Newly promoted grand champion Harumafuji passed his first test at sumo's top rank in dominant fashion, making mincemeat of Homasho on the first day of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday.
Hakuho, meanwhile, took a more cautious approach against trickster Aminishiki but got the same result to launch his bid for his first title in three meets with a win.
In the day's penultimate bout, Harumafuji waited for Homasho to charge and unleashed a series of slaps to his face before getting his right hand around the komusubi's mawashi and sending his opponent backpedaling over the ridge at Fukuoka Kokusai Center.