Takanohana put on a clinic Tuesday to preserve his unbeaten record, but yokozuna rival Akebono lost the plot badly and flopped to his first defeat on Day 3 of the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
Top-ranked maegashira Asanowaka had little chance against Takanohana, who kept his center of gravity low as he cut off his opponent's ring space and forced him out to his second loss in the penultimate bout of the day at Tokyo's Ryogoku Kokugikan.
Takanohana, chasing his 21st Emperor's Cup, then sat ringside to watch Akebono take on sekiwake Tochiazuma and left the arena in a nine-way tie for the lead at 3-0.