Estonian giant Baruto got back on the winning track on his ozeki debut Monday while Mongolian yokozuna Hakuho stayed in sole possession of the lead at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
Sent crashing to a shock first defeat at the hands of Kakuryu on Sunday, Baruto came back with a bang at Ryogoku Kokugikan, picking his moment to break free from a mid-ring stalemate and barge out veteran ozeki Kaio to secure a winning record.
Baruto, who is aiming to become only the second European grappler after Kotooshu to lift the Emperor's Cup, stayed within one win of tourney favorite Hakuho at 8-1. Kaio (5-4) needs four wins to reach a milestone of 1,000 career victories.