A day after winning the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament in a dramatic playoff, ozeki Terunofuji said Monday it took every ounce of effort to claim his second straight championship.
The 29-year-old Mongolian was thrust down by fellow ozeki Takakeisho in the final scheduled bout of the 15-day meet at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan on Sunday, leaving the pair tied with 12-3 records and requiring a playoff to determine the champion.
Terunofuji turned the tables in the sudden-death decider, keeping his rival at arm's length before slapping him to the sandy surface of the ring.