Hakuho put more breathing space between himself and a group of wannabe challengers Thursday, remaining undefeated on the 12th day of action with a trashing of newly promoted ozeki Baruto at the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament.
Hakuho, who is aiming for his 14th Emperor's Cup to match former yokozuna Wajima for sixth on the all-time list, can claim the title with a win against ozeki Kotomitsuki on Friday.
While Estonian behemoth Baruto continued to lose steam, dropping to his fourth defeat following a stellar 7-0 start, the Mongolian yokozuna put another would-be opponent through the meat grinder to extend his winning streak to 29 bouts.