JAPAN: Sumo Veteran ozeki Kaio makes sumo history at New Year basho

Jan 12 05:29 AM US/Eastern

TOKYO, Jan. 12 (AP) - (Kyodo)

Kaio etched his name in the sumo record books at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Tuesday as the veteran ozeki claimed his 808th win in sumo's elite makuuchi division to take top spot on the all-time list.

The 37-year-old Kaio, who matched former yokozuna great Chiyonofuji's record of 807 victories on Monday, reached the milestone by overpowering Chiyotaikai, pushing the former ozeki a step closer to retirement in the process.

The Tomozuna stable warhorse shrugged off a slap at the charge and got around the back of Chiyotaikai to floor him with an "okurinage" rear throw down.

Kaio, the oldest wrestler in sumo's premier league, improved to 2-1 while Chiyotaikai dropped to 0-3 at the 15-day meet at Ryogoku Kokugikan.

The five-time Emperor's Cup winner, who made his debut alongside the likes of former yokozuna Takanohana and Akebono at the spring tourney in 1988, has a career total of 976 wins, second on the all-time list behind Chiyonofuji (1,045).

Chiyonofuji hailed Kaio's achievement after seeing his makuuchi record broken.

"Records are there to be broken and when a wrestler comes out and does that it livens sumo up," Chiyonofuji told NHK. "He wrestled well as well. His body is not as packed with energy as it once was but he has made a massive effort and it is a splendid achievement."

Chiyotaikai has been demoted to sekiwake here after competing in 65 tournaments as an ozeki. The 33-year-old has said he will retire if he fails to get the 10 wins he needs for promotion back to ozeki for the next tournament.

Meanwhile, tournament favorite Hakuho and fellow Mongolian yokozuna Asashoryu both maintained their unbeaten records with comfortable wins.

Looking to improve on an 11-4 showing in Kyushu in November, Asashoryu outmuscled winless Georgian No. 1 maegashira Tochinoshin and Hakuho flexed his muscles to reel in top-ranked Toyonoshima and floor him with an "amiuchi" fisherman's throw to extend his unbeaten streak stretching back to the autumn meet to 27 bouts.

Elsewhere, in the upper ranks, Bulgarian pin-up Kotooshu showed nifty footwork to tip over second-ranked Goeido (1-2) for a third win while Harumafuji made short work of Miyabiyama (1-2) to keep his slate clean, the ozeki weathering a pair of neck thrusts and bumping the No. 2 maegashira over the straw ridge.

But there was more grief for ozeki Kotomitsuki, who was second best in every department against Hokutoriki and was bundled out to a third consecutive defeat. Third-ranked Hokutoriki improved to 2-1.

Estonian sekiwake Baruto (2-1) moved back into the winning column with a routine force-out victory over Mongolian komusubi Kakuryu, who dropped to 1-2.