Hakuho banged up Kakuryu and Harumafuji gave promotion-chasing Kotoshogiku a sumo clinic to remain the co-leaders with undefeated records on the ninth day of the Nagoya Grand Sumo Tournament on Monday.
Hakuho shoved his fellow Mongolian opponent around at will, knocking Kakuryu off balance with a push to the shoulder before calmly heaving his opponent over the edge at Aichi Prefectural Gymnasium.
Hakuho, who is seeking an unprecedented eighth consecutive title and his 20th career Emperor's Cup, is tied with Harumafuji at 9-0, while ozeki Baruto is hot on their heels with an 8-1 mark.
Harumafuji, who was just 10-22 in previous bouts against Kotoshogiku, made a dynamite charge and never let the sekiwake inside as he waltzed him over the edge.
Sekiwake Kotoshogiku (7-2) roughly needs about 12 wins to be considered for a promotion to sumo's second-highest rank of ozeki.
Baruto was nothing but business against Kisenosato (5-4), pulling the sekiwake down by the back of the mawashi immediately after the faceoff.
Kaio was the only ozeki casualty, suffering his sixth defeat, after he was tripped up by Wakakoyu, who improved to 3-6.
The Tomozuna stable wrestler, who became the all-time career wins leader on the fifth day, never got rolling out of the blocks and was smacked down by the No. 3 maegashira in a matter of seconds.
Bulgarian Kotooshu pummeled Aminishiki (1-8) with a barrage of beefy shoves to the chest, sending the No. 3 maegashira flying off the dohyo surface.
The relegation-threatened ozeki is just one win shy from saving his rank.
Earlier, Brazilian-born Kaisei (5-4) got another bread-and-butter victory, his fourth in a row, with a textbook frontal forceout of Georgian wrestler Gagamaru, who slipped to 2-7.
