Newly promoted yokozuna Kakuryu hit the dirt running with a mash-up of Aoiyama while veteran yokozuna Harumafuji was sent retreating for a first-day loss to Yoshikaze on the opening day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday.
Kakuryu was never in trouble as he moved forward in a relentless onslaught before getting the Bulgarian-born maegashira to lose his balance with a well-placed smack-down technique at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Harumafuji committed sumo's cardinal sin of backpedaling as he attempted to drag Yoshikaze down by the back of the neck. But his komusubi opponent never lost his footing as he came flying forward to shove the yokozuna into the ringside cushions.