Ozeki Kotoshogiku's drive for his second straight championship and promotion to yokozuna continued at full speed Monday, beating Yoshikaze on the second day of the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament.
The 32-year-old Kotoshogiku struggled with his balance on the tachiai under pressure from Yoshikaze (1-1). However, Kotoshogiku soon sorted things out before shoving the sekiwake from the ring, improving to 2-0 in the 15-day event at Edion Arena.
In the January meet, Kotoshogiku posted double-digit wins for only the eighth time in his 26 tournaments at sumo's second-highest rank. A championship here will give him a chance of becoming the first Japan-born yokozuna since Wakanohana in 1998.