Ozeki Harumafuji was sent sprawling to a second defeat at the hands of Russian rank-and-filer Aran on Thursday, spelling the death sentence for his bid for promotion to yokozuna at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.
Harumafuji paid for an over-anxious charge and was abruptly swept into the ringside seats by the top-ranked maegashira, who sidestepped quickly after the face-off to secure his first win at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium.
Harumafuji needed to win at least 13 bouts here to secure a nod for promotion to sumo's highest rank, but two defeats in just the first five days of the 15-day meet have already blown his chance. Nothing short of a title win could change his fortunes.
Yokozuna Hakuho, meanwhile, overpowered komusubi Kyokutenho to stay perfect in a share of the lead at 5-0 with fellow yokozuna Asashoryu and ozeki duo Kotomitsuki and Kotooshu.