Mongolian yokozuna Hakuho produced another clinical win to stay on course for a 34th career championship at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament on Friday.
Hakuho spotted an opening after an exchange of slaps and thrusts and surged forward to pull down struggling No. 3 maegashira Takayasu (0-6) and stay unbeaten six days into the 15-day basho in Osaka.
Hakuho, who owns the all-time record of 33 career Emperor's Cups, shares the lead with sekiwake Terunofuji and veteran maegashira Aminishiki.
Yokozuna Harumafuji is in a five-way tie for second thanks to a force-out win over Bulgarian grappler Aoiyama (1-5).
Terunofuji continued his dream start at sumo's third-highest rank of sekiwake, prevailing in a hard-fought contest to see off top-ranked maegashira Tochiozan (2-4).
"I'm glad I was just about able to scrape out the win," said Terunofuji. "I will keep doing my best and focus on each bout as it comes."
Aminishiki, a sixth-ranked maegashira, kept his place among the front-running trio with a thrust-down win over winless No. 2 maegashira Sadanoumi.
In other bouts of note, Mongolian giant Ichinojo (4-2) shoved out Kotoshogiku (4-2) to consign the ozeki to his second consecutive loss.
Osaka-born ozeki Goeido also dropped his second straight bout after being taken down by fourth-ranked maegashira Takekaze (1-5), but ozeki Kisenosato got back on the winning track to level his record at 3-3, barging out komusubi Tamawashi (2-4).