Former ozeki Takayasu continued to be a thorn in the side of current ozeki Hoshoryu, as he handed the joint overnight leader his first loss of the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament on Friday.
Takayasu's victory left sekiwake Kotonowaka and No. 14 maegashira Ichiyamamoto tied for the lead as the only unbeaten wrestlers through six days of the 15-day tournament at Fukuoka Kokusai Center.
Hoshoryu took the early initiative as he pursed No. 3 Takayasu (3-3) around the ring, but the 33-year-old veteran from Ibaraki Prefecture kept his cool and countered successive throw attempts before lifting the star Mongolian grappler by the leg and dropping him to the clay.