect of a negative record.
Kirishima, after his loss on Sunday, quickly recovered by defeating the formidable opponent Shodai. With a record of 9-2, he now leads the tournament alone, well ahead of his remaining rivals. Kirishima's match was swift as he used the 'yorikiri' technique (force out) to dispatch Shodai in just seconds.
By contrast, Kotozakura finds himself in a precarious position. With a record of 3-8, he stands on the verge of breaking the record for most losses in a tournament by an ozeki. His latest defeat came at the hands of lightweight wrestler Takayasu, who used the 'tsukiotoshi' technique (thrust down) to fell Kotozakura at the start of the bout.
The tournament, held in Tokyo over 15 days, is now entering its final phase. Other ozeki, such as Hoshoryu, withdrew after the first day due to injury, adding further drama to the championship race.
