Yokozuna Hakuho avoided a misstep on Saturday as he dispatched tricky No. 3 maegashira Tobizaru for his seventh straight win at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament, while ozeki Terunofuji also remained unbeaten at Dolphins Arena.
In a bizarre first career bout against the yokozuna, Tobizaru (3-4) challenged Hakuho with an unusual approach. Instead of taking an orthodox stance near the center of the ring, he stood a good distance back, while the yokozuna carefully pondered his options.
Once the bout began, after one false start by Tobizaru, both wrestlers kept their distance and merely feinted with each other in an effort to latch on to the other's hand. Twice Hakuho stood motionless in the center of the ring urging his opponent to come at him.