After coming to the brink of defeat a day earlier, Hakuho bounced back with a vengeance in a demolition of Kotoshogiku to maintain his undefeated slate at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament on Tuesday.
The lone yokozuna was back at full force in the day's final bout to improve to 10-0 but ozeki pair Kotooshu and Baruto dropped back in the title race, falling to their second defeats.
Hakuho, who is seeking his sixth consecutive title, got his left hand around the waist of Kotoshogiku (7-3) before tossing the sekiwake to the dohyo surface with an arm throw at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Bulgarian Kotooshu was sent backpedaling in a straight line by Homasho (5-5), who got his right hand on the ozeki's mawashi before depositing him outside the ring.
Estonian big man Baruto, meanwhile, came flailing out of the crouch against Russian Aran (4-6), who got both hands on the back of his opponent's mawashi before heaving the ozeki out in dramatic fashion.