The No. 1 maegashira grappled briefly with the Mongolian champion, who was competing for the first time in five months, before flipping him around and sending him hurtling out of the ring in the final bout at Ryogoku Kokugikan.

Asashoryu, winner of 21 tournament titles, was coming off a two-tournament ban for playing a charity soccer game in Ulan Bator last summer while skipping an exhibition sumo tournament in Japan. He claimed he was injured.

It was one of the harshest punishments ever meted out to a grand champion, and he will be looking to restore his tarnished image in the New Year meet.

Asashoryu's main rival, grand champion and compatriot Hakuho, picked up his second win. Hakuho just needed to take a quick step backward to send a surprised No. 1 maegashira Tokitenku sprawling.

Hakuho, who won the Kyushu Grand Sumo Tournament in November, is out to prove in this tournament that he can win the Emperor's Cup even with Asashoryu taking part.

In a difficult day for other top-rankers, No. 2 maegashira Miyabiyama used powerful shoves to thrust Chiyotaikai out of play, handing the ozeki his second loss of the tournament.

Komusubi Kotoshogiku bulldozed Kaio out of the ring, bringing the veteran ozeki down to 1-1.

Earlier, No. 2 maegashira Toyonoshima sent ozeki Kotooshu of Bulgaria tumbling to the dirt with a dramatic single-handed throw. Both wrestlers are at 1-1.

Kotooshu needs a winning record in this tourney to maintain his ozeki status for the next meet.