Yokozuna Hakuho once again foiled longtime nemesis Kisenosato at the crucial moment, regaining the sole lead on the 12th day of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament on Thursday.
With his victory over the ozeki, Hakuho (11-1) bounced back from the previous day's defeat to sekiwake Goeido.
Kisenosato slipped into a three-way tie for second with yokozuna Harumafuji and rank-and-filer Ikioi at 10-2.
Kisenosato jumped the gun twice, but on the third attempt he was late at the charge as Hakuho walloped him with a hard elbow to the face and immediately got his right hand around to charge the ozeki out of the ring at Ryogoku Kokugikan.
The first of the three yokozuna to fight, Harumafuji dispensed with ozeki Kotoshogiku with a quick rear shove-out. Kotoshogiku (5-7) slipped one defeat from a losing record.
Yokozuna debutant Kakuryu (9-3), had luck on his side in the day's finale after Goeido (6-6) lost by foul for pulling his opponent's topknot.
In the lower echelon, Egyptian-born No. 10 maegashira Osunaarashi (8-4) knocked the living daylights out of Endo, blasting his opponent with a right elbow at the tachiai to flatten the popular maegashira wrestler to the dirt.
No. 4 maegashira Endo, who slipped one loss from a losing record at 5-7, slunk his head low as he walked slowly back to the dressing room with his mouth bloodied.