Training news-clash of the Titans!

[Moti Dichne]

Well, it went down today- A rare sanban keiko session between two Yokozunae was held today. Yokozuna Houshouryuu and fresh Yokozuna Oonosato went to Sakaigawa beya in Fuso-cho, Aichi Prefecture, for degeiko. Houshouryuu and Oonosato took turns having several bouts each against Sekiwake Kirishima, Komusubi Takayasu, and Maegashira Hiradoumi of Sakaigawa beya, who were also there for the training session. After alternating and training with said opponents, they had 4 bouts between them as a finishing touch with Houshouryuu winning three and losing one. Apart from at the YDC soken, it is extremely rare for Yokozunae from different Ichimons to face each other in keiko. Even when combined with matches against other sekitori, Houshouryuu had a good record of 10 wins and one loss out of a total of 11 bouts. He had two bouts against Takayasu and five bouts against Hiradoumi, winning all of them. On the other hand, Oonosato had three wins and two losses against Kirishima and Hiradoumi, respectively. With a total of 14 bouts, he ended up with 7 wins and 7 losses, showing a mixed record. Their comments after keiko were also in contrast. Houshouryuu proudly stated, "I was able to train well. Even though I had fewer bouts, I was determined to put on a good performance." On the 4th, when he went to train at  Isegahama beya, he hurt the area around his left big toe, and today he also trained with tape on the injured area. He did not train on the 5th and 6th, but emphasized that he has recovered, saying, "I'm much better now." Even with two days of rest, he continued to perform well, wiping away the sweat and saying, "All that's left is to train well until Friday and take care of my body. It's hot, so I have to be careful with my body."