Lone yokozuna Terunofuji made a faltering start to his quest for an eighth Emperor's Cup on Sunday, losing to komusubi Abi on the opening day of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.
The Mongolian-born grand champion neutralized Abi's thrusting attack and drove him to the edge, but the former sekiwake slipped sideways and executed a reversal by rear push-out in the day's final bout at Nagoya's Dolphins Arena.
"I don't really remember what happened but I did my best," said Abi, who earned a kinboshi gold-star award for beating Terunfoji as a No. 6 maegashira in January.