Sole yokozuna Terunofuji withstood a grueling battle against komusubi Kiribayama to make a winning start to the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament on Sunday.
Virtually a full complement of top-tier wrestlers took to the raised ring at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan, where organizers hope to avoid a repeat of the mass coronavirus withdrawals that severely thinned the field during July's Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.
Bidding for his eighth Emperor's Cup, Terunofuji kept his composure as he forced out his fellow Mongolian-born wrestler in an entertaining final bout on the opening day of the 15-day meet.