Yokozuna Takanohana managed to dodge another bullet on Saturday by overcoming winless Tochinonada to record his fifth victory heading into the second week of the Autumn Grand Sumo Tournament.
Takanohana, who has missed the last seven tournaments due to a long-term knee injury, came perilously close to a third shock defeat to a rank-and-filer before his trusty right got him out of jail in the day's penultimate bout at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.
Takanohana almost lost the plot as Tochinonada refused to succumb to a two-handed belt throw attempts and nearly tipped the grand champion over at the edge of the ring to chalk his first win of the 15-day meet.