Yokozuna Hakuho took a step closer to securing his first Emperor's Cup of the year by comfortably defeating ozeki Tochinoshin (7-5) on Day 12 of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on Thursday at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo to add to his lead.
Hakuho (12-0) used a firm right-arm grip to dominantly hurl the demotion-threatened "kadoban" ozeki to the surface just after the jump-off.
Ozeki Takayasu stunned Kakuryu (10-2) in the penultimate bout, handing the yokozuna his second consecutive defeat and dropping him two losses behind Hakuho.
Takayasu got a strong start out of the blocks and swiftly secured a left-hand grip of the yokozuna's belt. Kakuryu failed to recover and the ozeki used his strength to send the yokozuna out of the ring to pick up win No. 10.
In the finale, yokozuna Kisenosato kept himself in contention, notching his ninth win by outlasting sekiwake Mitakeumi (6-6) in a duel of endurance. The crowd-favorite sekiwake seized the advantage at the jump-off, evading the grip of the yokozuna by maneuvering him around the ring. But Mitakeumi failed to finish the job, giving the relentless Kisenosato an opportunity to recover his position and eventually ease the sekiwake out of the ring.
Meanwhile, ozeki Goeido remains in a group of three at two losses behind Hakuho, picking up his 10th win by slapping down No. 4 maegashira Abi (6-6).
After a jittery jump-off, the ozeki used his experience to dodge the charge of the long-limbed maegashira and sent him crashing face-first to the surface.
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