Sekiwake Terunofuji, who made a stunning comeback to win the Spring Grand Sumo Tournament with a 12-3 record, said Monday he had been determined to finish the meet with double-digit wins to protect the reputation of his stablemaster Isegahama.
By winning his third Emperor's Cup and securing promotion back to the second-highest rank of ozeki, the 29-year-old Mongolian added another remarkable chapter to a career that had been derailed by injuries to both knees.
A three-tournament record of 33 wins is considered a near-guarantee for ozeki promotion, and Terunofuji reached the mark on the 12th day of the 15-day meet at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan when he improved to 9-3 for the tournament.