No. 10 maegashira Shonannoumi had no answer in the ring for his nemesis on Thursday, when his loss to sekiwake Abi cost him the sole lead on the 12th day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
Shonannoumi forced the sekiwake backward from the jump, but twice lost his balance after failed attempts to pull him down. The second miss proved his undoing as Abi (8-4) nudged him out and improved to 3-0 in his career against the maegashira.
The defeat left Shonannoumi tied with three other wrestlers at 9-3 with three days remaining in the 15-day meet at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Ozeki Kotozakura narrowly earned his ninth win, while komusubi Onosato and a 27-year-old makuuchi debutant, No. 14 maegashira Oshoma, each scored impressive wins to join the four-man leading pack.
Wakamotoharu (3-6-3) drove Kotozakura backward to the straw and executed an overarm throw that toppled the ozeki only for the sekiwake's own knee to buckle and send him to the surface first.
Youth prevailed over experience as 23-year-old Onosato needed just seconds to shove 37-year-old No. 16 maegashira Takarafuji back and over the straw bales to his fourth defeat.
Oshoma showed off his favored "hatakikomi" slap down technique. The Mongolian fended off No. 9 maegashira Shodai (5-7), lured the former ozeki into lunging forward, and applied pressure to the back of his head and shoulders to send him crashing down.
Ozeki Hoshoryu (8-4) beat a championship contender for the second straight day in stellar fashion. A day after upending Onosato with a slick throw, the nephew of Mongolian former yokozuna Asashoryu made short work of former ozeki Mitakeumi (8-4).
Mitakeumi, a No. 7 maegashira charged forward into a right overarm belt hold and found himself at the mercy of Hoshoryu, who used his leverage to force him backward out of the ring.
No. 1 Daieisho remained a win back of the lead by losing a vicious thrusting and shoving battle to No. 5 Meisei that left both maegashira wrestlers with 8-4 records.
Related coverage:
Sumo: Onosato beaten as No. 10 maegashira Shonannoumi takes sole lead
Sumo: Veteran Takayasu knocks ozeki Kotozakura off top of leaderboard
Sumo: Kotozakura takes share of lead as Onosato suffers upset loss
