Juryo #2 Tobizaru (Oitekaze-beya) went up against Juryo #6 Hakuyozan (Takadagawa-beya) in the third to last Juryo match of day 9. Hakuyozan won by oshidashi after a push-thrust battle with the smaller Tobizaru. Towards the end of the bout, Hakuyozan had grabbed Tobizaru’s left hand and held it outstretched to neutralize his attack. The way Hakuyozan was holding Tobizaru’s fingers during the match came into question and a prompt judges’ meeting ensued.
Head judge Isegahama-oyakata explained, “We needed to confirm that Hakuyozan was not bending his (Tobizaru’s) fingers back. He was not. We’ll go with the referee’s decision.” This is the first time ever that a “yubiori” — a forbidden technique in which one or two fingers are bent back — has become the subject of a monoii. After he was found not guilty, Hakuyozan remounted the dohyo and accepted the win. Both competitors leave day 9 with a record of 4-5.
Source: Nikkan Sports
Grand Sumo International 