Yokozuna Hakuho maintained his perfect record on Monday to take the sole lead on the ninth day of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.
Fellow Mongolian yokozuna Kakuryu saw his perfect run end with a loss to sekiwake Tochiozan (8-1) in a slapping and shoving battle. Kakuryu, who missed the previous two meets due to a left shoulder injury, was unable to keep up with Tochiozan, the only Japanese wrestler among the leading five.
"I was able to get in low. Today was my best match yet," said Tochiozan, who on Tuesday will face Hakuho — against whom he is 1-28 in his career. "I want to do as I did today, stay patient."