Hakuho improved to a 3-0 Tuesday at the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament, while fellow yokozuna Kakuryu bounced back from an upset loss the previous day.
Chasing a record-extending 44th top-level title, Hakuho had to work hard to defeat No. 1 maegashira Takayasu in the final bout of Day 3 at an eerily quiet Edion Arena Osaka, where spectators have been shut out as an emergency measure to combat the coronavirus.
Opening with his trademark face slap, Hakuho needed strength and footwork to overcome a determined Takayasu, who resisted being pushed over the straw before eventually succumbing to a frontal force-out.