Kakuryu suffered loss from yokozuna counterpart Hakuho at 12-1. No. 16 maegashira Terutsuyoshi is one win behind the leaders and the only other wrestler with a chance to seize the championship.
Hakuho easily defeated No. 7 Myogiryu (8-5), to whom he has only 1 loss from 20 bouts.
Although all four ozeki wrestlers have withdrawn in Nagoya, the remainder of the three “sanyaku” ranks below yokozuna all won.
Sekiwake Mitakeumi, last year’s Nagoya champion, secured a winning record with his eighth win. The 26-year-old fan favorite beat No. 5 Kotoshogiku (6-7) in a quick bout.
Tamawashi (3-10) threw No. 5 Takarafuji (5-8) to pick up his second straight win in Nagoya. The struggling sekiwake had only one win over the first 11 days, and snapped his five-bout losing streak on Thursday.
Newly-promoted komusubi Abi (6-7) and Ryuden (4-9) both prevailed. Abi beat No. 3 Daieisho (7-6) by slapping his chest and face, and gave him a final push at the edge of the dohyo. Ryuden defeated No. 3 Shodai (6-7) for the first time in four attempts.
Among the rank-and-file wrestlers, No. 16 Terutsuyoshi (11-2) continued to ride his momentum, overcoming a 44-kilogram disadvantage to defeat No. 8 Onosho (6-7). Onosho tried to quickly finish off Terutsuyoshi by pushing him toward the edge. But the youngster held firm and bulldozed the former komusubi out for his fifth-straight victory in Nagoya.
No. 2 Endo (8-5) and No. 1 Hokutofuji (8-5) both secured winning records on Day 13. Hokutofuji survived a scare in his bout against the biggest man in the division, No. 4 Ichinojo (8-5).
Endo needed just 1.6 seconds to beat No. 6 Shimanoumi (7-6) to the delight of the crowd. The victory was Endo’s fifth straight, and his winning record is his first since January.
