Ozeki Goeido used all his strength to shove No. 5 maegashira Aoiyama out of the ring Monday to maintain sole lead at the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament with a perfect 9-0 record.
Yokozuna Harumafuji and 14th-ranked maegashira Endo remain in a share of second place, while top maegashira Okinoumi dropped to 7-2 to sit two off the pace along with four other wrestlers.
Goeido, who saved his ozeki rank Sunday by securing a winning record in the 15-day meet, looked somewhat overwhelmed by the hard-pushing Aoiyama, who stands 8 cm taller at 191 cm, but fought back with a diving attack that sent the Bulgarian off the dohyo at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Mongolian yokozuna Harumafuji (8-1) pulled down komusubi Tochiozan (3-6) almost effortlessly in the day's final bout, while Endo was charged to the edge by Sokokurai (3-6) but made a quick turn and pushed the No. 11 maegashira out for his seventh straight win.
Okinoumi, who was tied in second place overnight, succumbed to komusubi Kaisei (2-7) to drop to 7-2, where he sits with yokozuna hopeful Kisenosato who executed a pulling overarm throw on fourth-ranked maegashira Chiyootori (1-8).
Three other wrestlers with just two losses are sekiwake Takayasu, kadoban ozeki Kotoshogiku, who now needs another win to keep his rank, and No. 8 maegashira Kotoyuki.
Takayasu upset Terunofuji (4-5), edging the Mongolian ozeki out after a tussle that lasted nearly a minute. Kotoshogiku beat sekiwake Takarafuji (3-6) and Kotoyuki bulldozed No. 7 maegashira Ikioi (5-4) off the ring.
Yokozuna Kakuryu slapped down No. 4 maegashira Myogiryu (2-7) for a 6-3 record with six days remaining in the tournament.
The race is wide open with yokozuna Hakuho sitting out while recovering from injures. This is the first basho the Mongolian has missed since the Kyushu tournament in 2006.