Yokozuna Hakuho took another step toward his 36th career championship on Tuesday, the third day of the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.
Hakuho, who already holds the record of 35 tournament titles, had little trouble improving to 3-0 against No. 1 maegashira Shohozan at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, and became one of just two wrestlers in the sport's top two ranks to boast a perfect record.
Yokozuna Harumafuji (2-1) remained a win back of Hakuho with a solid victory against 201-kg Bulgarian Aoyama (0-3), but Kakuryu, the third member of the Mongolian yokozuna triumvirate, suffered an embarrassing first loss.