Harumafuji leveled the playing field on Friday, upstaging fellow Mongolian yokozuna Hakuho with a make-or-break leap on his initial charge to leave them both with 12 wins with two days remaining in the 15-day Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament.
Hakuho attacked to the left on his charge, and Harumafuji read the attack like a book. Harumafuji leaped to his left and came down hard on Hakuho's exposed right flank, spinning him around to the straws edge.
Wasting no time, Harumafuji leaned into his storied rival and Hakuho's legs buckled backward as he crumpled to his first defeat.