Yokozuna Harumafuji suffered his first defeat at the hands of Ichinojo for a major upset on the third day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament on Tuesday.
Rival yokozuna Hakuho, meanwhile, readily discarded with Tochiozan as he inched closer to his sixth consecutive championship at the 15-day tournament. Sumo's foremost yokozuna, who features in a logjam of 10 rikishi at 3-0, is hoping to improve his own all-time mark with a 34th career title here.
In the day's penultimate bout, it was third time lucky for Ichinojo (2-1), a former sekiwake who claimed his second kinboshi after withstanding Harumafuji's vapid assault.