Yokozuna Hakuho won his 33rd career championship on Friday with two days to spare at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament, surpassing the record of 32 titles he shared with sumo legend Taiho.
The 29-year-old Hakuho entered the day with a perfect 12-0 record and a two-win cushion over ozeki Kisenosato and yokozuna Harumafuji. Harumafuji fell in the day's penultimate bout with rival yokozuna Kakuryu, while Hakuho defeated Kisenosato in the finale to wrap up his fifth straight championship.
The 32 titles amassed by Taiho, long considered the greatest sumo wrestler in the post-war period, stood the test of time from 1971 until last November, when Hakuho pulled alongside.