A day after becoming the sole owner of the all-time record by clinching his 33rd Emperor's Cup, Hakuho basked in the sunlight with another stellar performance Saturday as he aims to complete his tour de force with a perfect mark.
In the first tournament to kick off the new year, Hakuho once again proved to be in a league of his own en route to winning his fifth consecutive championship, while his closest rivals, including fellow yokozuna Harumafuji and Kakuryu, fell flat in the title race at the New Year Grand Sumo Tournament.
The 29-year-old Hakuho added Harumafuji's scalp to his mawashi with a demolition of his rival in the penultimate match. There were no openings for Harumafuji (10-4) in an impregnable attack as sumo's foremost yokozuna earned his 800th victory in the elite makuuchi division.