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January 21, 2006
No V8 for Asashoryu! 2 left for title!
Asashoryu beat Koto'oshu yesterday, but before the match had even started, he had watched Tochiazuma beat Hokutoriki, making his match irrelevant.
In fact, by winning and taking his record to a tournament-best 13-1, Tochiazuma took everyone but one other wrestler out of the competition. Hokutoriki fell to 11-3. Asashoryu also stands at 11-3, and Koto'oshu dropped to 10-4 with his loss. Tokitsuumi lost to drop to 11-3, as well.
The only wrestler left with a chance to catch Tochiazuma is Hakuho, who beat Tokitsuumi to raise his record to 12-2.
So it all comes down to the last 2 matches of the final day. First, Hakuho faces Koto'oshu. If Hakuho beats Koto'oshu, he puts the pressure on Tochiazuma, but if he loses, Tochiazuma wins the tournament.
Then, Asashoryu can't win his 8th tournament in a row, but he can play spoiler to Tochiazuma. If Hakuho wins, then an Asashoryu win over Tochiazuma would send Hakuho and Tochiazuma to a playoff. (Hakuho lost to Tochiazuma in their match on day 8.)
And in other news, Georgian Kokkai and "Robocop" Takamisakari both stand at 7-7 and go against each other on the last day to determine who gets promoted and who gets demoted. Also, Takamisakari promised his mother he'd give her a trip to Hawaii if he wins 8 or more, so a lot is riding on tomorrow's match.
Posted by JoshHornik at January 21, 2006 12:22 PM