Ozeki warrior Kaio etched his name in sumo history on Wednesday, beating Toyonoshima to match former yokozuna Chiyonofuji for the most career wins with 1,045 at the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament.
It wasn't sexy, but Kaio finally got the win that had eluded him for the first three days in a quick pull down of his diminutive opponent after the initial charge as the crowd burst into thunderous cheers at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium.
The battle-worn ozeki cracked a slight smile of relief as the crowd continued its applause. Toyonoshima, who was knocked off balance as he came out of the crouch, slipped to a 2-2 mark.